Quotes

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: Beheading of John the Baptist, Feast Day August 29




Martyrdom of John the Baptist Public Domain Image
Martyrdom of John the Baptist

The Feast day of the Beheading of John the Baptist is celebrated on August 29.

 

John the Baptist is the last prophet proclaiming the coming of the Lord. We actually meet John when Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth, who is pregnant with John. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry,

“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy.”( Luke1: 39)

John was actually about six months older than his cousin Jesus.

The next time we hear of John the Baptist he comes out of the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. People from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.  John  proclaimed:

“I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”(Matthew 3: 11)

In Matthew 3: 13,  Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying,

“I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”

But Jesus answered him,

“Let it be so now, for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.”

After Jesus had been baptized, the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of

Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist Public Domain Image
Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist

God descending like a dove and a voice from heaven said,

“This is my Son, the Beloved,

with whom I am well pleased.”

We learn in Mark 1:14 that it is after the arrest of John the Baptist by King Herod, that Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God and saying, “The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God has come near, repent, and believe in the good news.”

Why was John arrested? The story is told in Mark 6: 17-29. John was arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married. John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”  Herodias harbored a grudge against him and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so because Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. On Herod’s birthday Herodias’ own daughter came in and performed a dance that so delighted Herod and his guests that Herod promised her whatever she requested. She went to her mother asking “What shall I ask for?” Herodias replied,

“The head of John the Baptist.” 

The girl hurried back to King Herod saying

“I want you to give me at once on a platter the head of John the Baptist.”

King Herod was distressed at the request, but because of his oaths in front of guest he did not wish to break his word to her. So he promptly dispatched an executioner with orders to bring back John the Baptists’ head. The head, on a silver platter, was given to the girl. In turn the girl gave it to her mother.

When the disciples heard about it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

John the Baptist is most remembered for his call to repentance and baptism. The following is one of his last statements before his death.

 

 

We are travelers, hastening to go back to our own country.

Quote of St. Leo the Great;  Feast day November 10

 

August is the Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

 

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Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Augustine, Feast Day August 28




 

St. Augustine of Hippo by Sandro Botticelli Public Domain Image
St. Augustine of Hippo
by Sandro Botticelli
Public Domain Image

The feast day of St. Augustine is celebrated on August 28th. St. Augustine is the patron saint of brewers.

After the death of his father at the age of seventeen, St. Augustine left the church and led a loose life. He soon had both a mistress and a son. His mother St. Monica prayed for him for seventeen years before he returned to the faith.
Augustine began his search for faith by joining a group called the Manichees. Manichaeism teaches there are two gods at war with each other; good and evil. It also teaches that all matter is evil. He was hesitant to fully practice his faith due to physical desires. He is known for his statement

“O God, give me chastity, but not yet.”

Eventually, Augustine heard the preaching of St. Ambrose, which greatly influenced him. He began to study the bible. One day, after experiencing great remorse for his sins, Augustine heard a child singing, “Take up and read!” He opened his bible to the letters of St. Paul where he read “put away all impurity and live in imitation of Jesus.” From then on Augustine practiced his faith with zeal. He was baptized by St. Ambrose, ordained a priest and eventually became a bishop. He was also a famous writer. His book “Confessions” is considered a classic. After his death in 430 he was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church.

The following poem was written by St. Augustine.

Late have I loved you, Beauty so ancient and so new, late have I loved you!       Lo, you were within, but I outside, seeking there for you,
and upon the shapely things you have made I rushed headlong – I, misshapen.
You were with me, but I was not with you. They held me back far from you,
those things which would have no being, were they not in you.

You called, shouted, broke through my deafness;
you flared, blazed, banished my blindness;
you lavished your fragrance, I gasped; and now I pant for you;
I tasted you, and now I hunger and thirst;
you touched me, and I burned for your peace.

 

August is the Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Prayers Quips and Quotes: St. Monica, Feast Day August 27




 

 St. Monica by Tristán de Escamilla, Public Domain Image
St. Monica by
Tristán de Escamilla,

The feast day of St. Monica is celebrated on August 27.  She is the patron saint of mothers, alcoholism and difficult marriages.

St. Monica was born of a Christian family in Tagaste in Africa in 331. She was given in marriage by her parents to a non-Christian named Patricius. He was known to have a a bad temper and alcoholism. They had three children who survived infancy. One of them was Augustine.

Monica was known for her pious nature. She prayed without ceasing for her family. A year before his death Patricius converted to Catholicism and was baptized. Augustine was 17 at the time of his father’s death. He left the faith and led an immoral life. By eighteen he had a mistress and a son. He joined a group called the Manichees. Manicheeism teaches that the material world is part of the realm of evil. There are two gods one good and one evil.

Monica never ceased praying for the return of her son to the Catholic faith. After more than 15 years of prayer, Augustine heard St. Ambrose, the bishop of Milan, preach. He decided to study the faith, and eventually returned, being baptized in 387. Eventually Augustine became a priest and then a bishop.  St. Augustine  is now considered a Doctor of the Church.

Monica is the patron of mother’s because of her persistence in prayer.

 

“Nothing is far from God.”

Quote of St. Monica

 

August is the Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

 

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Prayers, Quips and Quotes; Feast Day of Augustinian Martyrs of Gafsa (Africa)




Symbol of the ]Augustinian Order
Symbol of the
Augustinian Order

The feast day of  the Martyrs of Gafsa is celebrated on August 26.

St. Augustine founded several monasteries on Northern Africa.  After the death of St. Augustine in 484, King Hunmeric ordered all monasteries abolished and the monks and nuns turned over to the Moors.

The seven brothers from the Gafsa, Tunisia monastery were arrested.  They were:  Deacon Boniface, Subdeacons Scrvus and Rusticus; Abott Liberatus and Monks:  Rogatus, Septimus and Maximus.

After being taken prisoner they were taken to Carthage.  They were offered bribes to renounce Christianity.  When they refused they were thrown into prison.  Christians living in Carthage bribed the jailers who let them offer support to the prisoners.  However, the King was informed and he then ordered the prisoners burned to death.  The youngest monk, Maximus was given a second chance to renounce Christianity.  He refused and pledged his allegiance to God and his Augustinian brothers.

The soldiers tied bundles of dry wood to the monks and placed them on an old raft.  They were however, unable to make the wood burn.  The King became infuriated and ordered the monks to be beaten to death.

The seven Augustinian brothers are honored as martyrs of the faith.

 

What unites our soul most closely to God is self-denial; 

that is, joining our will to the will of God. 

That is what makes the soul truly free.

Quote of St. Faustina;  Feast day October 5

August is the Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

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Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Genesius of Rome, Feast Day August 25




St. Genesius of Rome Public Domain Image
St. Genesius of Rome

The feast day of St. Genesius of Rome is celebrated on August 25.  St. Genesius is the patron saint of actors, comedians and clowns.

St. Genesius was a legal clerk who also performed as an actor.  He lived in the third century.  St. Genesius performed for Emperor Diocletian.

One of the plays he performed in was about a catechumen (student of Christianity) who was about to be baptized.  It was a satire which mocked the sacrament.  However, it was influencing St. Genesius to desire baptism.  During the play, he saw angels around him and requested baptism.

The emperor was so outraged, he had Genesius arrested and tortured.  He was eventually beheaded.

 

 

God calls me now, tomorrow will be too late.

Quote of St. Peter Julian Eymard; Feast day August 2

 

August is the Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

 

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Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Bartholomew, Feast Day August 24




St. Bartholomew Public Domain Image
St. Bartholomew
Public Domain Image

St. Bartholomew was born in Galilee.   He was also known as Nathanael.  Bartholomew was one of the original twelve Apostles  called by Jesus.   We know very little about Bartholomew except that he was faithful to Jesus and did his best to spread Christianity after the Resurrection of Jesus.  St. Bartholomew is the patron saint against neurological diseases and leather workers.

Bartholomew was present at the Last Supper and he witnessed the Ascension.

After the resurrection, Bartholomew preached in India, Ethiopia and Asia Minor. He was flayed and beheaded by King Astyages in Armenia for converting souls to Christianity.

The feast day of St. Bartholomew is celebrated on Aug. 24.

 

The only way to peace is forgiveness.

Quote of St. John Paul II

 

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