Thoughts On Innocence

Sharing thoughts on innocence (some can be applicable to helpless animals too):

1.  Innocence is when a child is starving but does not understand why.

2.  Innocence is when an orphan refugee is shivering in the bitter cold and endures it.

3.  Innocence is when one gives oneself totally to others.

4.  Innocence sees in others only genuine kindness.

5.  Innocence does not understand cruelty.

6.  Innocence is never a victim but always a hero.

7.  Innocence suffers alone in silence.

8.  Innocence has no pride.

9.  Innocence is vulnerable

10.  Innocence thrives on the mercy of others.

11.  Innocence is full of hope.

Saint John The Apostle & Evangelist Feast Day - 27 December

Quoted from Catholic Daily Readings [1]:

Saint John the Apostle and Evangelist was born in 6 AD in Palestinian Territories in Asia. He was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and the patron saint of love, loyalty, friendships, and authors. He died peacefully in the year 100 AD. He was beatified and [c]anonized by pre-congregation. Saint John the Apostle and Evangelist’s feast day is celebrated on December 27.

...

Saint John the Apostle and Evangelist was born in 6 AD in Palestinian Territories in Asia. He was a son of Zebedee and Salome and also a brother to Saint James the Great. He was a fisherman and his brother Saint James the Great until meeting Jesus and becoming an apostle. Compering with other apostles he was the youngest called to follow Christ on the banks of the Jordan during the first days of Our Lord’s ministry. Jesus referred to the pair as “Boanerges” (translated “sons of thunder”).

Saint John the apostle, along with Saint James and Saint Peter, witnessed the most significant events in Jesus’ life such as the Transfiguration and the Agony in the garden. Additionally, he was the disciple whom Jesus loved. At the Last Supper, his head rested on the bosom of Jesus, and in the hours of the Passion, when others fled or denied their Master, St. John kept his place by the side of Jesus and stood by the last cross with Mary.

From the cross, the dying Saviour bequeathed His Mother to the care of the faithful apostle, who “from that hour took her to his own;” thus fitly, as St. Austin says, “to a virgin was the Virgin entrusted.” After the Ascension, St. John lived first at Jerusalem, and then at Ephesus. He was thrown by Domitian into a cauldron of boiling oil and is thus reckoned a martyr, though miraculously preserved from hurt.

Because John witnessed the events of Jesus, he wrote his gospel. Additionally, he wrote the letters of John the three Epistles of John, and the book of Revelation.

Afterward, he was banished to the isle of Patmos, where he received the heavenly visions described in the Apocalypse. He died at a great age, in peace, at Ephesus, in the year 100 AD.

[1] https://catholicreadings.org/saint-john-the-apostle/

Vatican Nativity Scene - 2021

Images below obtained from different online searches:

Below is a link to Catholic News Agency  for more images:

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/249032/the-vatican-nativity-scene-2021-given-by-peru-will-include-llamas-and-superfood-for-baby-jesus

Merry Christmas - 2021

Wishing everybody a Merry Christmas in different languages (per Google Translate):

Merry Christmas!

Feliz Natal!

Fröhliche Weihnachten!

Joyeux Noël!

¡Feliz Navidad!

Buon Natale!

Sretan Božić!

Veselé Vianoce! 

Vrolijk kerstfeest!

Καλά Χριστούγεννα!

Wesołych Świąt!

Crăciun fericit!

Selamat Natal!

Selamat Hari Natal!

God Jul!

Häid jõule!

Boldog Karácsonyt!

Շնորհավոր Սուրբ Ծնունդ!

क्रिसमस की बधाई! 

חג מולד שמח!

Счастливого Рождества!

Весела Коледа!

Щасливого Різдва!

Täze ýyl gutly bolsun!

Mutlu Noeller! 

!عيد ميلاد مجيد

!חג מולד שמח

메리 크리스마스!

メリークリスマス！

聖誕快樂! 

Felicem natalem Christi!

From Bing Images:

Saint Thomas The Apostle Feast Day - 21 December

Quoted from www.christmas-celebrations.org [1]:

The Feast of St. Thomas the Apostle, established in the twelfth century, originally fell on December 21, the day of the WINTER SOLSTICE. Folk customs attached to the saint’s day, therefore, reflected both the occurrence of the solstice and the closeness of Christmas. Although the Roman Catholic Church has since moved St. Thomas’s Day to July 3, some Anglicans preserve the December date. The Greek Orthodox Church celebrates the saint’s feast on October 6.

LIFE AND LEGENDS OF ST. THOMAS THE APOSTLE

JESUS selected Thomas as one of his twelve disciples. Although he appears in all four Gospels, he is perhaps best remembered as the apostle who questioned the truth of Jesus’ resurrection because he had not seen the risen Jesus with his own eyes (John 20:25). In so doing he earned the nickname “Doubting Thomas.” In the Greek used by the writers of the New Testament, his name means “twin.”

According to legend, St. Thomas spread the gospel to the East, venturing as far as INDIA in his quest. There he established a Christian community in the southwestern region known then as Malabar, currently part of the state of Kerala. One story claims that Thomas found and baptized the Three Kings .... These three then became India’s first bishops. Another tale reports that an Indian king commissioned Thomas to build an opulent palace. Instead, the saint took the money entrusted to him for the project and distributed it to the poor. He died a martyr’s death and was buried in Mylapore, near the city of Madras.

Artists often depicted the saint kneeling by the side of the risen Christ, verifying Jesus’ identity by touching his wounds. Artists have also portrayed him holding a carpenter’s rule. In medieval times he was known as the patron saint of architects, masons, and stonecutters. St. Thomas also protects the aged.

[1] https://www.christmas-celebrations.org/216-st-thomass-day.html, quoted without hyperlinks.

Where Was Jesus Christ Born - In A House Or In A Stable?

Quoted in part from housetohouse.com [1]:

Luke describes the birth of Christ: Joseph also went up from Galilee unto Bethlehem to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn (Luke 2:4-7).

Matthew described the arrival of the wise men from the East: When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:10-11). Mark and John do not discuss the birth of Christ. They surely knew the details, but chose to write about other things.

... One of those Bible facts that everyone seems to know is that the wise men came on the night that Jesus was born. In fact, the differences between the accounts of Matthew and Luke indicate that it is highly unlikely that the wise men came on the night Christ was born, because Mathew’s account indicates that Joseph, being a good husband and father, had arranged for his family to move from the stable into a house by the time the wise men arrived. While this might have happened the night Christ was born, more than likely they were not able to move into the house for a few days, if not weeks after the birth of Christ. The fact is, Matthew does not give any details of any particular place where Christ was born, except that it was in Bethlehem, in fulfillment of the prophecy of Micah 5:2. 

There are many opinions published online regarding this question.  Below is another that analyzes it from the perspective of archaeological finds, quoted in part [2]: 

Archaeology will also help us better understand what actually took place that first Christmas. First-century homes in the Judean hill country have been excavated and studied. They were often in caves or built on caves, and many homes had levels or terraces. They often had an upper room that served as a guest chamber and a raised area in the lower level where the family lived and ate their meals. The lowest level of the home is where the animals would be brought in at night, perhaps four feet lower than the family room.

The idea of having farm animals sleep in the house may seem strange to us, but for a peasant family in first-century Bethlehem, it was perfectly natural.... The animals would be led out first thing in the morning, and then the lower level would be cleaned.

Even as recently as the 20th century, many Eastern homes had built-in mangers for the animals that were brought in at night. To a person of this culture, the statement “laid him in a manger” would immediately bring to mind an image of the family room and the manger that is found there, often along the edge of the lowest level where the animals slept. A built-in, stone manger would serve quite well as a temporary crib.

As we consider all of this information, we are compelled to paint a new picture in our minds’ eyes of the circumstances of Jesus’ birth. Joseph and Mary sought shelter, probably among relatives, but because the guest room was full because of the census, they may have slept in the family room, which was perfectly natural in that culture. In fact, many homes had only one room where everyone slept, and privacy was not valued like it is in our world.

In conclusion, below is quoted in part from goodcatholic.com under the section entitled The Miraculous Vision of the Child Jesus [3]:

The first nativity scene is also associated with an apparition of the Baby Jesus to those gathered with St. Francis on that day.

This must have been Jesus’ way of giving His blessing to [Saint Francis'] nativity scene, which was a novelty that had never been done before.

...

A certain valiant and veracious soldier, Master John of Grecio, who, for the love of Christ, had left the warfare of this world, and become a dear friend of this holy man, affirmed that he beheld an Infant marvellously beautiful, sleeping in the manger, Whom the blessed Father Francis embraced with both his arms, as if he would awake Him from sleep.

This vision of the devout soldier is credible, not only by reason of the sanctity of him that saw it, but by reason of the miracles which afterwards confirmed its truth.

For example... the hay of that manger, being preserved by the people, miraculously cured all diseases of cattle, and many other pestilences; God thus in all things glorifying his servant, and witnessing to the great efficacy of his holy prayers by manifest prodigies and miracles.

 

[1] https://housetohouse.com/jesus-born-house-matthew-says-stable-luke-says/, without hyperlinks.

[2] https://answersingenesis.org/jesus/birth/was-jesus-born-in-a-house/

[3] https://www.goodcatholic.com/inventor-of-the-nativity-scene-st-francis-of-assisi/

Feast Day Of Our Lady Of Guadalupe - 12 December

Quoted from Catholic Culture [1]:

In 1910 Our Lady of Guadalupe was declared Patroness of Latin America, and in 1945 Pope Pius XII declared Her to be the Empress of all the Americas. She appeared to an Indian convert named Juan Diego on December 9, 1531. She left a marvelous portrait of herself on the mantle of Juan Diego. This miraculous image has proved to be ageless and is kept in the shrine built in her honor, the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

...

"Hear me and understand well, my son the least, that nothing should frighten or grieve you. Let not your heart be disturbed. Do not fear that sickness, nor any other sickness or anguish. Am I not here, who is your Mother? Are you not under my protection? Am I not your health? Are you not happily within my fold? What else do you wish? Do not grieve nor be disturbed by anything."

— Our Lady to Juan Diego

In the winter of 1531, a poor, 57-year-old Aztec Indian living five miles outside of Mexico City encountered a miraculous happening on his way to morning Mass. First he heard strange music coming from Tepeyac Hill, and then he heard a woman's voice calling his name. Juan Diego climbed the hill and encountered a young woman, appearing to be of his own people in physical appearance and dress. The woman identified herself as the Virgin Mary, and told Juan Diego to ask the bishop of Mexico City to build a church on the hill to assist in the conversion of the nation and be a source of consolation to the people.

Juan Diego obeyed the request, but the bishop was skeptical regarding the message, even though he perceived that Juan was a humble, and well meaning Catholic. Juan reported the bishop's doubt to Our Lady at Tepeyac Hill, and she asked him to return to the bishop once again, bearing the same message. The bishop once again heard the story, and told Juan Diego to ask Our Lady for a sign that it was indeed herself that wished for the church to be built.

When he returned to the hill, Mary gave Juan Diego such a sign. Miraculously, roses appeared on the hill in the middle of winter, and Juan gathered them in his tilma, or cloak. Our Lady arranged the roses in his tilma with her own hands, and Juan returned to the bishop's presence. When Juan released the tilma, allowing the flowers to fall to the floor, it was revealed that a miraculous image of Our Lady had imprinted itself on his tilma...

The bishop immediately fell to his knees, and came to believe in Juan Diego's message. A church was built on the spot of the apparition, as Mary had requested, and 8 million people converted to Catholicism in a short period of time upon hearing of or viewing the miraculous image of Our Lady.

The tilma of Juan Diego has been the subject of much modern research. The tilma, woven out of coarse cactus fiber, should have disintegrated after 20 years, but although over 500 years have passed the tilma is still in perfect condition. The pupils of Mary in the picture reflect the Indians and clergy present at the time of the first revelation of the image. No paint was used, and chemical analysis has not been able to identify the color imprint. Additionally, studies have revealed that the stars on Mary's mantle match exactly what a Mexican would have seen in the sky in December of 1531.

[1] https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2020-12-12

San Juan Diego Feast Day - 9 December

Quoted from Franciscan Media [1]:

Thousands of people gathered in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe July 31, 2002, for the canonization of Juan Diego, to whom the Blessed Mother appeared in the 16th century. Pope John Paul II celebrated the ceremony at which the poor Indian peasant became the Church’s first saint indigenous to the Americas.

The Holy Father called the new saint “a simple, humble Indian” who accepted Christianity without giving up his identity as an Indian. “In praising the Indian Juan Diego, I want to express to all of you the closeness of the Church and the pope, embracing you with love and encouraging you to overcome with hope the difficult times you are going through,” John Paul said. Among the thousands present for the event were members of Mexico’s 64 indigenous groups.

First called Cuauhtlatohuac (“The eagle who speaks”), Juan Diego’s name is forever linked with Our Lady of Guadalupe because it was to him that she first appeared at Tepeyac hill on December 9, 1531. The most famous part of his story is told in connection with the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12. After the roses gathered in his tilma were transformed into the miraculous image of Our Lady, however, little more is said about Juan Diego.

In time he lived near the shrine constructed at Tepeyac, revered as a holy, unselfish, and compassionate catechist, who taught by word and especially by example.

During his 1990 pastoral visit to Mexico, Pope John Paul II confirmed the long-standing liturgical cult in honor of Juan Diego, beatifying him. Twelve years later the same pope proclaimed him a saint.

[1] https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-juan-diego

The Solemnity Of The Immaculate Conception Of The Blessed Virgin Mary - 8 December

Quoted from Franciscan Media [1]:

A feast called the Conception of Mary arose in the Eastern Church in the seventh century. It came to the West in the eighth century. In the 11th century it received its present name, the Immaculate Conception. In the 18th century it became a feast of the universal Church. It is now recognized as a solemnity.

In 1854, Pius IX solemnly proclaimed: “The most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instant of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin.”

It took a long time for this doctrine to develop. While many Fathers and Doctors of the Church considered Mary the greatest and holiest of the saints, they often had difficulty in seeing Mary as sinless—either at her conception or throughout her life. This is one of the Church teachings that arose more from the piety of the faithful than from the insights of brilliant theologians. Even such champions of Mary as Bernard of Clairvaux and Thomas Aquinas could not see theological justification for this teaching.

Two Franciscans, William of Ware and Blessed John Duns Scotus, helped develop the theology. They pointed out that Mary’s Immaculate Conception enhances Jesus’ redemptive work. Other members of the human race are cleansed from original sin after birth. In Mary, Jesus’ work was so powerful as to prevent original sin at the outset.

[1] https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/immaculate-conception-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary

Saint Andrew The Apostle Feast Day - 30 November

Quoted from Wikipedia [1]:

Andrew the Apostle...also called Saint Andrew, was an apostle of Jesus according to the New Testament. He is the brother of Saint Peter. He is referred to in the Orthodox tradition as the First-Called...

According to Orthodox tradition, the apostolic successor to Saint Andrew is the Patriarch of Constantinople.

Quoted from Catholics Online [2]:

According to the New Testament, Andrew was born in the village of Bethsaida on the Sea of Galilee during the early first century. Much like his younger brother, Simon Peter, Andrew was also a fisherman...

In the Gospel of Matthew, it is said Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee and saw Andrew and Simon Peter fishing. It is then he asked the two to become disciples and "fishers of men."

In the Gospel of Luke, Andrew is not initially named. It describes Jesus using a boat, believed to be solely Simon's, to preach to the multitudes and catch a large amount of fish on a night that originally was dry. Later, in Luke 5:7, it mentions Simon was not the only fisherman on the boat, but it is not until Luke 6:14 that there is talk of Andrew being Simon Peter's brother.

However, the Gospel of John tells a separate story, stating Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist. When Jesus walked by one day, John the Baptist stated, "Behold, the Lamb of God!" It is then that Andrew and another made the decision to follow Jesus.

Little else is said about Andrew in the Gospels, but it is believed Andrew was one of the closer disciples to Jesus. It was he who told Jesus about the boy with the loaves and fishes, according to John 6:8. When Philip wanted to speak to Jesus about Greeks seeking him, he spoke to Andrew first. Andrew was also present at the last supper.

Per Christian tradition, Andrew went on to preach the Good News around the shores of the Black Sea and throughout what is now Greece and Turkey. Andrew was martyred by crucifixion in Patras. He was bound, rather than nailed, to a cross, as is described in the Acts of Andrew. He was crucified on a cross form known as "crux decussata," which is an X-shaped cross or a "saltire." Today this is commonly referred to as "St. Andrew's Cross." It is believed Andrew requested to be crucified this way, because he deemed himself "unworthy to be crucified on the same type of cross as Jesus."

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_the_Apostle, quoted without hyperlinks and references.

[2] https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=109

Presentation Of The Blessed Virgin Mary - 21 November

Quoted from Wikipedia [1]:

The account of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Temple is principally based on the Protoevangelium of James, which has been dated by historians prior to the year 200 AD. The story relates that in thanksgiving for the birth of their daughter Mary, Joachim and Anne decide to consecrate her to God, and bring her, at the age of three years, to the temple in Jerusalem...

Mary remained in the Temple until her twelfth year, at which point she was assigned to Joseph as guardian. According to Coptic tradition, her father Joachim died when Mary was six years old and her mother when Mary was eight.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presentation_of_Mary, quoted without hyperlinks and references.

Saint Elizabeth Of Hungary Feast Day - 19 November

Quoted from Catholic News Agency [1]:

On Nov. 17 [November 19 is the feast day of St. Elizabeth of Hungary in the Extraordinary Form. [2]], the Catholic Church celebrates the life and example of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, a medieval noblewoman who responded to personal tragedy by embracing St. Francis' ideals of poverty and service. A patron of secular Franciscans, she is especially beloved to Germans, as well as the faithful of her native Hungary. 

As the daughter of the Hungarian King Andrew II, Elizabeth had the responsibilities of royalty thrust upon her almost as soon as her short life began in 1207. While she was still very young, Elizabeth's father arranged for her to be married to a German nobleman, Ludwig of Thuringia.

The plan forced Elizabeth to separate from her parents while still a child. Adding to this sorrow was the murder of Elizabeth's mother Gertrude in 1213, which history ascribes to a conflict between her own German people and the Hungarian nobles. Elizabeth took a solemn view of life and death from that point on, and found consolation in prayer. Both tendencies drew some ire from her royal peers.

For a time, beginning in 1221, she was happily married. Ludwig, who had advanced to become one of the rulers of Thuringia, supported Elizabeth's efforts to live out the principles of the Gospel even within the royal court. She met with friars of the nascent Franciscan order during its founder's own lifetime, resolving to use her position as queen to advance their mission of charity.

Remarkably, Ludwig agreed with his wife's resolution, and the politically powerful couple embraced a life of remarkable generosity toward the poor. They had three children, two of whom went on to live as as members of the nobility, although one of them –her only son– died relatively young. The third eventually entered religious life and became abbess of a German convent.

In 1226, while Ludwig was attending to political affairs in Italy, Elizabeth took charge of distributing aid to victims of disease and flooding that struck Thuringia. She took charge of caring for the afflicted, even when this required giving up the royal family's own clothes and goods. Elizabeth arranged for a hospital to be built, and is said to have provided for the needs of nearly a thousand desperately poor people on a daily basis.

The next year, however, would put Elizabeth's faith to the test. Her husband had promised to assist the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II in the Sixth Crusade, but he died of illness en route to Jerusalem. Devastated by Ludwig's death, Elizabeth vowed never to remarry. Her children were sent away, and relatives heavily pressured her to break the vow.

Undeterred, Elizabeth used her remaining money to build another hospital, where she personally attended to the sick almost constantly. Sending away her servants, she joined the Third Order of St. Francis, seeking to emulate the example of its founder as closely as her responsibilities would allow. Near the end of her life, she lived in a small hut and spun her own clothes.

Working continually with the severely ill, Elizabeth became sick herself, dying of illness in November of 1231. After she died, miraculous healings soon began to occur at her grave near the hospital, and she was declared a saint only four years later.

Pope Benedict XVI has praised her as a “model for those in authority,” noting the continuity between her personal love for God, and her public work on behalf of the poor and sick.

[1] https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-elizabeth-of-hungary-56

[2] https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2018-11-17

Saint Gertrude The Great Feast Day - 16 November

 Quoted from Catholic Apostolate Center [1]:

St. Gertrude the Great was born on January 6, 1256 in the Holy Roman Empire. St. Gertrude became a Benedictine nun at a young age, when she wrote multiple texts involving her spirituality and devotion to the Sacred Heart of Christ. At age 25, she began to see visions and practiced “nuptial mysticism”, seeing herself as a bride of Christ. She was canonized in 1677 and her feast is celebrated on November 16. Pope Benedict XIV bestowed upon her the title “Great” to recognize her insight in theological and spiritual matters.

[1] https://www.catholicapostolatecenterfeastdays.org/feast-days-and-solemnities/st-gertrude-the-great

Saint Albert The Great (Albertus Magnus} Feast Day - 15 November

Quoted from catholicfaithpatronsaints.com [1]:

The feast day of St. Albert the Great is celebrated on November 15.  He is the patron saint of scientists and philosophers.

St. Albert the Great was born in Germany.   After experiencing an encounter with the Virgin Mary he was inspired to join the Dominican Order also known as the Order of Preachers.

St. Albert was well educated and respected for his knowledge of science and theology, He received his doctorate from the University of Paris in 1245.  He studied and commented on the works of Aristotle.   Eventually, he became a professor of theology the the University of Paris. He became bishop of Regenburg in 1260. Because he refused to ride a horse and traveled entirely by foot he became known as “boots the bishop”. St. Thomas Aquinas was one of his students, later becoming a good friend.

St. Albert was a prolific writer. His writings are compiled in 38 volumes. He wrote about many subjects including philosophy, geography, astronomy, law and love.

St. Albert became well known as a mediator of disputes.  He became ill and died on November 15, 1280.

St. Albert was canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1931 and declared a Doctor of the Church.

Three years after his death his body was discovered to be incorrupt.  However, when his grave was opened centuries later, only a skeleton was found.  His relics are found in St. Andreas Church in Cologne. 

It is by the path of love, which is charity,

that God draws near to man, and man to God.

But where charity is not found, God cannot dwell.

If, then, we possess charity, we possess God,

for God is Charity.

Quote of St. Albert the Great

[1] http://catholicfaithpatronsaints.com/prayers-quips-and-quotes-st-albert-the-great-feast-day-nov-15/, quoted without hyperlinks and emphasis.

All Saints Day - 1 November

"[All Saints Day] is instituted to honour all the saints, known and unknown, and, according to Urban IV, to supply any deficiencies in the faithful's celebration of saints' feasts during the year." [1]

Similarly, quoted from Learn Religions [2]:

All Saints Day is a special feast day on which Catholics celebrate all the saints, known and unknown. While most saints have a particular feast day on the Catholic calendar (usually, though not always, the date of their death), not all of those feast days are observed. And saints who have not been canonized — those who are in Heaven, but whose sainthood is known only to God — have no particular feast day. In a special way, All Saints Day is their feast.

[1] https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01315a.htm, quoted without hyperlinks.

[2] https://www.learnreligions.com/what-is-all-saints-day-542459, quoted without hyperlink.

The Solemnity Of Christ The King - 31 October 2021

Quoted from catholictradition.org [1]:

The Feast of Christ the King is the Last Sunday in October on the Traditional Calendar.  In the Novus Ordo  it falls on the Sunday before the First Sunday of Advent.

Quoted from Wikipedia [2]:

According to Cyril of Alexandria, "Christ has dominion over all creatures, ...by essence and by nature." His kingship is founded upon the hypostatic union. "[T]he Word of God, as consubstantial with the Father, has all things in common with him, and therefore has necessarily supreme and absolute dominion over all things created."

"From this it follows that to Christ angels and men are subject. Christ is also King by acquired, as well as by natural right, for he is our Redeemer. ...' We are no longer our own property, for Christ has purchased us "with a great price"; our very bodies are the "members of Christ." A third ground of sovereignty is that God bestowed upon Christ the nations of the world as His special possession and dominion. "All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me." (Matthew 28:18)

The Feast of Christ the King has an eschatological dimension pointing to the end of time when the kingdom of Jesus will be established in all its fullness to the ends of the earth. It leads into Advent, when the Church anticipates Christ’s second coming.

[1] http://www.catholictradition.org/Christ/cking-feast2.htm

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feast_of_Christ_the_King, quoted without hyperlinks and references.

Feast Day Of Saint Simon And Saint Jude - 28 October

Quoted from Catholicism Pure & Simple [1]:

October 28th is the feast of Saint Simon the Zealot and Saint Jude Thaddeus, two of the twelve Apostles named by Jesus. They share a common feast day because, according to later tradition, they ministered in Persia and there, received the crown of martyrdom on the same day in c. 65 AD. In Matthew and Mark, Simon is referred to as the Cananean. Luke calls him the Zealot, perhaps due to his zeal in upholding the Law, or perhaps he was a member of the radical Jewish sect so named. This designation helped to distinguish him from fellow Apostle, Simon Peter. After Christs’ Ascension and the Council of Jerusalem, Simon preached the Gospel in Egypt, Carthage, Spain and possibly Britain, before going to Jerusalem. There, he joined Jude on missionary journeys to Syria, Mesopotamia and Persia. Popular piety attests that he was sawed in half and devoured by lions. Simon is most often depicted in art with a saw, the instrument of his martyrdom.

Saint Jude or Judas, also called Thaddeus or Lebbeus, wrote the New Testament Epistle that bears his name. Scripture identifies him as “the brother of James,” and it is generally believed that this is Saint James the Less. It is probable that Jude was a childhood companion of Jesus as it is widely held that Jude was the nephew of the Blessed Mother and a cousin of Christ. In the Gospel of John, at the Last Supper, Jude asks Jesus why he does not manifest himself to the whole world. Jesus replies: [to Jude and to us) “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me.”

The Apostle known as the patron of impossible causes, ordered demons out of pagan temples and once miraculously healed a pagan king by showing him an image of Christ and proclaiming the Name of Jesus over him. St. Jude, together with St. Simon, is credited with converting the Persian King Varardach and his court to the Faith. Several accounts contend that Jude was crucified as an example to perspective converts, but most hold to the tradition that he was beaten and beheaded.

[1] https://catholicismpure.wordpress.com/2016/10/28/feast-of-saint-simon-and-saint-jude-apostles/#:~:text=Saints%20Simon%20the%20Zealot%20and%20Jude%20%28Thaddeus%29%20October,on%20the%20same%20day%20in%20c.%2065%20AD.

Feast Day Of Saint Raphael The Archangel - 24 October

Quoted in part from Wikipedia [1]:

Raphael first appears in ... 1 Enoch, a collection of originally independent texts from the 3rd century BCE [2], and the Book of Tobit, from the early 2nd century BCE....His name derives from a Hebrew root meaning "to heal", and can be translated as "God healed"....

The New Testament names only two archangels or angels, Michael and Gabriel (Luke 1:9–26; Jude 1:9; Revelation 12:7), but Raphael, because of his association with healing, became identified with the unnamed angel of John 5:1–4 who periodically stirred the pool of Bethesda "[a]nd he that went down first into the pond after the motion of the water was made whole of whatsoever infirmity he lay under". The Catholic church accordingly links Raphael with Michael and Gabriel as saints whose intercession can be sought through prayer.

The feast day of Raphael was included for the first time in the General Roman Calendar in 1921, for celebration on October 24. With the 1969 revision of the General Roman Calendar, the feast was transferred to September 29 for celebration together with archangels Saints Michael and Gabriel. Due to Pope Benedict XVI's Summorum Pontificum, the Catholic Church permits, within certain limits for public use, the General Roman Calendar of 1960, which has October 24 as Raphael's feast day.

Quoted in part from Profiles In Catholicism [3]:

...Raphael became known as the patron of the sick because of a medieval legend in which Raphael appeared to a holy hermit when a plague was sweeping central Europe. 

Raphael told the hermit that a new herb, recently introduced by the Vikings to that area, would cure the plague. The roots of herb were boiled to make a tea which eventually cured thousands. The herb became known as angelica and its official botanical classification  became angelica archangelica. The legends of angelica's miraculous powers persist. In 1974 French newspapers reported the death of Annibal CaIroux of Marseilles, who chewed angelica root daily and died at age 121. 

While angelica roots are still used as a medicine, one variety, garden angelica, is primarily cultivated for its stalk which is used as an ingredient of the principal flavorings in Chartreuse and Benedictine. 

[Bénédictine ...is a herbal liqueur produced in France....The recipe of Bénédictine is a commercial secret, but it is known to contain 27 herbs and spices, of which the following 21 are publicly known: angelica, hyssop, juniper, myrrh, saffron, mace, fir cones, aloe, arnica, lemon balm, tea, thyme, coriander, clove, lemon, vanilla, orange peel, honey, red berries, cinnamon, and nutmeg. [4]].

[Chartreuse is a French liqueur available in green and yellow versions that differ in taste and alcohol content. The liqueur has been made by the Carthusian Monks since 1737 according to the instructions set out in a manuscript given to them by François Annibal d'Estrées in 1605. It was named after the monks' Grande Chartreuse monastery, located in the Chartreuse Mountains in the general region of Grenoble in France. The liqueur is produced in their distillery in nearby Aiguenoire. It is composed of distilled alcohol aged with 130 herbs, plants and flowers....

[The book The Practical Hotel Steward (1900) states that Green Chartreuse contains "cinnamon, mace, lemon balm, dried hyssop flower tops, peppermint, thyme, costmary, arnica flowers, genepi, and angelica roots", and that yellow chartreuse is, "Similar to above, adding cardamom seeds and socctrine aloes." The monks intended their liqueur to be used as medicine. The exact recipes for all forms of Chartreuse remain trade secrets and are known at any given time only to the two monks who prepare the herbal mixture....[5]]

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raphael_(archangel), quoted without hyperlinks and references.

[2] BCE - Before Common Era, see https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/ce-bce-what-do-they-mean.html#:~:text=BCE%20is%20short%20for%20Before%20Common%20Era.%20The,way%20as%20the%20traditional%20abbreviations%20AD%20and%20BC.

[3] https://www.catholicprofiles.org/post/october-24-feast-of-st-raphael-the-archangel

[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%A9n%C3%A9dictine, quoted without hyperlinks and references.

[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chartreuse_(liqueur), quoted without hyperlinks and references.

Saint Luke The Evangelist Feast Day - 18 October

Quoted from Britannica [1]:

St. Luke, also called Saint Luke the Evangelist, (flourished 1st century CE [2]; feast day October 18), in Christian tradition, the author of the Gospel According to Luke and the Acts of the Apostles, a companion of St. Paul the Apostle, and the most literary of the New Testament writers. Information about his life is scanty. Tradition based on references in the Pauline Letters has regarded him as a physician and a Gentile. He probably accompanied Paul on several missionary journeys. He is a patron saint of physicians and artists.

Luke is first mentioned in the letters of Paul as the latter’s “coworker” and as the “beloved physician.” The former designation is the more significant one, for it identifies him as one of a professional cadre of itinerant Christian “workers,” many of whom were teachers and preachers. His medical skills, like Paul’s tentmaking, may have contributed to his livelihood; but his principal occupation was the advancement of the Christian mission.

If Luke was the author of the third Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles, the course and nature of his ministry may be sketched in more detail from both texts. He excludes himself from those who were eyewitnesses of Christ’s ministry. He indicates participation in the Pauline mission by the use of the first person in the “we” sections of Acts. They suggest that Luke shared in instructing persons in the Christian message and possibly in performing miraculous healings.

The “we” sections are analogous in style to travel reports found elsewhere in writings of the Greco-Roman period. They place the author with Paul during his initial mission into Greece—i.e., as far as Philippi, in Macedonia (c. 51 CE). It is there that Luke later rejoins Paul and accompanies him on his final journey to Jerusalem (c. 58 CE). After Paul’s arrest in that city and during his extended detention in nearby Caesarea, Luke may have spent considerable time in Palestine working with the apostle as the occasion allowed and gathering materials for his future two-volume literary work, the Gospel and the Acts. In any case, two years later he appears with Paul on his prison voyage from Caesarea to Rome and again, according to the Second Letter of Paul to Timothy 4:11, at the time of the apostle’s martyrdom in the imperial city (c. 66 CE).

[1] https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Luke, quoted without subtitles, bold emphasis, hyperlinks and references.

[2] "CE (Common Era) is the secular equivalent of AD (anno Domini), which means 'in the year of the Lord' in Latin."  See https://earthsky.org/human-world/definition-common-era-bce-ce-bc-ad/#:~:text=CE%20%28Common%20Era%29%20is%20the%20secular%20equivalent%20of,are%20more%20prone%20to%20using%20the%20BCE%2FCE%20format.

Sainte Marguerite-Marie Alacoque Feast Day - 17 October

Quoted from Wikipedia [1]:

Margaret Mary Alacoque (French: Marguerite-Marie Alacoque) (22 July 1647 – 17 October 1690), was a French Roman Catholic Visitation nun and mystic, who promoted devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in its modern form.

Alacoque was born in 1647 in L'Hautecour, Burgundy, France, now part of the commune of Verosvres, then in the Duchy of Burgundy, the only daughter of Claude and Philiberte Lamyn Alacoque, who had also several sons. From early childhood, Margaret was described as showing intense love for the Blessed Sacrament, and as preferring silence and prayer to childhood play.

After her First Communion at the age of nine, she practiced in secret severe corporal mortification, until rheumatic fever confined her to bed for four years. At the end of this period, having made a vow to the Blessed Virgin to consecrate herself to religious life, it is said she was instantly restored to perfect health. In recognition of this favor, she added the name Mary to her baptismal name of Margaret. According to her later account of her life, she had visions of Jesus Christ, which she thought were a normal part of human experience and continued to practice austerity.

Alacoque lost her father at a young age, and the family's assets were held by a relative who refused to hand them over, plunging her family into poverty. During this time, her only consolation was frequent visits to pray before the Blessed Sacrament in the local church. When she was 17, however, the family regained their fortune and her mother encouraged her to socialize, in the hopes of her finding a suitable husband. Out of obedience, and believing that her childhood vow was no longer binding, she began to accompany her brothers in the social events, attending dances and balls.

One night, after returning home from a ball for Carnival dressed in her finery, she experienced a vision of Christ, scourged and bloody. He reproached her for her forgetfulness of him; yet he also reassured her by demonstrating that his heart was filled with love for her, because of the childhood promise she had made to his Blessed Mother. As a result, she determined to fulfill her vow and entered, when almost 24 years of age, the Visitation Convent at Paray-le-Monial on 25 May 1671, intending to become a nun.

...

In this monastery Alacoque received several private revelations of the Sacred Heart, the first on 27 December 1673 and the final one 18 months later. The visions revealed to her the form of the devotion, the chief features being reception of Holy Communion on the first Friday of each month, Eucharistic adoration during a "Holy hour" on Thursdays, and the celebration of the Feast of the Sacred Heart. She stated that in her vision she was instructed to spend an hour every Thursday night to meditate on Jesus' Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. The Holy Hour practice later became widespread among Catholics.

In the area where this blogger is located, Eucharistic Adoration is on the first Friday (not Thursday) of every month except for one church which has a 24-hour adoration in its chapel.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Mary_Alacoque

Motherhood Of The Blessed Virgin Mary - 11 October

Quoted from traditionalcatholic.net [1]:

The celebration on this day throughout the Western church of a feast in honour of the Motherhood of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, was enjoined by Pope Pius XI in the encyclical "Lux veritatis", published on December 25, 1931, in view of the fifteenth centenary of the Council of Ephesus.

 

Quoted from Sensus Fidelium [2]:

Proceeding to speak of the special dignity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Pope emphasizes that, “because she brought forth the Redeemer of mankind, she is also in a manner the most tender Mother of us all, whom Christ our Lord deigned to have as his brothers; wherefore we may confidently entrust to her all things that are ours, our joys, our troubles, our hopes; especially if more difficult times fall upon the Church—if faith fail because charity has grown cold, if private and public morals take a turn for the worse.”

[1] http://www.traditionalcatholic.net/Tradition/Calendar/10-11.html#:~:text=Motherhood%20of%20the%20Blessed%20Virgin%20Mary%20The%20celebration,the%20fifteenth%20centenary%20of%20the%20Council%20of%20Ephesus.

[2] https://sensusfidelium.us/the-liturgical-year-dom-prosper-gueranger/october/october-11-the-motherhood-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary/

Our Lady Of The Holy Rosary - 7 October

Quoted from Wikipedia [1]:

Our Lady of the Rosary, also known as Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, is a title of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Quoted from Catholic News Agency [2]:

On October 7, the Roman Catholic Church celebrates the yearly feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. Known for several centuries by the alternate title of “Our Lady of Victory,” the feast day takes place in honor of a 16th century naval victory which secured Europe against Turkish invasion. Pope St. Pius V attributed the victory to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who was invoked on the day of the battle through a campaign to pray the Rosary throughout Europe.  The feast always occurs one week after the similar Byzantine celebration of the Protection of the Mother of God, which most Eastern Orthodox Christians and Eastern Catholics celebrate on October 1 in memory of a 10th-century military victory which protected Constantinople against invasion after a reported Marian apparition.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_of_the_Rosary, quoted without emphasis and hyperlink.

[2] https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/feast-of-our-lady-of-the-rosary-617

Saint Francis Of Assisi (San Francesco d'Assisi) Feast Day - 4 October

A lot of articles on Saint Francis of Assisi had been published online.  Instead of quoting various sources, this entry shows links to two Saint Francis of Assisi movies:

1. One is a movie based on a novel by Louis de Wohl, available on YouTube :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UX-y_P_4MlM (one of several uploads);

link to another upload: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eM4PtT0rJp0&t=2133s

2. The other is a movie by Franco Zeffirelli, Brother Sun Sister Moon :  https://archive.org/details/brother-sun-sister-moon-1972rom.sub.

Saint Teresa Of The Child Jesus (Sainte Thérèse de Lisieux) Feast Day - 3 October

Quoted from Britannica [1]:

St. Thérèse of Lisieux, also called St. Teresa of the Child Jesus or the Little Flower, original name Marie-Françoise-Thérèse Martin, (born January 2, 1873, Alençon, France—died September 30, 1897, Lisieux; canonized May 17, 1925; feast day October 1) [2].  Carmelite nun whose service to her Roman Catholic order, although outwardly unremarkable, was later recognized for its exemplary spiritual accomplishments....

The story of Thérèse’s spiritual development was related in a collection of her epistolary essays, written by order of the prioresses and published in 1898 under the title Histoire d’une âme (“Story of a Soul”). [3]  Her popularity is largely a result of this work, which conveys her loving pursuit of holiness in ordinary life. 

 

[1] https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Therese-of-Lisieux, quoted without hyperlinks.

[2] "Feast Day: October 1 (New), October 3 (Trad)" see https://holyrosaryflint.com/happy-feast-daysaint-therese-of-lisieux-doctor-of-the-church1873-1897feast-d/

[3] "The backbone of Story of a Soul" can be accessed with this link:

https://www.archives-carmel-lisieux.fr/english/carmel/index.php/oeuvres-de-therese/manuscrits-autobiographiques

The Holy Guardian Angels Feast Day - 2 October

Quoted from Wikipedia [1]:

Catholics set up altars in honor of guardian angels as early as the 4th Century, and local celebrations of a feast in honor of guardian angels go back to the 11th Century...Devotion to the angels is an ancient tradition which the Christian Church inherited from Judaism. It began to develop with the birth of the monastic tradition. The feast was first kept by the Franciscan order in 1500. This feast, like many others, was local before it was placed in the General Roman Calendar in 1607 by Pope Paul V.

One of several guardian prayers [2]:

Angel of God, my guardian dear,

To whom God’s love commits me here,

Ever this day be at my side,

To light and guard, to rule and guide.

Amen.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_of_the_Holy_Guardian_Angels, quoted with hyperlinks and references.

[2] https://www.praywithme.com/guardian-angel-prayers.html

Feast Of The Dedication Of Saint Michael The Archangel - 29 September

Quoted from ewtn.com [1]:

The three archangels whom the Church honors by name are St. Michael, St. Gabriel, and St. Raphael. They are also the only three angels who are mentioned by name in Sacred Scripture. The Feast of all three Archangels is September 29. In the traditional calendar this was St. Michael’s feast day, with St. Gabriel’s being March 24th (the day prior to the Annunciation) and St. Raphael’s being October 24th. Communities which celebrate the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite still celebrate the three feasts.

Quoted from catholicharboroffaithandmorals.com [2]:

...To understand this [dedication], it is necessary to know an event which took place at the time of Pope Gelasius I. in the latter part of the fifth Century. In Apulia, there is a mountain formerly called Gargano, now Monte St. Angelo, or Angel's mountain. Near this mountain, a herdsman was keeping his cattle. A steer strayed away from his herd and went into the woods on the mountain, to the entrance of a cave which was concealed by bushes. The herdsman, to drive the animal out of the cave back to the herd, shot an arrow at it. The arrow, however, turned and flew with great force back to him. The herdsman and those who were present were terrified at this and none dared to go nearer to the cave. They went to the bishop, who was at Siponto, a neighboring city, and informed him of what had occurred. The bishop, not doubting that a divine mystery was concealed under it, ordered his congregation to fast and pray three days, in order that God might graciously reveal it to them. At the expiration of the three days, St. Michael, the Archangel, appeared to the bishop and announced to him that the place whither the steer had fled was under his especial protection, and that he desired that they should dedicate the spot to the honor of God, and to the memory of St. Michael and all the Angels.

The bishop, greatly rejoiced, called the clergy and the people together, and having informed them of the revelation, formed a large procession and ascended the mountain. They found a large cave which was like a Church hewn out of the rock. Above the entrance was an opening by which the whole interior received light. To offer the holy sacrifice of the Mass in it, only the altar was wanting; but it was speedily erected by the pious bishop. The Church itself was soon after dedicated with great solemnity to St. Michael and all holy Angels. The fame of this event spread in a short time all around and drew a great many pilgrims to the Church, while the many miracles that took place there, were a visible sign that the veneration and invocation of St. Michael and the other holy angels must be very agreeable to the Most High. Today's festival was instituted to commemorate the dedication of the Church on Mount Gargano, hence it is called the dedication of St. Michael, as he is especially venerated in that Church. The commemoration of the apparition of this holy Archangel on Mount Gargano is celebrated on May 8th.

Quoted from dailyrosaryfamily.com [3]:

While St. Michaels’ [sic] Feast Day is September 29, the feast of the Apparition of Saint Michael on May 8 commemorates the 6th century appearance of the archangel on Mount Gargano near Manfredonia in southern Italy. A church was built in his honor at the site. 

[1] https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/seasons-and-feast-days/archangels-14635

[2] http://www.catholicharboroffaithandmorals.com/Dedication%20of%20St.%20Michael.html#:~:text=Dedication%20of%20St.%20Michael%20the%20Archangel.%20On%20Mount,altar%20which%20St.%20John%20saw%20%28Apoc.%208%2C%203-4%29.

[3] http://dailyrosaryfamily.com/may-8-feast-of-the-apparition-of-st-michael-victory-gargano/#:~:text=May%208%20Feast%20of%20the%20Apparition%20of%20St.,was%20built%20in%20his%20honor%20at%20the%20site.

Saint Matthew - Apostle And Evangelist Feast Day - 21 September

Quoted from stboniface-lunenburg.org [1]:

The Feast of Saint Matthew a, Apostle and Evangelist is celebrated on September 21st.

Matthew is also known as Levi in the Gospels of Mark and Luke. Matthew is one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus.  As one of the four Gospel writers, Matthew is one of the four Evangelists.

Little is known about Saint Matthew, except that he was the son of Alpheus, and he was likely born in Galilee. He worked as a tax collector, which was a hated profession during the time of Christ.  

According to the Gospel, Matthew was working at a collection booth in Capernaum when Christ came to him and asked, "Follow me." With this simple call, Matthew became a disciple of Christ.

Quoted from Wikipedia [2]:

After his call, Matthew invited Jesus for a feast. On seeing this, the Scribes and the Pharisees criticized Jesus for eating with tax collectors and sinners. This prompted Jesus to answer, "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

Quoted from catholicharboroffaithandmorals.com [3]:

...When the feast was ended, Matthew followed Christ and was numbered by Him among the Apostles. Having received the Holy Ghost, on the day of Pentecost, he labored like the other Apostles for the conversion of the Jews. But before going to the district appointed to him as the field wherein he had to sow the word of God, he wrote his Gospel, as a short sketch of the life, sufferings and death of the Saviour, in order to impress better the teachings of the Apostles on the minds of the newly converted. This was immediately copied a great many times and preached by the other Apostles in those countries which they were to convert.

St. Matthew went to Ethiopia and thence into the neighboring states. He began his mission at Nadabar, the capital, where he met two notorious magicians named Zaroes and Arphaxad, who, by their hellish art, caused people to become sick, after which they cured them by magic, and thus gained the reputation of performing miracles, besides which, they gathered great riches. The holy Apostle discovered the fraudulent means by which they deceived the credulous, and he admonished the inhabitants of the city, not to fear those two men, as he was preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, in whose name, all such diabolical art would be destroyed. When the two magicians saw that they lost credit and gain by these remarks of the Apostle, they endeavored by new sorcery to frighten the people; but the Saint, making their fraud public, caused himself to be greatly esteemed, so that the people commenced to attend his sermons, and to take an interest in the faith he announced.

The many miracles which the Saint performed at length opened the eyes of the blind pagans; they recognized their error, and truth took possession of their hearts. What more then all else furthered the conversion of this nation, was the miracle by which the holy Apostle raised from the dead the royal princess. Her father, the king of Ethiopia, had called the magicians to his court and requested them to give back life to his child. The wicked deceivers used all their evil powers; but the spirits of hell which they invoked, could not reanimate the lifeless body. Hence the holy Apostle, was called, who going towards the dead, commanded her, in the name of Jesus Christ, to arise. The princess immediately arose, full of life and health, in presence of the king and all his courtiers. This miracle induced the king, with his whole court, to receive instruction in the Christian faith, and to be baptized with great solemnity. The example of the king was followed by all the people, and thus was paganism conquered in that country.

The holy Apostle then went into other cities, villages and hamlets, everywhere preaching the Gospel of Christ, and confirming it, according to the promise of his heavenly Master, by many and great miracles, which caused a great number of people to be converted. The holy life which the Saint led, aided him also greatly in impressing the heathens with the truth of his words. Besides his other virtues, they especially admired the rigor which he manifested towards himself. His whole sustenance consisted of herbs. Meat, wine, and all other things agreeable to the taste, he never touched. He allowed himself no rest; he was all day occupied in preaching and instructing, and passed the greater part of the night in prayer.

Incontestible [sic] writings prove that he preached the Gospel for twenty-three years, partly in Ethiopia, partly in other countries, at the same time founding almost innumerable Churches, and supplying them with priests and bishops, in order to preserve the faith he had taught. How much he had to endure in travelling through so many barbarous countries, how he was persecuted, how many thousands he converted, is known only to God; suffice it to say, he was truly an Apostle of Jesus Christ.

Finally, he ended his life by a glorious martyrdom before the Altar. It happened as follows: Iphigenia, the eldest daughter of the newly converted king of Ethiopia, had not only become a Christian, but also, with the knowledge and consent of the holy Apostle, had consecrated her virginity to the Almighty, after having frequently heard the Saint preach on the priceless value of purity, and exhort others to guard and preserve it. Her example was followed by many other virgins, who, choosing the princess as their superior, lived together and occupied their time in prayer and work. Hirtacus, who succeeded to the throne, asked the hand of the princess in marriage. The virgin consecrated to the Almighty refused him, saying that she had promised to be faithful to her heavenly bridegroom. The king, greatly provoked at this answer, called St. Matthew, as the instructor of Iphigenia, and requested him to induce her to consent to his offer. The Saint promised to give his advice to Iphigenia on the following day, in presence of the king. The next morning, in a sermon, he explained first, that matrimony, instituted by the Almighty, is in itself a lawful and holy state, which everyone who desired it might enter. After this, he began to praise the state of virginity and to demonstrate that it is much more agreeable and pleasing to God than the state of matrimony, adding very emphatically, that when any one, after due deliberation, had consecrated his purity to the Almighty, the vow could not be broken without great sin.

A servant, said he, among other illustrations, would deserve punishment if he dared to tempt the spouse of a king to break her marriage vow; much more punishable, then, would he be, who had the heart to entice a spouse of Christ to become faithless to her word. Hence, he concluded, as Iphigenia had promised herself to Christ, it was not allowed to rob Him of her, and persuade her to unite herself to a human being. Having admonished all present to remain constant in the true faith, even if it should cost their blood and life, he proceeded to the altar to perform the holy sacrifice of Mass. Hirtacus left the church, full of rage, and following the advice of some wicked people, sent some of his soldiers to kill St. Matthew. One of these, going towards the Saint, who was standing before the altar, thrust his spear into his body; and the Saint, sinking down, expired. Some maintain, that he was beheaded with an axe; but it is quite sure that he was killed while standing at the Altar, thus becoming himself a victim, at the moment when he was offering the pure sacrifice of the New Testament.

[1] https://stboniface-lunenburg.org/feast-of-saint-mathew-apostle-and-evangelist#:~:text=The%20Feast%20of%20Saint%20Matthew%20a%2C%20Apostle%20and,writers%2C%20Matthew%20is%20one%20of%20the%20four%20Evangelists.

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_the_Apostle, quoted without hyperlinks and references.

[3] http://www.catholicharboroffaithandmorals.com/St.%20Matthew%20popup.html

Commemoration Of The Imprinting Of The Stigmata Of Saint Francis Of Assisi Feast Day - 17 September

Quoted from REGINA Magazine LLC [1]:

Two years before the faithful servant and minister of Christ, Francis, gave up his spirit to God, he retired alone into a high place, which is called Mount Alvernia, and began a forty-days’ fast in honour of the Archangel St. Michael. The sweetness of heavenly contemplation was poured out on him more abundantly than usual, till, burning with the flame of celestial desires, he began to feel an increasing overflow of these divine favours. While the seraphic ardour of his desires thus raised him up to God, and the tenderness of his love and compassion was transforming him into Christ the crucified Victim of excessive love; one morning, about the Feast of the Exaltation of holy Cross, as he was praying on the mountain-side, he saw what appeared to be a Seraph, with six shining and fiery wings, coming down from heaven. The vision flew swiftly through the air and approached the man of God, Who then perceived that it was not only winged, but also crucified; for the hands and feet were stretched out and fastened to a cross; while the wings were arranged in a wondrous manner, two being raised above the head, two outstretched in flight, and the remaining two crossed over and veiling the whole body. As he gazed, Francis was much astonished, and his soul was filled with mingled joy and sorrow. The gracious aspect of him, who appeared in so wonderful and loving a manner, rejoiced him exceedingly, while the sight of his cruel crucifixion pierced his heart with a sword of sorrowing compassion.

He, who appeared outwardly to Francis, taught him inwardly that, although weakness and suffering are incompatible with the immortal life of a seraph, yet this vision had been shown to him to the end that he, Christ’s lover, might learn how his whole being was to be transformed into a living image of Christ crucified, not by martyrdom of the flesh, but by the burning ardour of his soul. After a mysterious and familiar colloquy, the vision disappeared, leaving the Saint’s mind burning with seraphic ardour, and his flesh impressed with an exact image of the Crucified, as though, after the melting power of that fire, it had next been stamped with a seal. For immediately the marks of nails began to appear in his hands and feet, their heads showing in the palms of his hands and the upper part of his feet, and their points visible on the other side. There was also a red scar on his right side, as if it had been wounded by a lance, and from which blood often flowed staining his tunic and underclothing.

Francis, now a new man, honoured by this new and amazing miracle, and, by a hitherto unheard of privilege, adorned with the sacred stigmata, came down from the mountain bearing with him the image of the Crucified, not carved in wood or stone by the hand of an artist, but engraved upon his flesh by the finger of the living God. The seraphic man well knew that it is good to hide the secret of the king; wherefore, having been thus admitted into his king’s confidence, he strove, as far as in him lay, to conceal the sacred marks. But it belongs to God to reveal the great things which he himself has done; and hence, after impressing those signs upon Francis in secret, he publicly worked miracles by means of them, revealing the hidden and wondrous power of the Stigmata by the signs wrought through them. Pope Benedict XI. willed that this wonderful event, which is so well attested and in pontifical diplomas has been honoured with the greatest praises and favours, should be celebrated by a yearly solemnity. Afterwards, Pope Paul V., wishing the hearts of all the faithful to be enkindled with the love of Christ crucified, extended the feast to the whole Church.

 

[1] https://www.reginamag.com/commemoration-of-the-imprinting-of-the-stigmata-of-saint-francis/

The Most Holy Name Of The Blessed Virgin Mary Feast Day - 12 September

Quoted from Wikepedia [1]:

The Feast of the Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary is an optional memorial celebrated in the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church on 12 September. It has been a universal Roman Rite feast since 1684, when Pope Innocent XI included it in the General Roman Calendar to commemorate the victory at the Battle of Vienna in 1683. It was removed from the Church calendar in the liturgical reform following Vatican II but restored by Pope John Paul II in 2002, along with the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Most_Holy_Name_of_the_Blessed_Virgin_Mary, quoted without hyperlinks and reference.

The Feast Of The Seven Sorrows Of The Blessed Virgin Mary - 15 September

The Feast Of The Seven Sorrows Of The Blessed Virgin Mary falls on the Octave of the Nativity Of The Blessed Virgin Mary.

Quoted from In Lumine Fdei [1]:

The feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary was first celebrated by the Servite Order (the Religious Servants of the Holy Virgin) in 1667. In 1814 Pope Pius VII extended the feast to the Universal Church and in 1913 Pope Saint Pius X ordered it to be observed on 15 September, the day following the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. It is also known as the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. The object of this feast is the spiritual martyrdom of the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Mother of God, and [H]er compassion for the sufferings of [H]er Divine Son.

Quoted from Catholic Culture [2]:

As Mary stood at the foot of the Cross on which Jesus hung, the sword of sorrow Simeon had foretold pierced [H]er soul. Below are the seven sorrows of Mary:

1.  The prophecy of Simeon (Luke 2:25-35)

2.  The flight into Egypt (Matthew 2:13-15)

3.  Loss of the Child Jesus for three days (Luke 2:41-50)

4.  Mary meets Jesus on [H]is way to Calvary (Luke 23:27-31; John 19:17)

5.  Crucifixion and Death of Jesus (John 19:25-30)

6.  The body of Jesus being taken from the Cross (Psalm 130; Luke 23:50-54; John 19:31-37)

7.  The burial of Jesus (Isaiah 53:8; Luke 23:50-56; John 19:38-42; Mark 15:40-47)

[1] https://inluminefidei.blogspot.com/2020/09/15-september-seven-sorrows-of-blessed.html

[2] https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2021-09-15, italics original.

The Exaltation Of The Holy Cross Feast Day - 14 September

Quoted from Catholic Culture [1]:

This feast was observed in Rome before the end of the seventh century. It commemorates the recovery of the Holy Cross, which had been placed on Mt. Calvary by St. Helena and preserved in Jerusalem, but then had fallen into the hands of Chosroas, King of the Persians. The precious relic was recovered and returned to Jerusalem by Emperor Heralius in 629.

The lessons from the Breviary tell us that Emperor Heraclius carried the Cross back to Jerusalem on his shoulders. He was clothed with costly garments and with ornaments of precious stones. But at the entrance to Mt. Calvary a strange incident occurred. Try as hard as he would, he could not go forward. Zacharias, the Bishop of Jerusalem, then said to the astonished monarch: "Consider, O Emperor, that with these triumphal ornaments you are far from resembling Jesus carrying His Cross." The Emperor then put on a penitential garb and continued the journey.

Contrast the above with the following, quoted from Franciscan Media [2]:

Early in the fourth century, Saint Helena, mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine, went to Jerusalem in search of the holy places of Christ’s life. She razed the second-century Temple of Aphrodite, which tradition held was built over the Savior’s tomb, and her son built the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher on that spot. During the excavation, workers found three crosses. Legend has it that the one on which Jesus died was identified when its touch healed a dying woman.

[1] https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2014-09-14

[2] https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/exaltation-of-the-holy-cross

The Nativity Of The Blessed Virgin Mary Feast Day - 8 September

Quoted from Franciscan Media [1]:

The Church has celebrated Mary’s birth since at least the sixth century. A September birth was chosen because the Eastern Church begins its Church year with September. The September 8 date helped determine the date for the feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8.

Scripture does not give an account of Mary’s birth. However, the apocryphal Protoevangelium of James fills in the gap. This work has no historical value, but it does reflect the development of Christian piety. According to this account, Anna and Joachim are infertile but pray for a child. They receive the promise of a child who will advance God’s plan of salvation for the world. Such a story, like many biblical counterparts, stresses the special presence of God in Mary’s life from the beginning.

Saint Augustine connects Mary’s birth with Jesus’ saving work. He tells the earth to rejoice and shine forth in the light of her birth. “She is the flower of the field from whom bloomed the precious lily of the valley. Through [H]er birth the nature inherited from our first parents is changed.” 

Quoted from Wikipedia [2]:

The Byzantine Rite Orthodox likewise celebrate the Nativity of the Theotokos on 8 September. The Syriac Orthodox Church, like its closely related sister church, the Byzantine Rite Antiochian Orthodox Church, also celebrates the feast on 8 September....The Armenian Apostolic Church also uses the traditional date of 8 September....

Below is a painting by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bartolom%C3%A9_Esteban_Perez_Murillo_-_Birth_of_the_Virgin_-_WGA16372.jpg

[1] https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/nativity-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nativity_of_Mary, quoted without hyperlinks and references.

The Passion (Beheading) Of Saint John The Baptist Feast Day - 29 August

Quoted from Young Catholics [1]:

Herod was the one who had John the Baptist 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. Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man, and kept him in custody. When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed, yet he liked to listen to him.

She had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday, gave a banquet for his courtiers, his military officers, and the leading men of Galilee. Herodias’ own daughter came in and performed a dance that delighted Herod and his guests.

The king said to the girl, “Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you.” He even swore many things to her, “I will grant you whatever you ask of me, even to half of my kingdom.”

She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?”

She replied, “The head of John the Baptist.”

The girl hurried back to the king’s presence and made her request, “I want you to give me at once on a platter the head of John the Baptist.”

The king was deeply distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests he did not wish to break his word to her. So he promptly dispatched an executioner with orders to bring back his head. He went off and beheaded him in the prison. He brought in the head on a platter and gave it to the girl. The girl in turn gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

[1] https://young-catholics.com/4219/beheading-of-st-john-the-baptist/

Saint Augustine Feast Day - 28 August

Quoted from The Augustinians [1]:

Augustine was born in Tagaste, Souk-Ahras, Algeria on November 13, 354 to Patricius, a pagan, and Monica, a fervent Catholic. He was endowed with abundant human and intellectual gifts as well as an inquisitive mind and a passionate spirit, all of which brought him great pain at times, while leading him to great discoveries about himself, life, and God, as well. Through the generosity of a family friend he was able to do studies beyond the basic course in his hometown, and became an accomplished rhetorician and teacher in Africa and later in Rome and Milan. Though he had been admitted to the catechumenate of the Catholic Church by his mother as a child, he did not find satisfaction in the Church during adolescence and young adulthood, and instead was drawn to other forms of spiritual expression, especially in the Manichean sect and later in astrology. Finally, he embraced skepticism. In retrospect, however, he was able to discern various moments of spiritual growth or conversion until a final climactic moment when he decided to embrace Christ fully in the Catholic Church. He had already separated from the woman with whom he had lived for many years and who bore him a son, and was preparing for marriage with another, but his conversion, he felt, required that he abandon altogether any possibility of marriage and commit himself instead to a life of chastity as a celibate 'servant of God'. Following baptism in Milan in 387, together with his son and some friends, he returned with them to his hometown of Tagaste to begin a monastic life. Against his personal wishes, he was ordained priest in Hippo in 391, and became bishop of that See in 397, all the while continuing in his monastic lifestyle.

Augustine was a prolific writer, an accomplished preacher, a monastic leader, a theologian, pastor, contemplative, and mystic. He died on August 28, 430 at almost 76 years of age, as North Africa was being invaded by the Vandals and the Church there was being devastated. His remains were taken to Sardinia and later to Pavia, Italy, where they are now preserved in the Basilica of San Pietro in Ciel d'Oro.  [italics  original].

[1] https://www.augustinian.org/news/feast-day-of-st-augustine-august-28