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.