Feast of Holy Innocents - 28 December

Quoted from uCatholic [1]:

Herod “the Great,” king of Judea, was unpopular with his people because of his connections with the Romans and his religious indifference. Hence he was insecure and fearful of any threat to his throne. He was a master politician and a tyrant capable of extreme brutality. He killed his wife, his brother and his sister’s two husbands, to name only a few.

Matthew 2:1-18 tells this story: Herod was “greatly troubled” when astrologers from the east came asking the whereabouts of “the newborn king of the Jews,” whose star they had seen. They were told that the Jewish Scriptures named Bethlehem as the place where the Messiah would be born. Herod cunningly told them to report back to him so that he could also “do him homage.” They found Jesus, offered him their gifts and, warned by an angel, avoided Herod on their way home. Jesus escaped to Egypt.

Herod became furious and “ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under.” The horror of the massacre and the devastation of the mothers and fathers led Matthew to quote Jeremiah: ... (Matthew 2:18) ...

Matthew 2:18 from BibleGateway - New International Version [2]:

“A voice is heard in Ramah,

    weeping and great mourning,

Rachel weeping for her children

    and refusing to be comforted,

    because they are no more.”[d]

[1] https://ucatholic.com/saints/feast-holy-innocents/

[2] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+2%3A18&version=NIV, footnote [d] refers to Jer. 31:15 (click on Read full chapter link to see it)

Feast Of Saint John The Apostle - 27 December

Quoted from Catholic News Agency [1]:

St. John, the son of Zebedee and brother of St. James the Great, was called to be an Apostle by our Lord in the first year of His public ministry. He became the "beloved disciple" and the only one of the Twelve who did not forsake the Savior in the hour of His Passion. He stood faithfully at the cross when Christ made him the guardian of His Mother.

His later life was passed chiefly in Jerusalem and at Ephesus. He founded many churches in Asia Minor, and he wrote many important works, including the fourth Gospel, three Epistles, and the Book of Revelation is also attributed to him. Brought to Rome, tradition relates that he was by order of Emperor Dometian cast into a cauldron of boiling oil but came forth unhurt, and was banished to the island of Pathmos for a year. He lived to an extreme old age, surviving all his fellow apostles, and died in Ephesus about the year 100.

St. John is called the Apostle of Charity, a virtue he had learned from his Divine Master, and which he constantly inculcated by word and example. The "beloved disciple" died at Ephesus, where a stately church was erected over his tomb. It was afterwards converted into a Mohammedan mosque.

John is credited with the authorship of three epistles and one Gospel, although many scholars believe that the final editing of the Gospel was done by others shortly after his death. He is also supposed by many to be the author of the book of Revelation, called the Apocalypse, although this identification is less certain.

[1] https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-john-the-apostle-671

Feast Of The Nativity Of Our Lord Jesus Christ - December 25

Merry Christmas to all!

The following eight attachments are from Catholic News Agency [1]:

The following three attachments are from The Catholic World Report [2]:

[1] https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252983/photos-the-vatican-s-christmas-tree-lighting-ceremony-illuminates-st-peter-s-square (only eight were selected from the twelve posted, click the arrow to see the rest)

[2] https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2022/12/03/pope-francis-blesses-nativity-scene-made-by-craftsmen-in-guatemala/

Feast Of Saint Thomas The Apostle - 21 December

Quoted from The Free Dictionary [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 (see also Magi). 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://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/St.+Thomas%27s+Day#:~:text=The%20Feast%20of%20St.%20Thomas%20the%20Apostle%2C%20established,of%20the%20solstice%20and%20the%20closeness%20of%20Christmas., bold italics original.

Our Lady Of Guadalupe Feast Day - 12 December

Quoted from catholicsandcultures.org [1]:

Images of Our Lady of Guadalupe are found today in churches and other settings all over the globe, but nowhere is she as revered as in Mexico, where she is a powerful—at times seemingly the most powerful—Catholic, cultural, and national symbol.1 Her image is seen all over: on tiles at the front doors of houses; in pictures and statues in living rooms and bedrooms; in places of honor in the stores and markets; on bracelets, necklaces, holy cards, and tattoos.  

December 12, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, is celebrated in parishes and neighborhoods throughout the country with Masses and dancing and celebration, but the biggest celebration takes place at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, a site said to be visited by 20 million pilgrims a year. During her feast and the week leading up to it, streets are closed to vehicles for a wide distance around the huge shrine property, and pilgrims stream into the site. At night they camp out in streets and parks, even in the rear of the basilica’s plaza. 

The story of Guadalupe’s appearance to a Nahuatl man, in 1531, shortly after the Spanish conquest, and her promise that she is his mother and would take care of the people, has a powerful hold over Mexican culture. Though Mexican culture, including Mexican Catholic culture, is undoubtedly more multifaceted than any one devotion can capture or embody, what one young man from Hidalgo at the feast said is important: “if people want to learn about Mexican culture, they should come here, this time of year, and they will learn because they will live the feast. She is part of the roots of Mexico.”2

[1] https://www.catholicsandcultures.org/feasts-holy-days/our-lady-guadalupe-mexico, the quoted passage has two footnotes, please visit the link to read them.  It also has a YouTube video there.

Feast Of San Juan Diego - 9 December

Quoted from Catholic News Agency [1]:

On Dec. 9, Roman Catholics celebrate St. Juan Diego, the indigenous Mexican Catholic convert whose encounter with the Virgin Mary began the Church's devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe.

In 1474, 50 years before receiving the name Juan Diego at his baptism, a boy named Cuauhtlatoatzin -- “singing eagle” -- was born in the Anahuac Valley of present-day Mexico. Though raised according to the Aztec pagan religion and culture, he showed an unusual and mystical sense of life even before hearing the Gospel from Franciscan missionaries.

In 1524, Cuauhtlatoatzin and his wife converted and entered the Catholic Church. The farmer now known as Juan Diego was committed to his faith, often walking long distances to receive religious instruction. In December of 1531, he would be the recipient of a world-changing miracle.

On Dec. [8], Juan Diego was hurrying to Mass to celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. But the woman he was heading to church to celebrate came to him instead.

In the native Aztec dialect, the radiant woman announced herself as the “ever-perfect holy Mary, who has the honor to be the mother of the true God.”

“I am your compassionate Mother, yours and that of all the people that live together in this land,” she continued, “and also of all the other various lineages of men.”

She asked Juan Diego to make a request of the local bishop. “I want very much that they build my sacred little house here” -- a house dedicated to her son Jesus Christ, on the site of a former pagan temple, that would “show him” to all Mexicans and “exalt him” throughout the world.

She was asking a great deal of a native farmer. Not surprisingly, his bold request met with skepticism from Bishop Juan de Zumárraga. But Juan Diego said he would produce proof of the apparition, after he finished tending to his uncle whose death seemed imminent.

Making his way to church on Dec. 12, to summon a priest for his uncle, Juan Diego again encountered the Blessed Virgin. She promised to cure his uncle and give him a sign to display for the bishop. On the hill where they had first met he would find roses and other flowers, though it was winter.

Doing as she asked, he found the flowers and brought them back to her. The Virgin Mary then placed the flowers inside his tilma, the traditional cloak-like garment he had been wearing. She told him not to unwrap the tilma containing the flowers until he had reached the bishop.

When he did, Bishop Zumárraga had his own encounter with Our Lady of Guadalupe – through the image of her that he found miraculously imprinted on the flower-filled tilma. The Mexico City basilica that now houses the tilma has become, by some estimates, the world's most-visited Catholic shrine.

The miracle that brought the Gospel to millions of Mexicans also served to deepen Juan Diego's own spiritual life. For many years after the experience, he lived a solitary life of prayer and work in a hermitage near the church where the image was first displayed. Pilgrims had already begun flocking to the site by the time he died on Dec. 9, 1548, the 17th anniversary of the first apparition.

Blessed John Paul II beatified St. Juan Diego in 1990, and canonized him in 2002.

More on San Juan Diego's tilma can be read here:

https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/culture/catholic-contributions/science-sees-what-mary-saw-from-juan-diegos-tilma.html

[1] https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-juan-diego-409

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 Francis Xavier Feast Day - 3 December

Quoted from Jesuits [1]:

Xavier was born in Navarre, Spain, on April 7, 1506. After completing studies in Spain, he traveled to Paris in 1525 at age 19, where he entered the Collège de Sainte-Barbe and befriended Peter Faber and Ignatius Loyola. Ignatius soon won the confidence of the two men, and both Faber and Xavier offered themselves to the formation of the Society of Jesus. Four others (James Lainez, Alfonso Salmerón, Nicholas Bobadilla and Simón Rodrigues) joined them, and the seven professed vows of poverty and chastity in Montmartre on Aug. 15, 1534.

After completing his studies in Paris and teaching there for some time, Xavier left the city with his companions in 1536, traveling to Venice, where he attended to the sick in hospitals. On June 24, 1537, he was ordained with Ignatius. The following year Xavier went to Rome, where he met with Ignatius and his companions during the spring of 1539 to prepare for the definitive foundation of the Society of Jesus in 1540.

Xavier was next appointed by John III, the King of Portugal, to evangelize the people of the East Indies. In April 1541, he sailed to India on a dangerous voyage, landing at Goa in May 1542. He spent the first five months preaching and ministering to the sick. He would go through the streets ringing a bell, inviting children to hear the word of God and explaining the catechism to them.

In October 1542, he journeyed to the pearl fisheries on the southern coast, aiming to restore Christianity. Although introduced years before, Christianity had nearly disappeared there due to a lack of priests. He devoted almost three years to preaching to the people of Western India, converting many. He endured many hardships, including persecution at the hands of some of the kings in the country and some by Portuguese soldiers.

In the spring of 1545, Xavier traveled to Malacca in Malaysia, and in January 1546, to the Molucca Islands, where the Portuguese had some settlements. For a year and a half he preached the Gospel to the inhabitants. By July 1547, he had returned to Malacca, where he met a Japanese man named Anjiro and learned about Japan, inspiring him to spread Christianity there. However, the Society demanded his presence at Goa. During the six years that Xavier had been working elsewhere, other Jesuit missionaries had arrived at Goa, and in 1548, Xavier sent them across India, where he had established missions, to preserve and continue his work. He also established a novitiate and house of studies.

Xavier finally embarked for Japan in June 1549 with Father Cosme de Torres, a Spanish priest; Brother Juan Fernández; and Anjiro, who had been baptized at Goa and given the name Pablo de Santa Fe. They landed in Japan in August, and the entire first year was devoted to learning the Japanese language, with the help of Pablo de Santa Fe. Xavier began preaching and made some converts, but the Japanese monks had him banished from the city. He left Kagoshima in August 1550 to preach elsewhere in central and southern Japan.

After working about two and a half years in the country, he left the mission to Fr. de Torres and Br. Fernández, returning to Goa in 1552. Xavier then turned his thoughts to China and began planning an expedition there.

During his stay in Japan, Xavier had heard much about the Chinese and saw it as a great opportunity to spread the Gospel. He left Goa in April 1552, arriving in autumn at the small island of Shangchuan, off the coast of China. Before reaching the mainland, however, he became ill and died on the island on Dec. 3, 1552.

He completed a staggering amount of missionary work in just 10 years — May 1542 to December 1552 — earning him the titles “Apostle of the Indies” and “Apostle of Japan.” He was canonized with St. Ignatius in 1622 by Pope Gregory XV and named the patron saint of all foreign missions by Pope Pius X.

[1] https://www.jesuits.org/stories/the-feast-of-st-francis-xavier-sj/

Feast Of Saint Catherine Labouré - 27 November

Quoted in part from Association of the Miraculous Medal [1]:

The Blessed Virgin herself designed the Medal of the Immaculate Conception—popularly known as the Miraculous Medal! No wonder, then, that it wins such extraordinary graces for those who wear it and pray for Mary's intercession and help.

The First Apparition

The story begins on the night of July 18-19, 1830. A child (perhaps her guardian angel) awakened Sister (now Saint) Catherine Labouré, a novice in the community of the Daughters of Charity in Paris, and summoned her to the chapel. There she met with the Virgin Mary and spoke with her for several hours. During the conversation, Mary said to her, “My child, I am going to give you a mission.”

The Second Apparition

 

Mary gave her this mission in a vision during evening meditation on November 27, 1830. She saw Mary standing on what seemed to be half a globe and holding a golden globe in her hands as if offering it to heaven. On the globe was the word “France,” and our Lady explained that the globe represented the whole world, but especially France. The times were difficult in France, especially for the poor who were unemployed and often refugees from the many wars of the time. France was first to experience many of those troubles which ultimately reached other parts of the world and are even present today. Streaming from rings on Mary's fingers as she held the globe were many rays of light. Mary explained that the rays symbolize the graces she obtains for those who ask for them. However, some of the gems on the rings were dark, and Mary explained that the rays and graces were available but did not come because no one had asked for them.

The Third Apparition and the Miraculous Medal

The vision then changed to show our Lady standing on a globe with her arms now outstretched and with the dazzling rays of light still streaming from her fingers. Framing the figure was an inscription: O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

The Meaning of the Front Side of the Miraculous Medal

Mary is standing upon a globe, crushing the head of a serpent beneath her foot. She stands upon the globe, as the Queen of Heaven and Earth. Her feet crush the serpent to proclaim Satan and all his followers are helpless before her (Gn 3:15). The year of 1830 on the Miraculous Medal is the year the Blessed Mother gave the design of the Miraculous Medal to Saint Catherine Labouré. The reference to Mary conceived without sin supports the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of Mary—not to be confused with the virgin birth of Jesus, and referring to Mary's sinlessness, “full of grace” and “blessed among women” (Luke 1:28)—that was proclaimed 24 years later in 1854.

The vision turned and showed the design of the reverse side of the medal. Twelve stars encircled a large "M" from which arose a cross. Below are two hearts with flames arising from them. Thorns encircle one heart and a sword pierces the other.

The Meaning of the Back Side of the Miraculous Medal

The twelve stars can refer to the Apostles, who represent the entire Church as it surrounds Mary. They also recall the vision of Saint John, writer of the Book of Revelation (12:1), in which “a great sign appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of 12 stars.” The cross can symbolize Christ and our redemption, with the bar under the cross a sign of the earth. The “M” stands for Mary, and the interleaving of her initial and the cross shows Mary’s close involvement with Jesus and our world. In this, we see Mary’s part in our salvation and her role as mother of the Church. The two hearts represent the love of Jesus and Mary for us. (See also Lk 2:35).

Then Mary spoke to Catherine: “Have a medal struck upon this model. Those who wear it will receive great graces, especially if they wear it around the neck.” Catherine explained the entire series of apparitions to her confessor, and she worked through him to carry out Mary’s instructions.

[1] https://www.amm.org/AboutAMM/Miraculous%20Medal%20Story.aspx

Feast Of Saint Andrew The Apostle - 30 November

Quoted from Prayers And Petitions [1]:

St. Andrew, also known as Andrew the Apostle, was a Christian Apostle and the older brother to St. Peter. The New Testament, tells of Andrew’s birthday, in the village of Bethsaida on the Sea of Galilee during the early first century. Like his younger brother, Simon Peter, Andrew was also a fisherman. Andrew was known for having good social skills.

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 that he asked the two to become disciples and “fishers of men.” In the Gospel of Luke, Andrew is not initially named. It mentions Jesus using a boat, believed to be 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.

According to 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, Greece. 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.”

Andrew’s remains were originally preserved at Patras. However, some believe St. Regulus, who was a monk at Patras, received a vision telling him to hide some of Andrew’s bones. Shortly after Regulus’ dream, many of Andrew’s relics were transferred to Constantinople by order of Roman emperor Constantius II around 357. Regulus later received orders in a second dream telling him to take the bones “to the ends of the earth.” He was to build a shrine for them wherever he shipwrecked. He landed on the coast of Fife, Scotland.

In September 1964, Pope Paul VI had all of St. Andrew’s relics that ended up in Vatican City sent back to Patras. Now, many of Andrew’s relics and the cross on which he was martyred are kept in the Church of St. Andrew in Patras. St. Andrew is venerated in Georgia as the first preacher of Christianity in that territory and in Cyprus for having struck the rocks creating a gush of healing waters upon landing on the shore.

His saltire cross is featured on the flag of Scotland and is represented in much of his iconography. He is commonly portrayed as an old man with long white hair and a beard, often holding the Gospel book or a scroll. St. Andrew is the patron saint of fishermen and singers. He is also the patron saint to several countries and cities including: Scotland, Romania, Russia, Ukraine and Patras and his feast day is celebrated on November 30.

[1] https://www.prayersandpetitions.org/feast-of-saint-andrew-the-apostle-30th-november/

Feast Of The Presentation Of The Blessed Virgin Mary - 21 November

Quoted from Catholic Daily Readings [1]:

Our feast today is known in the Western Roman Catholic Church as the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and in the Eastern Churches as the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple. It is a Catholic Liturgical feast celebrated on November 21 every year.

This feast is not derived from the New Testament of the Holy Bible but from the Protoevangelium of James, which was discovered in the 2nd century.

In this writing, James says that Mary’s parents, Joachim and Anne, were old, wealthy but childless. After much prayer and fasting, they received a message from heaven that they will be blessed with a child.

The couple were blessed with a daughter and named her Mary, and after three years, in thanksgiving, they consecrated her to God and took her to the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem and remained there. This was after they had made a vow to dedicate their child to God if they were blessed with one.

The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the temple is likened to that of Samuel who was offered as a gift to God and presented to the temple by her mother Hannah, who was also barren.

Mary remained in the temple until she was 12 years when she was taken under the care of St Joseph. It is said that her father Joachim died when she was 6 years and her mother died when she was eight years old.

This feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary was first held in the Eastern Church around the 6th century but the Western Roman Catholic Church did not embrace it until the 15th century.

The feast started to be celebrated by the Byzantines after the dedication of the newly-built Basilica of Saint Mary in 543 AD in Jerusalem. However, the basilica was destroyed during the Siege of Jerusalem in 614 AD.

Even after the siege, the Eastern Church continued to celebrate the feast. In 1372, Pope Gregory XI introduced this feast to the Roman Catholic Church and in 1472 it was included in the Roman Missal. However, in 1568, Pope Pius V suppressed this feast but it was reintroduced in 1585 by Pope Sixtus V.

The feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary signifies the lifelong and total devotion that Mary made to God through her Immaculate Conception.

She listened to the voice of God while still in her childhood and agreed to become the temple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

 

[1] https://catholicreadings.org/presentation-of-blessed-virgin-mary/, quoted without bold type and hyperlinks.

Feast Of Saint Elizabeth Of Hungary - 17 November

Quoted from Catholic Daily Readings [1]:

Date of Birth July 7 1207

Place of Birth Bratislava, Slovakia

Profession Served the sick

Place of Work Thuringia, Germany

Date of Death November 17 1231 (aged 24)

Place of Death Marburg, Landgraviate of Thuringia (modern-day Hesse, Germany)

Feast Day November 17

Canonization By Pope Gregory IX on May 27 1235 in Perugia, Italy

For a more detailed reading of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary's life history, visit the link in the footnote below.

[1] https://catholicreadings.org/saint-elizabeth-hungary/

Feast Of Saint Gertrude The Great - 16 November

Quoted from Catholic Online [1]:

St. Gertrude the Great, or St. Gertrude of Helfta, was born on January 6, 1256 in Germany. She eventually chose to follow the Lord by pursuing a vocation as a Benedictine Nun. Her deep relationship with the Lord in prayer led to her being hailed as a mystic. She was also regarded as a great theologian.

Although little is known about Gertrude's childhood, it is widely accepted that at just four-years-old, she was enrolled in the Cistercian monastery school of Helfta in Saxony, under the governance of Abbess Gertrude of Hackerborn.

The Cistercian movement was an effort to bring the Benedictine religious community back to a stricter and more faithful adherence to the original "Rule" or way of life encouraged by St Benedict. Some sources speculate that Gertrude's parents offered their child as an oblate, a lay person especially dedicated to God or to God's service, while others believe she may have entered the monastery school as an orphan.

St. Mechtilde, the younger sister of the Abbess Gertrude, took care of young Gertrude. Gertrude and Mechtilde had a strong bond that only grew deeper with time, allowing Mechtilde to have a great influence over Gertrude.

Gertrude, known for being charming and able to win people over, entered the Benedictine Order at Helfta and became a nun. She devoted herself to her studies, and received an education in many different subjects. Gertrude was both fluent in Latin and very familiar with scripture and works from the Fathers of the Church, including Augustine.

In 1281, 25-year-old Gertrude experienced her first series of visions that would continue until the day she passed away. Her visions altered her life and she saw this moment as her new birth. Her priorities turned away from secular teachings and focuses more on studying Scripture and theology. Her life became full with this awakening and she was an enthusiastic student, writing for the spiritual benefit of others.

Gertrude once had a vision on the feast of John the Evangelist, described in Gertrude's writings. As she rested her head near Jesus' wound on his side, she could hear the beating of his heart. She asked St. John if he, too, felt the beating of Jesus' Divine Heart on the night of the Last Supper. He told her he was saving this revelation for a time when the world needed it to rekindle its love.

She went on to become one of the great mystics of the 13th century. Along with St. Mechtilde, she practiced what is known as "nuptial mysticism," seeing herself as the bride of Christ. She embraced charity for both rich and poor, she was a simple woman with a deep solidarity with those not yet ready for the beatific vision, who are still being purified in the state of repose known as purgatory.

Gertrude assisted at the deathbeds and mourned for the loss of both Abbess Gertrude of Hackeborn in 1291 and her dearly loved St. Mechtilde in 1298. Gertrude's health began to deteriorate, but she continued to only show her love for the Lord.

"Until the age of 25, I was a blind and insane woman... but you, Jesus, deigned to grant me the priceless familiarity of your friendship by opening to me in every way that most noble casket of your divinity, which is your divine Heart, and offering me in great abundance all your treasures contained in it".

On November 17, 1301, Gertrude passed away a virgin and joined her Bridegroom forever.

Throughout her life, Gertrude produced numerous writings, although only a few still exists today. One of her longest surviving works is Legatus Memorialis Abundantiae Divinae Pietatis (The Herald of Divine Love). Her other standing works include, her collection of Spiritual Exercises and Preces Gertrudianae (Gertrudian Prayers).

The Herald of Divine Love is composed of five different books. Book two is the core of the work, and was written solely by Gertrude. It is a notable piece of writing, because it includes detailed descriptions of Gertrude's visions and a veneration of Christ's heart. The other four books are believed to have been composed by other nuns.

Although Gertrude was never formally canonized, Rome approved a liturgical office of prayer and readings in her honor. To separate her from Abbess Gertrude of Hackeborn, Pope Benedict XIV gave her the title, "the Great," making her the only woman saint to be called, "the Great."

St. Gertrude the Great is the Patroness of the West Indies and she is often invoked for souls in purgatory. Her feast day is celebrated on November 16.

[1] https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=424

Saint Albert The Great Feast Day - 15 November

Quoted from Wikipedia [1]:

Albertus Magnus OP (c. 1200 – 15 November 1280), also known as Saint Albert the Great or Albert of Cologne, was a German Dominican friar, philosopher, scientist, and bishop. Later canonised as a Catholic saint, he was known during his lifetime as Doctor universalis and Doctor expertus  and, late in his life, the sobriquet Magnus  was appended to his name.

More on Saint Albert the Great, quoted from Catholicism.org [2]:

Saint Albertus Magnus (Albert the Great) was a Dominican. He was a teacher of Saint Thomas Aquinas. He is one of the greatest theologians of the Catholic Church. He studied all the sciences, and knew and saw and declared how shallow they were for all purposes of eternal wisdom. His great devotion was to the Blessed Sacrament and to Our Blessed Lady. He was seventy-four years old when he died. Saint Albert the Great is one of the Doctors of the Catholic Church.

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

[2] https://catholicism.org/saint-albertus-magnus-1280.html, quoted without hyperlink.

Commemoration Of All Souls - 2 November

Quoted from EWTN [1]:

The Church is composed of the faithful living upon the earth and those who have gone before us. The latter includes the Saints in Heaven and the faithful Souls being purified in Purgatory. Just as on November 1st we honor those who are with God, on November 2nd Catholics celebrate a Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed. Also known as All Souls Day, on this day we honor them for their fidelity in life, as well as pray for them, since they are being purified before entering the All Holy Presence of God. As Revelation 21:27 says of the Heavenly Jerusalem, “… nothing unclean shall enter in.”

[1] https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/seasons-and-feast-days/all-souls-20378

Feast Of All Saints - 1 November

Quoted from Catholic News Agency [1]:

The Solemnity of All Saints is celebrated on the first of November. It was instituted to honour all of the saints, both known and unknown, and, according to Pope Urban IV, to supply any deficiencies in the faithful's celebration of saints' feasts during the year.

In the early days of the Church, the Christians were accustomed to solemnize the anniversary of a martyr's death for Christ at the place of martyrdom. In the fourth century, neighbouring dioceses began to interchange feasts, to transfer relics, to divide them, and to join in a common feast; as is shown by the invitation of Saint Basil of Caesarea (397) to the bishops of the province of Pontus. Frequently groups of martyrs suffered on the same day, which naturally led to a joint commemoration.

In the persecution of Diocletian, the number of martyrs became so great that a separate day could not be assigned to each, but the Church, feeling that every martyr should be venerated, appointed a common day for all. The first trace of this we find is in Antioch on the Sunday after Pentecost. We also find mention of a common day in a sermon of Saint Ephrem the Syrian (373), and in the 74th homily of Saint John Chrysostom (407).

At first only martyrs and Saint John the Baptist were honoured by a special day in the Liturgical Calendar. Other saints were added gradually, and increased in number when a regular process of canonization was established.

Still, as early as 411 there is in the Chaldean Calendar a "Commemoratio Confessorum" for the Friday after Easter. In the west, Pope Boniface IV on May 13, 609 or 610, consecrated the Pantheon in Rome to the Blessed Virgin and all the martyrs, ordering an anniversary. Gregory III (731-741) consecrated a chapel in the Basilica of Saint Peter to all the saints and fixed the anniversary for November 1.

A basilica of the Apostles already existed in Rome, and its dedication was annually remembered on May 1. Gregory IV (827-844) extended the celebration on November 1 to the entire Church. The vigil seems to have been held as early as the feast itself. The octave was added by Sixtus IV (1471-84).

[1] https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/all-saints-day-40

Feast Of Christ The King - Last Sunday Of October = 30 October 2022

 Quoted from Aleteia [1]:

When the world was in turmoil and the increasing growth of secularism was spreading throughout the world, Pope Pius XI sought to combat it with an affirmation that Jesus Christ is the true king to whom we owe allegiance.

He did this by establishing a feast in honor of “Our Lord Jesus Christ the King” in 1925, through his encyclical letter Quas Primas. Pius XI explained, “We firmly hope … that the feast of the Kingship of Christ, which in future will be yearly observed, may hasten the return of society to our loving Savior.”

Initially this feast was celebrated on the last Sunday of October, immediately preceding the feast of All Saints Day on November 1. This was a deliberate choice and Pius XI explains why he chose that date.

The last Sunday of October seemed the most convenient of all for this purpose, because it is at the end of the liturgical year, and thus the feast of the Kingship of Christ sets the crowning glory upon the mysteries of the life of Christ already commemorated during the year, and, before celebrating the triumph of all the Saints, we proclaim and extol the glory of him who triumphs in all the Saints and in all the Elect. Make it your duty and your task, Venerable Brethren, to see that sermons are preached to the people in every parish to teach them the meaning and the importance of this feast, that they may so order their lives as to be worthy of faithful and obedient subjects of the Divine King.

In this way Pius XI was linking our quest for holiness to the kingship of Christ.

[1] https://aleteia.org/2019/10/27/why-the-feast-of-christ-the-king-was-originally-celebrated-in-october/, quoted without bold type.

Saint Simon And Saint Jude Apostles Feast Day - 28 October

Quoted from Saints Resource [1]:

Both Simon and Jude were ordinary men who were chosen by Jesus himself to teach others about God’s love and to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). Their lives help us to understand that even the most average people can become saints when they decide to follow Jesus.

Both of these men were known by other names during their lives. Simon was often called “the Zealot.” A zealot is a person who is strongly committed to something. In Simon’s case, he firmly believed in the importance of people following Jewish law. Once he met Jesus, his life was changed and he became convinced that the most important thing was to follow Jesus and his teachings. We believe that another reason Simon had a nickname was to keep people from confusing him with the other apostle named Simon, the one Jesus called Peter.

Jude was also known as “Jude Thaddeus.” People used this formal title so that he was not confused with Judas, the apostle who betrayed Jesus and handed him over to be arrested. Jude is the patron saint of hopeless cases and desperate situations. People often pray to Jude when they feel that there is no one else to turn to. They ask Jude to bring their problem to Jesus. Because Jude had such great faith, we know that nothing is impossible for those who believe in the Lord.

Simon and Jude traveled together to teach others about Jesus. Because of their eyewitness accounts of Jesus’ miracles and his death and Resurrection, many people became believers and were baptized. Simon and Jude died for their faith on the same day in Beirut. Jude’s body was later returned to Rome where it was buried in a crypt under St. Peter’s Basilica.

[1] http://saintsresource.com/simon-and-jude-thaddeus-apostles/

Holy Archangel Raphael Feast Day - 24 October

Quoted from straphaeloil.com [1]:

St. Raphael the Archangel whose name means “Medicine of God” or “God heals” in Hebrew; is one of the seven Archangels that stand before the throne of GOD.

“I am Raphael, one of the seven who stand before the Lord.” [Tob. 12: 15] When we pray for his help he intercedes directly to God the Father. He is one of the three angels mentioned by name in holy scripture. St. Raphael appears in the deutero-canonical Book of Tobit, a beautiful narrative in the Old Testament.

He heals Tobit of blindness, he protects and guides Tobias on his travels and he delivers Sarah from an evil demon. Tobit, Tobias and Sarah were beset by trials and difficulties to purify them, but they remained steadfast in their faith during the period of testing, and eventually enjoyed God’s blessings and mercy. All prayed for deliverance and God sent St. Raphael. The longest recorded speech of an angel is Chapter 12 of the Book of Tobit.  He is the healing and deliverance Archangel, patron of the sick and sickness, travelers, the blind, bodily ills, nurses, physicians, medical workers, happy meetings and marriages.

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.

[1] https://straphaeloil.com/st-raphael/, quoted without italics and bold print.

Saint Luke The Evangelist Feast Day - 18 October

Quoted from catholicfaithpatronsaints.com [1]:

The feast day of St. Luke the Evangelist is celebrated on October 18.  He is the patron saint of physicians and surgeons.

St. Luke was born in Antioch, Syria.  He did not know Jesus.  However, he converted from paganism and became a companion of St. Paul.  He accompanied him on his missions and into prison two different times.

St. Luke is the author of the third Gospel.  His gospel focuses on the merciful heart of Jesus.  We also learn about the childhood of Jesus in his Gospel.   Three canticles (hymns)  were preserved by St. Luke:  The Benedictus, the Magnificat and the Nune Dimittis (Canticle of Simeon).

Legend tells us that St. Luke was also an artist and painted the portrait   of the Blessed Virgin.

St. Luke became the patron saint of physicians because he was a physician.

St. Luke died in Achaia (Greece) at the age of 84.  It is unknown if he was a martyr.

There is a 2013 movie entitled Paul The Apostle  on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rlb8AXfNRHU&t=7s

Another 2018 movie entitled Paul, Apostle of Christ  is only available to buy or rent on YouTube  at this time.

[1] https://catholicfaithpatronsaints.com/prayers-quips-and-quotes-st-luke-the-evangelist-feast-day-october-18/, quoted without hyperlinks.

Saint Marguerite-Marie Alacoque Feast Day - 17 October

Quoted from Saints Resource [1]:

Feast Day: October 17

Canonized: May 13, 1920

Beatified: September 18, 1864

It’s hard to imagine spending five weeks in bed, let alone five years. But in 1657, when Marguerite Marie Alacoque was 10 years old, she became very ill with a disease that left her paralyzed. So for five years she stayed in bed—long before television or video games could provide amusement. So what did she do? She prayed.

During those years of illness in her village in France, the young woman offered her suffering to God and spent the time reflecting on her faith. She promised the Blessed Mother that if she ever regained her health, she would become a nun. Her health improved. Despite her family’s pleas, she refused to be married and entered the Visitation convent.

Marguerite, or Margaret, as she is sometimes called, is referred to as a mystic, a person with a special spiritual communication with God. Jesus told her that he wanted devotion to the Sacred Heart to be increased. Some people, including some of the other nuns, did not believe that she had visions of Jesus, but one priest who heard confessions for the nuns did. Eventually, a chapel devoted to Jesus’ Sacred Heart was built at the convent, and soon other Visitation convents also began the devotion.

Marguerite Marie died in 1690 and was canonized in 1920 by Pope Benedict XV.

[1] http://saintsresource.com/marguerite-marie-alacoque/

Saint Francis Of Assisi Feast Day - 4 October

Quoted from Britannica [1]:

St. Francis of Assisi, Italian San Francesco d’Assisi, baptized Giovanni, renamed Francesco, in full Francesco di Pietro di Bernardone, (born 1181/82, Assisi, duchy of Spoleto [Italy]—died October 3, 1226, Assisi; canonized July 16, 1228; feast day October 4).

Quoted from Britannica [2]:

In the summer of 1224, Francis went to the mountain retreat of La Verna (Alvernia), not far from Assisi, to celebrate the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (August 15) and to prepare for St. Michael’s Day (September 29) by fasting for 40 days. He prayed that he might know how best to please God; opening the Gospels for the answer, he came upon references to the Passion of Christ three times. As he prayed during the morning of the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross (September 14), he beheld a figure coming toward him from the heavens. St. Bonaventure, minister-general of the Franciscans from 1257 to 1274 and a leading thinker of the 13th century, wrote:

As it stood above him, he saw that it was a man and yet a Seraph with six wings; his arms were extended and his feet conjoined, and his body was fixed to a cross. Two wings were raised above his head, two were extended as in flight, and two covered the whole body. The face was beautiful beyond all earthly beauty, and it smiled gently upon Francis. Conflicting emotions filled his heart, for though the vision brought great joy, the sight of the suffering and crucified figure stirred him to deepest sorrow. Pondering what this vision might mean, he finally understood that by God’s providence he would be made like to the crucified Christ not by a bodily martyrdom but by conformity in mind and heart. Then as the vision disappeared, it left not only a greater ardour of love in the inner man but no less marvelously marked him outwardly with the stigmata of the Crucified.

For the remainder of his life, Francis took the greatest care to hide the stigmata (marks resembling the wounds on the crucified body of Jesus Christ). After the death of Francis, Brother Elias announced the stigmata to the order by a circular letter. Later, Brother Leo, the confessor and intimate companion of the saint who also left a written testimony of the event, said that in death Francis seemed like one just taken down from the cross.

Francis lived two years longer, in constant pain and almost totally blind (he had contracted an eye disease while proselytizing in the East in 1219). Medical treatment at Rieti was unsuccessful, and after a stay at Siena, he was brought back to Assisi, where he died at the Porziuncola. He was buried temporarily in the church of San Giorgio at Assisi. On July 15, 1228, concluding a process of unprecedented speed, Francis was canonized by his former protector, Pope Gregory IX. On the following day, the pope laid the foundation stone for the basilica that Brother Elias would build in Francis’s memory, and in 1230 the saint’s body was transferred to the lower church of the basilica.

The First Life of St. Francis  by Thomas of Celano can be read at: https://dmdhist.sitehost.iu.edu/francis.htm.  It is also available at Franciscan Seculars:

https://franciscanseculars.com/thomas-celano-first-life-of-francis/

Chapter 3 of The First Life of St. Francis  states: "6. Being therefore changed (but in mind, not in body) he now refused to go to Apulia."  Several other sources state that he did go, this is one of them: "In 1202, Francis fought in a war between Perugia and Assisi. The enemy captured him and held him as a prisoner for a year. After his release, he fell gravely ill. Once he recovered, Francis attempted to join Count Gentile’s papal forces in 1205 against Emperor Frederick II in Apulia. During his journey, Francis had a vision that he should return home to Assisi and wait for a sign to create a new form of knighthood. He then dedicated his life to regular prayer, seeking God’s plan for him." [3]

This inconsistency may be explained by this paragraph quoted from The First Life of St. Francis  (see first link above):

About the author: Thomas of Celano was around Francis's age, and he joined the Franciscan order around 1215, or shortly after its founding. He was one of the brothers chosen to establish the order in Germany in 1221, but he returned to Italy a few years later. Thomas was asked by Pope Gregory IX (the bishop of Ostia mentioned in the biography) to write a biography of Francis, perhaps at the time of Francis's canonization in 1228. The life was completed in 1229. This is, therefore, the earliest view of Francis, one that would be subsequently revised. Thomas composed a second, revised life of Francis around 1246. [Bold type original.]

On YouTube, there is a Saint Francis of Assisi movie, based on a novel by Louis de Wohl: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eM4PtT0rJp0

On Internet Archive there is another Saint Francis of Assisi movie by Franco Zeffirelli entitled Brother Sun, Sister Moon: https://archive.org/details/brother-sun-sister-moon-1972rom.sub.

[1] https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Francis-of-Assisi, quoted without bold type.

[2[ https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Francis-of-Assisi/Franciss-vision-and-the-stigmata-of-the-Crucified, quoted without hyperlinks, italics original.

[3] https://catholicworldmission.org/who-is-saint-francis/

Holy Guardian Angel Feast Day - 2 October

Quoted from Catholic Daily Readings [1]:

The memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels is an obligatory memorial of the Catholic Church. It is celebrated on October 2 every year in the Catholic Church. The memorial dates back as early as the 4th century when it was first observed by the Franciscan order in 1500 AD.

This memorial began as a local feast celebration but thereafter, in 1607, Pope Paul V released the papal decree that placed it in the General Roman Calendar.

Quoted from Catholic News Agency [2]:

The prayer to the guardian angels has been present in the Church since at least the beginning of the 12th century:

Angel of God,

my Guardian dear,

to whom His love

commits me here,

ever this day

be at my side,

to light and guard,

to rule and guide.

Amen.

[1] https://catholicreadings.org/holy-guardian-angels/, quoted without hyperlink.

[2] https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/the-guardian-angels-612

Feast Of Saint Michael The Archangel - 29 September

Quoted from www./library/feast-of-saint-michael-the-archangel/ [1]:

(A Sermon of Pope Saint Gregory the Great)

We speak of nine orders of Angels, because we know, by the testimony of Holy Scripture, that there are the following: Angels, Archangels, Virtues, Powers, Principalities, Dominations, Thrones, Cherubim and Seraphim. Nearly every page of Scripture witnesses to the fact that there are Angels and Archangels. The prophetic Books, as has been noted often, speak of Cherubim and Seraphim. Four more orders are enumerated by Saint Paul the Apostle, writing to the Ephesians, when he says, “Above all Principality, and Power, and Virtue, and Dominion (Domination).” And again, writing to the Colossians, he says, “Whether Thrones, or Dominations, or Principalities, or Powers.” When, then, we add the Thrones to those he mentions to the Ephesians, there are five orders, to which are to be added Angels, Archangels, Cherubim and Seraphim, certainly making nine orders of Angels in all.

It must be realized that “Angel” is the name of their office, not of their nature. For the holy Spirits of the heavenly homeland are always Spirits, but they cannot always be called Angels; they are Angels only when they are announcing something. And so the Psalmist (Psalm 103:4) says, “Who makest Thy Angels Spirits,” as if he said plainly that, when He wills, He uses as Messengers those Spirits who are always His. Those who announce less important things are called Angels, and those who announce the highest things are called Archangels. And so not any Angel but the Archangel Gabriel was sent to Mary; for this ministry, it was fitting to have the highest Angel, since he was to announce the greatest news to all. These Archangels are also given special names to describe their particular virtue. For Michael means “Who is like to God?” Gabriel means “Strength of God,” and Raphael “Medicine of God.”

Whenever something is to be done needing great power, Michael is sent forth so that from his action and his name we may understand that no one can do what God can do. Hence that old cruel enemy who through pride desired to be like God, saying, “I will ascend into Heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God, I will sit in the mountain of the covenant, in the sides of the north. I will ascend above the height of the clouds, I will be like the Most High,”(Isaias 14:13-14) is shown at the end of the world, left to his own strength and about to undergo the final punishment, as destined to fight with Michael the Archangel, as Saint John says, “And there was a great battle in Heaven: Michael and his Angels fought with the dragon, and the dragon fought, and his angels: And they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in Heaven.” (Apocalypse 12:7-8). Similarly, Gabriel was sent to Mary; he who is called “Strength of God” came to announce Him Who deigned to appear in humility to conquer the powers of the air. And Raphael is interpreted, as we said, “Medicine of God,” for when he touched the eyes of Tobias to do the work of healing, he dispelled the night of his blindness.

[1] www./library/feast-of-saint-michael-the-archangel/

Feast Of Saint Matthew: Apostle and Evangelist - 21 September

Quoted from catholicharboroffaithandmorals.com [1]:

St. Matthew, the holy Apostle and Evangelist, was born at Cana in Galilee, where our Lord wrought his first miracle, by changing water into wine. The Gospel says that he was a publican or tax-collector, an office greatly despised by the Jews, first, because they considered themselves a free people, and thought the government had no right to exact taxes from them; and secondly, because those who were in this office generally defrauded the people, extorting from them more than was lawful. Hence they were classed and counted among the public sinners.

One day, when Matthew was sitting in his custom-house, in the discharge of his duty, Christ passed with His disciples, and seeing Matthew, He looked lovingly on him and said: "Follow me!" Enlightened and moved by divine grace, Matthew arose, and following Christ, invited Him into his house, where he prepared a banquet for Him, to which he invited many publicans and sinners, that they might hear the instructions of the Saviour and be converted. The Pharisees complained of it to the disciples of the Saviour, saying; "Why does your master eat with publicans and sinners? " Christ answered for His disciples and said: "They that are well need not the physician, but they that are sick." By these words, He desired to intimate that they had no cause to murmur at His associating with sinners, as one could not reasonably reprove a physician for being with the sick; and He had come into the world to convert sinners, as a physician goes to heal the sick. 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....

[1] http://www.catholicharboroffaithandmorals.com/St.%20Matthew%20popup.html#:~:text=Feast%20Day%3A%20September%2021st%20St.%20Matthew%2C%20the%20holy,his%20first%20miracle%2C%20by%20changing%20water%20into%20wine., italics original.

Feast Of The Stigmata Of Saint Francis Of Assisi - 17 September

Quoted from groups.google.com [1]:

Francis imitated Christ so perfectly that towards the end of his life

our Lord wished to point him out to the world as the faithful imitator

of the Crucified, by imprinting His five wounds upon his body.

Two years before his death, when, according to his custom, Francis had

repaired to Mt. La Verna to spend the 40 days preceding the feast of

St. Michael the Archangel in prayer and fasting, this wonderful event

took place. St. Bonaventure gives the following account of it:

"Francis was raised to God in the ardor of his seraphic love, wholly

transformed by sweet compassion into Him, who, of His exceeding

charity, was pleased to be crucified for us. On the morning of the

feast of the Exultation of the Holy Cross, as he was praying in a

secret and solitary place on the mountain, Francis beheld a seraph

with six wings all afire, descending to him from the heights of

heaven. As the seraph flew with great swiftness towards the man of

God, there appeared amid the wings the form of one crucified, with his

hands and feet stretched out and fixed to the cross. Two wings rose

above the head, two were stretched forth in flight, and two veiled the

whole body.

"Francis wondered greatly at the appearance of so novel and marvelous

a vision. But knowing that the weakness of suffering could nowise be

reconciled with the immortality of the seraphic spirit, he understood

the vision as a revelation of the Lord and that it was being presented

to his eyes by Divine Providence so that the friend of Christ might be

transformed into Christ crucified, not through martyrdom of the flesh,

but through a spiritual holocaust.

"The vision, disappearing, left behind it a marvelous fire in the

heart of Francis, and no less wonderful token impressed on his flesh.

For there began immediately to appear in his hands and in his feet

something like nails as he had just seen them in the vision of the

Crucified. The heads of the nails in the hands and feet were round and

black, and the points were somewhat long and bent, as if they had been

turned back. On the right side, as if it had been pierced by a lance,

was the mark of a red wound, from which blood often flowed and stained

his tunic."

Thus far the account of St. Bonaventure. Although St. Francis strove

in every way to conceal the marvelous marks which until then no man

had seen, he was not able to keep them a complete secret from the

brethren. After his death they were carefully examined, and they were

attested by an ecclesiastical decree. To commemorate the importance of

the five wounds, Pope Benedict XI instituted a special feast which is

celebrated on September 17th, not only by all branches of the

Franciscan Order, but also in the Roman missal and breviary.

[1] https://groups.google.com/g/alt.religion.christian.catholic/c/m6wzn-oEUmk?pli=1

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

Quoted from Catholic Education Resource Center [1]:

The title, Our Lady of Sorrows, given to our Blessed Mother focuses on her intense suffering and grief during the passion and death of our Lord. Traditionally, this suffering was not limited to the passion and death event; rather, it comprised the seven dolors or seven sorrows of Mary, which were foretold by the Priest Simeon who proclaimed to Mary, This child [Jesus] is destined to be the downfall and the rise of many in Israel, a sign that will be opposed and you yourself shall be pierced with a sword so that the thoughts of many hearts may be laid bare (Luke 2:34-35). These seven sorrows of our Blessed Mother included the flight of the Holy Family into Egypt; the loss and finding of the child Jesus in the Temple; Mary's meeting of Jesus on His way to Calvary; Mary's standing at the foot of the cross when our Lord was crucified; her holding of Jesus when He was taken down from the cross; and then our Lord's burial. In all, the prophesy of Simeon that a sword would pierce our Blessed Mother's heart was fulfilled in these events. For this reason, Mary is sometimes depicted with her heart exposed and with seven swords piercing it. More importantly, each new suffering was received with the courage, love, and trust that echoed her fiat, let it be done unto me according to Thy word, first uttered at the Annunciation....

[1] https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/culture/catholic-contributions/the-feast-of-our-lady-of-sorrows.html

Feast Of The Exaltation Of The Holy Cross - 14 September

Quoted from Learn Religions [1]:

History of the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

After the death and resurrection of Christ, both the Jewish and Roman authorities in Jerusalem made efforts to obscure the Holy Sepulchre, Christ's tomb in the garden near the site of His crucifixion. The earth had been mounded up over the site, and pagan temples had been built on top of it. The Cross on which Christ had died had been hidden (tradition said) by the Jewish authorities somewhere in the vicinity.

Saint Helena and the Finding of the True Cross

According to tradition, first mentioned by Saint Cyril of Jerusalem in 348, Saint Helena, nearing the end of her life, decided under divine inspiration to travel to Jerusalem in 326 to excavate the Holy Sepulchre and attempt to locate the True Cross. A Jew by the name of Judas, aware of the tradition concerning the hiding of the Cross, led those excavating the Holy Sepulchre to the spot in which it was hidden.

Three crosses were found on the spot. According to one tradition, the inscription Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum ("Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews") remained attached to the True Cross. According to a more common tradition, however, the inscription was missing, and Saint Helena and Saint Macarius, the bishop of Jerusalem, assuming that one was the True Cross and the other two belonged to the thieves crucified alongside Christ, devised an experiment to determine which was the True Cross.

In one version of the latter tradition, the three crosses were taken to a woman who was near death; when she touched the True Cross, she was healed. In another, the body of a dead man was brought to the place where the three crosses were found, and laid upon each cross. The True Cross restored the dead man to life....

 

[1] https://www.learnreligions.com/feast-exaltation-of-the-holy-cross-542472, bold and italics original.

Feast Of The Nativity Of The Blessed Virgin Mary - 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 her birth the nature inherited from our first parents is changed.” The opening prayer at Mass speaks of the birth of Mary’s Son as the dawn of our salvation, and asks for an increase of peace.

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

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.

The link below goes to the e-book The Confessions of Saint Augustine:

https://gutenberg.org/files/3296/3296-h/3296-h.htm 

Quoted from the link above, italics original: "This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever." 

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

Saint Bartholomew Apostle Feast Day - 24 August

Quoted from Catholic Daily Readings [1]:

Saint Bartholomew was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus who is also called Nathanael or Nathaniel. He hailed from Cana in Galilee and was martyred in Armenia for converting Polymius, King of Armenia, to Christianity. We celebrate his feast day on August 24 every year in the Catholic Church.

...

The name Bartholomew means Bar Talmai or the son of Talmai. Saint Bartholomew is mentioned in the three Synoptic Gospels in Matthew 10:1-4; Mark 3:13-19; Luke 6:12–16, and Gospel of John he is identified as Nathanael in John 1:45-51, and 21:2. He is also mentioned in the Acts of Apostles in Acts Acts 1:13-14.

[1] https://catholicreadings.org/saint-bartholomew-apostle/#:~:text=Saint%20Bartholomew%20the%20Apostle%20%E2%80%93%20Feast%20Day%20%E2%80%93,August%2024%20every%20year%20in%20the%20Catholic%20Church., quoted without hyperlink.

The Immaculate Heart Of The Blessed Virgin Mary - 22 August

Quoted from Knights Of The Republic [1]:

Pope Pius XII instituted the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in 1944 to be celebrated on 22 August, coinciding with the traditional octave day of the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. - Calendarium Romanum (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1969

Quoted from Catholic News Agency [2]:

... it was not until after the Apparitions at Rue du Bac concerning the "Miraculous Medal" made to Catherine Labouré in 1830, and the establishment of a society dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, at the Church of Our Lady of Victories in Paris in 1836, that this particular devotion became really well known.

Since then devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, has gradually grown more widespread in the Church, particularly since the apparitions at Fatima.

The main difference between the devotions to the hearts of Jesus and Mary is that the one concerned with Jesus emphasizes his divine heart as being full of love for mankind, but with this love for the most part being ignored or rejected, while devotion to Mary's heart is essentially concerned with the love that her heart has for Jesus, for God.

Therefore, it is not an end in itself, so the love of her heart is meant to be a model for the way we should love God. The fact that her heart is immaculate, that is sinless, means that she is the only fully human person who is able to really love God in the way that he should be loved.

Honoring Mary's Immaculate Heart is really just another way of honoring Mary as the person who was chosen to be the Mother of God, recognizing her extraordinary holiness and the immense love she bestowed on Jesus as his mother, the person who was called to share in and co-operate in his redemptive sufferings.

The aim of  the devotion is to unite mankind to God through Mary's heart, and this process involves the ideas of consecration and reparation. A person is consecrated to Mary's Immaculate Heart as a way of being completely devoted to God. This involves a total gift of self, something only ultimately possible with reference to God; but Mary is our intermediary in this process of consecration.

Because of the strong analogy between Jesus and Mary, the consecration to Mary's Immaculate Heart is closely linked to the consecration to Jesus' Sacred Heart, although it is subordinate and dependent on it. That is, although the act of consecration is ultimately addressed to God, it is an act that is made through Mary.

[1] https://www.knightsrepublic.com/single-post/2020/08/22/the-feast-of-the-immaculate-heart-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary-august-22nd, italics original, paragraph toward the end of the article.

[2] https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/resource/55427/the-immaculate-heart-of-mary

The Assumption Of The Blessed Virgin Mary - 15 August

Quoted from franciscan media [1]:

... the Catechism teaches that Mary was taken to heaven when the course of her earthly life was finished. The Church does not declare whether Mary died and then was assumed into heaven or whether she was assumed before she died.

Quoted from Wikipedia [2]:

Many Catholics believe that Mary died before being assumed, but they believe that she was miraculously resurrected before being assumed. Others believe she was assumed bodily into Heaven without first dying.

Maybe this is where "dormition" becomes relevant. "Dormition comes from the Latin dormire, meaning 'to sleep.'" [3]

Dormition actually happened to Alphonsine Mumreke, a visionary in Kibeho, Rwanda.  Written by Thérèse Tardif in michaeljournal.org [4]:

Mystical journeys

There are also the mystical journeys. Alphonsine experienced this phenomenon on March 20 and 21, 1982. She informs the Sister directress and her classmates in advance: “I will look dead, but don't be afraid; don't bury me!” The journey lasts eighteen hours. Priests, nurses, religious, the medical assistant of the Red Cross, all can see Alphonsine plunged into a deep sleep, her body straight and very heavy. They cannot lift her nor separate her hands that are joined. During this journey, the Blessed Virgin shows her Heaven, Purgatory, and Hell.

[1] https://www.franciscanmedia.org/franciscan-spirit-blog/the-assumption-of-mary

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assumption_of_Mary, quoted without references.

[3] https://www.simplycatholic.com/marys-assumption/#:~:text=The%20title%20and%20the%20idea%20of%20%E2%80%9Cthe%20sleep,more%20on%20the%20death%20and%20burial%20of%20Mary.

[4] https://www.michaeljournal.org/articles/roman-catholic-church/item/messages-of-our-lady-of-sorrows-in-kibeho-rwanda, bold emphasis original.  This section is located approximately in the middle of the page.