November 2025

Saint Margaret of Scotland

c. 1045–1093; Patron Saint of learning, parents of large families, parents who have lost a child, queens, and widows; Canonized by Pope Innocent IV in 1251

Margaret of Wessex was born into English royalty. Her grandfather was King Edmund the Ironside, who reigned as king for less than a year. After King Edmund’s death, Margaret’s father, Edward, might have been sent to the court of the King of Sweden for protection, and later to Kyiv when he was only an infant. For that reason, he is commonly referred to as Edward the Exile. In 1046, Prince Andrew of Hungary became King of Hungary, and Edward the Exile entered into his service, eventually marrying Agatha and having three children: Margaret, Christina, and Edgar Ætheling. Little is known about Agatha, but one theory is that she was the granddaughter of Saint Stephen, King of Hungary, and the daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Henry II. Agatha and Edward the Exile were good parents to their three children, seeing to it that they were well educated and raised in a strong Catholic home.

In 1042, Edward the Confessor became King of England—and was later canonized, the only English king to become a saint. King Edward the Confessor did not have any heirs to whom he could pass on the crown, so he called Edward the Exile (Margaret’s father) and his family back to England where they entered the royal court. Edward the Exile died soon afterward, making Margaret’s brother, Edgar Ætheling, a potential heir to the throne.

In 1066, when King Edward the Confessor died, conflict arose as to who had the right of succession. During the confusion, the nobles quickly chose Harold II and had him crowned as king. However, a distant relative, William of Normandy (also known as William the Conqueror), made a claim to the throne. William offered many reasons, including a claim that Harold had sworn an oath to him to support him as King of England and had sworn the oath over the relics of a saint, making it binding. Even the pope agreed with William’s claim. Shortly after Harold II was crowned as king, William attacked England, and Harold II was killed in battle. The nobles supported Edgar Ætheling, Margaret’s brother, as the next king, but when William rode into London, the nobility surrendered and Edgar relinquished his claim to the throne, never having been crowned.

In 1068, the widowed Agatha decided to protect her children from the Norman conquerors and from potential chaos that might result from a rebellion against them. She boarded a ship with Edgar, Margaret, and Cristina, and set sail for her home, probably Hungary. Legend has it that the ship was tossed off course and wrecked on the shores of Scotland. In Scotland, King Malcolm III welcomed the exiled royal family and provided for their safety.

Since childhood, Margaret had grown in a profound love of God. She lived a very strict and ordered life, studied the Sacred Scriptures and other pious books, and grew in a keen understanding of the things of God. Her earliest biographer described her as another Mary of Bethany, who sat at the feet of Jesus, listening to His Word and pondering it in her heart.

When this royal family arrived in Scotland, the young King Malcom, a widower with two sons, immediately noticed Margaret’s beauty. Her physical beauty was greatly enhanced by the beauty of her soul, manifested in her piety, virtue, and intelligence. It didn’t take long before the two fell in love and were married, making Margaret Queen of Scotland.

Queen Margaret quickly realized that the power and influence she had received ought not be used for her own selfish purposes but for the betterment of Scotland and, especially, for the increase of the Kingdom of God. As queen, Margaret quickly won the love and admiration of the people. As her first biography stated, “Nothing was firmer than her fidelity, steadier than her favor, or juster than her decisions; nothing was more enduring than her patience, graver than her advice, or more pleasant than her conversation.”

Prior to Margaret’s arrival in Scotland, the Scottish Church followed the old Celtic traditions. When the Romans withdrew from Britain in the fifth century, the Scottish Church became isolated from the Roman Empire and the Church’s development. In Scotland, abbots of monasteries provided the main source of Church influence and governance, rather than bishops of dioceses. Liturgical practices differed, including the liturgical calendar and customs.

Queen Margaret had been raised within the Roman tradition through her mother’s influence. She was immediately aware of the differences between the Celtic practices of the Scots and the rest of the Roman Catholic world. Therefore, with loving reverence, strength, and virtue, she began to initiate change in the Church of Scotland. She was said to have had a great influence over her husband on account of her goodness and clarity of thought, so he supported her in the reforms. She was said to have regularly read to him from the Bible, since he was unable to read.

Queen Margaret convened synods to address the different practices of the Celts from the rest of the Roman Catholic Church, such as the time in which Lent and Easter were observed, the way Mass was celebrated, observance of the Lord’s Day, and the laws on marriage. In doing this, she strengthened ties to the pope in Rome, freeing the Scottish from their lengthy isolation. In addition to synods, Queen Margaret refurbished dilapidated churches, built new ones, and introduced Benedictine monks to Scotland by building the renowned Dunfermline Abbey, in which several Scottish monarchs were later buried. She is also known for her exceptional charity by which she fed the hungry, stooped down and washed the feet of the poor, cared for orphans, and organized religious education throughout the kingdom.

King Malcolm and Queen Margaret had eight children together, six sons and two daughters. Three of their sons went on to become kings of Scotland, one became an abbot, and a daughter became the Queen of England. In 1093, King Malcolm and Margaret’s oldest son, Edward, were killed in battle. When the forty-nine year old Margaret, bedridden in Edinburgh Castle due to ill health, heard the news, she died of grief three days later.

Jesus holds those with power and wealth to high standards: “Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God” (Matthew 19:24). Saint Margaret was as rich as one could be in her day, but she overcame the temptations of earthly wealth and power, and prayerfully devoted her life to the glory of God and the salvation of souls. She was a fitting representation on earth of the Queen of Heaven, the Mother of God, and she especially provides those of wealth and influence with an example they can follow.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/november-16–st-margaret-of-scotland/

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Thirty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Gosples & Readings

First Reading Malachi 3:19-20a

Lo, the day is coming, blazing like an oven,
when all the proud and all evildoers will be stubble,
and the day that is coming will set them on fire,
leaving them neither root nor branch,
says the LORD of hosts.
But for you who fear my name, there will arise
the sun of justice with its healing rays.

Responsorial Psalm Psalms 98:5-6, 7-8, 9

R. (cf. 9) The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.
Sing praise to the LORD with the harp,
with the harp and melodious song.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
sing joyfully before the King, the LORD.
R. The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.
Let the sea and what fills it resound,
the world and those who dwell in it;
let the rivers clap their hands,
the mountains shout with them for joy.
R. The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.
Before the LORD, for he comes,
for he comes to rule the earth,
he will rule the world with justice
and the peoples with equity.
R. The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.

Second Reading 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12

Brothers and sisters:
You know how one must imitate us.
For we did not act in a disorderly way among you,
nor did we eat food received free from anyone.
On the contrary, in toil and drudgery, night and day
we worked, so as not to burden any of you.
Not that we do not have the right.
Rather, we wanted to present ourselves as a model for you,
so that you might imitate us.
In fact, when we were with you,
we instructed you that if anyone was unwilling to work,
neither should that one eat.
We hear that some are conducting themselves among you in a
disorderly way,
by not keeping busy but minding the business of others.
Such people we instruct and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to work quietly
and to eat their own food.

Alleluia Luke 21:28

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Stand erect and raise your heads
because your redemption is at hand.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Luke 21:5-19

While some people were speaking about
how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings,
Jesus said, “All that you see here–
the days will come when there will not be left
a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.”

Then they asked him,
“Teacher, when will this happen?
And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?”
He answered,
“See that you not be deceived,
for many will come in my name, saying,
‘I am he,’ and ‘The time has come.’
Do not follow them!
When you hear of wars and insurrections,
do not be terrified; for such things must happen first,
but it will not immediately be the end.”
Then he said to them,
“Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues
from place to place;
and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.

“Before all this happens, however,
they will seize and persecute you,
they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons,
and they will have you led before kings and governors
because of my name.
It will lead to your giving testimony.
Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand,
for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking
that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.
You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends,
and they will put some of you to death.
You will be hated by all because of my name,
but not a hair on your head will be destroyed.
By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”

Source: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/111625.cfm

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Luke 21:12-15

Daily Reflections, Verse

Courage and Strength

“Before all this happens, however, they will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name. It will lead to your giving testimony. Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.”

Reflection:

It could be said that these are among the least consoling words that Jesus ever spoke. Imagine what His disciples would have thought upon hearing this. Some of them might have changed their minds about following Jesus and walked away. Why would anyone want to be seized and persecuted, or thrown into prison? Jesus even went on to say that “they will put some of you to death.”

Though these words might not, at first, seem all that consoling, they were inspired words and, therefore, must be inspiring. By analogy, imagine an army general in charge of troops defending their families and homeland from hostile invaders. If that general were to say similar words to the troops, acknowledging that some of them would be captured and even killed, it would be a reality check for sure. But it would also inspire a certain courage and drive. In that moment, the soldiers would need courage to face the challenge that awaited them. Therefore, by being honest with them, the general would stir up their courage and strengthen their resolve to enter the battle.

We must hear Jesus’ words today as His battle cry, spoken to encourage us. He is warning us that the secular and unchristian world will be hostile. The leader of the kingdom of darkness, the devil, is very active and, with his legion of demons and followers, is seeking to destroy us. For our part, we must decide whether we will retreat and hide, or enter the battle for the salvation of souls.

Though most of us will not endure physical martyrdom for our faith, it will happen to some. But for most of us, the persecution we will endure will be on a different level. We may be mocked or even hated for our refusal to accept immorality within the culture. We may be called hateful when we stand up for the dignity of the unborn child in danger of abortion. We may be deemed superstitious or old fashioned by remaining faithful to Sunday worship and daily prayer. And we may be thought of as out-of-touch or behind the times for refusing to embrace the latest popular fads and secular values. Sometimes this happens even within the family.

Instead of shying away from the various forms of persecution we may experience, we need to allow our Lord to stir up a courage within us that is fueled by love. We must deeply desire the salvation of every soul and remain certain that the only way to salvation is through fidelity to Christ.

When you are challenged by others or by the world, you must trust in Jesus’ words. “I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.” When we resist and refute the errors of our age, some people will become hostile. But if we remain faithful to our Lord and speak by His inspiration, then those who are hostile will be affected for the good. Because Jesus said that people will not be able to “resist or refute” the words He inspires us to say, we must know that our words can make a difference in the battle for souls. We must engage the battle with courage and love and rely upon our Lord to lead.

Reflect, today, upon the fact that we are all in a battle for the salvation of souls, beginning with our own. We cannot be passive bystanders. We must move forward with much courage and strength. We must trust in the guidance given to us by our Lord. We must be open to the words He will inspire us to speak when needed. Resolve to follow our Lord into this holy battle, and He will equip you with all you need to be victorious.

Source: https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/2025/11/15/courage-and-strength/

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Saint Albert the Great, Bishop and Doctor

Daily Saints

c. 1200–1280; Patron Saint of scientists, medical technicians, natural sciences, philosophers, schoolchildren, and theology students; Canonized by Pope Pius XI on December 16, 1931; Declared a Doctor of the Church (Universal Doctor) during his canonization

One of the greatest minds in the history of the Church was born in the Holy Roman Empire around the turn of the thirteenth century in the town of Lauingen, modern-day Germany. Different sources date his birth in various years between 1193 and 1206. He was known as Albert of Lauingen when born, but even before his death he was often referred to as Albert the Great (Albertus Magnus).

Albert was born into a noble family, with some accounts identifying his father as a count. Because of his noble status, he enjoyed the blessing of an excellent education, either at home from private tutors or in a neighboring school. At some point after completing his elementary studies, he was sent to the University of Padua to study the liberal arts and was also introduced to the philosophy of Aristotle that would become foundational for his later writings. Around 1223, Albert joined the Dominican order, possibly as a result of an apparition in which the Blessed Virgin Mary instructed him to do so. He continued his studies in important schools in Padua, Paris, and Cologne to complete his education in philosophy and theology.

Around the time that Brother Albert finished his studies, he was ordained to the sacred priesthood and was assigned to various teaching posts throughout Europe, most notably in Cologne for several years. Around 1245, Father Albert earned the distinction of “Master of Theology” from the prestigious Saint-Jacques at the University of Paris, where he also was given the Chair of Theology.

It is difficult to know what was taking place within the mind and soul of Father Albert during these first twenty-two years as a Dominican, but it is clear from the abundant good fruit borne from his life that he was intimately united to God. Later biographers describe him as having a voracious appetite for sacred knowledge, with the heavens opening up upon him, filling his mind with divine light. Unique to his thought was the incorporation of Aristotle’s philosophical principles in logic and metaphysics with theology. Before Father Albert, no one had thoroughly incorporated the two strains of thought. This was partly due to the fact that all of Aristotle’s works had only recently been translated into Latin from ancient Greek.

Father Albert was not only a philosopher and theologian, he was a walking encyclopedia who seemed to have mastered all subjects. The compilation of his writings fills thirty-nine encyclopedic volumes and covers a multitude of topics, including logic, metaphysics, rhetoric, theology, botany, geography, astronomy, astrology, mineralogy, alchemy, zoology, physiology, phrenology, justice, law, politics, economics, friendship, and love. One might ask what most of these have to do with theology. Father Albert would reply that they all have to do with theology because they all come from God and are all in perfect harmony with each other. Today some suggest that science and faith contradict each other. Father Albert would be the first to challenge that belief and would thoroughly defend his position. The simple answer is that if God is the source of all the natural sciences, logic, revelation, law, and order, and all that is true, then God cannot contradict Himself. He cannot create the natural sciences with one truth and then reveal in theology another truth. What is true is that which is in the mind of God, no matter the subject, and that which is in the mind of God is perfectly harmonious. All creation reveals and glorifies God in its own perfect way!

Though Father Albert was one of the most prolific and profound writers in the Church, God also used him to help form a man who became the Church’s greatest theologian: Saint Thomas Aquinas, the Angelic Doctor. Father Thomas Aquinas was about twenty-five years younger than Father Albert but died five years before him. It was in Paris that the twenty-year-old Father Thomas became Father Albert’s student. Their teacher-student bond grew into a profound mutual respect and friendship. In many ways, Father Albert laid the foundation for Father Thomas by helping him embrace and “Christianize” Aristotelian logic and metaphysics. Father Albert was the first of the Church’s theologians to write upon every aspect of Aristotle, and Father Thomas soaked it all up, later building upon it to produce what is arguably the most important theological work ever written: the Summa Theologiae (“Summary of Theology” or “Compendium of Theology”).

Together, these men were among the greatest theologians to show that faith and reason are not exclusive of each other; rather, they are intimately interwoven and inseparable. When pure human reason is used to analyze the content of divine revelation (faith), the mind is able to extrapolate deeper truths and bring them to their logical conclusion, even to the highest degrees of abstraction. The bond and respect between Fathers Albert and Thomas was so deep that when Father Albert was transferred to Cologne in 1248, Father Thomas followed him.

In 1254, Father Albert was made the provincial superior of the Dominican Order, adding administrative duties to his academic pursuits. In 1260, Pope Alexander IV appointed him as the Bishop of Regensburg, where he remained for the next three years. During that time, though Bishop Albert was among the greatest minds in the Church, his humility won the hearts of his people, and he was able to bring healing to divisions that plagued that diocese. After Bishop Albert resigned his position, the pope employed him for diplomatic missions while Bishop Albert continued his academic pursuits.

Because Bishop Albert and Father Thomas Aquinas were groundbreakers in the use of Aristotelian logic and metaphysics, there were some who criticized them. In 1277, two years after Father Thomas died, the Bishop of Paris issued an edict condemning 219 theological propositions that were deduced from Aristotelian logic by various theologians, stating that God’s Almighty Power was so transcendent that the propositions violated God’s Omnipotence. Twenty of those 219 were from Father Thomas. Some stories state that despite his age (about seventy-seven), Bishop Albert traveled to Paris to personally defend his saintly student. In the end, both teacher and student became saints and Doctors of the Church, thus pointing to the true omnipotence of God.

Saint Albert the Great was a man with a mind on fire with the Holy Spirit. Mere human intellectual capacity could never achieve what he achieved. Some saints are filled with the fortitude necessary to die as martyrs, some are mystics whose lives reveal the the holiness of God, some are founders who build up the Church through new charisms and religious communities, and some, like Saints Albert and Thomas, receive the gift of intellect, infused with the highest degree of the virtues of wisdom, knowledge, understanding, and prudence, by which they are able to leave the Church a solid theological foundation upon which it can continue to be built.

As we honor the “Great” Saint Albert, Doctor of the Church, who was designated as Universal Doctor because he mastered every subject, ponder the simple fact that, despite his having one of the greatest minds in the history of thought, his proficiency is but a drop of water in the ocean compared to the mind of God. This humble truth is something Saint Albert would have readily professed, yet it never stopped him from striving to become that one drop, given that it was one small way of comprehending and articulating what God has revealed to us. And that which comes from God, no matter how small in comparison to the Reality, has infinite value. Seek to imitate Saint Albert by renewing your commitment to the study of your faith so that your mind will experience but a drop of the grace given to this greatest of men.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/november-15—saint-albert-the-great-bishop-and-doctor/

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Luke 18:6-8

Daily Reflections, Verse

Praying for the Will of God

The Lord said, “Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily.”

Reflection:

It’s interesting that Jesus uses the example of a dishonest judge to illustrate the importance of praying to God, calling out to Him day and night for justice. As the parable goes, this judge cared little about a widow in his town who continually came to him asking for a just decision. He felt as though she was continually bothering him. Because she was so persistent, the judge thought to himself, “…because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.” Jesus’ conclusion from this parable is quoted above.

The simple lesson we ought to learn from this parable is that we must be persistent in prayer. God will always answer our prayers, seeing to it that “justice is done” speedily. But many people have prayed and prayed and prayed for some situation, prayed even for justice, and it appeared that God did not answer their prayer. Thus, some may question the promise of Jesus that persistent prayer will always be answered and justice always be rendered.

If this is your experience, it is essential that you remind yourself of two things. First, Jesus’ words are true. When we persevere in prayer and trust in God, He hears us and answers. This is our Lord’s unwavering promise. But secondly, the “justice” that God delivers may often be different than the justice we expect. It may be that we want someone to pay for a wrong they did to us, but after praying fervently, our expectation is not met by our Lord. For this reason, it is essential that we know that God answers every prayer we pray, but in accord with His perfect will and wisdom. Therefore, God’s view of justice at times may be very different than ours. At times, His justice is satisfied by His invitation to us to show mercy in abundance. True mercy always satisfies justice.

Take, for example, the case of someone speaking in a rude manner to you. If you offer that situation to our Lord, He will enter in and provide His grace for you to deal with it in accord with His will. Perhaps He will soften the other person’s heart so that they apologize, or perhaps, if they don’t apologize and their heart is not softened, then God’s answer to your prayer will be to give you the grace of humility so that you can love that person despite their unrepentance. Regardless of the way our Lord intervenes, the fact remains that He will intervene and enable you to fulfill His perfect will. If, however, your prayer is that the person be held accountable and condemned, then you are trying to tell God what to do, and He will not accede to your request. All of our prayer must ultimately be for the fulfillment of God’s perfect will in accord with His wisdom.

Reflect, today, upon how completely you trust in God. Do you know, with certainty, that He will answer every prayer that you fervently pray with faith in accord with His divine will? Believing this is freeing and enables you to live more fully in union with Him. If there is some issue with which you struggle right now, even some apparent injustice, then entrust it to our Lord, day and night without ceasing, and know that His grace will guide you as He answers you in accord with His will.

Source: https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/2025/11/14/praying-for-the-will-of-god-9/

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Saint Nikola Tavelic

Daily Saints

Profile

Nikola was a Franciscan friar and priest. He was a missionary to Bosnia for 12 years; reports of the day say that the friars brought 50,000 to Christianity. He was a missionary to Palestine in 1384. HGe was martyred by the Muslim authorities.

Born

c.1340 in Šibenik, Šibensko-Kninska, Croatia

Died

burned alive on 14 November 1391 near the Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem

Beatified

6 June 1889 by Pope Leo XIII (cultus confirmation)
12 June 1966 by Pope Paul VI (decree of martyrdom)

Canonized

21 June 1970 by Pope Paul VI
the first Croatian saint canonized in the modern process

Source: http://catholicsaints.mobi/calendar/14-november.htm

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Luke 17:26-27

Daily Reflections, Verse

Embracing the Present Moment

Jesus said to his disciples: “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man; they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage up to the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.”

Reflection:

As we enter into the final weeks of the liturgical year, we begin to turn our attention to the final coming of Christ. In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives us the example of Noah and Lot. In both of their stories, people were eating, drinking, marrying, buying, selling, planting and building up, until the very day that the floods came to destroy the earth at the time of Noah and fire rained down from the sky at the time of Lot. Both Noah and Lot were saved, but many others alive at that time met with sudden and unexpected destruction.

Jesus says that the “days of the Son of Man” will be similar to these previous two events. At an unexpected time, Jesus will return to earth, and the Final Judgment will ensue. So His message is clear: Be ready at all times.

Though we are familiar with this teaching of our Lord, spoken many times and in various ways in the Gospels, many people do not heed the message. It is easy to believe that you always have tomorrow to change, and so you give into temptation today. And then tomorrow comes, and the temptation is once again embraced with the thought that you will work on it tomorrow, and henceforth. We can easily go about perpetuating our sins and embracing our temptations while we have the ongoing good intention of changing tomorrow. This is a mistake for two reasons.

First of all, it always remains a possibility that our Lord will indeed come today and that today truly will be the end of the world. Or, it always remains a distinct possibility that your life will come to an end today, suddenly and unexpectedly. If that were to happen, would you be fully ready to stand before the judgment seat of Christ? Most people would not, at least not fully ready. Thus, this should be motivation enough to work tirelessly today to be ready now and every moment hereafter.

But we should also see this prophecy of our Lord as applying to every present moment of every day. Jesus is always coming to us, suddenly and without warning, inviting us to serve Him by grace. This Gospel passage states that “Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses it will save it.” This applies to the end of our lives and to the end of the world, but it also applies to every present moment of every day. If we continually seek to lose our lives, meaning, to choose the Heavenly realities over the temporal earthly indulgences we are daily tempted with, then we will also daily experience the grace of salvation, here and now, in every present moment of our lives.

Reflect, today, upon whether or not you regularly seek to lose your life for the sake of the Kingdom of God. Do you continually choose grace, mercy, Heaven, obedience, love, self-sacrifice, compassion, forgiveness and the like, every moment of every day of your life? If so, then our Lord will continually bestow the gift of His saving grace upon you here and now, preparing you for the ultimate moment of judgment. If not, then you will be more like the people of Noah’s and Lot’s time who met with sudden destruction when they least expected it. Live for God now, today, in this moment, and you will be eternally grateful you did.

Source: https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/2025/11/13/embracing-the-present-moment-4/

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Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, Virgin

Daily Saints

1850–1917; Patron Saint of immigrants, emigrants, hospital administrators, and orphans; Invoked against malaria; Canonized by Pope Pius XII on July 7, 1946

Maria Francesca Cabrini (Frances) was born in the small town of Sant’Angelo Lodigiano, Lombardy, modern-day Italy. At the time of her birth, this culturally Italian town was under the control of the Austrian Empire. She was the youngest of thirteen children, only four of whom survived to maturity. As a child, she listened attentively as her father inspired her with stories about foreign missionaries. Her parents were quite devout and formed their children well in the Catholic faith. Following the example of her mother and older sister Rosa, Frances learned to pray at an early age and grew in devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, especially after Pope Pius IX extended the Feast of the Sacred Heart to the Universal Church when she was six years old. Around the age of eight, Frances received the Sacrament of Confirmation and later remarked of that day, “from that moment I was no longer of the earth.” She sensed she was deeply united with the Holy Spirit.

At the age of thirteen, Frances attended school at the convent of the Daughters of the Sacred Heart in a neighboring town. While with them, her love for the Sacred Heart grew. She wanted to join the sisters and enter the convent, but the mother superior turned her down because she suffered from poor health. After five years of schooling, she graduated with honors, received a teaching certificate, and returned to her hometown to teach in the parish school. Shortly afterward, she transferred to the parish school in the neighboring town of Vidardo. After two years of teaching, when she was twenty, her parents died just months apart. Soon afterward, she suffered through smallpox. When Frances recovered, she took it as a sign that God wanted something more from her, so she applied for acceptance to the Canossian Sisters of Crema, about forty miles away, but was yet again turned away.

In 1874, when Frances was twenty-four years old, the bishop invited her to assist at the House of Providence orphanage for girls about twenty miles away in Codogno. The bishop wanted the orphanage to be run as religious sisters would run it, and he believed Frances could help the two older women who were poorly operating the facility. Frances soon found that some of the girls in the orphanage were also interested in religious life, so in 1877, at the age of twenty-seven, Frances and five of the girls made a religious profession of vows at the hands of the bishop. Frances added Xavier to her name in honor of the great Jesuit missionary Saint Francis Xavier, and the bishop named her as the mother superior. Within three years, Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini’s attempt at religious life in the House of Providence suffered, due to calumnies from the other two women. Mindful of this, in 1880, at the age of thirty, the bishop invited Mother Cabrini and the girls who professed with her to form a new missionary convent in Codogno, which eventually became the Institute of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Mother Cabrini remained mother superior for the next thirty-seven years until her death.

Mother Cabrini was humble and prayerful, but also determined, hardworking, well organized, and zealous. She quickly arranged the new convent, despite arriving with very little means. An altar was set up in the chapel with an image of the Sacred Heart, which became the source of meditation and prayer for the young sisters. During the first several years after the order’s founding, the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart experienced rapid growth, with many girls joining. Within a year, an orphanage and day school were established next to the convent. Within two years, another convent was established, and within five years there were seven convents. The sisters made needlework and embroidery to support their work.

In September 1887, with the permission of her bishop, Mother Cabrini set out for Rome with the hope of founding a convent in the Eternal City and to request the Holy Father’s final approval of her institute. Despite some difficulties in dealing with the Roman Curia, in March 1888, Pope Leo XIII approved her rule and constitutions, and the sisters were invited to establish houses in Rome. Now that they were an institute approved by the pope, they were free to travel wherever the pope would send them. While in Rome, Mother Cabrini met Bishop Scalabrini of the Diocese of Piacenza, who encouraged her to found a convent in the United States to care for the destitute Italian immigrants. Mother Cabrini, however, had her heart set on China, just as her patron saint, Saint Francis Xavier, had done. In the meantime, Bishop Scalabrini sent a letter to the Archbishop Corrigan of New York who replied that he would welcome the sisters. Mother Cabrini decided to ask the Holy Father himself. At an audience, she told the Holy Father of her desire to establish a mission in China. The Holy Father quickly said to her, “You will go not to the East, but to the West!” The matter was settled and almost immediately, Mother Cabrini and her sisters set out by ship to the United States. Though this was a new and unexpected challenge, contrary to her initial desire, she would often remind herself, “I can do all things in Christ Who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

Mother Cabrini and six sisters arrived in New York on March 31, 1889. Upon arrival, the archbishop was surprised they had arrived so soon. The convent wasn’t prepared for them, so he urged them to return to Italy for the time being. Mother Cabrini refused, stating that she was sent by the pope and had to obey him. Without a convent ready, the sisters found hospitality with the Sisters of Charity. Shortly afterward, Mother Cabrini lovingly persuaded the archbishop to permit her and her sisters to move into the convent. He agreed, and the sisters began their work in the poor Italian section of Manhattan. They established a free school, taught in the local parish, and founded an orphanage, which soon had hundreds of children for whom the sisters would beg for alms. Many young Italian girls also joined in the work with the sisters.

Once everything was in working order, Mother Cabrini returned to Italy with some of the postulants who had joined them in America so they could enter the novitiate at the mother house in Codogno. After visiting all of her houses in Italy and with Pope Leo XIII to update him and receive his encouraging blessing, Mother Cabrini returned to the United States in April 1890 with seven more sisters. After founding a new convent and orphanage in West Park, which a year later would also become a novitiate for North America, Mother Cabrini returned to Italy once again to visit all her convents.

Over the next twenty-seven years, Mother Cabrini sailed across the ocean about twenty-three more times, founding over sixty hospitals, orphanages, schools, and convents in New Orleans, Brooklyn, Denver, Newark, Philadelphia, Scranton, Chicago, Seattle, Los Angeles, Argentina, Brazil, Nicaragua, England, France and Spain. During her time at sea, she became accustomed to writing letters to her sisters, amounting to thousands of letters that well document her travels and work. She was a tireless foundress who was directed and empowered by the Holy Spirit. She was compassionate and humble, learning from her continuous meditation on the Sacred Heart. She was an inspiration to all, drawing more than 1,000 young girls to join her mission in her lifetime. Nine years after her death, her sisters established their first home in China, no doubt due to her intercession. In 1946, she became the first United States citizen to be canonized.

Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini knew from an early age that God was calling her to serve Him as a religious sister, but she had no idea what abundant fruit her life would produce. She worked one day at a time, fulfilling the will of God each moment, continually entering into the humility, suffering, compassion, and mercy of Jesus’ Sacred Heart. In His Heart she discovered His love for the poor, sick, abandoned, and destitute, and she ministered to them from His Heart, being His mercy for all.

Honor this holy foundress by honoring the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This devotion is especially relevant for those who suffer. Ponder Jesus’ wounded Heart and the love that pours forth from that wound, and you will become a recipient of the mercy Mother Cabrini discovered and shared.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/november-13—saint-frances-xavier-cabrini-virgin—usa-memorial/

Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, Virgin Read More »

Luke 17:20-21

Daily Reflections, Verse

Perceiving the Kingdom of God

Asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come, Jesus said in reply, “The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed, and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’ For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you.”

Reflection:

Why did the Pharisees ask Jesus this question? Why did they want to know when the Kingdom of God would come? To answer this question, we must first look at the full context of the various communications between Jesus and the Pharisees. When we do this and see the many ways that the Pharisees attempted to trap Jesus in speech and the times in which our Lord firmly rebuked the Pharisees, it seems clear that the Pharisees did not ask Jesus this question in innocence and openness. Instead, they once again were trying to trap Him. They posed a question by which they gave the appearance of believing Jesus’ teachings that the Kingdom of God was coming, but they asked not in faith but in mockery and in an attempt to trip Jesus up in His answer.

Jesus’ answer is mysterious. It leaves little room for the Pharisees to use Jesus’ speech against Him. Perhaps the Pharisees were hoping that Jesus would say that the Kingdom was coming soon, or next month, or within the year. But Jesus’ answer leaves them with confusion in the face of this mystery that “the Kingdom of God is among you.”

Much of what Jesus says can only be fully understood through faith. He often speaks in veiled language intentionally, because the only way to lift the veil to perceive the meaning of His teachings is to rely upon the inspired gift of faith. Faith is like a key to unlock the secrets of the mysteries of God. Faith becomes a lens through which every parable, every figure of speech, and every mystery taught by our Lord is understood. But without this inspired gift of faith, Jesus’ teachings remain mysterious and incomprehensible.

When you ponder these words that “the Kingdom of God is among you,” what do you understand? Are you able to use the gift of faith to unlock the meaning of this sacred teaching? Interestingly, reading Jesus’ words, spoken in a veiled way, offer us the opportunity to test our own faith. If we read these words and are left in confusion, then this is a clear sign that we need to pray for and be open to the gift of faith. But if we do read Jesus’ mysterious teachings and the light of understanding is given to us, then this is a clear reason to rejoice, since this comprehension is only possible through the gift of faith.

Reflect, today, upon this sacred teaching of our Lord: “The Kingdom of God is among you.” Meditate on those words and pray for insight and understanding. Jesus’ words are true. His Kingdom truly is everywhere, all around us and within us. It is alive and well. Do you see it? Do you perceive it? Do you see your role in building it? Use these questions as a test of your own level of faith and know that God wants to reveal to you these mysteries that are only able to be comprehended by His grace.

Source: https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/2025/11/12/perceiving-the-kingdom-of-god-4/

Luke 17:20-21 Read More »

Saint Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr

Daily Saints

1580–1623; Patron Saint of Ukraine; Invoked for the reunification of Eastern and Western Christians; Canonized by Pope Pius IX on June 29, 1867

From the time of the Great Schism in 1054, many Christians in the Eastern (Byzantine) Empire have separated from the pope, creating what is generally called the Orthodox Church. The separation continues, although some of the Eastern Churches have reunited with Rome. In 1439, an attempt was made at the Council of Florence to reunite East and West. It was successful for a short time, but when the Turks conquered Constantinople in 1453, the reunion slowly disintegrated. In 1596, after years of discussions, under an agreement known as the Union of Brest, the majority of Ruthenian Orthodox bishops agreed to reunite with Rome under the pope. In that agreement the Ruthenians professed obedience to the pope as the supreme pontiff, but they were able to keep their Slavic liturgical traditions and celebrate the Byzantine Liturgy, retain married priests, maintain their own canon law and church governance, and hold onto certain theological distinctions within the Creed. Though many Orthodox supported this reunification, many others did not. It was into this time in history that Saint Josaphat, whom we honor today, lived and died for this unity within the Church.

At his birth in the town of Volodymyr, in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, modern-day Ukraine, our saint was given the name John Kuncevyc. He was baptized into the Orthodox Church, not the Catholic Church, and his parents were faith-filled Orthodox Christians. As a youth, he received a good education and learned the faith well. He was often more interested in praying than playing games. He served at church services, loved the Slavic religious traditions, embraced a life of penance and mortification from an early age, and loved the Divine Office, which he diligently prayed. As a young man, in order to assist his family financially, he worked as a merchant in a nearby city.

In 1604, eight years after his local diocese reunited with Rome, John entered religious life as a monk at the Monastery of Holy Trinity of the Order of Saint Basil the Great in Vilnius. Upon entering, he was given the religious name Josaphat. After five years in the monastery, Brother Josaphat was ordained a Catholic priest in the Eastern Rite and remained at the monastery for the next eight years, becoming prior of his and several other monasteries.

As a monk, he diligently studied the history of the Church, the liturgy, and other documents pertaining to the unity of the Church. He practiced extreme mortifications, and his prayer life grew deep. In addition to his love of the Divine Office and Liturgy, he continuously prayed the Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me.” It was later reported by some of his brother monks that he prayed it so often that he could even be heard whispering it as he slept.

Father Josaphat’s prayer and study led him to become a firm supporter of the Union of Brest, and he did all he could to encourage his fellow monks and laypeople to embrace full union with Rome. His reputation as a wise and holy monk spread far and wide, and many came to seek his spiritual advice. He also attracted many young men to the monastery who became monks at his encouragement. He was a spiritual leader, a man of prayer, and a man on a mission of unification. He not only convinced many of the Orthodox holdouts to embrace the Catholic faith, he even drew some who had become Calvinists after the Protestant Reformation. He was so successful that he earned the nickname “Soul-snatcher.”

Father Josaphat’s ministry was so impactful that, in 1617, he was ordained as the Bishop of Vitebsk and, one year later, was elevated to the Archbishopric of Polotsk. This was an important see because tensions remained high, and the faithful, monks, and clergy remained divided about the reunification with Rome. Some feared that they would lose their liturgical traditions to more latinized ones, and others disagreed for theological reasons, but Archbishop Josaphat was convinced that full unification with Rome, while retaining their beloved religious traditions, was the will of God. He zealously devoted the next six years of his forty-three years of life to the cause.

As archbishop, he made the education of his clergy a high priority by issuing a catechism that he instructed them to memorize. He imposed discipline for priestly living, had large meetings to discuss pastoral initiatives, renewed the church buildings, and opposed everyone who opposed unification, including the Grand Chancellor of Lithuania who was overly sympathetic to those who opposed unification.

Within two years of Josaphat’s ordination as Archbishop of Polotsk, some Ruthenian Orthodox factions who refused to embrace unity with Rome secretly gathered and, with the help of the Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, ordained new Ruthenian Orthodox bishops, including an archbishop, setting up a second hierarchical Church. The new Orthodox archbishop began to spread rumors that Josaphat was planning on making the Church fully Latin, throwing out their Slavic traditions. Violence ensued over the next few years, and even clergy battled clergy. Archbishop Josaphat predicted his own martyrdom but remained in the fight for unity.

In 1623, an Orthodox priest led a revolt against the archbishop’s house, which included Orthodox men, women, and children. With stones and sticks they attacked the archbishop’s house, broke in, cornered Josaphat in a room, beat him, slit his head with an ax, shot him, dragged his dead body through the town naked, and threw him into the Dvina River.

Though this might at first appear to be a horrible end to a holy life, God, Who is all-powerful, is able to bring good from evil. In many ways, Saint Josaphat’s martyrdom was a turning point for the Ruthenian Catholics. While divisions remained high, those embracing unity found in Saint Josaphat a martyr and an inspiration. A martyr’s blood is a powerful weapon in the hands of God, and God used his death to help solidify unification with Rome in the hearts and minds of those open to divine grace.

As we honor this saint of Christian unity, ponder the sad reality that so many Christians who profess their faith in Christ remain divided. This is even found within the Catholic Church itself. Use this memorial of Saint Josaphat as an opportunity not only to ponder the painful divisions in our churches and world but also as an occasion to pray for oneness in Christ. Seek Saint Josaphat’s intercession today, and, in imitation of his life, offer your own sacrifices, prayers, and mortification to God, begging for the grace of true and lasting Christian unity.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/november-12—st-josaphat-bishop-and-martyr/

Saint Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr Read More »

c. 1045–1093; Patron Saint of learning, parents of large families, parents who have lost a child, queens, and widows; Canonized by Pope Innocent IV in 1251

First Reading Malachi 3:19-20a

Responsorial Psalm Psalms 98:5-6, 7-8, 9

Second Reading 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12

Alleluia Luke 21:28

Gospel Luke 21:5-19

Courage and Strength

c. 1200–1280; Patron Saint of scientists, medical technicians, natural sciences, philosophers, schoolchildren, and theology students; Canonized by Pope Pius XI on December 16, 1931; Declared a Doctor of the Church (Universal Doctor) during his canonization

Praying for the Will of God

Embracing the Present Moment

1850–1917; Patron Saint of immigrants, emigrants, hospital administrators, and orphans; Invoked against malaria; Canonized by Pope Pius XII on July 7, 1946

Perceiving the Kingdom of God

1580–1623; Patron Saint of Ukraine; Invoked for the reunification of Eastern and Western Christians; Canonized by Pope Pius IX on June 29, 1867

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