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Saint Anthony of Egypt, Abbot

251–356; Patron Saint of basketmakers, gravediggers, butchers, swineherds, motorists, amputees, monks, and farmers; Invoked against skin diseases and epilepsy; Pre-Congregation canonization

Anthony was born into an upper-class Catholic home. His parents raised Anthony and his younger sister in a small village in southern Egypt. He received a basic education and was twenty years old when his parents suddenly died. He was left with a large inheritance and the responsibility of caring for his sister. Some months later, Anthony was attending Mass and heard the Gospel story of Jesus’ command to the rich young man: “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven” (Matthew 19:21). As Anthony heard these words, he knew Jesus was speaking directly to him. Shortly after, he gave away most of his property, sold almost everything else, and kept only what he needed to care for himself and his sister. But that’s not exactly what the Lord had commanded! Jesus said that perfection is obtained only if one were to sell everything and give it to the poor.

Not long afterward, Anthony was at Mass once again and heard the Gospel passage, “Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself” (Matthew 6:34). Again, he knew Jesus was speaking directly to him, so he gave away even the little he had saved back, entrusted his sister to the care of some holy women, and entered the desert to live a life of poverty, solitude, prayer, and mortification.

In that harsh desert landscape, the devil attacked him in countless ways. “Think about all the good you could have done with that money you gave away!” These were the words of the evil one, trying to deter Anthony from embracing his unique vocation as a hermit. Then the devil appeared to him in physical form and sent vile creatures to frighten him. Satan tempted Anthony with boredom, laziness, and even appeared as a female temptress to seduce him. Firm in prayer and mortification, Anthony fought off the devil and his manifestations. Though beaten senseless during these spiritual battles, he recovered in the care of some friends who visited him.

After spending fifteen years living in a desert cave once used as a tomb, Anthony retreated even deeper into solitude, spending another twenty years in self-imposed solitary confinement. He ate only bread that friends threw over the wall of the abandoned Roman fort he called home. He never opened his mouth to speak to anyone, for God called him to the unique life of complete solitude.

Eventually, Anthony’s holy example stirred up devotion and admiration in the hearts of others. Though they could not speak to him, many wanted to imitate him. They began to build huts nearby and imitate his vocation. Then, after twenty years of solitude, God directed Anthony to exit his fort and assist the other nearby hermits with their vocations. For the next five years, he instructed the new hermits on how to organize their lives.

Anthony then withdrew once again into seclusion for the last forty-five years of his very long life. However, this time he did accept visitors from time to time and even entered nearby cities to occasionally preach and teach. Most notably, he preached firmly against the rampant Arian heresy, directly opposed the emperor for persecuting Christians, and fearlessly offered himself up to be martyred. God did not grant his desire for martyrdom, however. Instead, Anthony lived to the ripe old age of 105. He made a powerful impact upon the lives of many by his radical obedience to God’s will, through his life devoted to prayer, his embrace of poverty, his courageous preaching against heresy, and his assistance to those daring to live as hermits. He was so influential that another heroic saint of that time, the bishop Saint Athanasius, wrote a biography of Saint Anthony, supplying much of what we know about him today.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/january-17-st-antony-patriarch-of-monks/

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Mark 2:3-4

Daily Reflections, Verse

An Act of the Greatest Charity

They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd, they opened up the roof above him. After they had broken through, they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying.

Reflection:

This paralytic is a symbol of certain people in our lives who seem to be incapable of turning to our Lord by their own effort. It’s clear that the paralytic wanted healing, but he was unable to come to our Lord by his own effort. Therefore, the friends of this paralytic carried him to Jesus, opened the roof (since there was such a large crowd), and lowered the man down before Jesus.

The paralysis of this man is a symbol of a certain type of sin. It’s a sin for which someone desires forgiveness but is incapable of turning to our Lord by their own effort. For example, a serious addiction is something that can so dominate a person’s life that they cannot overcome this addiction by their own effort. They need the help of others to even be able to turn to our Lord for help.

We each must see ourselves as the friends of this paralytic. Too often when we see someone who is trapped in a life of sin, we simply judge them and turn away from them. But one of the greatest acts of charity we can offer another is to help provide them with the means they need to overcome their sin. This can be done by our counsel, our unwavering compassion, a listening ear, and by any act of fidelity to that person during their time of need and despair.

How do you treat people who are caught in the cycle of manifest sin? Do you roll your eyes at them and turn away? Or do you firmly determine to be there for them to give them hope and to assist them when they have little or no hope in life to overcome their sin? One of the greatest gifts you can give to another is the gift of hope by being there for them to help them turn fully to our Lord.

Reflect, today, upon a person you know who seems to be not only caught in the cycle of sin but has also lost hope to overcome that sin. Prayerfully surrender yourself over to our Lord and commit yourself to the charitable act of doing anything and everything you can so as to help them fully turn to our divine Lord.

Source: https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/2025/01/16/an-act-of-the-greatest-charity-4/

Mark 2:3-4 Read More »

Pope Saint Marcellus I

Daily Saints

Profile

Nothing of his life before the papacy has survived the centuries. Marcellus was Pope at the end of the persecutions of Diocletian; the persecutions had so disrupted the Church that there had been a gap of over a year with no Pope. He faced reconstituting the clergy which had been decimated and whose remnant had practiced their vocation covertly and with the expectation of martyrdom. He worked to recover and welcome back those who had denied the faith to keep from being murdered.

When a group of people apostatized before and during a period of persecution refused to do penance in order to return to the Church (they were known as the Lapsi), Marcellus refused to allow their return to the Church. This group had some political pull, and some caused such civil disruption that Emperor Maxentius exiled the Pope in order to settle the matter. Legend says that Marcellus was forced to work as a stable slave as punishment, but this appears to be fiction. He was considered a martyr as he died of the terrible conditions he suffered in exile.

Papal Ascension

May-June 308

Died

309
initially buried in the cemetery of Saint Priscilla in Rome, Italy
relics later translated to beneath the altar of San Marcello al Corso church in Rome where they remain today

Canonized

Pre-Congregation

Patronage

horses
stablemen
in Italy
– Anversa degli Abruzzi
– Montemarzo di Asti

Representation

pope with a donkey or horse nearby
pope standing in a stable

Source: https://catholicsaints.info/pope-saint-marcellus-i/

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Mark 1:40-41

Daily Reflections, Verse

Be Made Clean

A leper came to him and kneeling down begged him and said, “If you wish, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched the leper, and said to him, “I do will it. Be made clean.”

Reflection:

If we come to our divine Lord with faith, kneel down before Him and present our need to Him, then we also will receive the same response given to this leper: “I do will it. Be made clean.” These words should give us hope in the midst of any and every challenge in life.

What is it that our Lord wills for you? And what is it that He desires to make clean in your life? This story of the leper coming to Jesus does not mean that our Lord will grant any and every request we bring to Him. Instead, it reveals that He wills to make us clean of that which afflicts us the most. Leprosy in this story should be seen as a symbol of the spiritual ills that afflict your soul. First and foremost, it should be seen as a symbol of the sin in your life that has become habitual and slowly does great damage to your soul.

At that time, leprosy not only caused grave physical damage to a person, but it also had the effect of isolating them from the community. They had to live apart from others who did not have the disease; and if they came near others, they had to show they were lepers by certain external signs so that people would not come in contact with them. Thus, leprosy had both personal and communal ramifications.

The same is true with many habitual sins. Sin does damage to our souls, but it also affects our relationships. For example, a person who is habitually harsh, judgmental, sarcastic or the like will experience the ill effects of these sins on their relationships.

Returning to the statement of Jesus above, consider that sin which not only affects your soul the most but also your relationships. To that sin, Jesus wishes to say to you, “Be made clean.” He wants to strengthen your relationship by cleansing the sin within your soul. And all it takes for Him to do that is for you to turn to Him on your knees and to present your sin to Him. This is especially true within the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Reflect, today, upon your closest relationships in life. And then consider which of your sins most directly hurts those relationships. Whatever comes to mind, you can be certain that Jesus wants to rid you of that spiritual leprosy within your soul.

Source: https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/2025/01/15/be-made-clean-4/

Mark 1:40-41 Read More »

Saint Maurus

Daily Saints

Profile

Maurus was born to the nobility, the son of Equitius, a senator, and Giulia. He was a disciple of Saint Benedict of Nursia at age 12. He studied with Saint Placid. He was a deacon and a Benedictine monk. He assisted Saint Benedict at Subiaco, Italy, and at Monte Cassino in 528. He was the founder and abbot of the abbey at Glanfeuil, France in 543; it was later renamed for him. He could heal by prayer, and there are multiple stories of him bringing the dead back to life. At the moment of the death of Saint Benedict, Maurus received a vision of his old teacher traveling a street that led to heaven.

Born

512 in Rome, Italy

Died

15 January 584 of natural causes
relics re-discovered in 845
relics transferred to St-Pierre-des-Fosses in 868 to avoid Norman invaders
relics interred in the church of St-Germain-des-Prés, Paris, France
relics destroyed in 1793 during the anti-Catholic excesses of the French Revolution

Canonized

Pre-Congregation

Patronage

against cold
against colds
against goiter
against gout
against hoarseness
against rheumatism
candle makers
charcoal burners
cobblers
coppersmiths
lantern makers
porters
shoemakers
lifeguards
tailors
tinkers
Azores
Badajoz, Spain
Saint-Bonnet-de-Vieille-Vigne, France
in Italy
– Aci Castello
– Casoria
– Castelnuovo Parano
– Cesena
– Monte Cassino Abbey
– Susa, diocese of

Representation

abbot with book and censer
abbot with crozier
crutch
monk saving Saint Placid from drowning while a cowl floats above him
monk walking on water, which is how he reached Saint Placid to save him from drowning
man holding the weights and measures of food and drink given him by Saint Benedict
scales
spade

Source: https://catholicsaints.info/saint-maurus/

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Mark 1:32-34

Daily Reflections, Verse

More Demons Driven Out

When it was evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons. The whole town was gathered at the door. He cured many who were sick with various diseases, and he drove out many demons, not permitting them to speak because they knew him.

Reflection:

Today we read that Jesus once again “drove out many demons…” The passage then adds, “…not permitting them to speak because they knew him.”

Why would Jesus not permit these demons to speak? Many of the early Church fathers explain that even though the demons had an understanding that Jesus was the promised Messiah, they did not understand fully what that meant and how He would accomplish His ultimate victory. Therefore, Jesus did not want them to speak only half-truths about Him, as the evil one often does, thus misleading the people. So Jesus always forbade these demons from speaking about Him publicly.

It’s important to understand that all of the demonic spirits failed to understand the full truth that it would be Jesus’ death that ultimately destroys death itself and sets all people free. For that reason, we see that these diabolical forces continually conspired against Jesus and tried to attack Him throughout His life. They stirred up Herod when Jesus was a baby, which forced Him into exile in Egypt. Satan himself tempted Jesus just prior to the beginning of His public ministry so as to try to dissuade Jesus from His mission. There were many diabolical forces who continually attacked Jesus throughout His public ministry, especially through the ongoing hostility of the religious leaders at the time. And it can be presumed that these demons may have initially thought they won the battle when they accomplished their goal of having Jesus crucified.

The truth, however, is that Jesus’ wisdom continually confounded these demons and ultimately transformed their evil act of having Him crucified into an ultimate victory over sin and death itself by rising from the dead. Satan and his demons are real, but compared to the truth and wisdom of God, these diabolical forces reveal their complete foolishness and weakness. Just like Jesus, we need to rebuke these tempters in our lives and command that they be silent. Too often we allow their half truths to mislead us and confuse us.

Reflect, today, upon the importance of confidently rebuking the evil one and the many lies he tempts us to believe. Rebuke him with the truth and authority of Christ and pay no attention to what he says.

Source: https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/2025/01/14/more-demons-driven-out-4/

Mark 1:32-34 Read More »

Saint Sava

Daily Saints

Profile

Sava was a prince of Serbia, the son of King Stephen I Nemanya. He took the name Sava (Sabas) when he became a monk at Mount Athos. His father later surrendered his crown and became a monk, too, and together they founded the monastery at Chilanari as a house for Serbs. Sava returned home in 1207 when a quarrel between his brothers, Stephen II and Vulkan, broke into civil war. Sava brought monks with him, founded several monasteries, and began the reformation and education of his country, where religion and education had fallen to a low estate. Sava became a metropolitan of a new Serbian hierarchy by Emperor Theodore II Laskaris at Nicaea, and was reluctantly consecrated by Patriarch Manuel I in 1219. He crowned his brother Stephen II as King of Serbia in 1222. He finished uniting his people that had begun by his father. He translated religious works into Serbian, and gave his people a native clergy and hierarchy. He was dispatched to the Holy Land on an ecclesiastical mission. Sava died on the way home.

Born

1176 as Rastko Nemanjic

Died

14 January 1235 at Tirnovo, Bulgaria of natural causes

Patronage

Serbia
Serbs

Source: https://catholicsaints.info/saint-sava-14-january/

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Mark 1:23-25

Daily Reflections, Verse

Confronting the Evil One

In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit; he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are–the Holy One of God!” Jesus rebuked him and said, “Quiet! Come out of him!”

Reflection:

There were numerous times when Jesus directly confronted demons in the Scriptures. Each time He rebuked them and exercised His authority over them. The passage above illustrates one such case.

The fact that the devil shows himself over and over in the Gospels tells us that the evil one is real and needs to be dealt with appropriately. And the appropriate way to deal with the evil one and his fellow demons is to rebuke them with the authority of Christ Jesus Himself in a calm but definitive and authoritative way.

It’s very rare that the evil one makes himself fully manifest to us in the way that he did in the passage above to Jesus. The demon speaks directly through this man, which indicates that the man was fully possessed. And though we do not see this form of manifestation often, it doesn’t mean that the evil one is any less active today. Instead, it shows that the authority of Christ is not being exercised by the Christian faithful to the extent that is necessary to combat the evil one. Instead, we often cower in the face of evil and fail to confidently and charitably stand our ground with Christ.

Why did this demon manifest himself in such a visible way? Because this demon was directly confronted with the authority of Jesus. The devil usually prefers to remain hidden and deceptive, presenting himself as an angel of light so that his evil ways are not known clearly. Those whom he controls often do not even know how much they are influenced by the evil one. But when the evil one is confronted with the pure presence of Christ, with the Truth of the Gospel that sets us free, and with Jesus’ authority, this confrontation often forces the evil one to react by manifesting his evil.

Reflect, today, upon the fact that the evil one is constantly at work all around us. Consider the people and circumstances in your life where the pure and holy Truth of God is attacked and rejected. It is in those situations, more than any other, that Jesus wants to bestow upon you His divine authority to confront evil, rebuke it and take authority over it. This is primarily done through prayer and deep trust in the power of God. Don’t be afraid to allow God to use you to confront the activity of the evil one in this world.

Source: https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/2025/01/13/confronting-the-evil-one-4/

Mark 1:23-25 Read More »

Saint Hilary of Poitiers

Daily Saints

c. 315–367; Patron Saint of children academically behind, children learning to walk, mothers, and the sick; Invoked against rheumatism and snakebites; Pre-Congregation canonization; Proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in 1851 by Pope Pius IX

Born into a wealthy pagan family in Poitiers, France, Hilary was well educated in the classics. As he looked into his own soul, however, he knew that he did not exist for the sole purpose of seeking pleasure, enjoying leisure, obtaining wealth, or merely satisfying his fleshly desires. Hilary reasoned that the human soul did not exist simply to die. Instead, it must exist for something more, something eternal, something glorious. When his pagan culture did not suffice and philosophy fell short, Hilary finally found what he was searching for when he stumbled upon the Scriptures.

Hilary was first struck by the mysterious name of God in the Old Testament: “I AM WHO I AM.” God had revealed Himself as eternal, without beginning or end—Existence itself. Then Hilary discovered the Son of God in the Gospel of John 1:1–14. Of this discovery, Hilary said, “My soul measured the mighty workings of God, wrought on the scale of His eternal omnipotence . . .by a boundless faith . . .that God was in the beginning with God, and that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us . . .” (De Trinitate 1.12).

Hilary had the will to believe, and in the years that followed he was given the power and gift to understand the beauty, mystery, omnipotence, and nature of the Most Holy Trinity. Shortly after these discoveries of faith, Hilary was baptized a Christian and went on to defend the doctrine of the Trinity against the “insanity and ignorance of men.” He so impressed the faithful that they chose him to be their bishop, a dignity to which he reluctantly agreed.

Among those who shared in the “insanity and ignorance” of that time were a group of bishops and laity who followed the heresy of Arianism, which denied the divinity of Christ, instead holding that the Son was inferior to the Father. This heresy was especially strong in the Eastern Church but was starting to spread throughout France. After Hilary was a bishop for only about five years, the emperor, an Arian himself, ordered every bishop to pledge their support for this heresy. Hilary refused. Instead, he vigorously defended the truth, and for his brave stance was exiled to Phrygia, in modern-day Turkey. In His love and providence, God used Hilary’s time of exile in powerful ways.

While in Phrygia, Bishop Hilary spent much time studying and writing. He had already composed a marvelous commentary on the Gospel of Matthew while in Poitiers, and now he set his mind to his greatest work, De Trinitate (On the Trinity). Drawing from his classical education, his knowledge of Greek, his love of the Scriptures, and from the “insanity” and “ignorance” of Arianism itself, Bishop Hilary composed a comprehensive defense of the doctrine of the Trinity as it was taught in the Nicene Creed. Bishop Hilary caused so much trouble for the Arians in Phrygia that the Arian bishops pleaded with the emperor to send him back home, a request the emperor honored.

On his return to Poitiers, Bishop Hilary took the long way home through Greece and Italy, preaching all the way, weeding out the beginnings of Arianism in the Western Church. His effectiveness came not only from his clear teaching, but also from his conciliatory approach and resolute determination. Back in Poitiers, he continued to preach, write, attend councils, and even to compose hymns. The hymns were his way of introducing the doctrines of the faith to the people of God in song. He was a true pastor who burned with a desire that everyone come to a deeper knowledge of the One God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/january-13-saint-hilary-of-poitiers-bishop-and-doctor/

Saint Hilary of Poitiers Read More »

Mark 1:14-15

Daily Reflections, Verse

A Time to Repent and Believe

Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the Gospel of God:
“This is the time of fulfillment. The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”

Reflection:

We have now completed our Advent and Christmas Seasons, and thus we begin the liturgical season of “Ordinary Time.” Ordinary Time must be lived in our lives in both an ordinary and extraordinary way.

First of all, we begin this liturgical season with an extraordinary calling from God. In the Gospel passage above, Jesus begins His public ministry by proclaiming that “The Kingdom of God is at hand.” But He then goes on to state that, as a result of the new presence of the Kingdom of God, we must “repent” and “believe.”

It’s important to understand that the Incarnation, which we especially celebrated in Advent and Christmas, changed the world forever. Now that God had united Himself with human nature in the Person of Jesus Christ, God’s new Kingdom of grace and mercy was at hand. Our world and our lives are changed because of what God did. And as Jesus began His public ministry, He begins to inform us through His preaching of this new reality.

The public ministry of Jesus, as it is transmitted to us through the inspired Word of the Gospels, presents to us the very Person of God and the foundation of His new Kingdom of grace and mercy. It presents us with the extraordinary calling of holiness of life and an unwavering and radical commitment to following Christ. Thus, as we begin Ordinary Time, it’s good to be reminded of our duty to immerse ourselves in the message of the Gospel and to respond to it without reserve.

But this calling to an extraordinary way of life must ultimately become ordinary. In other words, our radical calling to follow Christ must become who we are. We must see the “extraordinary” as our “ordinary” duty in life.

Reflect, today, upon the beginning of this new liturgical season. Use it as an opportunity to remind yourself of the importance of both daily studying and prayerfully pondering the public ministry of Jesus and all He taught. Recommit yourself to a faithful reading of the Gospel so that it becomes an ordinary part of your daily life.

Source: https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/2025/01/12/a-time-to-repent-and-believe-2/

Mark 1:14-15 Read More »

Author name: Sani

Saint Anthony of Egypt, Abbot

251–356; Patron Saint of basketmakers, gravediggers, butchers, swineherds, motorists, amputees, monks, and farmers; Invoked against skin diseases and epilepsy; Pre-Congregation canonization

Mark 2:3-4

An Act of the Greatest Charity

Pope Saint Marcellus I

Mark 1:40-41

Be Made Clean

Saint Maurus

Mark 1:32-34

More Demons Driven Out

Saint Sava

Mark 1:23-25

Confronting the Evil One

Saint Hilary of Poitiers

c. 315–367; Patron Saint of children academically behind, children learning to walk, mothers, and the sick; Invoked against rheumatism and snakebites; Pre-Congregation canonization; Proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in 1851 by Pope Pius IX

Mark 1:14-15

A Time to Repent and Believe

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