Author name: sanjose

Saint Marcellina

Saint Marcellina was born around the year 330 into a Roman Christian family. Her father served as Praetorian prefect of Gaul. After the death of their parents, she took responsibility for the upbringing of her younger brothers, Ambrose and Satyrus. As the eldest in her family, she made it a point to pass to her younger brothers the “desire not to express their virtue, but to become truly virtuous.”

She devoted herself to the practice of piety and asceticism, and received the veil of consecrated virginity from Pope Liberius. She lived a life of great austerity, which Ambrose tried to persuade her to mitigate. According to tradition, she turned the family home into a church dedicated in Mary, which later became Sant’Ambrogio della Massima.

After Ambrose had become Bishop of Milan in 374, he summoned his sister, Saint Marcellina, and found in her a zealous assistant in fostering and extending the ascetic life among the maidens of Milan. Ambrose dedicated his work on virginity, written in 377, Libri III de virginibus ad Marcellinam to her.

Saint Marcellina survived her brother by a year, dying in 398. Honored as a saint, she was buried in the crypt under the altar of the Ambrosian Basilica in Milan.

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Saint Marie-Madeleine Postel

Saint Marie-Madeleine Postel was a French Catholic professed religious and the founder of the Sisters of Christian Schools. The Benedictine nuns oversaw her education in Valognes after her initial schooling and it was during that time that she discerned a call to serve God in the religious life; she took a private vow to remain chaste as a step forward in this dream.

In 1774, Saint Marie-Madeleine Postel founded a school for girls in Barfleur which became a center for underground religious activities during the French Revolution for those who were unwilling to support the new regime. The school was shut down at the beginning of the Revolution but authorization was granted to her to keep the Blessed Sacrament in her house as the conflict continued and she carried it on her person at times to provide the Viaticum to those who were ill and at the verge of death.

The end of the Revolution saw Saint Marie-Madeleine Postel take up teaching and catechizing in Cherbourg where she taught around 300 children. She made her religious profession into the Third Order of Saint Francis in 1798. In 1832, she acquired a derelict convent in St-Sauveur-le-Vicomte to use as her headquarters which then prompted growth within the order.

Saint Marie-Madeleine Postel died in 1846. Her order continues its work in places such as Romania and Mozambique and in 2005 had 442 religious in 69 different locations worldwid

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15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading: Is 55:10-11

Thus says the LORD:
Just as from the heavens
the rain and snow come down
and do not return there
till they have watered the earth,
making it fertile and fruitful,
giving seed to the one who sows
and bread to the one who eats,
so shall my word be
that goes forth from my mouth;
my word shall not return to me void,
but shall do my will,
achieving the end for which I sent it.

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 65:10, 11, 12-13, 14

Response– The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest

You have visited the land and watered it;
greatly have you enriched it.
God's watercourses are filled;
you have prepared the grain.
R– The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest

Thus have you prepared the land: drenching its furrows,
breaking up its clods,
Softening it with showers,
blessing its yield.
R– The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest

You have crowned the year with your bounty,
and your paths overflow with a rich harvest;
The untilled meadows overflow with it,
and rejoicing clothes the hills.
R– The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest

The fields are garmented with flocks
and the valleys blanketed with grain.
They shout and sing for joy.
R– The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest

Second Reading: Romans 8:18-23

Brothers and sisters:
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing
compared with the glory to be revealed for us.
For creation awaits with eager expectation
the revelation of the children of God;
for creation was made subject to futility,
not of its own accord but because of the one who subjected it,
in hope that creation itself
would be set free from slavery to corruption
and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God.
We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now;
and not only that, but we ourselves,
who have the firstfruits of the Spirit,
we also groan within ourselves
as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.

Alleluia:

Alleluia, alleluia. The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower.
All who come to him will have life forever. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel: Matthew 13:1-23

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew
 
On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea.
Such large crowds gathered around him
that he got into a boat and sat down,
and the whole crowd stood along the shore.
And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying:
"A sower went out to sow.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,
and birds came and ate it up.
Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil.
It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep,
and when the sun rose it was scorched,
and it withered for lack of roots.
Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it.
But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit,
a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.
Whoever has ears ought to hear."
 
The disciples approached him and said,
"Why do you speak to them in parables?"
He said to them in reply,
"Because knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven
has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted.
To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich;
from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
This is why I speak to them in parables, because
they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.
Isaiah's prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:
You shall indeed hear but not understand,
you shall indeed look but never see.
Gross is the heart of this people,
they will hardly hear with their ears,
they have closed their eyes,
lest they see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their hearts and be converted,
and I heal them.
 
"But blessed are your eyes, because they see,
and your ears, because they hear.
Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people
longed to see what you see but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
 
"Hear then the parable of the sower.
The seed sown on the path is the one
who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it,
and the evil one comes and steals away
what was sown in his heart.
The seed sown on rocky ground
is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy.
But he has no root and lasts only for a time.
When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word,
he immediately falls away.
The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word,
but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word
and it bears no fruit.
But the seed sown on rich soil
is the one who hears the word and understands it,
who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold."

The Readings and Gospel were sourced from:

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Saint Vladimir the Great

Saint Vladimir was Prince of Novgorod and became ruler of Kievan Rus’ from 980 to 1015. He was born in 958 was the natural son and youngest son of Sviatoslav I of Kiev by his housekeeper Malusha. Hagiographic tradition of dubious authenticity also connects his childhood with the name of his grandmother, Olga of Kiev, who was Christian and governed the capital during Sviatoslav’s frequent military campaigns.

After the death of his father in 972, he was forced to flee to Scandinavia in 976 after his brother Yaropolk murdered his other brother Oleg of Drelinia. In Sweden, with the help of his relative Ladejarl Håkon Sigurdsson, ruler of Norway, he assembled a Varangian army and reconquered Novgorod from Yaropolk. By 980, Vladimir had consolidated the Rus’ realm to the Baltic Sea and had solidified the frontiers against incursions of Bulgarians, Baltic tribes and Eastern nomads.

In 987, after consultation with his boyars, Saint Vladimir reportedly sent envoys to study the religions of the various neighboring peoples whose representatives had been urging him to embrace their respective faiths. In 988, having taken the town of Chersonesus in Crimea, he allegedly boldly negotiated for the hand of emperor Basil II’s sister, Anna. In exchange for a marital tie, he also agreed to accept Christianity as his religion and to Christianize his people. When the wedding arrangements were settled, Saint Vladimir dispatched 6,000 troops to the Byzantine Empire, and they helped to put down the revolt.

During his Christian reign, Saint Vladimir lived the teachings of the Bible through acts of charity. He would hand out food and drink to the less fortunate, and made an effort to go out to the people who could not reach him. His work was based on the impulse to help one’s neighbors by sharing the burden of carrying their cross. He founded numerous churches, including the Desyatynna Tserkva (Church, or Cathedral, of the Tithes) (989), established schools, protected the poor and introduced ecclesiastical courts. He lived mostly at peace with his neighbors, the incursions of the Pechenegs alone disturbing his tranquility.

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Saint Nicodemus the Hagiorite

Saint Nicodemus the Hagiorite was born Nicholas Kallivroutsis on the Greek island of Naxos. He was an ascetic monk, mystic, theologian, and philosopher. According to his biographer, he was possessed of “great acuteness of mind, accurate perception, intellectual brightness, and vast memory”, qualities which were readily apparent to those who furthered him along in his learning.

He passed from the tutelage of his parish priest to that of Archimandrite Chrysanthos, who was the brother of Cosmas. From there he made his way to Smyrna (now Izmir, Turkey), where he studied at the Evangelical School. Here he studied theology, as well as ancient Greek, Latin, French, and Italian. He studied at Smyrna but was forced to abandon his studies during a time of Ottoman persecution. Instead he entered the Dionysiou monastery on Mount Athos in 1775.

Saint Nicodemus decided to embrace the monastic life, following the example of three monks he had encountered, Gregory, Niphon, and Arsenios. He aligned himself with the monks known as Kollyvades, who sought a revival of traditional Orthodox practices and patristic literature, and he spent the remainder of his life at work translating and publishing those works. He also composed many original books of his own.

He wrote ascetic prayer literature and influenced the rediscovery of hesychasm, a method of contemplative prayer from the Byzantine period. He is most famous for his work with Macarius of Corinth on the anthology of monastic spiritual writings known as The Philokalia, as well as for his compilation of canons known as the Pedalion which he co-wrote with a hieromonk named Agapios Monachos.

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Saint Ferdinando Maria Baccilieri

Saint Ferdinando Maria Baccilieri was an Italian Roman Catholic priest and a professed member of the Secular Servites. He was born on May 1821. He received his education in his parents’ school. He eventually studied with the Barnabites in Bologna and the Jesuits in Ferrara.

When he studied with the Jesuits he felt that he had a strong calling to the religious life and desired to join the missions in the East as a means of spreading the message of the Gospel. However this idea never materialized. He underwent his theological and philosophical studies (and also learnt civil and canon law) and was ordained to the priesthood upon the completion of his studies on March 1844.

He was sent to Bologna to the troubled parish of Galeazza Pepoli – as a sign of the archdiocese’s esteem for his work he was appointed as the parochial vicar of that parish. He was later professed as a Secular Servite in 1855. In 1867 he lost his voice and was forced to write out homilies and addresses and have others deliver them for him. Despite this he continued to focus on hearing confessions and caring for the parish community the work of his congregation. In 1862, he opened a small convent for girls and in 1866 formalized it under a Rule that would evolve into a religious congregation.

The congregation he had founded was devoted to the instruction of children in a religious education and also catered to providing assistance to the ill. The congregation also worked for the promotion of parish activities. He welcomed the poor and was known for his enlightened views of Christian attitudes towards the poor. He had become well known for restoring a troubled parish to one brimming with the faith and was made its parochial vicar as a result of his good work and effort in the Bolognese parish.

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1 John 1:9

Verse:

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” - 1 John 1:9

A Prayer For Forgiveness

Father God, I kneel before You knowing that I have sinned against You in so many different ways. In what I have said and done, as well as in the dirty thoughts that flood through my mind. I know that I am a sinner and as such, I was the cause of the Lord Jesus being crucified on the cruel cross to take the punishment that I justly deserve, to pay that price for my sins. Lord, I know that I am unworthy to come before You, but I ask Your forgiveness of all my sins, for the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ Who died for me at Calvary.

Wash me I pray, in the purifying blood of Jesus. Cleanse me from all my sins. Fill my heart with righteous thoughts and clean desires, for I no longer want to wallow in the cesspit of sin that has for so long separated me from You. Thank You, Lord, that You have promised that all who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour will have their sins forgiven forever. Praise You Lord, for Your grace and mercy on me, a sinner saved by grace. In Jesus' name I pray,

Amen.

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Saint Amalberga

Saint Amalberga, also referred to as Amalberga of Maubeuge, was a Merovingian nun in the 7th century.

The biography of Amalberga of Maubeuge is probably written by Abbott Hugo of Lobbes (1033–1063) between 1033 and 1048. Apart from a few Merovingian details, her genealogy was copied from another 11th-century hagiography, namely the Martyr story of Catherine of Alexandria.

Saint Amalberga was born in Brabant. Her father was Saint Geremarus and is said to be the niece of Pippin of Landen. She married the Duke Witger of Lotharingia and bore 5 children. It is said that all her children became saints: Emebert, Reineldis, Pharaildis, Ermelindis and Gudula.

After the birth of Gudula, their youngest child, Witger decided to become a Benedictine in Lobbes. Saint Amalberga, on the other hand, joined the Benedictine nuns of Maubeuge.

Saint Amalberga’s feast day is celebrated on July 10 and should not be confused with another saint, virgin Amalberga of Temse who died in 772.

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13th Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading: 2 Kgs 4:8-11, 14-16a

One day Elisha came to Shunem,
where there was a woman of influence, who urged him to dine with her.
Afterward, whenever he passed by, he used to stop there to dine.
So she said to her husband, "I know that Elisha is a holy man of God.
Since he visits us often, let us arrange a little room on the roof
and furnish it for him with a bed, table, chair, and lamp,
so that when he comes to us he can stay there."
Sometime later Elisha arrived and stayed in the room overnight.

Later Elisha asked, "Can something be done for her?"
His servant Gehazi answered, "Yes!
She has no son, and her husband is getting on in years."
Elisha said, "Call her."
When the woman had been called and stood at the door,
Elisha promised, "This time next year
you will be fondling a baby son."

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 89:2-3, 16-17,18-19

Response– For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord

The promises of the LORD I will sing forever,
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness.
For you have said, "My kindness is established forever;"
in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.
R– For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord

Blessed the people who know the joyful shout;
in the light of your countenance, O LORD, they walk.
At your name they rejoice all the day,
and through your justice they are exalted.
R– For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord

You are the splendor of their strength,
and by your favor our horn is exalted.
For to the LORD belongs our shield,
and to the Holy One of Israel, our king.
R– For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord

Second Reading: Romans 6:3-4, 8-11

Brothers and sisters:
Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus
were baptized into his death?
We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death,
so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead
by the glory of the Father,
we too might live in newness of life.

If, then, we have died with Christ,
we believe that we shall also live with him.
We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more;
death no longer has power over him.
As to his death, he died to sin once and for all;
as to his life, he lives for God.
Consequently, you too must think of yourselves as dead to sin
and living for God in Christ Jesus.

Alleluia:

Alleluia, alleluia. You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation;
announce the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel: Matthew 10:37-42

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew

Jesus said to his apostles:
"Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,
and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
and whoever does not take up his cross
and follow after me is not worthy of me.
Whoever finds his life will lose it,
and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

"Whoever receives you receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet
will receive a prophet's reward,
and whoever receives a righteous man
because he is a righteous man
will receive a righteous man's reward.
And whoever gives only a cup of cold water
to one of these little ones to drink
because the little one is a disciple—
amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward."

The Readings and Gospel were sourced from:

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Saint Bernardino Realino

Saints Bernardino Realino was an Italian Roman Catholic priest and a professed member of the Jesuits. He was born in Carpi on 1 December 1530 to nobles.

He first attended school at Modena. Realino began his studies in philosophy and medicine in Bologna but altered this midcourse to law. In 1556, he graduated with a doctorate in law. Through his family’s influence, he was appointed as the podestà of both the Cassine and Felizzano cities – he served as a judge in Felizzano. He was viewed as honest and became the praetor of Castelleone. He also became noted in these places for his legal brilliance and learning. He entered the service of Francesco Ferdinando d’Avalos and moved to Naples to act as the superintendent of the fiefs of the Marquis.

In 1564, he joined the Jesuits and began his period of the novitiate. In 1567, he was ordained to the priesthood. He was later sent to found a Jesuit house and college in Lecce in 1574. In 1583, he began a movement for diocesan priests to foster their virtues and to improve their moral-theological education to make them better confessors and preachers. Saints Bernardino Realino spent most of his life going from place to place preaching parish missions. He taught catechism and visited slaves on the galleys in the harbour at Naples.

In 1610, he suffered a fall and sustained two wounds that never healed. Not long before his death blood was taken from one leg wound and placed in glass vials; his health took a sharp decline in June 1616.

He is often dubbed as the “Apostle of Lecce” for his commitment to the poor and for his preaching abilities.

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