Author name: sanjose

Saint John the Evangelist

It is God who calls; human beings answer. The vocation of John and his brother James is stated very simply in the Gospels, along with that of Peter and his brother Andrew: Jesus called them; they followed. The absoluteness of their response is indicated by the account. James and John “were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him” (Matthew 4:21b-22).

For the three former fishermen—Peter, James and John—that faith was to be rewarded by a special friendship with Jesus. They alone were privileged to be present at the Transfiguration, the raising of the daughter of Jairus and the agony in Gethsemane. But John’s friendship was even more special. Tradition assigns to him the Fourth Gospel, although most modern Scripture scholars think it unlikely that the apostle and the evangelist are the same person.
John’s own Gospel refers to him as “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (see John 13:23; 19:26; 20:2), the one who reclined next to Jesus at the Last Supper, and the one to whom Jesus gave the exquisite honor of caring for his mother, as John stood beneath the cross. “Woman, behold your son…. Behold, your mother” (John 19:26b, 27b).
Because of the depth of his Gospel, John is usually thought of as the eagle of theology, soaring in high regions that other writers did not enter. But the ever-frank Gospels reveal some very human traits. Jesus gave James and John the nickname, “sons of thunder.” John was with Peter when the first great miracle after the Resurrection took place—the cure of the man crippled from birth—which led to their spending the night in jail together. The mysterious experience of the Resurrection is perhaps best contained in the words of Acts: “Observing the boldness of Peter and John and perceiving them to be uneducated, ordinary men, they [the questioners] were amazed, and they recognized them as the companions of Jesus” (Acts 4:13).
The Apostle John is traditionally considered the author also of three New Testament letters and the Book of Revelation. His Gospel is a very personal account. He sees the glorious and divine Jesus already in the incidents of his mortal life. At the Last Supper, John’s Jesus speaks as if he were already in heaven. John’s is the Gospel of Jesus’ glory.

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Romans 10:10

Verse:

“For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” - Romans 10:10

Prayer Against Unbelief

Jesus, my Savior, You came down to earth to save me and told me to have faith in You. You said that with faith I can even say to the mountain, “Go, throw yourself into the sea,” and it will be done. My mind knows that if I believe, trust and have faith in You, I will receive whatever I ask for in Your holy name. I believe in You, Jesus. I believe that You are Lord. You are the God Most High. You are the Creator of Heaven and Earth. Erase my doubt, Jesus. Take it all away. Help my unbelief. I deliver myself into Your righteous hands. Amen.

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Saint Noel Chabanel

Saint Noel Chabanel was a Jesuit missionary and one of the Canadian martyrs.

Chabanel entered the Jesuit novitiate at Toulouse at the age of seventeen, and was a professor of rhetoric at several Jesuit colleges. He was highly esteemed for virtue and learning. In 1643, he was sent to New France along with Fathers Leonard Garreau and Gabriel Druillettes. Although he studied the Algonquin language for a time, he never made much headway.He was appointed to the mission at Sainte-Marie. In his apostolic labours he was the companion of Fr. Charles Garnier.

As he felt a strong repugnance to the life and habits of the Huron, and feared it might result in him withdrawing from the work, he bound himself by vow never to leave the mission except under obedience. Chabanel was sent to help Charles Garnier among the Petun. One month later, Brébeuf and Lalemant were captured in an Iroquois raid on the St. Louis mission and taken to the nearby mission off St. Ignace where they were killed.

After the deaths of Brébeuf and Lalement, the Jesuits decided to abandon Sainte-Marie among the Hurons and burned the mission rather than risk it being desecrated or taken over by Iroquois. In early December 1649, Chabanel was directed to go to St. Joseph Island.

Chabanel was martyred on December 8, 1649, by what is described as a “renegade” Huron.

Sources:

https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=795
Pouliot, Léon (1979) [1966]. "Chabanel, Noël". In Brown, George Williams (ed.). Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Vol. I (1000–1700) (online ed.). University of Toronto Press.
Campbell, T.J., Pioneer priests of North America, 1642-1710, Vol. 2, Fordham University Press, 1910, p. 367
Spillane, Edward (1908). "Noel Chabanel". In Herbermann, Charles (ed.). Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 3. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved 6 February 2014.

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Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord: Christmas

Liturgy of the Word

First Reading: Is 52:7-10

How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of him who brings glad tidings,
announcing peace, bearing good news,
announcing salvation, and saying to Zion,
“Your God is King!”
Hark! Your sentinels raise a cry,
together they shout for joy,
for they see directly, before their eyes,
the LORD restoring Zion.
Break out together in song,
O ruins of Jerusalem!
For the LORD comforts his people,
He redeems Jerusalem.
The LORD has bared his holy arm
in the sight of all the nations;
all the ends of the earth will behold
the salvation of our God.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 98:1, 2-3, 3-4,5-6

Response– All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
his right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R– All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R– All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R– All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

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– All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

Second Reading: Heb 1:1-6

Brothers and sisters:
In times past, God spoke in partial and various ways
to our ancestors through the prophets;
in these last days, he has spoken to us through the Son,
whom he made heir of all things
and through whom he created the universe,
who is the refulgence of his glory,
the very imprint of his being,
and who sustains all things by his mighty word.
When he had accomplished purification from sins,
he took his seat at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
as far superior to the angels
as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
For to which of the angels did God ever say:
You are my son; this day I have begotten you?

Alleluia:

Alleluia, alleluia. A holy day has dawned upon us. Come, you nations, and adore the Lord. For today a great light has come upon the earth. Alleluia, alleluia!

Gospel: John 1: 1-18

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John

In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things came to be through him,
and without him nothing came to be.
What came to be through him was life,
and this life was the light of the human race;
the light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it.
A man named John was sent from God.
He came for testimony, to testify to the light,
so that all might believe through him.
He was not the light,
but came to testify to the light.
The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
He was in the world,
and the world came to be through him,
but the world did not know him.
He came to what was his own,
but his own people did not accept him.
But to those who did accept him
he gave power to become children of God,
to those who believe in his name,
who were born not by natural generation
nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision
but of God.
And the Word became flesh
and made his dwelling among us,
and we saw his glory,
the glory as of the Father’s only Son,
full of grace and truth.
John testified to him and cried out, saying,
“This was he of whom I said,
‘The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me
because he existed before me.’”
From his fullness we have all received,
grace in place of grace,
because while the law was given through Moses,
grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
No one has ever seen God.
The only Son, God, who is at the Father’s side,
has revealed him.

The Readings and Gospel were sourced from:

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1 Peter 5:6

Verse:

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.” - 1 Peter 5:6

Episcopal Prayer

O God of peace, who hast taught us that in returning and rest we shall be saved, in quietness and confidence shall be our strength: By the might of thy Spirit lift us, we pray thee, to thy presence, where we may be still and know that thou art God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Saint Eugenia

Saint Eugenia, also known as Eugenia of Rome, was an early Christian Roman martyr.

Her legend states that she was converted by and martyred with Protus and Hyacinth, her Chamberlains, during the persecution of Valerian. She was said to have been the daughter of Philip, “duke” of Alexandria and governor of Egypt. She had fled her father’s house dressed in men’s clothing and was baptized by Helenus, bishop of Heliopolis. She later became an abbot, still pretending to be a man. As the story goes, while she was an abbot and still dressing like a man, she cured a woman of an illness, and when the woman made sexual advances, which she rebuffed, the woman accused her publicly of adultery. She was taken to court, where, still disguised, she faced her father as the judge. At the trial, her real female identity was revealed and she was exonerated.

Her father converted to the faith and became Bishop of Alexandria but the emperor had him executed for this. Eugenia and her remaining household moved to Rome where she converted many, especially maidens, but this did not prevent their martyrdom. Protus and Hyacinth were beheaded on September 11, 258, and Eugenia followed suit after Christ appeared to her in a dream and told her that she would die on the Feast of the Nativity. She was beheaded on December 25, 258.

Sources:

Commemoration of the Virgin Eugine, her father - Philippus, her mother Klothia and her two servants". Araratian Patriarchal Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
Patrick J. Geary, Furta Sacra: Thefts of Relics in the Central Middle Ages (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1990), 48.

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Psalm 82:3

Verse:

“Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.” - Psalm 82:3

Prayer For Victims of Injustice

I pray for the lost, the hurting, the lonely, the sick, the bereaved, and those who are imprisoned—behind both visible and invisible walls. Send your comfort, your peace, and your calming presence to those who are without hope. Protect the defenseless, and hold them close to your heart. I pray for laborers to tell the good news of Jesus to people around our world. Jesus, my heart cries out for persecuted believers, too. Make them brave, and give them your powerful protection. I pray you will bring swift justice to those who want to destroy the innocent and those who carry your name. Bind the power of Satan, and strengthen believers everywhere. Amen

Sources:

Original version of the prayer: https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/prayer/prayers-for-justice-in-the-midst-of-injustice.html (By Rebecca Barlow Jordan)

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Saint Tarsilla

Saint Tarsilla was one of the aunts of Gregory the Great. She is one of the venerated virgin saints of the sixth century.

Saint Tarsilla came from a noble family in ancient Rome. Her brother, Gordian, was a senator and was a very rich patrician. Saint Tarsilla and her two other sisters devoted themselves to a religious life and led a life of virginity, fasting, and prayer. They practiced their faith in their father’s house, located on the Clivus Scauri in Rome. Although one of the sisters later abandoned this calling and is thus not venerated as a saint.

Tradition states that Felix III, an ancestor, appeared to Trasilla and bade her to enter Heaven, and on the eve of Christmas Trasilla died, seeing Jesus Christ beckoning.The legend also states that Trasilla a few days later appeared to Emiliana, inviting her to celebrate Epiphany in heaven.

Sources:

https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=1912
The Saints Tarsilla and Emiliana of Rome", Diocese of Oslo
Mershman, Francis. "Sts. Trasilla and Emiliana." The Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 15. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 29 May 2016

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1 Chronicles 29:11

Verse:

“Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.” - 1 Chronicles 29:11

Prayer Of Exaltation

My heart is filled with adoration When I lift my eyes to you. For you are Lord of all creation, You make all things new.My mind is filled with inspiration When I open my eyes anew. For you are hope and love outspoken, Your words are full of truth. My life is full of aspiration When I see through eyes that weep. For you are Lord of the grand and broken, May I be your hands and feet.

Sources:

Original version of the prayer: https://www.lords-prayer-words.com/prayers_before/prayer_of_praise.html (a contemporary prayer of praise from www.lords-prayer-words.com)

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Saint John Cantius

Saint John Cantius was born in Kęty, a small town near Oświęcim, Poland, to Anna and Stanisław Kanty. He attended the Kraków Academy at which he attained bachelor, and licentiate. In 1418 he became a Doctor of Philosophy. Upon graduation he spent the next three years conducting philosophy classes at the university, while preparing for the priesthood.

Upon his ordination, he became rector at the school of the Canons Regular of the Most Holy Sepulcher in Miechow. While there, he was offered a professorship of Sacra Scriptura (Holy Scripture) back at his alma mater, the Kraków Academy. He obtained a doctorate in theology and eventually became director of the theology department. He held the professorship until his death in 1473. Cantius spent many hours copying manuscripts of the Holy Scriptures, theological tracts, and other scholarly works.

During his time in Kraków, Cantius became well known in the city for his generosity and compassion toward the poor, especially needy students at the university. He subsisted on what was strictly necessary to sustain his life, giving alms regularly to the poor. He made one pilgrimage to Jerusalem and four pilgrimages on foot to Rome. He died while living in retirement at his alma mater on 24 December 1473, aged 83.

Sources:

The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company
St. John Kanty", Catholic Faith Community of Saint John Cantius, St. Cloud, Minnesota
Patron Saints Index: "Saint John Cantius" Archived 2008-10-18 at the Wayback Machine
Calendarium Romanum (Libreria Editrice 1969), p. 111

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