Daily Saints

Saint John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor

c. 347–407; Patron Saint of preachers, orators, lecturers, and public speakers; Invoked against epilepsy; Pre-Congregation canonization

Saint John Chrysostom was born as John of Antioch. “Chrysostom” is a title attributed to him, meaning “Golden Mouth,” an honorific Greek title emphasizing the power of his preaching and writings. He was born in Antioch, modern-day Turkey, to Christian parents. His father was a high-ranking military officer who died shortly after John’s birth. John’s twenty-year-old widowed mother opted not to remarry, choosing instead to devote herself entirely to raising her son and John’s older sister.

Antioch was an important city within the Roman Empire at that time. It was one of the first cities outside of Jerusalem where the Christian Church was established. The Acts of the Apostles tells us that shortly after Christians began preaching in Antioch, Saints Paul and Barnabas arrived and strengthened the Church. Tradition holds that Saint Peter was the first bishop of Antioch before traveling to Rome. The Bible also states that “it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians” (Acts 11:26).

By the time of John’s birth, Christianity had been legalized in the Roman Empire. Although there were many Christians in Antioch, it remained a diverse city with various religious beliefs, including Greek paganism, which significantly influenced its learning and culture. There were also Roman, Syrian, and Jewish populations and influences. The city boasted beautiful temples, theaters, an aqueduct, and a marvelous central street adorned with marble and colonnades.

As a youth, John received a comprehensive Greek education in the classics under Libanius, a pagan rhetorician who was one of the most famous teachers of his time. John studied Greek literature and philosophers, such as Plato and Aristotle, among others. Libanius, firmly rooted in Greco-Roman pagan religion and culture, later said that John would have been one of the greatest pagan orators and philosophers of the time, “if the Christians had not taken him from us.”

Around the age of twenty, John met Bishop Meletius, a man of stellar character and intelligence, and a powerful preacher. Over the next three years, John abandoned his pagan studies and began devoting himself to the study of Scripture, the ascetic life, and prayer. He was baptized, became a lector, and underwent a profound conversion. Feeling drawn to a life of greater solitude and prayer, he became a hermit, living in a cave near Antioch, where he embraced extreme fasting and other ascetic practices, and studied the Bible continuously—allegedly memorizing most of it—for several years. After about eight years as a hermit, John’s health was compromised from extreme fasting and penance, and he returned to Antioch to recover.

In Antioch, around the year 381, when John was about thirty-three years old, he was ordained a deacon. His years of prayer, Scripture study, and penance prepared him well for this time of more public service in the Church. About five years later, he was ordained a priest and spent around eleven years in Antioch in a very fruitful ministry. During this period, he wrote most of his sermons and commentaries, many of which still exist. His writings—containing profound works of dogmatic, moral, and historical teachings from the early Church—reveal a deep understanding of the Sacred Scripture. They are practical, relevant, and bold, never shying away from condemning prevalent sins, while being deeply pastoral in nature. He became well known and highly influential, his fame extending beyond Antioch.

At that time, Bishop Flavian was Bishop of Antioch. Many presumed that Father John would be his successor. However, in 397, the Archbishop of Constantinople died, and soon after, the Roman Emperor—to avoid causing an uproar in Antioch—secretly sent for Father John, appointing him as the archbishop’s successor. He was ordained as Archbishop of Constantinople by the Patriarch of Alexandria in the presence of many other bishops and prominent churchmen.

Constantinople was the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire and the most important archbishopric in the East. Archbishop John’s powerful position brought with it much wealth, prestige, and power. However, he immediately eliminated many of the extravagances that were commonplace, lived in simplicity, cared for the poor, railed against sin, rooted out abuses among the clergy, and continued his fiery preaching. As the Roman Empire had only recently become Christian, much of the pagan culture and lifestyles remained. The new archbishop sought to create a new civilization and culture based on Scripture. His sermons offered clear moral and spiritual guidance on how to live and what society as a whole should embrace. He especially preached against the materialism and extravagances of the imperial court. He quickly gained the respect of many citizens but also made enemies who felt he was too strict and took offense to him. This was especially true of those living luxurious and immoral lives, including Empress Eudoxia.

In the year 403, through the schemes of the empress, Archbishop John was falsely accused of heresy and cruelty to the empress, deposed, and exiled. However, due to a sudden natural disaster that damaged the imperial palace, along with a revolt among the people, he was recalled for fear of God’s wrath. Before long, however, he was exiled again because he refused to abandon his fearless preaching. While in exile, he remained hopeful he would return and regularly wrote to his people. The pope and the Western Roman Emperor tried to intervene, but to no avail. After three years in exile, he was ordered to be taken to the edge of the Roman Empire where he would be even more isolated. Due to harsh conditions on the journey and the cruelty of the soldiers that exacerbated his already poor health, he died en route.

Saint John Chrysostom was a convert, a holy deacon, an influential priest, an exceptionally consequential archbishop, and a prolific writer. This latter quality ultimately earned him the distinction of being a Doctor of the Church. In addition to his pastoral work, he left behind about 700 sermons, hundreds of letters, commentaries on Scripture, theological treatises—including important teachings on the Eucharist and priesthood—and other writings that remain influential today.

As we honor this “golden-mouth” preacher and teacher of the faith, ponder your own need for clear, relevant, and convincing teachers of the faith. As you do, reflect upon ways that you can better expose yourself to the wealth of catechetical insights within our Church to help you grow in your own faith. By actively seeking out good teachers, preachers, and writings, we allow God to form us and draw us closer to Himself.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/september-13st-john-chrysostom/

Saint John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor Read More »

Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Daily Saints

The Battle of Lepanto on October 7, 1571 was a pivotal naval conflict where the Holy League—a coalition of various Catholic maritime states—successfully defeated the Ottoman fleet. To give thanks for this victory, Pope Pius V instituted the feast of Our Lady of Victory, later known as the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.

Just over a century later, another critical battle took place. On September 12, 1683, the Battle of Vienna was fought. The Christian forces of the Holy Roman Empire and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, under the command of Poland’s King John III Sobieski, were victorious against the significantly larger Ottoman Empire’s forces. Prior to this battle, King John III Sobieski had entrusted his troops to the Blessed Virgin Mary, visiting the Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa. The victory was attributed to her intercession, and in gratitude, Pope Innocent XI instituted the feast of the Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the universal calendar of the Church the following year, 1684.

Of course, reverence for the Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary did not begin in 1684. Prior to that, this feast was celebrated in various localities throughout the Church at various times. Reverence for the name of Mary, however, goes back much further. The Council of Ephesus in 431 taught that the Blessed Virgin Mary was properly called the “Mother of God,” or “God-Bearer” (Theotokos). By the sixth century, the angelic greeting in Luke 1:28 was commonly used as a prayer, “Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you!” By the fourteenth century, the second part of the Hail Mary prayer was often used in conjunction, “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.” In the sixteenth century, the Council of Trent, in its catechism, formally recommended this entire prayer, as we have it today, to the faithful.

It’s also providential to note that the date of September 12 falls shortly after we celebrate the Feast of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary on September 8. When the Romans ruled Palestine, it was customary that newborn daughters were given their names at birth, or shortly afterwards. Thus, the Church celebrates Mary’s naming day four days after the celebration of her birth. Firstborn male children were traditionally named and circumcised in the Temple on the eighth day after their birth. Hence, we celebrate the Memorial of the Holy Name of Jesus on January 3, shortly after the completion of the Octave of Christmas on January 1. Mary and Jesus are the only two Who have liturgical celebrations honoring their names.

Names bring with them much significance and meaning. When addressing someone formally and directly, it is common to first state their name. A name uniquely identifies and dignifies the person. For this reason, in praying to our Lord it is common practice to call on His name, “Jesus!” So also with Mary. Calling on her by name is a way of seeking her prayers in a personal and intimate way. Hence, the names of Jesus and Mary should be seen and understood as being powerful, compelling us to call upon them personally, with trust in Who they are.

As we honor the Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary today, reflect upon the depth of trust you have in her motherly intercession. Kings and armies called upon her for protection and victory. Sinners have sought her motherly help to overcome their weaknesses. Saints have entrusted themselves to her, knowing that she would elevate them and present them to her divine Son. Popes have sung her praises. Church councils have taught definitively about her role in salvation history. All who call upon her should have certainty that their prayers will be heard. Turn to her today, entrust yourself to her intercession, and have confidence that her prayers will win for you an abundance of grace and mercy from her Son.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/september-12—the-holy-name-of-mary/

Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary Read More »

Saint Jean-Gabriel Perboyre

Daily Saints

Profile

Jean-Gabriel was one of eight children born to Pierre Perboyre and Marie Rigal. At age 16, he followed his brother Louis to the seminary, and joined the Congregation of the Mission of Saint Vincent on Christmas Day 1818. He was ordained in Paris on 23 September 1825. He was a professor of theology, seminary rector, and assistant director of novices.

His brother died on a mission to China, and Jean-Gabriel was asked to replace him. In March 1835, he sailed for China, and began his mission in Macao in June 1836. A widespread persecution of Christians began in 1839, the same year England had attacked China. Father Jean-Gabriel was denounced to the authorities by one of his catechumens. He was arrested and tried on 16 September 1839. He was tortured by hanging by his thumbs and flogging with bamboo rods, and condemned to death on 11 September 1840. He was a martyr and the first saint associated with China.

Born

6 January 1802 at Le Puech, near Mongesty, Cahors diocese, southern France

Died

lashed to a cross on a hill named the “red mountain”, then strangled with a rope on 11 September 1840 at Ou-Tchang-Fou, China

Beatified

10 November 1889 by Pope Leo XIII

Canonized

2 June 1996 by Pope John Paul II

Source: https://catholicsaints.info/saint-jean-gabriel-perboyre/

Saint Jean-Gabriel Perboyre Read More »

Saint Ambrose Edward Barlow

Daily Saints

Profile

Ambrose was the fourth son of Sir Alexander Barlow and Mary Brereton. A baptized Catholic on 30 November 1585, he was raised as a Protestant, but as an adult he returned to Catholicism. He was educated at the College of Saint Gregory, Douai, France, and the Royal College of Saint Alban in Valladolid, Spain. He became a Benedictine in 1616 and ordained in 1617 in Douai. He returned to England to minister to covert Catholics in south Lancashire for 24 years. Unlike many of his brother priests, Ambrose was very open about his work, and was arrested several times. On 25 April 1631, just as he ended Easter Sunday Mass at Morley Hall near Manchester, England, he was arrested by an armed mob led by the local Anglican vicar. He was charged with the crime of being a priest, and freely admitted it. He was one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales.

Born

1585 in Barlow Hall, England

Died

hanged, drawn, and quartered on Friday 10 September 1641 at Lancaster, Lancashire, England
skull preserved as a relic at Wardley Hall, sometimes known as the House of the Skull, near Manchester, England
his hand is preserved at Stanbrook Abbey, Worcester, England

Venerated

8 December 1929 by Pope Pius XI (decree of martyrdom)

Beatified

15 December 1929 by Pope Pius XI

Canonized

25 October 1970 by Pope Paul VI

Source: https://catholicsaints.info/saint-ambrose-edward-barlow/

Saint Ambrose Edward Barlow Read More »

Saint Peter Claver, Priest

Daily Saints

1581–1654; Patron Saint of African missions, African-Americans, black missions, black people, foreign missions, interracial justice, slaves, and Colombia; Invoked against slavery; Canonized by Pope Leo XIII on January 15, 1888

Saint Peter Claver was born to devout, upper-class parents in Verdú, Catalonia, Spain, a small farming village. Not much is known about his early years. At twenty years old, he entered the Jesuit novitiate and was sent to study at the Jesuit college of Montesión on the island of Mallorca, off the coast of Spain. There, he met Brother Alphonsus Rodriguez, the seventy-year-old doorkeeper of the college. Known for his humility, piety, and spiritual insight, Brother Rodriguez served as the college’s doorkeeper for forty-six years. He carried out menial tasks, delivered messages, welcomed guests, and offered a compassionate ear to all who came to the door with needs. Peter sought his advice and their friendship blossomed. Encouraged by Brother Rodriguez, Peter decided to become a missionary in the Spanish colonies in South America. In 1610, he set sail for Cartagena, Colombia.

The Spanish port city of Cartagena, in present-day Colombia, was founded in 1533, over seventy years before Peter Claver arrived. After the establishment of Cartagena and other colonies, the Spanish Crown began granting licenses for the importation of African slaves to meet labor demands. Cartagena quickly became a major hub in the transatlantic slave trade due to its strategic location. By the time Father Claver was ordained, it is estimated that about 10,000 slaves were being transported annually on Spanish ships to Cartagena and subsequently sold.

The conditions the slaves endured on the ships were horrific, leading to the death from disease and malnutrition of an estimated one-third of them during the journey. The Spanish turned to African slaves in part because many of the indigenous people in their colonies had died of diseases brought by the Europeans, to which the indigenous populations had no immunity. When the number of indigenous people dropped, the colonizers looked elsewhere for laborers. With contact already established between Europeans and Africans—including slavery—the Spanish believed that the Africans were more resistant to European diseases and better able to survive the harsh conditions of forced labor. Despite outcries against these abuses from the Church, including from popes, the cruel behavior continued.

After arriving in Cartagena, Peter spent about six years studying in Tunja and Bogotá. He was then ordained a priest in Cartagena, where he committed himself to serving the African slaves for the rest of his life. Though there were other priests in Cartagena, most of them ministered to the colonizers. Father Peter chose to make the slaves his congregation and their salvation his mission. When he made his final profession, Father Claver signed it with these words: “Peter Claver, slave of the slaves, forever.”

During his thirty-eight years as an ordained priest in Cartagena, it is conservatively estimated that Father Claver catechized and baptized over 300,000 slaves. His practice was to wait at the port for a new slave ship to arrive. Each ship often contained as many as 500 slaves who had endured conditions unsuitable for animals for the two-to-three-month journey. They were poorly fed once a day, chained naked to each other, abused, threatened, and forced to sit in their own excrement and vomit. Often, the flesh on their wrists bled and became infected from the metal shackles that held them as the ship tossed in the waves.

Once the ship arrived, Father Claver went door-to-door begging for food for his new flock. He then brought his small band of African interpreters and charitable workers, entered the foul-smelling hull of the ship where he found many dead and others lifeless, filled with fear, and in need of medical treatment and compassion. As a sign of his love for them, he often kissed their sores, sucked out the infectious pus, and washed the wounds with his own handkerchiefs. He would baptize any babies, provide food to the hungry, and demonstrate a depth of compassion that many had never seen. He then helped transport the slaves to a new location, carrying those who could not walk, where they could be well fed and regain their strength before being sold.

Father Claver’s approach to this horrific problem was unique. His primary concern was the salvation of souls. He did not stir up self-pity for their dreadful plight, nor incite the slaves against their oppressors, although he often chastised the oppressors directly, calling them to repentance for their cruelty. Instead, he preached the Gospel to the slaves in ways they could understand, in ways that would benefit them for eternity. He helped them see their innate dignity and restored that dignity, not by railing against the abuses they endured, but by railing against sin and helping the slaves find freedom in Christ. He told them they were sinners in need of repentance and that there was a loving God who died for their sins and wanted to forgive them and fill them with joy. He held up the crucifix, revealing the God Who suffered for them, showing them the way to Heaven and how to avoid hell. As they listened, learned, believed, and converted, they were baptized. The moment of baptism was often a moment of profound tears and rejoicing for these slaves. Though physically bound and abused, they found they were freer than ever before because of the grace that flooded their souls upon repenting, professing faith in Christ, and being baptized.

When Peter learned that the next ship would not be arriving for months, he set off to travel the countryside to meet up with those he had baptized. Upon arriving on a plantation, he avoided spending time with the owners and spent all his time with the slaves, even sleeping and eating in the slaves’ quarters. He gave them further instruction in the Catholic faith, taught them to pray, and offered them hope any way he could. At times, when the converted slaves returned to sinful habits, Father Claver seemed to arrive out of nowhere, chastising them with love and calling them to repentance, thus restoring their Christian dignity.

After more than forty years of dedicated and heartfelt ministry to the slaves, Father Claver himself fell ill. He spent his final days enduring mistreatment from one of his caregivers, who was also a slave. Far from complaining, Father Claver accepted this treatment, uniting it with the suffering of Christ on the Cross. He saw it as a form of penance for any remaining sins of his own and a way to deepen his communion with those he had devoted his life to serving.

“No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). Saint Peter Claver indeed devoted his life to the slaves. He campaigned for better treatment for them and admonished their abusers, yet he discovered that his most significant act of love was to assist these children of God in becoming sons and daughters of God by grace. By instilling faith in them, he offered them hope. With hope, they cultivated charity, and by growing in charity, they found joy and fulfillment amid their terrible human conditions.

As we pay homage to this “slave of the slaves,” consider your own life priorities. Fighting injustice is not only noble but an essential work of mercy. However, working for the salvation of souls is the greatest act of mercy we can perform. Reflect on any ways you might endure injustice and draw inspiration, not only from Saint Peter Claver but also from the slaves who, despite suffering cruel treatment, dedicated their lives to Christ and found joy in Him alone. They teach us that no circumstance in this world can rob us of our dignity and joy if we surrender our lives to Christ and let His loving mercy encompass us.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/september-9-saint-peter-claver/

Saint Peter Claver, Priest Read More »

Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Daily Saints

First Reading Isaiah 35:4-7a

Thus says the LORD:
Say to those whose hearts are frightened:
Be strong, fear not!
Here is your God,
he comes with vindication;
with divine recompense
he comes to save you.
Then will the eyes of the blind be opened,
the ears of the deaf be cleared;
then will the lame leap like a stag,
then the tongue of the mute will sing.
Streams will burst forth in the desert,
and rivers in the steppe.
The burning sands will become pools,
and the thirsty ground, springs of water.

Responsorial Psalm Psalms 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10

R. (1b) Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.

The God of Jacob keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets captives free.

R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.

The LORD gives sight to the blind;
the LORD raises up those who were bowed down.
The LORD loves the just;
the LORD protects strangers.

R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.

The fatherless and the widow the LORD sustains,
but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
The LORD shall reign forever;
your God, O Zion, through all generations.
Alleluia.

R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.

Second Reading James 2:1-5

My brothers and sisters, show no partiality
as you adhere to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ.
For if a man with gold rings and fine clothes
comes into your assembly,
and a poor person in shabby clothes also comes in,
and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes
and say, “Sit here, please, ”
while you say to the poor one, “Stand there, ” or “Sit at my feet, ”
have you not made distinctions among yourselves
and become judges with evil designs?

Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters.
Did not God choose those who are poor in the world
to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom
that he promised to those who love him?

Alleluia Cf. Matthew 4:23

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Jesus proclaimed the Gospel of the kingdom
and cured every disease among the people.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mark 7:31-37

Again Jesus left the district of Tyre
and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee,
into the district of the Decapolis.
And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment
and begged him to lay his hand on him.
He took him off by himself away from the crowd.
He put his finger into the man’s ears
and, spitting, touched his tongue;
then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him,
“Ephphatha!”— that is, “Be opened!” —
And immediately the man’s ears were opened,
his speech impediment was removed,
and he spoke plainly.
He ordered them not to tell anyone.
But the more he ordered them not to,
the more they proclaimed it.
They were exceedingly astonished and they said,
“He has done all things well.
He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

Source: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/090824.cfm

Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time Read More »

The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Catholic Special Day, Daily Saints

c. 15 BC; Patron Saint of chefs, cooks, distillers, drapers, fish dealers, goldsmiths, silversmiths, needlemakers, potters, restaurateurs, silkworkers, and tilemakers

On December 8, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. That solemnity highlights the singular grace bestowed upon the Blessed Virgin Mary at the moment she was conceived. The Church dogma states, “…in the first instance of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin, is a doctrine revealed by God and therefore to be believed firmly and constantly by all the faithful” (Pope Pius IX, 1954).

Today’s Feast of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated exactly nine months after the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, just as Christmas is celebrated nine months after the Church remembers the Incarnation of the Son of God on the Solemnity of the Annunciation. The birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary is one of three liturgical feasts in which we celebrate a birth: Christmas, the Birth of Saint John the Baptist, and the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Only the three most consequential figures in the Bible receive the honor of a liturgical celebration to commemorate their births.

Nothing is known for certain about the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary or of her upbringing, since the Bible only introduces the Mother of God to us for the first time during the Annunciation. However, an early second-century apocryphal text called the Protoevangelium of James (The Gospel of James), paints a detailed picture of her conception, birth, early years, and betrothal to Saint Joseph. Though the account is not part of the canon of Scripture, it has been a source of reflection throughout the centuries and is the source of the traditional names of the Blessed Mother’s parents, Joachim and Anne.

The actual feast we celebrate today is believed to have been first celebrated in the fifth or sixth century in the East and was tied to the dedication of a Byzantine church near the Pools of Bethesda in the Old City of Jerusalem. The church was built over what was believed to be the birthplace of Mary and the home of Joachim and Anne, just a short distance from the Temple. In the twelfth century, the current Basilica of Saint Anne was built on the same site. Beneath the basilica lie what are believed to be the caves in which the Mother of God was born and lived.

Regardless of whether the apocryphal Gospel of James presents accurate historical truths regarding the conception, birth, and early life of the Blessed Virgin Mary, it is not difficult to prayerfully ponder the importance of her birth and childhood. Saint Andrew of Crete beautifully relates that on this day, the “Creator of the world constructed His temple…” Mary is that temple, that Arc of the New Covenant, the tabernacle and first dwelling place of God Incarnate. Her soul was born pure, spotless, and holy. As she grew, she manifested every virtue perfectly. All who knew her as a child would have been deeply impressed by her sanctity.

Birthdays celebrate people. They are occasions to rejoice in and honor the whole life of that person. The other memorials, feasts, and solemnities of the liturgical year honor various specific aspects of Mary’s life. Today’s feast honors her whole life, her personhood, and the gift of who she was and is.

As we celebrate the birthday of the Mother of God, spend time pondering her soul. Though much of her earthly life has remained hidden from our eyes, she is the greatest saint to ever live and the holiest daughter of God this world has ever known. In Heaven, we will be in awe of her virtues and will forever rejoice in the great things God did in and through her. Begin that rejoicing today by prayerfully honoring her and pondering her, seeking her prayer for your life and for the whole world.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/september-8the-nativity-of-the-blessed-virgin/

The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Read More »

Saint Regina

Daily Saints

Profile

Regina was a daughter of a pagan aristocrat named Clement. A convert to Christianity, she was driven from her family’s home because of her faith, and lived as a poor, prayerful shepherdess. She was imprisoned, tortured and martyred when she refused an arranged marriage to the Roman proconsul Olybrius.

Died

throat cut c.286 at Autun, (in modern France)

Canonized

Pre-Congregation
venerated at Autun, France from soon after her death

Patronage

poor people
shepherdesses
torture victims
–
Autun, France

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

Saint Regina Read More »

Saint Magnus of Füssen

Daily Saints

Profile

Magnus was a Benedictine priest and a spiritual student of Saint Columban and Saint Gall at Arbon (part of modern Switzerland). He became a superior of his house following the death of Saint Gall. At the request of the bishop of Augsberg, Bavaria, he evangelized in Eptaticus in the eastern part of Allgäu, Bavaria. By the River Lech in Bavaria, in a place still known as Sant Mangstritt (footstep of Saint Magnus) he founded the monastery of Füssen.

Some extraordinary stories grew up around Magnus, often involving animals. In Kempten, he dispersed a plague of snakes. At Füssen, he was forced to expel a dragon from the land he needed for the monastery; in one version of the story, he spared an infant dragon who helped local farmers by hunting rats, mice and other crop-damaging vermin. While on a walk in the woods near the monastery, he encountered a bear who showed him a vein of iron ore; he gave the bear some cake. The bear followed Magnus back to the abbey where the saint rounded up some tools and monks; the bear then led them all to several other iron ore sources in the nearby mountains, thus helping found the area’s most lucrative industry.

Died

c.666 at the monastery at Füssen, Bavaria (in modern Germany) of natural causes

Canonized

Pre-Congregation

Patronage

against caterpillars
against hail
against hailstorms
against lightning
against snakes
against vermin
protection of crops
–
Füssen, Germany

Source: https://catholicsaints.info/saint-magnus-of-fussen/

Saint Magnus of Füssen Read More »

Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Daily Saints

1910–1997; Patron Saint of Calcutta and the Missionaries of Charity; Canonized by Pope Francis on September 4, 2016

Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta was born Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu in Skopje, present-day North Macedonia. At the time of her birth, Anjezë’s hometown was part of the vast, predominantly Muslim Ottoman Empire, which spanned three continents. Today, Skopje is considered the political, cultural, economic, and academic center of North Macedonia, with a rich and ancient history dating back to Roman times. Anjezë was the youngest of five children, two of whom died in infancy. Her parents were devout Catholics who raised her in the faith. Her baptismal name was Gonxhe, meaning “rosebud” or “little flower” in Albanian, and it was by this endearing name that she was often called as a child.

When Gonxhe was eight, her father died suddenly, plunging the family into financial difficulties. At the age of twelve, Gonxhe felt a divine calling to serve the poor. Upon turning eighteen, she left home, never to see her mother or sister again, and entered the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Ireland, known as the Loreto Nuns, with the desire to serve in India. After learning English in Ireland, she moved to India in 1929 and became a novice at the Loreto house in Darjeeling. In 1931, she made her first profession of vows, taking the name Teresa, after Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. She was assigned to the Loreto Entally community in Calcutta, where she taught at Saint Mary’s Bengali Medium School for girls. She made her final vows in 1937, upon which she assumed the name “Mother Teresa,” as was customary among the Loreto Sisters. She spent the following eleven years in Calcutta with the Loreto Sisters, totaling twenty years in all.

On September 10, 1946, when Mother Teresa was thirty-six, she was traveling by train roughly 400 miles from Calcutta to the mother house in Darjeeling for an annual retreat and time of rest. It was during this trip that something mystical occurred. Although she kept the details of that experience private, she later recounted, “I heard the call to give up all and to follow Him into the slums—to serve Him in the poorest of the poor…I knew it was His will and that I had to follow Him. There was no doubt that it was going to be His work.” How she heard this call remains a mystery, but it was so compelling and convincing that she spent the subsequent two years discerning this call, consulting her spiritual director, and ultimately obtaining permission from her religious superiors. Mother Teresa had received a “call within a call” to quench the thirst of Jesus by serving the poorest of the poor. September 10 would henceforth be celebrated as “Inspiration Day,” the day on which she believed God founded what would become the Missionaries of Charity. Over the next year and a half, Mother Teresa repeatedly heard the “Voice” speak to her, guiding her and calling her to trust, surrender, and love. “Come, come, carry Me into the holes of the poor. Come, be my light.”

The theme of Jesus’ thirst on the Cross would permeate everything Mother Teresa did from that time forward. It was the central mission she had received, the purpose of her life, and the reason God wanted her to found the Missionaries of Charity. Jesus, as the Infinite God, had an infinite thirst. With no end to the depth of Jesus’ thirst, there was no end to the depth of love she was called to give to Him by loving the poorest of the poor and all of God’s children. Not only was Mother Teresa called to quench Christ’s thirst in those whom she served, she was also called to encounter Jesus in them. They were Jesus, hidden in the distressing disguise of the poor.

After her retreat, Mother Teresa spoke to her spiritual director, Father Van Exem, about her calling. Although he knew this was from God, he decided to test the call and forbade her to talk about it or even to think about it. After four months, however, Father Exem felt the time was right and gave her permission to write to the archbishop. She wrote to him, sharing what Jesus spoke to her, “I want Indian nuns, Victims of My love…I want free nuns covered with my poverty of the Cross…I want obedient nuns covered with My obedience of the Cross…I want full of love nuns covered with the charity of the Cross. Will you refuse to do this for Me?”

During the four months prior to sending this letter, the other sisters noticed that Mother Teresa spent an unusually long time in the confessional with Father Exem. Suspecting an unhealthy attachment between them, her superiors transferred her to another convent. Furthermore, the archbishop had concerns about her call and instructed her to wait and pray. He informed her he was traveling to Rome and would not return for several months, at which time he would reconsider her request. After more back-and-forth letters and conversations with Father Exem, Father Exem presented Mother Teresa with a final test. He told her that she was to “drop the whole thing for eternity,” never to bring it up again unless he or the archbishop initiated the conversation. Mother Teresa obeyed, and some months later Father Exem raised the topic again. He and the archbishop continued to test her and even challenge her. She responded from her heart, sharing everything the “Voice” had said to her. Finally, on January 6, 1948, the archbishop gave her permission to proceed. He later wrote to the Loreto superior, “I am deeply convinced that by withholding my consent, I would hamper the realization, through her, of the will of God.” After receiving permission from the Loreto Superior, as well as from the Holy See, Mother Teresa began her new mission on August 17, 1948, almost two years after her “Inspiration Day.”

On December 21, 1948, after completing medical training, Mother Teresa began her life as a Missionary of Charity in the slums of Calcutta. Calcutta had been heavily affected by World War II, famine, and ongoing riots. Countless people were homeless, poor, uneducated, and suffering intensely. After securing a place to live, Mother Teresa began caring for the poor. She dressed their wounds, showed compassion for the suffering, listened to their stories, provided them with food, and treated them as if they were Jesus. This was a novel approach in India where poverty was sometimes viewed as a result of bad karma. In March 1949, one of her former students joined her in the work. By the following year, her companions numbered twelve. On October 7, 1950, with the approval of the Holy See, the Missionaries of Charity were formally established in the Archdiocese of Calcutta. In addition to the usual three vows, the Missionaries of Charity took a fourth vow “to devote themselves with abnegation to the care of the poor and needy who, crushed by want and destitution, live in conditions unworthy of human dignity.”

By the early 1960s, the number of sisters continued to grow, and houses were established in various parts of India. Shortly thereafter, the Missionaries expanded their reach to Venezuela, Rome, and Tanzania. In 1963, the Missionaries of Charity Brothers was established. A contemplative branch of the sisters was founded in 1976, followed by the Contemplative Brothers in 1979, and the Missionaries of Charity Fathers in 1984. In 1962, Mother Teresa received the Padma Shri Award from the Republic of India, and in 1979, she was honored with the Nobel Peace Prize, which she accepted “in the name of the hungry, of the naked, of the homeless, of the crippled, of the blind, of the leprous, of all those people who feel unwanted, unloved, uncared, thrown away of the society, people who have become a burden to the society, and are ashamed by everybody.” After that, she was sought out and welcomed by kings, dictators, presidents, prime ministers, and religious leaders and enjoyed an open door from the pope any time she was in Rome. Her influence on an international level was profound, yet she remained deeply humble and devoted to her central mission of love. By the 1990s, houses had been set up on every continent, including nearly every communist country. By the time of her death in 1997, the Missionaries of Charity numbered about 4,000, across 610 foundations in 123 countries. Two years after her death, Pope John Paul II opened her cause for canonization. He beatified her in 2003, and she was canonized by Pope Francis in 2016.

Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta was one of the greatest saints in all of history. After her death, those closest to her shared many of her private letters that tell an incredible story. From the time she began her work with the poor and suffering, she started to experience an inner darkness, a complete loss of the sense of God’s presence. This interior darkness mirrors the spiritual writings of the greatest mystics, such as Saints John of the Cross and Teresa of Ávila. God stripped her of every interior consolation so that her charity would be absolutely pure and devoid of all selfish motivation, resulting in pure selfless giving, fueled by unshakable faith, and driven by divine hope. She was truly a mystic in the deepest sense, an icon of the satiation of Christ’s Thirst.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/september-5-saint-mother-teresa-calcutta/

Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta Read More »

Saint John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor

c. 347–407; Patron Saint of preachers, orators, lecturers, and public speakers; Invoked against epilepsy; Pre-Congregation canonization

Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Saint Jean-Gabriel Perboyre

Saint Ambrose Edward Barlow

Saint Peter Claver, Priest

1581–1654; Patron Saint of African missions, African-Americans, black missions, black people, foreign missions, interracial justice, slaves, and Colombia; Invoked against slavery; Canonized by Pope Leo XIII on January 15, 1888

Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading Isaiah 35:4-7a

Responsorial Psalm Psalms 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10

Second Reading James 2:1-5

Alleluia Cf. Matthew 4:23

Gospel Mark 7:31-37

The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

c. 15 BC; Patron Saint of chefs, cooks, distillers, drapers, fish dealers, goldsmiths, silversmiths, needlemakers, potters, restaurateurs, silkworkers, and tilemakers

Saint Regina

Saint Magnus of Füssen

Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta

1910–1997; Patron Saint of Calcutta and the Missionaries of Charity; Canonized by Pope Francis on September 4, 2016

Ways to Donate

Paypal

Using Zelle

Mail a Check

Quick Links

Contact us

Location:

Contact #

Email:

Quick Links

Contact us

Location:

Contact #

Email:

Ways to Donate

Using Zelle

Mail a Check

Paypal