Daily Saints

Saint Anselm of Canterbury, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

c. 1033–1109; Especially invoked by scholastic philosophers and in Canterbury; Possibly canonized prior to 1170; canonization confirmed by Pope Alexander VI on October 4, 1494; Declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Clement XI in 1720

He was an Italian, Frenchman, and Englishman; a monk, prior, abbot, archbishop, philosopher, theologian, and spiritual writer; today he is a saint, a Doctor of the Church, and commonly referred to as the “Father of Scholasticism.” Anselm was born into a noble family in the town of Aosta, located in the Italian Alps. As a youth, his devout mother set a pious example which he readily followed. When Anselm was fifteen, he wanted to enter the monastic life, but his father would not give consent. So the abbot refused his entrance. His mother had since passed, so she could not intervene. Disillusioned, Anselm’s faith wavered for the next several years. Coming to his senses, he pursued studies in France and eventually arrived at the Benedictine Abbey of Bec around the age of twenty-six. Anselm quickly became close to and a devoted student of the prior, Lanfranc. When Anselm’s father died, Anselm was in a quandary about what to do. Should he return home to receive the inheritance of his father’s estate and put it to good use? Or should he abandon it and become a monk? Lanfranc directed him to a holy bishop for spiritual advice, and Anselm decided on religious life. He returned to the Abbey of Bec and became a monk at the age of twenty-seven.

After Anselm enjoyed three blessed years of monastic life, Lanfranc, the prior, was appointed abbot of another abbey. Anselm was chosen as the prior of Bec at the age of thirty under the elderly founding abbot, Herluin. Though some of the monks disapproved of this appointment due to Anselm’s youth, his wisdom, personality, heartfelt kindness, and holiness soon won them over. He remained the prior for the next fifteen years.

As prior, Anselm studied, prayed, taught, and administered the abbey remarkably well. He was such a success that the Abbey of Bec became one of the most respected institutions in all of Europe. At Bec, Anselm wrote seven of his thirteen works, including two of his most famous ones: Monologion and Proslogion. Anselm had a profound faith, fueled by a life of intense mystical prayer, and it was his prayer and faith that directed his thinking and writing. He believed that unless God first revealed Himself, our minds could never grasp Him, could never grasp Truth.

One of Anselm’s greatest philosophical contributions is his ontological argument for the existence of God. In his first great work, Monologion, Anselm argued that we can arrive at the existence of God using deductive reasoning. For example, if we consider the idea of “good,” we are aware of varying degrees of goodness. Therefore, there must be that which is supreme goodness itself. This supreme good must also be responsible for all else that is good. God is that Goodness. He does not simply have goodness, He is Goodness. In his great work, Proslogion, Anselm began with the concept of a being than which no greater can be conceived. From that concept, he goes through logical deductions that lead him to conclude that a being than which no greater can be conceived necessarily exists. This argument has been one of the most discussed and contested arguments in philosophy.

Philosophy was not Anselm’s only love. He was also a profound spiritual writer, theologian, and composer of many beautiful prayers. His spiritual writings are not only theoretical, they are also personal and intimate. His deep love for God and for our Blessed Mother shines through.

In 1078, Abbot Herluin died and Anselm was elected his successor by the unanimous consent of the monks, a role he would valiantly fulfill for the next fifteen years. As abbot, Anselm periodically traveled on various properties that had been donated to the abbey across the English Channel. His counsel was also regularly sought out by the English king and his good friend Lanfranc, who had since been made the Archbishop of Canterbury. Anselm’s visits to Canterbury, coupled with the domineering intellectual influence of the Abbey of Bec, made him the ideal successor to Archbishop Lanfranc of Canterbury. When Lanfranc died, Anselm became the next Archbishop of Canterbury at the age of sixty.

Anselm’s consecration as archbishop was at first delayed because of conflicts with King William II regarding the confiscation of church property and the king’s perceived right to appoint bishops independently of the pope. King William eventually became quite ill, and, for fear of hell, he repented, and Anselm was installed. Once installed as Archbishop of Canterbury, Anselm came into conflict with King William once again and was exiled from his see. After the death of King William, the new king, King Henry, welcomed Anselm back, but Anselm soon found himself engaged in yet another dispute about the appointment of new bishops. He was once again exiled. Even in exile, God used Archbishop Anselm in powerful ways. He continued writing beautiful and profound theology, defended the nature of the Trinity at a Church council in Rome, and acted as a counselor to the pope. His times in exile also gave a lasting witness to the truths for which he was exiled. That witness not only had an impact on those in his time but also for the generations to follow. Anselm’s final years were more peaceful after he and the king worked out a compromise, and he returned to his see in Canterbury.

Saint Anselm is considered a “confessor” because he suffered for his defense of the Church and the Gospel. He fiercely defended the autonomous spiritual authority of the Church and refused to participate in financial abuses between the state and church. In addition to being a confessor, Saint Anselm’s writings continue to have a profound impact upon the Church. He stands out as one of the greatest theologians between Saint Augustine and Saint Thomas Aquinas. His prayers inflame hearts with deep devotion. His love for our Blessed Mother is inspiring. His theological explanation of the Trinity, grace, truth, and the Incarnation have provided a firm foundation for a deeper understanding of our faith. Above all, we can ponder Saint Anselm’s deep conviction that when faith in God comes first, understanding follows. If you struggle in life in any way, follow this saint’s example by placing your trust in God first, and then wait upon Him to lead you.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/april-21-st-anselm-archbishop/

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Saint Agnes of Montepulciano

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Agnes was born wealthy. A pious child, at age six she began nagging her parents to join a convent. She was admitted to the convent at Montepulciano, Italy at age nine. When her spiritual director was appointed abbess at Procena, she took Agnes with her. Agnes’s reputation for holiness attracted other sisters. She became an abbess at age fifteen after receiving special permission from Pope Nicholas IV. Agnes insisted on greater austerities in the abbey; she lived off bread and water, slept on the ground, used a stone for a pillow. In 1298, she returned to Montepulciano to work in a new Dominican convent. She was the prioress of the house the last seventeen years of her life. She was a pilgrim to Rome, Italy.

Many stories grew up around Agnes, including the following:

Her birth was announced by flying lights surrounding her family’s house.
As a child, while walking through a field, she was attacked by a large murder of crows; she announced that they were devils, trying to keep her away from the land; years later, it was the site of her convent.
She was known to levitate up to two feet in the air while praying.
She received Communion from an angel, and had visions of the Virgin Mary.
She held the infant Jesus in one of these visions; when she woke from her trance she found she was holding the small gold crucifix the Christ child had worn.
On the day she was chosen abbess as a teenager, small white crosses showered softly onto her and the congregation.
She could feed the convent with a handful of bread, once she’d prayed over it.
Where she knelt to pray, violets, lilies and roses would suddenly bloom.
While being treated for her terminal illness, she brought a drowned child back from the dead.
At the site of her treatment, a spring welled up that did not help her health, but healed many other people.

Born

1268 at Gracchiano-Vecchio, Tuscany, Italy

Died

20 April 1317 at the convent of Montepulciano, Italy of natural causes following a lengthy illness
legend says that at the moment of her death, all the babies in the region, no matter how young, began to speak of Agnes, her piety, and her passing
miracles reported at her tomb
body incorrupt
relics translated to the Dominican church at Orvieto, Italy in 1435

Beatified

1534

Canonized

1726 by Pope Benedict XIII

Representation

Dominican nun gazing at the Cross with a lily at her feet
Dominican nun holding a model of Montepulciano, Italy
Dominican nun holding the Christ child
Dominican nun with Saint Catherine of Siena
Dominican nun with the Virgin and Child appearing to her
Dominican abbess with a lamb, lily, and book
Dominican with the sick who were healed at her tomb

Source: http://catholicsaints.mobi/calendar/20-april.htm

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Pope Saint Leo IX

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Leo was the son of Count Hugh of Egisheim and the cousin of Emperor Conrad II. He was the chapter canon of Saint Stephen’s, Toul, France. He was also a deacon, soldier, and officer in the imperial army. In 1021, while still in the military, he was chosen bishop of Toul, France, a position he held for 20 years. He commanded troops under emperor Conrad II in the invasion of Italy in 1026. Very disciplined himself, he brought order to the monasteries in his diocese, discipline to the clergy, and the Cluniac reform to many of his houses. He was a mediator between France and the Holy Roman Empire. He was chosen 151st pope with the support of the Roman citizens and Henry III of Germany.

Leo brought his reforming, disciplinary ways to the Church as a whole, reforming houses and parishes, fighting simony, enforcing clerical celibacy, encouraging liturgical development and the use of chant. He brought Hildebrand, later Pope Saint Gregory VII, to Rome as his spiritual advisor. He fought the coming Great Schism between the Eastern and Western churches. He received the nickname of Pilgrim Pope due to his travels through Europe, enforcing his reforms, insisting that his bishops, clergy, and councils follow suit. He held synods at Pavia, Italy, in Rheims, France, in Mainz, Germany, and in Vercelli, Italy where he condemned the heresy of Berengarius of Tours. He authorized the consecration of the first native bishop of Iceland. He was a peacemaker in Hungary. He proposed that Popes be elected only by cardinals.

Leo’s papacy was marred by his military action. He added new Italian regions to the papal states, and when Normans invaded these areas in 1053, he personally led an army to throw them out. This resulted in wide-spread criticism, defeat in the field, his capture at Civitella, and several months imprisonment at Benevento, Italy. He spent his time there well, learning Greek to better understand the writings of the Eastern Church, but his health suffered badly, and he died soon after his release.

Born

21 June 1002 at Eguisheim, Alsace, France as Bruno of Eguisheim-Dagsburg

Papal Ascension

12 February 1049

Died

19 April 1054 in Saint Peter’s Basilica, Rome, Italy of natural causes

Canonized

1082 by Pope Saint Gregory VII
1887 by Pope Blessed Victor III

Patronage

Sessa Aurunca, Italy

Source: http://catholicsaints.mobi/calendar/19-april.htm

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Saint Athanasia of Aegina

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Born to the nobility, the daughter of Nikita and Marina, Athanasia grew up in a pious family. She early felt drawn to the religious life; legend says that when she was a young girl learning to weave, a star suddenly appeared, settled over her heart, and she was enlightened. However, at her parent’s request, she married at age 16 to an army officer. She was widowed after 16 days of marriage when her husband died in battle against invading Arabs. She again considered the religious life, but an imperial edict required all single women of marriage age to marry soldiers.

Her second marriage was to a deeply religious man; the two conducted Bible studies in their homes, and took in the sick and poor. Her husband felt drawn to become a monk, and Athanasia agreed with his new vocation. She became a nun, gave away the bulk of her possessions, converted her home into a convent, obtained a spiritual director named Matthias, had other sisters move in with her, served as abbess, and lived a life of severe austerity. She built three churches. The community later moved to Timia where Athanasia became widely known for miraculous healings. To escape the press of people who were drawn to her reputation of holiness, and return to the quiet, prayerful life, she and two sisters fled in secret to Constantinople where she lived as an anchoress in a cell for seven years; while walled away, she was an advisor to Empress Theodora. Obeying the appeals of her sisters, she returned to Timia very late in life, and spent her last days there.

Many stories have come down to us about Athanasia, most concerning her activities after death. During Mass at the convent, forty days after Athanasia’s death, two of her sisters received a vision of Saint Athanasia at the gates of heaven. There, two radiant men placed a crown with crosses on her head, handed her a brilliant staff and led her through the gates to the altar.

Shortly before her death, Athanasia left orders that the poor be fed in her memory for forty days. Her sisters, however, set up a memorial trapeza, a dining hall where religious and pilgrims to gather for food, for only nine days. Athanasia appeared to some of the sisters and said, “It was wrong that you did not fulfill my testament, the forty-day commemoration in church of those who have fallen asleep and the feeding of the poor greatly helps sinful souls, while heavenly mercy is sent down from righteous souls to those who carry out the commemoration.” She then jabbed her staff into the ground, and became invisible. The next day, the staff had sprouted and become a living sapling.

A year after Athanasia’s death, a possessed woman was brought to her grave. The people with her dug up the earth over the grave, hoping that contact with it would heavel the woman. They smelled a perfume coming from the grave, and removed Athanasia’s coffin. When she touched it, the possessed woman was healed. The witnesses opened the coffin, and found Athanasia’s body incorrupt, streaming fragrant myrrh.

When these witnesses found the body in this state, they transferred it to a new ark. Her sisters, wanting to clothe the body in silk, removed the hair shirt Athanasia had worn in life and death. However, when they tried to put the silk clothes on her, the body developed severe rigor, hands clasped to the breast, and they could not dress her in the rich dress. The sisters took this as the Athanasia’s love of pious poverty. One of the sisters called out to the saint, “O our lady, as thou didst unquestioningly obey us while thou didst live with us, so even now be well pleased to obey us and be clothed in these garments, our humble gift offered unto thee.” The body then sat up, extended her hands, and was dressed in the silk clothing.

Born

8th century on the Island of Aegina, Greece

Died

14 August 860 at Timia of natural causes
relics preserved at Timia in a specially made reliquary, and are known for their healing powers

Representation

young girl weaving with a star over her or on her breast
with Empress Theodora

Source: http://catholicsaints.mobi/calendar/18-april.htm

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Saint Robert of Molesme

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Robert was born to the French nobility. He became a Benedictine monk in 1044. He was a prior of Moutiers-la-Celle Abbey and an Abbot of Saint-Michel-de-Tonnerre, but considered it to have lax standards. He was also a prior of Saint-Ayeul Abbey. In 1075, in an attempt to return to a simpler form of Benedictine life requested by a group of hermits from the forests around Colan, France, he helped found the monastery at Molesme, Burgundy. The group, especially Robert, gained a reputation for piety, which led to bequests of cash, which led to an increase in size of the monastery, which led to internal difficulties, and suddenly there were many brothers that objected to the severe life practiced by the founders. Robert twice left to live on his own, but was ordered back to his position by the pope.

In early 1098 Robert, Saint Stephen Harding, Saint Alberic of Citeaux and 18 other monks left Molesme, and on 21 March they founded the monastery of Cîteaux near Dijon, France, with the goal of living strictly by the Benedictine Rule, strict vows of poverty, and frequent retreats; Robert served as the first abbot. However, with conditions deteriorating at the Molesme house, he was re-assigned as abbot there in 1100 with a mandate to reform; he lived and worked there the rest of his life. Traditionally, he was considered as one of the founders of the Cistercians, the reform that developed at Citeaux.

Born

1027 near Troyes, Champagne (in modern France)

Died

21 March 1110 of natural causes

Canonized

1222 by Pope Honorius III

Source: http://catholicsaints.mobi/calendar/17-april.htm

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Saint Bernadette of Lourdes

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Bernadette was the oldest of six children born to François and Louise Casterot, and grew up very poor. She was hired out as a servant from age 12 to 14. She was a shepherdess. On 11 February 1858, around the time of her first Communion, she received a vision of the Virgin; she received seventeen more in the next five months, and was led to a spring of healing waters. She moved into a house with the Sisters of Nevers at Lourdes where she lived, worked, and learned to read and write. The sisters cared for the sick and indigent, and at age 22 they admitted Bernadette into their order since she was both. Always sick herself, and often mistreated by her superiors, she died with a prayer for Mary’s aid. Since the appearances of Mary to young Bernadette in 1858, more than 200 million people have visited the shrine of Lourdes.

Born

7 January 1844 at Lourdes, Hautes-Pyrénées, France

Died

16 April 1879, Nevers, Nièvre, France of natural causes
body incorrupt
the sisters covered the body in wax, and it is on display in Nevers

Canonized

8 December 1933 by Pope Pius XI

Patronage

against bodily ills, illness and sickness
against poverty
Lourdes, France
people ridiculed for their piety
poor people
shepherdesses
shepherds
sick people

Source: http://catholicsaints.mobi/calendar/16-april.htm

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Saint Cesar de Bus

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Cesar was a middle child – the seventh of thirteen children, and raised as a pious child. He was a soldier at age 18, and fought in the war against the Huguenots. He joined the navy to fight in the siege of La Rochelle, but illness kept him from the fight. He lived for three years in Paris, France, devoted to poetry and painting and to wild and frivolous living. Back in his home town of Cavaillon, he took over the position of his late brother as canon of Salon, a position he wanted for its income and connections instead of its spiritual significance. One night while on his way to a masked ball, he passed a shrine where a small light was burning before an image of the Virgin Mary. He was suddenly overwhelmed by the memory that a friend, Antoinette Reveillade, had prayed fervently for his salvation. He realized that there was no way he could live a life offending God and then expect to be accepted in the end. There, on the road, he had a complete conversion.

Cesar was ordained in 1582. He was appointed canon in Avignon. He was profoundly affected reading a biography of Saint Charles Borromeo, and tried to take him as a model in all things, especially his devotion to catechesis. He worked as a catechist in Aix-in-Provence, France, an area in turmoil following the Religious Wars. Saint Francis de Sales called him “a star of the first magnitude in the firmament of Catechesis.” He founded the Ursulines of Province and the Fathers of Christian Doctrine (Doctrinarians). The Fathers were destroyed during the French Revolution, but an Italian branch, the Doctrinarian Fathers continues today with houses in Italy, France and Brazil.

Born

3 February 1544 in Cavillon, Vaucluse, France

Died

Easter Sunday, 15 April 1607 in Avignon, Vaucluse, France of natural causes
interred in the church of Saint Mary in Monticelli in Rome, Italy

Canonized

15 May 2022 by Pope
the canonization miracle involved the healing a young woman of “meningitis in patient with cerebral hemorrhage” in 2016 in Salerno, Italy

Patronage

catechists

Source: http://catholicsaints.mobi/calendar/15-april.htm

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Saint Peter Gonzales

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Peter was a Castilian nobility who mis-spent a worldly youth. He was educated by his uncle, the bishop of Astorga, Spain. He was a priest, primarily as a step to high office. He obtained special papal dispensation to become Canon of Palencia when he was officially still too young. During a grand Christmas Day entrance into the city, his horse was spooked by the noise of the crowds. It threw him in all his finery onto a dung-heap, much to the delight of the citizens who knew his was a political, not a spiritual appointment.

Dazed, filthy, humiliated, and with the undeniable understanding that his parishioners thought he was a hack, he withdrew from the world for a period of prayer and meditation. It worked. He had a true conversion experience and spent the rest of his life making up for his lost youth and the mockery he made of his position. He joined the Dominicans. His family and friends tried to draw him back to his old life and their planned pursuit of position, but he responded, “If you love me, follow me! If you cannot follow me, forget me!”

Peter was a confessor and court chaplain to King Saint Ferdinand III of Castile. He was against the opposition of more worldly courtiers, he reformed court life around the king. He worked for the Crusade against the Moors, accompanied Ferdinand into the battlefields, and then worked for humane treatment of Moorish prisoners.

A favourite of the king, Peter feared the honours and easy life would lead him to a return to his previous ways, so he left the court and evangelized to shepherds in the hills, along the waterfronts, and among Spanish and Portugese sailors who still venerate him and consider him their special patron, blending his story with that of Saint Elmo, and calling upon him for protection in the face of bad weather.

Legend says that when he lacked food for those in his charge, Peter would kneel and pray by a river; fish would leap onto the banks.

Born

1190 at Astorga, Spain

Died

15 April 1246 at Santiago de Compostela, Tui, Spain
buried in the cathedral at Tuy, Spain

Canonized

13 December 1741 by Pope Benedict XIV (cultus confirmed)

Patronage

boatmen, mariners, sailors, watermen
fisherman
Tui, Spain
Tui-Vigo, Spain, diocese of

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

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Saint Martin I, Pope and Martyr

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c. 595–655 Pre-Congregation canonization; Invoked by those persecuted by the state

In the seventh century, theological and political tension prevailed between the Western church centered in Rome and the Eastern church centered in Constantinople, largely due to the interference of the Byzantine emperor. The emperor and Patriarch in Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul, Turkey) had enjoyed a strong religious and political influence over the entire Church ever since Constantine the Great Christianized the Roman Empire in the fourth century. This influence grew after the Western Roman Empire fell in the fifth century and was strengthened further in the sixth century when the Byzantine emperor, Justinian I, conquered Italy and forced the Goth-appointed pope to resign in 537, naming the papal legate to Constantinople as the new pope. From that time on, until 752, newly elected popes were required to obtain approval from the emperor before being consecrated. Many emperors saw themselves not only as political leaders, but also as those ultimately in charge of the governance of the Church. It is within this tension that today’s saint lived.

Martin was born in a small town about 100 miles north of Rome. He was of noble birth, an excellent student, and exercised great charity to the poor. As a cleric, he assisted two popes in important roles. In 641, he was sent by Pope John IV across the Adriatic Sea to Dalmatia and Istria (modern-day Croatia) where he assisted those who had suffered the effects of war. After the death of John IV, Theodore I was elected pope. Martin became his papal legate to Constantinople, where he worked closely with the emperor and patriarch, representing Pope Theodore in all matters.

As papal legate to Constantinople, the most pressing theological issue that Martin faced was the ongoing debate about the nature of Christ. Many within the Eastern Church adhered to monothelitism, a heresy claiming that Christ had only one will: a divine will but not a human will. This was contrary to the orthodox position held by the pope that Jesus had both a human and divine will. In 648, in an apparent attempt to bring an end to the debate, the Byzantine emperor Constans II issued an edict, the Type of Constans (Type), in which he tried to forge a middle way by forbidding discussion of the controversy, permitting everyone to adhere to their own position. Though the Patriarch of Constantinople, Paul II, at first held the orthodox position, he embraced the Type issued by the emperor. Martin, however, did not.

One year later, in 649, Pope Theodore died and named Martin as his successor. As had been the custom, the newly elected pope was supposed to receive approval of his appointment from the Byzantine emperor before his installation. However, for the first time in more than 100 years, Martin immediately moved forward with his coronation without the express consent of Constans II. This angered Constans, but he did nothing about it—at first.

Pope Martin, well aware of the most pressing issues within the Church, wasted no time addressing them. He called the Lateran Council of 649, a council that his predecessor Pope Theodore had intended to call, and made monothelitism the topic of discussion. Though the council did not reach the level of an official ecumenical council of the entire Church, given the fact that the Roman emperor was not involved, it was one of the earliest attempts of a pope to act on his own authority without the emperor. Hence, not only the teaching that this council produced, but also the way it was orchestrated, provided much direction for the future of the Church when the role of the emperor would eventually be fully excluded from the governance of the Church. The Lateran Council was attended by 105 bishops, held five sessions, and issued twenty decrees condemning monothelitism. It also condemned Constans’ edict, the Type, as well as some other earlier imperial edicts.

When Pope Martin began publishing this new teaching throughout Rome and beyond, the enraged emperor sought to have him arrested, or killed if necessary. This proved difficult. The emperor first sent a bishop of lower rank to Rome to oppose the pope and cause a schism. He was unsuccessful, so the bishop is said to have ordered a soldier to murder the pope during Mass. That soldier was struck blind, and the bishop repented. Later, the emperor sent another bishop with a Byzantine army to the pope. This time they were successful in capturing the pope and in bringing him back to Constantinople. Pope Martin was already ill when he was captured; abuse and lack of decent food caused his condition to worsen during the three months at sea.

Once he arrived in Constantinople, Pope Martin was placed on trial and found guilty of treason, the primary charge being that he would not accept the emperor’s edict, the Type. Because Patriarch Paul II intervened with the emperor, the emperor exiled Martin to Crimea instead of sentencing him to death. Throughout his imprisonment and exile, though elderly and sick, he was continually abused, malnourished, and ridiculed.

The emperor ordered the Church in Rome to elect a new pope, even though Pope Martin was still alive. The Church in Rome consented and elected a new pope as one final blow to the abused pontiff. Pope Martin, seeking only the good of the Church, acquiesced to this humiliation, and embraced being abandoned by the leaders of the Church in Rome. Of all he suffered, it is said that his abandonment by the Church leaders caused him the most suffering. Not long after being exiled, Pope Martin died because of the abuses, exposure, and malnourishment he endured. For that reason, the Church considers him a martyr, the last pope to receive that crown.

Popes must be courageous, even in the face of persecution and death. They need to set an example to all people so that all the faithful will follow their example. Pope Martin did this well, and his witness has had a profound effect upon generations after him. More than 1,100 years later, Pope Pius VII honored the memory and witness of Pope Martin when he wrote, in part, “Indeed, the famous Martin who long ago won great praise for this See, commends faithfulness and fortitude to Us by his strengthening and defense of the truth and by the endurance of labors and pains…”

Ponder the ways that God is calling you to act with greater courage in the face of persecution, opposition, ridicule, or any form of suffering. Do what is right, no matter the cost, and you will one day be among the saints alongside Saint Martin in Heaven.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/april-13-saint-martin-i-pope-and-martyr/

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Annunciation of the Lord

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Today’s solemnity is normally celebrated on March 25; however, it was transferred because that date fell during Holy Week.

In the fifth century, bishops engaged in a fierce theological debate over the unity of the divine and human natures of Christ, referred to as the “hypostatic union.” Nestorius, the Archbishop of Constantinople, argued that there were two underlying hypostases, or substances, in Christ, one human and one divine. He believed that the humanity of Christ was born of the Virgin Mary, but not His divinity. Therefore, Nestorius believed Mary should only be called the “Christ-bearer” and not the “God-bearer” (Theotokos). Saint Cyril, the Archbishop of Alexandria, argued that the divine and human natures of Jesus were united in one hypostasis. Divinity and humanity were perfectly united and, therefore, Mary is properly called the Theotokos, or “Mother of God,” not just the “Mother of Christ.” God was born of her, not just His body. Mary conceived a Person in her womb, and that Person was both God and man, perfectly united as one. In 431 the Church held a council at Ephesus at which Cyril’s position was adopted and Nestorius’ position was condemned. Nestorius was then removed as Archbishop of Constantinople.

The solemnity we celebrate today originated around the time of this controversy, possibly to emphasize the theological teaching that emerged from the Council of Ephesus. Throughout Church history, when a theological truth is defined, that truth is then celebrated liturgically as a lived expression of the Church’s faith.

The date of this celebration is set nine months before Christmas, but most likely, the date of Christmas was set nine months after the Annunciation. Many early Christians believed that Jesus’ death occurred on March 25; therefore, His Incarnation must have also taken place on this day. As early as the third century, it was suggested that March 25 was also the date of the creation of Adam, the fall of Adam, the fall of the angels, the sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham, and the passing of the Israelites through the Red Sea.

The Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord recalls the historical event when the Angel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary, as found in Luke 1:26–38. It also celebrates the Church’s faith in the underlying reality that took place at that moment in time. It celebrates the Incarnation, making this solemnity not only a Marian solemnity, but first and foremost a Christological one. Though Christmas commemorates the birth of Christ, the Annunciation commemorates His Incarnation.

Most certainly, this solemnity is also a Marian celebration. We celebrate the Virgin Mary’s perfect “Yes” to the plan of the Father. We celebrate her humility, obedience, docility, and especially her motherhood of God and man.

Finally, this solemnity is a celebration of the Father in Heaven because it reveals the beginning of the pinnacle of His perfect plan of salvation. That moment in time, the moment of the Incarnation, holds significance beyond comprehension. This moment was in the Father’s mind from all eternity and took place in a hidden way, known only to this lowly and humble virgin.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/march-25-annunciation-of-the-lord/

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Saint Anselm of Canterbury, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

c. 1033–1109; Especially invoked by scholastic philosophers and in Canterbury; Possibly canonized prior to 1170; canonization confirmed by Pope Alexander VI on October 4, 1494; Declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Clement XI in 1720

Saint Agnes of Montepulciano

Pope Saint Leo IX

Saint Athanasia of Aegina

Saint Robert of Molesme

Saint Bernadette of Lourdes

Saint Cesar de Bus

Saint Peter Gonzales

Saint Martin I, Pope and Martyr

c. 595–655 Pre-Congregation canonization; Invoked by those persecuted by the state

Annunciation of the Lord

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Ways to Donate

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