Daily Saints

Saint Rosalia

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Rosalia was born to the Sicilian nobility, the daughter of Sinibald, Lord of Roses, and Quisquina. She was a descendant of Charlemagne and raised around the royal Sicilian court. From her youth, Rosalia knew she was called to dedicate her life to God. When she grew up, she moved to a cave near her parent’s home, and lived in it the rest of her life; tradition says that she was led to the cave by two angels. On the cave wall, she wrote “I, Rosalia, daughter of Sinibald, Lord of Roses, and Quisquina, have taken the resolution to live in this cave for the love of my Lord, Jesus Christ.” Rosalia remained apart from the world, dedicated to prayer and works of penance for the sake of Jesus, and died alone.

In 1625, during a period of plague, she appeared in a vision to a hunter near her cave. Her relics were discovered, brought to Palermo, and paraded through the street. Three days later the plague ended, intercession to Rosalia was credited with saving the city, and she was proclaimed its patroness. The traditional celebration of Rosalia lasted for days, involved fireworks and parades, and her feast day was made a holy day of obligation by Pope Pius XI in 1927.

Born

  • c.1130 at Palermo, Sicily

Died

  • c.1160 Mount Pellegrino, Italy, apparently of natural causes
  • buried in her cave by workers collapsing it

Patronage

  • locations in Italy
    – Baucina
    – Benetutti
    – Bivona
    – Caltagirone, diocese of
    – Campofelice di Roccella
    – Delia
    – Isola delle Femine
    – Lentiscosa
    – Palermo, archdiocese of
    – Palermo, city of
    – Pegli
    – Racalmuto
    – San Mango Cilento
    – Santo Stefano Quisquina
    – Sicily
    – Vicari

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

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Saint Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor

c. 540–604; Patron Saint of choir boys, educators, masons, musicians, popes, students, and singers Invoked against gout and the plague; Pre-Congregation canonization; Declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Boniface VIII in 1295

Saint Gregory the Great was born in the city of Rome into an aristocratic family whose members filled political and religious offices. Gregory’s father was a senator and later became the Prefect of Rome, similar to the role of mayor. His mother, Silvia, was a virtuous woman who was later recognized as a saint, as were two of his aunts. Thus, Gregory’s influential, wealthy, and saintly family provided him with a stellar education and nurtured him in the Catholic faith from a young age.

During the first fourteen years of his life, Gregory witnessed war and disease ravage the city of Rome. The Ostrogoths had ruled Rome since 479, but from 535–554, the Eastern Roman emperor waged war in an attempt to reclaim control. The war caused significant destruction in Rome and resulted in many deaths. Gregory and his family may have even had to flee for a time. Once peace was restored in 554 and Italy came under the control of the Eastern Roman emperor, people began to return to Rome, rebuild the city, and reestablish order.

From 554–574, Gregory followed in his father’s footsteps, assuming various civil leadership roles. Around the year 573, he was elected to the same position his father had held earlier: Prefect of Rome. However, not long after Gregory assumed this role, his father passed away, prompting Gregory to make a major shift in his life. He resigned as Prefect, turned his family home into a monastery, and took monastic vows. That time of deep prayer was invaluable to him and would prepare him for the important tasks God would later entrust to him.

As a monk, Gregory spent the next four years immersed in quiet prayer and study. These years were some of the happiest of his life. In 578, Pope Pelagius II ordained Gregory as one of the seven deacons of Rome and sent him to Constantinople a year later as his apocrisiarius, or papal ambassador. Despite the challenges of his six years there, Deacon Gregory maintained his monastic life of prayer and study while fulfilling his duties at the imperial court. During this time, Deacon Gregory began writing his famous commentary on the Book of Job, which provided teachings on the nature of God, the problem of evil, the Christian understanding of human suffering, and the virtue of patience.

After completing his service in Constantinople, Deacon Gregory returned to Rome, was chosen as the abbot of his monastery, and enjoyed several more years of peaceful monastic life. In 590, Pope Pelagius II died, and the people of Rome chose Gregory as his successor. He accepted this responsibility, albeit reluctantly. He was the first monk to be elected pope.

Over the next fourteen years, despite constant ill health, Pope Gregory I established himself as one of the most consequential popes in history. Among his accomplishments, he implemented significant reforms in the Church’s administration and liturgy. Administratively, he reformed how the Church’s property and finances were managed. He implemented strict guidelines to ensure the responsible use of these resources, put measures in place to prevent abuses such as nepotism, increased transparency, and greatly expanded charitable works, to the point of emptying the papal treasury. He also forged important strategic military and political alliances that strengthened the papacy and ensured the safety and betterment of those under his care. Many civil leaders even turned to him for guidance.

Liturgically, Pope Gregory contributed to the standardization of the Liturgy by offering clear guidelines and rubrics. He established prayers, the flow of the Mass, and the liturgical year, and helped develop liturgical chant, which came to be known as “Gregorian Chant.”

Pope Gregory also demonstrated his missionary spirit. Most notably, he initiated a mission that began the conversion of the Anglo-Saxon peoples in England. It’s said that Pope Gregory once encountered some slave boys in the Roman market. He asked where they were from and was told they were Angles from England. Gregory replied that the boys were angels. Seeing the boys being sold as slaves planted a desire in Gregory’s heart to convert that pagan nation and a resolve to send missionaries to the Angles and Saxons in England. These missions were ultimately very successful through the efforts of Saint Augustine of Canterbury and forty of his brother monks, who were sent from Pope Gregory’s own monastery.

In addition to his commentaries on Scripture, Pope Gregory authored the “Pastoral Rule” (Regula Pastoralis), an influential guide for bishops and other church leaders. It outlined their pastoral responsibilities and the conduct expected in their personal and public lives. His “Dialogues” are a collection of inspiring visions, miracles, and stories of the lives of the saints, including an early biography of St. Benedict. Pope Gregory’s approximately 800 letters offer a valuable insight into the ecclesiastical, social, and political landscape of his time. These letters contain practical theological and pastoral advice that has formed an enduring legacy and significantly influenced Church leadership throughout the centuries.

Enduring legacies cannot be fabricated, purchased, or contrived. They are the result of true leadership and the profound impact one leaves behind. Pope Gregory I is now known as Saint Gregory the Great. He is “great” because he not only had a major influence upon the people of his time, both religiously and politically, but also because his influence and writings solidified the direction that the Church would take after him. His first loves were of Christ and the monastic way of life. God used Gregory’s humble way of life as a foundation upon which He would continue to build His Church.

As we honor this great pope, ponder the importance of making your life a foundation upon which others will grow and flourish. We establish a firm foundation for our spiritual lives and for the lives of others around us only when we make prayer and union with God our primary mission. Saint Gregory did this well, and God used him in glorious ways. May the same be said of each one of us.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/september-3-st-gregory-the-great/

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Saint Margaret of Louvain

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Born to a poor family, in her late teens Margaret began working as a maid at the Sint Joris, an inn in Louvain, Belgium owned by her uncle Aubert. Aubert and his wife eventually sold the inn, each planning to enter religious life; Margaret planned to become a Cistercian nun. On their last night in the inn, thieves broke in and killed the erstwhile owners while Margaret was out. She came home as the killers were leaving, and she was murdered, too. Devotion developed after miracles occurred near her original grave site beside the river.

Born

1207 at Louvain, Brabant, Belgium

Died

  • throat cut on 2 September 1225 at Louvain, Brabant, Belgium
  • body thrown into the river Deel by her killers
  • the body was recovered, and buried along the river bank; legend says that a large fish pushed the body up-stream and an angel hovered over the river, shining a light on
  • the body until some one came to recover it
    the body was later transferred to Saint Peter’s Church in Louvain
  • many miracles reported at her tomb

Beatified

1905 by Pope Saint Pius X (cultus confirmed)

Patronage

  • martyrs

Source: http://catholicsaints.mobi/calendar/2-september.htm

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Saint Giles

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Giles was born to a wealthy noble family. When his parents died, Giles gave his fortune to help the poor. He was known as a miracle worker. To avoid followers and adulation, he left Greece in c.683 for France where he lived as a hermit in a cave in the diocese of Nimes, a cave whose mouth was guarded by a thick thorn bush, and a lifestyle so impoverished that, legend says, God sent a deer to Giles to nourish him with her milk.

One day after he had lived there for several years in meditation, a royal hunting party chased the hind into Giles’ cave. One hunter shot an arrow into the thorn bush, hoping to hit the deer, but instead hit Giles in the leg, crippling him. The king sent doctors to care for the hermit‘s wound, and though Giles begged to be left alone, the king came often to see him.

From this, Gile’s fame as sage and miracle worker spread, and would-be followers gathered near the cave. The French king, because of his admiration, built the monastery of Saint Gilles du Gard for these followers, and Giles became its first abbot, establishing his own discipline there. A small town grew up around the monastery, and upon Giles’ death, his grave became a shrine and place of pilgrimage; the monastery later became a Benedictine house.

The combination of the town, monastery, shrine and pilgrims led to many handicapped beggars hoping for alms; this and Giles’ insistence that he wished to live outside the walls of the city, and his own damaged leg, led to his patronage of beggars, and to cripples since begging was the only source of income for many. Hospitals and safe houses for the poor, crippled, and leprous were constructed in England and Scotland, and were built so cripples could reach them easily. On their passage to Tyburn for execution, convicts were allowed to stop at Saint Giles’ Hospital where they were presented with a bowl of ale called Saint Giles’ Bowl, “thereof to drink at their pleasure, as their last refreshing in this life.”

In Spain, shepherds consider Giles the protector of rams. It was formerly the custom to wash the rams and colour their wool a bright shade on Giles’ feast day, tie lighted candles to their horns, and bring the animals down the mountain paths to the chapels and churches to have them blessed. Among the Basques, the shepherds come down from the Pyrenees on 1 September, attired in full costume, sheepskin coats, staves, and crooks, to attend Mass with their best rams, an event that marks the beginning of autumn festivals, marked by processions and dancing in the fields. He was one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, the only one not to die as a martyr.

Born

at Athens, Greece

Died

  • between 710 and 724 in France of natural causes
  • legend says that those who attended his funeral heard choirs of angels singing and then fading away as they carried his soul to heaven
  • his tomb is in the crypt of the abbey church of Saint-Gilles in Gard, France
  • in 1562, Huguenots burned the abbey, murdered the monks, looted the church, and vandalized the tomb; the surviving relics of Saint Giles were distributed to other churches
  • in Scotland in the seventeenth century, his relics were stolen from a church which triggered a great riot

Canonized

  • Pre-Congregation

Patronage

  • abandoned people; against abandonment
  • against breast cancer
  • against epilepsy
  • against fear of night
  • against insanity
  • against leprosy
  • against mental illness
  • against noctiphobia
  • against sterility
  • beggars
  • blacksmiths
  • breast feeding
  • cancer patients
  • cripples
  • disabled people
  • epileptics
  • forests
  • handicapped people
  • hermits
  • horses
  • lepers
  • mentally ill people
  • mothers
  • noctiphobics
  • physically challenged people
  • paupers
  • poor people
  • rams
  • spur makers
  • woods
  • in Austria
    – Graz
    – Klagenfurt
  • in Italy
    – Altavilla Silentina
    – Camerata Nuova
    – Caprarola
    – Cavezzo
    – Latronico
    – Monte San Savino
    – Tolfa
    – Verrès
  • Edinburgh, Scotland

Representation

  • arrow
  • cave
  • crosier
  • deer, hind, doe, roe
  • hermitage
  • Benedictine monk accompanied by a hind
  • lilies growing in the sand (refers to a legend that says three lilies blossomed in dry sand as Giles explained three points to prove the perpetual virginity of Mary to a doubter)

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

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Saint Aidan of Lindesfarne

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Aidan was a monk at Iona, Scotland. He studied under Saint Senan at Inish Cathay. He became a Bishop of Clogher, Ireland. He resigned the see to became a monk at Iona c.630. He was an evangelizing bishop in Northumbria, England at the behest of his friend the king, Saint Oswald of Northumbria. Once when pagans attacked Oswald‘s forces at Bambrough, they piled wood around the city walls to burn it; Saint Aidan prayed for help, and a change in wind blew the smoke and flames over the pagan army.

Aidan was known for his knowledge of the Bible, his eloquent preaching, his personal holiness, simple life, scholarship, and charity. He was a miracle worker. He trained Saint Boswell. He founded the Lindesfarne monastery that became not only a religious standard bearer, but a great storehouse of European literature and learning during the dark ages. Saint Bede was lavish in his praise of the episcopal rule of Aidan.

Born

  • Irish

Died

  • 31 August 651 at Bamburg, England of natural causes
  • the young Saint Cuthbert of Lindisfarne, a shepherd in the fields at the time, saw Aidan’s soul rise to heaven as a shaft of light
  • buried at Lindesfarne

Canonized

  • Pre-Congregation

Patronage

  • in England
    – Bamburgh
    – Durham
    – Glastonbury
    – Lindisfarne Island
    – Whitby

Representation

  • calming a storm
  • extinguishing a fire
  • holding up a lighted torch
  • with a stag at his feet

Source: https://catholicsaints.info/saint-aidan-of-lindesfarne/

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Saint Fiacre

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Fiacre was the brother of Saint Syra of Troyes. He was raised in an Irish monastery, which in the 7th century were great repositories of learning, including the use of healing herbs, a skill studied by Fiacre. His knowledge and holiness caused followers to flock to him, which destroyed the holy isolation he sought.

Fleeing to France, he established a hermitage in a cave near a spring, and was given land for his hermitage by Saint Faro of Meaux, who was bishop at the time. Fiacre asked for land for a garden for food and healing herbs. The bishop said Fiacre could have as much land as he could entrench in one day. The next morning, Fiacre walked around the perimeter of the land he wanted, dragged his spade behind him. Wherever the spade touched, trees were toppled, bushes uprooted, and the soil was entrenched. A local woman heard of this, and claimed sorcery was involved, but the bishop decided it was a miracle. This garden, miraculously obtained, became a place of pilgrimage for centuries for those seeking healing.

Fiacre had the gift of healing by laying on his hands; blindness, polypus, and fevers are mentioned by the old records as being cured by his touch; he was especially effective against a type of tumour or fistula later known as “le fic de S. Fiacre”.

Fiacre’s connection to cab drivers is because the Hotel de Saint Fiacre in Paris, France rented carriages. People who had no idea who Fiacre was referred to the cabs as Fiacre cabs, and eventually just as fiacres. Those who drove them assumed Fiacre as their patron.

Died

  • 18 August 670 of natural causes
  • his relics have been distributed to several churches and cathedrals across Europe

Canonized

Pre-Congregation

Patronage

  • against barrenness
  • against blindness
  • against colic
  • against fever
  • against fistula
  • against haemorrhoids or piles
  • against headache
  • against sterility
  • against syphilis
  • against venereal disease
  • sick people
  • box makers
  • brass workers
  • cab drivers
  • coppersmiths
  • florists
  • gardeners
  • hat makers, cap makers
  • harvests
  • hosiers
  • lead workers
  • needle makers
  • pewterers, pewtersmiths
  • potters
  • taxi drivers
  • tile makers
  • trellis makers
  • Saint-Fiacre, Seine-et-Marne, France

Representation

  • man carrying a spade and a basket of vegetables beside him, surrounded by pilgrims and blessing the sick
  • Benedictine monk with a shovel
  • Benedictine monk with a heavy staff interceding for sick people
  • Benedictine monk with pilgrims
  • Benedictine monk with a basket of vegetables
  • shovel
  • spade

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

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The Passion of Saint John the Baptist, Martyr

c. 1 BC–c. 30; Patron Saint of baptism, bird dealers, converts, monastic life, motorways, printers, tailors, lambs, and prisoners; Invoked against epilepsy, convulsions, hailstorms, and spasms; Pre-Congregation canonization

John, the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth, was born approximately six months before the Savior of the World. He was likely born in the small, rural Jewish town of Ein Karem, located in the hill country about five miles west of Jerusalem. The surrounding land would have been utilized for agriculture and herding, centered around a town hub and water well. Uniquely, John was blessed with the presence of both the Son of God and the Mother of God at his birth. Many Catholic theologians, including the Angelic Doctor of the Church, Saint Thomas Aquinas, believe that while John was conceived in Original Sin, he was sanctified in the womb immediately after the Blessed Virgin Mary greeted his mother Elizabeth, several months prior to John’s birth. “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb…” (Luke 1:41). This leap in the womb has been interpreted as John’s sanctification by grace before he was born. Jesus would later say of John, “Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist” (Matthew 11:11).

Not much is known about John’s childhood other than what is stated in the Bible, “The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel” (Luke 1:80). Though he would have been raised devoutly in the Jewish faith by his parents in their hometown, John eventually entered the desert, about twenty miles east of his hometown, to live as a hermit, praying, practicing penance, and preparing for his mission.

John’s first mission was to serve as the precursor of the Lord. As the last of the Old Testament prophets and the first of the New Testament prophets, he bridges the gap to Christ. John’s mission was to precede Jesus “in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of fathers toward children and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to prepare a people fit for the Lord” (Luke 1:17). Sometime between the years 27–29, John received inspiration from God in the Judean desert and started to gather disciples whom he taught, called to repentance, and baptized with water. John’s preaching was fierce, branding some a “brood of vipers” and demanding evidence of their conversion. He called tax collectors, soldiers, religious leaders, the average townspeople, and even Herod to repent. Many responded.

John’s life reached its earthly climax when he saw Jesus, the Son of God, approaching him in the desert while he was baptizing. John immediately exclaimed, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. He is the one of whom I said, ‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’ I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel…Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God” (John 1:29–3134). John reluctantly baptized Jesus, after which the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus in a visible form and the Voice of the Father thundered, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). With that, John’s life began to recede into the background, “He must increase; I must decrease” (John 3:30).

Today, the Church commemorates one of the oldest feasts within the Church, the Memorial of the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist. Just as John preceded Jesus in birth, preaching, and baptizing, so too did he precede Jesus in death, dying as a prefiguration of the one who would give His life sacrificially on the Cross.

John’s death resulted from his bold proclamation of the truth. His call to repentance extended to everyone, including Herod Antipas, the tetrarch, ruler of Galilee and Perea. Although it appears that the area where John was preaching (the Jordan Valley) was not directly governed by Herod, Herod nonetheless was well aware of John’s preaching and his condemnation of him. As a result, Herod was able to have John arrested and imprisoned.

John was most likely imprisoned in a fortress constructed by Herod Antipas’ father, Herod the Great, named Machaerus, northwest of the Dead Sea, in modern-day Jordan. Alternatively, he might have been imprisoned in the Herodium, another palace under Herod’s control just south of Jerusalem.

Two of the Gospels narrate the story of John’s death: Matthew 14:1–12 and Mark 6:14–29. John’s criticism of Herod was specific. He condemned Herod’s unlawful marriage to his brother’s wife, Herodias. Though Herod seemed to fear John and his disciples because of John’s popularity and the power of his words, he decided to appease Herodias’ hatred of John for condemning her and Herod. On Herod’s birthday, Herodias’ daughter, traditionally named Salome, performed a dance for Herod and his guests that so pleased him that he promised her anything she asked of him, up to half of his kingdom. Her mother saw her opportunity for revenge and convinced her daughter to ask for the head of John the Baptist on a platter. In his weakness, Herod complied.

After John’s death, the Bible tells us that “His disciples came and took away the corpse and buried him; and they went and told Jesus” (Matthew 14:12). The news caused Jesus to withdraw alone in a boat to a deserted place to pray. Jesus not only grieved with human sorrow over the death of his cousin, but he also came face-to-face with the reality of His own fate. Thus, His time of prayer was a period in which He perfectly renewed His fidelity to the Mission on which He was sent, to give His life for the salvation of souls. Traditionally, it is believed that John’s body was buried in the town of Sebaste, about fifty miles north of Jerusalem. Various traditions have evolved over the centuries about what happened to his head. Some say Herodias buried it in a dung heap to hide it from his followers and it was later discovered, buried in the Mount of Olives, and today is preserved in the Church of San Silvestro in Capite, Rome, Italy. This tradition, among many others, is impossible to confirm.

As we honor this man so highly honored by our Lord, we also honor our Lord Himself. John’s life was given to the mission to which he was called. He never wavered and willingly accepted even death, rather than shy away from God’s will. He introduced the Lamb of God to the world and led the way for Jesus by his preaching, baptism of repentance, and death, which prefigured Jesus’ own death. As you ponder Saint John’s life, reflect especially upon the wholehearted commitment he made to selflessly give himself to the mission he received. Where you see hesitancy in your own life, take inspiration from Saint John the Baptist, praying that you will exemplify his courage and resolve to fulfill the will of God.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/august-29the-beheading-of-st-john-the-baptist/

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Saint Augustine of Hippo, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

354–430; Patron Saint of brewers, printers, and theologians; Invoked against sore eyes and vermin; Pre-Congregation canonization; Declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Boniface VIII in 1298; Referred to as “Doctor of Grace” by popular acclaim

Yesterday, the Church honored Saint Monica, the mother of today’s saint, Saint Augustine. Despite her challenging life, Monica fulfilled her most crucial duty as a mother and wife. She prayed for her family and demonstrated such compelling virtues that her husband, mother-in-law, and all three of her children were converted to Christ. Among them was Saint Augustine of Hippo, one of the Church’s most revered saints.

Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis, known as Augustine, was born in Tagaste, present-day Souk Ahras, Algeria, North Africa. He was the oldest of three children, including a younger brother and sister. His father, Patricius (Patrick) was not wealthy but had civic responsibilities in his city, which was part of the Roman Empire. His father was a pagan, known for his violent temper and immoral lifestyle. Augustine’s mother, known today as Saint Monica, struggled with alcohol at an early age but overcame that vice. She was raised a Christian and wholeheartedly embraced her Catholic faith. Despite suffering due to her husband’s temper and adulterous behavior, Monica was a model of charity, and her prayers eventually converted her whole family.

Augustine’s father would not permit his children to receive baptism, despite their mother’s pleas. Nevertheless, Monica ensured their catechetical formation from an early age, as well as an education in the classics. Monica’s faith instilled within Augustine an awareness of Christ his Savior, but that awareness never fully penetrated his young mind. Instead, he became a troublemaker. For instance, he and his friends once stole some pears, not because they were hungry or because the pears tasted good, but merely for the thrill of it. He later recounted in his Confessions, “I loved my own undoing. I loved my error—not that for which I erred but the error itself…seeking nothing from the shameful deed but shame itself. It was a love of sin.”

Because Augustine excelled in his studies in his hometown, his proud father decided to send him to the thriving nearby city of Carthage to continue his education, once he could find someone to pay for it. This took several months, and Augustine’s idleness during that time only led him into greater mischief. His father died that year, but a wealthy citizen of Tagaste offered to sponsor Augustine’s education. By the time he arrived in Carthage, he was ripe for a life of sin. Many of the other students lived immorally, the theaters stirred up his passions, and he became intoxicated by his literary successes. Shortly after his arrival, he moved in with a young woman and fathered a child out of wedlock. When he was nineteen, he read a book that would begin to change his life: Cicero’s Hortensius. Although that book is now lost to history, it extolled the virtue of wisdom. Reading it awakened a hunger for truth within Augustine, which he began to pursue earnestly. Unfortunately, at this time he started doubting his Christian faith, primarily due to his struggles with the Old Testament, which he perceived as violent and confusing. He then encountered the religious philosophy of Manichaeism, which claimed to have discovered secret knowledge and supported his view that the Bible had contradictions. Manichaeism looked at reality as a struggle between light and dark, good and evil. It regarded the created world as part of the dark side, aiming to trap us in darkness. This new religion influenced him, and he looked into it more. Although he never formally joined, he pursued their teachings in the hope of discovering the wisdom they promised. Several years later, he would abandon them altogether, especially after meeting their leader, Faustis, who proved a disappointment and less than wise.

When Augustine completed his studies in Carthage around the age of nineteen, he returned home to Tagaste with his girlfriend and son and began teaching grammar at a local school. When he told his mother he was considering becoming a Manichaean, she threw him out of her house but later reconciled with him due to divine inspiration she received. He was so successful as a teacher that he was invited back to Carthage a few years later to teach Rhetoric. After several successful years, he received an invitation to Rome, which was a great honor. When he informed his mother, she told him that she was going with him, to which he reluctantly agreed. However, Augustine tricked his mother and left for Rome without her. In Rome, he became disgusted with the students who cheated him out of tuition fees, and after a few years, accepted a position in Milan. It was in Milan, when Augustine was thirty years old, that his mother finally caught up with him and witnessed his conversion.

Still searching for the truth, Augustine met the future saint, Bishop Ambrose of Milan. Ambrose was a great thinker and preacher. He also paid attention to Augustine, listening to him, offering him friendship, and answering his many questions. Ambrose introduced him to the proper reading of the Bible, especially helping him with his difficulties with the Old Testament. When Ambrose came into conflict with the Empress Justina who was trying to take his Cathedral and make it Arian, Ambrose stood his ground in an act of great courage and defiance. She backed off and Augustine was greatly impressed.

One day while sitting in a garden, Augustine heard a child’s voice say to him, “Take and read.” Although he didn’t know where the voice came from, he picked up the Bible next to him and randomly opened to Romans 13:13-14 which read, “…let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in promiscuity and licentiousness, not in rivalry and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.” This passage affected him so deeply that he began his conversion in haste.

Augustine spent time with good Catholic friends and had lengthy conversations, which helped him immensely. His mother’s presence was also a great support. Although she was uneducated, her wisdom and insight into the truth were undeniable, and she always held her own with her well-educated son. All of this, coupled with Monica’s tearful prayers, led the thirty-two-year-old Augustine toward his final conversion and baptism the following year by Bishop Ambrose during the Easter Vigil in 387, along with his son. Once baptized, Augustine decided to return to his hometown with his mother, son, and friends. On the way, his mother fell ill just outside of Rome and died. Augustine later recounted her passing in the Confessions, which is one of the most beautiful depictions of a mother and son’s love ever written.

Upon returning to Tagaste, Augustine formed a religious community with his friends. His reputation within the Christian community grew quickly, and their hometown genius who had become a Catholic became a source of hope for many. By acclamation of the people, he became a priest in 391 and was consecrated as bishop of the nearby town of Hippo in 396. During his forty-three years as a Christian, Augustine became one of the greatest, if not the greatest, theologians in the history of the Church. His pastoral work with the people, his regular sermons, and his attentiveness to the people’s needs changed their lives. 

Augustine’s voluminous writings remain among the most read and quoted texts today. His works include apologetics, sermons, letters, scripture commentaries, a monastic rule, and philosophical and theological treatises. His greatest work, Confessions, is autobiographical, deeply personal, and humble. It traces his internal conversion and intersperses it with profound theological insights. In his other great work, City of God, he defends the faith and refutes the idea that the sack of Rome in 410 was caused by a rejection of pagan gods. Instead, he compares the city of man with the city of God, pointing society to the ideals to which it is called. He also wrote a famous work on the Trinity, among numerous other works. In total, over five million words written by Augustine have survived until today, numbering over 1,000 documents. In his last year of life, he witnessed the destruction of Hippo as the barbarians invaded, murdered, destroyed churches and buildings, and overthrew the town as they had done in Rome years earlier. They could not, however, destroy the lasting impact Saint Augustine would have. His influence extends far beyond the Church; he has profoundly impacted the entirety of Western thought. 

As we honor this pillar of wisdom, consider especially Augustine’s personal journey towards Christ. In many ways, Saint Augustine lived two lives. At first, he was a weak, confused, and sinful man. After that, he became a sinner who was redeemed and transformed by grace. His struggle led him to the truth and when that happened, God used him in extraordinary ways. His life can be summed up in one of his most famous quotes, “Our hearts were made for You, O Lord, and they are restless until they rest in you.” Ponder your own story of conversion, and especially any ways that you are restless. Follow this saint’s example and seek the Truth with all your heart, knowing that God will reveal Himself to you when you are ready, so that you can rest in Him.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/august-28st-augustine-of-hippo/

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Saint Monica

c. 332–387; Patron Saint of homemakers, married women, mothers, abuse victims, alcoholics, and widows; Invoked against difficult marriages and difficult children; Pre-Congregation canonization

Saint Monica, whom we honor today, was the mother of one of the greatest saints in the history of the Church: Saint Augustine. Monica was most likely born in Thagaste, present-day Souk Ahras, Algeria, North Africa, and was a member of the Berber tribe, a diverse group of peoples indigenous to North Africa prior to the arrival of the Arabs. Thagaste was then part of the Roman Empire, which had legalized Christianity just twenty years before Monica was born. She was raised in a Christian home and became quite devout. Because Christianity was still new to the Roman Empire, Christians were likely a minority at that time. Monica married a man named Patricius (Patrick), who was a pagan and said to have had a violent temper and an immoral lifestyle. Patricius’ mother lived with the couple and is said to have had the same violent temperament as her son. Monica and Patricius had three children: sons Augustine and Navigius and a daughter whose name is unknown.

Monica’s marriage and home life were difficult, but she was a woman of deep faith and prayer. Earlier in her life she had struggled with alcohol but overcame those difficulties. Once married, her husband opposed her Christian faith and prayer life, but he also saw in her something that led to his respect for her. She wanted to baptize her children when they were born, but Patricius refused permission. His refusal broke her heart and led to her unwavering prayers for her family. When Augustine became ill as a child, Patricius initially agreed to permit his baptism, but when the boy recovered, Patricius once again forbade it.

Monica’s only recourse was prayer. She prayed fervently for her family’s conversion, and her prayers began to take hold. Patricius admired Monica’s virtues and was deeply affected by her love for him. That, coupled with her prayers, led to Patricius’ conversion and baptism around the year 370. He died one year later. Patricius’ mother also converted.

Augustine, her oldest child, was around sixteen when his father died. He had received a good education as a youth at a school about twenty miles south of their hometown. When Augustine was seventeen, he was sent to Carthage, in modern-day Tunisia, to study rhetoric. Though part of the Roman Empire at that time, Carthage had its roots in Greek culture and had some of the best schools where many prominent figures in society were educated. In Carthage, Augustine was searching for truth. After reading Cicero’s dialogue Hortensius, his thirst for truth grew stronger. Around this time, Augustine met a woman with whom he lived and had a child, despite his mother’s strong warnings against fornication.

In Carthage, Augustine was introduced to the teachings of Mani, a man who claimed to be the final prophet in a line of prophets such as Buddha, Zoroaster, and Jesus. Mani taught that there was a fundamental conflict between two opposite, co-eternal principles: light and darkness. Light was good; darkness was evil. He taught that the material world was a union of light and darkness, good and evil, and that the goal of human life was to release the light trapped within the darkness of the material world. Augustine embraced this religion, becoming a Manichaean. But there was one problem Augustine would face: his mother’s prayers and faith were powerful.

When Augustine returned from school in Carthage, he began to teach in his hometown. It was then that he announced he had become a Manichaean. As a result, Monica threw him out of her house as an act of the deepest love. God then spoke to her in a vision that gave her hope for her son, and she reconciled with him.

Augustine decided to open a school of Rhetoric, and he could think of no better place to do so than Rome. Around the age of thirty-one, he informed his mother that he was going to Rome. Because of her motherly concern for her son and because she had seen her two other children convert and be baptized, she informed Augustine she was going with him. However, before she knew it, Augustine sneaked away and traveled to Rome without her. She would not give up, so she followed. By the time she arrived in Rome, Augustine had already left and taken a prestigious teaching position in Milan. She followed him there.

Over the next four years in Milan, Monica never gave up, praying for her son through tears. Since Augustine was impressed with intellectuals, he was drawn to the Catholic Bishop of Milan and future Saint Ambrose. Bishop Ambrose was an answer to a mother’s prayers. Around the year 387, at the age of thirty-three, Augustine converted to Christianity and was baptized by Bishop Ambrose.

Once converted, Augustine and his mother decided to return home to Thagaste, but Monica would never complete the trip. She fell ill and died in Ostia, a city just outside of Rome. Augustine went on to become one of the most influential theologians in the history of the Church. In his book, Confessions, Saint Augustine shares the beautiful story of his mother. He highlights all that we know about her. He shares her early struggle with alcohol. When Augustine went astray at Carthage, he recalls how she wept for him more than most mothers would weep over the death of their child. Augustine recounts how fervently his mother prayed while they were in Milan and sought the counsel of Bishop Ambrose. Augustine’s most tender description of his mother describes his relationship with her after his conversion, their conversations, and her death. She had a profound impact upon him, and he, in turn, has had a profound impact upon the entire Church.

Saint Monica endured a difficult life, but she persevered, overcame her difficulties, and devoted herself to a life of prayer and virtuous living. Her prayers and virtues first won over her husband and mother-in-law, then all three of her children. Though Saint Augustine is the most well known, this mother, daughter-in-law, and wife made a difference in the lives of her entire family. Saint Monica is seen by many as a model of hope for those whose family members have gone astray. As we honor her today, ponder the power of her prayers. As you do, be reminded that your prayers for your family are also powerful. If you have someone in your family who has gone astray, allow Saint Monica to inspire you and devote yourself to praying for them, so that each member of your family will share, one day, the glories of Heaven with you.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/st-monica-mother-of-st-augustine—august-27/

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Saint Joseph Calasanz, Priest

1556–1648; Patron Saint of Catholic schools (especially ones for the poor), colleges, and schoolchildren; Canonized by Pope Clement XIII on July 16, 1767

Joseph Calasanz was born near Peralta de la Sal, in the Kingdom of Aragon, modern-day Spain. While farming was the primary means of livelihood for most people in his hometown, Joseph’s parents were members of the nobility and devout Catholics who ensured that he was well educated and learned his catechism from a young age. One story relates that, as a boy, Joseph used to gather the other children and teach them about God. One day, after learning about the devil, he gathered some youth for an important mission: he wanted to kill the devil because the devil was God’s enemy.

Around the time Joseph turned fourteen, he was sent to a school about ten miles from his home, where he learned from the friars of the Trinitarian Order. It was then that he first sensed God calling him to become a priest. He was next sent to the University of Lleida, where he studied philosophy, earning a Doctorate in Laws with honors. Then he made the long journey south to study theology in Valencia before heading west to Madrid, where he completed his education.

Around that time, when Joseph was about twenty-six years old, his mother died. Though grief-stricken, he decided to fulfill the desire in his heart, informing his father that he wanted to become a priest. His father, however, wanted him to marry, since Joseph was the only surviving son to carry on the family name. Before the issue could be resolved, Joseph became ill and almost died. This so affected Joseph’s father that he changed his mind and permitted Joseph to be ordained. His ordination took place one year later on December 17, 1583.

For the next nine years, as a newly ordained priest with a sound education, Father Calasanz served in various capacities under two different bishops. He first served as theologian and confessor to Bishop della Figuera, as well as in important administrative positions. In 1587, Father Calasanz was summoned home to attend to his sick father who died shortly after his arrival. Bishop della Figuera also died around that time, so Father Calasanz began working as the Vicar General for the Bishop of Urgell, where he was ordained.

Less than five years later, in 1592, Father Calasanz heard God calling him to something new. Administrative work was not what God was calling him to for the rest of his life. This desire grew when he experienced a vision of himself teaching large numbers of children with the help of angels in the city of Rome. This vision impressed upon his heart so much that, at the age of thirty-five, he promptly responded to the call.

In Rome, Father Calasanz met Cardinal Marcantonio Colonna, who appointed him as his personal theologian and also had him tutor his nephew. He also joined the recently formed Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, which was established in Rome with the purpose of educating children in the faith. The problem Father Calasanz encountered was that there were many poor and orphaned children in Rome who were homeless and needed assistance. Seeing this broke his heart. Among their needs was catechesis, but they needed education and formation in every area of life. In response to these needs, Father Calasanz attempted to admit these children to a local school for free, but he met with roadblocks. The teachers, who already worked for low wages, were often unwilling to accept more children without pay. A local pastor, however, offered to help by allowing Father Calasanz to use some rooms at his church for classes. Soon, some other priests offered to help with the catechesis and in 1597, five years after arriving in Rome, Father Calasanz opened a school, the first free school for children in all of Europe.

Though the work began small, with only one school, the Holy Spirit soon flooded this good priest with an abundance of children and support. While the novelty of his approach resulted in resistance from some, others were impressed. From the pope and bishops, down to local priests and laity, many began to offer their support for his good work. In 1600, Father Calasanz opened his first “Pious School” in Rome and continued to expand. Two years later, he had around 1,000 children in his schools.

Around that time, Father Calasanz rented a house in Rome for himself and the priests who were assisting him so that they could form a community life together as they engaged in their work. Over the next fifteen years, Father Calasanz’s priestly companions grew to more than a dozen. These good priests sensed God calling them to form a religious order, so Father Calasanz formed a rule and presented it to the Holy Father. In 1617, Pope Paul V approved the rule submitted by Father Calasanz, and the “Pauline Congregation of the Poor of the Mother of God of the Pious Schools” (Piarist for short) was established as a congregation with simple vows. In addition to the normal vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, these fathers took a fourth vow of dedicating themselves to the free education of children, especially the poor. In 1621, the congregation was elevated to the status of a religious order by Pope Gregory XV, who gave them the name “Order of Poor Clerics Regular of the Mother of God of the Pious Schools.”

By the time of Father Calasanz’s death in 1648, the Piarist Fathers ran dozens of free schools throughout Europe. Father Calasanz created his own teaching methods and curriculum, which he instilled in his brother priests. They welcomed all students, including Jews and Protestants. In addition to catechism, they taught science, math, literature, and Latin. They focused on character formation, hygiene, and basic skills to promote healthy living. Though they disciplined the children, they sought to do so with mildness, preferring to anticipate problems and prevent them, rather than being harsh after the children went astray.

Saint Joseph Calasanz’ vision of educating poor children while surrounded by angels came true. He sensed God calling him to a particular mission and did not hesitate to fulfill that duty. God used him to care for the poorest and most vulnerable in society by raising those children up into well-formed adults through compassion, formation, and systematic education. His approach to free education flowed from Christian charity, and that charity grew and blossomed throughout the entire world. Today, the 1,400 Piarist Fathers extend from Europe to Asia, Africa, and North and South America.

As we honor this great saint who was both a founder and educator, ponder the important responsibility of forming children in the faith. As you do, reflect upon your role in this. If God is calling you in some way to engage in the apostolate of the education and formation of youth, do not hesitate to respond. If not, add this important mission to your daily prayers so that the laborers who are needed will fill this most important role in the lives of those who need it the most.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/st-joseph-calasanctius—august-25/

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