Daily Saints

Saint Damasus I, Pope

Patron Saint of archeologists

In 352, when Damasus was about forty-five, Liberius was chosen as the Bishop of Rome and served in that capacity for the next fourteen years. At the time of Liberius’ papal election, Damasus was an Archdeacon in Rome, serving at the Church of Saint Lawrence.

In 354, one of Constantine the Great’s sons, Emperor Constantius II, was co-emperor of the empire, along with his two brothers. Constantius II supported the Arian heresy that had been plaguing the Church for about thirty-five years, so he sent Pope Liberius into exile to a prison in Beroea for refusing to condemn Saint Athanasius, then the Archbishop of Alexandria, Egypt, for opposing Arianism.

Some records indicate that Archdeacon Damasus followed him into exile but returned to Rome shortly afterwards. At the time of Pope Liberius’ exile, Emperor Constantius II attempted to elect Felix II to the papacy. However, when the Roman citizens forced the emperor to recall Pope Liberius to Rome, Antipope Felix had to flee. Pope Liberius died in 366 in Rome.

At the death of Pope Liberius, Damasus was elected as the thirty-seventh Bishop of Rome around the age of sixty-one. Immediately, violent controversy ensued. Supporters of Antipope Felix, who had died a year earlier, rejected Damasus as pope and elected Ursicinus, another deacon in Rome. At that time, both the clergy and laity had a say in the election of their bishops. Emperors also expected the candidate-elect to be presented to him for approval.

When Pope Damasus and Antipope Ursicinus were simultaneously elected, the division became so severe that a reported 137 people were killed in the violent clashes. Eventually, the Roman civil authorities intervened and restored peace by supporting Pope Damasus and exiling Antipope Ursicinus. Pope Damasus’ enemies then accused him of murder and even adultery, but the pope rose above these calumnies.

Once Pope Damasus was securely established as the Bishop of Rome, he directed his efforts toward the governance of the Church and the preservation of orthodox doctrine. He convened synods in Rome to address heretical threats and to affirm the Nicene Creed. He remained a staunch opponent of Arianism, a heresy that persisted in various forms, despite being condemned at the First Council of Nicaea in 325. Pope Damasus was also concerned with the rising heresies of Macedonianism, which denied the full divinity of the Holy Spirit, and Apollinarianism, which denied the full humanity of Christ.

In 381, Pope Damasus appointed papal legates to represent him at the First Council of Constantinople, the second universal ecumenical council of the Catholic Church. This council not only condemned Macedonianism but also expanded the Nicene Creed to emphasize the divinity of the Holy Spirit. It also affirmed the human and divine natures of Christ, in opposition to Apollinaris’ teachings. Pope Damasus’ dedication to doctrinal orthodoxy significantly shaped the Church’s stance against these heresies and strengthened Nicene Christianity.

Perhaps one of the greatest contributions that Pope Damasus made to the Church was the commissioning of Saint Jerome to produce what is now known as the Vulgate Bible. In 382, Pope Damasus summoned the recently ordained Father Jerome from Constantinople to Rome to serve as his secretary and counselor.

Recognizing the need for a reliable Latin Bible due to the existence of many poor translations, all of which lacked cohesion, the pope commissioned Jerome to create a new Latin translation (the vernacular in the empire) from the original Greek and Hebrew sources. This new translation also had the effect of helping the Church to define which books of the Bible make up the inspired Word of God, the official canon. Jerome began this monumental task with the New Testament, translating it from Greek to Latin. Though it took him many years to complete, his translation became the standard Latin translation of the Bible and remains so today.

Pope Damasus also worked hard to improve the liturgy. He introduced the singing of psalms, helped develop the General Roman Calendar, restored churches, and commissioned sacred art. He had a great devotion to the saints (especially the martyrs), restored the catacombs in which they were buried, personally wrote poetic epitaphs for their tombs, and added special feast days in their honor.

Though today the authority of the successor of Saint Peter, the Bishop of Rome, is clearly established as being the supreme pastor of the Church, it was not so at that time. Pope Damasus was instrumental in helping to lay the theological groundwork for that doctrine as it continued to unfold for centuries, strenuously arguing that the see of the Bishop of Rome did not receive its authority from any Church council but from Jesus Himself Who said, “And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).

In 380, Emperor Theodosius I, along with co-Emperors Gratian and Valentinian II, issued the Edict of Thessalonica, which declared that the Christian faith, as defined by the teachings of the Councils of Nicaea and Constantinople, was the official religion of the Roman Empire. This edict helped to further eliminate Arianism and other heresies. It is hard to predict what would have happened during that period had Pope Saint Damasus not been such a strong leader in orthodoxy.

Pope Saint Damasus lived and served during a transformative time for the Church. He was born during the worst imperial persecution of Christians but saw religious tolerance established with the Edict of Milan and saw Christianity become the official religion of the Roman Empire four years before his death.

As we honor this great saint, who had such a reverence for the saints who had gone before him, ponder the fact that our Church today professes the faith that he so vigorously fought to defend and define. His doctrinal purity, love for the liturgy, veneration for the saints, and pastoral ministry all contributed to the fruitful growth of the Church throughout Europe, and eventually to the ends of the earth. Commit yourself more fully to imitate Saint Damasus’ love for the orthodox faith so that you will share more fully in the sanctity that he now shares in Heaven.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/11-december-saint-damasus-i-pope–optional-memorial

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Our Lady of Loreto

Daily Saints

Today’s memorial celebrates one of the most revered relics within the Christian world—The Holy House of Loreto. This small house, which measures 31×13 feet, rests today in Loreto, Italy, inside the Basilica of the Holy House. In the first century, the Apostles revered the Holy House when it was attached to the opening of a cave that completed the home of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph in Nazareth. It is also believed to have been the place where the Annunciation took place, making it the location where the Word became flesh within the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Some traditions also state that the Blessed Virgin Mary was born and raised in this house, but other traditions state she was born in Jerusalem and raised in the Temple. Within the house is the “Altar of the Apostles,” traditionally believed to have been built by the Apostles after the Ascension of Jesus into Heaven, with Saint Peter being the first to offer Mass there. There is also a wooden statue in the altar of the Blessed Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child. The statue of Our Lady of Loreto is a replica of the earlier statue that was destroyed in a fire in the early twentieth century.

This Holy House has a long and legendary history, the truth of which will only be known in Heaven. In the fourth century, one tradition holds that Emperor Constantine the Great, with the help of his mother Saint Helena, commissioned the building of a basilica over the Holy House in Nazareth at the same time the Church of the Holy Sepulchre was built in Jerusalem and the Church of the Nativity was built in Bethlehem. At least by the end of the fifth century, pilgrimages were made to the Holy House in Nazareth.

In the seventh century, Muslims invaded the Holy Land and destroyed the Church over the Holy House. The ruins remained until the Crusaders took back the Holy Land in the eleventh century and built a new Church over the Holy House. Muslims retook the territory of Nazareth in the late twelfth century but permitted the Franciscans to maintain the Holy House. In 1260, however, the invaders destroyed the basilica. Fighting continued until the Christian Crusaders were completely driven out in 1291.

Just prior to the Crusaders leaving the port of Acre, legend holds that on May 12, 1291, angels transferred the Holy House in Nazareth to the small town of Tersatto, modern-day Trsat, Croatia, where it remained for three and a half years. The locals were shocked at its arrival. When they entered, they saw the altar with a cedar statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child. A few days later, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to a priest in the Holy House, revealing to him its sacred origin. The Blessed Mother then healed the priest of an illness he had been suffering from as proof of what she had said.

The Holy House quickly became a place of pilgrimage for the locals and a much-beloved object of devotion. The legend continues that on December 10, 1294, the house was once again picked up by angels and moved to Italy. The heartbroken people of Tersatto built a replica and wrote the words, “The Holy House of the Virgin Mary came from Nazareth on May 10, 1291, and stayed here until December 10, 1294.” Today the spot is marked by the Shrine of Our Lady of Trsat and a Franciscan monastery, which make up one of the most important pilgrim sites in Croatia.

Upon the arrival of the Holy House in Italy, legend holds that it landed on a hillside overlooking the port of Ancona where it stayed for nine months. Today that spot has a shrine, and the town is called Posatora, from the Latin posat et ora, meaning “to land and pray.” The legend continues that in 1295, the Holy House moved about twenty miles south to a laurel grove near the town of Recanati. Eight months later, the Holy House was transported to a farm owned by two brothers of the Antici family, and four months later it was moved for the final time to the middle of a public road where it sits today, in modern-day Loreto, Italy. The name “Loreto,” could be derived from the Latin word lauretum, which means “place of laurels.”

Upon its final arrival, the people did not know where the house came from until the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to a hermit, telling him the history and significance of the house. The hermit then told the townspeople, who verified the story by traveling to Tersatto and then to Nazareth. Today, the Holy House is enshrined in a marble frame; its marble exterior sits inside the large Basilica of the Holy House in Loreto.

In the year 1900, a member of the papal household is said to have discovered documents in the Vatican archives that offer a different story about the transfer of the Holy House. In 1291, just prior to the Crusaders leaving the Holy Land, a noble Byzantine family named the Angeli family paid for the removal of the relic and its transfer, probably by ship, to Croatia and then Italy. The name “Angeli,” which means “angels,” could account for the origin of the tradition that angels carried the house from Nazareth. Certainly, this is a very plausible explanation.

However, it’s interesting to note that the eighteenth century mystic, Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich, stated, “I have often in vision witnessed the transporting of the Holy House to Loreto. For a long time, I could not believe it, and yet I continued to see it. I saw the Holy House borne over the sea by seven angels. It had no foundation, but there was under it a shining surface of light…”

Before discounting the miraculous transportation of the house, it is worth noting some scientific evidence. First, the mortar and stones used in the walls of the house come from the Nazareth area and are not found anywhere in Italy. Second, there are no cracks in the walls, indicating they were never dismantled and glued back together. Third, the size of the house matches perfectly the foundation in Nazareth from where it is believed to have come, but it would have been difficult to rebuild the house to the original dimensions. Fourth, in the thirteenth century, transporting a house, without first completely dismantling it, would have been nearly impossible. Fifth, the house landed on a public road, and the road can be seen under the foundation of the house today.

At that time, it was not permissible to build a house on a public road, so if it was reconstructed, why choose that spot? Lastly, the fact that there is such a strong tradition of devotion to the house in Croatia and also where the house initially landed in Italy suggests that the miraculous moving of the house truly took place. For these reasons, some might argue that the angelic transportation of the Holy House is actually a far more likely conclusion than the physical transportation of the house by the Crusaders at the direction of the Angeli family.

Regardless of how the Holy House arrived in Italy, it remains a place of deep devotion. Over the centuries, more than 150 canonized saints have made pilgrimages there. Many popes, kings, queens, and other royalty have visited the House, and countless others have been inspired by the story.

As we celebrate this Holy House today and honor the image of Our Lady of Loreto that resides in that house, ponder Jesus, Mary, and Joseph living there. That house should be seen as an image of our souls in which the Christ Child lives and dwells. When Christ lives within us, our homes will better reflect the environment of the home of the Holy Family. The charity and every other virtue lived within the walls of that home must also permeate our lives, families, and our entire world. Only through the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the grace of her divine Son will this be possible.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/our-lady-of-loreto/

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Saint Juan Diego, Hermit

Daily Saints

Patron Saint of Indigenous peoples

Juan Diego was born in the city of Cuautlitlán, just north of Tenochtitlan. He was given the name Cuauhtlatoatzin at birth, which means “the talking eagle.”

In 1521, Hernán Cortés, the Spanish conquistador, successfully defeated the Aztec Empire by capturing Tenochtitlan.

Shortly after the founding of New Spain, twelve Franciscan missionaries arrived and began to evangelize. The friars served the needs of the Spaniards but also focused their efforts on evangelizing the natives. Around the year 1524, Cuauhtlatoatzin and his wife were among those to hear the Gospel and receive baptism. They received Christian names, Juan Diego and María Lucía.

In 1528, Bishop Juan de Zumárraga arrived in Mexico City from Spain, becoming the colony’s first bishop. Under Bishop de Zumárraga, the Franciscans continued to share the Gospel with the natives, but conversions were challenging since many of the Spanish settlers treated the natives cruelly. Although the bishop and Franciscans tried to defend the rights and dignity of the indigenous, they often met with strong resistance from the Spanish colonizers. Divine intervention was needed.

After his baptism, Juan Diego began the practice of walking from his home to the Franciscan mission in Tlatelolco to receive ongoing religious instruction and attend daily Mass. On December 9, 1531, Juan was making one such journey. When he passed by Tepeyac Hill, much to his surprise, he encountered a heavenly woman who appeared as a mestiza (a mixture of Spanish and Indigenous features) and spoke in the local Nahuatl language. She announced herself as the Ever-Virgin Mary, Mother of God, and instructed Juan to go to the bishop and tell him to build a chapel on Tepeyac Hill.

Juan fulfilled her request, but the bishop was hesitant. Later that evening, as Juan was returning home, the Mother of God appeared to him again, and he informed her that he had failed to convince the bishop. He suggested that she pick someone of more importance for her mission. The Mother of God assured him that he was her choice and asked him to return to the bishop. He went the following morning and repeated the request. This time, the bishop appeared to be open but asked for a sign to prove the apparition was truly from Heaven. Juan returned to the Mother of God, and she agreed to provide a sign the following day.

The next day, December 11, Juan Diego’s uncle, Juan Bernardino, became ill. Juan Diego tended to him, so he was unable to meet his heavenly visitor at Tepeyac Hill. During the night, Juan Bernardino took a turn for the worse and was on the verge of dying. Early on the morning of December 12, Juan Diego set off for Tlatelolco to get a priest to administer the last sacraments to his uncle. Since he was in a hurry and because he had failed to return to the Mother of God on Tepeyac Hill on December 11, Juan took a different route around the hill to try to avoid her.

As he journeyed, the Mother of God appeared to him on the alternate route and asked where he was going. Juan shared the news about his uncle, explaining that his illness was the reason he had failed to show up the previous day for the promised sign. The Mother of God lovingly scolded Juan for his lack of faith, saying to him, “Am I not here, I who am your mother?” She informed him that his uncle had already recovered from his illness and then instructed Juan to climb the hill where he would find flowers not usually in bloom at that time of year.

Sure enough, on the rocky peak where normally only weeds and cacti grew, there were beautiful roses. Juan picked them and placed them in his cloak, called a tilma. When he climbed down, the Mother of God rearranged the flowers and told him to bring them to the bishop as his sign. When Juan was brought into the presence of the bishop, he opened his tilma, and the flowers fell to the ground. At the same time, an image of the Mother of God appeared on the tilma, just as she had appeared to Juan. The bishop immediately fell to his knees and believed.

The following day, Juan Diego went to check on his uncle and found him fully recovered. His uncle informed him that the Mother of God had appeared to him also and healed him. She instructed him to present himself to the bishop and tell the bishop about the apparition and his miraculous healing.

After keeping Juan Diego’s tilma in his private chapel at first, the bishop had a small chapel erected on the Tepeyac Hill. On December 26, 1531, he led a procession with the tilma to the chapel. On the way, a man in the procession was accidentally struck in the neck with an arrow that was intended to be part of a display in honor of the Mother of God. The wound was serious and his death was imminent. He was placed before the holy image, the arrow was removed, those gathered beseeched the Mother of God to heal him, and he instantaneously recovered.

This entire experience profoundly affected Juan Diego. Prior to the apparition he already had a strong faith, but afterwards it became even stronger. According to some early sources, Juan Diego’s wife had passed away in 1529, two years prior to the apparition. After the apparition, Juan received permission from the bishop to erect a small hut near the chapel where he lived for the next sixteen years as a hermit, caring for the chapel and image, and welcoming visitors who came to venerate it.

According to the official biography from the Vatican that was prepared on the occasion of Saint Juan Diego’s canonization, “Juan Diego received the grace of interior enlightenment and from that moment, he began a life dedicated to prayer and the practice of virtue and boundless love of God and neighbor.”

Today, Saint Juan Diego’s tilma is enshrined in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. The tilma itself is truly miraculous. Although it was made of plant fibers that normally disintegrate after about fifteen years, it remains in perfect shape today. The image does not have any brush marks, instead appearing to have been miraculously imprinted upon the fiber.

Perhaps the greatest miracle is that this apparition helped bring about the Christianization of the Americas, especially Mexico. By appearing as a mixed race of Spanish and Indigenous, Our Lady offered an invitation to the Indigenous to accept the Gospel from the Spaniards. She bridged the gap between the two cultures and won over many souls.

As we honor Saint Juan Diego, we also anticipate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe in three days, on December 12. Today, however, we ponder this humble and simple man who quickly responded to the grace of God when the Franciscan friars shared the Gospel with him and lovingly responded to the wishes of the Mother of God. His first conversion took place at baptism, but his second conversion could be said to have taken place after the apparition when he more fully dedicated himself to a life of prayer and service of God.

Ponder the amazing fact that the Ever-Virgin Mary, Mother of God, chose the humblest of her sons to be the instrument of the greatest of miracles. As you do, know that God can do great things through you if you humble yourself in imitation of Saint Juan Diego.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/9-december-saint-juan-diego–optional-memorial

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Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Daily Saints

Patronal Feast of the United States—Holy Day of Obligation

In 1854, Pope Pius IX issued an apostolic constitution called Ineffabilis Deus by which he declared the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary to be a dogma of faith. This definition was a response to the longstanding devotion and theological consensus that had built up over the centuries. By declaring a dogma of faith, the Holy Father used his highest papal teaching authority, binding every Catholic to accept this teaching.

Ineffabilis Deus begins by stating that the creation of the Blessed Virgin Mary was in the mind of God from all eternity. She is the Father’s “singular delight,” and “under God, one cannot even imagine anything greater, and which, outside of God, no mind can succeed in comprehending fully.” This statement should leave us with a profound faith in the Immaculate Conception and an acknowledgment of the great and incomprehensible mystery we celebrate.

Only in Heaven, as we behold the Beatific Vision, will our minds also behold the beauty and profound mystery of God’s greatest act of creation in the person of the Mother of God. Her life is not an end in itself. She is not worshiped. She is not God. She is, however, to be loved and honored in a singularly unique way, for she is God’s most glorious creation and will be honored as such forever.

The first thing we must know about our Immaculate Mother is that she needed a Savior, just as all humans do. Her Savior is her Son, just as He is our Savior. However, in her, salvation was given “by a singular grace and privilege.” We are saved by the washing away of original sin through baptism.

The Blessed Virgin Mary was preserved from original sin from the first moment of her conception. She still suffered the effects of original sin, just as her Son did, in that He suffered and died. But her salvation transcended time in that the merits of salvation won by her Son Jesus’ Incarnation, death, and resurrection saved her from original sin at the very moment of her creation.

Mary’s role is first alluded to in the book of Genesis. We read about the fall of Adam and Eve, introducing Original Sin into human nature, thus requiring a Savior. Genesis 3:15 presents what many have called the Protoevangelium or “First Gospel” because, in mysterious language, it presents Christ as the New Adam and the Blessed Virgin Mary as the new Eve: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; They will strike at your head, while you strike at their heel.”

The “enmity” between the serpent and the “woman” reveals Mary’s complete opposition to the evil one and to sin. The “offspring” is Jesus and He will crush the head of satan, destroying sin and evil forever. This passage also reveals that Jesus invites His mother to participate in this act of salvation in a unique way. “They will strike at your head…” implying both Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary overcame sin and satan together, by the power of God, but through the motherhood of Mary, the new mother of all the living and the mother of those in the new order of grace.

The Blessed Virgin Mary has also been traditionally seen as the new Ark of the Covenant. The first Ark was a sacred vessel that contained the Ten Commandments, manna, and Aaron’s rod. The Ark was a symbol of God’s divine presence that only the High Priest could approach once a year after rigorous purification rituals. The Blessed Virgin Mary, being the new Ark of the Covenant, should also be treated with the greatest veneration, for she bore the divine within her womb and He came forth from her own body. Only the Great High Priest, Jesus her Son, could dare to approach and dwell within her.

At the Annunciation, the Archangel Gabriel came to the Virgin and said, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!” (Luke 1:28). This passage points to the Immaculate nature of the Blessed Virgin Mary. To be “full of grace” affirms the fact that grace so permeated Mary’s soul that sin had no place within her. Not only was she created free from sin, she also remained sinless throughout her life through the merit of her ongoing assent to God. Her prayerful response to the archangel was not only her response at that moment but was her continuous response to God throughout her life, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38).

From at least the seventh century, churches in the East celebrated in the liturgy Mary’s conception in Saint Anne’s womb. The Church in the West soon followed, emphasizing the immaculate nature of her conception. In the fifteenth century, Pope Sixtus IV approved a liturgical celebration for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and then extended that feast to the entire Western Church. In the centuries that followed, successive popes issued clearer teachings in support of the definition of the Immaculate Conception. Because of this ongoing and deepening definition of the Immaculate Conception, Pope Pius IX lifted this teaching to the highest level possible when he issued Ineffabilis Deus in 1854.

If we turn again to the beginning of that constitution in which the Holy Father said that “no mind can succeed in comprehending fully” the Blessed Virgin Mary, then we will realize that the little we know and understand about her remains a deep mystery that we will only fully comprehend in Heaven. Therefore, as we honor the Immaculate Conception and Mary’s immaculate nature, we also must anticipate a continual unfolding of who she is.

The dogma of the Immaculate Conception was not the end but the beginning. After that pronouncement, subsequent popes have continued to deepen their teaching on her. In 1904, Pope Pius X spoke of Mary as the Mediatrix of Graces. In 1950, Pope Pius XII defined the dogma of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven; in 1954, he established the Feast of the Queenship of Mary. Vatican II spoke of Mary as Mother of the Church and the Mediatrix of Grace.

As we celebrate this great Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, try to ponder the incomprehensible nature of the Mother of God. Knowing that she is an impenetrable mystery will help us honor her with the reverence and awe she deserves. The best news of all to ponder is that this perfect creation of God is not a distant icon to adore, she is our own caring mother, a mediatrix of God’s grace. Her tender care for her children will never waver, and her intercession will always bring to us all good things we need to achieve salvation.

Source: https://dosjfm.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=10510&action=elementor

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Saint Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor

Daily Saints

Patron Saint of beekeepers, bishops, candlemakers, domestic animals, geese, honey cake bakers, learning, livestock, police officers, schoolchildren, security personnel, starlings, and wax refiners

In 1298, Pope Boniface VIII named today’s saint as one of the four original Doctors of the Church, along with Saints Augustine, Jerome, and Gregory the Great, cementing his importance in the history of the Church.

When Ambrose was around the age of thirty, he was appointed as Governor of the Provinces of Emilia and Liguria, a region that included Milan. This position was considered a stepping stone to higher political roles. While Ambrose served as governor, the Church was suffering from internal divisions due to the ongoing effects of the Arian heresy. Despite Arianism’s condemnation in 325 at the Council of Nicaea, many laity, clergy, and even bishops refused to reject the heresy and accept the Nicene Creed.

In 374, when Ambrose was about thirty-five, the Arian Bishop of Milan passed away. The city found itself in religious turmoil between the Arians and the Catholics. Ambrose, concerned for the peace of the city, personally offered to supervise the election of a new bishop. The eloquence with which he handled the situation had an unexpected effect.

Both sides respected him—Catholics for his faith and Arians for his honor. As a result, the crowd began chanting “Ambrose for bishop!” Frightened, Ambrose fled. He argued that he had no theological training and had not even been baptized. However, when Emperor Gratian approved his appointment, Ambrose reluctantly agreed. He was baptized, ordained as a priest, and then consecrated a bishop.

After his consecration, Bishop Ambrose began an intense period of theological and scriptural study. Because he was already well versed in Greek, Latin, and the classics, he quickly mastered Catholic theology. He was also quick to learn the Old Testament and the progression of salvation history. His approach to the Scriptures was unique in that he often read it silently, reflecting upon the meaning in his heart.

At that time, Scripture was normally read aloud. This practice of interiorly reading Scripture is known today as lectio divina and has become the standard method of praying with the Scriptures. This interior reading of Scripture, coupled with his training in rhetoric, proved invaluable when he became a preacher, drawing large crowds to packed churches.

Ambrose fully committed himself to his new ecclesiastical mission. He quickly realized that he not only needed to learn and proclaim the orthodox faith, he also needed to live it. Shortly after his ordination, he gave away most of his wealth and land, only keeping what was necessary to ensure the well-being of his sister and family.

As Bishop Ambrose’s reputation spread, he caught the attention of Augustine of Hippo, who followed the philosophy of Manichaeism. Augustine moved to Milan to take up a teaching position and began to listen to Bishop Ambrose preach. Augustine’s mother, Monica, had relentlessly prayed for her son’s conversion and asked Bishop Ambrose to intervene. Though Bishop Ambrose’s preaching and teaching had a powerful effect upon Augustine, it was the bishop’s personal life that affected Augustine the most.

Augustine saw in Bishop Ambrose not only a man filled with wisdom and understanding, which were qualities that Augustine had been searching for his whole life, but also a man who cherished those eternal truths in his heart and lived them out. For example, when he saw the bishop reading the Scriptures silently, he sensed he was truly internalizing the message. This led Augustine to open the Scriptures and ponder them himself, leading to his conversion and baptism and to his being celebrated as one of the most influential saints in the history of the Church and even upon the whole of Western culture.

Bishop Ambrose also held great influence over the Roman emperors. Emperor Gratian had a good friendship with Ambrose and was the one who told him to accept his election as bishop. Bishop Ambrose later successfully encouraged the emperor to remove the pagan Altar of Victory from the Roman Senate.

When Emperor Valentinian II came to power as a youth, his Arian mother, Empress Justina, acted as his regent. In her support of Arianism, Justina ordered Bishop Ambrose to turn over a church in Milan to the Arian bishop. He refused, writing to her, “If you demand my person, I am ready to submit: carry me to prison or to death, I will not resist; but I will never betray the Church of Christ.” Bishop Ambrose and his people locked themselves in the church and refused to leave.

Saint Augustine wrote of this incident in the Confessions, saying, “The devout people kept watch in the Church, ready to die with their Bishop Thy servant” (Book IX). Seeing no way to convince the bishop and his people, the empress acquiesced.

In addition to being an outstanding pastor to his people and a powerful preacher, Saint Ambrose left behind a wealth of writings that have had a great impact on the Church’s theological tradition. In his writings, he is especially known for his refutation of Arianism and his teaching on the true nature of Christ and the Holy Spirit. He also wrote on the Sacraments, virginity, ethics, penance, and the duties of the clergy, and penned commentaries on Sacred Scripture. He left behind many letters of great importance, composed hymns, and wrote beautifully about our Blessed Mother.

As we ponder the life of Saint Ambrose, reflect upon his sudden and unexpected election as Bishop of Milan. Though he had his eyes on an important political career, God’s will was different; therefore, Ambrose cooperated with the divine will. As you ponder his life, consider any ways that your own will differs from God’s will for you. As you do, try to imitate Saint Ambrose by choosing the divine will and letting go of your own preferences and plans.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/7-december-saint-ambrose-bishop-and-doctor–memorial

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Saint Nicholas, Bishop

Daily Saints

Patron Saint of children, sailors, merchants, archers, repentant thieves, brewers, pawnbrokers, unmarried people, Russia, and numerous countries and cities

Saint Nicholas of Myra, also known as Nicholas of Bari, Nicholas the Wonderworker, and Saint Nick, was a fourth-century bishop in Myra, Asia Minor, modern-day Demre, Turkey. His life is also the origin of the legend of Santa Claus. By the sixth century, his tomb had become widely venerated because of the numerous reported miracles worked through his intercession. In the eleventh century, his body was transferred to Bari, Italy, where it remains today.

To this day, his bodily remains excrete a liquid, at first thought to be an oil but now believed to be water, which is collected, mixed with holy water, and distributed to the faithful in bottles every May 9, the day his remains arrived in Bari. The liquid is commonly referred to as the “Manna of Saint Nicholas” and is believed to contain miraculous healing power. For this reason, along with the mythical character of Santa Claus, he remains a highly venerated saint within the Church.

Very little is known about Saint Nicholas that is historically verifiable. What we do know is that he was the Bishop of Myra, most likely suffered imprisonment during the persecution of Roman Emperor Diocletian, and was one of the bishops who attended the Council of Nicaea in 325. In addition to these historical details, many later legends have developed about his life.

Nicholas was born into an affluent and devout Christian family. When Nicholas was young, his parents died from an epidemic, leaving him an orphan and heir to his family wealth. Conscious of the exhortation Jesus gave to the rich young man to “sell what you have and give to the poor,” Nicholas did exactly that. He sold his inheritance and distributed it to those in need. Some accounts of his life state that his uncle instead was the Bishop of Myra and that he ordained Nicholas a priest.

One popular legend is that among the recipients of his wealth were three girls whose father could not afford dowries for them to be married. Their future options were grim and included the possibility of their resorting to prostitution to survive. When Nicholas found out about this dire situation, he threw a bag of gold through the window of their home that the father used as a dowry for his first daughter. Nicholas then did this a second time.

After the second daughter was married, the father stayed up all night waiting for a third bag of money. When Nicholas threw the third bag through the window, the father ran out and thanked him. Nicholas asked him not to tell anyone. One version of the story states that each night, the bag of gold landed in stockings hung by the fire to dry, leading to the Christmas tradition of placing stockings out for Saint Nick, who secretly fills them.

In another popular story, Nicholas was traveling to the Holy Land by ship. A storm suddenly arose, and the crew were fearful for their lives. Nicholas prayed, and the storm ceased. For this reason, Saint Nicholas is patron saint of sailors and those taking sea voyages.

How Nicholas became a bishop is a mystery. One version of the story is that shortly after Father Nicholas’ return from the Holy Land, the bishop of Myra died. The clergy of Myra then gathered to pick a successor. During their meeting, God inspired them to pick the first person to enter their church the following morning. Because Father Nicholas had spent the entire night in prayer, he was the first person in the church and was chosen bishop.

During his time as Bishop of Myra, a great persecution broke out in the Roman Empire under Emperor Diocletian. In 303, Diocletian, Maximian, Galerius, and Constantius—who made up a tetrarchy that governed the whole Roman Empire—issued a series of edicts outlawing Christianity and imposing the penalties of torture and death on those who practiced the faith. This was the last and the most violent persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire. At some point, between the years of 303 and 306, Bishop Nicholas was among those arrested and tortured.

In 305, Diocletian renounced the throne, and in 306, Caesar Constantius died. Constantius’ son, Constantine, then became Caesar in his place and ordered Bishop Nicholas’ release. In 312, Constantine is said to have seen a vision of the Cross with the words, “In this sign, you will conquer.” In 313, he and his co-emperor Licinius issued the Edict of Milan, granting religious tolerance to Christians.

An early list of the bishops who attended the Council of Nicaea in 325 includes Bishop Nicholas. That council was called to address the heresy of Arianism that denied the full divinity of Christ, asserting that the Son was a created being and not co-eternal with the Father. Some legends relate that Bishop Nicholas was so appalled by the Arians at the council that he slapped one of them across the face, was imprisoned for that act, but was released by Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Other accounts state that the heretic he slapped was Arius himself. The slap is a common motif in sacred art, including Orthodox iconography.

Other legends abound about Saint Nicholas. He is said to have won the release of various individuals unjustly condemned to death, going so far as to stay the sword of the executioner. During a famine, an evil butcher killed three children and pickled their remains to sell them as ham. Bishop Nicholas intervened and raised the pickled children from the dead. While shocking to the modern hearer, the story was widely told in the Middle Ages.

An image of that miracle is found in sacred art and is one of the reasons many came to consider Saint Nicholas as the patron saint of children. Still another story relates that during another famine, a ship full of wheat for the emperor arrived in Myra. Bishop Nicholas convinced the sailors to give him enough to feed the people for two years, promising them that the emperor would still receive all his wheat. When the trusting sailors delivered the rest of the wheat to the emperor, it weighed the same as when it was loaded, despite much of it having been given to the people of Myra.

Bishop Nicholas died on or around December 6, 346 (the year of death varies by source), and was canonized by popular acclaim. His feast day became a day when the faithful performed charitable works, especially toward children, a custom that continues today. In 1054, the Catholic Church split between the East and West, resulting in the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.

This left the remains of Saint Nicholas in the hands of the Orthodox. In 1071, the Seljuk Turks captured Orthodox-controlled Myra. In 1087, fearful that the Turks would mistreat the relics of their revered saint, Catholic Italian sailors from Bari took part of Saint Nicholas’s remains from his Myra tomb and brought them to Bari, Italy, where the pope later had a church built in the saint’s honor.

Though most of what we know about Saint Nicholas’ life is legendary rather than historically certain, those legends have added much to the faith of the people of God throughout the centuries. These tales have inspired faith and hope and have led to numerous reported miracles.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/december-6—saint-nicholas-bishop–optional-memorial

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Saint Sabbas of Mar Saba

Daily Saints

Profile

Sabbas was a spiritual student of Saint Euthymius the Great at age 20. Anchorite from age 30, living in a cave, he devoted himself to prayer and manual labor. He wove ten willow baskets each day. On Saturday he would take them to the local monastery, led by Saint Euthymius, and trade them for a week’s food, and a week’s worth of willow wands for more baskets. He took over leadership of the monks upon the death of Saint Euthymius. He was a co-superior with Saint Theodosius over 1,000 monks and hermits in the region.

Sabbas was a simple man with little education, but with a firm belief in the spiritual benefits of simple living. The combination of his lack of education and his severe austerities caused some of his charges to rebel. Sabbas tired of the squabbling, and he missed his time in prayer, so he fled to TransJordania. There he found a cave inhabited by a lion; the lion moved on, finding a new home, and giving the cave to the holy man.

A distorted version of this tale reached the rebellious monks; they seized on it, reported to the patriarch that Sabbas had been killed by a lion, and requested a new leader be appointed. As this message was being formally presented to the patriarch, Sabbas walked into the room. This led to a confrontation during which the complaints of the monks were aired. However, the patriach took Sabbas’s side, and the two restored order and discipline to the lives of the anchorites.

Sabbas led a peaceful uprising of 10,000 monks who demanded the end of the persecutions of Palestinian bishops of Anastatius I.

At age 90, Sabbas travelled to Constantinople where he successfully pled for clemency from Justinian for Samarians who were in revolt.

Born

439 at Motalala, Cappadocia

Died

532 of natural causes
relics enshrined in Venice, Italy

Canonized

Pre-Congregation

Representation

man holding the rule of his monastery in his hand
man seated at the edge of a cliff
man praying in a cave with a lion nearby

Source: https://catholicsaints.info/saint-sabbas-of-mar-saba/

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Saint John Damascene, Priest, Religious and Doctor

Daily Saints

Patron Saint of pharmacists, icon painters, and theology students Pre-Congregation canonization Declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Leo XIII in 1890

As a monk, John spent his first two decades growing in spiritual perfection. Under the guidance of his spiritual director, he embraced monastic disciplines, such as renouncing his own will, avoiding worldly attachments, dedicating all actions to God, rooting out pride, rejecting the seeking out of extraordinary spiritual experiences, eliminating worldly thoughts, and maintaining silence. He fulfilled every humble task his superiors assigned him. He studied, prayed, did penance, and continuously entrusted himself to His merciful God.

John advanced so greatly in the spiritual life, humility, and learning, that his superiors deemed him worthy of priestly ordination, which was uncommon among the monks. They also believed that, as a priest, he could offer great service to the Church through ministry and writing. Thus, John was ordained and instructed by his superiors to address important theological issues within the Caliphate and Byzantine Empire.

According to various early sources, the first issue arose from Yazid ibn Abd al-Malik, the Islamic Umayyad Caliph, who opposed the use of icons and sacred images in Christian churches. One story relates that a Jewish magician from Tiberias promised Yazid a long life of fortune if he banned Christian icons within his caliphate. The Jews followed the Torah, which banned using images of God. Yazid took his advice and, in 721, issued an edict by which Christian icons were destroyed in churches across the caliphate.

Shortly afterward, between the years 726–729, Byzantine Emperor Leo III, a very religious man, also became convinced that the veneration of sacred images was idolatry. Therefore, he issued his own series of edicts by which he outlawed icons and sacred images throughout the Byzantine Empire. The Patriarch of Constantinople opposed Leo, so Leo appointed a new patriarch on his own authority. The pope also opposed Leo, so grave tensions arose between East and West.

Under obedience, Father John wrote his first great work, Apologetic Treatises against those Decrying the Holy Images, in which he articulated in three treatises the rationale for the use of icons in a profoundly theological way but also in a way that the common layman could understand. In these treatises, Father John was the first to distinguish between latreia (worship), which is due only to God, and proskynesis (veneration), which can be directed towards sacred images representing divine figures.

Because the Old Testament forbade the worship of idols or any images of God, Father John’s explanation had the effect of reconciling the Christian use of sacred images with the Old Testament prohibition. He argued that veneration of images was proper because of the Incarnation of the Son of God. In Old Testament times, the Incarnation had not yet taken place. Therefore, it was forbidden to use any material means to represent the unseen and immaterial God.

In Christ, however, the invisible God became visible and material, sanctifying the physical world, thus endowing the physical world with the ability to reflect the majesty of God. Father John extended this logic to the veneration of images of the saints who now share in the glory of God’s divine life (See quote above).

Tradition holds that the Byzantine Emperor was so outraged at Father John’s condemnation of his decrees that he forged a letter in Father John’s name that implicated him in a planned attack against Damascus. When the Caliph received the letter, he ordered that Father John’s hand be cut off and mounted on a pole. Once the deed was done, Father John beseeched the Mother of God to intervene so he could continue writing. The next day, his hand was miraculously restored.

Five years after his death, John’s treatise was condemned by the Council of Hieria in 754, which was called by the Byzantine Emperor. In 787, however, John was fully exonerated at the Second Council of Nicaea, which ruled in favor of icon veneration and declared that the Council of Hieria was illegitimate, given the absence of the five patriarchs.

In addition to his writings against the iconoclasts, Saint John Damascene is known for his summary of the doctrinal teachings of the Early Church Fathers, called De Fide Orthodoxa (An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith). Along with that work, he also wrote against heresies and on logic and philosophy. Further works include hymns, letters, commentaries, and sermons. Among his sermons is a series on the Blessed Virgin Mary. He was also critical of Islam, pointing out many of its flaws.

Saint John Damascene left behind a clear exposition of the faith of the Church that became a standard for study in the centuries to follow. None of that would have been possible, however, had he not first entered the monastery and perfected his spiritual life as a hermit.

As we honor this great saint, reflect upon the foundation that you need to establish within your own spiritual life. Without that solid foundation of deep union with God, God will be limited in the ways He can use you. With that foundation established, great things can be done in and through you for the salvation of souls and the glory of God.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/december-4—saint-john-damascene-priest-and-doctor–optional-memorial

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Saint Francis Xavier, Priest

Daily Saints

Patron Saint of foreign missions, missionaries, navigators, and parish missions Invoked against plague epidemics Canonized by Pope Gregory XV on March 12, 1622

Central to Jesuit spirituality are Saint Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises, based on his own conversion. Francis Xavier was among the first to use the exercises to deepen his prayer life and communion with God. The exercises, along with the spiritual support and encouragement from his brothers—especially Ignatius—transformed him into one of the greatest missionaries in the history of the Church.

During his first three years as a priest, Father Francis Xavier cared for the poor and sick and deepened his prayer life, first in Venice and then in Rome. Decades earlier, Portuguese explorers had captured and colonized Goa, a city on India’s western coast. In 1540, the King of Portugal, upon hearing reports of immoral behavior among the Portuguese colonizers of Goa, petitioned the pope to send missionaries to Goa to assist.

Seeing that the Society of Jesus was newly formed and young, the pope identified the Jesuits as the ideal group to send. Upon receiving the request, Father Ignatius of Loyola chose two of his first companions for the mission. When one became ill, Ignatius chose Father Francis instead, sending him to Portugal to have an audience with the king and queen. In 1541, at the age of thirty-five, after being named apostolic nuncio to the East by the pope, Father Francis and two Jesuits companions set sail to Mozambique and then to Goa, arriving on May 6, 1542.

For the next ten years, Father Francis’ missionary activity of traveling, preaching, converting, catechizing, building churches, baptizing, and miracle working were so extensive that he has since been referred to as another Saint Paul and the “Apostle to the East.” In 1904, Pope Pius X named him the patron saint of foreign missions. In addition to his ordinary missionary work of preaching, teaching, and administration of the Sacraments, stories abound about Father Francis healing the sick, calming a storm at sea, raising the dead, and preaching in tongues, a charism which enabled him to preach in his language while others heard him in their language.

Upon arriving at his first mission in Goa, Father Francis and his companions ministered to the Portuguese settlers. Though a bishop and diocesan priests were present, there was a need for preachers who would call the people to repentance. He began by tending the sick, which won the esteem of the people. He also called the children to himself by walking through town ringing a bell, inviting them to follow him to the church where he taught them about Jesus. The children, in turn, shared the faith with their family and friends.

After several months, Father Francis became aware of numerous indigenous people along the southern coast and on the southern tip of India who had been baptized years earlier but were never catechized and formed in the faith. In a desire to minister to these natives, Father Francis and local priests from the seminary in Goa traveled south, teaching, offering the sacraments, and building dozens of churches with the help of the natives. Many unbaptized were converted, and thousands were baptized on that two-year mission. Though many welcomed him, others fiercely opposed him. At times, attempts were made on his life, but he persevered.

Over his decade of missionary activity, Father Francis set up missions in Malacca, in modern-day Malaysia; the Spice Islands, in modern-day Indonesia; Cochin and the coastal areas of modern-day Kerala, India; and the island of Sri Lanka. In 1548, Father Francis wrote a letter to his Jesuit brothers in Europe saying, “All the Portuguese merchants coming from Japan tell me that if I go there I shall do great service for God our Lord, more than with the pagans of India, for they are a very reasonable people.”

Father Francis took their advice and set sail for Japan, arriving on August 15, 1549, at Kagoshima, making him the first foreign missionary to reach that land. He was accompanied by a Japanese convert named Anjiro (whose Christian name was Paul), a fellow Jesuit priest, and a lay brother. After spending many months learning the Japanese language and translating the Gospel into Japanese, he was able to make a considerable number of converts. Father Francis’ initial success in Japan was due to the fact that he learned and respected the local customs and culture, allowing him to more effectively share the Gospel in a way that the Japanese would embrace.

Because of his foundational effort, the Catholic faith grew to number over 300,000 Japanese converts within the next sixty-five years. Saint Francis Xavier later wrote about the Japanese people: “These are the best people so far discovered, and it seems to me that among unbelievers no people can be found to excel them.” By the end of the century, however, Japanese Christians had undergone decades of severe persecution and hundreds of thousands of martyrdoms, so the Church went underground. The faith, however, was passed on from generation to generation, emerging once again in the public eye in the mid-nineteenth century.

In 1552, Father Francis received an invitation to travel to China to bring the Gospel to that land for the first time. During the journey, he fell ill and died on the island of Shangchuan, just off the coast of mainland China, at the age of forty-six.

Within ten years of intense missionary work, it is estimated that Saint Francis Xavier traveled about 38,000 miles on land and sea, being the first to bring the Gospel to many parts of Asia, baptizing about 30,000 souls. Though he wrote extensively to those he left behind in Europe, he never returned; once he left his family at the age of nineteen, he never saw them again. His life was a true sacrifice. His body was eventually brought back to Goa where it is buried and venerated today. In honor of his numerous baptisms, his arm was removed from his body in 1614 and is venerated at the Gesù, the Jesuit church in Rome.

Saint Francis Xavier was truly another Saint Paul to the Asian peoples. His constant traveling and founding of mission churches planted the seeds of faith deep in the soil he traversed. Though persecution stifled Catholicism’s later growth in Japan, that stifling ultimately deepened the resolve and faith of those persecuted. As we honor this great apostle of Christ, ponder all that he accomplished in ten short years. As you do, consider the next ten years of your own life, and rededicate yourself to the mission Christ has for you.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/december-3—saint-francis-xavier-priest–memorial

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Saint Bibiana

Daily Saints

Profile

Her parents, Saint Flavian of Acquapendente and Dafrosa of Acquapendente, were martyred in the persecutions of Julian the Apostate, and Vivian and her sister Demetria were turned over to a woman named Rufina who tried to force them into prostitution. Upon her continued refusal to cooperate, Vivian was imprisoned in a mad house, then flogged to death.

A church was built over her grave, in the garden of which grew an herb that cured headache and epilepsy. This and her time spent with the mentally ill led to her areas of patronage.

Born

in 4th century in Rome, Italy

Died

Bibiana was scourged to death c.361, and her body was left to the dogs, but none would touch her. She was buried two days later in the Pretestato Catacombs, Rome, Italy. Her relics were enshrined in the Church of Our Lady of Sorrows, Los Angeles, California from 1855 until the building burned in August 1865, and in the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, Los Angeles, California.

Patronage

against epilepsy
against hangovers
against headaches
against insanity
against mental illness
epileptics
mentally ill people
single laywomen
torture victims
archdiocese of Los Angeles, California
Bibiana, Italy

Representation

branch
pillar
green branch covered with twigs and foliage

Sources: https://catholicsaints.info/saint-bibiana/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Bibiana#/media/File:Saint_Bibiana_by_Bernini.jpg

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Saint Damasus I, Pope

Patron Saint of archeologists

Our Lady of Loreto

Saint Juan Diego, Hermit

Patron Saint of Indigenous peoples

Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Patronal Feast of the United States—Holy Day of Obligation

Saint Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor

Patron Saint of beekeepers, bishops, candlemakers, domestic animals, geese, honey cake bakers, learning, livestock, police officers, schoolchildren, security personnel, starlings, and wax refiners

Saint Nicholas, Bishop

Patron Saint of children, sailors, merchants, archers, repentant thieves, brewers, pawnbrokers, unmarried people, Russia, and numerous countries and cities

Saint Sabbas of Mar Saba

Saint John Damascene, Priest, Religious and Doctor

Patron Saint of pharmacists, icon painters, and theology students Pre-Congregation canonization Declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Leo XIII in 1890

Saint Francis Xavier, Priest

Patron Saint of foreign missions, missionaries, navigators, and parish missions Invoked against plague epidemics Canonized by Pope Gregory XV on March 12, 1622

Saint Bibiana

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