Daily Saints

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

Daily Saints

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

Daily Saints

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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Saint Louis, King

Daily Saints

1214–1270; Patron Saint of barbers, hairdressers, builders, construction workers, button makers, distillers, embroiderers, needleworkers, kings, sculptors, soldiers, stoneworkers, bridegrooms, parenthood, parents of large families, prisoners, sick people, and co-patron of the Third Order of Saint Francis; Invoked against the death of children and difficult marriages; Canonized by Pope Boniface VIII in 1297

Louis IX, born in Poissy, France, was the fourth child of the Crown Prince and Princess of France, Louis VIII and Blanche of Castile. When Louis was born, his grandfather, Philip II, had been King of France for thirty-four years. When Louis IX was nine, his grandfather died, and his father, Louis VIII, became king, but would only reign for three years. After his father’s death in 1226, Louis IX became King of France at the age of twelve. Because of his age, his mother acted as his regent until he was old enough to rule on his own at the age of nineteen.

As the son of a prince and then as a young king, Louis IX was well educated in Latin, public speaking, writing, military arts, and government. His private tutors were handpicked by his devoted mother, a faith-filled Catholic who saw to it that her children were well formed in the faith. One day, his mother reportedly told young Louis, “I love you, my dear son, as much as a mother can love her child; but I would rather see you dead at my feet than that you should commit a mortal sin.” This powerful statement of love from his mother resonated in Louis’s heart throughout his life.

During her time as Queen Mother and Regent of France, Blanche ruled with virtue. She supported monasteries and convents, practiced her faith well, was generous to the poor, and governed with justice. This had a profound effect on her king son. When Louis was eighteen, his mother chose Margaret of Provence, the thirteen-year-old daughter of Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence, as his wife. Margaret was an ideal wife for Louis on account of her piety and virtue. The couple fell in love and had eleven children. They enjoyed spending time with each other—reading, riding, listening to music, and praying. It is often reported that this close bond caused Louis’s mother to be jealous, and she and her daughter-in-law had a strained relationship.

After his regency ended, King Louis’ subsequent reign of thirty-six years was marked by justice, care for the poor, arbitration, strategic alliances, crusades, and deep devotion. As for his devotion to the Catholic faith, King Louis was known as a man of prayer. As acts of interior devotion, he recited the Divine Office daily, attended Mass twice each day, and wore a hairshirt under his clothing. Perhaps the most inspiring legacy of King Louis’ faith can be found in a letter he wrote to his son in which he shares his fatherly heart, giving his son, the future king, guidance on how to be a good man and king. His letter is filled with practical exhortations of faith, by which he attempts to imprint on his son’s mind and heart the path to holiness.

These acts of piety also led to external works, such as engaging in public penances to inspire his subjects, building and supporting numerous monasteries and convents, and collecting holy relics that he housed in a chapel he commissioned, called the Sainte-Chapelle, or “Holy Chapel.” Most notably, that chapel is said to house the Crown of Thorns, which was King Louis’ most sacred relic. Because of his faith, King Louis also promoted the sacred arts throughout France and laid the foundation for academic institutions of theological excellence. Additionally, he was very committed to works of charity. He built hospitals for the sick and homes of reformation for prostitutes, and he personally cared for the poor.

King Louis was also a man of justice. He was known to spend long periods of time listening to grievances from his people and issuing just resolutions. He reformed the legal system and outlawed archaic and unjust practices. He put an end to wars among the nobility, seeking common sense solutions to their disputes rather than violence. His justice and morally upright reputation were so well known that other rulers even called upon him to help settle serious conflicts in other kingdoms, such as with the King of England and the English barons.

In 1244, the city of Jerusalem was taken by the Khwarazmian Turks, in violation of the Treaty of Jaffa of 1229. Though war should never be undertaken for aggressive and conquering reasons, self-defense or the defense of others is a moral duty. King Louis recognized that duty and was aware of his unique position to help. In 1248, King Louis set out with his army of crusaders to battle the Turks in what is known as the Seventh Crusade. His aim was Egypt, the center of Muslim power. Though he was initially successful in taking the city of Damietta, his army was decimated as they tried to advance, and the king was captured. After a short imprisonment, he was ransomed for an extremely large sum of money and then spent the next four years in Crusader-controlled strongholds in the Holy Land, giving them support and encouragement. After six years, he returned home to France where his mother had been ruling as regent in his absence.

In 1267, King Louis once again sensed a duty to defend the Holy Land. After three years of careful planning, Tunisia was selected as the target with the goal of converting the Muslim king to the Catholic faith, in hopes that the king would then help establish broader peace between Christians and Muslims. Unfortunately, upon arriving in Northern Africa, disease broke out in the Crusader camp. Among the dead was King Louis IX. His body was sent back to France, and his son, Philip III, succeeded him as king. In 1297, just twenty-seven years after Louis’ death, Pope Boniface VIII canonized Saint Louis on account of his deep personal piety, his efforts to reform and improve justice, and his leadership in two Crusades.

The life of a king in the High Middle Ages, with its riches and unchecked power, brought with it numerous temptations. Saint Louis was one of those rare souls who remained simple, humble, devout, just, thoughtful, morally upright, and prayerful throughout his reign. He is the only King of France to receive the sacred title “Saint.” As we honor this holy and just ruler, ponder the temptations he would have had to overcome in order to become universally recognized as a Catholic saint. As you do, ponder the qualities you most need in your life to overcome any of the snares that tempt you, so that you will fulfill your duties in accord with the mind and heart of Christ.

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

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Saint Bartholomew the Apostle

Daily Saints

First Century; Patron Saint of bookbinders, butchers, cobblers, leatherworkers, plasterers, shoemakers, tanners, trappers, and whiteners; Invoked against neurological diseases; Pre-Congregation canonization

Today, the Church honors one of the Twelve Apostles whom Jesus handpicked to form His Church and to go forth to the ends of the earth to share the Good News. Bartholomew, as he is named in the Synoptic Gospels, is most likely not his actual name, but a description of his lineage. His name in Aramaic is bar-Tôlmay, which is translated as “son of Tolmai.” While there are mentions of others named Tolmai in the Old Testament, nothing is known about Bartholomew’s father or background. Though nothing is certain about “Bartholomew,” most scholars agree that the Bartholomew mentioned in the Synoptics is the same person as Nathanael in John’s Gospel. Hence, it might be that “Nathanael, the son of Tolmai,” is the full name of today’s saint.

The only mentions of Bartholomew in the Synoptic Gospels are in the lists of the Apostles (Matthew 10:2–4, Mark 3:16–19, and Luke 6:14–16). The Acts of the Apostles mentions him as one of the Apostles present in Jerusalem after Jesus’ ascension (Acts 1:13). In John’s Gospel, there are only two mentions of Nathanael (John 1:45–51 and John 21:2). The former relates the calling of Nathanael, and the latter identifies him as one of the seven who were present when Jesus appeared to them at the Sea of Galilee after His resurrection. Although the most significant thing we know about Nathanael from these passages is that he was chosen by our Lord to be one of the Twelve Apostles, the story of his calling and the discourse he has with Jesus provides much to ponder.

In John 1:43–51, we read that Jesus found Philip when He went to Galilee and simply said to him, “Follow me.” Philip appears to immediately follow. Philip is so excited that he finds Nathanael, who might have been his friend or relative. He says to Nathanael, “We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth.” This was the first time Nathanael heard the beginnings of the Good News, which he would later preach with all his heart. Like many people, Nathanael is initially skeptical. He retorts, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Philip’s response is ideal and clearly inspired by the Holy Spirit. Philip tells Nathanael, “Come and see.” And that’s what Nathanael does.

It’s important to pause here and ponder Nathanael’s response to his first invitation to come to Jesus. “Come and see” is a phrase that applies to all of us. In countless ways, God sends us that invitation every day. It’s not enough to simply hear about Jesus. It’s not enough to only read about Him, or even to study Him. We must come to meet Him, meet the Person, and encounter Him. Nathanael did this in human form; we are invited to do it in somewhat the same way.

Because of His Incarnation, the Son of God is able to come to us, personally, truly, and substantially. When we pray, we do not only speak or listen to a distant god. We are able to come to the true God Who is able to communicate to us in a way that will convince us of His love, so that we will follow Him with our whole being. This is what happened to Nathanael. Yes, he saw the physical presence of the Son of God with his eyes, but just as in our case, the Son of God came to Nathanael in hidden form. Jesus did not radiate light, He was not continuously transfigured in glory. He was hidden in the form of a man, yet truly present as God. So it is with us. Every time we turn to our Lord in prayer, attend the Holy Mass, adore the Holy Eucharist, or read the Living Word of the Bible, we encounter the same God whom Nathanael did that first day.

When Nathanael came to Jesus, Jesus said to him, “Here is a true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him.” Jesus had read Nathanael’s heart and revealed it to him. Nathanael inquired further about how Jesus knew him, and Jesus replied that He had seen Nathanael sitting under a fig tree. That’s all Jesus said! Nonetheless, this touched Nathanael so deeply that, with this short comment from Jesus, Nathanael was converted. He cries out, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” It wasn’t Jesus’ words that touched Nathanael, it was His divine Person, masked behind His human form. Nathanael’s soul perceived the presence of God in Jesus, and he immediately became His follower. We must do the same.

As one of the Twelve, Nathanael accompanied Jesus throughout his public ministry. He learned from Him, was formed by Him, and gave his life to Him. He witnessed Jesus’ arrest, experienced His death from a distance, and then saw Him resurrected with his own eyes. When Jesus ascended to Heaven, Nathanael was among those whom Jesus told, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). And, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19–20).

Though we do not know for certain how Nathanael, son of Tolmai (Bartholomew), fulfilled this Great Commission that he received from Jesus Himself, one early tradition from Eusebius of Caesarea, a Church historian from the third to fourth century, stated that he went to India where he left a copy of the Gospel of Matthew. Later traditions state that he also went to Armenia, Ethiopia, Mesopotamia, Parthia, and Lycaonia. Some traditions say that he was martyred in a city named Albanopolis, which might be one of two ancient towns either in modern-day Armenia or Albania. Those traditions state that he was beheaded or flayed alive and crucified upside down in retribution for converting the King of Armenia. It is for this reason that Saint Bartholomew often appears in sacred art holding his skin, such as in Michelangelo’s Last Judgment scene found in the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican.

Though legends are hard to prove or disprove, what we know for certain is that when this man met Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the King of Israel, his life was forever changed. The same must be said of each one of us. We must meet our Lord, encounter Him personally, allow His divine presence to change our lives, and never look back. Ponder your own willingness to imitate the conversion of Saint Bartholomew and seek his intercession today.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/saint-bartholomew—august-24/

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Saint Rose of Lima, Virgin

Daily Saints

1586–1617; Patron Saint of the Americas, Peru, embroiderers, florists, gardeners, needleworkers, and people ridiculed for their piety; Invoked against vanity and self-love; Canonized by Pope Clement X in 1671

In 1532, Spanish explorers arrived in modern-day Peru. They soon became covetous of the silver and gold that was plentiful in this New World. Over the next several years, missionaries from the Mercedarians, Dominicans, Franciscans, and Augustinians arrived on Spanish ships with the purpose of sharing the Gospel to the ends of the earth. The missionaries tried to temper the often-brutal Spanish conquerors. In 1537, Pope Paul III, concerned about reports of Spanish cruelty to the native peoples, issued a papal bull named Sublimis Deus in which he highlighted the intrinsic dignity of the natives, called for an end to the cruelty, and encouraged missionaries to share the Gospel in these new lands so that all could come to know and love Christ. In 1541, the pope established the Diocese of Lima and appointed its first bishop, hastening the missionaries’ efforts.

Today’s saint, Saint Rose of Lima, was born in the capital city of the newly established Viceroyalty of Peru, governed by the Kingdom of Spain, fifty-five years after the first Spanish conquerors arrived and began colonizing the territory. She was born Isabel Flores de Oliva, the seventh of eleven children. She was reportedly given the nickname “Rose” shortly after birth when one of the family servants said she saw the infant’s face transform into a rose. Her father was a Spaniard and a member of the Spanish army. Though her mother was born in Peru, at least one of her mother’s parents was a Spanish settler. Both of Isabel’s parents were devout Catholics who instilled a deep faith in their children from an early age.

As a child, Isabel manifested a deep devotion to God. She is said to have often spent long periods of prayer in the middle of the night before a shrine she set up in her room. At the age of eleven, she received the Sacrament of Confirmation and formally took the name Rose. Her confirmation was most likely administered by the diocesan bishop who was later canonized as Saint Turibius of Mogrovejo.

As Rose matured into a young woman, she was known for her physical beauty, catching the attention of many young men and their families who saw her as an ideal future spouse. However, Rose had no interest in marriage and wanted to become a nun. She was concerned that her beauty was a distraction, and even a temptation, to others. Her remedy was to cut off her beautiful hair to make herself less attractive. She also rubbed pepper on her face and lime juice on her hands to make her skin less appealing to young men. Although that may seem extreme to some, her intent was to remain pure for God and to take Jesus as her sole Spouse. Though her father refused to permit her to become a nun, after several years he acquiesced to her desire not to marry, allowing her to live in a small hut on the family property where she could be with her divine Spouse through solitude and prayer.

Her hut, or hermitage, became a place in which Rose engaged in charitable works. She brought the poor and sick into her hut, fed them, and nursed the sick back to health. She worked to support herself and her family, who were facing hardship, by selling at the local market lace and embroidery she made and flowers she grew. After learning about Saint Catherine of Siena, she sought to emulate her. She practiced severe penances, slept on a hard floor, wore a crown of thorns while alone in her room, fasted, and inflicted numerous penances upon herself every day. Eventually, she chose to abstain from meat. She quickly discovered that penances opened the door to spiritual abundance. Once she discovered that, she never turned back. She went to Mass daily and adored the Blessed Sacrament at church. When she turned twenty, because she could not become a nun, she followed in the footsteps of her role model, Saint Catherine of Siena, and became a lay member of the Third Order of Saint Dominic. She carried on her life of continuous prayer and penance, sleeping only two hours a night so she could have more time for prayer. Her self-made bed consisted of broken glass, stone, potsherds, and thorns. She wore her crown of thorns continuously, which pierced her skull, but was covered with roses to conceal the metal spikes. She wore a chain of spikes around her waist. Her fasts were extreme, her penances doubled, but life for Rose was good—very good—and she could not have been happier.

For the next eleven years, Rose lived a beautiful and hidden life. She continued her charitable works and entered deeply into union with God. Some saints do great things in the world and Church in a visible way. Some give supreme witness to their faith through martyrdom. Others enter or found religious orders, or orchestrate new movements within the Church. Rose became a saint because she entered into divine union, the seventh mansion, or what has been called ‘spiritual marriage’ with her Savior. During those eleven years of her life, she frequently had visions of Jesus, the Mother of God, and the saints, with whom she conversed and received spiritual guidance. She entered into ecstasies and raptures and experienced untold interior spiritual favors from her Lord. One of the greatest gifts she received from her divine Spouse was long periods of exceptionally painful spiritual dryness. This interior cross produced abundant good fruit as she persevered in her fidelity to her Spouse, thus deepening her divine union with Him. As her interior purifications were completed and she completely detached from selfishness, her soul was flooded with the reward of Jesus’ manifest presence. He communicated with her as His beloved.

Because of her intimate union with God, Rose was able to predict the day of her own death. Her Lord wanted her fully with Him in Heaven, so at the age of thirty-one, Jesus took her to Himself where she could live forever as one with Him. The archbishop offered her funeral Mass, and she was quickly acknowledged as a saint. Around fifty years after her birth into Heaven, she was canonized a saint on earth, the first from the Americas to receive that honor. Miraculous healings had been attributed to her intercession while she was alive, and they continued after her death. One legend states that after her death, all of Lima smelled of roses that fell from the sky.

The life of Saint Rose of Lima reveals many things to us. Penance is good, but it takes great holiness to discover this mysterious and deep truth. The “good life” is not one that is filled with worldly successes, riches, or honors, but is discovered only in an act of divine union. Furthermore, those who make the biggest difference in this world for the good are those who radically and completely give themselves over to the service of God, holding nothing back, so that God can take to Himself all that they are. As we honor this great saint of Peru, ponder her simple and hidden life. Everyone can imitate her life and virtues, even though her depth of prayer and commitment to penance can, at first, be intimidating. Try to discover the truths that she discovered, and seek to imitate her by making at least one small choice each day to live a deeper life of prayer and penance. From Heaven, you will never regret such a decision.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/august-30st-rose-of-lima/

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Queenship of Blessed Virgin Mary

Daily Saints

The twentieth century saw a great resurgence in devotion to the Mother of God. Several decades prior to that century, on December 8, 1854, Pope Pius IX declared the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception. Four years later, the Blessed Mother appeared to Bernadette Soubirous, a fourteen-year-old peasant girl, in Lourdes, France. In this apparition, when Bernadette asked who the Heavenly Lady was, she responded, “I am the Immaculate Conception.” This mystical confirmation of the papal dogma sparked great devotion to the Mother of God, and Lourdes became a frequent pilgrim site where many miracles have taken place.

In 1916, three shepherd children in Fátima, Portugal received three apparitions from the Angel of Peace, the Guardian Angel of Portugal. Then, in 1917 they received six apparitions from the Lady of the Rosary, as she called herself. On the day of her final apparition, some 70,000 had gathered and all witnessed the promised miracle. A pouring rain immediately stopped, the sun danced and plunged to the earth, and everything and everyone were immediately dry. This apparition and miracle continue to fuel devotion to the Mother of God.

In 1950, Pope Pius XII issued an apostolic constitution by which he declared as a dogma of our faith “that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.” Since Jesus is the King of Kings, and since He sits on His throne at the right hand of the Father in Heaven, and since his mother was assumed into Heaven, body and soul, then the logical conclusion flowing from these truths necessarily leads us to today’s memorial.

Early Church Fathers used what is referred to as “typology” to clearly establish the continuity between the Old and New Testaments. For example, though King Solomon sinned, he is also a prefigurement, or “type” of Christ because he was a peacemaker, filled with wisdom, and built the Temple. Saint Augustine, in his commentary on Psalm 127, states that our Lord is “the true Solomon” and that “Solomon was the figure of this Peacemaker.” The true Peacemaker is Christ, and just as Solomon built the Temple, so our Lord built the true Temple of His Body, the Church.

Following this form of typology, the Book of 1 Kings states, “Then Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah, and the king stood up to meet her and paid her homage. Then he sat down upon his throne, and a throne was provided for the king’s mother, who sat at his right. She said, ‘There is one small favor I would ask of you. Do not refuse me.’ The king said to her, ‘Ask it, my mother, for I will not refuse you’” (1 Kings 2:19–20). If King Solomon, an Old Testament type of Christ, honored his Queen Mother’s requests and sat her on a throne next to his, then so much more does our Lord, the true King of Kings, do so with His mother. Therefore, today’s memorial celebrates the fact that, in Heaven, Jesus’ mother is seated on a throne next to His, and like Solomon, Jesus says with certainty to her, “Ask it, my mother, for I will not refuse you.”

It is for these reasons, that on October 11, 1954, four years after the proclamation of the Assumption, Pope Pius XII instituted the Memorial of the Queenship of Mary with his encyclical letter, Ad Caeli Reginam (The Queen of Heaven). This memorial was first assigned the date May 31, which followed the Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. However, in 1969, Pope Paul VI moved the date to August 22, eight days after the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In large part, this was done to create an octave of anticipation and to show that the Assumption necessarily results in the Mother of God being also the Queen Mother of Heaven and Earth.

As Queen, Mother Mary not only intercedes on our behalf, she also acts as her Son’s mediator. From her heavenly throne, the Queen Mother of Heaven and Earth is entrusted with the grace of God. She is not the source, but she is privileged to be the instrument of distribution. As a loving mother, nothing pleases her more than to lavish every good thing upon her children on earth. She longs to gather all of her children together in Heaven, with and in her divine Son.

Though the liturgical and theological evolution of today’s memorial might seem complex, the heart of it is simple. We not only have a mother in Heaven, we also have a Queen Mother. As Mary is the Queen Mother of God, we must turn to her with childlike faith and simplicity. As a young child runs to a loving mother in time of need, never questioning her love, protection, and care, so we must run to her. She is our protectress, our refuge, our hope, and our sweet delight. Her affection is perfect and her motherly love unmatched.

As we honor the Queen of Heaven today, ponder the Church’s ever-deepening understanding of her role. As the Church has increased its comprehension of Mary’s exalted role through the centuries, so we must individually make this discovery throughout our lives. Turn to her, seek her prayers, rely upon her intercession, and honor her as your mother and your queen.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/august-22—queenship-of-blessed-virgin-mary/

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Saint Pius X, Pope

Daily Saints

1835–1914; Patron Saint of First Communicants and pilgrims; Canonized by Pope Pius XII on May 29, 1954

Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto was born in Riese, Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia, present-day Italy. He was born into a poor family, the second of ten children. His father was a postman and his mother a seamstress. His family was very devout and Giuseppe learned the Catholic faith by both word and example. As a child, he was educated at home and by the local parish priest, Father Tito Fusaroni, who was very impressed by Giuseppe’s piety and intelligence. As a result, when Giuseppe was old enough, Father Fusaroni paid for his education at the gymnasium of Castelfranco Veneto, just a few miles from his home to which he walked each day. Because he was poor, he was often teased by the other students, but this only built his character. The gymnasium, as it was called, was a school geared toward academic excellence with the intent of preparing students for further studies. Around the age of fifteen, Father Fusaroni secured a scholarship for Giuseppe, who was sent to the Seminary of Padua, just over twenty miles south of his home, where he studied the classics, philosophy, and theology. He advanced to the top of his class but remained prayerful, generous, kind, and humble, while manifesting an unwavering faith throughout. Upon completing his studies, he was ordained a priest on September 18, 1858 at the age of twenty-three.

After ordination, Father Sarto became an assistant priest at the parish in Tombolo where he spent the next eight years. The pastor, Father Constantini, was older and often sick, which meant that Father Sarto quickly became the de facto pastor, fulfilling most of the priestly duties. He had a great respect for his pastor and often sought his advice. Father Constantini, in turn, grew in admiration for Father Sarto. He later said of him, “He is so zealous, so full of good sense, and other precious gifts that it is I who can learn much from him. Some day or other he will wear the mitre, of that I am sure. After that—who knows?” In Tombolo, Father Sarto was especially attentive to the needs of the poor, being raised poor himself, taught adult education classes, trained the parish choir in Gregorian Chant, carefully prepared his homilies, sought advice, and had a genuine concern for the good of his parishioners. In his spare time, he continued his studies on his own, studying the theology of Saint Thomas Aquinas as well as canon law.

In 1867, because of his excellent work in Tombolo, Father Sarto was appointed archpriest of Salzano. As archpriest, he had administrative and pastoral responsibilities over the entire territory with the assistance of priests under him. He continued the pastoral practices he had become accustomed to, as well as restoring the dilapidated church, expanding the Catholic hospital, and caring for the sick during an outbreak of cholera.

At the age of forty, Father Sarto was elevated to the prestigious responsibilities of Canon of the Cathedral at Treviso, Chancellor, and Vicar General. He also became the Spiritual Director of the diocesan seminary where he became deeply devoted to the formation of new priests. These important responsibilities, however, could not take him away from common people. He remained faithful to teaching catechism to children and adults and always reached out to the poor and needy.

In 1884, Pope Leo XIII named Canon Sarto as Bishop of Mantua, in north-central Italy. Though he at first resisted, the pope insisted. At that time, the Diocese of Mantua was in disarray. Just fourteen years prior, the Church had lost its temporal power over the Papal States, due to the establishment of the Kingdom of Italy. The Church and state were often at odds. The Church lost much of its influence, property, and internal control in those territories, including in Mantua. As a result, Bishop Sarto found a general indifference and secularism that was rampant. Bishop Sarto went to work. He invigorated the education of the laity, personally devoted himself to teaching in the seminary, reintroduced the scholastic theology of Saint Thomas Aquinas and Gregorian Chant, and breathed new life into his seminarians, presbyterate, and diocese. Because of his good work, in 1893, Pope Leo XIII, appointed Bishop Sarto as Patriarch of Venice and named him a cardinal.

In Venice, Cardinal Sarto continued to do what he had always done. He devoted himself to the seminary, where he mandated the teachings of Saint Thomas Aquinas, the use of Gregorian Chant, and introduced a faculty of canon law. He continued to catechize young and old, engaged in social works, avoided politics, and never lost his affection for the poor, ministering to them every chance he could. In 1903, after Cardinal Sarto spent nine years in Venice, Pope Leo XIII died and the cardinals gathered to choose his successor. The election of a pope at that time was governed by rules established in 1588 by Pope Sixtus V. Those rules permitted outside influence, such as vetoes, exercised by some civil authorities. In the conclave of 1903, the Emperor of Austria vetoed Cardinal Mariano Rampolla del Tindaro, the Secretary of State under Pope Leo XIII, who was the first to be elected. This veto was delivered through the Prince-Bishop of Krakow. A few ballots later, Cardinal Sarto received almost unanimous consent and was elected pope at the age of sixty-eight years, choosing the name Pius X. He later changed the rules for papal elections, eliminating outside influence such as the veto.

As pope, Pius X took as his motto, “To restore all things in Christ” (Ephesians 1:10). Remaining as he was when he was a parish priest, spiritual director, and bishop, he was humble, simple, loved teaching children, and showed concern for the poor. He introduced a universal catechism, reformed the curia, renewed seminary formation, revised the Code of Canon Law, revitalized the liturgy, encouraged Gregorian Chant, and emphasized the teachings of Saint Thomas Aquinas. At heart, he was a pastor, not a diplomat or politician. Without ambition, he never sought the elevations he received, but accepted all things in Christ with humility and surrender.

Most notably, his love for children and his long history of catechizing them led him to lower the age for First Holy Communion from twelve to seven, encouraging frequent reception of the Eucharist for them and all people. Deeply devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary, he often spoke of her and honored her. Although he never received a doctorate degree, he was highly intelligent and firmly opposed modernism within the Catholic Church, viewing it as a synthesis of all heresies where doctrines were presented in a scattered and disjointed manner, thus creating doubts. In response, he preached that the Catholic faith was very reasonable, systematic, and clear—hence, his love for Saint Thomas Aquinas and Canon Law.

After Pius X’s death, he became the first pope to be canonized since Pope Saint Pius V, who died in 1572. His death came just weeks after the start of World War I. As he watched the growing tensions throughout the world, his pastoral heart was deeply distressed, and the sorrow he saw unfolding before him might have contributed to his death.

As we honor the first saintly pope of the last century, ponder his slow rise from an assistant priest to pastor of the world. This was done by God’s hand. All Pope Saint Pius X did was love, teach, care for the poor, pray, and be faithful to the teachings of Christ. God did the rest. For our part, our duty is to do every small thing well, loving God and others at every moment of our lives. If we do that well, repeatedly, God will be able to use us in unimaginable ways.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/august-21—saint-pius-x-pope/

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Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Abbot and Doctor of the Church

Daily Saints

1090–1153; Patron Saint of beekeepers, bees, candlemakers, chandlers, Cistercians, and Knights Templar; Canonized by Pope Alexander III on January 18, 1174; Declared a Doctor of the Church (Doctor Mellifluus, “Honey-Sweet Doctor”) by Pope Pius VIII in 1830

Bernard was born into a high-nobility family in Fontaines, France. He was the third of seven children, with five brothers and one sister. As a member of a wealthy family with high social status, Bernard likely received a comprehensive education. His devout parents instilled in him a deep faith. At a young age, he was sent to be educated by the canons of the Church of Saint-Vorles at Châtillon-sur-Seine, located about eighty miles north of his hometown. There, he studied grammar, poetry, literature, rhetoric, dialectics, Scripture, and theology. He excelled in the study of Scripture, personalizing it through prayer. He also held a profound devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, continually seeking her intercession.

When Bernard was around nineteen years old, his mother passed away. This event profoundly affected him and his entire family. He had already begun contemplating religious life, and his mother’s loss might have sparked a deeper resolve to abandon worldly pursuits and live solely for God. Back in Fontaines with his family, Bernard began to reveal his intention to enter the newly formed Cistercian monastery in Cîteaux, known as the Abbey of Notre Dame. Initially, he encountered resistance, as he would be relinquishing everything his noble family could provide. However, he remained resolute and eventually gained their support. In fact, his virtue, clarity of purpose, and evident holiness inspired thirty other young noblemen to join him, including all of his brothers except the youngest, who would join him later, as would his father. His sister would become a Benedictine nun.

The Cistercian order, established in 1098, sought to return to the ideals of the Rule of Saint Benedict. During that time, many Benedictine monasteries had deviated from the Rule by becoming involved in societal and political affairs, adopting excessively elaborate liturgies, and accumulating significant land and wealth. While the Rule of Saint Benedict prescribed a balanced life of prayer and work for all monks, many monasteries had developed a two-tiered structure. Lay brothers primarily performed manual labor and fulfilled minimal prayer requirements, while choir monks, often priests, spent less time laboring and focused more on chapel and study. The Cistercians aimed to restore a single-type monk practice. In 1113, Bernard and his brothers said good-bye to their father, younger brother, and sister, and accompanied by the rest of their noble companions, they journeyed thirty miles north to the Abbey of Notre Dame in Cîteaux. Upon their arrival, they prostrated themselves before the front gate, humbly begging Abbot Stephen Harding for admission, which he joyfully granted.

Abbot Stephen, who is now recognized as a saint, spent twenty-five years as abbot. His commitment to a more faithful living of the Rule of Benedict, holiness, and administrative skills enabled the newly founded Cistercian order to experience rapid growth. Numerous young men joined during its initial years, resulting in the establishment of many new monasteries. One of these monasteries was founded in what was then called the Valley of Wormwood. It was a desolate, swampy, rugged, and inhospitable place, but soon it would be transformed and receive the name Clairvaux, meaning “Clear Valley.” Abbot Stephen appointed Bernard as its founding abbot—a role he would fill for the next thirty-eight years.

During his time in Clairvaux, Abbot Bernard earned high respect for his holiness and leadership in monastic reform. He was a prolific writer, leaving behind roughly 530 letters and 300 sermons. Among his most influential sermons is a series of eighty-six sermons on the Song of Songs. These sermons were preached to his monks over several years and exemplify the nature of his spirituality. They delve deeply into contemplation, centering on divine love, the soul’s longing for God, the experience of spiritual union, and the transformative power of God’s grace. Additionally, he wrote more than twenty longer works of a theological and contemplative nature. Notably, his treatise “On Loving God” passionately and rationally articulates the reasons we should love God to an immeasurable degree. In all of his works, Abbot Bernard sought to teach not only the mind but also to draw the heart to conversion and love. He regularly emphasized the personal nature of God as revealed in Jesus Christ, our call to mystical union with Him, the need for humility, the benefits of asceticism, and the central role that the Blessed Virgin Mary must play in our lives. He was a theologian, contemplative, and mystic whose central goals were to love God and to draw others into that same love.

In addition to his roles as abbot and writer, Bernard was frequently called upon by the wider Church, requiring much travel. He founded many monasteries as extensions of the Abbey of Clairvaux, regularly assisted popes and bishops with pressing needs within the Church, was an eloquent apologist in defense of the faith against heresies, was outspoken in his defense of persecuted Jews, assisted at Church councils, preached at the second Crusade, and played a significant role in resolving many other theological, political, and societal disputes. He was a true peacemaker and unifier. Many miracles were attributed to him. He healed the sick, cast out demons, multiplied food, calmed storms, and raised the dead. He had the charism of spiritual discernment and was able to read the inner thoughts and intentions of people. His influence was strong during his time on earth, and his voluminous writings continue to profoundly impact monastic life and all who seek to know and love God and our Blessed Mother more deeply, whom he especially saw as our Mediatrix and as the Star of the Sea who guides us through the darkness of life.

By the time Abbot Bernard died, his monastery in Clairvaux numbered about 700 monks, and he had founded at least sixty-eight monasteries. He has since been given the title the mellifluus Doctor of the Church, meaning that his words were like honey—convincing, forthcoming, elegant, sweet, and effective. When he spoke, everyone listened and responded.

As we honor this great saint, reformer, theologian, mystic, unifier, and Doctor of the Church, ponder the effect that one man can have when his love of God reaches an immeasurable degree. His profound union with Christ and his burning desire to draw people to God should inspire us to exponentially increase our love of God, surrendering all to Him for His glory.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/august-20—saint-bernard-of-clairvaux-abbot-and-doctor-of-the-church/

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Saint John Eudes, Priest

Daily Saints

1601–1680; Patron Saint of Eudists, Order of Our Lady of Charity; Diocese of Baie-Comeau; and Missionaries; Canonized by Pope Pius XI on May 31, 1925

In France, in 1562, tensions ran high between the Catholic majority and the Protestant Calvinist minority. Calvinism was spreading and opposition was fierce. This resulted in violent clashes from 1562–1598 in the Wars of Religion. Although the wars were primarily driven by powerful noble families, many citizens got involved, leading to multiple massacres. In 1589, Henry of Navarre, a Calvinist, ascended the throne to become King Henry IV of France. Despite his Calvinist roots, Henry converted back to Catholicism to secure his reign and to establish peace. He issued the Edict of Nantes in 1598, which granted religious tolerance to Protestants, effectively ending the internal wars. Three years later, Saint John Eudes was born.

John Eudes was born in Ri, a small farming village in the Normandy region of northwestern France. The region’s fertile soil produced abundant crops of wheat, barley, and fruit. John had two younger brothers and four sisters, and his parents were devout Catholics. Following John’s birth, they made a pilgrimage to the Church of Notre-Dame de la Recouvrance, about 120 miles from Ri, to dedicate their son to God. Their devotion paid off, as John developed a strong Catholic faith from a young age. A story recounts that when a playmate struck ten-year-old John on the cheek, John immediately fell on his knees, turning the other cheek in obedience to the Gospel command.

After being educated by a holy priest, John made his First Communion and received Confirmation around the age of twelve. It is said that he appeared like an angel in divine ecstasy on that day. Overjoyed, he soon after made a personal vow of chastity, dedicating his life to God, just as his parents had done for him upon his birth.

As a teenager, John was sent to the larger city of Caen, about thirty miles to the north, where he was educated by the Jesuits. The Jesuits, a new and respected order, were known for their excellent teaching. In Caen, John completed his philosophical studies and deepened his devotion, particularly toward the Holy Eucharist and the Blessed Virgin Mary. His devotion was so profound that his peers referred to him as “the devout Eudes.” After completing his philosophical studies, John’s father wanted him to return home and settle down. However, John explained that he had dedicated his life to God and pleaded to be allowed to continue his studies. His father relented, and John returned to Caen for theological studies under the Jesuits. After completing his studies, John joined the French Oratory of Pierre de Bérulle in Paris and was ordained a priest one year later at the age of twenty-four.

The French Oratory, distinct from the Roman Oratory of Saint Philip Neri, was founded in 1611 by Cardinal Pierre de Bérulle. Given the religious wars that had ravaged France in the late sixteenth century, Cardinal Bérulle took a new approach to Calvinism, fighting not with weapons, but with sound reasoning and faith. He is recognized as one of the founders of the French School of Spirituality, a Catholic Counter-Reformation movement that fostered personal devotion. This movement, emphasizing the Incarnation and the deeply personal nature of God, shifted away from the heavy focus on doctrine common in scholasticism. Instead, it fostered an intimate devotion through love of God and personal conversion. This movement greatly appealed to Father John Eudes, and he became a strong follower and leader within it.

After his ordination in 1625, Father Eudes fell gravely ill and was bedridden for almost a year. Once he recovered, he was sent to Aubervilliers, just outside Paris, for further theological studies. In 1627, his father informed him of a plague that had broken out in a village near his hometown. Father Eudes quickly ministered to the physical and spiritual needs of the victims, particularly encouraging them to turn to their loving mother in Heaven and to rely upon her intercession. When another nearby town experienced the same plague a few years later, he did the same. This time, out of fear that he would become infected and in turn infect others in the Oratory, he lived for a time in a barrel in an open field while ministering to the sick, unconcerned for his own well-being.

In 1633, Father Eudes began earnest preaching. He preached parish missions that would sometimes last for weeks or even longer. His sermons emphasized the mercy of God, and he rallied a large number of priests to hear confessions. He himself was an effective confessor who embodied the Heart of Christ to sinners. One parish after another was gradually transformed. During his missions, he developed a deep compassion for sinners trapped in cycles of sin, particularly prostitutes. To address their needs, he founded the Order of Our Lady of Charity of the Refuge in 1641, with the assistance of three Visitation sisters. The purpose of this order was to provide spiritual and material aid to repentant prostitutes who needed help to change their ways.

After ten years of preaching missions, Father Eudes began to notice that although people initially changed after a mission, they quickly fell back into their sins without ongoing spiritual support and guidance. To remedy this, Father Eudes turned his attention to the formation of the clergy. He realized he couldn’t single-handedly evangelize and offer ongoing spiritual support to everyone, and so, in 1643, he left the Oratory and founded the Society of Jesus and Mary, later known as the Eudists. The aim of this new congregation was to provide for the formation of seminarians and parish missions. Over the next thirty years, Father Eudes founded six major seminaries in France at Caen, Coutances, Lisieux, Rouen, Évreux, and Rennes. These seminaries not only formed seminarians but also welcomed priests for further education, formation, and retreats, and offered teachings to the laity.

Devotion was at the heart of Father Eudes’ ministry, and his most enduring legacies are his promotion of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Holy Heart of Mary. In 1648, with the permission of the local bishop, he instituted a feast in honor of the Holy Heart of Mary, fostering a realization of the love that the Blessed Mother had for her Son and for all people. Father Eudes later composed a Mass and Office in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which he celebrated with the bishop’s permission for the first time in 1670. His goal was to reveal the infinite and personal love of Christ Jesus for His people. Providentially, in 1673, a French nun and mystic, later to be a saint, named Sister Margaret Mary Alacoque began to have visions of Jesus, in which He conveyed the importance of devotion to His Sacred Heart. Among His requests, Jesus told her that He wanted the Feast of His Sacred Heart to be celebrated on the Friday after the octave of Corpus Christi, in reparation for the ingratitude of people for His Sacrifice. Thus, what Father Eudes was inspired to do in 1670, Jesus confirmed through a mystic shortly afterward. In 1856, Pope Pius IX extended this Feast to the Universal Church.

Saint John Eudes emerged as one of many saints within the Church in France during a time of spiritual renewal, using the weapons of personal devotion, prayer, adoration, frequent Communion, and Confession. Hearts were transformed, not just minds. To ensure that this renewal would be ongoing, he dedicated himself and his newly founded order to the formation of priests, providing good shepherds who emulated the Heart of Jesus to God’s people. As we honor this great saint, ponder all he did but especially his devotion to the Hearts of Mary and Jesus. Their hearts reveal who they are, along with their compassion and unbounded love for us all. Run to their hearts today and always, receiving from them all that you need for your own transformation. Then dispense the infinite mercy of God to others.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/august-19—saint-john-eudes-priest/

Saint John Eudes, Priest Read More »

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Saint John Eudes, Priest

1601–1680; Patron Saint of Eudists, Order of Our Lady of Charity; Diocese of Baie-Comeau; and Missionaries; Canonized by Pope Pius XI on May 31, 1925

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