St. Michael, St. Gabriel, and St. Raphael, Archangels

Angels are pure, created spirits. The name "angel" means servant or messenger of God. Angels are celestial or heavenly beings, on a higher order than human beings. Angels have no bodies and do not depend on matter for their existence or activity. 

They are distinct from saints, which men can become. Angels have intellect and will, and are immortal. They are a vast multitude, but each is an individual person. 

Archangels are one of the nine choirs of angels listed in the Bible. In ascending order, the choirs or classes are 1) Angels, 2) Archangels, 3) Principalities, 4) Powers, 5) Virtues, 6) Dominations, 7) Thrones, 8) Cherubim, and 9) Seraphim. 

The Catholic Church teaches that angels are purely spiritual creatures. They do not possess material bodies as human beings do. The Catechism says that angels are “spiritual, non-corporeal beings” and that their existence is affirmed throughout Scripture and Tradition.

When Catholic art gives an angel a human body, it is normally symbolic or representational, rather than making any assertion that angels literally have flesh and bones.

The Bible often presents angels in a form recognizable as human. For example, when three mysterious visitors come to Abraham: “The LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre…” (Genesis 18:1). Abraham sees three men, and one of them is identified with the Lord, while the others are understood in the narrative as angelic visitors. They eat, converse, and walk with Abraham.

Similarly, two angels come to Lot: “The two angels came to Sodom in the evening…” (Genesis 19:1). Yet the people of Sodom perceive them as men. The angel Raphael in the Book of Tobit is particularly significant. Raphael accompanies Tobias on his journey while appearing as a human traveler. Only later does he reveal his true identity: “I am Raphael, one of the seven angels who stand ready and enter before the glory of the Lord.” (Tobit 12:15).

The New Testament continues this pattern. At the empty tomb, Luke says: “Two men stood by them in dazzling apparel.” (Luke 24:4). Matthew and Mark describe angelic figures in similar terms. In Acts 1:10–11, after Christ's Ascension, two men in white robes appear to the apostles and speak to them. As a result, Christian artists have strong biblical precedent for representing angels as beautiful, radiant human figures.

Depictions of angels most often include wings, but Scripture does not say that every angel has wings.Some heavenly beings are explicitly described as winged. The seraphim in Isaiah 6 have six wings, while the cherubim described by Ezekiel have wings. Revelation likewise uses highly symbolic imagery for heavenly beings.

Christian art eventually combined these biblical descriptions with the human appearance of angels. Wings became an artistic shorthand communicating their heavenly origin, supernatural movement, service as God's messengers, and transcendence of earthly limitations. So the familiar picture of angels with a human form, wings, and radiant appearance, is a visual synthesis of several biblical traditions, rather than a literal anatomical description.

Why does God allow angels to appear at times in human form? Actually, there is an important theological reason; namely, that God accommodates Himself to human beings. Since we ordinarily perceive the world through our senses, Scripture frequently describes spiritual realities through visible manifestations. An angel appearing as a man communicates something about the angel's personhood and mission. Angels are not impersonal forces or abstract energies. They possess intellect and will, speak, act, worship God, and carry out His commands.

The writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews calls them “ministering spirits sent forth to serve, for the sake of those who are to obtain salvation.” (Hebrews 1:14).

So when we see human-looking angels, it should be understood much like other sacred artistic representations. The artist is attempting to make an invisible spiritual reality intelligible to the human imagination.

The human body communicates personhood; wings communicate heavenly nature; light communicates glory; and sometimes particular attributes identify an angel's mission—for example, Michael with a sword, Gabriel with a lily or scroll, and Raphael with a staff or Tobias.

In art, then the angel's human appearance does not mean that “angels are humans with wings.” Rather, it means that this invisible spiritual person has manifested himself in a form that human beings can perceive and understand.

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On this feast day, known popularly as Michaelmas, we recall especially three Holy Archangels:

St. Michael
The name of the archangel Michael means, in Hebrew, “who is like unto God?” and he is also known as "the prince of the heavenly host." He is usually pictured as a strong warrior, dressed in armor. His name appears in Scripture four times, twice in the Book of Daniel, and once each in the Epistle of St. Jude and the Book of Revelation. From Revelation we learn of the battle in heaven, with St. Michael and his angels combatting Lucifer and the other fallen angels (or devils). We invoke St. Michael to help us in our fight against Satan; to rescue souls from Satan, especially at the hour of death; to be the champion of the Jews in the Old Testament and now Christians; and to bring souls to judgment.


St. Gabriel
St. Gabriel's name means "God is my strength". Biblically he appears three times as a messenger. He had been sent to Daniel to explain a vision concerning the Messiah. He appeared to Zachariah when he was offering incense in the Temple, to foretell the birth of his son, St. John the Baptist. St. Gabriel is most known as the angel chosen by God to be the messenger of the Annunciation, to announce to mankind the mystery of the Incarnation. The angel's salutation to our Lady, so simple and yet so full of meaning, “Hail Mary, full of grace,” has become the constant and familiar prayer of all Christian people.


St. Raphael
Our knowledge of the Archangel Raphael comes to us from the book of Tobit. His mission as wonderful healer and fellow traveler with the youthful Tobias has caused him to be invoked for journeys and at critical moments in life. Tradition also holds that Raphael is the angel that stirred the waters at the healing sheep pool in Bethesda. "God has healed" is the meaning of his name.

O Everlasting God, who hast ordained and constituted the services of Angels and men in a wonderful order: mercifully grant that as thy holy Angels alway do thee service in heaven; so by thy appointment they may succour and defend us on earth; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

St. Lawrence Ruiz and Companions, Martyrs

The mixed-race child of a Chinese father and a Filipino mother, Lawrence Ruiz grew up in Manila and married a local Catholic girl. They had three children, and lived a simple life on his modest salary as a clerk working for the local parish. What they lacked in material things they more than made up for in their deep Catholic faith. Living something of an anonymous life, known only to their immediate circle of family and friends, life was good but not extraordinary. That is, not until a false accusation was made. And then, life as Lawrence Ruiz and his wife knew it, no longer existed. Everything was turned upside down as he made the nearly-impossible decision to run from his accusers. He was completely innocent, but he paid a very heavy price, which involved leaving his beloved wife and children and the only home he knew.

Lawrence made his way to a ship which was headed for Japan, and his travelling companions were three Dominican priests, a Japanese priest, and a layman who suffered from leprosy. They arrived in Okinawa and made no secret of their Catholic faith. And for that, they were arrested and tortured mercilessly. They were dragged off to Nagasaki, where further sport was made of Lawrence and the others, in an attempt to get them to deny Christ. They remained steadfast in professing their love for God and His Church. Lawrence had already had a false accusation made against him, but this accusation - that he was a Catholic - was an accusation he was happy to confirm, no matter what the consequences. 

And the consequences were brutal. He and his companions were hung upside down while having heavy stones tied to them; they were held under water until the moment before they would drown; they had wood splinters driven under their fingernails. But through it all, their hearts were filled with love for God and forgiveness for their persecutors.

When they finally died from their tortures, the bodies of Lawrence and his companions were burned and the ashes were thrown into the sea. Their faithful witness, however, fed that great burning fire of God's love, which continues to burn to this day.

Grant us, we pray, Lord God, the same perseverance shown by thy Martyrs Saint Lawrence Ruiz and his Companions in serving thee and their neighbour: even as those persecuted for the sake of righteousness are blessed in thy kingdom; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

St. Wenceslaus, King and Martyr

St. Wenceslaus, duke of Bohemia, was born about the year 907 at Prague, Bohemia (now the Czech Republic). His father was killed in battle when he was young, leaving the kingdom to be ruled by his pagan mother. Wenceslaus was educated by his grandmother, Ludmilla, also a saint. She taught him to be a Christian and to be a good king. She was killed by pagan nobles before she saw him king, but she left him with a deep commitment to the Christian faith.

Throughout his life he lived as a completely faithful Catholic. As duke he was a father to his subjects, generous toward orphans, widows, and the poor. He himself frequently carried wood to the houses of the needy. He often attended the funerals of the poor. He ransomed captives, and visited those suffering in prison. He was filled with a deep reverence toward the clergy. With his own hands he planted the wheat for making altar breads and pressed the grapes for the wine used in the Mass. During winter he would visit the churches barefoot through snow and ice, frequently leaving behind bloody footprints.

Wenceslaus was eighteen years old when he succeeded his father to the throne. Without regard for the opposition, he worked in close cooperation with the Church to convert his pagan country. He ended the persecution of Christians, built churches and brought back exiled priests. As king he gave an example of a devout life and of great Christian charity, with his people calling him "Good King" of Bohemia.

His brother Boleslaus, however, turned to paganism. One day he invited Wenceslaus to his house for a banquet. The next morning, on September 28, 929, as Wenceslaus was on the way to Mass, Boleslaus struck him down at the door of the church. Before he died, Wenceslaus forgave his brother and asked God's mercy for his soul. Although he was killed for political reasons, he is listed as a martyr since the dispute arose over his faith. This king, martyred at the age of twenty-two, is the national hero and patron of the Czech Republic. He is the first Slav to be canonized.

O God, who through the victory of martyrdom didst exalt thy blessed Saint Wenceslaus from his earthy principality to the glory of thy heavenly kingdom: we pray thee, at his intercession, to defend us against all adversities; and to suffer us to rejoice in his eternal fellowship; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

St. Vincent de Paul, Priest and Confessor

St. Vincent was born of poor parents in a little village in France, in about 1580. He was able to go to school, which was run by a community of Franciscans, and it was there that he learned the value of humility and poverty, and the importance of serving others. Young Vincent was a good student, and in fact, he made such good progress that when he was in his fourth year of school, a wealthy man chose him to be a tutor for his own children, and Vincent was able to continue his studies at the same time, using the money he earned to pay for his education. When he was about sixteen, he went to the University for his theological studies, and he was eventually ordained to the priesthood.

St. Vincent was a very young priest in 1605, and he was travelling on a ship off the coast of France, when the ship was attacked by a band of pirates. They were Muslims from north Africa, and they captured St. Vincent and carried him off to Tunis, where he was sold into slavery. He lived as a slave for about two years, but then he managed to escape. Having gained his freedom, he went immediately to Rome to give thanks to God, and he then returned to France. Once again he became a tutor for the children of a wealthy family, and it was during that time that he had an important experience which changed the direction of his life.

There was a poor servant in the household who was dying. St. Vincent went to him to hear his last confession and to prepare him for death, and as he visited him, St. Vincent realized that the poor and those who worked in service to others really hadn’t been receiving very much spiritual care. When he brought this to the attention of his employers, they urged him to do what he thought best to remedy the situation. He began a great ministry to the poor, preaching missions so they could know the Gospel, and he founded a religious community for men and also another for women, whose purpose was to serve the poor.

St. Vincent’s work was recognized throughout the Church, and although many wanted to honour him, he himself remained completely humble, continuing his work for the poor. He became known as the Apostle of Charity, continuing his work, until he died at the age of eighty. His work continues through the communities of priests and sisters which he established, and also through the Church’s Society of St. Vincent de Paul, which encourages laypeople to join in the work of alleviating the needs of the poor.

O God, who didst strengthen blessed Vincent de Paul with apostolic power for preaching the Gospel to the poor, and for promoting worthiness in the clergy: grant, we beseech thee; that we who reverence his pious deeds may also be taught by the example of his virtues; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

Doing the Will of the Father

Jesus said, "A man had two sons; and he went to the first and said, `Son, go and work in the vineyard today.' And he answered, `I will not'; but afterward he repented and went. And he went to the second and said the same; and he answered, `I go, sir,' but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?"

- St. Matthew 21:28-31

The word "no" is a part of our natural, early vocabulary. Anyone who has children, or who works with children, is well aware of that fact. It almost seems as though the word "no" comes pre-programmed with the child. Where does this come from? It comes from Adam and Eve, the ones who first said "no" to God and "yes" to themselves and “yes” to the devil who lied to them, and that "no" is passed on like a genetic disease from parent to child, from one generation to the next.

In our own human experience, to say “no” to someone in authority is a test of that authority, which is exactly what the first son was doing in the parable Jesus told. He was denying his father's authority. To say no to his father's request was to refuse his authority.

Of course, there were two sons in the Gospel story, and we hear also the words of the second son: the lips say “yes,” but the actions say no. This, also, was a denial of his father's authority. When we hear all this outlined for us in a parable, it all seems so stark, and it appears obvious what is going on. But very often the actions we see in these two sons describes exactly how we tend to operate. We’re not necessarily so rude as to say "no" to someone's face. What happens is that, like the second son in the parable, we say "yes," - maybe even in a polite way - but then we go and do the opposite. We’ve all done it at one time or another.

In fact, we stand in a long tradition of people doing that - indeed, it began with Adam and Eve, and it’s been present throughout the history of mankind. Look back in the Scriptures:

The People of Israel stood at the foot of Mt. Sinai where God had given them the Law, and they said, “All these things the Lord has commanded us, we will do." That was just before they made the golden calf and bowed down to worship it.

St. Peter made the promise to Christ, "Even if I must die with you, I will never deny you," and later, on the very same day, he denied Jesus three times.

And so it goes with each of us. We say one thing, but we do the opposite. As St. Paul said, the good we want to do, we don't do; the evil we don't want to do, we very often end up doing. We honour God with our lips, but our hearts are often far from Him. We nod a polite "yes" to God's Law, but in the end, our greed, our arrogance, our immorality, our self-centeredness, our gossip and our lack of forgiveness – they all speak a deafening "no." So, the first son in the parable is almost like looking in a mirror.

But the second son in the parable isn’t any stranger to us. In fact, his behavior is a prime example of what would be called religious hypocrisy. The word "hypocrite" is from the Greek word for "actor." In the Greek theater, the actors hid behind masks; they appeared to be something they weren’t. That’s what we see in the second son. He appeared to be the good, obedient son - not like the other one who said "no." This son learned to hide his disobedience behind a shiny halo of politeness. "Yes, sir," he said to his face, while shaking his fist behind his father's back. And that’s what religion without repentence is -- a polite "yes, sir" to God's face while we shake our fists at Him in defiance.

Both sons in Jesus' parable sinned against their father. And that’s exactly what we should be confessing to God. We have sinned against God our Father by what we have done and by what we have left undone, by our rebellious "no" and by our false religious "yes." We haven’t loved God with our whole heart, and so our "yes" to Him sometimes is half-hearted at best. We make God’s commandments a matter of convenience; we say “yes” to them as long as they apply to the sins of others and as long they don't cramp our own lives too severely.

Jesus asked the religious leaders who heard the parable, "Which of the two did the will of his father?" "The first," they replied. “The one who said no, but then turned.” Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to you, the tax collectors and harlots are going into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you didn’t believe him, but the tax collectors and harlots believed him; and even when you saw it, you did not afterward repent and believe him."

Repentance – a “turning” – is what this parable is all about. Not just turning things around in your life, but actually being turned around by God. Like the first son – who turned from his "no," – so we’re supposed to be turned away from ourselves and turned toward God – we’re supposed to be turned in our mind and our heart. We’re to see ourselves in a new light, in the light of Christ, as people who are called to be saints, to be children of God, to be heirs of eternal life. Once we were determined to do our own will, a determination that leads to death; but now we’re turned to do the will of our Father in heaven, a determination which leads to life.

And what is the will of our Father in heaven? Jesus said, "For this is the will of my Father, that every one who sees the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life; and I will raise Him up at the last day." This is God's will for us: that we should look to His Son Jesus – crucified for us, raised for us, reigning in us – and that trusting in Jesus, and not in ourselves, so we can claim the promise of the free gift of eternal life in Jesus Christ, so that we’ll rise from the dead in the resurrection of the righteous to live in the presence of God forever. That’s the will of our Father in heaven. That’s what God is bringing about in our lives. Not necessarily that we be happy, healthy, wealthy, or even wise, but that we rise from the dead – rise to newness of life – and God orders everything in our lives around that very end.

God has provided a kind of “alternative death” in the death of Jesus, a death into which a sinner dies to sin now, so that he can live forever. God took His Son, placed upon Him the sin of the world, and nailed Him on the cross. Now in Holy Baptism, God offers that death to us. He applies it to us with His Word and Sacrament. He says, "Cling to this death, because it’s yours – it’s Jesus' gift for you." Die with Him – die to “self” – and you will live forever. But try to live without Him – try to do things your own way and according to your own schedule – and you’ll die forever.

As with all the parables, the key is Christ. He is, in a sense, the “third son” of the father, the one not mentioned in the parable. He’s the son who said "yes" to His Father's Will long ago, when the foundations of the world first were laid. It was then that the Father said to His beloved Son, "When they turn from me, you will go and save them. You’ll do what they won’t do. You will keep the Law perfectly in their place, and you will take upon yourself their sin. Their disobedience will become yours; and your obedience will be theirs.” Jesus said "yes" to His Father's will to save mankind, and He did it, perfectly.

In his Epistle to the Philippians St. Paul wrote what is actually a beautiful hymn which says in part, “Have this mind among yourselves, which was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross.” St. Paul presents the fact that the eternal Son didn’t consider His equality with the Father something to be held on to, but He emptied Himself of His divine honour and glory, and took on the humble clothing of a servant. The king left his throne and became a peasant. God became the lowliest of men, born of a poor and humble virgin. He laboured, he wept, he bled. God was clothed in our humanity. He humbled Himself. He buried His divinity deeply behind our humanity. He touched us with human hands. He became obedient to His own Law. He kept it perfectly in our place. He came under the Law's death sentence - even death on a cross.

So – to go back to the parable – “Which one did the will of his father?” The answer is that Jesus did. He did the will of His Father for those who would not, for those who could not. Jesus did it for everyone - for the son who said "no" and for the son who said "yes." He did it for those who are religious and for those who aren’t. He did it for the sinner and for the saint, for the tax collector and for the Pharisee. He did it for you, and He did it for me. He did it for the whole world. Therefore the Father exalted His Son. He raised Him from the dead and enthroned Him at His right hand, and placed His name over all things so that He might place His saving death and resurrection over everyone and everything. "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Jesus’ death is our death. His resurrection is ours. His ascension is ours. Baptized into Him we have died, we have risen, we are seated with Him at the Father's right hand. So, turn to Him who has turned to you in love to forgive you, to raise you up, to make you his own. Turn to Him, because God doesn’t want us to die forever. Turn to Him, who hung on the cross for you. Turn to Him, confessing your sins, because God is faithful and just and will forgive our sins. Christ is calling each and every one of us to turn to Him, and live.

SS. Cosmas and Damian, Martyrs

The commemoration of St. Cosmas and St. Damian is one of the most ancient feasts of the Church, and these two martyrs have been honoured in the East and West, including the building and dedication of churches in their honour in many places, including Rome and Constantinople. Along with St. Luke, they are the patron saints of doctors. Although we cannot be certain of the details of their lives, the information that has come down to us is of very early origin.

Saints Cosmas and Damian were venerated in the East as the "moneyless ones" because they practiced medicine at no charge. They were twin brothers, born in Cilicia (in what is now Turkey). They studied in Syria and became skilled physicians.

Since they were prominent Christians, they were among the first arrested when the great persecution under Diocletian began. Lysias, the governor of Cilicia, ordered their arrest, and they were beheaded in about the year 287. Their bodies, it was said, were carried to Syria and buried at the ancient Syrian city of Cyrrhus, which then became known as Hagioupolis – the City of the Holy Ones.

They were venerated very early and became patrons of medicine, known for their miracles of healing. The Emperor Justinian asked the heavenly aid of these saints and was cured by their intercession, leading the emperor to give special honour to the city of Cyrrhus where their relics were enshrined. Their basilica in Rome, decorated with beautiful mosaics, was dedicated in the year 530. They are named in the Roman Martyrology and in the Canon of the Mass, testifying to the antiquity of the celebration of their feast day.

Cosmas and Damian were not only ideal Christians by their practice of medicine as an act of Christian charity, but they also testify to God's blessing upon the science and art of healing, affirming the Christian understanding of the physical and spiritual unity of each person.

Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God: that we who celebrate the heavenly birthday of Saints Cosmas and Damian, thy Martyrs, may by their intercession be delivered from all evils that beset us; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

A Growing Cloud of Witnesses

The day, long anticipated, has arrived for the beatification of the man now to be known as Blessed Fulton John Sheen – that is, until his canonization (may it be soon!) when he will be enrolled with all the saints as St. Fulton John Sheen.

First, some clarification. Why is he “Blessed” for now? This stage, called “beatification” declares that he is “Blessed” and may be publicly venerated on a somewhat limited basis. For most candidates, a recognized miracle attributed to their intercession is required before canonization.

The miracle that led to the beatification of Blessed Fulton J. Sheen was the miraculous, full recovery of a stillborn infant in September 2010, when the baby, James Fulton Engstrom, was born in Peoria, Illinois, with no signs of life. He had no pulse, and his skin was blue from a total lack of oxygen. For 61 minutes, doctors and medical staff made every attempt to save him, but the baby failed to respond. As medical staff prepared to declare the time of death, the infant's parents began intensely praying for the intercession of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. Just as doctors were about to stop all efforts, the baby's heart suddenly began beating at a normal rate. Despite severe oxygen deprivation that medical professionals expected would cause permanent, massive brain damage, organ failure, or blindness, the infant made a complete and spontaneous recovery with no complications whatsoever.

We now pray for a second distinct miracle which can be attributed to Blessed Fulton Sheen's intercession. This will allow the Church to proceed towards canonization and the extension of his veneration to the universal Church, when he will be definitively placed in the canon of saints.

There has been no time in the history of the Church when the place of the saints has not been part of the very foundation of the Christian experience.

St. John the Divine was nearly a hundred years old when he was exiled to the island of Patmos. It was there that he had his great vision recorded in the Book of the Revelation: “I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no man could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb!’”

This was his great vision of all the saints, and they were standing there because of everything that has gone before. Their holiness is the fruit of all the events in Christ's life, from His Conception and Nativity, to the Resurrection and the Ascension and Pentecost – all those things happened to make saints.

Saints aren’t born; rather, they are made. We are all born with the potential to become saints. The only difference between those who are not saints and those who are, is the difference between people who repent and confess after sinning, and those who refuse to repent and so purposely continue in their sin.

Because one of the purposes of the Church is to make saints, so the characteristics of the saints are the characteristics of the Church. In the Creed we confess that we believe “One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.” These words which define the Church, also define the saints.

The saints are One because they are together. We speak of the communion of the saints. The saints are One, they are united with one another because they are united with Christ.

The saints are also obviously holy. The word “saint” (from “sanctus”) means holy. They’ve been made holy by Christ, through the sacraments, through prayer, through grasping hold of and using God’s grace daily.

The saints are also Catholic, that is, “universal.” In other words, their holiness is the same in all places and at all times. We commemorate all the saints of all countries and of all centuries and of all backgrounds. We recall saints of all ages, of all nationalities, men, women and children, the poor and the rich, the old and the young, the healthy and the sick. They all confess the same Faith. The holiness of the Saints is universal throughout all ages.

And the saints are Apostolic. They share in the same Faith and Tradition that Christ gave to the Apostles, and they shared this Faith with the world through their words and in their lives. Their holiness wasn’t just for themselves; their holiness is for the whole world.

It is into this vast company the Church is now declaring that Blessed Fulton John Sheen stands, ready to pray for us. So we ask for his prayers, and for the prayers of all the saints, that through their constant intercession we might be made saints, to have our place with them as the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic people of God.

Our Lady of Walsingham

In the year 1061 the lady of the manor of Little Walsingham in Norfolk, a widow named Lady Richeldis, prayed to the Blessed Virgin, asking how she could honour her in some special way. In answer to this prayer Mary led Lady Richeldis in spirit to Nazareth and showed her the house in which she had first received the angel's message and where she spoke her "fiat" in answer.

The Virgin Mary told Richeldis to take the measurements of this house and build another one just like it in Walsingham. It would be a place where people could come to honour her and her Son, remembering especially the mystery of the Annunciation and Mary's joyful 'yes' in conceiving the Saviour.

This original building in Walsingham was described as a simple wooden structure approximately 24 feet long by 13 feet wide. It would have had the appearance of a small medieval domestic house or chapel, emphasizing the humble setting associated with the Annunciation.

Tradition holds that the interior was paneled with wood. Within it was a wooden statue of Our Lady seated with the Child Jesus on her lap. Descriptions of the original structure mention four small turrets and a central tower, giving the otherwise simple wooden house a distinctive devotional appearance.

The traditional account places it near the famous twin wells. According to the story, Richeldis initially selected one location, but after the builders were unable to complete the house there, it was found miraculously completed at another nearby site.

The house was eventually enclosed within increasingly elaborate buildings as Walsingham developed into a major medieval pilgrimage shrine.

The late eleventh century and all through the twelfth and thirteenth centuries was the era of the crusades, which saw a growing interest in the sites consecrated by the human presence of Jesus in the Holy Land. But now pilgrims need not go so far, because in England itself there was a 'new Nazareth' built by one of their own countrywomen.

The house at Walsingham was, by the instructions given by the Blessed Virgin to Lady Richeldis, a copy of the original house; however, the actual house from Nazareth was indeed moved – perhaps even miraculously – to Loreto, and we find that the measurements of the house in Loreto and the house in Walsingham are the same.

Why venerate a house? Because it reminds us in a tangible way that the Word-made-Flesh lived as Man with mankind.

O God, who, through the mystery of the Word made flesh, didst in thy mercy sanctify the house of the Blessed Virgin Mary: do thou grant that we may keep aloof from the tabernacle of sinners, and become worthy indwellers of thy house; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

St. Pius of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio)

St. Pius (Francesco Forgione) was born in 1887 in Pietrelcina, a town in southern Italy. His was a family of farmers, and his father worked also as a shepherd to support the family. In fact, when St. Pius was a boy his father was away for periods of time because he had gone to America looking for work, sending money back to his family. When St. Pius was 15 he entered the novitiate of the Capuchin Friars and made his first vows when he was 19. He suffered several health problems, but he was eventually ordained at age 22 on 10 August 1910, and was known after that as Padre Pio.

He had been a priest for about eight years. One morning he was praying before a crucifix, when he received the stigmata, the physical marks Christ's crucifixion. Because this became a source of curiosity for so many people, Padre Pio was forbidden from having any public ministry for some years, even having to say Mass privately. 

This was a tremendous burden for him; however, he accepted it in complete obedience to his superiors. But as word spread, especially after American soldiers brought home stories of Padre Pio following WWII, the priest himself became a point of pilgrimage for both the pious and the curious. He would hear confessions by the hour, reportedly able to read the consciences of those who held back. He was able to bi-locate, levitate, and heal by touch, although he himself never understood or emphasized these gifts.

People always seem to be most fascinated with these dramatic gifts, but the foundation of St. Pius’s life was his total love for Jesus, especially in the Blessed Sacrament, and his life of prayer for others, especially prayer for healing – both spiritual and physical healing. In fact, in 1956 he founded the House for the Relief of Suffering, a hospital that today serves about 60,000 patients a year.

St. Pius died in 1968, and people continued to report many miracles and healings that had come through his intercession. Pope John Paul II beatified him in 1999, and then in 2002 he was canonized in the presence of more than 300,000 people who gathered in Rome for the Mass.

Almighty everliving God, who, by a singular grace, didst give the Priest Saint Pius a share in the Cross of thy Son and, by means of his ministry, renewed the wonders of thy mercy: grant that, through his intercession, we may be united constantly to the sufferings of Christ, and so brought happily to the glory of the Resurrection; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

God's Will Be Done

Living as we do in circumstances in which we receive overwhelming amounts of information and news stories from even the most distant corners of the world, it can keep us off-balance and (depending on what comes into our news feed) perhaps at times even close to despair. But we know that we can regain our footing by turning to God in prayer, and the best prayer is the one taught to us by Christ Himself.

In the Lord's Prayer we pray for God to reign in our lives and in our world: "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

What do we mean when we pray, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”? We are praying that something will come about, but which has not yet fully happened. We are praying that God will bring about His heavenly purpose on earth. We are praying that God would use us to do His divine will. We are making ourselves available to do the will of our heavenly Father, to fulfill His purpose.

This was the prayer of Mary after the angel Gabriel had revealed to her the will of God in bearing the Incarnate Word, Jesus. “I am the handmaid of the Lord. Be it unto me according to thy word.” Mary prayed that God’s divine will might be done through her life, and the world was transformed because of her “yes” to God’s will. Even our Lord Jesus, the Incarnate Word of God, when He was in agony in Gethsemane, prayed to His Father, “Nevertheless not my will, but thine be done.”

When we pray, “Thy will be done” we are not simply resigning ourselves to whatever happens; rather, we are praying for triumph – that is, the triumph of God’s divine will. This prayer is not an invitation to passively stand by, acquiescing to prevailing circumstances; rather, it is a means of buttressing our resolution to fight for what is right, noble and true, for whatever is pure, lovely and admirable. It is to pray for the spirit of victory, the victory of God’s will, of God’s reign, of God’s kingdom – here on earth, as it already is in heaven.

St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist

As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax office; and he said to him, "Follow me." And he rose and followed him. And as he sat at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" But when he heard it, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, `I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax office; and he said to him, "Follow me." And he rose and followed him. And as he sat at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" But when he heard it, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, `I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."

- St. Matthew 9:9-13

Matthew, known originally as Levi, was a Jew who worked for the occupying Roman forces, collecting taxes from other Jews. The Romans didn’t care what the tax collectors got by collecting extra for themselves, and so they were generally hated as traitors by their fellow Jews. The Pharisees lumped them with "sinners.” So it was shocking to them to hear Jesus call such a man to be one of His followers.

Matthew got Jesus in further trouble by having a sort of going-away party at his house. The Gospel tells us that "many tax collectors and those known as sinners" came to the dinner. The Pharisees were still more shocked. What business did this supposedly great teacher have associating with such immoral people? Jesus' answer was, "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” Jesus is not setting aside ritual and worship; rather, he is saying that it cannot be a substitute for loving others.

When Jesus saw Matthew sitting at his tax office – no doubt counting his day's profit – Jesus spoke only two words: "Follow me." Those two words changed Matthew from a self-serving profiteer to a God-serving apostle who would bring the treasures of God's kingdom to the poor and needy. He turned from his sin, so that he could follow Jesus.

The author of one of the synoptic Gospels, ancient Christian tradition associates St. Matthew especially with missionary work in Ethiopia, and it was most likely there that he suffered martyrdom for the faith.

O Almighty God, who by thy blessed Son didst call Saint Matthew from the receipt of custom to be an Apostle and Evangelist: grant us grace to forsake all covetous desires and inordinate love of riches; and to follow the same thy Son Jesus Christ; who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

God's Fairness, God's Mercy

 

[Jesus said] “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, `Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.' And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius. And on receiving it they grumbled at the householder, saying, `These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.' But he replied to one of them, `Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you, and go; I choose to give to this last as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?' So the last will be first, and the first last."

-St. Matthew 20:8-16

The initial reaction of many to this parable of the landowner and the workers in the vineyard is “Unfair!” Equal pay for unequal work? Unfair. Upon hearing it, it probably strikes most people as unfair. One group of workers got up at the crack of dawn, but when they saw the pay-packets being handed out, they just had to speak up: "These last worked only one hour, and you’ve made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat." It seems to go against every principle of justice and fair play.

But then we get to the heart of Christ’s lesson: the landowner said, “I have done nothing wrong to you. I paid you what you agreed to. I've met the terms of your contract, so take what belongs to you and go. It's none of your business if I choose to pay these others what I paid you. It's my money and I can do what I choose with it. Are you envious because I'm generous?”

And they were indeed envious. Who wouldn't be envious of someone who received the same wage for working only one-twelfth as long, and in the cool of the day? Even a child could figure out the injustice of that. We couldn’t imagine anyone running a business like that.

But Jesus is telling us through this parable that the Kingdom of God isn’t run in accord with what would seem to be sound business principles. He says that "the last will be first and the first will be last." He seems to be saying that all our hard work, our position, our credentials, count for little with God.

God isn’t bound by our method of judging one person's worth over against another's. There is another set of criteria at work. Our relationship with God cannot be seen in purely legalistic terms. He’s cutting the ground out from under the popular idea that a person can pray enough, or sacrifice enough, or work hard enough to earn himself a place in heaven.

There are those who try to make salvation into a mathematical formula. They think that at the end of life, God simply tallies up our good deeds and our bad deeds, and then determines what our reward or punishment should be. They see God as a great scorekeeper who will be, by our standards, objective and fair. And, to be honest, if this were God's way of dealing with humanity, it would be unjust for the person who entered God's service at the end of life to receive the very same reward as the person who toiled and sweated all his life.

But through this parable, Jesus is teaching His disciples that God isn’t just a dispassionate scorekeeper tallying up losses and gains; but God is also a caring Father concerned with our well-being. God is not a judging tyrant doling out rewards and punishments. He is a loving Saviour offering abundant life, now and eternally.

And that’s very good news, because – let’s face it – we’re much better off if we’re not being judged on the basis of what we deserve. If we really think about it, we’re probably more like the workers who showed up toward the end of the day than those who began at dawn and worked diligently all day long. There are so many things that we meant to do, but never got around to doing; and so many things that we intended not to do, but did anyway. In reality, we probably should be somewhere toward the back of the line.

We should be thankful that God is not fair by human standards, but that God is merciful by His standards.

When Jesus went to the Cross, He didn’t ask what the world deserved; rather, He gave what the world needed. When we receive the Body and Blood of the Lord in the Holy Eucharist, God doesn’t ask whether we deserve to receive this gift of Himself. God doesn’t ask whether we should receive only a small portion of salvation. The body and blood of Christ is offered to us in full measure. 

No matter whether we've known the joy of working in God's kingdom most of our lives or whether we’ve just accepted the invitation, the fullness of God's love in Jesus Christ is poured out as a reward for us all, and it is that reward which is the only thing we need.

St. Theodore of Canterbury

Saint Theodore of Canterbury, also known as Theodore of Tarsus, was a Greek-speaking scholar who served as the eighth Archbishop of Canterbury and became one of the most pivotal figures in early English church history.

Born in Tarsus, Cilicia (modern-day Turkey) in about the year 602, Theodore was educated in Athens and Constantinople, accumulating vast knowledge in theology, law, medicine, and philosophy. After fleeing the Arab conquests, he moved to Rome. In 668 AD, at the advanced age of 66, Pope Vitalian appointed him Archbishop of Canterbury to unify the fractured English Church.

Arriving in Britain in 669 AD alongside Saint Adrian, Theodore embarked on an energetic reform campaign. He filled long-vacant episcopal sees, subdivided unwieldy dioceses, and established sound church governance. In 672 AD, he convened the Synod of Hertford, the first national council of the English Church, establishing unified canon law and ending lingering Celtic–Roman liturgical divisions.

Together with the Abbot St. Adrian, St. Theodore founded a legendary school at Canterbury, making it a world-class center of learning where Greek, Latin, astronomy, and theology were taught. By the time of St. Theodore’s death in 690 AD, Saint Bede famously noted that Theodore was the first archbishop whom the entirety of the English Church obeyed, laying the administrative groundwork for both a unified church and, ultimately, a unified nation.

O GOD, whose Bishop Theodore was called to England to set the Church on a firm foundation: by his prayers, build us always anew on the rock that is Christ; and keep thy household faithful to the call we have received; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

St. Adrian of Canterbury, Abbot

St. Adrian of Canterbury was a scholar and abbot who played a pivotal role in shaping Anglo-Saxon intellectual and religious life. Born in North Africa c. 630, he became abbot of a monastery near Naples, Italy, earning renown for his piety and fluency in Greek, Latin, and theology.

When Pope Vitalian offered Adrian the prestigious position of Archbishop of Canterbury, Adrian humbly declined, believing himself unworthy. Instead, he recommended his friend Theodore of Tarsus. The Pope agreed on the condition that Adrian accompany Theodore to England as his chief advisor.

Upon arriving in England, Adrian was appointed Abbot of the Monastery of Saints Peter and Paul (later St. Augustine’s Abbey) in Canterbury. Over 39 years, he transformed the abbey into a premier European center of learning. He taught Scripture, Roman law, astronomy, and classical languages, educating a generation of scholars and future bishops who strengthened the English Church, remaining there until his death c.710.

GRANT, we beseech thee, O Lord, that the prayers of thy holy Abbot, blessed Adrian, may commend us unto thee: that we, who have no power of ourselves to help ourselves, may by his advocacy find favour in thy sight; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

St. Januarius, Bishop and Martyr

Saint Januarius (widely known in Italian as San Gennaro) was a 3rd-century bishop of Benevento, Italy, who became a prominent martyr and the principal patron saint of Naples. Little is definitively known about his early life, but historical tradition records that he served as a devout pastor during a turbulent era for the early Church.

During the fierce anti-Christian persecutions ordered by the Roman Emperor Diocletian around 305 AD, Januarius was arrested after visiting imprisoned Christian companions. According to tradition, he and his fellow believers were initially condemned to be devoured by wild animals in an arena. However, when the beasts refused to attack them, the Roman authorities altered the execution sentence, and Januarius was subsequently beheaded near Pozzuoli.

Saint Januarius is globally renowned for the "Miracle of Blood," a long-standing phenomenon associated with his relics housed in the Cathedral in Naples. A ampoule containing blood collected shortly after his martyrdom is publicly displayed three times a year. During these occasions, the blood (which is usually dry) regularly liquefies and bubbles, an extraordinary event witnessed by thousands that continues to defy definitive natural explanation. His feast day is celebrated on September 19.

O GOD, who dost grant us to venerate the memory of the Martyr Saint Januarius: give us, we pray, the joy of his company in blessed happiness for all eternity; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.