St. Jerome Emiliani

St. Jerome Emiliani was born in the 15th century, and as a young man he became a soldier for the city-state of Venice. During that time he wasn’t terribly religious; in fact, he was fairly selfish, and didn’t think much about other people. He loved the life of a soldier, and was never happier than when he was heading off to do battle against someone else. 

One day, when he was engaged in a minor battle, Jerome was captured and chained in a dungeon. While he was in prison, Jerome had a lot of time to think. He began to think about his life, and he began to think about God, and gradually he learned how to pray. One day he managed to escape from prison. He returned to Venice to his family, and with nothing else to do, he took charge of the education of his nephews. At the same time, he began his own studies for the priesthood.

St. Jerome eventually was ordained, and settled into the life of a parish priest. But soon after his ordination, God began to call St. Jerome into a new ministry – not in a parish, but a ministry which would reach far beyond a single parish. A terrible plague was sweeping across Europe, and there was widespread famine throughout northern Italy where St. Jerome was. He began caring for the sick and feeding the hungry at his own expense. While serving the sick and the poor, he made the decision to devote himself and all his resources to assist others, particularly for the care of abandoned children. He founded three orphanages and a hospital.

In about the year 1532, Jerome and two other priests established a religious congregation dedicated to the care of orphans and the education of youth. Jerome died in 1537 from a disease he caught while tending the sick. He was eventually canonized, and was named the universal patron of orphans and abandoned children.

O God, the Father of mercies, who didst raise up Saint Jerome Emiliani to be a defender and father of the fatherless: vouchsafe, through his merits and intercession; that we may faithfully guard thy spirit of adoption, whereby we are called and are indeed thy children; 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. Jerome Emiliani" by Antonio Caboni, 1844

St. Paul Miki and the Martyrs of Japan

Nagasaki, Japan, is known in history as the city on which the second atomic bomb was dropped in 1945 during the last stages of World War II, killing hundreds of thousands. But some 350 years before that, twenty-six martyrs of Japan were crucified on a hill, now known as the Holy Mountain, overlooking Nagasaki. Among them were priests, brothers and laymen, Franciscans, Jesuits and members of the Secular Franciscan Order; there were catechists, doctors, old men and innocent children—all united in a common faith and love for Jesus and his church.

When Christianity first came to Japan, it was tolerated by the shoguns – the leaders – because they thought it would open up trade with the West. However, they soon decided that the Christian faith wasn’t helpful to them, so they outlawed it, and began the systematic destruction of the faith. The martyrs we celebrate today were rounded up and tortured, trying to get them to deny their faith. Each one of them had an ear cut off, and then they were marched for a thousand miles through the winter months, in the hope that they would denounce the faith, and cause others to do the same. All that accomplished was to make their faith grow stronger. The forced march ended at Nagasaki, where the Christians were then crucified on what came to be known as the Holy Mountain.

St. Paul Miki, a Jesuit and a native of Japan, has become the best known among the martyrs of Japan. While hanging upon a cross Paul Miki preached to the people gathered for the execution. He forgave his persecutors and called people to love God and to obey Him. His final words were, "I ask God to have pity on all, and I hope my blood will fall on my fellow men as a fruitful rain."

When missionaries returned to Japan in the 1860s, at first they found no trace of Christianity. But after establishing themselves they found that thousands of Christians lived around Nagasaki and that even though there were no priests and no sacraments other than baptism, the people had secretly preserved the faith.

O GOD, the strength of all the Saints, who through the Cross wast pleased to call the Martyrs Saint Paul Miki and Companions to everlasting life: grant, we pray; that by their intercession we may hold with courage to the faith that we profess, even unto death; 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.

Septuagesima: On Being Salt and Light

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, "You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trodden under foot by men.  You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid.  Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

-St. Matthew 5:13-16

A pilgrimage to the Holy Land is always filled with great moments and experiences. One of the highlights is visiting and praying at the place which has come to be known as the Mount of the Beatitudes. Other than the present-day church with its surrounding buildings, it looks today much as it did when a crowd had surged around our Lord, eager to hear what He had to say. The reasons for them being there were probably as varied as the people themselves. But there they were, ready to listen, and Jesus was ready to speak. He made His way to the top of that hill. His disciples gathered around Him.  The people sat down, and He began.

He started with the Beatitudes – a series of statements, each of which began with the words, “Blessed are…” Each sentence was a kind of gateway which opened up the way into the Kingdom of God. And as He spoke those statements of blessedness, the people’s vision was directed to their eternal destiny, which is life with God.

But He went on from there, because His message wasn’t simply to prepare for the future reward of heaven – no, He went on, showing that those who were willing to follow the path He outlined in the Beatitudes would be keenly aware of the importance of the “here and now” as part of the preparation for heaven.

“You are the salt of the earth…” He said. “You are the light of the world…” He told them. And these weren’t just poetic phrases He was using. They were filled with meaning for those who were hearing them that day by the Sea of Galilee.

Salt was highly valued in the time of Christ. In that time, salt was indispensable for the preservation of food. In fact, it was so valuable that part of the Roman soldier’s payment was in salt, and our word “salary” comes from the same word. So in saying to the disciples and others gathered around Him that they were the “salt of the earth,” He was reminding them of their immense value in the sight of God, and of their importance in the building up of the Kingdom of God. They shouldn’t worry if their numbers were small – after all, a pinch of salt is effective in a way that’s completely out of proportion to its amount.

Salt is inconspicuous. In many ways, it’s ordinary. It’s intended to be mixed with common things – and that’s the way it’s supposed to be for the followers of Christ. Their witness is supposed to be a day-by-day thing. The living of the Christian life means mixing in with the things of this world, giving everything a new flavour and a new meaning.

And as Christians are called to be salt, there’s a warning that goes along with it: “…if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trodden under foot by men.” In other words, Christ was saying that if we squander the gifts and the grace He gives us, then we’re of little use to Him. We’re supposed to be a preservative of all that’s good in the world, bringing out the best in others. The graces and blessings given to us by God aren’t meant for us alone; they’re to be salt to the world – a seasoning which, when it’s spread among others, preserves in them what God intends for them to be.

“You are the salt of the earth.” That little statement should make each one of us ask, “How do I, as a follower of Christ, affect others? Do I help them love God by showing them God’s love? Do I assist them in growing closer to Christ by speaking and living Christ’s truth in my own life?”

And we’re to be not only “salt,” but also “light.” In many ways, God’s truth had been obscured in Christ’s time, not only by the darkness of pagan cults, but by turning religion into something that was just an external form, much as what’s happened in our own day. But Jesus had come to shed light so that man might see God. He’s telling us that we’re supposed to shine, too. But it’s not our own value or worth that we’re suppose to make shine – no, we’re to shine by obeying the light that we’ve received from God. He says, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Here’s a reminder to us: one of the ways others will come to know God will be because of what they see in us. We can’t make somebody else know God, but we can help others come to know God by our own witness. All we need to do is to be faithful to Christ. It’s the Lord who has made us salt and light, and all we need to do is to be faithful to the responsibilities Christ has given us – faithful in our everyday lives – to be faithful husbands and wives, faithful mothers and fathers, faithful friends and co-workers – doing our best, helped by the grace of God, so that others can see and be moved, not by our imperfect goodness, but by God’s perfect goodness as it’s reflected in our own lives.

Consider this. When you turn on a light in a roomful of beautiful things, it isn’t the light bulb we admire, is it? Rather, we appreciate the things of beauty which have been illuminated. That’s how it’s supposed to be with us. If we’re the “light of the world,” we’re not here to call attention to ourselves; rather, we’re supposed to illuminate God and His goodness. And as a light, we’re supposed to shine light on the evil which has invaded God’s world, so that the light will drive it away.

Christ tells us that we’re the salt of the earth and the light of the world. And we are, if we live in Him and for Him. We’re to be salt, so that Christ can be savoured by those who are starving for Him. And we’re to be light, so that Christ can be seen by those whose sight has been obscured by the darkness that surrounds them.

And if we take that responsibility seriously – to be salt and light – we’ll be a blessing, and we will be blessed, just as Christ said we would be, when He taught from that hilltop by the Sea of Galilee.

_________________________________

Painting: "The Sermon of the Beatitudes"

by James Tissot (1836-1902)

St. Gilbert of Sempringham

St. Gilbert was born into a wealthy family in about the year 1083 in Sempringham, England.  His father was a Norman knight who had decided that his son would follow a different path, and so sent him to France to study and to prepare for ordination.

When St. Gilbert returned to England he was not yet ordained a priest. His father had died, and Gilbert inherited several estates. While many might have chosen a life of ease in such circumstances, St. Gilbert chose to live a simple life, putting himself at the service of the poor by sharing with them his considerable resources. He was ordained to the priesthood, and served as the parish priest at Sempringham, where he had grown up.

There were seven young women in the congregation who had expressed to him a desire to live in community as vowed religious. St. Gilbert took their vocation seriously, and had a house built for them near the parish church. Although their communal life was one of simplicity and austerity, the community grew in numbers. They worked on the land, providing for their own needs and for the needs of the poor. It was St. Gilbert’s hope that the Community would be able to become part of the Cistercians, or one of the other established orders, but that never happened. They became known as the Gilbertines, and they remained as their own order, which continued to grow until King Henry VIII ordered the suppression of all monasteries in 1538.

The Gilbertines developed a beautiful custom in their religious houses of having what was called “the plate of the Lord Jesus.” On this plate they would place the very best portion of their meals, which would then be shared with the poor. This custom was a direct reflection of St. Gilbert’s own love for the poor, and it continued the charity he had always shown.

Although St. Gilbert came from great wealth, and through inheritance he himself was a man of means, nonetheless he lived the simple life of a devoted parish priest. He ate very little food, and spent many nights in prayer. He lived a life of hardship and sacrifice willingly, as a sign of his love for Christ and for the poor. He died in the year 1190 at the age of 106.

Almighty God, our heavenly Father: we remember before thee all thy servants who have served thee faithfully in their generation, and have entered into rest, especially St. Gilbert, beseeching thee to give us grace so to follow in their steps; that with them we may be partakers of thy heavenly 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. Blaise, Bishop and Martyr

St. Blaise was a physician and Bishop of Sebaste, Armenia. He lived in a cave on Mount Argeus and was a healer of men and animals. According to legend, sick animals would come to him on their own for help, but would never disturb him at prayer.

Agricola, governor of Cappadocia, came to Sebaste to persecute Christians. His huntsmen went into the forests of Argeus to find wild animals for the arena games, and found many waiting outside Blaise's cave. Discovered in prayer, Blaise was arrested, and Agricola tried to get him to recant his faith. While in prison, Blaise ministered to and healed fellow prisoners, including saving a child who was choking on a fish bone, which led to the tradition of the blessing of throats on his feast day.

Thrown into a lake to drown, Blaise stood on the surface and invited his persecutors to walk out and prove the power of their gods; they drowned. When he returned to land, he was martyred by being beaten, his flesh torn with wool combs (which led to his association with and patronage of those involved in the wool trade), and then beheading.

St. Blaise has been beloved for centuries in both the Eastern and Western Churches and many cures were attributed to him. In 1222 the Council of Oxford prohibited servile labour in England on his feast. He is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, and he is invoked especially for afflictions of the throat.

O God, who makest us glad with the yearly festival of blessed Blaise, thy Martyr and Bishop: mercifully grant that, as we now observe his heavenly birthday; so we may likewise rejoice in his protection; 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.

____________________________________

Painting: "St. Blaise"

by Bicci di Lorenzo (1373–1452)

Presentation of the Lord (Candlemas)

It is a good and just king who obeys his own laws, and at the time of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple, God was doing just that. As the Incarnate Word, He conformed Himself to all those laws which were meant to honour Him. And it took place in the very Temple which was built to worship Him. 

Old Simeon had waited for years and he had seen countless infants brought into the Temple, but by the stirring of the Holy Ghost within him he knew this was the One. The veil was lifted from Simeon’s eyes, foreshadowing the future day when the Temple veil would be torn in two. The Infant in Simeon’s arms was an image of the Victim on the arms of the Cross. And the aged prophet’s words to the Virgin Mother would be fulfilled when she stood beneath the cross, entering into her Son’s suffering.

This is a continuing epiphany, an ongoing revelation of our Lord. It reminds us of the importance of obedience as we see Christ’s obedience. It reminds us of the importance of waiting upon God as we hear of the waiting of Simeon and Anna. And it reminds us of the importance of offering our best love to God as we witness Joseph and Mary offering back to God the Beloved Infant entrusted to them, giving us a foretaste of the Mass itself, in which Christ is offered to the Father.

There are three times in the life of our Lord Jesus Christ when a period of forty days figure in an important way: the feast of His Presentation in the Temple occurs forty days after His Nativity; the forty days in the wilderness, after which He was “presented” to the world and began His earthly ministry; and the forty days after His Resurrection, after which Christ was “presented” in heaven through His Ascension.

God “speaks His mysteries plain,” and His use of these periods of time tells us something of the nature of God; namely, that the Eternal Word has entered into time and space. At each “presentation” in the earthly life of Christ, it was not He alone who was presented, but He has taken our human nature through these things so that we might experience something similar.

And so we do. We have our own “presentation in the temple” in our baptism. As believing and active Catholics we have a “presentation to the world” as we seek to fulfill our vocation to work for the consecration of all creation in the name of Christ. And, God willing, we will have our “presentation in heaven” when God will say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant; enter into the joy of thy Lord.”

Almighty and everliving God, we humbly beseech thy majesty: that, as thine Only Begotten Son was this day presented in the temple in substance of our flesh; so we may be presented unto thee with pure and clean hearts, by the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord; who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

______________________________ 

Pictured: detail from the Saint Columba Altarpiece (c. 1455) 

by Rogier van der Weyden

St. John Bosco

St. John Bosco was born near Turin, Italy, in 1815. His father died when John was only two years old, but his mother made sure he received a good education. His early years were financially difficult but at the age of twenty he entered the major seminary, thanks to the financial help received from a benefactor. John Bosco was ordained a priest on June 5, 1846.

At that time the city of Turin was on the threshold of the industrial revolution and as a result there were many challenges and problems, especially for the young men who came there to work. Many of them had little or no education, and since they worked long hours, there were few opportunities to get an education. Gifted as he was as an educator and a leader, Don Bosco formulated a system of education based on "reason, religion and kindness." In spite of the criticism and violent attacks of the anti-clericals, he conducted workshops for the tradesmen and manual laborers, schools of arts and sciences for young workers, and schools of the liberal arts for those preparing for the priesthood. In 1868 there were 800 students involved in this educational system. To ensure the continuation of his work, Don Bosco founded the Society of St. Francis de Sales (Salesians), which was approved in 1869. Also, with the help of Sister Mary Dominic Mazzarello, he founded the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Auxiliatrix.

He also found time to write popular catechetical pamphlets which were distributed throughout Italy, as was his Salesian Bulletin. This great apostle of youth died on January 31, 1888, and was canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1934. Pope John Paul II named him "father and teacher to the young."

O God, who didst raise up Saint John Bosco thy Confessor to be a father and teacher of the young, and through him, with the aid of the Virgin Mary, didst will that new families should flourish in thy Church: grant, we beseech thee; that being kindled by the same fire of charity, we may have the strength to seek for souls, and to serve thee alone; 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.

Epiphany IV: Our Lord's Sermon on the Mount

Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up on the mountain, and when he sat down his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them…

- St. Matthew 5:1, 2a

So begins what has come to be known as the Sermon on the Mount, one of the greatest discourses of all time. There is no cathedral which would be a more beautiful setting than where it took place, with the sky as the ceiling and the mountain as the pulpit, it is another Mount Sinai.

On the original Sinai, God handed down his commandments, which outline what must be done to be God’s Holy People; and now, on this other mountain, this second Sinai, there is handed down the Beatitudes, which outline that which makes God’s people “blesséd.”

What does Christ mean when he says, “Blesséd”? “Blessed are the poor in spirit… blessed are those who mourn… blessed are the meek… blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness… blessed are the merciful… blessed are the pure in heart… blessed are the peacemakers… blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake…” What is this “blessedness?”

Although it is sometimes translated as “happiness,” it is much deeper than that. We think of people being happy when everything’s going well for them. People are happy when they’re cheerful and good-natured and loved by their family and friends, and that can be part of what we think of as blessedness. But to be “blessed” implies a deeper joy, a holier joy, than what can be caused simply by outward circumstances. “Blessedness” is inward; it is abiding. Outward prosperity cannot give it, nor can adversity take it away. “Blessedness” is rather like the ocean: the surface changes – sometimes it is calm and smooth, sometimes the wind tosses it into huge waves – but deep under the surface there is changeless rest and silence and peace. It is this peacefulness and changelessness which Christ gives to the idea of “blessedness.”

It says that the world is wrong about many things. Good fortune is not blessedness; rather, blessedness is the gift of God. What He gives cannot be taken away by the chances and changes of this mortal life. Blessedness is not an outward ornament of life; rather, it is something that belongs deeply to man, because it has been given to man by God Himself. It is in the heart; it is woven into the inner being. It is holy; it is spiritual; it is heavenly. It is the character and the privilege of the children of God’s kingdom, and man has it because he bears the image of the King in whose kingdom he lives.

With the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, the heavenly life of God was exhibited upon earth. It had never been seen in its fullness before, and it was altogether different from the portraits of virtue which had been drawn by the ancient philosophers and writers. Christ’s life was not simply a good life; He came as Goodness itself. Christ does not simply show what it is to love; He came as Love itself. Christ did not come simply to show us the truth; He came as Truth itself. And Christ did not come simply to speak about God; he came as the Incarnation of Almighty God Himself, the Divine Second Person of the Holy Trinity.

In Christ, God came. He came so that we could know Him. In Him, and only in Him, can we find real rest for our souls – that security of living “in God” – that blessedness of which Christ spoke in His great sermon on the mount. And the blessedness we find in Christ will never pass away, because it is the blessedness of heaven itself.

To be blessed in heaven, we must live a life of blessedness here on earth, and at the very beginning of the Beatitudes, Christ sets out how we can achieve that. He says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit…” – He was not referring necessarily to the poor in worldly wealth. Simply having little or no money does not automatically make someone “blessed” or holy. Nor is He referring to those who are poor in the endowments of intellect or strength. That does not lead inevitably to the blessedness Christ is speaking about. No – it is the spirit which is to be poor.

The spirit, which is that highest part of man’s immaterial being, which was breathed into him by God himself, which enables man, alone in creation, to seek and to find God, and to form an idea of God – that spirit which is receptive to the Holy Spirit, and can, when enlightened by God’s gracious presence, live in communion with Him. It is the spirit which is brought into an intimate relationship with God. And when we have that relationship with God, we know our own littleness; we know our own sinfulness as we stand in the presence of God. Led by the Spirit of God, we are brought near to Christ, and we learn the grace of lowliness from Him, who, being in the form of God, made Himself of no reputation, and humbled Himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.

It is for this reason that poverty of spirit comes first in Christ’s description of the blessed life. Lowliness is the beginning of holiness, and we can make no real progress in the spiritual life without it. Christ was lowly in heart, and He raised that word – the whole idea of lowliness, which the world regards as being abject or pathetic – to be one of the highest of all Christian graces.

So those who would be near to Christ, those who would be great in the Kingdom of God, those who would be “blesséd” – must be like their King and Saviour Jesus Christ. They must be unaffectedly humble. They must lay aside earthly ambitions as being ends in themselves, and they must be willing to take what appears to be the lowest place. They must learn the difficult lesson from St. Paul, that “in lowliness of mind, let each esteem others better than themselves.” This is the fixed, immutable law of the Kingdom of Heaven: “Whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled, and he that humbles himself shall be exalted.”

For those who are poor in spirit, the Kingdom of Heaven will be theirs. In their lowliness they will have, by God’s grace, put down “self” from the throne of their hearts, and they will have allowed Christ to reign in their lives. Remember: only the heart that is emptied of self can be filled with Christ.

This is the key to an abundant life in Christ: to put prideful selfishness aside, to seek the humility we find in the life of the Lord Jesus, to esteem others as being greater than oneself. It is in that kind of poverty – the poverty of the spirit – that we will find the untold wealth of eternal life.

___________________________________

Painting: "Jesus Preaching on the Mount"

by Gustave Doré (1832-1883)

St. Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor

One of the greatest Catholic teachers in the history of the Church, St. Thomas Aquinas is honoured with the titles Doctor of the Church and Angelic Doctor.

His parents had plans for him. In the year 1230, when he was only five years old, they took him to the Benedictine monastery at Monte Cassino, and it was their hope that he would choose to become a Benedictine there, and eventually become abbot. In 1239 he was sent to Naples to complete his studies. It was there that he was first attracted to philosophy of Aristotle, and he saw how that system of philosophy could be used in the service of Catholic theology.

Thomas abandoned his family's plans for him and he joined the Dominicans, much to his mother's dismay. In fact, she ordered one of her other sons to capture Thomas away from the Dominicans, and he was kept at home for over a year. Of course, that couldn’t last forever, and once he was free, he went to Paris and then to Cologne, where he finished his studies with St. Albert the Great. He eventually became a professor at the University of Paris, and was known throughout the Church as one of the great scholars of all time.

But along with his fame as a scholar, he remained modest, a perfect model of childlike simplicity and goodness. He was known for his mildness in speaking and for his great kindness. Whatever clothing or other items he could give away, he gladly did. He kept nothing superfluous in his efforts to alleviate the needs of others.

His great Summa – which was his last and, unfortunately, uncompleted work, is a compendium of the whole of Catholic theology. He stopped work on it after celebrating Mass on December 6, 1273. When asked why he stopped writing, he replied, "I cannot go on.... All that I have written seems to me like so much straw compared to what I have seen and what has been revealed to me." He died just a few months later.

Everlasting God, who didst enrich thy Church with the learning and holiness of thy servant Saint Thomas Aquinas: grant to all who seek thee a humble mind and a pure heart; that they may know thy Son Jesus Christ to be the way, the truth and the life; who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

_____________________________________

Painting: "St. Thomas Aquinas writing before the Crucifix"

by Antonio Rodriguez (1765-1823)

St. Angela Merici

St. Angela Merici was born in 1474 in Verona (at that time part of the Venetian Republic), and she founded the first teaching congregation of women in the Church, the community dedicated to St. Ursula, known as the Ursulines.

As a young woman she became a member of the Third Order of St. Francis, and lived a very simple life – in fact, a life that was so austere, that she wanted to live like St. Francis of Assisi. She wanted to own nothing of her own, so that she would not become attached to anything. Early in her life she was very concerned about the ignorance about the Faith among poorer children, whose parents could not or would not teach them even their basic catechism. She set out to provide simple lessons for those children who needed to be formed in their understanding of God, and also of basic things like reading.

St. Angela was a very attractive person – not only in the way she presented herself, but also through her very sweet personality and her ability to lead others. Soon, other young women joined her in giving regular instruction to the children in their neighbourhood, and it developed into a place where girls who had no other opportunities to study could come to learn.

One day she received the opportunity to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. This was an amazing thing for her – she had never traveled far from home, and she was very excited as she began the great journey with a group of her friends. When they had reached as far as the island of Crete, she was struck with blindness. Her friends wanted to return home, but she insisted on going through with the pilgrimage, and she visited the sacred shrines with as much devotion and enthusiasm as if she had her sight. On the way back, while praying before a crucifix, her sight was restored at the very same place where it had been lost.

At the age of fifty-seven, she organized a group of twelve young women to help her in catechetical work. Four years later the group had increased to twenty-eight. She formed them into the Company of St. Ursula, who was the patroness of medieval universities and venerated as a leader of women. Their purpose was to re-build family life through the solid Christian education of future wives and mothers. The importance of the education of children was beginning to be seen as more and more essential, and we see it being developed through such people as St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and St. John Neumann, who were simply carrying on the work of those like St. Angela.

O God, who through thy blessed Saint Angela didst cause a new household of Virgins consecrated to thy service to be established in thy Church: grant us, we pray thee, by her intercession, so to live after the manner of thy holy Angels; that, putting aside all things earthly, we may be found worthy to rejoice in everlasting felicity; 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. Timothy and St. Titus, Bishops

St. Paul had many colleagues and helpers who took part in his missionary journeys, and into whose charge he often entrusted some of the young churches.

On January 26th we commemorate two such men, Timothy and Titus. We know about them because St. Paul referred to them in his writings, and he also wrote letters to them through which we begin to see how the Church developed and grew during those first years.

St. Timothy was the son of a pagan father and a Jewish mother. He was from Lystra in the Roman province of Asia. He was probably baptized as a young boy, and when he grew up, he went with Paul and Silas on their journeys. Over the next 13 years he travelled throughout the Greek world with Paul – Corinth, Thessalonica, and even Rome – ending up in Ephesus, where he was made bishop. From what St. Paul writes to St. Timothy, he seems to have had an affectionate nature, he was frail in health, and a bit young for his important office. In fact, St. Paul wrote to him saying, “Let no one disregard you because of your youth,” and St. Paul warned him to remain faithful to the gospel, because there were various Gnostic heresies infiltrating the Church at that time.

St. Titus was born probably in Antioch, which at that time was an extremely important city in the Roman Empire, and it was in Antioch that the followers of Jesus were first called Christians. Titus was born into a pagan family, and he received baptism from the apostles. For several years he served as an interpreter and secretary to St. Paul, and he accompanied Paul to Jerusalem when the apostles met to decide on the very important question of whether the Gentile converts had to follow Jewish law or not. Later Titus was sent by Paul to the island of Crete to take charge of the church there. Titus received careful instructions on the selection of elders for the churches in that country, and was associated with the community there until his death as a very old man in the year 96.

The lives of these two bishops give us an important look at life in the Church in New Testament times. We see that the Gospel has been preached and accepted; small churches have been formed. We see also that there were some troubles and difficult times – there were persecutions by the government; there were those who were trying to change the gospel as it had been revealed by Christ; there were quarrels among some of the Christians themselves. The lives of Timothy and Titus remind us of how the apostles slowly laboured at building up the Church, and we see how the succession of the bishops who came after the apostles continued on through the years, down to our very day.

Heavenly Father, who didst send thine Apostle Paul to preach the Gospel, and gavest him Timothy and Titus to be his companions in the Faith: grant that, through their prayers, our fellowship in the Holy Spirit may bear witness to the Name of Jesus; who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

The Conversion of St. Paul

St. Paul was a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, and was born in Tarsus, the capitol of Cilicia. Although he was a Roman citizen, he was brought up as a strict Jew, studied to be a rabbi, and later became a violent persecutor of the Christians.

While on his way to Damascus to arrest the Christians there, he was converted by a miraculous apparition of Our Lord. Was it a sudden conversion? It seemed so, and in a sense it was; however, in other ways it was the culmination of his many experiences with Christians, beginning with the martyrdom of St. Stephen. Paul was a young man, given the job of holding the cloaks of those who carried out the sentence of death on St. Stephen. In fact, even when Paul was arresting Christians, he could not help but be impressed by their deep faith, their innocency of life, and their willingness to die for Christ.

Eventually he became the great Apostle of the Gentiles, making three missionary journeys which brought him to the important centers of Asia Minor and southern Europe, making many converts as he travelled. He was beheaded in Rome in 66, and his relics are kept in the Basilica of St. Paul near the Ostian Way.

O God, who, by the preaching of thine apostle St. Paul, hast caused the light of the Gospel to shine throughout the world: Grant, we beseech thee, that we, having his wonderful conversion in remembrance, may show forth our thankfulness unto thee for the same by following the holy doctrine which he taught; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. 

______________________________________

Painting: "The Conversion of St. Paul"

by David Teniers the Elder (1582-1649)

St. Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor

St. Francis de Sales was urged by his father to be a lawyer so that the young man could eventually take his elder’s place as a senator from the province of Savoy in France. To prepare him for this he was sent to the University of Padua to study law. He was a good student, and after receiving his doctorate, he returned home. It was then that he told his parents that he wanted to become a priest. His father wasn’t very happy about it, but young Francis was very persuasive, and eventually his father gave his consent. Francis was ordained and he was appointed by his bishop to be one of the officials of the Diocese of Geneva. Geneva was a city which was almost totally protestant, and Francis set out to convert them. By preaching and distributing the little pamphlets he wrote to explain true Catholic doctrine, he had remarkable success.

When he was 35 years old, he became bishop of Geneva. While administering his diocese he continued to preach, hear confessions and catechize the children. His gentle character was a great asset in winning souls. He understood that to have a gentle and sweet attitude would influence people much more than being argumentative with them.

St. Francis wrote two very important books on the spiritual life – "Introduction to the Devout Life" and "A Treatise on the Love of God." He wrote many pamphlets and carried on a vast correspondence, and because of his great amount of writing, he has been named patron of the Catholic Press. His writings are addressed to lay people, and he wanted to help them understand that they, too, are called to be saints.

St. Francis de Sales was known as the “gentleman saint” because of his gracious and gentle nature. In fact, it was he who said, “A spoonful of honey attracts more flies than a barrelful of vinegar.” But it wasn't always so with him. By his own admission, he had a very quick temper, and although it took him more than twenty years to master it, no one suspected he had such a problem because he worked so hard to suppress it. With the “let it all hang out” attitude which is so prevalent today, probably psychologists and counselors wouldn't think that was such a good idea – but by exercising self-control under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, St. Francis was able to achieve great sanctity.

God of all holiness, who didst call thy Bishop Francis de Sales to bring many to Christ through his devout life, and to renew thy Church with patience and understanding: grant that through his intercession, we may, by word and example, reflect thy gentleness and love to all those whom we meet; 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.

____________________________________

Painting: "St. Francis de Sales"

by Francesco Trevisani (1656-1746)

St. Marianne Cope

Canonized in 2012, St. Marianne Cope (1838-1918) devoted herself to God through her vows as a Franciscan religious and through the care of the sick. One of her patients was St. Damien of Molokai, whom she nursed in his final months. This is her story.

As a leader in her community, Mother Marianne was instrumental in opening two of the first Catholic Hospitals in Central New York: St. Elizabeth in Utica and St. Joseph’s Hospital in Syracuse. Recognizing the need for basic health care in a city of immigrants, she and a small group of women defied convention by purchasing a saloon in Syracuse, New York and transforming it into a hospital to serve the needs of a diverse community. Here they welcomed everyone and provided the same quality of care regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, or economic means. They pioneered rules of patient’s rights and cleanliness practices not seen before in the United States. And this was just the beginning. Throughout upstate New York, Mother Marianne and her growing community educated and provided healthcare to children and adults with dignity and compassion for all.

In 1883, Mother Marianne and a group of six other Sisters of St. Francis bravely journeyed across the United States by train and took a ship to the Sandwich Islands (now Hawaii) to care for individuals believed to have leprosy (now known as Hansen’s disease). They initially served at the Branch hospital at Kaka’ako on the island of Oahu to provide care for those exiled from their families. The king and queen then asked that the sisters open a home to care for the healthy children of patients and Marianne named it the Kapiolani Home in honor of the queen.

Mother Marianne traveled to Maui in 1884 where she was asked to manage Malulani Hospital, the island’s first general hospital, as well as St. Anthony School. In 1888, she and the sisters moved to Kalaupapa to care for those with Hansen’s disease who had been exiled to the remote peninsula on the island of Molokai. There she cared for Father Damien in his last months and attended temporarily to the boy’s home that he had established there until the Sacred Heart Fathers sent a permanent replacement.

Mother Marianne not only provided healthcare to the girls in her care at Bishop Home in Kalaupapa, she offered healing for mind, body and spirit by creating a community that supported individual creativity, dignity and respect. A community of family was established enhanced by gardens, music, art, games and laughter. The grave sites of thousands of people who died from Hansen’s disease cover the peninsula on Molokai. It is heartening to know that the sisters provided them with some measure of peace and comfort during their time there.

- from saintmarianne.org

Graciously hear us, O God of our salvation: that, like as we do rejoice in the festival of blessed Marianne Cope, thy holy Virgin; so we may learn to follow her in all godly and devout affections; 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. Vincent, Deacon and Martyr

St. Vincent of Saragossa was one of the Church's three most illustrious deacons, the other two being Stephen and Lawrence. He is also Spain's most renowned martyr. Ordained deacon by Bishop Valerius of Saragossa, he was taken in chains to Valencia during the Diocletian persecution and put to death. From legend we have the following details of his martyrdom. After brutal scourging in the presence of many witnesses, he was stretched on the rack; but neither torture nor blandishments nor threats could undermine the strength and courage of his faith. Next, he was cast on a heated grating, lacerated with iron hooks, and seared with hot metal plates. Then he was returned to prison, where the floor was heavily strewn with pieces of broken glass. A heavenly brightness flooded the entire dungeon, filling all who saw it with greatest awe.

After this he was placed on a soft bed in the hope that lenient treatment would induce apostasy, since torture had proven ineffective. But strengthened by faith in Christ Jesus and the hope of everlasting life, Vincent maintained an invincible spirit and overcame all efforts, whether by fire, sword, rack, or torture to induce defection. He persevered to the end and gained the heavenly crown of martyrdom.

- from The Church's Year of Grace, by Pius Parsch

Almighty God, by whose grace and power thy holy Deacon and Martyr Vincent triumphed over suffering and despised death: grant, we beseech thee, by his intercession; that enduring hardness, and waxing valiant in fight, we may with the noble army of Martyrs receive the crown of everlasting life; 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.

_______________________________

Painting: "St. Vincent, Deacon and Martyr"

by Tomás Giner (1458-1480)