SAINT of the DAY – Page 134

Second Thought for the Day – 22 June – A Papal Masterpiece

Posted on June 22, 2020June 22, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Second Thought for the Day – 22 June – On the Memorial of Saints John Fisher and Thomas More, Martyrs – A Papal Masterpiece

Sermon Delivered by Pope Pius XI (1857-1939) on the Occasion of the Papal Mass in St Peter’s for the Canonisation of St John Fisher (1469-1535) and St Thomas More (1478-1535) Martyrs, on 19 May 1935

As Jesus Christ, according to the words of St Paul, is eternal and immutable, “yesterday and today and the same forever,” so the Church founded by Him, is destined never to perish. Generations follow and succeed each other with their perennial vicissitudes. But whereas human institutions give way and disappear before the levelling tide of time and human sciences, reflecting inconstant light, undergo repeated transformations, the Cross of Christ, reared steadfast above the engulfing billows, never ceases to illumine mankind with the beneficent splendour of Eternal Truth.

From time to time, new heresies make their appearance and, under the guise of truth, gain strength and popularity but, the seamless garment of Christ can never be rent in twain. Unbelievers and enemies of the Catholic faith, blinded by presumption, may indeed constantly renew their violent attacks against the Christian name but. in wresting from the bosom of the militant Church, those whom they put to death, they become the instruments of their martyrdom and of their heavenly glory.

No less beautiful than true are the words of St Leo the Great: “The religion of Christ, founded on the mystery of the Cross, cannot be destroyed by any sort of cruelty – persecutions do not weaken, they strengthen the Church. The field of the Lord is ever ripening with new harvests, while the grains shaken loose by the tempest take root and are multiplied.”

These thoughts, full of hope and comfort, spring up in Our mind as We, in this majestic Vatican Basilica, are about to proclaim briefly the praises of our two new Saints after having raised them to the honours of the altar. They, the bright champions and the glory of their nation, were given to the Christian people, in the words of the prophet Jeremias, “as a fortified city and a pillar of iron, and a wall of brass.” Therefore, they could not be shaken by the fallacies of heretics, nor frightened by the threats of the powerful. They were, so to speak, the leaders and chieftains of that illustrious band of men who, from all classes of the people and from every part of Great Britain, resisted the new errors with unflinching spirit and in shedding their blood, testified their loyal devotedness to the Holy See.

John Fisher, gifted by nature with a most gentle disposition, thoroughly versed in both sacred and profane lore, so distinguished himself among his contemporaries by his wisdom and his virtue, that under the patronage of the King of England himself, he was elected Bishop of Rochester. In the fulfilment of this high office, so ardent was he in his piety towards God and in charity towards his neighbour and so zealous in defending the integrity of Catholic doctrine, that his episcopal residence seemed rather a Church and a University for studies, than a private dwelling.

He was wont to afflict his delicate body with fastings, scourges, and hair cloth; nothing was dearer to him than to be able to visit the poor, in order to comfort them in their miseries and to succour them in their needs. When he found someone frightened at the thought of his faults and terrified by chastisements to come, he brought comfort to the erring soul by restoring confidence in God’s mercy. Often, when celebrating the Eucharistic Sacrifice, he was seen shedding abundant tears, while his eyes were raised to heaven in an ecstatic expression of love. When he preached to the multitudes of the faithful that crowded round to hear him, he seemed neither a man nor a herald of men but an angel of God clothed in human flesh.

Nevertheless, whilst he was meek and affable towards the afflicted and the suffering, whenever there was question of defending the integrity of faith and morals, like a second Precursor of the Lord, in whose name he gloried, he was not afraid to proclaim the truth openly and to defend by every means in his power, the divine teachings of the Church. You are well aware, Venerable Brethren and Beloved Sons, of the reason why John Fisher was called in judgement and obliged to undergo the supreme test of martyrdom. It was because of his courageous determination to defend the sacred bond of Christian marriage—a bond indissoluble for all, even for those who wear the royal diadem—and to vindicate the Primacy with which the Roman Pontiffs are invested by divine command.

That is why he was imprisoned and afterwards led to death. Serenely he advanced toward the scaffold and with the words of the Te Deum on his lips, he rendered thanks to God, for being granted the grace of having his mortal life crowned with the glory of martyrdom and, he raised up to the Divine Throne, a fervent prayer of supplication for himself, for his people and for his King. Thus did he give another clear proof that the Catholic Religion does not weaken but increases the love of one’s country.

When finally he mounted the scaffold, whilst a ray of sunlight cast a halo of splendour about his venerable grey hairs, he exclaimed with a smile: “Come ye to Him and be enlightened and your faces shall not be confounded.” (Ps. xxxiii, 6.) Most assuredly the heavenly hosts of angels and saints hastened in joy to meet his holy soul, freed at last from the fetters of the body and winging flight toward eternal joys.

The other star of sanctity that traced a luminous path across that dark period of history was Thomas More, Lord Chancellor of the King of England. Endowed with the keenest of minds and supreme versatility in every kind of knowledge, he enjoyed such esteem and favour among his fellow-citizens, that he was soon able to reach the highest grades of public office. But, he was no less distinguished for his desire of Christian perfection and his zeal for the salvation of souls. Of this we have testimony in the ardour of his prayer, in the fervour with which he recited, whenever he could, even the Canonical Hours, in the practice of those penances by which he kept his body in subjection and finally, in the numerous and renowned accomplishments of both the spoken and the written word which he achieved, for the defence of the Catholic faith and for the safeguarding of Christian morality.

A strong and courageous spirit, like John Fisher, when he saw that the doctrines of the Church were gravely endangered, he knew how to despise resolutely the flattery of human respect, how to resist, in accordance with his duty, the supreme head of the State when there was question of things commanded by God and the Church and how to renounce with dignity, the high office with which he was invested. It was for these motives that he too was imprisoned, nor could the tears of his wife and children make him swerve from the path of truth and virtue. In that terrible hour of trial he raised his eyes to heaven and proved himself a bright example of Christian fortitude. Thus it was that he who not many years before had written a work emphasising the duty of Catholics to defend their faith, even at the cost of their lives, was seen to walk cheerful and confident from his prison to death and thence to take his flight to the joys of eternal beatitude.

Here, Venerable Brethren and Beloved Sons, we may justly repeat the well-known saying of St Cyprian, Martyr: “O blessed prison which conveys men to heaven! O blessed enchained feet, which with salutary steps are directed towards paradise!”

It was supremely fitting that these holy Martyrs who shed their blood for the Christian faith and for the defence of the sacred rights of the Roman Pontiff, should receive, together with the aureole of sanctity, their due glorification here in the very centre of the Catholic world, close to the glorious sepulchre of the Prince of the Apostles, through the instrumentality of Us who are the heir and successor of St Peter.

And now, it only remains for Us to exhort, with paternal heart, all of you who filled with veneration are grouped around Us, as well as those who, wherever they may be, profess themselves Our sons in Christ. We exhort you to imitate with all diligence the great virtues of these holy Martyrs and to implore for yourselves and for the Church militant, their powerful protection. If all of us are not called to shed our blood for the defence of the holy laws of God, all nonetheless, according to the expression of St Basil, with evangelical abnegation, with Christian mortification of their bodies, with energetic striving after virtue, “must be Martyrs of desire, in order to share with the Martyrs their celestial reward.”

We desire, moreover, that with your ardent prayers, invoking the patronage of the new Saints, you ask of the Lord that which is so dear to Our heart, namely, that England, in the words of St. Paul, “meditating the happy consummation which crowned the life” of those two Martyrs, may “follow them in their faith” and return to the Father’s house “in the unity of faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God.”

Let those who are still separated from Us, consider attentively the ancient glories of their Church which were at once a reflection and an increment of the glories of the Church of Rome. Let them consider, moreover and remember, that this Apostolic See has been waiting for them so long and so anxiously, not as coming to a strange dwelling place but as finally returning to their paternal home.

In conclusion, let us repeat the divine prayer of Our Lord Jesus Christ: “Holy Father, keep them in Thy name whom Thou hast given me, that they may be one as we also are.” Amen.

Saint John Fisher, Pray for Us!

St Thomas More, Pray for us!

CONFESSION/PENANCE, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on MORTAL SIN, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on REPARATION/EXPIATION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, SAINT of the DAY, The PASSION, Uncategorized

Quote/s of the Day – 22 June – St John Fisher

Posted on June 22, 2020July 8, 2024 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 22 June – The Memorial of St John Fisher (1469-1535) Bishop, Martyr

“I reckon in this realm, no one man,
in wisdom, learning
and long approved virtue together,
meet to be matched and compared with him.”

St Thomas More speaking of St John Fisher

“A good man is not a perfect man;
a good man is an honest man,
faithful and unhesitatingly responsive
to the voice of God in his life.”

_a good man is not a perfect man - 22 june 2020

“Contrition is to have sorrow at heart
and great repentance of all his sins
and to have steadfast purpose to keep
and abstain him from all deadly sins.
For who has intention to return him to deadly sin,
his confession avails him nothing!”

“Penance is a needful thing to the sinner,
who desires to recover health of his soul.
And, in doing penance, there be three things
to be considered:
serious compunction of heart,
confession of mouth
and satisfaction by deed.”

penance is a needful thing to the sinner - st john fisher 22 june 2020

“As St Paul has said,
for our justification,
He [Christ], gave to man
all that was necessary –
His Blood to wash us,
His Body to redeem us.
In His Passion,
Justice and peace
have met each other.”

as st paul has said, for our justification - st john fisher 22 june 2020

“Beware of those prophets who speak unto you
and deceive you!
They prophecy nothing
but the imaginations and forgings
of their own minds
and not the truth of Holy Scripture!”

St John Fisher (1469-1535) Bishop, Martyr

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, QUOTES on HYPOCRISY, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 22 June – ‘Remove the wooden beam from your eye first’

Posted on June 22, 2020June 22, 2020 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 22 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Monday of the Twelfth week in Ordinary Time, Year A, Readings: 2 Kings 17:5-8, 13-15, 18, Psalm 60:3-5, 12-13, Matthew 7:1-5 and the Memorial of St John Fisher (1469-1535) Bishop, Martyr

“You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.” … Matthew 7:5

REFLECTION – “The word hypocrite is aptly employed here, since the denouncing of evils is best viewed as a matter only for upright persons of goodwill. When the wicked engage in it, they are like impersonators, masqueraders, hiding their real selves behind a mask, while they portray another’s character through the mask. The word hypocrites, in fact, signifies pretenders.
Hence we ought especially to avoid that meddlesome class of pretenders who, under the pretence of seeking advice, undertake the censure of all kinds of vices. They are often moved by hatred and malice.

Rather, whenever necessity compels one to reprove or rebuke another, we ought to proceed with godly discernment and caution.
First of all, let us consider whether the other fault is such, as we ourselves have never had, or whether it is one that we have overcome.
Then, if we have never had such a fault, let us remember that we are human and could have had it. But if we have had it and are rid of it now, let us remember our common frailty, in order that mercy, not hatred, may lead us to the giving of correction and admonition.
In this way, whether the admonition occasions the amendment, or the worsening of the one for whose sake we are offering it, (for the result cannot be foreseen), we ourselves shall be made safe through singleness of eye. But if on reflection we find that we ourselves have the same fault as the one we are about to reprove, let us neither correct nor rebuke that one. Rather, let us bemoan the fault ourselves and induce that person to a similar concern, without asking him to submit to our correction.”… St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace – Sermon on the Mount, 2 matthew 7 5 - you hyprocrites remove the wooden beam from your own eye - rather, whenvever necessity compels us - st augustine 22 june 2020

PRAYER – As we pray before You Lord, we ask You, in Your loving kindness, for the grace always to ponder in our hearts what we proclaim with our lips. Keep us in Your commandments and strengthen us by the prayers of St John Fisher, Your Martyr, that we may live by a holy conscience and never flinch from the protection of truth. Grant this we pray through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, in the love and unity of the Holy Spirit, God for always and forever, amen. st john fisher pray for us 22 june 2020

SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 22 June – Saint John Fisher (1469-1535) Bishop, Martyr

Posted on June 22, 2020June 21, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Saint of the Day – 22 June – Saint John Fisher (1469-1535) Bishop, Martyr, Cardinal, Theologian, Academic, Writer – born in 1469 at Beverly, Yorkshire, England and died on 22 June 1535, aged 65, on Tower Hill, Tyburn, London, England, by beheading. Fisher was executed by order of Henry VIII during the English Reformation for refusing to accept him as the supreme head of the Church of England and for upholding the Catholic Church’s doctrine of Papal supremacy. Patronages – Diocese of Rochester, Catholic students at Cambridge.

st john fisher header

He was condemned to be hanged, drawn and quartered at Tyburn, however, a public outcry was brewing among the London populace who saw a sinister irony in the parallels between the conviction of Fisher and that of his patronal namesake, Saint John the Baptist, who was executed by King Herod Antipas for challenging the validity of Herod’s marriage to his brother’s divorcée Herodias. For fear of John Fisher’s living through his Patronal feast day, that of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist on 24 June and of attracting too much public sympathy, King Henry commuted the sentence to that of beheading, to be accomplished before 23 June, the Vigil of the feast of the Nativity of St John the Baptist. He was executed on Tower Hill on 22 June 1535. The execution had the opposite effect from that which King Henry VIII intended, as it created yet another parallel with that of the martyrdom of St John the Baptist, who was also beheaded; his death also happened on the feast day of Saint Alban, the first martyr of Britain.

img-Saint-John-Fisher1 — St John Fisher by Gerard Valck, after Adriaen van der Werff, 1697.

John Fisher was born in Beverley, Yorkshire, in 1469, the eldest son of Robert Fisher, a modestly prosperous merchant of Beverley and Agnes, his wife. He was one of four children. His father died when John was eight. His mother remarried and had five more children by her second husband, William White. Fisher seems to have had close contacts with his extended family all his life. Fisher’s early education was probably received in the school attached to the collegiate church in his home town.

He was educated at Cambridge, from which he received his Master of Arts degree in 1491. John received a Papal dispensation to enter the Priesthood despite being under canonical age. He was Ordained into the Priesthood on 17 December 1491 – the same year that he was elected a fellow of his college. He occupied the vicarage of Northallerton, 1491-1494, then he became Proctor of Cambridge University. In 1497, he was appointed Confessor to Lady Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII and became closely associated in her endowments to Cambridge with which he created scholarships, introduced Greek and Hebrew into the curriculum and brought in the world-famous Erasmus (1466-1536) to visit Cambridge, as professor of Divinity and Greek. As a Catholic priest, Erasmus was an important figure in classical scholarship who wrote in a pure Latin style. (english_school_16th_century_portrait_of_john_fisher_bishop_of_rocheste) smaller

By papal bull dated 14 October 1504, Fisher was appointed the Bishop of Rochester at the personal insistence of Henry VII. Rochester was then the poorest Diocese in England and usually seen as a first step on an ecclesiastical career. Nonetheless, Fisher stayed there, presumably by his own choice, for the remaining 31 years of his life. At the same time, like any English Bishop of his day, Fisher had certain state duties. In particular, he maintained a passionate interest in the University of Cambridge. In 1504 he was elected the university’s Chancellor. Re-elected annually for 10 years, Fisher ultimately received a lifetime appointment. At this date he also acted as tutor to the future King, Henry VIII. ST john-fisher3a bishop smaller

As a preacher his reputation was so great, that Fisher was appointed to preach the funeral oration for King Henry VII and the Lady Margaret, both of whom died in 1509, the texts being extant. Besides his share in the Lady Margaret’s foundations, Fisher gave further proof of his zeal for learning, by inducing Erasmus.

Despite his fame and eloquence, it was not long before Fisher came into conflict with the new King, his former pupil. The dispute arose over funds left by the Lady Margaret, the King’s grandmother, for financing foundations at Cambridge. ST JOHN FISHER POSTER

In 1512 Fisher was nominated as one of the English representatives at the Fifth Council of the Lateran, then sitting, but his journey to Rome was postponed, and finally abandoned.

Fisher has also been named, as the true Author of the royal Treatise against Martin Luther entitled “Assertio septem sacramentorum” Defence of the Seven Sacraments, published in 1521, which won for King Henry VIII the title “Fidei Defensor” – Defender of the Faith. On 11 February 1526, at the King’s command, he preached a famous sermon against Luther at St Paul’s Cross, the open-air pulpit outside St Paul’s Cathedral in London. st Fisher John sketch

From 1527, this humble servant of God actively opposed the King’s divorce proceedings against Catherine, his wife in the sight of God and steadfastly resisted the encroachment of Henry on the Church. Unlike the other Bishops of the realm, St John refused to take the oath of succession which acknowledged the issue of Henry and Anne as the legitimate heir to the throne and he was imprisoned in the tower in April 1534.

The next year he was made a Cardinal by Paul III and Henry retaliated by having him beheaded within a month. A half hour before his execution, this dedicated scholar and churchman opened his New Testament for the last time and his eyes fell on the following words from St John’s Gospel: “Eternal life is this – to know You, the only true God and Him Whom You have sent, Jesus Christ. I have given you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. Do you now, Father, give me glory at your side.” Closing the book, he observed: “There is enough learning in that to last me the rest of my life.”

St John’s last moments were in keeping with his life. He met death with a calm dignified courage which profoundly impressed those present. His body was treated with particular rancour, apparently on Henry’s orders, being stripped and left on the scaffold until the evening, when it was taken on pikes and thrown naked into a rough grave in the churchyard of All Hallows’ Barking, also known as All Hallows-by-the-Tower. There was no funeral prayer. A fortnight later, his body was laid beside that of Sir Thomas More in the chapel of St Peter ad Vincula within the Tower of London.

A stern and austere man, Fisher was known to place a human skull on the altar during Mass and on the table during meals. Erasmus said of John Fisher: “He is the one man at this time, who is incomparable for uprightness of life, for learning and for greatness of soul.”

John was Beatified by Pope Leo XIII with Thomas More and 52 other English Martyrs on 29 December 1886. In the Decree of Beatification issued on 29 December 1886 by Pope Leo XIII, when 53 English martyrs were Beatified, the greatest place was given to Fisher. He was Canonised, with Thomas More, on 19 May 1935 by Pope Pius XI. His feast day, for celebration jointly with St Thomas More, is today, 22 June (the date of St John Fisher’s execution).
ST JOHN FISHER VATICAN STAMP

ST JOHN fisher-final

SAINT of the DAY

Memorials of the Saints – 22 June – A day of 3 Great Saints

Posted on June 22, 2020June 21, 2020 by AnaStpaul

St Paulinus of Nola (c 354-431) (Optional Memorial)
About St Paulinus:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/06/22/saint-of-the-day-22-june-st-paulinus-of-nola-c-354-431/

St John Fisher (1469-1535) Bishop, Martyr (Optional Memorial)

St Thomas More (1478-1535) Martyr (Optional Memorial)
His Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/06/22/saint-of-the-day-22-june-st-thomas-more-1478-1535-martyr/

St Aaron of Brettany
St Aaron of Pais-de-Laon
St Alban of Britain
Bl Altrude of Rome
St Consortia
St Cronan of Ferns
St Eberhard of Salzburg
St Eusebius of Samosata
St Exuperantius of Como
St Flavius Clemens
St Gregory of Agrigento
St Heraclius the Soldier
St Hespérius of Metz
Bl Pope Innocent V
St John IV of Naples
St Julius of Pais-de-Laon
Bl Kristina Hamm
Bl Marie Lhuilier
St Nicetas of Remesiana
St Precia of Epinal
St Rotrudis of Saint-Omer
St Rufinus of Alexandria
—
Martyrs of Samaria – 1480 saints: 1480 Christians massacred in and near Samaria during the war between the Greek Emperor Heraclius and the pagan Chosroas of Persia. c 614 in the vicinity of Samaria, Palestine.

JESUIT SJ, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on EVANGELISATION, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 21 June – ‘Proclaim on the housetops.’

Posted on June 21, 2020June 21, 2020 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 21 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A, Readings: Jeremiah 20:10-13, Psalm 69:8-10, 14, 17, 33-35, Romans 5:12-15, Matthew 10:26-33 and the Memorial of St Aloysius de Gonzaga SJ (1568-1591)

“What you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.” … Matthew 10:27 matthew 10 27 - what you hear whispered proclaim on the housetops 21 june 2020

REFLECTION – “It is not I who undertook this work but, it is Christ the Lord who commanded me to come to be with these Irish pagans for the rest of my life, if the Lord shall will it and shield me from every evil … But I do not trust myself “as long as I am in this mortal body” (2 Pt 1:13; Rm 7:24) … I did not lead a perfect life like other believers but I confess to my Lord and do not blush in His sight because I am not lying, from the time when I came to know Him in my youth, the love of God and fear of Him increased in me and right up until now, by God’s favour, “I have kept the faith” (2 Tm 4:7).

What is more, let anyone laugh and taunt if he so wishes. I am not keeping silent, nor am I hiding “the signs and wonders” (Dn 6:27) that were shown to me by the Lord many years before they happened, He who knew everything, even before the beginning of time. Thus, I should give thanks unceasingly to God, who has frequently forgiven my folly and my negligence, in more than one instance and has never been angry with me, who am placed as His helper, though I did not easily assent to what had been revealed to me, as the Spirit was urging. The Lord “took pity” on me “thousands upon thousands” of times, (Ex 20:6) because He saw within me, that I was prepared to serve Him. … Many were trying to prevent this mission, they were talking among themselves behind my back and saying, “Why is this fellow throwing himself into danger among enemies who do not know God?” Not from malice did they say this, as I myself can testify, they perceived my rusticity. And I was not quick to recognise the grace that was then in me, I now know, that I should have done so earlier.

Now I have put it frankly to my brothers and co-workers, who have believed me because of what “I have proclaimed and still proclaim” (2 Co 13:2) to strengthen and reinforce your faith. I wish only, that you too, would make greater and better efforts. This will be my pride, for “a wise son makes a proud father.” (Pr 10:1)” … St Patrick (c 385-461) – The Confessions, # 43-47

PRAYER – Lord God, teach us to fear and love Your Holy Name, for You never withdraw Your guiding hand, from those You establish in Your love. Guide our ways and direct our hearts, live in us and walk before us. May the intercession of St Aloysius Gonzaga help us to fully utilise the many gifts our Almighty God has bestowed on us as we journey home. We make our prayer through Jesus Christ our Lord, in union with You and the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen. st-aloysius-gonzaga-pray-for-us-21-june-2018-pg and 21 june 2020

SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 21 June – Saint Ralph of Bourges (Died 866)

Posted on June 21, 2020June 20, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Saint of the Day – 21 June – Saint Ralph of Bourges (Died 866) Archbishop of Bourges. Born as Raoul in Angoumois, France and died on 21 June 866 of natural causes. He is remembered as a skillful diplomat and a proponent of ecclesiastical reform. Also known as Raoul, Radulph, Radulf or Rudolf.

Ralph’s family was prominent in the region of Angoumois, France and he, himself, possessed lands in the Limousin. He was named after his father, the count of Turenne (died 844) and he had four brothers and two sisters.

Making Christ his only inheritance, he took the Monastic habit in 822 at Solignac and was made Archbishop of Bourges in 840. He founded seven Monasteries and was indefatigable in reforming his flock increasing their knowledge of the faith and teaching them to practise it in their lives.

1024px-st ralph - Solignac_-_Eglise_abbatiale_-_Choeur_et_bras_Sud_du_transept — The Monastery of Solignac, where Rodulf began his ecclesiastical career.

For the direction of his clergy he compiled a book of Canons under the title of Pastoral Instructions.

With Bishop Stodilo of Limoges, Ralph helped found the Monastery of Beaulieu. His family provided the land for the foundation and he, himiself, Consecrated the new community under the Benedictine rule in 860. He granted the Monks the right of free election of their Abbot and pronounced excommunication on any governing authority, who molested them in the future. He even procured royal protection for them. Ralph also helped found the Convent at Cahors, where his sister, Immena, was installed as the first Abbess.

Ralph died at Bourges on 21 June 866 and was buried in the Basilica of Saint Ursinus, see below.

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MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY

Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Feast of Our Lady of Miracles and Memorials of the Saints – 21 June

Posted on June 21, 2020June 20, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A +2020

Feast of Our Lady of Miracles – 21 June – the patron of the town of Alcamo, Sicily.
About this Title of Our Lady:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/06/21/feast-of-our-lady-of-miracles-21-june/ header-maria_ss_dei_miracoli_-_alcamo_processione_2010_198

St Aloysius Gonzaga SJ (1568-1591) (Memorial)
About St Aloysius:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/06/21/saint-of-the-day-21-june-st-aloysius-de-gonzaga-s-j-1568-1591/
AND:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/06/21/saint-of-the-day-21-june-st-aloysius-de-gonzaga-sj-1568-1591/

St Agofredus of La-Croix
St Alban of Mainz
St Apollinaris of Africa
Bl Colagia
St Corbmac
St Cyriacus of Africa
St Demetria of Rome
St Dominic of Comacchio
St Engelmund
Bl Jacques-Morelle Dupas
St John Rigby
St José Isabel Flores Varela
Bl Juan of Jesus
St Lazarus
St Leutfridus
St Martia of Syracuse
St Martin of Tongres
Bl Melchiorre della Pace
St Mewan of Bretagne
Bl Nicholas Plutzer
St Ralph of Bourges (Died 866)
St Raymond of Barbastro
St Rufinus of Syracuse
St Suibhne the Sage
St Terence
St Ursicenus of Pavia
—
Martyrs of Taw – 3+ saints: Three Christians of different backgrounds who were martyred together – Moses, Paphnutius, Thomas. They were beheaded in Taw, Egypt, date unknown.

SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 20 June – Saint John of Matera (c 1070-1139)

Posted on June 20, 2020June 19, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Saint of the Day – 20 June – Saint John of Matera (c 1070-1139) Monk, Abbot, Mystic, renowned Preacher, miracle-worker, gifted with bilocation – born in c 1070 at Matera, Basilicata region, Italy and died in 1139 at Pulsano, Italy of natural causes. Also known as John of Pulsano, Giovanni di Matera, Giovanni Scalcione. St John is often portrayed as an abbot driving the devil away with a rod. san-juan-john de-matera-santo-del-dia-20-de-junio-2

St John was born around the year 1070 in Matera, in the region of the Basilicata in Italy, to a noble family. He left everything behind, while still a young man and embraced the monastic life in the Monastery of St William of Vercelli OSB (1085-1142) – His life here: https://anastpaul.com/2017/06/25/saint-of-the-day-25-june-st-william-of-vercelli/

He made many enemies by his upright life and was eventually imprisoned. He was rescued from prison by Grimoald, Prince of Bari, who ordered him to give an account of his theology to prove his orthodoxy. He preached under Grimoald in Bari.

Subsequently he founded the Abbey of Pulsano after the invitation of Our Lady and Saint Michael the Archangel who had both appeared to him. st john of matera v sml

Around him were gathered monks and hermits who gave life to the “Pulsanesi,” inspired by the rule of Saint Benedict.

His life was marked by numerous angelic visions but also by ferocious attacks from the devil. Here are three citations taken from his hagiography in which the Saint guards his followers from attacks of the devil:

“A young man, to attract a young woman, sold his soul to the devil but, having become tepid, he regretted it. The demon, eager for that soul, cast him into a ravine, where a venerable monk appeared to the poor thing, admonished him and advised him to go to Pulsano to get salutary advice. Saved by a miracle from the precipice, he went there and was amazed to recognise in our Abbot, the Monk who had appeared to him down in the ravine. He took off his garments and clothed himself with a habit and lived in the Order humbly and holy and died in that way.”

And another: “Sabino, devoted to him and already very much a close friend of his, was at the end of his life. The monks around his bed were in tears waiting for his death, when he was enraptured in ecstasy. Upon returning, he recounted that it seemed to him that he was dead and was caught by two horrible devils that wanted to drag him into hell. At that point Saint John Matera appeared and with a haughty scowl he attempted to snatch away their prey. They attacked and flung themselves on him the Saint with a resolute air confronted them, the demons, given their arrogance, tried to show, while thumbing through their wicked book, that the monk deserved eternal punishment. The Priest, upon the revelation of the failings committed by him, was left perplexed. Then there appeared the Holy Virgin who noticed the servant of God, chased away the demons, liberated the
wretched man and disappeared. The Priest, meanwhile, warned the friar to admonish his two companions to repent of their sins, if they did not want to come to a bad end. Of the two, one confessed humbly all his guilt and was preserved in goodness, the other rejected and finished badly.” S. john Giovanni-da-Matera

On another occasion he freed his fellow friars from a diabolical infestation:
“In the forest the monks were working to knock down and square off some tree trunks; the Father was not with them. A group of soldiers appeared who threw themselves upon them. But they were not soldiers but demons. All of sudden they backed off, since Saint John Matera rushed to their aid. Imagine how they surrounded him. But the sweet Father, comforting them with gentle cautions, disappeared. The monks were astounded. One of them returned to the Monastery the next day to tell what had happened. The man of God with his arms raised thanked the Lord and reaffirmed that it was not for his merits but for the merits of their obedience that the Lord performed such a miracle.”

St John died in Foggia in 1139. He was buried in a niche in a cave in the Church at Saint Mary of Pulsano Abbey. In 1830 his relics were translated to Matera Cathedral and then in 1939 were enshrined in a new sarcophagus. St John was Canonised in 1177 by Pope Alexander III. san-john-de-matera-santo-del-dia-20-de-junio-1

MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Memorial of The Immaculate Heart of Mary and of the Saints – 20 June

Posted on June 20, 2020June 19, 2020 by AnaStpaul

The Immaculate Heart of Mary (Memorial) +2020
Celebrated on the Saturday following the Feast of the Sacred Heart

https://anastpaul.com/2017/06/24/the-feast-of-the-immaculate-heart-of-mary-24-june-2017-the-saturday-following-the-feast-of-the-sacred-heart/
AND:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/06/09/feast-of-the-immaculate-heart-of-mary-8-june/

St Adalbert of Magdeburg (910-981)
Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/06/20/saint-of-the-day-20-june-st-adalbert-of-magdeburg-910-981-apostle-of-the-slavs/

St Bagne of Thérouanne
St Edburga of Caistor
St Gemma of Saintonge
St Goban of Picardie
St Helen of Öehren
St John of Matera (c 1070-1139)
St Macarius of Petra
Bl Margareta Ebner
St Methodius of Olympus
Bl Michelina of Pesaro
St Novatus of Rome
St Pope Silverius (Died 538) Martyr
Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/06/20/saint-of-the-day-20-june-st-pope-silverius-died-538-martyr/
—
Irish Martyrs – 17 beati – This is the collective title given to the 260 or more persons who are credited with dying for the faith in Ireland between 1537 and 1714. Seventeen of them were beatified together on 27 September 1992 by St Pope John Paul II.
• Blessed Conn O’Rourke• Blessed Conor O’Devany• Blessed Dermot O’Hurley• Blessed Dominic Collins• Blessed Edward Cheevers• Blessed Francis Taylor• Blessed George Halley• Blessed John Kearney• Blessed Matthew Lambert• Blessed Maurice Eustace• Blessed Patrick Cavanagh• Blessed Patrick O’Healy• Blessed Patrick O’Loughran• Blessed Peter Higgins• Blessed Robert Meyler• Blessed Terrence Albert O’Brien• Blessed William Tirry

Martyrs of Lower Moesia:
Martyred on the Black Sea at Lower Moesia (in modern Bulgaria), date unknown.
St Cyriacus
St Paul

Martyred in Nagasaki: 9 Beati : burned alive on 20 June 1626 in Nagasaki, Japan. Their ashes were thrown into the sea and no relics remain. They were Beatified on 7 May 1867 by Pope Pius IX.
• Blessed Baltasar de Torres Arias
• Blessed Francisco Pacheco
• Blessed Gaspar Sadamatsu
• Blessed Giovanni Battista Zola
• Blessed Ioannes Kisaku
• Blessed Michaël Tozo
• Blessed Paulus Shinsuke
• Blessed Petrus Rinsei
• Blessed Vincentius Kaun

CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, GOD ALONE!, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRIESTS, the PRIESTHOOD and CONSECRATED LIFE, SACRED HEART QUOTES, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 19 June –

Posted on June 19, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 19 June – Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests and the Memorial of Bl Maria Rosa Flesch FSMA (1826-1906)

“We, Christians,
are the true Israel which springs from Christ,
for we are carved out of His Heart,
as from a Rock!”

St Justin Martyr (100-165)
Father of the Church and Martyr

Looking forward to never-ending communion,
St Gertrude ended her earthly life on 17 November 1301 or 1302,
at the age of about 46.
In the seventh Exercise, that of preparation for death, St Gertrude wrote:

“O Jesus, You who are immensely dear to me,
be with me always,
so that my heart may stay with You
and that Your love may endure with me,
with no possibility of division
and bless my passing,
so that my spirit,
freed from the bonds of the flesh,
may immediately find rest in you.
Amen”

St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302)

“If the Jewish High priest carried the names
of the twelve tribes of Israel
written on his shoulders and on his breast,
how much more Christ, our High Priest,
carries our names
written on His Heart”

St John of Avila (1500-1569)
Doctor of the Church

“Do everything
out of love for God,
for God,
with God,
to get to God.”

Bl Maria Rosa Flesch FSMA (1826-1906)

“The priesthood
is the love
of the heart of Jesus”

St John Marie Baptiste Vianney (1786-1859)
Patron of Priests

“Ah! Beside You I am not afraid of anything!
I snuggle up against You and,
like the lost sheep,
hear the beating of Your Heart.
Jesus, yet again I am Yours,
Yours forever.
With You, I am truly great,
without You, nothing but a weak reed.
Upheld by You,
I am a pillar!”

St John XXIII (1881-1963)

Journal of a soul, 1901-1903

SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 19 June – Blessed Maria Rosa Flesch FSMA (1826-1906)

Posted on June 19, 2020June 19, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Saint of the Day – 19 June – Blessed Maria Rosa/Margaretha Flesch FSMA (1826-1906) (commonly known as Mother Rosa), Religious Sister and Founder of the Franciscan Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Angels, Apostle of the sick, the poor, orphans, spiritual writer, Nurse and Teacher. Margaretha assumed the new religious name of “Maria Rosa” after she made her profession into her own order and was its first Mother Superior and of which Order, she is the Patron. Her feast is today, 19 June – the date of her solemn profession – rather than the date of her death.

bl margaretha Rosa_flesch resize — Mother Maria Rosa painted by her friend Oktavie de Lasalle von Louisenthal

Margaretha Flesch was born to a poor oil-seed miller on 24 February 1826, in Schönstatt, near Koblenz, in Germany. She was the oldest of seven. When her mother died in 1832 the family moved to Niederbreitbach, in the hope of improving their financial situation. Margaretha’s father died when she was 16, leaving she and her stepmother to care for her siblings. Since no social services for the poor existed then, the family was left to fend for itself.

Margaretha worked as a day labourer, gathered and sold herbs and was skilled in handicrafts. The needs of the people, especially orphans and the sick were one of her major concerns, motivated as she was by strong faith in God she felt called to serve the poor, the sick and the helpless.

In Autumn 1851, Margaretha and her sister Marianne moved into the small quarters at the Chapel of the Holy Cross in Waldbreitbach. They lived parsimoniously, trusting God for their daily sustenance while serving the poor and sick of the community. In addition to working as a day labourer, Margaretha took in orphans and taught home economics in some of the nearby schools.

In 1856, Margaretha was joined by two women who also felt called to serve the poor and sick. In 1860, the local pastor invited them and the orphans to move to premises in Hausen.

These premises proved totally uninhabitable. In the Spring of 1861 they were at last able to begin building their first house on Waldbreitbach Chapel Mountain. It was to be their residence and a home where they could care for the sick. On 11 November 1861, they moved into their first “St Mary’s Home.” Her great devotion to Francis of Assisi since her childhood was instrumental in her founding her own Franciscan-branched order on 13 March 1863. During this time, Mother Rosa also built an orphanage and a hospital.

st margaretha rosa flesch - mortherhouse - Luftbild_2013-1_6c7dc9311c — Waldbreitbach Motherhouse and Chapel

On 13 March 1863, with two other women, Margaretha professed the Evangelical Councils, publicly, in the Chapel of the Holy Cross. She took the name of Maria Rosa. She was known henceforth as Mother Rosa, the first Superior General of the Franciscan Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Angels.

Her Congregation increased rapidly. By 1878 there were 105 Sisters serving in 22 mission homes. It was also in that year, that she ended her term as Superior General. The Congregation thrived and when Mother Rosa died on 25 March 1908 there were 900 Sisters and 72 mission houses serving the sick and the poor, now spread as far as the Americas and in many countries of Europe.

Mother Rosa died on 25 March 1906. Her order received the decree of praise of Pope Pius X on 12 December 1912 – after her death – and later received the full papal approval of Pope Pius XI on 30 April 1928.

“It is through service to others, lovingly given,” Mother Rosa said, “that we reach a special fulfilment and union with our Lord.”

In 1957, the cause for her Beatification was introduced in Rome. … Vatican.va

st margertha flesch statue in trier cathedralcsm_Mutter_Rosa_1_-_Einladungskarte_Frau_Wagner_73ef06340c — Statue of Blessed Maria Rosa In Trier Cathedral

The decree on her writings was approved on 21 November 1980 and was placed under the care of theologians so that the latter, could investigate her written works, in order to ensure that each of them adhered to Church doctrine and did not contradict or oppose it. Following this the diocesan process received ratification from the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in 1999. The miracle needed for her Beatification was investigated from 1998 until 1999 in Trier and involved the healing of Monica Schneider in the evenings of 5 and 6 September 1986. The C.C.S. approved the process of completing its work in 2001 and took possession of the boxes of documents for their own evaluation. It did not receive the approval of the Pontiff until 2007. Cardinal Joachim Meisner presided over the Beatification on 4 May 2008 on behalf of Pope Benedict XVI.

beatification mass bl maria rosa flesch — Beatification Mass

The current Postulator assigned to the cause is the Franciscan Giovangiuseppe Califano.

bl margaretha flesch coffin — Blessed Maria Rosa’s shrine in the Motherhouse

FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, SAINT of the DAY

The Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and The World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests +2020 and Memorials of the Saints – 19 June

Posted on June 19, 2020June 18, 2020 by AnaStpaul

The Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and The World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests +2020

https://anastpaul.com/2018/06/08/blessed-and-holy-solemnity-of-the-most-sacred-heart-of-jesus-and-the-world-day-of-prayer-for-the-sanctification-of-priests-8-june/https://anastpaul.com/2017/06/23/friday-23-june-2017-blessed-and-holy-solemnity-of-the-most-sacred-heart-of-jesus-friday-after-the-second-sunday-after-pentecost/

St Romuald (c 951-1027) (Optional Memorial)
Biography of St Romuald:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/06/19/saint-of-the-day-19-june-st-romuald-c-951-1027/

St Adleida of Bergamo
Bl Arnaldo of Liniberio
St Culmatius of Arezzo
St Deodatus of Jointures
St Deodatus of Nevers
St Gaudentius of Arezzo
St Gervase
St Hildegrin of Châlons-sur-Marne
Bl Humphrey Middlemore
St Innocent of Le Mans
St Juliana Falconieri OSM (1270 – 1341)
Her Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/06/19/saint-of-the-day-19-june-st-juliana-falconieri-osm-1270-1341/

St Lambert of Saragossa
St Lupo of Bergamo
Blessed Maria Rosa/Margaretha Flesch FSMA (1826-1906)
St Modeste Andlauer
St Nazario of Koper
Bl Odo of Cambrai
St Protase
St Rémi Isoré
Bl Sebastian Newdigate
Bl Thomas Woodhouse
Bl William Exmew
St Zosimus of Umbria

MYSTICS, SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 18 June – Saint Elisabeth of Schönau (1129-1164)

Posted on June 18, 2020June 17, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Saint of the Day – 18 June – Saint Elisabeth of Schönau (1129-1164) Abbess, Mystic, Ascetic, Writer, Spiritual Adivisor – born in 1126 in Bingen, Germany and died on 18 June 1164 at Bingen, Germany of natural causes. st elisabeth-of-schnau-044b573c-331c-4fe3-827b-4be1050eb71-resize-750

In the mid 12th century, Elisabeth of Schönau blurred the conventional gender roles of the time, through the dissemination of her astonishing visions. Elisabeth lived during a time when women were viewed as the weaker sex, both mentally and physically. Unless a woman were to join a convent or a religious movement, she would be expected to marry and to bear children. Elisabeth of Schönau, however, was far from powerless, as her visions led her to acquire enough fame to be known far and wide. Elisabeth became, not only a local celebrity as a result of her visions but, gained popularity throughout other parts of Germany, as well as in France and England. This enabled Elisabeth to have her own voice, to be known as an individual and to be sought after in an effort to acquire heavenly advice by high order men, including Bishops and Abbots. For men of such high order to call upon Elisabeth, a mere woman, is extremely significant given the time period in which Elisabeth lived. Elisabeth’s visions, as well as her twenty-two letters to Bishops, Abbots and Abbesses, enabled her to transcend the traditional gender roles of the time by making her widely known and giving her an individual voice. st Elisabeth_von_Schönau

Elisabeth was born about 1129, of an obscure noble family named Hartwig. At the age of 12 she was given to the nuns for education in the St Florin double abbey founded a few years earlier. At the age of 18 she entered the women’s Congregation. She made her profession as a Benedictine in 1147. In 1157 she became Abbess of the nuns under the supervision of Abbot Hildelin.

Her hagiography describes her as given to works of piety from her youth, much afflicted with bodily and mental suffering, a zealous observer of the Rule of Saint Benedict and of the regulation of her convent and devoted to practices of mortification. In the years 1147 to 1152 Elisabeth suffered recurrent disease, anxiety and depression as a result of her strict asceticism. St Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179) Doctor of the Church admonished Elisabeth in letters to be prudent in the ascetic life. St Hildegard here: https://anastpaul.com/2018/09/17/saint-of-the-day-17-september-st-hildegard-von-bingen-osb-1098-1179-doctor-of-the-church/

At Pentecost in 1152, she first had spiritual experiences of a visionary nature, which she and the nuns and monks understood as the authentic message of God. These generally occurred on Sundays and Holy Days at Mass or Divine Office or after hearing or reading the lives of Saints. Christ, the Virgin Mary, an angel, or the special Saint of the day would appear to her and instruct her; or she would see quite realistic representations of the Passion, Resurrection and Ascension, or other scenes of the Old and New Testaments. st elisabeth of schonau old image

She died on 18 June 1164 at the age of only 35 and was buried in the St Florin Abbey Church. It is extremely remarkable that she was not buried in the Monastery cemetery or in the Chapel of the nuns but in a prominent place in the Abbey Church itself. This was unusual and testifies to absolute acceptance of her mystical life, writings and deep veneration. There has never been a formal Canonisation process (pre-congregation) but every year on the day after her death, that is, on 19 June her memory is celebrated in the Monastery and surrounding towns. It was not until the late 16th century that she was officially included in the list of Saints at the request of the Archbishop of Mainz and the monks of Schönau (Martyrologium Romanum).

st elisabeth - Schoenau_kirche_004 — Shrine and Altar of St Elisabeth of Schönau (with the reliquary in which Elisabeth’s skull is kept – see below) in the Monastery Church of St Florin, Kloster Schönau im Taunus.

433pxst -Kleaster_Schönau,_Strüth,_relykkast_mei_plasse_fan_Elisabeth_fan_Schönau

252px-Saint_Elisabeth_of_Schönau,_German,_16th_century_(Morgan_Library_and_Museum,_New_York_City)

What Elisabeth saw and heard she put down on wax tablets. Her Abbot, Hildelin, told her to relate these things to her brother Eckbert, then a cleric at Saint Cassius in Bonn, who acted as an editor. At first she hesitated fearing lest she be deceived or be looked upon as a deceiver but she obeyed. COMPLETE WORKS OF ST ELISABETH 0F SCHONAU Eckbert (who became a Monk of Schönau in 1155 and eventually succeeded Hildelin as second Abbot) put everything in writing, later arranged the material at leisure and then published all under his sister’s name.

While this relationship between brother and sister allowed for Elisabeth’s wide broadcasting of her visionary experiences, it is evident that Eckbert attempted to have a degree of authority over Elisabeth. Elisabeth’s response to Eckbert’s efforts regarding certain visions is just one example of how Elisabeth’s actions blurred the conventional gender roles. The works are published in English in a Collected Works edition.

st elisabeth statue — Statue of St Elisabeth on the south wall of the choir room of St Florin.

Schönau Monastery is a popular place of pilgrimage today. The Franciscan Minor Monastery is picturesquely situated in the Saale Valley in a river arch on the Franconian Saale. Steep mountain slopes flank the Monastery and the small town of Schönau.

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SAINT of the DAY

Memorials of the Saints -18 June

Posted on June 18, 2020June 17, 2020 by AnaStpaul

St Abraham of Clermont
St Alena of Dilbeek
St Amandus of Bordeaux
St Arcontius of Brioude
St Athenogenes of Pontus
St Calogero of Sicily
St Calogerus of Fragalata
St Calogerus the Anchorite
St Colman mac Mici
St Cyriacus of Malaga
St Demetrius of Fragalata
St Edith of Aylesbury
St Elisabeth of Schönau (1129-1164)
St Elpidius of Brioude
St Equizio of Telese
St Erasmo
St Etherius of Nicomedia
Bl Euphemia of Altenmünster
St Fortunatus the Philosopher
St Gerland of Caltagirone

St Gregory Barbarigo (1625-1697)
About St Gregory:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/06/18/saint-of-the-day-18-june-2018-st-gregory-barbarigo-1625-1697/

St Gregory of Fragalata
St Guy of Baume
St Jerome of Vallumbrosa
St Marcellian
St Marina of Alexandria
St Marina of Bithynia
Bl Marina of Spoleto
St Marcus
Bl Osanna Andreasi OP (1449-1505)
Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/06/18/saint-of-the-day-18-june-blessed-osanna-andreasi-op-1449-1505/
St Osanna of Northumberland
St Osmanna of Jouarre
St Paula of Malaga
Bl Peter Sanchez
—
Hermits of Karden: A father (Felicio) and his two sons (Simplicio and Potentino)who became pilgrim to various European holy places and then hermits at Karden (modern Treis-Karden, Germany). (Born in Aquitaine (in modern France. ) Their relics transferred to places in the Eifel region of western Germany at some point prior to 930. They were canonised on 12 August 1908 by Pope Pius X (cultus confirmation).

Martyrs of Ravenna – 4 saints: A group of four Christians martyred together. We have no details but their names – Crispin, Cruciatus, Emilius and Felix. They were martyred in Ravenna, Italy, date unknown.

Martyrs of Rome – 3 saints: Three Christians martyred together . We have no details but their names – Cyriacus, Paul and Thomas. In Rome, Italy, date unknown.

Martyrs of Tripoli – 3 saints: Three imperial Roman soldiers, at last two of them recent converts, who were imprisoned, tortured and executed for their faith. Martyrs – Hypatius, Leontius and Theodulus. They were Greek born and they died c135 at Tripoli, Phoenicia (in modern Lebanon).

EYES - Diseases, of the BLIND, Of MUSICIANS, Choristors, SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 17 June – St Hervé (c 521–c 556) Patron of the Blind and of Eye Diseases and Musicians

Posted on June 17, 2020June 16, 2022 by AnaStpaul

Saint of the Day – 17 June – St Hervé (c 521–c 556) Hermit, Abbot, Musician and singer, miracle-worker, blind from birth – also known as Erveo, Harvey, Herveus, Hervues, Hervé, Houarniaule, Huva – born in Guimiliau, Brittany, France or unknown location in Wales (sources vary) and died in c 556 to c 575 (sources vary) of natural causes. Patronages – the blind, bards, musician, invoked against eye problems and disease, invoked to cure sick horses. St Hervé, along with Saint Ives, is one of the most venerated of the Breton Saints and was considered a Saint during his lifetime and ever since. st herve header

Hervé was the son of a bard (a professional singer and story-teller) at the Court of one of Clovis’ successors, King Childebert 1. He would have been also the nephew of the Bourg-Blanc’s hermit Saint Urfold or, according to other sources, of Saint Rivoaré, the Patron Saint of Lanrivoaré. His father died while Hervé was still an infant. 449px-Locmélar_(29)_Église_Saint-Mélar_Retable_de_Saint-Hervé_03

His mother entrusted him to the care of his uncle, Urzel, a Monk, who had opened a school in Plouvein. Saint Hervé, like his uncle, would have lived in poverty and humility all his life. In time, Hervé was made superior of the school and small Monastery. He later moved the Monastery to Lanhorneau. St Hervé’s Hermitage itself, consisted of three elements – the ruins of a Chapel, a sacred fountain and a stone hut which would have been the cell of the saint, see below.

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Hervé died around 556 and was celebrated for his holiness, powerful preaching and love of music. He is honoured as one of the Patron Saints of the blind. 518px-st herve Guimiliau10

St Hervé is said to have had a special power over animals. It is related that he had a domesticated wolf as a pet. The dog guiding him having been devoured by a wolf, the hermit ordered the wild animal to take the role of his dog. One day Hervé’s wolf attacked and killed the ox that the Monks relied on to pull the plough in the fields. Hervé preached a powerful sermon and the wolf was so contrite it asked to be allowed to serve in place of the ox. For this reason, Hervé is often depicted with a wolf wearing a yoke.

He was joined by disciples and refused any Ordination or earthly honour, accepting only to be consecrated as an Exorcist. He died in 556 and was buried at Lanhouarneau, Brittany, France. Today there is a town in honour of him. st herve france ob_0e5068_saint-herve-et-son-loup-en-bretagne

MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY

Feast of Heilige Maria im Walde/ Holy Maria in the Forest and Memorials of the Saints – 17 June

Posted on June 17, 2020June 16, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Heilige Maria im Walde/ Holy Maria in the Forest:

The Apparitions occurred in a wooded area near Dolina, Grafenstein, Carinthia, Austria on the 17, 18 and 19 June 1849 to three young shepherdesses. 680px-grafenstein_dolina_autobahnkirche_maria_im_walde_altarbild_22092011_126

—
St Adolph of Utrecht
St Agrippinus of Como
St Albert Chmielowski TOSF (1845-1916)
His Life:

Saint of the Day – 17 June – St Albert Chmielowski T.O.S.F. (The 19th-century Polish saint who was influenced by St. Francis of Assisi later influenced Pope St. John Paul II.)

AND:

Saint of the Day – 17 June – St Albert Chmielowski T.O.S.F. (1845-1916)

St Antidius of Besançon
Bl Arnold of Foligno
St Avitus of Perche
St Blasto of Rome
St Botolph of Ikanhoe
St Briavel of Gloucestershire
St David of Bourges
St Dignamerita of Brescia
St Diogenes of Rome
St Emily de Vialar
St Gundulphus of Bourges
St Hervé (c 521–c 556)
St Himerius of Amelia
St Hypatius of Chalcedon
St Molling of Wexford
St Montanus of Gaeta
St Nectan of Hartland
Bl Paul Burali d’Arezzo
Bl Peter Gambacorta
St Phêrô Ða
Bl Philippe Papon
Blessed Joseph-Marie /Pierre-Joseph Cassant OCSO (1878-1903)
Biography:

Saint of the Day – 17 June – Blessed Joseph-Marie Cassant OCSO (1878-1903)

St Prior
St Rambold of Ratisbon
Bl Ranieri Scaccero
St Theresa of Portugal
—
Martyrs of Apollonia – 7 saints: A group of Christians who fled to a cave near Apollonia, Macedonia to escape persecution for his faith, but were caught and executed. The names we know are – Basil, Ermia, Felix, Innocent, Isaurus, Jeremias and Peregrinus. They were beheaded at Apollonia, Macedonia.

Martyrs of Aquileia – 4 saints: Four Christian martyrs memorialised together. No details about them have survived, not even if they died together – Ciria, Maria, Musca and Valerian. c.100 in Aquileia, Italy.

Martyrs of Chalcedon – 3 saints: Three well-educated Christian men who were sent as ambassadors from King Baltan of Persia to the court of emperor Julian the Apostate to negotiate peace between the two states, and an end of Julian’s persecutions of Christians. Instead of negotiating, Julian imprisoned them, ordered them to make a sacrifice to pagan idols and when they refused, had them executed. Their names were Manuel, Sabel and Ismael. They were beheaded in 362 in Chalcedon (part of modern Istanbul, Turkey) and their bodies burned and no relics survive.

Martyrs of Fez – 4 beati: A group of Mercedarians sent to Fez, Morocco to ransom Christians imprisoned and enslaved by Muslims. For being openly Christian they were imprisoned, tortured, mutilated and executed. Martyrs – Egidio, John, Louis and Paul. They were martyred in Fez, Morocco.

Martyrs of Rome – 262 saints: A group of 262 Christians martyred in the persecutions of Diocletian. In c303 in Rome, Italy. They were buried on the old Via Salaria in Rome.

Martyrs of Venafro – 3 saints: Three Christian lay people, two of them imperial Roman soldiers, who were converts to Christianity and were martyred together in the persecutions of Maximian and Diocletian – Daria, Marcian and Nicander. They were beheaded c.303 in Venafro, Italy. By 313 a basilica had been built over their graves which were re-discovered in 1930. They are patrons of Venafro, Italy.

DOCTORS of the Church, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, SAINT of the DAY

One Minute Reflection – 16 June – ‘Jesus who makes sweet what is most bitter.’

Posted on June 16, 2020June 16, 2020 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 16 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Tuesday of the Eleventh week in Ordinary Time, Year A, Readings: 1 Kings 21:17-29, Psalm 51:3-6, 11, 16, Matthew 5:43-48 and the Memorial of Bl Donizetti Tavares de Lima (1882-1961)

“But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you… For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?” … Matthew 5:44,46 matthew 5 44 and 46 but i say to you, love our enemies ... 16 june 2020

REFLECTION – “There is in the Community, a Sister who has the faculty of displeasing me in everything – in her ways, her words, her character, everything seems very disagreeable to me. And still, she is a holy religious who must be very pleasing to God. Not wishing to give into the natural antipathy I was experiencing, I told myself that charity must not consist in feelings but in works, then I set myself to doing for this Sister, what I would do for the person, whom I loved the most. Each time I met her I prayed to God for her, offering Him all her virtues and merits. I felt this was pleasing to Jesus, for there is no artist who doesn’t love to receive praise for his works and Jesus, the Artist of souls, is happy when we don’t stop at the exterior but, penetrating into the inner sanctuary where He chooses to dwell, we admire it’s beauty.

I wasn’t content simply with praying very much for this Sister, who gave me so many struggles but I took care to render her all the services possible and when I was tempted to answer her back in a disagreeable manner, I was content with giving her my most friendly smile and with changing the subject of the conversation. … Frequently, when… I had occasion to work with this Sister, I used to run away like a deserter, whenever my struggles became too violent. As she was absolutely unaware of my feelings for her, never did she suspect the motives for my conduct and she remained convinced that her character was very pleasing to me. One day, at recreation, she asked in almost these words: “Would you tell me, Sister Therese of the Child Jesus, what attracts you so much toward me, every time you look at me, I see you smile?” Ah! what attracted me, was Jesus hidden in the depths of her soul, Jesus who makes sweet what is most bitter.” … St Thérèse of the Child Jesus (1873-1897) Doctor of the Church matthew 5 44 - love your enemies and pray - there is in the community, a sister who- st therese of the child jesus lisieux 16 june 2020.jpg snip

PRAYER – Almighty God, to whom this world, with all it’s goodness and beauty belongs, give us grace joyfully, to begin this day for Christ Your Son, in Him and with Him and to fill it, with an active love for all Your children, even those who may not like or who do us harm. Help us to love as You do, so that we may become like You. Bl Donizetti Tavares de Lima, you who spread your charity far and wide, pray for us. Through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, one God, forever, amen. bl donizetti tavares de lima pray for us 16 june 2020

SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 16 June – Blessed Donizetti Tavares de Lima (1882-1961)

Posted on June 16, 2020June 15, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Saint of the Day – 16 June – Blessed Donizetti Tavares de Lima (1882-1961) Priest, Apostle of the poor, the elderly and the sick, miracle-worker, known to bilocate – born on 3 January 1881 in Cássia, Brazil and died at 11.15am on 16 June 1961 in at the parish hall in Tambaú, Brazil of natural causes,he was 80 years old.

bl donzetti snip

Donizetti was born in 1882 to Minas Gerais de Tristão and Francisca Cândida Tavares de Lima. He was one of eight brothers. His father worked in law and his mother worked as a professor. In 1886, the Tavares de Limas family relocated to Franca in São Paulo, where he attended school and learned music.

In 1894 he commenced his ecclesial studies where he soon became the organist at the institute where he studied and later started to teach music to the seminarians. In 1897 he moved to a college to further his education but later returned to teach music to seminarians. In 1900 he commenced a law course and in 1903 his philosophical and theological formation in preparation for the priesthood.

He received his Ordination as a Priest on 12 July 1908 from the Bishop of Pouso Alegre. He began work in the San Gaetano Parish and then spent time in the Campinas Diocese where he served as an auxiallary Priest. bl Donizetti_Tavares_de_Lima

In 1909, he was appointed as the Parish Priest for the Sant’Ana Church Vargem Grande do Sul in the Ribeirão Preto Diocese, where he defended the rights of the poor. This staunch advocacy for the poor led to the rich and his other detractors to accuse him of being a communist. He also helped construct Chapels to Nossa Senhora Aparecida and to Saint Benedict of Nursia. He was stationed at the Sant’Ana church from 20 April to 8 August 1909 before being transferred again. On 24 May 1926 he was appointed as the newest Parish Priest for the Church of St Anthony in Tambaú. He arrived in the town on 12 June and was inaugurated at the parish with his first Mass there on 13 June. It was there, that he oversaw the establishment of the Saint Vincent de Paul Sanatorium for the abandoned and for elderly people who lived alone. The first miracle attributed to him occurred in 1927 – torrential rain threatened a procession of a statue of Our Lady of Aparecida but the storm subsided and was quieted when Fr Donizetti led the procession himself.

In 1960, the Archbishop of Ribeirão Preto city, Dom Luiz do Amaral Mousinho, went to Tambau, to visit the parish of Saint Anthony and met Fr Donizetti. As soon as he saw the Archbishop, he told him:

“Archbishop, I had a terrible nightmare! I saw the demon entering in the Cathedral of Saint Sebastian (in Ribeirão Preto city-SP) with some priests with him and all of them were armed with picks in hand. They were walking to the side altars of the Cathedral, screaming loudly. When they reached the altar of St Anthony, the image of the holy Friar of Lisbon looked with authority to the devil and his minions, then they left the place fast. Archbishop, for goodness sake, do not let them overthrow the altars of the Cathedral!”

At that moment, the Archbishop told him that it was just a dream, a nightmare and no one would remove the altars but Fr Donizetti told again:

“No, no, Archbishop! We won’t see this disgrace (prophesying that they both would die soon) but it will come! This was not just a dream, nor a nightmare! The darkness will fall over this world! I beg you: don’t let them destroy the altars!”

Kindly, as usual he was, the Archbishop smiled and told to him: “Fr Donizetti, I promise you, I won’t let anyone destroy the altars of our Cathedral!”

A few years later, after the introduction of the New Mass, Fr Agmar Marques remembered this fact and he avoided the removal of the altars of Saint Sebastian Cathedral.
Father Horacio Longo also remembered the “nightmare of the altars” prophesied by Father Donizetti when they removed the side altars of the parish of Franca city, now the Our Lady of Conception Cathedral. bl donizetti tavares de lima

Father Saverio Brugnara reported that Father Donizetti received a picture of St Pope John XXIII in 1959. At that momen,t Fr Donizetti looked for a time at the picture, smiled and said to an acolyte that they both should pray a lot for the Pope and for the Church. One of the acolytes wanted to remove the old picture of Pope Pius XII on the wall and put the picture of the new Pope, John XXIII but Fr Donizetti said: “No, my son! Leave the picture there! Soon I will meet him! As for the new Pope’s picture, leave it there, where it is.”
The picture of Pope John XXIII was placed on a dresser and Pius XII’s picture continued on the wall, at the main place of the sacristy.

Many miracles were witness through the piety and devotion of Father Donizetti. He was just a living saint and he used to be called as “the thaumaturge of Tambau.” One of the miracles which Father Donizetti always attributed to the intercession of Our Lady of Aparecida, was witnessed by one of the most respected journalists in Brazil, Joelmir Beting (1936-2012) who was born and lived in Tambau. Local officials came to him to seek out his advice on social matters. Even President Getúlio Vargas spoke with Fr Donizetti about social matters, that culminated legislation governing proper work ethics

On a radio program the journalist told that on the Easter Sunday of 1953, Fr Donizetti prayed the Mass in the church of Saint Anthony for thousands people and at the same time, he was seen by about 2 thousand people in the City of São Pedro dos Morrinhos, attending an auction of cattle to raise money for his sanatorium. This was one of the many miracles that made him known in the state of São Paulo and other states of the country. Padre Donizetti falando para muitos

Another famous miracle happened in 1955 when José Alexandre Braga, a boy of 5 years old, was cured of osteochondritis, a disease that prevented him from walking.

bl donisetti miracle of braga today - Braguinha curado e adulto — José Alexandre Braga (the child in the picture left) after he was cured. In the picture right a most recent photo.

About the miracles, Father Donizetti used to say that the most important were not the cures but the conversions to Catholicism.

Padre Donizetti e os objetos curas

Fr Donizetti died in Tambaú on 16 June 1961 due to cardiac complications and diabetic complications that had caused several hospitalisations in the past. He died in the morning at 11:15 am while seated in a chair. His remains were interred on 17 June and exhumed on 7–8 May 2009 in Tambaú for canonical inspection and relocation, which was done at night to avoid a large crowd forming. Later his body was moved to his old parish church and now attract, between 10 and 12 thousand people per month who come as pilgrims. Thousands also visit the ‘House of Father Donizetti’ (in Portuguese “casa do Padre Donizetti”). Inside the house, there are many objects related to the miracles, such as crutches, etc.

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The Priest had been hailed as a Saint his entire life and efforts to launch a Beatification process started in 1991. The cause opened towards the decade’s end and he became titled as a Servant of God. Pope Francis confirmed his heroic virtue on 9 October 2017 and named him as Venerable. Pope Francis also signed a decree on 6 April 2019 that recognised a miracle attributed to his intercession which made it possible for him to be Beatified in Tambaú on 23 November 2019. He was Beatified on 23 November 2019 by Pope Francis. The Beatification ceremony was celebrated by Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu.

bl donizetti statue in the museum — This Statue of Bl Donizetti resides in the Museum

Padre Donizetti_01 — Bl Donizetti saying Mass

SAINT of the DAY

Memorials of the Saints -16 June

Posted on June 16, 2020June 15, 2020 by AnaStpaul

St Actinea of Volterra
St Aitheachan of Colpe
St Amandus of Beaumont
Bl Antoine Auriel
St Aurelian of Arles
St Aureus of Mainz
St Benno of Meissen (1010-1106)
Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/06/16/saint-of-the-day-st-benno-1010-1106/
St Berthaldus
St Ceccardus of Luni
St Cettin of Oran
St Colman McRhoi
St Crescentius of Antioch
St Cunigunde of Rapperswil
St Curig of Wales
St Cyriacus of Iconium
Blessed Donizetti Tavares de Lima (1882-1961)
St Elidan
St Felix of San Felice
St Ferreolus of Besançon
St Ferrutio of Besançon
Bl Gaspare Burgherre
St Graecina of Volterra
St Ismael of Wales
St Julitta of Iconium
St Justina of Mainz
St Lutgarde of Aywières (1182-1246)
Her Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2017/06/16/saint-of-the-day-16-june-st-lutgarde-of-aywieres-the-first-known-woman-stigmatic-of-the-church-and-one-of-the-first-promoters-of-devotion-to-the-sacred-heart/
St Maurus of San Felice
St Palerio of Telese
St Similian of Nantes
Bl Thomas Redyng
St Tycho of Amathus
—
Martyrs of Africa: A group of five Christians martyred together. We know nothing else but the names – Cyriacus, Diogenes, Marcia, Mica, Valeria. They were martyred in an unknown location in Africa, date unknown.

Martyrs of Làng Cóc: A group of five Christian laymen, four farmers and a doctor, from the same village in the apostolic vicariate of Central Tonkin (in modern Vietnam). During the persecutions of emperor Tu Duc, they were each ordered to stomp on a cross to show their contempt for Christianity; they each refused. Imprisoned, tortured and martyred.
• Anrê Tuong
• Ðaminh Nguyen
• Ðaminh Nguyen Ðuc Mao
• Ðaminh Nhi
• Vinh Son Tuong
The were beheaded on 16 June 1862 in Làng Cóc, Nam Ðinh, Vietnam and canonised on 19 June 1988 by St Pope John Paul II.

MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR, SAINT of the DAY

Thought for the Day – 15 June – The Divine Worker

Posted on June 15, 2020June 14, 2022 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 15 June – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971) and the Memorial of St Germaine Cousin (1579–1601) Shepherdess

The Divine Worker

“Let us open the Gospel of St John.
“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word ws God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him and without him, was made nothing that has been made” (John 1:1-3).
The work of creation is attributed in a special way, to the Eternal Word, the Son of God.
He was the divine Worker, Who created from nothing, the sky, earth and the marvels which they contain.

Then the Eternal Word of God, became man (Jn 1:14).
But what position did He choose to occupy amongst us?
He could have been born heir to the illustrious throne of Rome, the most powerful in history.
He could have been born in Athens amongst the philosophers of the Areopagus, who handed down, through the centuries, the light of human wisdom and beauty.
But, it was not likely that the Word of God, should have abandoned, so to speak, the eternal glory of the Father, in order to wear the mantle of petty human power.
He had no need of this.
He came amongst us, to instruct us in the humility of the path to Heaven, not in the way of human greatness.
He was born, therefore, as the son of an artisan, “the carpenter’s son, (Mt 13:55) and an artisan Himself, “the carpenter, the son of Mary” (Mk 6:3).
According to the most ancient and most reliable tradition, He was one of the many carpenters in the Palestinian countryside who were prepared to adapt themselves to whatever job arose, whether it was the making of a door, a handle for a hoe, or a plough (Cf Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho, 88:8).
From His youth, therefore, Jesus was a carpenter’s apprentice and, when St Joseph died, He carried on His trade and earned a livelihood for His Mother Mary and Himself.

It was only after many years of manual labour that Jesus ceased to be an artisan and dedicated Himself to work of the mind and heart.
In the three years of His public life, He was an Apostle of truth and goodness.
In this way, He sanctified every type of work, manual, intellectual and spiritual.

The great lesson which Jesus wished to teach us is, that every kind of work, is good and noble.
The manual labour of the farm-hand and of the artisan, is, a co-operation in the work of the Redemption.
Both were made holy by Jesus.
Let those who work with their hands take inspiration from Jesus, Who subjected Himself, for thirty years to all the sacrifices involved in manual labour.
Let intellectuals and apostolic workers look to Jesus also, for when His Hour had come, He sacrificed Himself in His apostolate and gave His life for us.
In His regard, the peasant’s hoe and the writer’s pen, the workman’s hammer and the priest’s stole, are all noble and holy.
The only condition, is that, all should perform their duties conscientiously from the motive of the love of God and of their neighbour.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Cardinal Bacci and I did not plan that this post should fall on the Feast day of little St Germaine Cousins, the Shepherdess who gave every second of her labour and her life, for the love of God and His Will. She teaches us to sanctify the meanest of tasks, to constantly remember our daily offering of each and every form of our work for the glory of God and to honour His Divine Will and Providence.

St Germaine, Pray for us, amen!

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, INCORRUPTIBLES, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 15 June – ‘… Go with him for two miles.’

Posted on June 15, 2020June 15, 2020 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 15 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Monday of the Eleventh Week of Ordinary Time, Year A, Readings: 1 Kings 21:1-16, Psalm 5:2-3, 4-7, Matthew5:38-42 and the Memorial of St Germaine Cousin (1579–1601)

“Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles.” … Matthew 5:41

REFLECTION – “Do you grasp the excellence of a Christian disposition? After you give your coat and your cloak, even if your enemy should wish to subject your naked body to hardships and labours, not even then, Jesus says, must you forbid him. For He would have us possess all things in common, both our bodies and our goods, as with them that are in need, so with them that insult us. For the latter response comes from a courageous spirit, the former from mercy. Because of this, Jesus said, “If any one shall compel you to go one mile, go with him two.” Again He leads you to higher ground and commands you to manifest the same type of aspiration. For if the lesser things He spoke of at the beginning receive such great blessings, consider what sort of reward awaits those who duly perform these and what they become even before we hear of receiving rewards. You are winning full freedom from unworthy passions in a human and passible body.” … St John Chrysostom (347-407) Bishop, Father & Doctor (The Gospel of Matthew: Homily 18) matthew-5-41-should-anyone-press-you-into-service-do-you-grasp-the-excellence-of-a-christian-disposition-st-john-chrysostom-17-june-2019 and 15 june 2020

PRAYER – King of heaven and earth, Lord God, rule over or hearts and bodies this day. Sanctify us and guide our every thought, word and deed according to the commandments of Your law, so that now and forever, Your grace may free and save us. Teach us Lord to walk in the ways of the Cross of Your Son, our Saviour, as St Germaine Cousin so lovingly and willingly inspires us to do. Through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God, forever, amen st germaine cousin pray for us 15 june 2020

ART DEI, SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 15 June – Saint Germaine Cousin (1579–1601)

Posted on June 15, 2020June 14, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Saint of the Day – 15 June – Saint Germaine Cousin (1579–1601) Laywoman, Penitent, Apostle of Charity, miracle-worker – born in 1579 at Pibrac, France and died in 1601 in her parents’ home in Pibrac, France, apparently of natural causes, aged 22. Also known as Germana Cousin, Germaine of Pibrac. Patronages – abandoned people, abuse victims, child abuse victims, against poverty, disabled and handicapped, people, girls from rural areas, illness, impoverishment, loss of parents, shepherdesses, people disfigured by disease, physical therapists. Her body is incorrupt.

bougereau shepherdess — These two “Shepherdesses” by William-Adolphe Bougereau are believed to be depictions of St Germaine

Germaine Cousin was a 16th-century shepherdess who lived from 1579 to 1601. Born with a lame right hand and the disease scrofula (a non-tuberculous infection of the lymph nodes of the neck), she projected quite an unsightly appearance. The only child of Laurent Cousin and Marie Laroche, Germaine lived about 1.5 miles west of Pibrac, France. When she was just five years old, the plague suddenly took her dear mother and her father soon after remarried. Germaine was physically and mentally abused by her new stepmother, Armande de Rajols.

Armande’s hatred of little Germaine was so intense that she forced her to live for 17 years in the family barn and to watch the sheep near the wolf-infested La Bouconne forest, hoping the wolves would kill her. Isolated, cold and lonely, Germaine embraced a life of prayer, penance, and almsgiving, she assisted the poor and hungry, even though she herself was malnourished. She offered up her suffering to God.

131 st germaine cousin - _JeanFMilletLePetiteBergere — By Jean F Millet artist of “The Angelus”

She is practised many austerities as reparation for the sacrileges perpetrated by heretics in the neighbouring churches. She frequented the Sacraments of Penance and the Holy Eucharist and it was observed that her piety increased on the approach of every feast of Our Lady. The Rosary was her only book and her devotion to the Angelus was so great that she used to fall on her knees at the first sound of the bell, even though she heard it when crossing a stream. The villagers are said to have inclined at first to treat her piety with mild derision, until certain signs of God’s signal favour made her an object of reverence and awe.

It was while these abuses were taking place that miraculous wonders began to surround Germaine. People from the village witnessed her, on several occasions, parting the turbulent spring waters of the Courbet, which she had to cross to get to Mass in the morning.

On another occasion, Germaine had filled her apron with surplus bread from her meagre daily rations so that she may feed the poor. Her stepmother pursued her into town, hoping to expose her to the townspeople as a miscreant and a thief, who was stealing from her household pantry. After catching up with her in the public square, she forced her to reveal the contents of her apron. When Germaine opened her apron, it wasn’t bread that came flowing out but summer flowers. It was the middle of winter. Everyone was amazed and began to see Germaine in a different light. The stepmother, however, was unmoved and continued to persecute the young girl until her death. This wasn’t for much longer, as Germaine soon died alone in the barn where she had been forced to live for 17 years.

Her father at last came to a sense of his duty, forbade her stepmother henceforth to treat her harshly and wished to give her a place in the home with his other children but Germaine begged to be allowed to remain in the humbler position. At this point, when men were beginning to realise the beauty of her life, she died. One morning in the early summer of 1601, her father found that she had not risen at the usual hour and went to call her, finding her dead on her pallet of vine-twigs. She was 22 years old at the time. saint-germaine-death st germaine body 2 blurry

Mysterious lights enveloped the barn the night she died. Two monks who were travelling from Gascony noticed the light from far off. Approaching cautiously, they witnessed angels descending upon the barn in large numbers and taking a soul robed in a virgin’s gown, up to heaven. It was only at Germaine’s deathbed that the stepmother finally began to weep bitterly for her mistreatment of the girl she eventually repented.

But, the story of Germaine’s life was soon forgotten.

In 1644, some 43 years following her death, the body of a noblewoman was being interred in front of the sanctuary of the church, when a workman accidentally exhumed Germaine’s incorrupt body from under the flagstone floor. Her body looked and smelled as fresh as the day she had passed away. News spread like wildfire throughout the town. Her body was exposed in the Church in the hopes of eliciting religious fervour. Chasse_de_Sainte-Germaine

Madame de Beauregard, a prominent lady, put a stop to this. She complained to the Parish Priest about the disgusting exhibit of a corpse near her pew. She threatened to withhold alms if Germaine’s corpse continued to be exposed. The Priest complied with her request and removed the casket. Not long after, Madame de Beauregard was stricken with a fatal disease. Distressed by his wife’s condition and her irreverence toward a possible saint, her husband pleaded for her life before the Tabernacle, requesting that Germaine intercede. Moments later, Germaine appeared in spirit to Madame de Beauregard and healed her instantly of her ailment.

Despite these apparent signs of sanctity and several attempts at initiating the cause of her Canonisation, Germaine wasn’t Beatified until May 7, 1854 – 210 years after her incorrupt body had been found. Her Canonisation finally took place on 29 June 1867 By Pope Pius IX. st germain cousin

Saint Germaine was forgotten, neglected and unloved for most of her life. Even after her death, it seemed that the Lord purposely kept her well hidden. Most Catholics have never heard of her and that includes Religious and Priests. In our complex and fast-paced world, Germaine’s simplicity, charity and piety don’t seem to fit in anywhere. St._Germaine_de_Pibrac_-_Basilica_of_the_Immaculate_Conception_-_Lourdes_2014

The reason is, that we have now brought up entire generations of entitled young people, who see themselves as central to the universe’s purpose. They are the first to complain if things don’t go their way. In recent news, is it not surprising to learn about a woman stabbing her fiancé over their wedding colour scheme? We are witnessing the consequences of a narcissistic culture that seeks pleasure without any kind of moral compass to guide the conscience.

How could Germaine’s life story fit into such a culture? It would seem, that we are not quite ready yet.

We and our children were brought up on the idea that our “self-esteem” needed to be enhanced. In this way, we’ve made an entire generation incapable of seeing it’s own darkness, empowered with the perception of its own strength and unique gifts. At the same time, this generation’s children, disconnected from any moral compass, think they can do no harm. Meanwhile, a mother in her thirties was sucker-punched while walking with her daughter. No apparent reason was reported, but the public was outraged that such random acts of violence could take place. It was part of the “knockout game,” a depraved form of entertainment for young people.

It is imperative that we begin, once again, to talk to our children about living virtuous lives of self-effacement and not self-empowerment – lives of temperance and not overindulgence. It is pressing, that we share with our children, the idea of living a simpler life that is rooted in love, penance, almsgiving and prayer. Saint_Germaine_Cousin

Our children need to hear that the Lord Jesus is drawn to those who are small, hidden and pure, not just to those who are smart, rich, attractive and self-empowered.

In the book Germaine: Requiem of a Soul, Andrew St-James recounts the full history of Saint Germaine. She was a pure soul who abandoned herself completely to divine providence, who learned to surrender her will completely to God. st germaine holy card

This inspirational story shatters all the conventional theories modern man may have about God and about the modern concepts of self-empowerment . For when Jesus approaches, He does not strengthen and empower the individual, as most Protestant evangelists claim. Instead, as Jean-Pierre de Caussade writes, “when the Lord approaches, he weakens.”

God is not distant from the suffering of man. The story of Germaine Cousin attests to that truth. The events that surround the life of Saint Germaine have been clearly documented and can be regarded as a reliable historical record of her most remarkable life. It’s a story that has been lost but it is time now for it be told to our children and loved ones. Amen st germaine cousin lg

Eglise_Sainte-Germaine_Statue_par_Alexandre_Falguière_1877

INCORRUPTIBLES, SAINT of the DAY

Memorials of the Saints – 15 June

Posted on June 15, 2020June 14, 2020 by AnaStpaul

St Abraham of Saint-Cyriacus
St Achaicus of Corinth
Bl Albertina Berkenbrock
St Barbara Cui Lianshi
St Benildis of Córdoba
St Bernard of Montjoux/Menthon CRSA (c 1020-1081)
Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/06/15/saint-of-the-day-15-june-st-bernard-of-menthon-c-r-s-a-c-1020-1081-apostle-of-the-alps/

St Constantine of Beauvais
St Domitian of Lobbes
St Edburgh of Winchester
St Eigil
St Eutropia of Palmyra
St Fortunatus of Corinth
St Germaine Cousin (1579–1601) Incorrupt

St Hadelinus of Lobbes
St Hesychius of Durostorum
St Hilarion of Espalion
Bl Juan Rodriguez
St Julius of Durostorum
St Landelin of Crespin
St Leonides of Palmyra
St Libya of Palmyra
St Lotharius of Séez
St Melan of Viviers
St Orsisius
Bl Pedro da Teruel
Bl Peter Snow
St Pierre de Cervis
Bl Ralph Grimston
St Tatian of Cilicia
Bl Thomas Scryven
St Trillo of Wales
St Vaughen of Ireland
St Vitus (c 290-c 303) – Martyr, One of the Seven Holy Helpers
His very short life:
https://anastpaul.com/2017/06/15/saint-of-the-day-15-june-st-vitus/

St Vitus Cathedral, Prague, Czech Republic:
https://anastpaul.com/2017/06/15/celebrating-st-vitus-memorial-and-the-cathedral-in-his-honour-in-prague-czech-republic-the-country-for-which-he-is-a-patron-art-dei-series-2/
St Vouga of Lesneven
—
Martyr of Lucania – 11 saints: Eleven Christians martyred together. We known nothing else about them but the names – Anteon, Candidus, Cantianilla, Cantianus, Chrysogonus, Jocundus, Nivitus, Protus, Quintianus, Silvius, Theodolus in Lucania (modern Basilicata), Italy, date unknown.

SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 14 June – Saint Elisha the Prophet “My God is salvation” (790 BC)

Posted on June 14, 2020June 13, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Saint of the Day – 14 June – Saint Elisha the Prophet “My God is salvation” (c 790 BC) was a a disciple and protégé of St Elijah and after Elijah was taken up in a chariot of fire, he gave Elisha a double portion of his power and he was accepted as the leader of the sons of the prophets. Elisha then went on to perform twice as many miracles as Elijah. Patronage – Prophets. St Elisha is commemorated in the calendar of saints of the Carmelite Order following a decree of the Carmelite General Chapter of 1399. st Elijah[1].0

Elijah set out and came upon Elisha, son of Shaphat, as he was ploughing with twelve yoke of oxen, he was following the twelfth. Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak on him. ―1 Kings 19:19

Elisha was a prophet in the northern kingdom of Israel. His moment of calling was rather mystical – Elisha was ploughing a field with twelve yoke of oxen when his predecessor, Elijah, came along and placed his mantle over Elisha’s shoulders―a symbol of a call to share in prophetic work. Elisha requested time to say farewell to his parents and then slew the oxen, gave the meat to the people and joined Elijah.

Elisha, whose name in Hebrew means “My God is Salvation,” was the son of Shaphat. st elisha glass 2

Before Elijah was taken up in a fiery chariot and into the whirlwind, Elisha asked to “inherit a double-portion” of Elijah’s spirit. He won the gratitude of the people of Jericho for healing it’s barren ground by adding salt to its waters. st elisha watching elijah being taken to heaven

When the armies of Judah, Israel and Edom, then allied against Mesa, the Moabite king, were being tortured by drought in the Idumæan desert, Elisha consented to intervene. His double prediction regarding relief from drought and victory over the Moabites was fulfilled on the following morning (2 Kgs 3:4-24).

1024px-Jericho_-_Elisha's_Fountain4 — “Elisha’s Spring” (Ain es-Sultan) in Jericho

To relieve the widow importuned by a hard creditor, Elisha so multiplied a little oil as to enable her, not only to pay her indebtedness but to provide for her family needs (2 Kgs 4:1-7).

To reward the rich lady of Shunam for her hospitality, he restored to life her son (2 Kgs 4:18-37). Speed Art Museum

To nourish the sons of the prophets pressed by famine, Elisha changed, into wholesome food, the pottage made from poisonous gourds (2 Kgs 4:38-41).

470px-096.A_Famine_in_Samaria elisha — A Famine in Samaria (illustration by Gustave Doré from the 1866 La Sainte Bible)

During the military incursions of Syria into Israel, Elisha cured Naaman the Syrian of his leprosy by simply sending him word that he was to bathe in the Jordan seven times. At first reluctant, Naaman obeyed the Prophet and after washed seven times in the Jordan, he was healed. Jesus referred to this when he said: “And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet and none of them was cleansed but Naaman the Syrian” (Luke 4:27).

ElijahRefusingGifts_PieterDeGrebber — Elisha refusing the gifts offered by Naaman

Elisha’s life and activities are found in 1 and 2 Kings and he is commemorated on this date in the 2004 Roman Martyrology.

Julian the Apostate (361–363) gave orders to burn the relics of the prophets Elisha, Obadiah and John the Baptist, who were buried next to each other in Sebastia but they were rescued by the Christians and part of them were transferred to Alexandria. Today, the relics of Elisha are claimed to be among the possessions of the Coptic Orthodox Monastery of Saint Macarius the Great in Scetes, Egypt.

515px-The_Miracle_at_the_Grave_of_Elisha_by_Jan_Nagel_(d_1602) — The miracle at the grave of Elisha. (Jan Nagel, 1596)

As Elisha’s desire was to “Make known the Divine Will of God” to the people of their times, we can benefit from that today. So many times in our lives we ask the simple question, “What is God’s Will for me?” By asking for the intercession of St Elisha, we can obtain the Grace to know more of the Divine Will God has for us, in our lives. Only by living in union with God, can we know in our hearts, we are doing what HE created us for. By asking St Elisha to help us to discern that, God’s Will can be made more clear to us.

Saint-Elijah-the-Prophet-Carmel sends elisha — Elijah send Elisha forth

Prayer
O God,
protector and redeemer of the human family,
whose wonders have been proclaimed through the wonders accomplished by Your chosen prophets,
You have bestowed the spirit of Elijah on Your prophet Elisha.
In Your kindness grant us too
an increase in the gifts of the Holy Spirit
so that, living as prophets,
we will bear constant witness to Your abiding presence and providence.
We ask this through Christ our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for all eternity.
Amen

(from the Carmelite Mass)

FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY

Corpus Christi, The Solemnity of The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ +2020, Feast of Our Lady of the Trellis and Memorials of the Saints – 14 June

Posted on June 14, 2020June 13, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Corpus Christi, The Solemnity of The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ +2020
https://anastpaul.com/2019/06/23/corpus-christi-the-solemnity-of-the-most-holy-body-and-blood-of-christ-23-june/

(The Title of the video is extremely appropriate as many of us are still living without “Sunday” in it’s holy and proper form!)

Our Lady of the Trellis:
On 14 June 1234, 53 disabled people were cured upon praying before the statue of Our Lady of the Trellis, installed behind a latticework fence in St Peter’s Collegiate Church in Lille, France.
A procession held annually on the second Sunday after Pentecost commemorates the miracles. Saved during the destruction of St Peter’s Church in the French Revolution, the statue moved afterwards to St Catherine’s Church.
Devotion to Our Lady of the Trellis revived in the mid-1800s and a grand neo-Gothic church arose in her honour, where the statue was installed in 1872 and canonically crowned in 1874.
After the theft of the original in 1959, sculptor Marie Madeleine Weerts carved the image now displayed in Lille’s Catholic Cathedral, the Basilica of Notre-Dame de la Treille.

St Anastasius of Córdoba
St Burchard of Meissen
St Caomhán of Inisheer
St Castora Gabrielli
St Cearan the Devout
Bl Constance de Castro
St Cyprien
St Cyriacus of Zeganea
St Davnet
St Digna of Córdoba
St Dogmael of Wales
St Elgar of Bardsey
St Elisha the Prophet “My God is salvation” (790 BC)

St Etherius of Vienne
St Felix of Córdoba
Bl Fortunatus of Napoli
Bl Francisca de Paula de Jesus Isabel
St Gerold of Evreux
Bl Hartwig of Salzburg
St Joseph the Hymnographer
St Marcian of Syracuse
St Mark of Lucera
St Methodius of Constantinople (born 8th Century – 847)
His Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/06/14/saint-of-the-day-14-june-st-methodius-i-of-constantinople-8th-cent-847-defender-of-icons/
St Nennus of Arran
Bl Peter de Bustamante
St Protus of Aquileia
St Quintian
St Richard of Saint Vannes
St Rufinus of Soissons
St Thecla
St Theopista
St Valerius of Soissons
Bl Walter Eustace

DOCTORS of the Church, franciscan OFM, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on MARTYRDOM, QUOTES on MISSION, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, SAINT of the DAY

Thought for the Day – 13 June – St Anthony

Posted on June 13, 2020June 13, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 13 June – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

St Anthony

“St Anthony of Padua was not born a saint but he became one as the result of prayer, self-denial and penance, which attracted to him, God’s many graces.

On a summer evening in the year 1219, five mendicant friars arrived at the gate of the ancient Abbey of Coimbra, asking for hospitality from the Canons Regular of St Augustine.
They received a whole-hearted welcome.
When they had refreshed themselves, they revealed that they belonged to the new Religious Family founded by St Francis of Assisi.
They said that they hoped to reach Morocco, in order to convert the Saracens and, if it was God’s pleasure, to receive the palm of Martyrdom.
Amongst the Canons Regular, who were listening to them, was the youthful Anthony, who had already consecrated his life to God.

Not long afterwards, this little band of Franciscan Missionaries, was cut down by the scimitars of the infidels and became a glorious band of Martyrs.
Their bodies were brought back in triumph to the Abbey which they had visited and there they were buried with great honour.
When they were going away, Anthony had listened enthusiastically to all that they had said and felt a noble envy.
Now that he was in the presence of their hallowed remains, he experienced an urge to follow in their footsteps.

St Anthony joined the Franciscan Order and joyfully set off for the coast of Morocco in search of Missionary labour and of Martyrdom.
But, when he landed on African soil, he was struck down by a serious attack of malaria, which compelled him to return to his native land.

There is no foreseeing the designs of Divine Providence.
The boat in which Anthony was travelling was battered by a tempest and had to go ashore in Italy.
Henceforward, Italy was Anthony’s second fatherland.
It was here, that he conducted his remarkable and fruitful apostolate and slowly accomplished his Martyrdom, by the daily struggle for perfection.

This, is a headline for us!
We may not have been called to go and spread the faith amongst the infidels, at the risk of Martyrdom.
But, we have all been called to a state of holiness.
Perfection, moreover, is a gradual Martyrdom.
The heroic daily effort which is required to abstain from sin and to overcome the wayward tendencies of our nature, can fairly be said, to be, no less difficult, than a bloody Martyrdom.
This is the kind of Martyrdom which we must all endure.
St Anthony of Padua, will obtain for us the grace, to undergo it with the same generosity and constancy, which he displayed.”

St Anthony of Padua, Pray for Us all! Amen.

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

DOCTORS of the Church, MARIAN POETRY, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on HUMAN DIGNITY, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on WEALTH/RICHES, SAINT of the DAY, THE ASSUMPTION

Quote/s of the Day – 13 June – St Anthony of Padua

Posted on June 13, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 13 June – The Memorial of St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) Evangelical Doctor of the Church

“Damned money!
Alas! …
Money is the ‘droppings of birds’
that blinded the eyes of Tobit.”

“Christ, who is your life, is hanging before you,
so that you may look at the Cross, as in a mirror.
There you will be able to know, how mortal were your wounds,
that no medicine other, than the Blood of the Son of God, could heal.
If you look closely, you will be able to realise,
how great your human dignity and your value are….
Nowhere other than looking at himself,
in the mirror of the Cross,
can man better understand how much he is worth”

(Sermones Dominicales et Festivi III, pp. 213-214)

“The devil is afraid of us
when we pray and make sacrifices.
He is also afraid when we are humble and good.
He is especially afraid when we love Jesus very much.
He runs away when we make the Sign of the Cross.”

“The spirit of humility
is sweeter than honey
and those, who nourish themselves
with this honey
produce sweet fruit.”

The Praises of Mary
“Assumption”
Poem by Saint Anthony

O how wondrous is the dignity of the glorious Virgin!
She merited to become the mother of Him
who is the strength and beauty of the angels
and the grandeur of all the saints.

Mary was the seat of our sanctification,
that is to say,
the dwelling place of the Son
who sacrificed Himself for us.

“And I shall glorify the place where my feet have stood.”
The feet of the Saviour signify His human nature.
The place where the feet of the Saviour stood
was the Blessed Mary,
who gave Him His human nature.

Today the Lord glorifies that place,
since He has exalted Mary
above the choirs of the angels.
That is to say,
the Blessed Virgin,
who was the dwelling of the Saviour,
has been assumed bodily into heaven.

St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231)
Evangelical Doctor of the Church

ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 13 June – ‘Do not swear …’

Posted on June 13, 2020June 13, 2020 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 13 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Saturday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, Readings: 1 Kings 19:19-21, Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-10, Matthew 5:33-37 and the Memorial of St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) Doctor of the Church

“Do not swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black.” … Matthew 5:36

REFLECTION – “These words of the Lord whereby He forbids us to swear by these different elements, invites a double explanation. Firstly, He wanted to draw us away from the use of oaths and the customs of human error, lest each of us through swearing by these elements, accord a creature the honour of divine veneration or, believe one has impunity in swearing falsely, if one swears by the elements of the world.

It can also be explained in this way – When one swears by heaven and earth, one swears by Him who made heaven and earth, as the Lord Himself declared elsewhere: “He who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things that are on it and, he who swears by the temple, swears by it and by him who dwells in it.” Jesus goes on to say, “nor by Jerusalem,” for it is the city of the great King, that is, the symbol of Christ’s body, which is the spiritual and heavenly church. “Neither shall you swear,” he says, “by your head,” for according to the apostle, “the head of every man is Christ.” Therefore, the one who swears by these things makes reference to Him who is the author of all these things.” … St Chromatius of Aquileia (Died 407) Bishop, Theologian, Defender of the Faith against Arianism, Friend and supporter of St Jerome, St John Chrysostom, St Ambrose – Tractate on Matthew 24)

PRAYER – Almighty, everliving God, You gave St Anthony of Padua to Your people as a preacher and teacher and a patron in their needs. Grant that we may learn from his words inspired by Your Holy Spirit and by his prayers, grow in faith, hope and humility. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all-glorious God, now and forever, amen. st-anthony-pray-for-us-13-june-2017 AND 13 JUNE 2020

SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 13 June – Blessed Marianna Biernacka (1888-1943) Martyr

Posted on June 13, 2020June 12, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Saint of the Day – 13 June – Blessed Marianna Biernacka (1888-1943) Martyr, Laywoman, Mother, Grandmother, Widow – Born as Marianna Czokala in 1888 in Lipsk, Podlaskie, Poland and died by being shot by firing squad on 13 June 1943 in Naumovichi (aka Naumowicze), Belarus. She was 54-55. She is also remembered on 12 June as one of the 108 Martyrs of World War II. bl marianna-biernacka-c652b309-41a0-4511-964c-d298e58d472-resize-750 header

Blessed Marianna Biernacka is described, in many reports, as leading a “simple” life. But it’s my experience that there are really no simple lives. Marianna knew heartbreak. She knew fear. She knew backbreaking work. She knew loss. And she knew God’s love.

bl marianna-biernacka-6d7a5b8e-c6ca-4748-acc5-dae5e53a3c8-resize-750 — This may be or not, Blessed Marianna, sources are uncertain

Marianna was born in 1888. At the age of twenty she married a local man, Louis Biernacki. Together, they had six children, four of whom died shortly after birth. The only source of survival for the family was their family farm.

After the death of Louis in 1929, Marianna lived with her son Stanislaw. Stanislaw eventually married a young woman, Anna Szymczyk and they all lived together. Prayer and song were a large part of their lives. Soon after the couple were married, the two had a daughter. bl marianna-biernacka-3fb4b62c-3f57-44ba-b2e6-28b149d5a58-resize-750

Bishop Jerzy Mazur, Bishop of Elk, said on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the death of Bl Marianna Biernacka that “Staring at her ordinary life, we see that it was imbued with faith, love, prayer, work and suffering. Each day began with prayer and common singing Hours. Everyday life was filled with a difficult job in summer in a field and in winter, spun flax and hemp and weaving on a loom. Recitation of the Rosary prayer and devotional singing songs allowed the dignity to endure the pain of bereavement, hard work and daily poverty.”

In 1939, the Nazis invaded Poland. To understand, the Nazi occupation of Poland is to label it as one of the worst and most brutal genocides in the history of the world. Adolf Hitler himself is reported to have authorised his commanders to kill “without pity or mercy, all men, women and children of Polish decent or language.” When a German soldier was killed by any resistance, the Gestapo made it a practice to round up a large number of Polish civilians randomly and kill them in retaliation. It was just such an incident that brought the Nazis to the door of Marianna Biernacka. bl Marianna_Biernacka

In July of 1943, the Nazis arrested many people in and around the city of Lipsk as retribution for a German killed by the resistance. Randomly, Stanislaw Biernacka, along with his pregnant wife Anna, were selected to be killed. Nobody believed they had anything to do with the resistance but they were to be killed for events outside of their control. When the armed soldiers came to arrest them, Stanislaw’s mother, Marianna, reportedly dropped to her knees and begged the Nazis to take her instead of Anna.

“She is already in the last weeks of her pregnancy,” she pleaded. “I will go for her.” Her daughter-in-law begged her not to make this sacrifice but Marianna insisted, reportedly saying “You are young, you must live.” As the Nazis didn’t particularly care who they killed, as they were simply filling a quota, so they took Marianna and her son instead of the pregnant Anna.

The Nazis took Marianna and her son to the prison in Grodno. While in the prison, she only requested a pillow and a rosary. After two weeks in prison in which she spent much of her time praying, Marianna was shot and killed on 13 July 1943 in Naumowicze along with her son. Their bodies were thrown into a common grave. bl marianna-biernacka-8142620a-48fd-41d5-b2c0-7a00a35d599-resize-750

Around that time, Anna gave birth to a son. She named his Stanislaw.

On 13 June 1999, Marianna was Beatified and recognised as a Martyr, along with 107 other victims, by Pope John Paul II. The liturgical feast day of the 108 Martyrs of World War II is June 12. bl marianna-biernacka-5022b6e5-7567-4fff-990e-ef2b463afbf-resize-750

Sadly, the child, Stanislaw, only lived for about a year, according to reports. Anna lived to age 98 and her daughter, Eugenia, still lives in the family home, according to some Polish websites. She said that her mother, Anna, would often say that she had been given life twice. Once by her own mother and then from her mother-in-law. 1024px-Lipsk_Monument_bl Marianny_Biernackiej

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Saint John Fisher, Pray for Us!

St Thomas More, Pray for us!

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St Thomas More speaking of St John Fisher

St John Fisher (1469-1535) Bishop, Martyr

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St Justin Martyr (100-165) Father of the Church and Martyr

St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302)

St John of Avila (1500-1569) Doctor of the Church

Bl Maria Rosa Flesch FSMA (1826-1906)

St John Marie Baptiste Vianney (1786-1859) Patron of Priests

St John XXIII (1881-1963) Journal of a soul, 1901-1903

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The Divine Worker

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

St Germaine, Pray for us, amen!

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St Anthony

St Anthony of Padua, Pray for Us all! Amen.

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) Evangelical Doctor of the Church

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St Justin Martyr (100-165)
Father of the Church and Martyr

St John of Avila (1500-1569)
Doctor of the Church

St John Marie Baptiste Vianney (1786-1859)
Patron of Priests

St John XXIII (1881-1963)

Journal of a soul, 1901-1903

St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231)
Evangelical Doctor of the Church