Quote of the Day – 1 February
“God, into Your hands receive my spirit.”
– Bl Benedict Daswa’s last words
Quote of the Day – 1 February
Quote of the Day – 1 February
“God, into Your hands receive my spirit.”
– Bl Benedict Daswa’s last words
Category: SAINT of the DAY
Saint of the Day – 1 February -Blessed Benedict Daswa
Saint of the Day – 1 February -Blessed Benedict Daswa (1946-1990 aged 43) Layman/MARTYR/Teacher – Patron of against the occult, against witchcraft, persecuted Christians, teachers, School principals, fathers
Born Tshimangadzo Samuel Daswa, was a South African school teacher and principal. He was given the name of “Samuel” by his parents when he started to attend school and assumed the name “Benedict” upon his conversion. A local mob murdered him when he refused to fund their anti-Catholic witchcraft superstitions. He had been viewed as a martyr after his death and his martyrdom was confirmed in 2015, paving the way for his beatification. He was beatified in Limpopo on 13 September 2015. Cardinal Angelo Amato – on behalf of Pope Francis – presided over the beatification Mass.
Benedict was a member of the Lemba tribe. He the first child born to Tshililo Petrus Daswa (Bakali) and Thidziambi Ida Daswa (Gundula). This tribe followed Jewish rituals and laws. Daswa had three younger brothers and one sister: Thanyani Mackson, Muvhulawa Calson, Thinavhuyo Mavis and Humbulani Innocent. Daswa worked as a herd boy before he attended school which started at Vondwe Primary School in 1957 which was followed by secondary school at Mphaphuli High School. After his father’s accidental death, it fell to him to provide for his siblings and did this by paying for their education while in the workforce. In the workforce, he helped pay for his siblings’ education and constantly encouraged them to take pride in their studies.
Daswa was exposed to Roman Catholicism through a friend he met while in Johannesburg while living with an uncle there. He learnt about the Catholic faith and learnt catechism every Sunday from Benedict Risimati. After two years of instruction, Daswa was baptized on 21 April 1963 by Father Augustine O’Brien. He took the name of “Benedict” due to the fact that he was inspired by Saint Benedict of Nursia, also selecting as his life motto “Ora et labora” (pray and work). He was confirmed by Abbot Bishop F. Clemens van Hoek, O.S.B. three months later on 21 July 1963.
He became an active member of the church in South Africa. Daswa went to Venda Teacher Training College to do a primary teacher’s certificate and later obtained his matriculation through correspondence in 1973. He served as a teacher and catechist as he worked with adolescents and he assisted families that endured economic hardship. He was a highly respected individual in his local community and became known for his honesty, truthfulness and integrity, even known to fetch students who decided to skip schools. Daswa later helped to build the first church in his area and later became the principal of the school that he taught at on 1 January 1979 at Nweli Primary School.
Daswa married Shadi Eveline Monyai (d. 2008) in 1974 and the pair had a total of eight children, including Lufuno (b. 1977) who was the eldest, Benedicta (b. 1990), Helen and Faith. He would help his wife with household chores, unheard of at that time in his area, and he valued his family to the point of hosting Daswa Family Days each 16 December where gifts would be exchanged and a meal held. For his family, he personally built his brick house. Daswa also established a soccer team called the Mbahe Eleven Computers and left this team when members wanted to use “muti” (medicine) in order to win games. He started a new team, Mbahe Freedom Rebels.
In November 1989, heavy rains and lightning strikes plagued the area. When his village suffered strong storms again in January 1990, the elders decided that the lightning occurred due to magic and thus demanded a tax from all their residents to pay for a sangoma to “sniff out” the witch who caused the storms. Refusing to believe this, Daswa said they were just a natural phenomenon and declined to pay the tax.
On 2 February 1990, Daswa drove his sister-in-law and her sick child to a doctor in Thohoyandou and en route, picked up a man who asked for his help to take a bag of mealie meal to his home in a town next to Mbahe. At around 7:30pm, he returned to Mbahe where he left his sister-in-law and child near their home. He told his daughter that he would soon return after taking the passenger to the next village.
Returning home, found his path blocked by fallen trees an as he attempted to clear the road he was ambushed by a mob of young men. Bleeding as a result of stoning, he left his damaged car and ran for assistance at a woman’s hut. However, the woman revealed where he was when the mob threatened to kill her if she did not comply. As a result of this, he was beaten and clubbed over the head. Boiling water was poured over him in his ears and nostrils after he was attacked to ensure that he was dead. His final words were, “God, into Your hands receive my spirit”. The woman of the hut informed Daswa’s brother what had happened and the latter remained with his dead brother for the night.
The funeral took place on Saturday, 10 February 1990. The funeral procession commenced at Daswa’s home and then proceeded to Nweli Church. Celebrants wore red vestments to indicate their belief that Daswa died at the hands of his attackers in hatred of his faith.
The cause of beatification commenced on 10 June 2008 on a diocesan level in Tzaneen which concluded in 2009 with the commencement of the “Roman Phase”. The cause had to be ratified to ensure the process was valid and performed its duties as required and this occurred in Rome on 5 November 2010. The opening of the cause granted him the title Servant of God. The postulator assigned was Father Jean-Louis Chassem, MSC. The Positio – documenting his life and evidence to suggest he was killed for his faith – was submitted to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in 2013.
Pope Francis approved a decree that recognized his martyrdom on 22 January 2015 which allowed for his beatification. A possible date for the beatification, as stated by the Archbishop of Pretoria William M. Slattery, was October 2015 and as late as 1 November.
The beatification was celebrated by Cardinal Angelo Amato in Limpopo on 13 September 2015; the beatification date was confirmed in March 2015. Present at the celebration was Daswa’s mother and children as well as Father Augustine O’Brien who baptized him. Approximately 35,000 people attended the beatification.
Daswa’s remains were exhumed from his grave on 24 August 2015 in the presence of the police, a nurse and a doctor. he exhumation took more than four hours due to the secure burial with several layers of thick cement between layers of soil; the steel coffin was reported to be in good condition. At the behest of the family, his remains were taken to the grave of his wife and the coffin opened to reveal Daswa’s skeletal remains intact. The family desired the remains to be left undisturbed in the original coffin for reinterment, which was cleaned and covered in white material and colored traditional Venda cloth. A document to testify to the exhumation was placed in the coffin. His remains were relocated to a grave in a church in Mbahe and a toe and a piece of the garment he was wearing was removed and was sent away to be used as relics.
Saints for 1 February
St Agrepe
Bl Andrew of Segni
Bl Anthony Manzoni
St Asclepiades
St Autbert of Landevenec
St Barbara Ch’oe Yong-i
Bl Benedict Daswa
St Brigid of Fiesole
St Brigid of Ireland
St Cecilius of Granada
St Cinnia of Ulster
St Clarus of Seligenstadt
Bl Conor O’Devany
St Crewenna
St Darlaugdach of Kildare
St Henry Morse
St Ioannes Yi Mun-u
St Jarlath
Bl John of the Grating
St Kinnia
Bl Luigi Variara
Bl Patrick O’Lougham
St Paul of Trois-Châteaux
St Paulus Hong Yong-ju
St Raymond of Fitero
St Sabinus
St Severus of Avranches
St Severus of Ravenna
St Sigebert III of Austrasia
St Tryphon of Lampsacus
St Ursus of Aosta
St Veridiana
—
Martyrs of Avrillé – 47 beati
Thought for the Day – 31 January
Thought for the Day – 31 January
In the beginning, Don Bosco’s work was disappointing and seemingly impossible. He had little money, no collaborators and hundreds of boys to take care of. But he persisted, overcame all obstacles including persecution and saw one of his boys become a Saint – Dominic Savio. He cried to God in the Blessed Sacrament and to Mary, help of all of us and neither disappointed him!
His ethos was to educate the whole person—body and soul united. He believed that Christ’s love and our faith in that love should pervade everything we do—work, study, play. For John Bosco, being a Christian was a full-time effort, not a once-a-week, Mass-on-Sunday experience. It is searching and finding God and Jesus in everything we do, letting their love lead us. Yet, because John realised the importance of job-training and the self-worth and pride that come with talent and ability, he trained his students in the trade crafts, too. For it is the whole of us which becomes our eternal prayer to our Lord, it is every breath we take and every deed we accomplish!
St John Bosco Pray for us!
Quote/s of the Day – 31 January
Quote/s of the Day – 31 January
“Do you want our Lord to give you many graces? Visit him often. Do you want him to give you few graces? Visit him seldom. Visits to the Blessed Sacrament are powerful and indispensable means of overcoming the attacks of the devil. Make frequent visits to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and the devil will be powerless against you.”
“Jesus could have limited his presence only to the celebration of Mass, but no! He wanted to make a permanent dwelling among us. Night and day he awaits us and offers himself to us at all times. Like a most tender mother, he opens his arms to us. He is there generously to give us his gifts. He is there to draw us to him and lead us to paradise with him. Oh! Let us go visit him often.”
“I beg you to recommend to everyone, first, adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and then reverence for most holy Mary.”
“Take refuge often at the feet of Jesus…My dear ones, the Visit to the Blessed Sacrament is an extremely necessary way to conquer the devil. Therefore, go often to visit Jesus and the devil will not come out victorious against you.”
“We envy the shepherds who went to visit the grotto of Bethlehem to see Him, kissed His little hand and offered Him their gifts. “Lucky shepherds!” we exclaim. And yet there is no reason to envy them, for their fortune is ours, too. The same Jesus they visited in the grotto is in our tabernacle. The only difference is that the shepherds saw Him with the eyes of the body, whereas we see Him with the eyes of faith. Nothing will please Him more than our frequent visits to Him.”
“There are two things the devil is deadly afraid of: fervent Communions and frequent visits to the Blessed Sacrament.”
~~~ St John Bosco (Saint of the Day)
One Minute Reflection – 31 January
One Minute Reflection – 31 January
Whoever welcomes one such child for my sake welcomes me….Mt 18:5-6
REFLECTION – “Do you want to do something good and holy – indeed very holy and divine? Then work for the salvation of all young people.”…..St John Bosco
PRAYER – Heavenly Father, help me to see You in all children as well as in all human beings. And let me work to bring forth Your image and likeness in them. St John Bosco has been an example to us all – help us to heed his words. St John Bosco, pray for us, amen!
Saint of the Day – 31 January – St John Bosco
Blessed Memorial of St John Bosco/Don Bosco (1815-1888 aged 72) Priest, Confessor, Founder, “Father and Teacher of Youth” – Patron of Christian apprentices, editors, publishers, schoolchildren, young people, magicians, juvenile delinquents, Mexican youth.
Giovanni Melchiorre Bosco; 16 August 1815– 31 January 1888 popularly known as Don Bosco was an Italian priest, educator and writer of the 19th century. While working in Turin, where the population suffered many of the effects of industrialisation and urbanisation, he dedicated his life to the betterment and education of street children, juvenile delinquents and other disadvantaged youth. He developed teaching methods based on love rather than punishment, a method that became known as the Salesian Preventive System.
A follower of the spirituality and philosophy of Saint Francis de Sales, Bosco was an ardent Marian devotee of the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title Mary Help of Christians. He later dedicated his works to De Sales when he founded the Salesians of Don Bosco, based in Turin. Together with Maria Domenica Mazzarello, he founded the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, a religious congregation of nuns dedicated to the care and education of poor girls.
In 1876 Bosco founded a movement of laity, the Association of Salesian Co-operators, with the same educational mission to the poor. In 1875 he began to publish the Salesian Bulletin. The Bulletin has remained in continuous publication and is currently published in 50 different editions and 30 languages.
Bosco established a network of organizations and centres to carry on his work. Following his beatification in 1929, he was canonised as a saint by Pope Pius XI in 1934.
John was the youngest son of a peasant family. His father died when John was two and the family became very poor. As a youngster, John taught religion to other boys and got them to go to church. His acrobatics and magic tricks fascinated them. Encouraged by a priest, John entered the seminary wearing clothes provided by charity.
Priests at the seminary saw that John was a natural leader and encouraged him to use his gifts to keep other young people out of trouble. John started gathering boys together on Sunday for a day in the country. They would begin with Mass, followed by breakfast and games. The afternoon would include a picnic, a catechism lesson and evening prayers. The group grew larger because John Bosco loved the boys. He made each one feel important. He had a gift for handling difficult boys.
John was able to get a house for himself and forty boys. His mother became the housekeeper. In the first six years the number of boys at the house grew to 150. John Bosco gave a father’s care to rowdy, neglected boys. He is known as the “friend of boys” and is often called Don, which means Father.
Don Bosco opened workshops to train boys to be shoemakers and tailors. He saw that in addition to getting a religious education the boys learned to play musical instruments, perform in plays and engage in sports. He also wrote and printed books on Christian faith for boys.
At that time the state did not favour the Church and for four years men tried to assassinate John Bosco. Once they tried to shoot him while he was teaching. At other times they tried to poison him and attacked him on the street. Eventually, however, because of his good work, even his enemies began to support him.
John Bosco knew God wanted him to work with boys because of a dream he had when he was young. In this dream, boys who had been playing roughly suddenly began playing together as happily as lambs. John heard a voice saying, “Teach them right from wrong. Teach them the beauty of goodness and the ugliness of sin.” When John told his mother about his dream, she said it might mean God wanted him to be a priest and care for some of the sheep in his flock.
John Bosco spent so much time working that people who knew him well became worried about his health. They said he should take more time for rest and sleep. John replied that he’d have enough time to rest in heaven. “Right now,” he said, “how can I rest? The devil doesn’t rest from his work.”
When John died, 40,000 people came to his wake.
Saints for 31 January
St John Bosco (Memorial) (VIDEO APOSTLESHIP OF PRAYER – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eP0vfLWM27A
—
St Abraham of Abela
Bl Adamnan of Coldingham
St Aedan of Ferns
St Aiden
St Athanasius of Modon
St Bobinus of Troyes
St Eusebius of Saint Gall
St Francesco Saverio Maria Bianchi
St Geminian of Modena
Bl John Angelus
St Julius of Novara
Bl Louise degli Albertoni
Bl Luigi Talamoni
St Madoes
St Marcella
Bl Maria Cristina di Savoia
St Martin Manuel
St Nicetas of Novgorod
St Tryphaena of Cyzicus
St Tysul
St Ulphia of Amiens
St Waldo of Evreux
St Wilgils
—
Martyrs of Corinth – 14 saints
Martyrs of Canope
Athanasia
Cyrus the Physician
Eudoxia
John the Physician
Theoctista
Theodotia
Martyred in Alexandria, Egypt
Cyriacus
Metranus
Saturninus
Tarskius
Thyrsus
Victor
Zoticus
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War
José Acosta Alemán
Juan José Martínez Romero
Pedro José Rodríguez Cabrera
Martyrs of Korea
Agatha Kwon Chin-I
Agatha Yi Kyong-I
Augustinus Park Chong-Won
Magdalena Son So-Byok
Maria Yi In-Dok
Petrus Hong Pyong-Ju
Thought for the Day – 30 January
Thought for the Day – 30 January
A Christian, who seriously considers that he is to live here but a moment and will live eternally in the world to come, must confess that it is a part of wisdom to refer all his actions and views to prepare himself for that everlasting dwelling, which is his true country. Our only and necessary affair is to live for God. to do His will and to sanctify and save our souls. If we are employed in a multiplicity of exterior business, we must imitate St Bathilde, when she bore the whole weight of the state. In all we do, God and His holy will must be always before our eyes and to please Him must be our only aim and desire.
Shunning the anxiety of Martha and reducing all our desires to this one of doing what God requires of us, we must with her call in Mary to our assistance. In the midst of action, while our hands are at work, our mind and heart ought to be interiorly employed on God, at least virtually, that all our employments may be animated with the spirit of piety: and hours of repose must always be contrived to pass at the feet of Jesus, where in the silence of all creatures we may listen to His sweet voice, refresh in Him our wearied souls and renew our fervour.
While we converse with the world, we must tremble at the sight of its snares, and be upon our guard that we never be seduced so far as to be in love with it, or to learn its spirit. o love the world, is to follow its passions; to be proud, covetous and sensual, as the world is. The height of its miseries and dangers, is that blindness by which none who are infected with its spirit, see their misfortune, or are sensible of their disease. Happy are they who can imitate this holy queen in entirely separating themselves from it! Not only a slave but a queen – St Bathilde was both and yes, BOTH MAY BE SAINTS!
St Bathilde PRAY FOR US!
(Partially taken from Vol. I of “The Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs and Other Principal Saints” by the Rev. Alban Butler, the 1864 edition published by D. & J. Sadlier, & Company)
Saint of the Day – 30 January – St Bathilde
Saint of the Day – 30 January – St Bathilde (also known as Baldechilde, Baldhild, Bathild, Bathildes, Bathildis, Bauteur) (c630-680). Queen
It is certain that ST Bathilde was a slave in the service of the wife of Erchinoald, mayor of the palace of Neustria. Her unusual qualities of mind and her virtues inspired the confidence of her master who gave many of the affairs of the household into her charge and, after the death of his wife, wished to marry her. At this the young girl fled and did not return until Erchinoald had married again. About this time Clovis II met her at the house of the mayor of the palace, and was impressed by her beauty, grace and the good report he had of her. He freed and married her, 649. This sudden elevation did not diminish the virtues of Bathilde but gave them a new lustre. Her humility, spirit of prayer and large-hearted generosity to the poor were particularly noticeable.
Seven years after their marriage Clovis II died, 656, leaving Bathilde with three sons, Clothaire, Childeric, and Thierry. An assembly of the leading nobles proclaimed Clothaire III, aged five, king under the regency of his mother, Bathilde. Aided by the authority and advice of Erchinoald and the saintly bishops, Eloi (Eligius) of Noyon, Ouen of Rouen, Leéger of Autun, and Chrodebert of Paris, the queen was able to carry out useful reforms. She abolished the disgraceful trade in Christian slaves, and firmly repressed simony among the clergy. She also led the way in founding charitable and religious institutions, such as hospitals and monasteries. Through her generosity the Abbey of Corbey was founded for men, and the Abbey of Chelles near Paris for women. At about this date the famous Abbeys of Jumièges, Jouarre, and Luxeuil were established, most probably in large part through Bathilde’s generosity. Berthilde, the first Abbess of Chelles, who is honoured as a saint, came from Jouarre. The queen wished to renounce her position and enter the religious life, but her duties kept her at court. Erchinoald died in 659 and was succeeded by Ebroin. Notwithstanding the ambition of the new mayor of the palace, the queen was able to maintain her authority and to use it for the benefit of the kingdom. After her children were well established in their respective territories, Childeric IV in Austrasia and Thierry in Burgundy, she returned to her wish for a secluded life and withdrew to her favourite Abbey of Chelles near Paris.
On entering the abbey she laid down the insignia of royalty and desired to be the lowest in rank among the inmates. It was her pleasure to take her position after the novices and to serve the poor and infirm with her own hands. Prayer and manual toil occupied her time, nor did she wish any allusion made to the grandeur of her past position. In this manner she passed fifteen years of retirement. At the beginning of the year 680 she had a presentiment of the approach of death and made religious preparation for it. Before her own end, that of Radegonde occurred, a child whom she had held at the baptismal font and had trained in Christian virtue. She was buried in the Abbey of Chelles and was canonized by Pope Nicholas I.
Saints for 30 January
St Adelelmus
St Aldegundis
St Alexander of Edessa
St Amnichad of Fulda
St Armentarius of Antibes
St Armentarius of Pavia
St Barsen
St Barsimaeus of Edessa
St Bathilde
Bl Carmen Marie Anne García Moyon
St David Galván-Bermúdez
St Felician of Africa
St Felix IV, Pope
Bl Francis Taylor
Bl Haberilla
St Hippolytus of Antioch
St Hyacintha of Mariscotti
Bl Margaret Ball
Bl Maria Bolognesi
St Martina of Rome
St Matthias of Jerusalem
St Mutien Marie Wiaux
St Paul Ho Hyob
St Philippian of Africa
St Savina of Milan
Bl Sebastian Valfrè
St Theophilus the Younger
St Tôma Khuông
St Tudclyd
Bl Zygmunt Pisarski
Martyrs of Corinth
Thought for the Day – 29 January
Thought for the Day – 29 January
St Gildas the Wise lived in difficult times when the light of Christianity seemed to be dying and a whole nation was lost to the faith. Yet he himself kept the faith and managed to live a holy life amidst the ruins. The man of faith walks by the light of Christ and St Gildas is a true example that the darkness of the world does not affect our progress and our sight, for Christ is our vision.
St Gildas the Wise, Pray for us.
Our Morning Offering – 29 January
Our Morning Offering – 29 January
Be Thou my vision by St Dallan Forghaill
Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me save that Thou art.
Thou my best thought by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping Thy presence my light.
Be Thou my wisdom and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling and I with Thee one.
Be Thou my battle-shield, sword for my fight,
Be Thou my dignity, Thou my delight.
Thou my soul’s shelter, Thou my high tower.
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.
Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine inheritance, now and always;
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of heaven my Treasure Thou art.
High King of heaven, my victory won,
May I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heaven’s son,
Heart of my heart, whatever befall
Still be my vision, O ruler of all.
Today, 29 January, is also the Memorial of St Dallan Forghaill (c530- 598)
Born in Connaught, Ireland, he was known for his learning and reputedly went blind because of his intensive studying. St Dallan was an early Christian Irish poet known as the writer of the “Amra Choluim Chille” (“Elegy of Saint Columba”) and “Rop Tú Mo Baile”(“Be Thou My Vision”). He died at the hands of pirates at Inis-coel. Legend has it that St. Dallan made his own head reattach to his body after he was beheaded and thrown into the sea.
Here is a version by Audrey Assad of Be Thou My Vision – St Dallan – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Optrm7lF16s
Saint of the Day – 29 January -St Gildas the Wise
Saint of the Day – 29 January -St Gildas the Wise – also known as Badonicus and Gildas Sapiens(c500-570) Priest and Abbot – Patron of Welsh historians, bell founders.
St Gildas was a 6th-century British monk best known for his scathing religious polemic De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae, which recounts the history of the Britons before and during the coming of the Saxons. He is one of the best-documented figures of the Christian church in the British Isles during the sub-Roman period and was renowned for his Biblical knowledge and literary style. In his later life, he emigrated to Brittany where he founded a monastery known as St Gildas de Rhuys.
Gildas was born in Scotland on the banks of the Clyde (possibly at Dumbarton), of a noble British family. His father’s name was Cau or Nau, his brother’s, Huel or Cuil. He was educated in Wales under St Iltut and was a companion of St. Samson and St. Peter of Léon. Having embraced the monastic state, he passed over to Ireland, where he was advanced to the priesthood. He is said to have lived some time in Armagh and then to have crossed to North Britain, his teaching there being confirmed by miracles.
On his return to Ireland, at the invitation of King Ainmire, he strengthened the faith of many and built monasteries and churches. The Irish annalists associate him with David and Cadoc in giving a special liturgy or Mass to the second order of Irish saints. He is said to have made a pilgrimage to Rome. On the homeward journey his love of solitude caused him to retire to the Isle of Houat, off Brittany, where he lived a life of prayer, study and austerity. His place of retreat having become known, the Bretons induced him to establish a monastery at Rhuys on the mainland whither multitudes flocked (Marius Sepet, “St. Gildas de Rhuys”, Paris, s.d.).
It was at Rhuys he wrote his famous epistle to the British kings. His relics were venerated there till the tenth century, when they were carried for safety into Berry. In the eighteenth century they were said to be preserved in the cathedral of Vannes. He is the patron of several churches and monasteries in Brittany and elsewhere. His feast is locally observed on 29 January; another feast, 11 May, commemorates the translation of his relics.
The authentic work of St Gildas, “De excidio Britannae liber querulus”, is now usually divided into three parts: (1) The preface; (2) A sketch of British history from the Roman invasion to his own time; (3) An epistle of severe invective addressed to five petty British kings — Constantine, Vortipor, Cyneglas, Cynan, and Maelgwn. In the same epistle he addresses and rebukes the clergy whom he accuses of sloth and simony. His writings are clearly the work of a man of no ordinary culture and sanctity and indicate that the author was thoroughly acquainted with the Sacred Scriptures.
Gildas is regarded as the earliest British historian and is quoted by Bede and Alcuin. Two Manuscript copies of his writings are preserved in Cambridge University library.
Saints for 29 January
St Abundantia the Martyr
St Aphraates
St Aquilinus of Milan
St Barbea of Edessa
St Blath of Kildare
Bl Boleslawa Maria Lament
Bl Bronislaw Markiewicz
St Caesarius of Angoulême
Bl Charles of Sayn
St Constantius of Perugia
St Dallan Forghaill
St Gelasius II, Pope
St Gildas the Elder
St Gildas the Wise
St Juniper
St Maurus of Rome
St Papias of Rome
St Sarbellius
St Serrano
St Sulpicius Severus
St Valerius of Trier
St Voloc
Thought for the Day – 28 January
Thought for the Day – 28 January
For St Thomas, the goodness of God can be seen in everything and the whole of creation is a mighty love song of God. He learned more at the foot of the Crucifix and before the Blessed Sacrament, he said, than in all his readings and writings. We can look to Thomas Aquinas as a towering example of Catholicism in the sense of broadness, universality and inclusiveness. We should be determined anew to exercise the divine gift of reason in us, our power to know, learn and understand. At the same time we should thank God for the gift of His revelation, the incarnation of His Son, Jesus Christ who is here with us always in the Holy Sacrament.
St Thomas Aquinas Pray for us!
Saint of the Day – 28 January – St Thomas Aquinas
Saint of the Day – 28 January – St Thomas Aquinas O.P. (1225-1274 aged 49) THE ANGELIC DOCTOR – DOCTOR of the CHURCH/Priest, Religious, Theologian, Philosopher, Write, Teacher, Jurist. Also known as: Angelic Doctor/Doctor Angelicus/Doctor Communis/Great Synthesizer/The Dumb Ox/The Universal Teacher. Patron of Academics, Theologians, against storms; against lightning; apologists; book sellers; Catholic academies, Catholic Schools – (proclaimed on 4 August 1880 by Pope Leo XIII), Catholic universities, Catholic Colleges, chastity, learning; pencil makers, philosophers; publishers; scholars; students; University of Vigo and of St. Tomas;, Batangas; theologians, Aquino, Italy; Belcastro, Italy, Diocese of Aquino, Falena, Italy.
St Thomas Aquinas was an Italian Dominican friar, Catholic priest and Doctor of the Church. He was an immensely influential philosopher, theologian and jurist in the tradition of scholasticism, within which he is also known as the Doctor Angelicus and the Doctor Communis. The name Aquinas identifies his ancestral origins in the county of Aquino in present-day Lazio.
He was the foremost classical proponent of natural theology and the father of Thomism. His influence on Western thought is considerable, and much of modern philosophy developed or opposed his ideas, particularly in the areas of ethics, natural law, metaphysics and political theory. Unlike many currents in the Church of the time, Thomas embraced several ideas put forward by Aristotle—whom he called “the Philosopher”—and attempted to synthesize Aristotelian philosophy with the principles of Christianity. The works for which he is best known are the Summa Theologiae and the Summa contra Gentiles. His commentaries on Scripture and on Aristotle form an important part of his body of work. Furthermore, Thomas is distinguished for his eucharistic hymns, which form a part of the Church’s liturgy.
The Catholic Church honours Thomas Aquinas as a saint and regards him as the model teacher for those studying for the priesthood, and indeed the highest expression of both natural reason and speculative theology. In modern times, under papal directives, the study of his works was long used as a core of the required program of study for those seeking ordination as priests or deacons, as well as for those in religious formation and for other students of the sacred disciplines (philosophy, Catholic theology, church history, liturgy, and canon law).
Thomas Aquinas is considered one of the Catholic Church’s greatest theologians and philosophers. Pope Benedict XV declared: “This (Dominican) Order … acquired new luster when the Church declared the teaching of Thomas to be her own and that Doctor, honoured with the special praises of the Pontiffs, the master and patron of Catholic schools.”
By universal consent, Thomas Aquinas is the preeminent spokesman of the Catholic tradition of reason and of divine revelation. He is one of the great teachers of the medieval Catholic Church, honoured with the titles Doctor of the Church and Angelic Doctor. (Image below – Benozzo Gozzoli – Triumph of St Thomas Aquinas)
At five he was given to the Benedictine monastery at Monte Cassino in his parents’ hopes that he would choose that way of life and eventually became abbot. In 1239, he was sent to Naples to complete his studies. It was here that he was first attracted to Aristotle’s philosophy. By 1243, Thomas abandoned his family’s plans for him and joined the Dominicans, much to his mother’s dismay. On her order, Thomas was captured by his brother and kept at home for over a year. Once free, he went to Paris and then to Cologne, where he finished his studies with Albert the Great. In class, his silence during discussions and his large size earned him the nickname “the dumb ox.” He held two professorships at Paris, lived at the court of Pope Urban IV, directed the Dominican schools at Rome and Viterbo, combated adversaries of the mendicants, as well as the Averroists and argued with some Franciscans about Aristotelianism.
His greatest contribution to the Catholic Church are his writings. The unity, harmony and continuity of faith and reason, of revealed and natural human knowledge, pervades his writings. One might expect Thomas, as a man of the gospel, to be an ardent defender of revealed truth. But he was broad enough, deep enough, to see the whole natural order as coming from God the Creator, and to see reason as a divine gift to be highly cherished.
The Summa Theologiae, his last and, unfortunately, uncompleted work, deals with the whole of Catholic theology. But this brilliant man was very humble. He knew that all his gifts came from God. While celebrating Mass on December 6, 1273, he received a revelation from God. After that, he stopped writing. He said “I cannot go on…. All that I have written seems to me like so much straw compared to what I have seen and what has been revealed to me.” Thomas died at age 49 on his way to the Council of Lyons, France. Pope Gregory X had asked him to come. When asked why he stopped writing, he replied, He died March 7, 1274.
Quote/s of the Day – 28 January
Quote/s of the Day – 28 January
“Faith has to do with things that are not seen
and hope with things that are not at hand.”
“The celebration of Holy Mass is as valuable
as the death of Jesus on the cross.”
“To love is to will the good of the other.”
“If you can live amid injustice without anger,
you are immoral as well as unjust.”
“In the life of the body a man is sometimes sick
and unless he takes medicine, he will die.
Even so in the spiritual life a man is sick
on account of sin.
For that reason he needs medicine
so that he may be restored to health –
and this grace is bestowed in the Sacrament of Penance.”
“To pretend angels do not exist
because they are invisible is to believe
we never sleep because we don’t see
ourselves sleeping.”
“To bear with patience wrongs done to oneself
is a mark of perfection but to bear with patience
wrongs done to someone else is a mark of imperfection
and even of actual sin.”
“All the efforts of the human mind
cannot exhaust the essence of a single fly.”
~~~ ST THOMAS AQUINAS (Saint of the Day)
One Minute Reflection – 28 January
One Minute Reflection – 28 January
Obedience is better than sacrifice and submission than the fat of rams………….1 Sm 15:22
REFLECTION – “Obedience unites us so closely to God that it in a way, transforms us into Him, so that we have no other will but His. If obedience is lacking, even prayer cannot be pleasing to God.”………….St Thomas Aquinas (Saint of the Day)
PRAYER – Omniscient Lord, teach me to value obedience to Your laws and Your will. Grant that I may be completely obedient to You in all things. St Thomas Aquinas pray for us, amen!
Our Morning Offering – 28 January
Our Morning Offering – 28 January
The Offering of the Day
Grant us this day, Lord,
a vigilant heart,
that no alien thought can lure
away from You;
a pure heart,
that no unworthy love can soil;
an upright heart,
that no distress can overcome.
And give us, Lord,
understanding to know You,
zeal to seek You,
wisdom to find You
and a hope,
that will one day take hold of You.
Through Christ our Lord, amen.
(Adapted from a prayer of St Thomas Aquinas)
Saints for 28 January
St Thomas Aquinas (Memorial)
—
St Aemilian of Trebi
St Agatha Lin
Bl Amadeus of Lausanne
St Antimus of Brantôme
St Archebran
Bl Bartolomé Aiutamicristo
St Brigid of Picardy
St Callinicus
St Cannera of Inis Cathaig
Bl Charlemagne (a decree of canonization was issued by the anti-pope Paschal III, but this was never ratified by valid authority.)
St Constantly
St Flavian of Civita Vecchia
St Glastian of Kinglassie
Bl James the Almsgiver
St James the Hermit
St Jerome Lu
St John of Reomay
St Joseph Freinademetz
Bl Julian Maunoir
St Julian of Cuenca
St Lawrence Wang
St Leucius of Apollonia
Bl María Luisa Montesinos Orduña
St Maura of Picardy
Bl Mosè Tovini
Bl Odo of Beauvais
Bl Olympia Bida
St Palladius of Antioch
St Paulinus of Aquileia
Bl Peter Won Si-jang
St Richard of Vaucelles
St Thyrsus of Apollonia
—
Martyrs of Alexandria
Thought for the Day – 27 January
To the long list of authorities Ursulines were to obey—Ten Commandments, Church, parents, civil laws—St. Angela added “divine inspirations that you may recognize as coming from the Holy Spirit.” A refreshing and liberating rule. Also a dangerous one, for when it’s obeyed, the Holy Spirit may act in unexpected ways.
Sometimes the “tried and true” ways are no longer adequate and new ways have to be found to bring the Gospel to the world. Saints like Angela Merici had to find new ways to do the old tasks and innovation has always been a part of genuine sanctity. New wineskins are often needed for the eternally new wine of the Gospel and the saints were not only holy people, they were often creative geniuses, as well and this IS the Holy Spirit!
St Angela Merici Pray for us!
Quote/s of the Day – 27 January
Quote/s of the Day – 27 January
“Reflect that in reality you have a greater need to serve [the poor] than they have of your service.”
“Do not lose heart, even if you should discover that you lack qualities necessary for the work to which you are called. He who called you will not desert you, but the moment you are in need He will stretch out His saving hand.”
“Disorder in society is the result of disorder in the family.”
“Consider that the devil doesn’t sleep, but seeks our ruin in a thousand ways.”
“As our Saviour says: “A good tree is not able to produce bad fruit.” He says: A good tree, that is, a good heart as well as a soul on fire with charity, can do nothing but good and holy works. For this reason Saint Augustine said: “Love, and do what you will,” namely, possess love and charity and then do what you will. It is as if he had said: Charity is not able to sin.”
One Minute Reflection – 27 January
One Minute Reflection – 27 January
The servant of the Lord must not be quarrelsome but must be kindly toward all…….2 Tm 2:24
REFLECTION – “Exercise pleasantness toward all, taking great care especially that what you have commanded may never be done by reason of force.
For God has given free will to everyone and therefore, never forces anyone – but only indicates, calls and persuades.”……………St Angela Merici
PRAYER – Heavenly Father, teach me how to deal pleasantly with those I in my life. Help me to persuade rather than attempt to force others to do what must be done. Help me always to lead by example and by my life. St Angela Merici, pray for us, amen!
Saint of the Day – 27 January – St Angela Merici
Saint of the Day – 27 January – St Angela Merici C.S.U. – (1474-1540 died aged 65) Virgin/Religious/Foundress/Teacher – Patron of sickness, handicapped people, loss of parents
St Angela was a religious teacher who founded the Company of St. Ursula in 1535 in Brescia, Italy in which women dedicated their lives to the service of the Church through the education of girls. From this organization later sprang the monastic Order of Ursulines, whose nuns established places of prayer and learning throughout Europe and, later, worldwide, most notably in North America.
She was born in 1474 at Desenzano del Garda, a small town on the southwestern shore of Lake Garda in Lombardy. She and her older sister, Giana Maria, were left orphans when she was fifteen years old. They went to live with their uncle in the town of Salò. Young Angela was very distressed when her sister suddenly died without receiving the Last Rites of the Church and prayed that her sister’s soul rest in peace. It is said that in a vision she received a response that her sister was in heaven in the company of the saints. She joined the Third Order of St. Francis around that time. People began to notice Angela’s beauty and particularly to admire her hair. As she had promised herself to God, and wanted to avoid the worldly attention, she dyed her hair in soot.
Merici’s uncle died when she was twenty years old and she returned to her home in Desenzano, and lived with her brothers, on her own property, given to her in lieu of the dowry that would otherwise have been hers had she married. She later had another vision that revealed to her that she was to found an association of virgins who were to devote their lives to the religious training of young girls. This association was a success and she was invited to start another school in the neighboring city, Brescia.
In 1524, while traveling to the Holy Land, Merici became suddenly blind when she was on the island of Crete. Despite this, she continued her journey to the Holy Land and was ostensibly cured of her blindness on her return, while praying before a crucifix, at the same place where she was struck with blindness a few weeks before. In 1525 she journeyed to Rome in order to gain the indulgences of the Jubilee Year then being celebrated. Pope Clement VII, who had heard of her virtue and success with her school, invited her to remain in Rome. Merici disliked attention, however, and soon returned to Brescia.
On 25 November 1535, Merici gathered with 12 young women who had joined in her work in a small house in Brescia near the Church of St Afra, where together they committed themselves in the founding of the Company of St Ursula, placed under the protection of the patroness of medieval universities. Her goal was to elevate family life through the Christian education of future wives and mothers. Four years later the group had grown to 28. Merici taught her companions to be consecrated to God and dedicated to the service of their neighbour but to remain in the world, teaching the girls of their own neighbourhood, and to practice a religious form of life in their own homes. The members wore no special habit and took no formal religious vows. Merici wrote a Rule of Life for the group, which specified the practice of celibacy, poverty and obedience in their own homes. The Ursulines opened orphanages and schools. On 18 March 1537, she was elected “Mother and Mistress” of the group. The Rule she had written was approved in 1544 by Pope Paul III. Angela gave the Ursulines a military structure, dividing towns into districts governed hierarchically by mature Christian women. This design allowed the community to support members in daily Christian living and protect them from spiritually unhealthy influences.
The rule that Angela wrote for the company required members to remain faithful to the Christian basics. In the following excerpt, she explains the importance of daily vocal and mental prayer:
“Each one of the sisters should be solicitous about prayer, mental as well as vocal, that is a companion to fasting. For Scripture says prayer is good with fasting. As by fasting we mortify the carnal appetites and the senses, so by prayer we beg God for the true grace of spiritual life. Thus, from the great need we have of divine aid, we must pray always with mind and heart, as it is written, “Pray constantly” (1 Thessalonians 5:17 NJB). To all we counsel frequent vocal prayer that prepares the mind by exercising the bodily senses. So each one of you, every day will say with devotion and attention at least the Office of the Blessed Virgin and the seven penitential psalms (Psalm 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, and 143) because in saying the office we are speaking with God.
To afford matter and some method in mental prayer, we exhort each one to raise her mind to God and to exercise herself in it every day. And so in the secret of her heart, let her say: “My Saviour, illumine the darkness of my heart, and grant me grace rather to die than to offend your Divine Majesty any more. Guard, O Lord, my affections and my senses, that they may not stray, nor lead me away from the light of your face, the satisfaction of every afflicted heart.
I ask you, Lord, to receive all my self-will, that by the infection of sin is unable to distinguish good from evil. Receive, O Lord, all my thoughts, words, and deeds, interior and exterior, that I lay at the feet of your Divine Majesty. Although I am utterly unworthy, I beseech you to accept all my being.”
When Merici died in Brescia on 27 January 1540, there were 24 communities of the Company of St. Ursula serving the Church through the region. Over the years the Ursulines have flourished as the oldest and one of the most respected of the church’s teaching orders. Her body was clothed in the habit of a Franciscan tertiary and was interred in the Church of St. Afra.
Saints for 27 January
St Angela Merici (Optional Memorial) INCORRUPT
(VIDEO – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etRhdM26g08 APOSTLESHIP OF PRAYER)
—
Bl Antonio Mascaró Colomina
St Avitus
St Candida of Bañoles
St Carolina Santocanale
St Devota of Corsica
St Domitian of Melitene
St Emerius of Bañoles
Bl Jurgis Matulaitis-Matulewicz/George Matulaitis
St Gilduin
Bl Gonzalo Diaz di Amarante
St Henry de Osso y Cervello
St John Maria Muzeyi
Bl John of Warneton
St Julian of Le Mans
St Julian of Sora
St Lupus of Châlons
Bl Manfredo Settala
St Marius of Bodon
Bl Michael Pini
St Natalis of Ulster
St Paul Josef Nardini
Bl Rosalie du Verdier de la Sorinière
St Theodoric of Orléans
St Pope Vitalian
—
Martyrs of North Africa – 30 saints
Datius of Africa and 46 companions
Lucius of Africa and 40 companions
Jan. 26: Sts. Timothy and Titus, Bishops AV+ Divine Office Reading.
Thought for the Day – 26 January
Thought for the Day – 26 January
St Paul makes it clear to Timothy that he is to proclaim the Word with persistence BUT “through all patience.” This is the most important part of these instructions! Growth in the Spirit is a lifelong journey, in which great patience is needed. The one who proclaims the Word needs patience in dealing with the one being taught. This is a human enterprise and humans are notoriously slow to understand, accept and implement the Word of God in their lives. Christians are to proclaim the Word without being judgmental. So, as Paul tells Timothy so he tells you and me to go forth, proclaim the Word, live your faith, treat others with respect and kindness and do it all with patience and love. Thus faith is the centre of the Christian’s life and from that centre he radiates Christ’s love to all whom he meets. (Msgr. Bernard Bourgeois)
In these letters, we get another glimpse of life in the early Church: great zeal in the apostolate, great communion in Christ, great friendship. Yet always there is the problem of human nature and the unglamorous details of daily life: the need for charity and patience in “quarrels with others, fears within myself,” as Paul says. Through it all, the love of Christ sustained them. At the end of the Letter to Titus, Paul says that when the temporary substitute comes, “hurry to me.”
Sts Timothy and Titus Pray for us!
Quote of the Day – 26 January
Quote of the Day – 26 January
“Proclaim the word;
be persistent
whether it is convenient or inconvenient;
convince,
reprimand,
encourage,
through all patience and teaching.” …………..St Paul (2 Tm 4:2)
Saint/s of the Day -26 January – St Timothy and St Titus
Saint/s of the Day -26 January – St Timothy and St Titus
St Timothy – (c17-c97) – BISHOP and MARTYR – Missionary, Peacemaker, Teacher, Administrator, Preacher, Friend and Counsel – Patron against intestinal disorders, against stomach diseases, of Termoli, Italy
Timothy means”honouring God” or “honoured by God” ) – he was an early Christian evangelist and the first first-century Christian bishop of Ephesus, who tradition relates died around the year AD 97. Timothy was from the Lycaonian city of Lystra in Asia Minor, born of a Jewish mother who had become a Christian believer, and a Greek father. The Apostle Paul met him during his second missionary journey and he became Paul’s companion and co-worker along with Silas. The New Testament indicates that Timothy traveled with Saint Paul, who was also his mentor. Paul entrusted him with important assignments. He is addressed as the recipient of the First and Second Epistles to Timothy.
Rembrandt’s Timothy and his grandmother, 1648.
The name “Timothy” means”honouring God” or “honoured by God” ) – he was an early Christian evangelist and the first first-century Christian bishop of Ephesus, who tradition relates died around the year AD 97. Timothy was from the Lycaonian city of Lystra in Asia Minor, born of a Jewish mother who had become a Christian believer, and a Greek father. The Apostle Paul met him during his second missionary journey and he became Paul’s companion and co-worker along with Silas. The New Testament indicates that Timothy traveled with Saint Paul, who was also his mentor. Paul entrusted him with important assignments. He is addressed as the recipient of the First and Second Epistles to Timothy
Timothy became St Paul’s disciple, and later his constant companion and co-worker in preaching. In the year 52, Paul and Silas took Timothy along with them on their journey to Macedonia. Augustine extols his zeal and disinterestedness in immediately forsaking his country, his house and his parents, to follow the apostle, to share in his poverty and sufferings. Timothy may have been subject to ill health or “frequent ailments” and Paul encouraged him to “use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake”. 1 Timothy 5:23
When Paul went on to Athens, Silas and Timothy stayed for some time at Beroea and Thessalonica before joining Paul at Corinth. Timothy next appears in Acts during Paul’s stay in Ephesus (54-57) and in late 56 or early 57 Paul sent him forth to Macedonia with the aim that he would eventually arrive at Corinth. Timothy arrived at Corinth just after 1 Corinthians reached that city. The letter was not well received and Timothy quickly returned to Ephesus to report this to Paul.
Timothy was with Paul in Corinth during the winter of 57-58 when Paul dispatched his Letter to the Romans. (Romans 16:21) According to Acts 20:3-6, Timothy was with Paul in Macedonia just before Passover 58; he left the city before Paul, going ahead of him to await Paul in Troas. (Acts 20:4-5) “That is the last mention of Timothy in Acts”. In the year 64, Paul left St. Timothy at Ephesus, to govern that church.
His relationship with Paul was close. Paul entrusted him with missions of great importance. Timothy’s name appears as the co-author on 2 Corinthians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians and Philemon. Paul wrote to the Philippians about Timothy, “I have no one like him.” (Philippians 2:19-23) When Paul was in prison and awaiting martyrdom, he summoned his faithful friend, Timothy, for a last farewell.
That Timothy was jailed at least once during the period of the writing of the New Testament is implied in Hebrews mentioning Timothy’s release at the end of the epistle.
The apocryphal Acts of Timothy states that in the year 97, the 80-year-old bishop tried to halt a procession in honor of the goddess Diana by preaching the gospel. The angry pagans beat him, dragged him through the streets, and stoned him to death.
St Titus (first century-c96) BISHOP, Disciple of Paul, Missionary, Peacemaker, Teacher, Administrator, Friend – Patron of Crete
Timothy was with Paul in Corinth during the winter of 57-58 when Paul dispatched his Letter to the Romans. (Romans 16:21) According to Acts 20:3-6, Timothy was with Paul in Macedonia just before Passover 58; he left the city before Paul, going ahead of him to await Paul in Troas. (Acts 20:4-5) “That is the last mention of Timothy in Acts”. In the year 64, Paul left St. Timothy at Ephesus, to govern that church.
His relationship with Paul was close. Paul entrusted him with missions of great importance. Timothy’s name appears as the co-author on 2 Corinthians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians and Philemon. Paul wrote to the Philippians about Timothy, “I have no one like him.” (Philippians 2:19-23) When Paul was in prison and awaiting martyrdom, he summoned his faithful friend, Timothy, for a last farewell.
That Timothy was jailed at least once during the period of the writing of the New Testament is implied in Hebrews mentioning Timothy’s release at the end of the epistle.
The apocryphal Acts of Timothy states that in the year 97, the 80-year-old bishop tried to halt a procession in honor of the goddess Diana by preaching the gospel. The angry pagans beat him, dragged him through the streets, and stoned him to death.
Titus was an early Christian missionary and Church leader, a companion and disciple of Paul the Apostle, mentioned in several of the Pauline epistles including the Epistle to Titus. He is believed to be a Gentile converted to Christianity by Paul and according to tradition, he was consecrated as Bishop of the Island of Crete. Titus brought a fundraising letter from Paul to Corinth, to collect for the poor in Jerusalem. Later, on Crete, Titus appointed presbyters (elders) in every city and remained there into his old age, dying in the city of Candia.
Titus was a Greek, apparently from Antioch, who is said to have studied Greek philosophy and poetry in his early years. He seems to have been converted by Paul, whereupon he served as Paul’s secretary and interpreter. In the year 49, Titus accompanied Paul to the council held at Jerusalem, on the subject of the Mosaic rites. Although the apostle had consented to the circumcision of Timothy, in order to render his ministry acceptable among the Jews, he would not allow the same in regard to Titus, so as not to seem in agreement with those who would require it for Gentile converts.
Towards the close of the year 56, Paul, as he himself departed from Asia, sent Titus from Ephesus to Corinth, with full commission to remedy the fallout precipitated by Timothy’s delivery of 1 Corinthians ( and Paul’s “Painful Visit” ), particularly a significant personal offense and challenge to Paul’s authority by one unnamed individual. During this journey, Titus served as the courier for what is commonly known as the “Severe Letter,” a Pauline missive that has been lost but is referred to in 2 Corinthians. After meeting success on this mission, Titus journeyed north and met Paul in Macedonia, where the apostle, overjoyed by Titus’ success, wrote 2 Corinthians. Titus then returned to Corinth with a larger entourage, carrying 2 Corinthians with him. Paul joined Titus in Corinth later. From Corinth, Paul then sent Titus to organize the collections of alms for the Christians at Jerusalem. Titus was therefore a troubleshooter, peacemaker, administrator and missionary.
Early church tradition holds that Paul, after his release from his first imprisonment in Rome, stopped at the island of Crete to preach. he necessities of other churches requiring his presence elsewhere, he ordained his disciple Titus as bishop of that island and left him to finish the work he had started. Chrysostom says that this is an indication of the esteem St. Paul held for Titus.
Paul summoned Titus from Crete to join him at Nicopolis in Epirus. Later, Titus traveled to Dalmatia. The New Testament does not record his death.
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