St Fabian, Pope (Optional Memorial)
St Sebastian (Optional Memorial)
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St Ascla of Antinoe
Bl Basil Anthony Marie Moreau
St Basilides the Senator
St Bassus the Senator
Bl Benedict Ricasoli
Bl Bernardo of Poncelli
Bl Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi
St Daniel of Cambron
Bl Didier of Thérouanne
St Eusebius the Senator
St Eustochia Calafato
St Euthymius the Great
St Eutyches the Senator
Fechin of Fobhar
Bl Francesco Paoli
St Henry of Uppsalla
Bl Jeroni Fábregas Camí
St Maria Cristina dell’Immacolata Concezione
St Molagga of Fermoy
St Neophytus of Nicaea
St Stephen Min Kuk-ka
St Wulfsin
Category: SAINT of the DAY
Thought for the Day – 19 January
Thought for the Day – 19 January
A king or queen’s throne is not the best place to become a saint – since power and privilege can turn the head and heart of even the holiest of men. But sanctity can flourish anywhere and those kings, queens and princesses who have become saints – Canute of Denmark, Louis of France and Edward the Confessor, yesterday we had Margaret of Hungary, there were also Margaret and Elisabeth of Scotland and Elizabeth of Portugal et al – are proof of this. Nobility of birth can become nobility of soul which, by circumstance of birth, is undoubtedly a battle exceeding ours. In the Providence of God, there is NO state of life which is exempt from His love and call to sainthood!
St Canute the Holy, Pray for us!
One Minute Reflection – 19 January
One Minute Reflection – 19 January
Each one has his own gift from God……….1 Cor 7:7
REFLECTION – All the faithful of every state and condition are armed with a great deal of wondrous means of salvation. They are thus called by the Lord – each in his or her own way – to attain that perfection of holiness with which the heavenly Father is perfect….Vatican II Constituion on the Church No 11
PRAYER – Heavenly Father, help me to be holy in the way that You have laid out for me. Let me carry out the duties of my state in life to the full and so attain the holiness proper to me. St Canute, as a King you offered your life to the King of Kings and died for love of Him, please pray for us, amen.
Saint of the Day – 19 January – St Canute
Saint of the Day – 19 January – St Canute/Knud (IV) of Denmark (1042-1086) King of Denmark – known as “Canute the Holy” MARTYR (Knud IV den Hellige) – Patron of Denmark
Canute was an ambitious king (1080-1086) who sought to strengthen the Danish Monarchy was a devout Catholic and devotedly supported the Church and the Pope and had designs on the English throne. Slain by rebels in 1086, he was the first Danish king to be canonised. He was recognized by the Roman Catholic Church as patron saint of Denmark in 1101.
Canute was a strong, wise king of Denmark. He was a great athlete, an expert horseman, and a marvelous general. At the beginning of his reign, he led a war against the barbarians who were threatening to take over the civilized world. King Canute and his army defeated them. He loved the Christian faith so much that he introduced it to people who had never heard of Christianity.
St. Canute knelt in church at the foot of the altar and offered his crown to the King of kings, Jesus. King Canute was very charitable and gentle with his people. He tried to help them with their problems. Most of all, he wanted to help them be true followers of Christ.
However, a rebellion broke out in his kingdom because of the laws he had made about supporting the Church. On 10 July 1086, Canute and his men took refuge inside the wooden St. Alban’s Priory in Odense. While his enemies were still outside, King Canute received the sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Communion. He felt compassion for those who were upset enough to kill him. With all his heart he forgave his enemies. The rebels stormed into the church and slew Canute, along with his brother Benedict and seventeen of their followers, before the altar. According to chronicler Ælnoth of Canterbury, Canute died following a lance thrust in the side.
Murder of Canute the Holy by Christian Albrecht von Benzon, 1843
He was succeeded by Olaf as Olaf I of Denmark.
Because of his martyrdom and advocacy of the Church, Canute quickly began to be considered a saint. Under the reign of Olaf, Denmark suffered from crop failure, which was seen as divine retribution for the sacrilege killing of Canute. Miracles were soon reported as taking place at his grave and his canonisation was already being sought during the reign of Olaf. On 19 April 1101, persuaded by the envoys from Eric III of Denmark, Pope Paschal II confirmed the “cult of Canute” that had arisen and King Canute IV was canonised as a saint under the name San Canuto. He was the first Dane to be canonised.
Saints for 19 January
St Abachum of Persia
Bl Andrew of Peschiera
St Arsenius of Corfu
St Audifax of Persia
St Bassian of Lodi
Bl Beatrix of Lens
St Branwallader of Jersey
St Canute
St Catellus of Castellammare
St Contentius
Bl Elisabetta Berti
St Faustina of Como
St Fillan
St Firminus of Gabales
St Germanicus of Smyrna
St Godone of Novalesa
St John of Ravenna
St Joseph Sebastian Pelczar
St Liberata of Como
Bl Marcelo Spínola y Maestre
St Maris of Persia
St Messalina of Foligno
St Ponziano of Spoleto
St Remigius of Rouen
St Wulstan of Worcester
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Martyrs of Numidia – 9 saints
Thought for the Day – 18 January
Thought for the Day – 18 January
The church recognizes Margaret of Hungary as a saint in spite of the traces of willfulness and pride that seem to have marked her life. But she excelled in charity and “love covers over many a sin” (1 Peter 4:8). Those of us who want to be holy, but have many “in-spite-ofs” to contend with, can be glad for that. There is hope for us all yet!
St Margaret of Hungary Pray for us!
One Minute Reflection – 18 January
One Minute Reflection – 18 January
Above all, let your love for one another be intense because love covers a multitude of sins…………….1 Peter 4:8
REFLECTION – “Your eyes, O Lord, have a true view of people. This is what they really are and nothing more.”…………..St Francis de Sales
PRAYER – All-knowing Lord, let me realise that my real self is only what I am in Your eyes. All my weaknesses and sins You know but true too, You know the love I bear for You and for Your children. Grant me Your grace to love more and more, so that I may become a saint and join St Margaret in heaven, she who is a true example of immense love. St Margaret of Hungary pray for us, amen.
Saint of the Day – 18 January – St Margaret of Hungary O.P. (1242-1271) – Virgin & Nun
Saint of the Day – 18 January – St Margaret of Hungary O.P. (1242-1271) – Virgin & Nun
Margaret was born to Béla IV, king of Hungary, at a moment when the country was threatened by enemies. So the king promised God that if things reversed in his favour he would dedicate his little princess to the religious life. The prayer was answered and Béla put Margaret in the care of the Dominican Sisters at Veszprém. When Margaret was 12, Béla built a convent for her on an island in the Danube near Buda. There the young teenager professed her vows.
A young woman of extraordinary beauty, St. Margaret attracted the attention of suitors even though she was a nun.
Ottokar, the king of Bohemia, was determined to marry her. For political reasons, Béla liked the idea. He asked Margaret to get released from her commitments and marry Ottokar. Béla had not bargained for the steely resistance of his strong-willed daughter. She responded to his request with defiance:
“When I was only 7-years-old, you tried to espouse me to the Polish Duke. You will remember my answer then. I said that I wished to serve Him only to whom you had espoused me at my birth. As a child, I would not yield to your will in opposition to God’s claims on me. Do you think that I am likely to give in to you now that I am older and wiser? And am I more capable of grasping the greatness of the divine grace that has been given me? Then, my Father, stop trying to turn me from my determination to remain a religious. I prefer the heavenly kingdom to that which has been offered me by the King of Bohemia. I would rather die than obey these commands of yours that will bring death to my soul. Mark my words. If matters ever come to such a pass and I am driven to it, I will surely put an end to the whole affair by mutilating myself, so that I shall never again be desirable to any man.”
So Béla backed down. Witnesses say that had he persisted, gritty Margaret would likely have fulfilled her threat. Margaret punished herself with extreme self-abnegation that some observers call “self-crucifixion.” Butler’s Lives of the Saints says that she performed “marvelous” service to the sick, so nauseating that its “details cannot be set out before the fastidious modern reader.” Although she was a princess among nuns, she objected to any special treatment and went out of her way to perform the most menial tasks to help the poor and sick. Since she was a princess and the convent was built for her, no one seems to have been able to temper her excesses. A life of extreme austerity lead to great fatigue and her ultimate death on January 18, 1271.
Saints for 18 January
St Margaret of Hungary
–
St Agathius the Martyr
St Ammonius of Astas
St Archelais the Martyr
Bl Beatrix of Este the Younger
Bl Charlotte Lucas
St Catus
Bl Christina Ciccarelli
St Day/Dye
St Deicola of Lure
Bl Fazzio of Verona
Bl Félicité Pricet
St Jaime Hilario Barbel Cosen
St Leobard of Tours
St Margaret of Hungary
Bl Maria Teresa Fasce
Bl Monique Pichery
St Moseus of Astas
St Prisca of Rome
St Susanna the Martyr
St Thecla the Martyr
S tUlfrid of Sverige
Bl Victoire Gusteau
St Volusian of Tours
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Martyrs of Carthage – 3 saints
Martyrs of Egypt -37 saints
Martyrs of Nicaea – 3 saints
Thought for the Day – 17 January
Thought for the Day – 17 January
In an age that smiles and jeers at the notion of devils and angels, a person known for having power over evil spirits must at least make us pause. And in a day when people speak of life as a “rat race,” one who devotes a whole life to solitude and prayer points to an essential of the Christian life in all ages. Anthony’s hermit life reminds us of the absoluteness of our break with sin and the totality of our commitment to Christ. Even in God’s good world, there is another world whose false values constantly tempt us.
Our most powerful protection IS the Sign of the Cross.
“Let us not then be ashamed to confess the Crucified. Be the Cross our seal made with boldness by our fingers on our brow and in everything; over the bread we eat and the cups we drink; in our comings in and goings out; before our sleep, when we lie down and when we awake; when we are in the way and when we are still. Great is that preservative; it is without price, for the poor’s sake; without toil, for the sick, since also its grace is from God. It is the Sign of the faithful and the dread of evils; for He has triumphed over them in it, having made a shew of them openly; for when they see the Cross, they are reminded of the Crucified; they are afraid of Him, Who hath bruised the heads of the dragon. Despise not the Seal, because of the freeness of the Gift; but for this rather honour thy Benefactor.”……….. St. Cyril of Jerusalem
St Anthony Abbot Pray for us!
One Minute Reflection – 17 January
One Minute Reflection – 17 January
What can a man offer in exchange for his very life?……..Mt 16:26
REFLECTION – Everything of this world is sold at its price or exchanged for another equivalently priced. But the promise of life eternal is purchased at a bargain price!……St Anthony Abbot (Saint of the Day)
PRAYER – Lord of all, help me to be willing to pay the price of receiving eternal life. Let me offer myself to You in all that I do and say each day. St Anthony Abbot, Pray for us, amen.
Saint of the Day – 17 January – St Anthony Abbot t (c 251-358)
Saint of the Day – 17 January – St Anthony Abbot (c 251-358) Also known as: • Abba Antonius • Anthony of Egypt• Anthony of the Desert• Anthony the Anchorite• Anthony the Great• Anthony the Hermit• Antonio Abate• Father of Cenobites• Father of All Monks• Father of Western Monasticism. PATRONAGES – against eczema/skin diseases/skin rashes, epileptics; against ergotism, against pestilence, , of amputees, anchorites, animals, basket makers and weavers, brushmakers, butchers, cemetery workers, domestic animals, farmers, gravediggers, graveyards, hermits, pigs, monks, relief from pestilence, swineherds, Hospitallers, Tempio-Ampurias, Italy, Diocese of 9 Cities.
The life of Anthony will remind many people of St Francis of Assisi. At 20, Anthony was so moved by the Gospel message, “Go, sell what you have, and give to [the] poor” (Mark 10:21b), that he actually did just that with his large inheritance. He is different from Francis in that most of Anthony’s life was spent in solitude. He saw the world completely covered with snares and gave the Church and the world the witness of solitary asceticism, great personal mortification and prayer. But no saint is antisocial and Anthony drew many people to himself for spiritual healing and guidance.
At 54, he responded to many requests and founded a sort of monastery of scattered cells. Again like Francis, he had great fear of “stately buildings and well-laden tables.”
At 60, he hoped to be a martyr in the renewed Roman persecution of 311, fearlessly exposing himself to danger while giving moral and material support to those in prison. At 88, he was fighting the Arian heresy, that massive trauma from which it took the Church centuries to recover. “The mule kicking over the altar” denied the divinity of Christ.
Anthony is associated in art with a T-shaped cross, a pig and a book. The pig and the cross are symbols of his valiant warfare with the devil—the cross his constant means of power over evil spirits, the pig a symbol of the devil himself. The book recalls his preference for “the book of nature” over the printed word. Anthony died in solitude at age 105.
Saints and Memorials – 17 January
St Anthony the Abbot (Memorial)
Our Lady of Pontmain
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St Achillas of Sketis
St Amoes of Sketis
St Antony of Rome
Bl Euphemia Domitilla
Bl Gamelbert of Michaelsbuch
St Genitus
St Genulfus
St Jenaro Sánchez Delgadillo – Additional Memorial: 21 May as one of the Martyrs of the Mexican Revolution
St John of Rome
Bl Joseph of Freising
St Julian Sabas the Elder
St Marcellus of Die
St Merulus of Rome
St Mildgytha
St Nennius
St Neosnadia
St Pior
St Richimir
Bl Rosalina of Villeneuve
St Sabinus of Piacenza
St Sulpicius of Bourges
Martyrs of Langres: Eleusippus, Leonilla, Meleusippus, Speusippus
Thought for the Day – 16 January
Thought for the Day – 16 January
Preaching the gospel is often dangerous work. Leaving one’s homeland and adjusting to new cultures, governments and languages is difficult enough; but martyrdom caps all the other sacrifices. The deaths of Berard and his companions sparked a missionary vocation in Anthony of Padua and others. Proclaiming the gospel can be fatal but that has not stopped the thousands of men and women who even today risk their lives in many countries throughout the world. May we all keep them in our prayers daily!
St Berard and Companions Pray for us all!
One Minute Reflection – 16 January
One Minute Reflection – 16 January
May I never boast of anything but the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ………Gal 6:14
REFLECTION – “Devout souls cling wholeheartedly to the cross with Christ. They thus acquire the most abundant fruits of the Redemption for themselves and for others.”…….Pope Pius XI
PRAYER – Lord Jesus, You endured crucifxion for the salvation of the world. Grant that I may love and share Your Cross on earth so that I may join You in glory in heaven. Saints Berard, Peter, Adjute, Accurs, Odo and Vitalis, Pray for us, amen!
Saint/s of the Day – 16 January – St Berard and Companions
Saint/s of the Day – 16 January – St Berard, Peter, Adjute, Accurs, Odo and Vitalis O.F.M.(died 1220) -Religious/Priests/ Franciscan PROTOMARTYRS
Six Franciscan friars accepted from St. Francis of Assisi an assignment to go to Morocco. They were to announce Christianity to the Muslims. Friars Berard, Peter, Adjutus, Accursio, Vitalis and Odo traveled by ship in 1219. Morocco is in the northwest corner of Africa and the journey was long and dangerous. Vitalis became ill on the journey and the others carried on without him, with his blessing. The group arrived at Seville, Spain, at the time in Muslim hands. They started preaching immediately, on streets and in public squares. People treated them as if they were crazy and had them arrested. To save themselves from being sent back home, the friars declared they wanted to see the sultan. So the governor of Seville sent them to Morocco.
The sultan received the friars and gave them freedom to preach in the city. But some of the people did not like this. They complained to the authorities. The sultan tried to save the friars by sending them to live in Marrakech, on the west coast of Morocco. A Christian prince and friend of the sultan, Dom Pedro Fernandez, took them into his home. But t returned to the city as often as they could to carry on their mssion of preaching the faith. This angered some people who did not want to hear the friars’ message. These complaints angered the sultan so much that one day when he saw the friars preaching, he ordered them to stop or leave the country. Since they did not feel justified about doing either one, they were beheaded right then and there. It was January 16, 1220.
Dom Pedro went to claim the bodies of the martyrs. Eventually he brought their relics to Holy Cross Church in Coimbra, Portugal. The friars’ mission to Morocco had been brief and an apparent failure. But the results were surprising. The story of these heroes fired the first Franciscans with the desire to be missionaries and martyrs too. It was their particular witness that inspired a young man to dedicate his life to God as a Franciscan priest. We know him as St. Anthony of Padua. His feast day is June 13.
(VIDEO – BRESKI – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWe_5Hz3tFo)
Saints for 16 January
St Berard and Companions (Peter, Adjute, Accurs, Odo and Vitalis)
St Dana of Leuca
St Dunchaid O’Braoin
St Fulgentius of Ecija
St Fursey of Peronne
Bl Gonzalo de Amarante
St Henry of Coquet
St Honoratus of Arles
St Honoratus of Fondi
Bl James of Luino
St James of Tarentaise
Bl Joan of Bagno di Romagna
St Joseph Vaz
St Juana Maria Condesa Lluch
Bl Konrad II of Mondsee
St Leobazio
St Liberata of Pavia
St Marcellus I, Pope
St Melas of Rhinocolura
St Priscilla of Rome
St Sigeberht of East Anglia
St Titian of Oderzo
St Triverius
St Valerius of Sorrento
Thought for the Day – 15 January
Thought for the Day – 15 January
There are many ways of “being poor” and in today’s world, the more we have, the poorer we can be. Our Lady of Banneux is a most worthy intercessor to pray on our behalf to our God of such loving mercy, for all the needs of the poor of the world, for so many who are rich in goods but poor in spirit.
As St John Paul said on a visit to Banneux – “The poor today – and there are many ways of being poor! – feel at home in Banneux. They come here to find comfort, courage, hope, union with God in their affliction. I encourage the pilgrims who come here to pray to her, who, always and everywhere in the Church, reflects the face of the Mercy of God.”
Holy Mother Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us!
St John Paul at Banneux
Inside the Chapel at Banneux
Quote/s of the Day – 15 January
Quote/s of the Day – 15 January
“I come to alleviate sufferings….
I am the Virgin of the Poor…..
I am the Mother of the Saviour,
the Mother of God. Pray very much.”
Our Lady of Banneux 1933
One Minute Relection – 15 January
One Minute Relection – 15 January
On the way of duty I walk, along the paths of justice, granting wealth to those who love me…………Prv 8:20-21
REFLECTION – “Mary’s grace has given glory to heaven: a God to earth: and faith to the nations. She has conferred death on vices, order on life and a rule on morals.”………St Peter Chrysologus
PRAYER – Heavenly Father, grant me the grace to have Mary as my constant intercessor. In all difficulties, let me call on her aid, for she is Your beloved Daughter and our Blessed Mother. Holy Mother of Banneux, Pray for us, amen!
Our Morning Offering – 15 January
Our Morning Offering – 15 January
Our Lady of Banneux,
Mother of Our Saviour,
Mother of God,
Virgin of the Poor,
since thou hast promised to believe in us
if we believe in thee,
I put all my trust in thee.
Deign to listen to the prayers
that thou hast asked be addressed to thee;
have pity on all our spiritual and temporal miseries.
Restore to sinners the treasure of Faith,
and give to the poor their daily bread.
Deign to relieve suffering,
to heal the sick and to pray for us,
so that thus through thy intercession,
the reign of Christ the King
may extend over all nations, amen.
Memorial of the Day – 15 January
Memorial of the Day – 15 January – Our Lady of Banneux, or Our Lady of the Poor, is the sobriquet given to the apparition of the Virgin Mary to Mariette Beco, an adolescent girl living in Banneux, province of Liège (Belgium). Between January 15 and March 2, 1933, Beco told her family and parish priest of seeing a Lady in white who declared herself to be the “Virgin of the Poor”, saying I come to relieve suffering and believe in me and I will believe in you. As Our Lady of Banneux she has two titles: Our Lady of the Poor and Queen of Nations
Mariette Beco was twelve years old when she reported Marian apparitions in 1933 in Banneux, Belgium, a hamlet about 15 kilometres (10 mi) southeast of the city of Liège. In this case, the Lady in White reportedly declared she was the Virgin of the Poor and said: “Believe in me and I will believe in you.”
According to Mariette, she first saw the Blessed Virgin on the evening of Sunday, January 15, 1933, as she was looking out the kitchen window. A woman in white stood in the garden and called to her to come out, but her mother would not let her. She is described as a young lady in the yard smiling at her. The woman was bent slightly forward and wearing a long white gown with a blue sash, and a transparent white veil. Three days later the woman in white reappeared and told Mariette she was “Our Lady of the Poor”. The lady appeared eight times in all, the last on March 2, 1933.
In one of these visions, Mariette said the Lady asked her to plunge (push) her hands into a small spring [poussez vos mains dans l’eau], telling her the spring was for healing and “for all nations”. Over time the site drew pilgrims. Today, the small spring yields about 2,000 gallons of water a day with many reports of miraculous healings.
Mariette, meanwhile, became the object of local derision, with even grandmother and aunt making fun of her. Boys followed her around, calling her “Bernadette”, kneeling and asking for her blessing. Her claims were subject to an official investigation from 1935 to 1937 by an episcopal commission. The evidence collected was submitted to Rome for further analysis. Meanwhile, a hospital was built in 1938.
In May 1942, Bishop Kerkhofs of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Liège (Belgium) approved the veneration of Mary under the title of Our Lady of the Poor. Then, in 1947, approval for the apparitions came from the Holy See. It was declared definite in 1949.
After the apparitions, Mariette decided to remain a private person, married and led a quiet family life. A small chapel stands where the Virgin of the Poor is said to have requested it to be built.
Mariette died on December 2, 2011, at the age of 90. In 2008 she made a final statement about her role in the apparitions: “I was no more than a postman who delivers the mail. Once this has been done, the postman is of no importance any more”.
Details- http://www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/approved_apparitions/banneaux/
Saints – 15 January
2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (2017)
Our Lady of Banneux, Belgium (under 2 Titles Our Lady of the Poor and Queen of Nations)
—
St Alexander of Goma
Bl Angelus of Gualdo Tadini
St Arnold Janssen
St Blaithmaic of Iona
St Bonitus of Clermont
St Britta
St Ceolwulf of Northumbria
St Emebert of Cambrai
St Ephysius of Sardinia
St Eugyppius
St Francis Ferdinand de Capillas
Bl Geoffrey of Peronne
Bl Giacomo Villa
St Gwrnerth
St Habakkuk the Prophet
St Isidore of Scété
St Isidore the Egyptian
St Ita of Killeedy
St John Calabytes
St Liewellyn
St Lleudadd of Bardsey
St Macarius of Egypt
St Malard of Chartres
St Maura
St Maurus
St Maximus of Nola
St Pansofius of Alexandria
Bl Peter of Castelnau
St Placid
St Probus of Rieti
St Romedio of Nonsberg
St Sawl
St Secondina of Anagni
St Secundina of Rome
St Tarsicia of Rodez
St Teath
—
Martyrs of Suances – 5 beati
Thought for the Day – 14 January
Thought for the Day – 14 January
St Felix and the Spider
This is the beautiful story of how St Felix of Nola hid from his enemies, during persecution. They were close on his tracks when he hid in the wall of a ruined house. He entered through a narrow opening and immediately afterward, a spider spun a web over the passage to mislead the persecutors. They saw the web and figured that no one could have passed through that opening for some days. So they went on, leaving the saint safe.
A spider web conceals St. Felix from his Roman pursuers
A man protected from terrible persecutors by a spider is extremely charming and poetic. It is a very beautiful episode. Soldiers of the Roman legion, all armed, are searching every inch of the ruined house. I nside one wall is St. Felix, hearing everything. He hears their conversation as they draw near his hiding place. When they stop close to the narrow opening, he thinks: “Now, I am lost.” Then, he hears the commander say: “Let’s not waste time searching here because there are spider webs. No one has been through this opening for some time.”
Again, even if the spider did not exist – and I am not at all sure that it didn’t – it portrays a difficult situation through which St. Felix had to pass that reflects what he had to suffer for the Church, that is, a high moral profile.
Whether these facts are true or not, they tell us that St. Felix was a great saint who left a deep mark on his time. Otherwise the people would not have preserved and passed on the memory of his life. Legend gives us a marvelous image of his life. It is a charming perspective that already has something of Heaven.
Let us pray to St. Felix, asking him to give us dedication in the service of the Church, the courage to face persecution and the desire for Heaven and to know and believe that marvels occur now, each moment of each day, through God who works extraordinary deeds if we believe! (by Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira)
The tomb of St. Felix in the Basilica di San Felix in Cimitile, built in the 3rd century
One Minute Reflection – 14 January
One Minute Reflection – 14 January
Then will I go to the altar of God, the God of my gladness and youth……….Ps 43:4
REFLECTION – “We must strive to place ourselves completely in God’s hands. Then He will cause us to feel the effects of His goodness and protection – which are, at times extraordinary.”………St John Baptist de la Salle
PRAYER – Holy Lord God, let me live constantly in Your presence. Grant that I may possess a spirit of joy and gladness because of the firm knowledge that You are always with me and in You and through You and with You, the extraordinary is commonplace! St Felix of Nola, you did no immense deed but in 1800 years we have not forgotten your extraordinary love. Please pray for us, amen.
Saint of the Day – 14 January – St Felix of Nola
Saint of the Day – 14 January – St Felix of Nola (c early 3rd century-c 260) Priest and Confessor
A 100 years after St. Felix’s death, St. Paulinus of Nola told his story, adding without discernment appealing legends that had accumulated over the years. But we can trust the unadorned factual outline of Felix’s life.
After Felix divested himself of all his possessions, St. Maximus, the bishop of Nola, a town near Naples Italy, ordained him a priest and made him his right-hand man. In 250, when Emperor Decius decreed a ferocious persecution, Maximus installed himself in a desert hiding place from which he safely governed the church. Because soldiers could not find Maximus at Nola, they tortured and jailed Felix in his place. However, just as St. Peter had had a miraculous escape from prison, an angel is said to have released Felix. Then the angel guided Felix to rescue Maximus, who was near death.
The persecution subsided in 251. Upon the death of Maximus the people wanted to name Felix as bishop but he declined. Instead he retired to a small farm, where for the rest of his life he raised crops to feed himself and provide alms for the poor. St. Felix died around 260.
Every year Paulinus wrote a poem to celebrate Felix’s feast day. In one he said that while Felix did not die a martyr he was willing to offer his life as a sacrifice to God. Paulinus thus provided one of the earliest definitions of a “confessor”:
“This festive day celebrates Felix’s birthday, the day on which he died physically on earth and was born for Christ in heaven, winning his heavenly crown as a martyr who did not shed his blood. For he died as confessor, though he did not avoid execution by choice, since God accepted his inner faith in place of blood. God looks into the silence of hearts and equates those ready to suffer with those who have already done so, for he considers this inward test as sufficient, and dispenses with physical execution in case of true devotion. Martyrdom without bloodshed is enough for him if mind and faith are ready to suffer and are fervent towards God.”
Paulinus adopted Felix as his patron saint, a custom that had its roots in the early church. But for Paulinus, a patron was more than a namesake. Felix not only interceded for him in heaven. He also accompanied him spiritually as an encourager, guide, and protector, as Paulinus explained in the following passage:
“Father and lord, best of patrons to servants however unworthy, at last our prayer is answered to celebrate your birthday within your threshold. . . .You know what toils on land and sea have . . . kept me far from your abode in a distant world because I have always and everywhere had you near me and have called on you in the grim moments of travel and in the uncertainties of life.. . . I never sailed without you, for I felt your protection in Christ the Lord when I overcame rough seas. On land and water my journeying is always made safe through you. Felix, I beg you, address a prayer on behalf of your own to that Embodiment of the calm of eternal love and peace, to Him on whose great name you depend.”
Saints for 14 January
Bl Alfonsa Clerici
Bl Amadeus of Clermont
St Barbasymas
St Caldeoldus of Vienne
St Datius of Milan
Bl Devasahayam Pillai
St Engelmaro
St Eufrasio of Clermont
St Euphrasius the Martyr
St Felix of Nola
St Felix of Rome
St Fermin of Mende
St Glycerius of Antioch
Bl Godfrey of Cappenberg
St Isaias the Martyr
St Jesaja of Sinai
St Macrina the Elder
St Nino of Georgia
Bl Odoric of Pordenone
St Odo of Novara
Bl Pablo Merillas Fernández
St Paul of Africa
Bl Petrus Donders
St Potitus
Bl Rainer of Arnsberg
St Sabas of Sinai
St Sava of Serbia
St Successus of Africa
St Theodolus of Sinai
Bl William de Sanjulia
—
Martyrs of Mount Sinai
Martyrs of Raithu – 43 saints
Thought for the Day – 13 January
Thought for the Day – 13 January
It was in reading the Bible that St Hilary discovered the greatness of God and the sublimity of the Church and Christian teachings. The Bible is not just a revered book to be placed on our shelves in a place of honour it is a book to be read, to be studied and reflected upon. It leads not only to faith and holiness of life but also to the Kingdom of God itself. So we lear that Christ said His coming would bring not peace but a sword (see Matthew 10:34). The Gospels offer no support for us if we fantasise about a sunlit holiness that knows no problems. Christ did not escape at the last moment, though He did live happily ever after—after a life of controversy, problems, pain and frustration. Hilary, like all saints, simply had more of the same.
St Hilary of Poitiers Pray for us!
One Minute Reflection – 13 January
One Minute Reflection – 13 January
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, on your own intelligence rely not….Prv 3:5
REFLECTION – “In our attempt to penetrate God’s truth, we are held within the bonds of ignorance, by the weakness of our minds.
We comprehend Divine ideas by earnest attention to God’s teaching and by obedience to the faith, which carries us beyond mere human apprehension.”……St Hilary of Poitiers (Saint of the Day)
PRAYER – All-knowing God, grant me the grace to come to a better understanding of Your truths. Let me not only believe them but also carry them out daily in my life. St Hilary of Poitiers, Pray for us, amen!
Quote/s of the Day – 13 January
Quote/s of the Day – 13 January
“The privilege of our Church is such that
it is never stronger than when it is attacked,
never better known than when it is accused,
never more powerful than when it appears forsaken.” (Treatise on the Trinity)
“When we are overcome by some evil will,
should we not tremble before the presence
of the choirs of angels that surround us?”
“The perfection of learning is to know God
in such a way that, though you realise
He is knowable, yet you know Him as indescribable.”
“No matter how sinful one may have been,
if he has devotion to Mary,
it is impossible that he be lost.”
~~~ St Hilary of Poitiers – Saint of the Day
AnaStpaul 
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