Saint Sarah the Matriarch, also known as Sari, Sarai, Sara, the wife of the Patriarch Abraham and also his step-sister. Her name means ‘princess’. A pious woman, renowned for her hospitality and beauty, she was a convert from paganism, the first female convert to the faith of Abraham. With her husband she was a nomad in the desert of Canaan.
When Abraham goes down to Egypt because of the famine, he induces Sara, who though sixty-five years of age is very beautiful, to say that she is his sister; whereupon she is taken to wife by the King of Egypt, who, however, restores her after a Divine admonition. In a variant account, she is taken in similar circumstances by Abimelech, King of Gerara, and restored likewise to Abraham through a Divine intervention.
Sarai Is Taken to Pharaoh’s Palace
After having been barren till the age of ninety, Sara, in fulfilment of a Divine promise, gives birth to Isaac (A name which means ‘Laughter’). Later, through jealousy, she ill-treats her handmaiden Hagar the Egyptian, who had borne a child to Abraham, and finally she forces that latter to drive away the bond-woman and her son Ishmael. Sara lived to the age of one hundred and twenty-seven years, and at her death her husband mourned greatly and buried her in the cave of Macphelah in Hebron. This was the first land owned by the Israelites in Canaan, which became known as the Cave of the Patriarchs. Isaiah alludes to Sara as the mother of the chosen people, and St. Peter praises her submission to her husband. In Galatians Paul also uses her as an allegory of the new covenant.
“For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. His son by the slave woman was born in the ordinary way; but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a promise. These things may be taken figuratively, for the women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother…Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise…Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.”
St John Eudes (1601-1680) Confessor, Priest, Missionary, Founder, Preacher, Writer, Mystic, he founded the Congregation of Jesus (The Eudists) and Mary and the Order of Our Lady of Charity and was the Author of the propers for the Mass and Divine Office of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Known as “The Apostle of Two Hearts.” Beatified on 25 April 1909 by Pope Pius X and Canonised on 31 May 1925 by Pope Pius XI.
St Andrew the Tribune St Badulf of Ainay St Bertulf of Luxeuil St Calminius St Credan of Evesham St Donatus of Mount Jura St Elaphius of Châlons St Guenninus Bl Guerricus Bl Hugh Green
Blessed Jordan of Pisa OP (c 1255–1311) Dominican Friar, Theologian, Professor, renowned Preacher, Founder of the Confraternity of the Holy Redeemer at Pisa, Visionary, Marian devotee, promoter and daring innovator of the vernacular Italian language as a ‘church’ language and a tool for evangelisation. On 23 August 1833, Blessed Jordan’s cultus was confirmed by Pope Gregory XVI and in 1838 he was Beatified by Pope Gregory XVI.
St Julius of Rome
St Louis of Toulouse OFM (1274-1297) Prince and Bishop, Neapolitan Prince of the Capetian House of Anjou, Franciscan Friar and Priest, Apostle of Prayer, of Penance and of the poor and the sick. He had received the last sacraments on the Feast of the Assumption of Our Lady and on the 19th of August, 1297, while pronouncing the holy name of Mary, he yielded his soul to God. Because of the many miracles that were wrought at his tomb, he was Canonised as early as 1317, during the lifetime of his mother.
St Magnus of Anagni St Magnus of Avignon St Magnus of Cuneo St Marianus of Entreaigues St Marinus of Besalu St Magino of Tarragona St Mochta St Namadia of Marsat St Rufinus of Mantua St Sarah the Matriarch St Sebaldus St Thecla of Caesarea St Timothy of Gaza
Martyrs of Nagasaki – 15 Beati: A group of missionaries and their laymen supporters who were executed for spreading Christianity in Japan. • Antonius Yamada • Bartholomaeus Mohyoe • Iacobus Matsuo Denji • Ioachim Díaz Hirayama • Ioannes Miyazaki Soemon • Ioannes Nagata Matashichi • Ioannes Yago • Laurentius Ikegami Rokusuke • Leo Sukeemon • Ludovic Frarijn • Marcus Takenoshita Shin’emon • Michaël Díaz Hori • Paulus Sankichi • Pedro de Zúñiga • Thomas Koyanagi They were beheaded on 19 August 1622 at Nagasaki, Japan and Beatified on 7 May 1867 by Pope Pius IX.
Saints Florus and Laurus were twin brothers who worked as stonemasons. They were originally from Byzantium but settled in Ulpiana, Dardania, south of modern Pristina, Kosovo. They were educated in masonry by two men named Maximus and Proculus, who were Christians, and who were later sentenced to death for being so.
Novgorod icon of Sts. Florus and Laurus
Likaion, the prefect of the district, employed the brothers in the construction of a pagan temple. The brothers gave their salaries to the poor. When the son of a local pagan priest named Mamertin was blinded by a chip of stone from the saints’ temple, Florus and Laurus cured the boy after he converted to Christianity. Mamertin also converted to Christianity as a result of his son’s recovery.
After the temple was finished, the twins brought together many local Christians. The group smashed all of the statues of the pagan gods, and a cross was set up in the temple, then they spent the whole night in prayer within it. As a result of this action, the local authorities had 300 Christians, including Mamertin and Mamertin’s son, burned to death.
Florus and Laurus were executed differently; Likaion had them thrown down an empty well, which was then covered with earth. Many years later their relics were recovered and transferred to Constantinople.
See how you lie prostrate unto death, while John who was killed is alive. You have lost the purple that received its colour from dye, John is forever gloriously clothed with the radiant purple from his blood.
St Crispus of Rome St Daig Maccairaill Bl Domenico de Molinar St Eonus of Arles St Ernan St Evan of Ayrshire St Firminus of Metz St Florus of Illyria Bl Francus of Francavilla Bl Gaspar di Salamanca St Hermas of Rome St John of Rome St Juliana of Myra St Juliana of Stobylum St Laurus of Illyria St Leo of Myra Bl Leonard of Cava St Maximus of Illyria Bl Milo of Fontenelle St Polyaenus of Rome St Proculus of Illyria
Blessed Rinaldo of Concorezzo (c 1245 – 1321) Bishop of Vicenza from 1296 until his 1303 appointment as the Archbishop of Ravenna-Cervia holding that until his death, Doctor of Canon Law, Papal envoy, Arbitrator and Peace-maker. Archbishop Rinaldo was also a close friend of Dante Alighieri.
St Ronan of Iona St Serapion of Rome
Massa Candida: Also known as Martyrs of Utica and the White Company: Three hundred 3rd century Christians at Carthage, who were ordered to burn incense to Jupiter or face death by fire. Martyrs. Saint Augustine of Hippo and the poet Prudentius wrote about them. They were forced to cast themselves into a pit of burning lime c 253 at Carthage, North Africa.
Happy, indeed, is she to whom it is given to share this sacred banquet, to cling with all her heart to Him whose beauty all the heavenly hosts admire unceasingly, whose love inflames our love, whose contemplation is our refreshment, whose graciousness is our joy, whose gentleness fills us to overflowing, whose remembrance brings a gentle light, whose fragrance will revive the dead, whose glorious vision will be the happiness of all the citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem
Victory of the King of France (Philip the Fair), imploring the help of Our Lady of Chartres (1304) – 17 August:
It was on this day in the year 1304 that “Philip the Fair” gained a signal victory over the Flemish after recommending himself to Our Lady of Chartres.
The eldest son of King Philip and Isabella of Aragon, he was nicknamed Philip the Fair while yet a Prince for his handsome features. He became King of France at only 17 years of age and married Joan of Navarre in 1284, which enlarged his Kingdom.
In the year 1302, Philip sent an inadequate army into Flanders to suppress the Flemish, who were making incursions into his realm at will. His army was soundly defeated at the Battle of the Golden Spurs. Philip responded by winning a naval victory over the Flemish at Zierichzee and then met the Flemish army at the Battle of Mons-en-Pevele, also known as Mons-en-Puelle, on 17 August 1304.
The battle was furious, lasting all day in extreme heat. Eventually the majority of the French army fled the field, leaving Philip alone with only ten Knights fighting desperately to save themselves and their King. Philip’s horse collapsed, having been killed under him and his life was in great danger of being lost. At that moment, while facing death and certain defeat in battle, Philip turned to the Queen of Heaven, Our Lady of Chartres, begging her assistance to save the day and his life.
Suddenly the French Knights, who had been fleeing the field, turned and saw the King’s Royal Standard still stood, and that he, himself, fought like a Knight of great renown amidst a sea of raging enemies. Racing to the scene with their swords and lances, they turned the Flemish and drove them from the field in what became a resounding victory for the King of France. The Battle of the Golden Spurs was well compensated.
In gratitude for this victory and favour of Our Lady of Chartres, King Philip went at once to do homage to the Virgin Mary at her Cathedral. He took off his own armour and gave it to the cathedral at the Altar. He also gave to it, in perpetuity, the land and lordship of Barrus, founded a daily Mass forever and left to this church ,all of the other accoutrements which he had worn on that day of victory. This feast is kept in the Church of Notre Dame, at Paris, on the following day, the 18th and the office is double. This armour is formerly exhibited in the church, on the Anniversary of the battle.
St Benedicta of Lorraine St Carloman St Cecilia of Lorraine
St Clare of the Cross of Montefalco (c 1269-1308) Augustinian Nun and Abbess, before becoming a nun, St Clare was a member of the Third Order of St Francis (Secular), Mystic, Penitent, Spiritual adviser.
St Donatus of Ripacandida St Drithelm St Elias the Younger Bl Enric Canadell Quintana Bl Eugenio Sanz-Orozco Mortera St Pope Eusebius St Eusebius of Sicily
St Hyacinth OP (1185-1257) ) “Apostle of Poland” and “Apostle of the North” also known as “the Polish St Dominic”– Religious Priest of the Order of Preachers, Confessor, Doctor of Law and Divinity, Missionary, Preacher, Miracle Worker, Mystic.
St Jeroen of Noordwijk St Juliana of Ptolemais St Leopoldina Naudet St Mamas Bl Marie-Élisabeth Turgeon St Michaël Kurobyoie St Myron of Cyzicus
St Nicolò Politi (1117-1167) Basilian Monk and Hermit. He was known for his miracles even during his childhood and was Venerated as a saint even before his death.
Bl Noël-Hilaire Le Conte St Paul of Ptolemais St Theodore of Grammont — Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: Bl Antoni Carmaniú Mercarder, Bl Facundo Escanciano Tejerina, Bl Eugenio Sanz-Orozco Mortera, Bl Enric Canadell Quintana, Florencio López Egea and see below – Martyrs of Malaga – 8 beati: A priest and seven brothers, all members of the Hospitallers of Saint John of God, all martyred together in the Spanish Civil War.
Saint Eusebius (died 21 October 310) was the bishop of Rome from 18 April 309 until his exile on 17 August 310. Not much is known about Eusebius’s early life, but he was probably Greek. His reign was short. The Liberian Catalogue gives its duration as only four months, from 18 April to 17 August, 309 or 310.
We learn some details of his career from an epitaph for his tomb which Pope Damasus ordered. It appears that the grave internal dissentions caused in the Roman Church by the readmittance of the apostates (lapsi) during the persecution of Diocletian, and which had already arisen under Marcellus, continued under Eusebius. The latter maintained the attitude of the Roman Church, adopted after the Decian persecutions (250-51), that the apostates should not be forever debarred from ecclesiastical communion, but on the other hand, should be readmitted only after doing proper penance.
This view was opposed by a faction of Christians in Rome under the leadership of one Heraclius. It is likely that Heraclius and his supporters sought to compel by force their admittance to divine worship, which was resented by the faithful gathered in Rome about Eusebius. In consequence both Eusebius and Heraclius were exiled by Emperor Maxentius. Eusebius was deported to Sicily, where he died soon after. Miltiades ascended the papal throne, 2 July, 311. The body of his predecessor was brought back to Rome, probably in 311, and was placed in a separate cubiculum of the Catacomb of Callistus. His firm defense of ecclesiastical discipline and the banishment which he suffered therefore caused him to be venerated as a martyr, and in his epitaph Pope Damasus honours Eusebius with this title.
Quote/s of the Day – 17 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart” – Readings: Ps 36:30-31, Ps 36:1, Sir 31:8-11, Luke 12:35-40
Happy the man found without fault, who turns not aside after gain, nor puts his trust in money nor in treasures! Who is he, that we may praise him? For he has done wonders in his life.
Sir 31:8-11
Place your mind before the mirror of eternity! Place your soul in the brilliance of glory! Place your heart in the figure of the divine substance! And transform your whole being into the image of the Godhead itself through contemplation! So that you too may feel what His friends feel as they taste the hidden sweetness which God Himself has reserved from the beginning for those who love Him.
St Clare
For those who cross by the Bridge, being still in the darkness of the body, find light, and, being mortal, find immortal life, tasting, through love, the light of Eternal Truth which promises refreshment to him who wearies himself for Me, who am grateful and just, and render to every man according as he deserves. Wherefore every good deed is rewarded, and every fault is punished. The tongue would not be sufficient to relate the delight felt by him who goes on this road, for, even in this life, he tastes and participates in that good which has been prepared for him in eternal life. He, therefore, is a fool indeed, who despises so great a good, and chooses rather to receive in this life, the earnest money of Hell, walking by the lower road with great toil, and without any refreshment or advantage.
The Dialogue of St Catherine of Siena
Yet they were consoled by seeing that the saint often turned his eyes, as if seeking help, towards a devout image of Mary, for they remembered that he had often said in life, that in the hour of his death, Mary must be his refuge. It finally pleased God to terminate this struggle by a glorious victory, for the agitation of his body ceased, his countenance gained its natural shape and color, and fixing his eyes tranquilly on that image, he devoutly bowed his head to Mary, who, it is believed, then appeared to him, as if to thank her, and quietly breathed forth in her arms his blessed soul, with heavenly peace depicted on his countenance. At the same time a Capuchin nun, in her agony, turned to the religious who were with her and said: “Say an Ave Maria, for a saint has just died.”
St Alphonsus Liguori
Truly beyond the power of words is the sweetness of contemplation You give to those who love You.
Thomas a Kempis
It would be unwise were we to attempt to describe the gratification it will be to the ear to hear the canticles of the Angels, and the soft music of their harps. The nine choirs of Angels will sing the praise of God, and the blessed will join them not only in heart, for they will mingle their voices also in the sweet harmony. Thus the powers of both soul and body will be exercised, and the praises of God will ascend in melodious hymns and celestial songs. For if we mortals are impelled by fervent love and heartfelt joy to lift our voice in song, how much more will the holy Angels and blessed Saints do so, who are all aflame with the love of God, and filled with joy unspeakable. Their hymns of praise will resound without ceasing through the courts of Heaven.
Nuestra Señora de las Gracias de Torcoroma / Our Lady of Graces of Torcoroma, Ocaña, Norte de Santander, Colombia (1711) – 16 August:
The holy apparition took place on 16 August, 1711. At that time, there lived in the Mountains of Torcoroma in the Ocaña region, a peasant family dedicated mainly to the cultivation of cane with which they made sweets. The family consisted of Don Cristóbal Melo, his wife Pascuala Rodríguez and their two children, José and Felipe. According to their contemporaries, the Melo-Rodríguez were people of good morals and a life consecrated to the Christian Faith.
One morning Don Cristóbal sent his children to cut down a tree, that had wood good enough to carve the box or “canoe” with which he made his sweets. The young boys went into the mountain and as they entered the thick of the forest, they marked the oaks that were suitable for their purpose. Until they found one that was a “wonder” and despite the fact that it was summer, it had fragrant red flowers. Such was the perfume that it could be perceived from afar.
Excited about the great find, they proceeded to cut down the tree. Given its complicated location, when cutting its base, the main part fell into a ravine. It was dusk and the boys resolved to return home and discuss the event with their father. The next day they restarted their search for the appropriate tree, but not finding one that suited their purposes, they determined to use the one already felled and went to the place where it had fallen.
They began to carve the “canoe” right there and shortly after taking the first ax blows, a light so intense came out that it reached out and illumined the lush forest. When the father realised what was lying in the middle of the splinters of the trunk, he, without thinking for a second, put his hands where his sons were preparing to take the next blow, stopping them suddenly. The father and his children were astonished when they saw, in the heart of the trunk, the image of the Virgin, with her hands together and placed on her chest, with the action of her face “as if directed to heaven,” shining with a great light and with an intense and aromatic perfume.
The news of the holy apparition quickly spread through the Ocaña region. Upon reaching the ears of the Priest and Vicar of the City, Fr.Diego Gabino Quintero, he asked Cristóbal Melo to present himself with the image of the Virgin. After carefully examining it and having listened to numerous testimonies that affirmed the divinity of the image, the Priest authorised its private worship.
In 1716 Fray Antonio Monroy y Meneses, Bishop of Santa Marta, came on a pastoral visit and after a rigorous analysis of the image that appeared and the testimony of the witnesses, he granted permission for a Chapel to be erected on the site of the appearance and ordered that the image be brought to the city to place it on the Altar of the main Church, today the Cathedral of Santa Ana. The image would rest in the Church for several years while awaiting the Chapel, which was only built in 1882 thanks to the financing of Bogota parishioners. Finally, at the beginning of the 20th century, the image would be definitively transferred to the Sanctuary, where it is visited not only by its faithful but by thousands of pilgrims every year.
St Stephen of Hungary (c 975- 1038) King of Hungary (Optional Memorial) “Apostle of Hungary,” King and Confessor, Marian devotee, Apostle of Charity, Evangeliser and Missionary.
Blessed Angelo Agostini Mazzinghi O.Carm. (1385-1438) was an Italian Priest and a professed member of the Carmelite Order. He was a noted preacher, prior and reformer, teacher of theology and was known for his pious devotion to the Holy Eucharist, the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Carmelite Rule of Life and to the profession of the Gospel.
St Armel of Brittany (Died c 570) Priest, Monk, Missionary, Confessor, Evangeliser, spiritual adviser, Miracle-worker
St Arsacius of Nicomedia St Frambaldo Bl Iacobus Bunzo Gengoro Bl Jean-Baptiste Menestrel Bl John of Saint Martha Bl Laurence Loricatus Bl Magdalena Kiyota Bokusai Bl Maria Gengoro Bl Ralph de la Futaye
St Roch (1295-1327) “Pilgrim,” Confessor, Hermit, Apostle of the Sick, Miracle Worker.
St Serena Bl Simon Kiyota Bokusai Bl Thomas Gengoro St Titus the Deacon St Ugolina of Vercelli (c 1239-c 1300) Anchorite, Recluse — Martyrs of Palestine – 33 saints: Thirty-three Christians martyred in Palestine; they are commemorated in old martyrologies, but the date and exact location have been lost.
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: Bl Amadeu Monje Altés Bl Antonio María Rodríguez Blanco Bl José María Sanchís Mompó Bl Laurentí Basil Matas Bl Plácido García Gilabert
Bl. Simon Kiyota Bokusai and Companions were Japanese converts to the Faith, and martyrs. After having served in the military, the nobleman Simon Kiyota Bokusai (born 1559 in Kiyota) became a catechist, founding a school for this purpose. After learning of the catechetical school, the pagan Japanese emperor ordered him to close it. When in turnherefused to comply with this unjust order, the emperor condemned Simon and his wife Magdalena to be put to death by crucifixion together with another Catholic family living under their roof. The latter family consisted of Thomas Gengoro, his wife Mary, and their young son, JamesBunzo.
Shortly before his execution, Simon confided to a religious in a letter, “I hope that, if my sins offer no obstacle, I may go in a few hours to enjoy eternal happiness. I entreat you to obtain for me perseverance.” The next day, before setting out for the place of their crucifixion in Kokura, Simon, Magdalena, Thomas, Mary, and James all knelt down before a crucifix to prepare themselves. When later the five reached the execution site, they individually prostrated themselves before the respective crosses on which they were to die. Simon and the rest were then crucified upside down soon after sunrise on 16 August, their bodies burned and their ashes scattered.
Nagasaki Martyrs
They were beatified on 7 May 1867 by Pope Pius IX. There is an additional memorial for Blessed Simon Kiyota Bokusai on 10 September as one of the 205 Martyrs of Japan.
O most brave and blessed martyrs! O truly called and chosen unto the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ! Whom whoever magnifies, and honours, and adores, assuredly ought to read these examples for the edification of the Church, not less than the ancient ones, so that new virtues also may testify that one and the same Holy Spirit is always operating even until now, and God the Father Omnipotent, and His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, whose is the glory and infinite power for ever and ever. Amen.
The Feast celebrates the Assumption of the body of the Blessed Virgin Mary into heaven upon her death. According to Pope Benedict XIV, it is a probable opinion, which it is impious to deny, though not an article of faith but has since in 1950 has been raised to a DOGMA of the Faith. The origin of the Feast day is not known but it was celebrated in Palestine before the year 500. It is a holy day of obligation, it’s Vigil being a fast day, in many English-speaking countries.
In 1950, Pope Pius XII proclaimed Mary’s Assumption a Catholic Dogma: “the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory” (Munificentissimus Deus). He did not specify whether she died first – Catholic Doctrine leaves that open. St Epiphanius of Salamis (Cyprus, died 403) had written, “No-one knows how her life ended.” But the Assumption of Mary is a nexus of Catholic faith in God’s power to resurrect the body and unite it with the soul in everlasting life. Among the many masters who have painted the subject of the Assumption are Fra Angelico, Ghirlandaio, Rubens, Del Sarto and Titian.
Patronages – Acadians, Cajuns, Cistercian Order, Cistercians, fish dealers, fish-mongers, French air crews, harness makers, France, Guatemala, India, Jamaica, Malta, Paraguay, Slovakia, east Africa (region of east Africa which includes diverse countries, proclaimed on 15 March 1952 by Pope Pius XII) South Africa. The Assumption is, therefore, the Patronal Feast of the Country of South Africa – proclaimed on 15 March 1952 by Pope Pius XII), 24 dioceses, 38 cities.
Blessed Alfred of Hildesheim OSB (Died 874) Bishop, Benedictine Monk, Confessor, Founder of Essen Abbey, Hildesheim Cathedral, many Convents, Schools and Seminaries, Royal Spiritual Adviser to the East Frankish King Louis the German, Diplomatic Peacemaker, he was known for his great devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Bl Agustín Hurtado Soler St Arduinus of Rimini Bl Claudio Granzotto Bl George Halley
St Simplician (c 320-c 401) Archbishop of Milan and Successor of St Ambrose (340-397) Doctor of the Church in the Archdiocese of Milan, Teacher, Catechist, Writer, Mystic. St Ambrose used to call Simplician father, as a sign of spiritual relationship but they were also great friends. Simplician took also an active part in the conversions of both Alypius of Thagaste and Augustine of Hippo. The meeting between Augustine and Simplican occurred in Milan in 386 and it is recorded in Augustine’s Confessions. After his conversion, Augustine also called Simplician father and in 397 he dedicated to Simplician two books on the issue of predestination, known as De Diversis Quaestionibus ad Simplicianum. St Augustine, remembered and referred to him with deep gratitude, calling him the “spiritual father of my soul” and would submit his own writings to him to review and comment.
St Stanislaus Kostka SJ (1550-1568) Polish Jesuit Novice. On the evening of the Feast of Saint Lawrence (10 August), Stanislaus felt a mortal weakness, magnified by a high fever and clearly saw, that his last hour had come. He wrote a letter to the Blessed Virgin begging her to call him to the skies, there to celebrate with her, the glorious Anniversary of her Assumption (15 August). His confidence in the Blessed Virgin, which had already brought him many favours, was this time again rewarded – on 15 August 1568, towards 4:00 in the morning, while he prayed to God, to the Saints and to the Virgin Mary, he died. Many in the City proclaimed him a saint and people hastened from all parts to venerate his remains and to obtain, if possible, a relic. St Stanislaus was Beatified on 19 October 1605 by Pope Paul V and Canonised on 31 December 1726 by Pope Benedict XIII.
St Tarcisius (3rd century) Martyr of the Eucharist – Patronages – altar servers, first communicants.
Martyrs of Nicomedia – 3 saints: Three Christians martyred together. No details survive but the names – Eutychian, Philip and Straton. They were martyred in Nicomedia, Bithynia (in modern Turkey).
Martyred in the Mexican Revolution: 4 Saints – St David Roldán Lara St Luis Batiz Sainz St Manuel Moralez St Salvador Lara Puente
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: Thousands of people were murdered in the anti-Catholic persecutions of the Spanish Civil War from 1934 to 1939. • Blessed Agustì Ibarra Angüela • Blessed Carmelo Sastre y Sastre • Blessed Clemente Vea Balaguer • Blessed Francisco Míguez Fernández • Blessed Ildefonso Alberto Flos • Blessed Jaume Bonet Nadal • Blessed Joan Ceró Cedó • Blessed Josep Santonja Pinsach • Blessed Juan Francisco Barahona Martín • Blessed Juan Mesonero Huerta • Blessed Luis Ros Ezcurra • Blessed Manuel Formigo Giráldez • Blessed Miguel Alberto Flos • Blessed Sebastià Balcells Tonijuan • Blessed Severiano Montes Fernández
Quote/s of the Day – 15 August – Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven
And now death came, not indeed clothed in mourning and sadness, as it comes to others, but adorned with light and joy. But why death, why death? Rather should we say that divine love came to cut the thread of that noble life. And as a lamp before going out, her life, amid these last flickerings, flashed forth more brightly, and then expired. Thus, this beautiful soul, her Son inviting her to follow him, wrapped in the flame of her charity and in the midst of her amorous sighs, breathed forth a greater sigh of love, expired and died and thus that great soul, that beautiful dove of our Lord, was released from the bonds of this life, and entered into the glory of the blessed, where she sits, and will sit, as queen of paradise, for all eternity.
St Alphonsus Liguori
“How can death devour this truly blessed woman, who gave birth to the Whole Person of the Word of God, through union with God? How can hell receive her? When Christ, who is the way and the truth, said “Where I am, there will my servant be also, .” why would there not be a dwelling for His own Mother with Him, with an even greater justification? It is well said, that precious in the sight of the Lord God of Hosts, is the death of his saints – but even more precious, is the passing of the Mother of God from this life..”
St John Damascene
“As the most glorious Mother of Christ, our Saviour and our God and the giver of life and immortality, has been endowed with life by Him, she has received an eternal incorruptibility of the body together with Him who has raised her up from the tomb and has taken her up to Himself in a way known only to Him.”
St Modestus of Jerusalem
“And with regard to ourselves, how deservedly do we keep the Feast of the Assumption with all solemnity. What reasons for rejoicing, what motives for exultation have we on this most beautiful day! The presence of Mary illumines the entire world so that even the holy city above has now a more dazzling splendour from the light of this virginal Lamp. With good reason, thanksgiving and the voice of praise, resound today throughout the courts of Heaven… let us not complain, for here we do not have a lasting city but we seek one that is to come, the same which the blessed Mary entered today.”
St Bernard of Clairvaux
Now Mary has left the earth, now she is in heaven. From thence this kind mother looks down upon us, who are still in this valley of tears, compassionates us, and promises us her support if we wish for it. Let us pray her always that by the merits of her blessed death she may obtain for us a happy death; and if it please God, that she may obtain for us to die on a Saturday, which is dedicated to her honor, or on a day of the Novena, or of the octave of some of her feasts, as she has obtained for so many of her servants, and especially for St. Stanislas Kostka, for whom she obtained to die on the day of her glorious Assumption.
St Marcellus of Apamea, bishop and martyr. Marcellus was born in Cyprus and martyred in Syria in the year 389. Having been raised strongly in the Faith by an illustrious Cypriot family, and after the reception of a great education, Saint Marcellus became a high ranking civil magistrate noted for his possessing all the virtues. In the year 375, when his wife died and his children were provided for, he left the island and devoted himself to a monastic life in Syria. Whilst there the people of Apamea chose him as their bishop. As bishop, he worked with evangelical fervor to bring pagans to Christ.
Saint Marcellus received permission from the emperor Theodosius the Great to destroy a temple of Jupiter at Apamea, but the demon inhabiting it resisted all attempts to demolish its lair. Saint Marcellus blessed some water and commanded that this be sprinkled around the wood used as leverage to undermine the great stone columns of the temple. After this, the wood burned fast, the columns fell down and the whole pagan temple collapsed in upon itself.
The Temple of Jupiter on the Capitolium
When the Roman soldiers sent to assist him, demolished another pagan temple, the saint was seized by furious pagans and thrown into a fire, where he died.
The Vigil of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary – 14 August:
Mention is made of this vigil, with fasting, by Pope Nicolas I, who was the Pope in the year 858. It is recorded that on this day, Angels were heard, near the City of Soissons, singing this anthem:
“Felix namque es, sacra Virgo Maria, et omni laude dignissima, quia ex te ortus est Sol justitiae, Christus Deus noster.”
Vigils were kept on the evening before each feast day from the earliest days of the Church. On that evening all of the faithful would gather together to prepare themselves for the feast they were about to celebrate. This might also include listening to readings from the Scriptures and a sermon on the topic by a Priest. Mass would then be celebrated on the feast day and the fast would be broken. It is said that both Saint Augustine and Saint Jerome practiced and fully supported, the idea of the vigil. The Vigil of the Assumption would have been one of the Church’s most important vigils.
“Of the glory and felicity of the Saints in the beatific vision Saint Paul says with Isaias (I Cor. 2,9; Is. 64, 4), that neither have mortal eyes seen, nor ears heard, nor can it enter into the heart of man what God has prepared for those who love Him and who hope in Him. In accordance with this Catholic truth, we should not wonder at what is related of Saint Augustine, the great light of the Church, that, in setting out to write a book on the glory of the blessed, he was visited by his friend, Saint Jerome, who had just died and entered into the glory of the Lord and was admonished by his visitor, that he would not be able to compass his design; since no tongue or pen of man could describe the least part of the blessings enjoyed by the Saints in the Beatific Vision. Such is the testimony of Saint Jerome; and if through holy Scriptures we had no other information than that this glory is eternal, it would be beyond all our comprehension. For, however much of our intellect may expand, it will never comprehend eternity and ,as this is infinite and boundless, it is inexhaustible and incomprehensible, how much soever it may be known and loved. Just as God, the Infinite and the Almighty, created all things, without being thereby exhausted and even if He had created endless worlds ever anew, would remain still infinite and immutable; so also, although seen and enjoyed by countless Saints, He will remain an infinite source of new knowledge and love; for in creation and in glory, all creatures participate in Him only to a limited extent, each according to its condition, while He, in Himself, is without limitation or end.
If on this account the glory even of the least of the Saints is ineffable, what shall we say of the glory of the most Blessed Mary, since among the Saints she is the most holy and she by Herself is more like to her Son than all the Saints together, and since her grace and glory, exceed those of all the rest, as those of an Empress or Sovereign over her vassals?” – From the writings of Abbot Giovanni Battista Orsini (c 1450-1503) (the 39th Grand Master of the Order of the Knights Hospitaller from 1467 to 1476).
St Athanasia of Timia St Callistus of Todi St Demetrius of Africa St Domingo Ibáñez de Erquicia St Eberhard of Einsiedeln St Eusebius of Palestine
St Eusebius of Rome (Died 357) Priest, Confessor. “At Rome, the birthday of the blessed Priest Eusebius, who for the defence of the Catholic Faith, was shut up in a room of his own house by the Arian Emperor, Constantius, where constantly persevering in prayer for seven months, he rested in peace. His body was removed by the Priests, Gregory and Orosius and buried in the cemetery of Cllistus on the Appian Way.” – Roman Martyrology.
Such then are the trees to be found in the first’and the second gardens of Eden. Are any flowers to be found there? Sacred Scripture does not mention the presence of any blossoms in the first garden; yet who can doubt that a garden of delight must have contained flowers in great abundance? It is certain, however, that the garden of Jesus is filled with heavenly flowers, the most beautiful and sweet-scented imaginable. The Heart of Christ’s Mother is a celestial flower-bed dotted with the holy blossoms of all Christian virtues, immortal flowers, which never fade, whose ravishing beauty and delightful fragrance remain in every season. They fill the universe with their sweet perfume and give joy to the Angels, yea, even, to God Himself. They are at once flowers and fruits, for the Holy Ghost inspires the words: “My flowers are the fruit of honour and riches.”
The Eternal King adorns His garden with these flowers, and by means of their divine fragrance attracts innumerable hearts to Himself. He eats of these fruits, which are among the choicest viands of His heavenly table, and gives them as nourishment to His children. He assures us, moreover, that He takes His rest and refreshment in the works of mercy which are among the first flowers of His garden: “This is my rest, refresh the weary, and this is my refreshing.” So also does He feast with delight on the other acts of virtue which proceed from devoted hearts, and especially from the perfect Heart of His glorious Mother. With them He nourishes and strengthens the souls of His children.
This is what God meant when He said that He came into His garden, ate His honey and drank His wine with milk, and then invited His friends and children o eat, drink and be inebriated with Him. Among the flowers in Mary’s Garden for her divine Spouse, St. Bernard admires especially the perfume of violets, the whiteness of lilies and brilliant color of the roses. Here are his words: “Thou art an enclosed garden, O Mother of God, wherein we cull all kinds of flowers. Among them, we gaze with particular admiration on thy violets, thy lilies and thy roses, which fill the House of God with their sweet fragrance. Thou art, O Mary, a violet of humility, a lily of chastity, and a rose of charity.” We may add: “Thou art, O Mary, a carnation of mercy, a double carnation,-because thy wondrous Heart is filled with mercy and compassion, not only for our corporal infirmities, but still more for our spiritual misery, which is infinitely more painful and complex than our bodily ills can ever be. O Mother of Mercy, have pity on all who are miserable, and especially on those who remain unaware of their own misery.”
And now I go on to another object to be envisioned in the earthly paradise. In the second chapter of Genesis, we read that God brought to the first man the animals and the birds He had created that Adam might give them suitable names, as a sign of his dominion over them and of their dependence on him. We may now ask if any qualities of the Heart of the Queen of Heaven can have been symbolized by such humble things as animals and birds? Yes, and this should not surprise you, since her Son, Who is God Himself, willed to be represented by oxen, sheep, lambs, and several other beasts which, under the Old Law, were sacrificed to God.
What, then, is represented by the animals and birds subjected by God to the dominion of Adam in Paradise? They represent the natural passions that have their seat in the corporal and physical heart of man. These passions are of two kinds, that is, the more earthly and animal instincts, such as anger, hatred, fear, sadness, aversion, distrust, which are represented by the animals, and the more spiritual emotions, such as love, desire, hope, courage and joy typified by the birds.
All these passions existed as we have seen, in the Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Just as they are found in the hearts of all children of Adam, but she enjoyed the great privilege that in her Heart they were completely subject to reason, just as the savage beasts were under the complete con-trol of Adam in the earthly paradise. The spirit of Christ, the new man, reigned so perfectly in Mary’s Heart and so absolutely ruled her passions, that they never experienced any motivation contrary to the will of God. She never employed them except under the guidance of God’s Holy Spirit and for the glory of His Divine Majesty. She never loved anything besides God; she never desired anything except to please Him; she feared nothing save to displease Him. All the difficult tasks she undertook were accomplished in His service and for His glory, the sole cause of her joy, even as the offence and dishonor afforded Him by sin were the only motives of her hatred, her aversion, and her anger. So truly were her natural passions uplifted and almost annihilated towards the world and all worldly objects and concerns, even with regard to herself and her own interests, that her emotions existed and vibrated only for what was pleasing to Him who possessed, animated and directed them in all thoughts. From this we learn that the Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary was truly the Earthly Paradise, in which there was no war, trouble or disorder of any kind, but peace, tranquility and marvellous order, combined with ceaseless praise and adoration of the God who had established His throne in this Paradise.
Now let us study the gardeners. In the first terrestrial paradise, Adam was appointed “to dress it, and to keep it,” but instead of cherishing his beautiful garden, he sold it to his arch-enemy the serpent, for a mere taste of the forbidden fruit. Instead of cultivating the Garden of Eden, Adam brought sin into it, filling it with thorns and thistles. What an unfaithful guardian! What a wicked gardener!
But in the second Paradise, the enclosed garden of the Heart of Mary, the gardener is Wisdom, eternal, watchful and faithful, and the three assistant gardeners are Love, which digs and prepares the soil to receive the seed of heavenly inspiration, Grace which sows the seed, and Patience that cultivates it to fruition by perseverance. Thus the flowers of Mary’s heart grow ever more beautiful, more admirable to us and more delightful to God, while the fruits of her garden multiply a hundred thousandfold.
In the first garden, God pronounced sentence upon the serpent: “The woman shall crush thy head and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel.” In the garden of Mary’s heart, this pronouncement was fulfilled. Her Immaculate Conception crushed original sin, her sanctity routed the powers of evil, and her love obtained the commutation of our death sentence, bringing us the Saviour of the world.
Man, having rebelled against God in the first paradise, was driven from that garden and banished forever with all his posterity, and at the gate was placed an angel with a flaming sword in his hand to prevent the children of Adam from re-entering the Garden of Eden. From this we learn that to enter and share the second paradise, namely the pure heart of the Mother of the new Adam, we must cease to be sons of Adam and become children of Jesus Christ, that is, our old life must die. This death seems fearful; the sword of the cherubim is terrifying; yet actually it is a sword of love, which wounds, or even slays the blessed, in order to heal their souls and make them live the life of God. “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints” ” says Sacred Scripture, meaning the death that is not death but the beginning of eternal life.
Now that I have shown you, dear reader, the admirable Heart of Mary as the garden of delectation of the God-Man, I would warn you that your own heart must be one of two things, either a hell of torment for yourself, or a paradise of delights for you and for Jesus Christ. If you banish sin and self-love from the garden of your heart, opening wide the door to grace and to the King of Virtue, He will enter in and find repose in that place. If you drive away grace and mortification, letting sin grow in your garden, then the demons will enter and make it their abode, a veritable hell instead of paradise. But if you strive to imitate Mary, your Queen, tending your heart with wisdom, love, grace and patience, God will not refuse you the full measure of His gifts so that you may cultivate your garden fruitfully, and make it, like Mary’s, a paradise of delight for your Lord and Saviour, as well as a place of refreshment, deep sweetness and peace for yourself.
One Minute Reflection – 13 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – Readings: Ps 67:6 67:7 67:36, Ps 67:2, 1 Cor. 15:1-10, Mark 7:31-37
And last of all, as by one born out of due time, He was seen also by me. For I am the least of the Apostles, and am not worthy to be called an Apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace in me has not been fruitless.
1 Cor. 15:1-10
REFLECTION – The sun’s light as seen by our bodily eyes proclaims the spiritual sun, the “Sun of Justice”. This was truly the gentlest of suns to have arisen on those who, at that time, had the happiness of being his disciples and of seeing him with their own eyes while he was sharing man’s life as though he were an ordinary man. And yet, by nature, he was also truly God, which was why he was capable of restoring sight to the blind, of making the lame to walk and the deaf to hear; he cleansed lepers and, with a word, brought back the dead to life.
And now, too, there is truly nothing sweeter that to fix our spiritual eyes on him so as to contemplate and picture to ourselves his inexpressible, divine beauty. There is nothing sweeter than to be enlightened and made beautiful by this participation and communion in the light, to have one’s heart softened, one’s soul sanctified, and to be filled with a holy joy all the days of this present life. Truly, this Sun of justice is, for those who gaze at it, the transmitter of joy according to the prophecy of David: “The just rejoice and exult before God; they are glad and rejoice!” And again: “Exult you just in the Lord; praise from the upright is fitting!
Saint Gregory of Agrigente (Commentary on Ecclesiastes )
PRAYER – Almighty Father, let Your light so penetrate our hearts and minds, that walking by Your commandments, we may always follow You, our teacher and our guide. Grant that the prayers of St Radegunde may continue to strengthen us. Through Jesus our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.
St Anastasius the Monk St Anastasius the Priest St Benildus St Cassian of Imola St Cassian of Todi St Concordia St Conn O’Rourke Bl Gertrude of Altenberg St Helen of Burgos St Herulph of Langres Bl Jakob Gapp Bl John of Alvernia
St John Berchmans SJ (1599-1621) Jesuit Novice – born Jan Berchmans on 13 March 1599 at Driest, Brabant, Belgium and died on 13 August 1621 at Rome, Italy of natural causes. Patronages – Altar Servers, Jesuit novices and students. He had a special devotion to God’s Mother and to him is owed the Little Rosary of the Immaculate Conception.
St Junian of Mairé St Ludolph
Blessed Marco d’Aviano/Mark of Aviano OFM Cap (1631-1699) Franciscan Capuchin Friar, Priest, Preacher, Spiritual Advisor, Political Advisor, Peace-maker, Miracle worker and the inventor of Cappuccino (Coffee).
St Maximus the Confessor (c 580-662) Father of the Church, Monk, Abbot, Theologian, Confessor, Scholar, Writer. Also known as St Maximus of Constantinople and St Maximus the Theologian. St Maximus, a man of fearless courage in witnessing to – “confessing” – even while suffering, the integrity of his faith in Jesus Christ, true God and true man, Saviour of the world and of His Holy Catholic Church.
St Nerses Glaietsi St Patrick O’Healy Bl Pierre Gabilhaud St Radegunde (c 518-587) Queen, Nun, Abbess St Wigbert of Fritzlar Bl William Freeman — Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: • Blessed Francesc Castells Areny • Blessed Inocencio García Díez • Blessed José Bonet Nadal • Blessed José Boher y Foix • Blessed José Juan Perot y Juanmarti • Blessed Jose Tàpies y Sirvant • Blessed Josep Alsina Casas • Blessed Luciano Hernández Ramírez • Blessed Maria de Puiggraciós Badia Flaquer • Blessed Mateo Despóns Tena • Blessed Modesto García Martí • Blessed Pascual Araguàs y Guàrdia • Blessed Pedro Martret y Molet • Blessed Silvestre Arnau y Pascuet
Quote/s of the Day – 13 August – The Memorial of St Maximus the Confessor (c 580-662) Father of the Church
“Food is not evil – but gluttony is. Childbearing is not evil – but fornication is. Money is not evil – but avarice is. Glory is not evil – but vainglory is. Indeed, there is no evil in existing things – but only in their misuse!”
“To harbour no envy, no anger, no resentment against an offender, is still not to have charity for him. It is possible, without any charity, to avoid rendering evil for evil. But, to render, spontaneously, good for evil – such belongs to a perfect spiritual love.”
“In conformity with the philosophy of Christ, let us make of our life, a training for death.”
“For indeed, what is more dire than the evils which today afflict the world? … What is more terrible for the discerning than the unfolding events? What is more pitiable and frightening for those who endure them? To see a barbarous people of the desert overrunning another’s lands as though they were their own, to see civilisation itself, being ravaged by wild and untamed beasts whose form alone is human.”
“All the ends of the inhabited world … look directly to the most holy Church of the Romans and her confession and faith as to a sun of eternal light, receiving from her, the radiant beam of the patristic and holy doctrines.”
“Since He causes the darkness of ignorance and the evil of men to vanish, my Saviour and my God is called a lamp in Scripture. And since He is the only one able to obliterate the darkness of ignorance and disperse the shadows of sin, He has become the way of salvation for all … The lampstand is holy Church because the Word of God shines out through her preaching. This is how the beams of its truth can enlighten the whole world…”
Madonna del Bosco / Our Lady of the Woods, Montemilone, Potenza, Basilicata, Italy(13th Century) – 12 August:
The shrine of the Glorious Virgin was built on the slopes of a hill, about 400 meters above sea level, at the behest of the Basilian Monks, who preferred to raise their convents and shrines on the banks of rivers or on the mountain ranges, with the intention to raise, more and more, the spirit to Heaven. The site is located about 3 kilometers from the Town centre. the church was built on the design of the brothers Luigi and Ruggiero Sarolo , sculptors of Muro Lucano, which began construction in 1187 and finished in 1189 . The sanctuary, to see it from a distance, has something magical with its stand on the slope of the hill.
The statue, which was recently restored, is roughly made but expressive and full of solemn majesty. The Virgin seated on a throne in the chest holds the Divine Child. The peculiar characteristics of the statue and , particularly , the crowns of the Virgin and Child, recall those of the French art of the post- Carolingian period but the clothes and painted decorations are purely Byzantine and Byzantine unmistakably is the posture of the blessing hand of the Child – the two fingers, the index and middle fingers open and the other closed.
St Jeanne de Chantal/Jane Frances de Chantal (1572-1641) Mother, Widow, Foundress of the Congregation of the Visitation with the assistance and guidance of St Francis de Sales, whose great friend and collaborator she was. St Vincent de Paul served as her spiritual director after St Francis de Sales’ death. Her favourite devotions were the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. St Jane was buried in the Annecy Convent next to St Francis de Sales. Canonised on 16 July 1767 by Pope Clement XIII .(Optional Memorial)
Blessed Pope Innocent XI (1611-1689) Lawyer, Apostle of Charity, Reformer, Administrator. He is known in Budapest as the “Saviour of Hungary” and “Father of the Poor”
St Jambert of Canterbury St Julian of Syria
St Macarius of Syria St Merewenna St Micae Nguyen Huy My St Murtagh of Killala St Photinus of Marmora
St Pedro del Barco (1088-1155) Hermit, Penitent, Canon, Apostle of the needy, he is regarded as the father of the agricultural industry in Avila, Spain.
St Porcarius of Lerins St Simplicio of Vercelli St Ust — Martyrs of Augsburg – 4 saints: The mother, Hilaria, and three friends of of Saint Afra of Augsburg. While visiting the tomb of Saint Afra who were seized by the authorities and martyred when they visited Afra’s tomb – Digna, Eunomia, Euprepia and Hilaria. They were burned alive c 304.
Martyrs of Rome – 5 saints: A group of Christians martyred together in the persecutions of Diocletian. We know little more than their names – Crescentian, Juliana, Largio, Nimmia and Quiriacus. • c.304 in Rome, Italy • buried on the Ostian Way outside Rome.
Saint Jaenbert (Jaenberht, Janbriht, Janibert, Jambert, Lambert, Lanbriht, Genegberht) Jænberht was a medieval monk, and later the abbot, of St Augustine’s Abbey, Canterbury. He came from a prominent family in the kingdom of Kent, and a kinsman of his, Eadhun, was an official of King Egbert II of Kent. In 760 he was elected Abbot of St. Augustine’s, Canterbury, and blessed by Archbishop Bregwin. When the archbishop died he was buried at Christ Church, and Jaenbert asserted the rights of his own abbey as the traditional burying-place with such vigour that the monks of Christ Church elected him archbishop to avoid his appeal to Rome, thus showing the great strength of his personality and will.
Canterbury Cathedral seen from St Augustine’s Abbey
As archbishop, he had a difficult relationship with King Offa of Mercia, who at one point confiscated lands from the archbishopric. By 787, some of the bishoprics under Canterbury’s supervision were transferred to the control of the newly created Archbishopric of Lichfield. Jænberht also presided over church councils in England and minted silver coins, thus making him the earliest Archbishop of Canterbury whose coinage has been preserved. The saint was renowned for his wisdom and sound judgment. He was sought after by both clergy and laity for his advice and guidance on matters of faith and morals. Jambert was the thirteenth prelate of the primal see of England and was noted for his patronage of monasteries and the poor.
St Augustine’s Abbey
He died on 12 August, 792, of natural causes, and was buried in the abbey church of St Augustine’s Abbey in Canterbury.
Our Lady’s Veil was given by the Byzantine Empress Irene as a gift to the Emperor Charlemagne. In 876, Charles the Bald, Charlemagne’s grandson, donated the unfathomably precious relic to Chartres, where it remains. One of the many miracles which it has performed, is the saving of Chartres from pagan Viking invaders. Rollo, the Norsemen’s chieftain, besieged the city, but when the bishop of Chartres processed with Our Lady’s veil around the city walls, the Christian army rallied and launched a ferocious counter attack, while the Vikings suddenly lost courage and fled in terror.
Later that same year, Rollo was baptised and granted Normandy as his fiefdom. The time of the Vikings was almost over.
Our Lady’s Veil at Chartres CathedralRollo’s grave within Rouen Cathedral
St Cassian of Benevento St Chromatius the Prefect St Digna of Todi St Equitius of Valeria
St Géry/Gaugericus of Cambrai (c 550 – 626), Bishop of Cambrai, France, Founder of Monasteries, Churches and of St Géry Island off Belgium, Géry devoted himself to the fight against paganism, Miracle-worker.
Bl Jean-Georges Rehm Bl John Sandys St Lelia St Rusicola of Arles St Rufinus of Marsi Bl Theobald of England and Companion St Taurinus of Evreux Bl William Lampley
Saint AgrestiusChromatius the Prefect, martyr and father of Saint Tiburtius. Saint Chromatius was vicar to the city prefect of Rome under Emperor Diocletian. He had an ornate palace in the Parione district. Before becoming Christian, he condemned several martyrs to death during the reign of Emperor Carinus. He was later converted to Christianity by Saint Tranquillinus and baptized by Saint Polycarp. The occasion by which he received such a great grace was Saint Tranquillinus’ testifying to being cured of gout during baptism. Chromatius likewise suffered terribly from gout, so he sent for Polycarp, who baptized him, and he was also healed.
After becoming Christian, he released the Christian prisoners and freed his slaves. He then retired and was succeeded by Fabianus. Chromatius lived quietly on his country estate for many years, welcoming other Christians into his home to protect them from persecution.
Saint Chromatius’ son, Saint Tiburtius, took shelter in his father’s house during the persecution of Diocletian, but was later by an apostate, tortured and beheaded. Chromatius is said to have also been martyred, probably at the same time. However, no details of his martyrdom remain. According to Butler’s Lives of the Saints, Chromatius was mentioned in several ancient martyrologies alongside his son Tiburtius.
Virgen de la Peña / Our Lady of the Crag, Bogotà, Colombia (1685 )– 10 August:
On 10 August 1685, Bernardino Rodríguez de León“saw a great and unusual radiance that was not the natural light of day” in the peaks east of Bogotá. On drawing near, he realised the light was coming from an image of an Angel, the Virgin and Child and St Joseph, outlined in the living rock.
News of the discovery soon spread throughout the capital and after an investigation, the Archbishop authorised the construction of a chapel on the mountainside and public veneration on the Sunday before Ash Wednesday of 1686. The thatched chapel collapsed in 1714 and a sturdier stone building took its place. Mysteriously, people began to see Our Lady’s face change expression – sad, tearful, joyous. On 8 May 1716, the left wall of the chapel collapsed to its foundation, after only 150 days. It was decided to move the images from the mountain. In early June, stonemason Luis de Herrera began separating the images from the underlying rock. Legend relates that when he finished, a bird flew out. The images were cleaned, polished and touched up to make the figures and clothing more distinct. They still weighed 750 pounds. In November, men carried them on their shoulders to the plain, where they were greeted with rejoicing and dancing. Another straw shelter protected the statues until completion of a new chapel in 1722. Now a national monument, Our Lady of the Crag is still a very active church and an Archdiocesan Sanctuary.
St Lawrence (Died 258) Martyr (Feast) “Keeper of the Treasures of he Church,” Martyr, Archdeacon. St Lawrence was one of the seven Deacons of the City of Rome under Pope St Sixtus II, who were martyred in the persecution of the Christians by decree of the Roman Emperor Valerian.
St Agathonica of Carthage St Agilberta of Jouarre
Blessed Amadeus of Portugal OFM (1420–1482) Friar of the Order of Friars Minor, Reformer, Miracle-Worker and Confessor
Bl Claude-Joseph Jouffret de Bonnefont St Deusdedit the Cobbler Bl Edward Grzymala Bl Franciszek Drzewiecki Bl Francois François St Gerontius Bl Hugh of Montaigu Bl Lazare Tiersot St Paula of Carthage St Thiento of Wessobrunn — Martyrs of Alexandria – 260+ saints: A large number of Christians who died in Alexandria, Egypt between 260 and 267 in the persecutions of Decius and Valerian, whose names have not come down to us and who are commemorated together.
Martyrs of Rome – 165 saints: Group of 165 Christians martyred in the persecutions of Aurelian. 274 in Rome, Italy.
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: • Blessed Antonio González Penín • Blessed José Toledo Pellicer • Blessed José Xavier Gorosterratzu Jaunarena • Blessed Juan Martorell Soria • Blessed Pedro Mesonero Rodríguez • Blessed Victoriano Calvo Lozano
Blessed Augustine Ota, a martyr of Japan and a native Japanese. He was born in 1572 in Ojika, Goto-retto, Nagasaki, and grew up Buddhist. Jesuits converted and baptised him in 1585. After his wife died, he devoted all his time to spreading Christianity and evangelising his countrymen. Because of his knowledge of Buddhism, he was especially valuable to the Jesuit missionaries.
The mass killing at Nagasaki in 1622
Despite the persecution Christians were facing, Augustine joined Father Camillus Costanzo and served as his catechist on visits to the islands of the western shore of Japan and to some of the mainland. They were betrayed by a Japanese man who feigned interest in hearing Father Costanzo. After finding out the secret whereabouts of the priest, the man passed the information to the police who tracked him and Augustine down on the island of Uku and arrested them.
Knowing he would be executed, Augustine wrote to the Jesuit provincial in Japan, requesting for admission into the Society. An affirmative answer arrived, and Father Costanzo accepted Augustine as a novice. The day before his death Augustine pronounced the three vows. He was beheaded on August 10, 1622 and his body thrown into the sea.
The Church venerated him on February 26, 1866, through a decree of martyrdom issued by Pope Pius IX. The Pope then beatified him on May 7, 1867.
When they came within sight of Hilarianus, by gesture and nod, they began to say to Hilarianus, You judge us, say they, but God will judge you. At this the people, exasperated, demanded that they should be tormented with scourges as they passed along the rank of the venatores. And they indeed rejoiced that they should have incurred any one of their Lord’s passions.
Saint Numidicus was a seminarian and martyr, and one of a group of Christians persecuted in the persecutions of Decius. The persecutions of Emperor Decius in the year 251 were fierce. Some of the clergy lapsed, others fled; Saint Cyprian of Carthage encouraged the confessors and wrote eloquent panegyrics on the martyrs. On the arrival of the proconsul in April the severity of the persecution increased. Women and children were tortured. Numidicus, who had encouraged many, saw his wife burnt alive. Arrested, he was brought before the authorities and sentenced to be burnt at the stake.
Roman Carthage
Just before his death, Numidicus was miraculously saved by Saint Cyprian. As he was about to be burnt, Cyprian, who was hiding nearby, intervened and dragged him from the flames. Cyprian, who would himself die a martyr in their shared city, recognised the sanctity of Numidicus, and immediately ordained him a priest, ensuring that he died as a clergyman.
These doings of his were such, and so great, and so admirable, that I am deterred by the contemplation of their greatness, and confess myself incompetent to discourse in a way that shall be worthy of the honour of his deserts, and unable to relate such noble deeds in such a way that they may appear as great as in fact they are, except that the multitude of his glories is itself sufficient for itself, and needs no other heraldry.
There is no image or other information on this image, but it is connected with Blessed Marie of Oignies and the Treasure of Oignies, which consists of thirty reliquaries, crosses, and other precious items dating from the 13th century. Oegnies, also spelled Oignies and known as Ongniacume in ancient times, is a village located in the north of France. It is thought to be the birthplace of Mary of Oegnies, who visited the holy image of Our Lady of Oegnies once every year, even walking barefoot to the shrine during the severe rigors of winter.
Bl John Talbot St Marcellian of Civitavecchia St Maurilio of Rouen (c.1000–1067) Bishop Bl Michal Tomaszek St Nathy St Numidicus of Carthage St Phelim Bl Richard Bere St Romanus Ostiarius St Rusticus of Sirmium St Rusticus of Verona St Secundian of Civitavecchia St Stephen of Burgos Bl Thomas Palaser St Verian of Civitavecchia Bl Zbigniew Adam Strzalkowski — Martyrs of Civitavecchia: Three Christians martyred together in the persecutions of Decius. We know little more than the names – Marcellian, Secundian and Verian. 250 near Civitavecchia, Italy.
Martyrs of Constantinople: 10 saints: A group of ten Christians who were arrested, tortured and executed for defending an icon of Christ in defiance of orders from Emperor Leo the Isaurian. We know the names of three, but nothing else about them – Julian, Marcian and Mary. They were beheaded in Constantinople.
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: Bl Antonio Mateo Salamero Bl Faustino Oteiza Segura Bl Florentín Felipe Naya Bl Florentino Asensio Barroso Bl Francisco López-Gasco Fernández-Largo Bl Guillermo Plaza Hernández Bl Joan Vallés Anguera Bl José María Garrigues Hernández Bl Josep Figuera Rey Bl Josep Maria Aragones Mateu Bl Julián Pozo Ruiz de Samaniego Bl Mateo Molinos Coloma Bl Narcís Sitjà Basté
Quote/s of the Day – 9 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart” – The Memorial of St John Marie Baptiste Vianney (1786-1859) – Readings: Ps 111:9, Ps 111:1, Ecclus 51:1-8, 12, Matt 16:24-27
Voltaire, realising that he was ill, began to reflect upon the state of the sinner who dies with his conscience loaded with sins. He wished to examine his conscience and to see whether God would be willing to pardon him all the sins of his life, which were very great in number. He counted upon the mercy of God, which is infinite, and with this comforting thought in mind, he had brought to him one of those priests whom he had so greatly outraged and calumniated in his writings. He threw himself upon his knees and made a declaration to him of his sins and put into his hands the recantation of all his impieties and his scandals. He began to flatter himself on having achieved the great work of his reconciliation. But he was gravely mistaken. God had abandoned him; you will see how. Death anticipated all spiritual help. Alas! This unfortunate blasphemer felt all his terrors reborn in him. He cried out: “Alas, am I then abandoned by God and men?” Yes, unhappy man, you are. Already your lot and your hope are in Hell. Almost a century of blasphemy and impiety had exhausted the patience of God, Who had already rejected him. He was no more than a victim which the wrath of God fattens for the eternal flames. The priests whom he had so derided but whom, in this moment he so desired, were not there.
But, you will tell me, we cannot be always following them around. We have other things to do. As to that, my dear brethren, I will say nothing. All I know is that you will answer for their souls as much as for your own. But we do all we can. I do not know whether you do all you can, but this much I do know: if your children incur damnation at home with you, you, too, will be damned. That much I know, and nothing else.You may go on saying “No” to that, saying that I go too far. You will agree with it if you have not entirely lost your faith. That alone should suffice to cast you into a state of despair from which you could not emerge. But I know well that you will not take another step to fulfil any better your duties to your children. You are not at all disturbed, and you are almost right, for you will have plenty of time to torment yourselves during all eternity.
We will wait until the Judgment, and you will be obliged to recognise what you do not wish to recognise today.
Tell me, unhappy people, would it not be better for you to take your places among the savage beasts? Where is your religion, then, and your anxiety to do your duty? Alas! As far as religion is concerned, you have none. As for your duties, have you ever known what they were? That you have not, you give proof every day. Ah, poor children, how unfortunate you are to belong to such parents!
Go away, you wretched sinners, and watch a little more carefully over your children.
I tell you: 1. That as soon as a woman is pregnant, she should say some prayers or give some alms. Better still, if she can do so, she should have a Mass said to ask the Blessed Virgin to take her under her protection, so that she may obtain from God the blessing that this little child may not die without having received holy Baptism. If a mother truly had the religious spirit, she would say to herself: “Ah! If I could only be sure of seeing this little child becoming a saint, of seeing him for all eternity by my side, singing the praises of God! What a joy that would be for me!” But no, my dear brethren, that is not the thought which occupies the mind of an expectant mother. She will experience, rather, a devouring resentment on beholding herself in this state and perhaps the thought of even destroying the fruit of her womb will come to her. Oh, dear God! Can the heart of a Christian mother conceive such a crime? Yet we shall see some of them who unashamedly will have entertained such homicidal thoughts!
As soon as a mother sees her confinement approaching, she should go to Confession — and for many reasons. The first is that many women die during their confinements, and if she should have the misfortune to be in a state of sin, she would be damned. The second is that being in a state of grace, all the sufferings and the pains which she will endure will gain merit for Heaven. The third is that God will not fail to give her all the blessings which she will desire for her child. A mother at her confinement should preserve modesty as far as is possible in her state and never lose sight of the fact that she is in the presence of God and in the company of her Guardian Angel. She should never eat meat on the forbidden days without permission, a practice which would draw down punishment upon herself and her child. 4. A child should never be left longer than twenty-four hours without being baptised.
St Hormisdas of Persia (or Hormizd) was the son of a governor and a Persian martyr who died in the fifth century. At the time Christians were being persecuted by the Persian kings, and the tortures and method of murder inflicted upon them ws so cruel and horrible that according to sources from the period, it was difficult to even put it into words. Even worse than threat of pain, the Persian kings offered barbarism in one hand, and offers of power in the other. Despite this dual onslaught against weak human nature, the most terrible possible, many Christians stood fast to the Faith.
Babylon
High status and power were taken from Hormisdas because of his strict allegiance to Christianity. From a nobleman, he was stripped of everything, including most of his clothes, and made to take care of the royal camels.
In answer to the king’s demand that he renounce Christ, Hormisdas refused, saying that such a denial would offend God, and that a man willing to violate the supreme law of the sovereign Lord of all could not be trusted to remain faithful even to his earthly king. He added that if treason against an earthly sovereign is punishable by death, “what must it be to renounce the God and ruler of the universe?”
After a long time suffering humiliation, the king pitied the saint, gave Hormisdas a tunic and offered him clemency if he would “renounce the Carpenter’s Son.”In response, Hormisdas stripped off the tunic, asking the emperor how he could have believed it would persuade him to abandon the law of God. He was executed in the year 420 by Bahram V.
Santa Maria della Querce / Our Lady of the Oak, Lucignano, Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy (1417) – 8 August, Third Saturday of September:
In 1417 Feliciano Batone painted a fresco of the Pietà on a wayside Shrine beneath a great oak . Fifty years later, there was a surge in devotion to the Madonna of the Oak after the story circulated that on 8 August 1467, a man from Siena, running from his enemies, stopped there to pray to Mary, who made him invisible to his pursuers.
A small wooden Chapel was built to protect the image and Consecrated that year. Located on a hill northeast of the old City centre, beyond the Medici Fortress and the cemetery, the present Church was designed by Giorgio Vasari in 1558 and Consecrated in 1617.
On the third Sunday of September, near the feast of the Sorrowful Mother on S15 September, Lucignano celebrates St. Mary of the Oak with religious services, food, games and fireworks.
St Eleutherius of Constantinople St Ellidius St Famianus of Compostela St Gedeon of Besancon St Hormisdas of Persia Bl John Felton
Bl John Fingley St Largus St Leobald of Fleury St Leonidas of Constantinople St Marinus of Anzarba
St Mummolus of Fleury St Myron the Wonder Worker St Paulus Ge Tingzhu St Rathard of Diessen St Severus of Vienne St Sigrada St Smaragdus St Ternatius of Besançon St Ultan of Crayke Bl William of Castellammare di Stabia Bl Wlodzimierz Laskowski — Martyrs of Albano – 4 saints: Four Christians who were martyred together, and about we today know little more than their names – Carpóforo, Secondo, Severiano and Vittorino. They were martyred in Albano, Italy – their remains are interred in the San Senator cemetery, on the Appian Way, 15 miles from Rome, Italy.
Martyrs of Rome – 5 saints: Five Christians martyred together; we know nothing else about them but the names – Ciriaco, Crescenziano, Giuliana, Memmia and Smaragdus. They were martyred at the 7 mile marker, on the Via Ostia, Rome, Italy.
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War – Martyrs of El Saler – 5 beati: Five nuns, all members of the Sisters of the Pious Schools, all teachers, and all martyred together in the Spanish Civil War. • Antonia Riba Mestres • Maria Baldillou Bullit • María Luisa Girón Romera • Nazaria Gómez Lezaun • Pascuala Gallén Martí They were martyred on 8 August 1936 in El Saler, Valencia, Spain.
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: Bl Cruz Laplana Laguna Bl Fernando Español Berdie Bl Leoncio López Ramos Bl Manuel Aranda Espejo Bl Mariano Pina Turón Bl Pedro Álvarez Pérez
Saint Afra, martyr and penitent, listed in some records as the daughter of the king of Cyprus. In the late 3rd century, her pagan family journeyed from Cyprus to Augsburg. Afra was dedicated to the service of the goddess Venus by her mother, Hilaria, a service which involved ritual prostitution.
When the persecutions started in Augsburg, Bishop Narcissus of Gerona, Spain, arrived in the city and took lodging with Afra and her mother, not knowing their profession. His holiness and the doctrine of redemption he brought converted the women, who were baptised, and Afra’s uncle Dionysius was ordained as a bishop. She immediately began to give liberally to the poor. When officials came looking for the bishop, Afra hid him under a pile of flax.
Arrested for being a Christian and refusing to participate in pagan rites, she was burned to death, tied to a tree on the small island of Lech. She was buried in Augsburg and her mother erected a chapel for her tomb. Soon after, Hilaria and her serving women were also martyred, burned alive in their house. Afra’s remains were buried in a church named after her. Pilgrims visited her shrine as early as 565. In 1012, the Benedictine monastery of St. Ulrich and St. Afra displayed her sarcophagus. The Acts of Afra give an account of her martyrdom.
The judge, Gaius, said to her: “Come now, sacrifice to the gods; it is better to live than to die amid torments.”
The saint replied: “The sins which I have committed before I knew the true God are sufficient; wherefore I cannot now do that which thou commandest. I never will do so: it would be adding a new insult to my God.”
The judge having ordered her to repair to the temple, she answered with great courage: “My temple is Jesus Christ, whom I have continually before mine eyes, and to whom I every day confess my sins. Since I am unworthy to offer him any other sacrifice, I am anxious to sacrifice myself, in order that this body, with which I have offended him, may be purified by torments; this reflection shall make me suffer most willingly.”
“Since, therefore,” said Gaius, “by reason of thy wicked life thou hast nothing to expect from the God of the Christians, thou hadst better sacrifice to our gods.”
The saint replied: “My Lord Jesus Christ has said that he descended from heaven to save sinners. We read in the Gospel that a sinful woman, having washed his feet with her tears, obtained from him the forgiveness of all her offences; and, moreover, that he never rejected sinful creatures nor publicans; but, on the contrary, condescended to converse and even to eat with them.”
The iniquitous judge was not ashamed to counsel her to return to her infamous practices, in order that she might gain the favor of the gallants, and enrich herself.
“I renounce,” said the penitent Saint Afra,“that execrable gain, and look upon it with horror. That which I had, I have cast from me and given to the poor, imploring them to accept it; how, then, can I consent to earn it again?”
Afra’s martyrdom deeply influenced the Christian community in Augsburg. A church was built over her burial site, and she became the patron saint of the city. Over the centuries, her veneration grew beyond Germany, and she became known in other parts of Europe. During the Middle Ages, pilgrims visited her shrine, and her cult was promoted by the Benedictine monks who cared for the church bearing her name—St. Ulrich and Afra Abbey. Her remains are still there.
Blessed Octavian of Savona, also known as Ottaviano, was born in 1060 in Quingey, in France. He was the brother of Pope Saint Callistus II. Educated by the Benedictines, he became a monk at the Benedictine community at Saint Peter’s Abbey in Pavia, Italy. His devotion and commitment to the monastic way of life meant he rose through the ranks of the Benedictine order. In 1129, Octavian was appointed the Bishop of Savona, in northern Italy.
Savona, 1860
He was venerated for his deep devotion and strong faith, in only a short time becoming an extremely powerful force for good in the lives of those around him by inspiring them to follow Christ more diligently. He died peacefully in 1132, of natural causes. In recognition of his virtues and the impact he had on the lives of others, Octavian was beatified by Pope Pius VI in 1793, confirming his cultus and recognizing him as a blessed.
AnaStpaul 
You must be logged in to post a comment.