BIG C CATHOLICS

St. John Bosco’s ministered amid political and religious persecution. A series of Italian governments enacted anti-clerical laws to diminish the Church’s power as Italy was reunited in the mid-19th century. Yet, Don Bosco’s faith never wavered for God’s promises are infinitely greater than the Church’s diabolical enemies. All past persecutors of the Church are now no more, but the Church still lives on. The same fate awaits modern persecutors; they, too, will pass on, but the Church of Jesus Christ will always remain, for God has pledged His Word to protect Her and be with Her forever. —  St John Bosco __________________________________________ Prayer for St. John Bosco’s Intercession O God, who raised up the Priest Saint John Bosco as a father and teacher of the young, grant we pray, that, aflame with the fire of love, and by his intercession, we may seek out souls and serve you alone. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the un...

Throughout his life, Saint John Bosco had a great devotion to Our Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament and to the Blessed Virgin Mary as Our Lady Help of Christians. Together with the Order he founded (the Salesians) Don Bosco introduced others, particularly the young, the poor and the ignorant, to God. Prayer to Our Lady Help of Christians By St. John Bosco Most Holy Virgin Mary, Help of Christians, how sweet it is to come to your feet imploring your perpetual help. If earthly mothers cease not to remember their children, how can you, the most loving of all mothers forget me? Grant then to me, I implore you, your perpetual help in all my necessities, in every sorrow, and especially in all my temptations. I ask for your unceasing help for all who are now suffering. Help the weak, cure the sick, convert sinners. Grant through your intercessions many vocations to the religious life. Obtain for us, O Mary, Help of Christians, that having invoked you on earth we may love an...

Feast Day – January 30th  Often, the stories of the saints inspire by showing us, not so much the holiness they eventually attained, but the very human obstacles they overcame to get there. Saint Hyacintha of Mariscotti is one such example; although indulging in a luxurious, spoiled existence — even in the midst of convent life — God found a way to soften her heart and reform her ways, so that it was her humility and penitential heart that eventually inspired those who lived with her. Hyacintha was an Italian nun of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis. She was born in 1585 near Viterbo, Italy, and entered the Convent of St. Benardine after her hopes for marriage did not come to pass. For ten years, however, she virtually ignored her vows, using her family’s wealth to provide herself with rich foods and luxurious clothes. It was only when a serious illness forced her confessor to bring Communion to her in her cell that he observed her manner of life; he advised her ...

God, the author of creation, uses physical realities to make present spiritual realities beyond us. In a similar way, iconography, pictures of Divine Persons and saints, are signs, images, or likenesses that embody and make present that which they portray. St. Athanasius of Alexandria championed the practice of writing, displaying and venerating icons by the faithful. He wrote: "We, the faithful, do not worship the icons as gods. By no means as the pagans, rather we are simply expressing our relation to, and the feeling of our love toward, the person whose image is depicted in the icon. Hence, frequently when the image has faded, we burn it in fire, then as plain wood, that which previously was an icon. Just as Jacob, when dying, bowed in worship over the head of the staff of Joseph [cf. Heb. 11:21] not honoring the staff, but him to whom it belonged, in the same manner the faithful, for no other reason, venerate [kiss] the icons, just as we often kiss our children, so that we...

Three things are necessary for the salvation of man: to know what he ought to believe; to know what he ought to desire; and to know what he ought to do.  — St. Thomas Aquinas __________________________________________ Tantum Ergo Sacramentum (A Hymn by St. Thomas Aquinas) Down in adoration falling, lo! the sacred host we hail; lo! o'er ancient forms departing, newer rites of graces prevail; Faith for all defects supplying, where the feeble senses fail. To the everlasting Father, and the Son, who reigns on high, with the Holy Ghost proceeding forth from each eternally, be salvation, honor, blessing, might and endless majesty. Amen. (See Benediction of the Eucharist)

Fr. René J. Butler, M.S. Provincial Superior, La Salette Missionaries of North America (Job 7:1-7; 1 Corinthians 9:16-23; Mark 1:29-39) “Woe to me,” writes St. Paul, “if I do not preach the Gospel.” He is not complaining, just stating the fact that this responsibility, laid on him without his being consulted, had become the all-consuming purpose of his existence. Jesus says something similar: “For this purpose I have come,” namely his preaching. Job takes us to the other extreme. His life has become a drudgery, and he finds no purpose in it. He expects that he will never know happiness again. The tears of Mary at La Salette, such a beautiful and powerful image, are troubling in a way. They can make us repent our sins; that is good. But some wonder how Mary, in heaven, can experience unhappiness. And yet she talks about the trouble her people’s infidelity have caused her personally: “How long a time I have suffered for you! … You pay no heed… You will never be able t...

Fr. Charles Irvin  Senior Priest  Diocese of Lansing  ( Click here for today’s readings ) My life is nothing but drudgery; I am filled with sadness, tired of dealing with the mess other people have made of this world. Life is an unbearable burden. Will it ever end? Is there a God out there who cares what happens to us, or are we helpless pawns on some cosmic chessboard, only accidentally born? If God is so good, why does He allow us to experience pain, loss, terrible depression, and various disasters? Answering the question “why?” gets us into a long philosophical and theological discussion. Suffice it here to say that God has chosen to put us into an incomplete world, living in our own personal incomplete lives. But by His grace we have the enormous dignity to be His co-operators, to work with Him while investing our own love and determination into the task of bringing ourselves and our world into completion and wholeness. This is a great gift – an act...

In honor of Saint Thomas Aquinas' feast day, [January 28th] here is the Angelic Doctor’s consideration of Islam and the teachings of its prophet Mohammed. It is noteworthy but hardly surprising that one of the most brilliant theologians in the Church’s history was beholden to truth, not morally devoid political correctness. Aquinas rarely discusses Islam expressly, save for two instances.* In one, he defends Christianity against Muslim objections [See Summa Contra Gentiles ] noting that; the blood of Christian martyrs leads to coverts, whereas Islam is spread by the sword. Moreover, Aquinas compares and contrasts Christ’s selfless divinity with Mohammed’s ruthless inhumanity. To wit, in Aquinas’ own words: He [Mohammed] did not bring forth any signs produced in a supernatural way, which alone fittingly gives witness to divine inspiration; for a visible action that can be only divine reveals an invisibly inspired teacher of truth. On the contrary, Mohammed said that he was se...

Fr. Charles Irvin  Diocese of Lansing ( Click here for Sunday’s readings )  Two words in the Gospel account you just heard captured my attention… “astonished” and “amazed.” St. Mark reports that the people in Capernaum’s synagogue were astonished at Jesus’ teaching and all were amazed. So the question arises: Why? Why were they so astonished and amazed? After all they thought Jesus was a rabbi, someone who speaks God’s word, and they were, after all, in a synagogue, a place where one would expect to be hearing about what God had to say. So why were they so astonished and amazed? First of all we need to notice that this event occurred at the very beginning of Our Blessed Lord’s public ministry. St. Mark reports this event in the first chapter, twenty-first verse of his Gospel account. Jesus has just finished gathering His twelve apostles and was now “going public,” so to speak. Jesus had not as yet performed His dazzling miracles. He had not as yet cured the blind, hea...

This Sunday January 28th is Septuagesima Sunday, designating the ninth Sunday before Easter and also, the third Sunday before Ash Wednesday commencing the solemn penitential season of Lent. The word Septuagesima comes from the Latin for "seventieth." The three Sundays which precede Ash Wednesday were called Septuagesima , Sexagesima , and Quinquagesima  respectively, or, the seventieth, sixtieth, and fiftieth days (approximately) before the highest solemnity of Easter. Septuagesima, the seventeen day period starting on Septuagesima Sunday was intended to be observed as a preparation for Lent. In many countries, however, Septuagesima Sunday marked and still marks the traditional start of the carnival season, culminating on Shrove Tuesday, sometimes known as Mardi Gras. Although the current Church calendar does not formally recognize this prelude to Lent; we need Septuagesima now more than ever. The traditional Roman Rite marks Septuagesima Sunday by omitting the recitat...

Saint Angela Merici, the 16th century virgin and religious educator, founded the Order of Ursulines, the first teaching order for women recognized by the Church. Her fortitude and trust in God is evident in this advice she gave to postulants: Do not lose heart, even if you should discover that you lack qualities necessary for the work to which you are called. He who called you will not desert you, but the moment you are in need he will stretch out his saving hand. — St. Angela Merici __________________________________________ Almighty God, Who by means of your Saint Angela Merici did commence a new Order of holy virgins to flourish in Thy Church, grant, through her intercession, that we may imitate her angelic virtues, and forsaking all earthly things, may be found worthy of eternal bliss, through Jesus Christ Our Lord and Savior. Amen.

Optional Memorial - January 27th  Saint Angela Merici was a 16th century Italian religious educator and foundress. She established the Company of Saint Ursula in 1535 at Brescia, in which women dedicated their lives to the service of the Church through the education of girls. From this organization came the monastic Order of Ursulines. Angela's sisters founded schools of prayer and learning throughout Europe, and later, the world. Angela was born in Northern Italy in the diocese of Verona in the year 1474. She lived on Lake Garda together with her parents and sister in relative comfort. Early in life, she dedicated herself to Christ. At age 15, she and her older sister were left orphans. A short time later, her sister would die without receiving Last Rites. This disturbed Angela greatly, and she prayed fervently for her sister’s soul. By God's grace, Angela would have a vision confirming that her sister was in heaven. The future saint became increasingly devout...

Ever wonder which saint you most resemble? Are you a Joan of Arc or a Thomas Aquinas? A Thérèse of Liseux or a Francis of Assisi? Are you made for modernity like Thomas Merton or a "man for all seasons" like Thomas More? Find out HERE . Almighty ever-living God, by whose gift we venerate the merits of all the Saints who see you face to face in heaven, bestow on us, we pray, through the prayers of so many intercessors, an abundance of the reconciliation with you for which we so earnestly long. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns together with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.

Please remember the Holy Father Pope Francis' intentions in prayer throughout the month of February: Universal: Say "No" to Corruption That those who have material, political or spiritual power may resist any lure of corruption. Specific Intention - To be Announced Pope Francis has decided to keep one monthly prayer intention. He is no longer proposing an urgent prayer intention. Each Sunday on which he delivers an Angelus address, he will request prayers for people and situations that are of concern to the universal Church. The specific intention will focus prayer and action from the faithful on a current event.

The Church celebrates the memorial of Saints Timothy and Titus both 1st century bishops and missionary companions to their mentor Saint Paul, on January 26th. Pope Benedict XVI observed, "The sources concerning Timothy and Titus highlight their readiness to take on various offices that also often consisted in representing Paul in circumstances far from easy. In a word, they teach us to serve the Gospel with generosity, realizing that this also entails a service to the Church herself." Timothy and Titus remind us that no grace is given solely for our benefit. Grace is to be shared so the Church may be built up in love. Reading Paul's two letters to Timothy and his letter to Titus show that the early Church was at times deeply divided. St. Paul's first letter to Timothy 3:15 clearly states where we are to find the truth. Paul refers to the Church as the pillar and foundation of the truth. We do not consult Scripture alone to find the truth because different people ...

Fr. René J. Butler, M.S. Provincial Superior, La Salette Missionaries of North America Hartford, Connecticut ( Click here for today’s readings ) At the end of this Gospel passage it would appear that Jesus is now poised to embark on a great career. He is rapidly becoming a celebrity. There are lots and lots of famous people in the world, from the international to the local scene, in every field you can imagine. A few, commonly called “personalities,” may simply be “famous for being famous.” Most have caught people’s attention by doing something never (or rarely) done before (like medical miracles, sports records, technology, etc.), or by doing something in a totally new, interesting or exciting way (as in literature, music, and the arts in general). It also helps to be in the right place at the right time and to be noticed by the right people. But you still have to be the “right person” with the “right stuff.” Then you can make a big impression, and have people “astonished”...

Feast Day - January 25th  St. Paul, named Saul at his circumcision, was born in Tarsus the capitol of Cilicia, of Jewish parents descended from the tribe of Benjamin. He was a Roman citizen from birth and a devout Jew trained in the Law. As he was "a young man" at the stoning of Stephen and "an old man" when writing to Philemon, about the year 63 AD, St. Paul was most likely born around the beginning of the Christian era. To complete his schooling, St. Paul was sent to Jerusalem, where he sat at the feet of the learned Gamaliel and was educated in the strict observance of the ancestral Law. Here he also acquired a good knowledge of exegesis and was taught in the practice of disputation. As a convinced and zealous Pharisee, he returned to Tarsus before the public ministry of Christ commenced in Palestine. Some time after the Resurrection of Our Lord, St. Paul returned to Palestine. His profound conviction made his zeal develop into a religious fanaticism a...

Father Daren J. Zehnle (whose homilies we featured here and here ) presented a lecture on the work of J. R. R. Tolkien at the Wade Center on January 16, 2018. Fr. Zehnle, a priest of the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois, serves as Pastor of St. Augustine Parish in Ashland, Illinois, Director of the Office for Divine Worship and the Catechumenate, Adjutant Judicial Vicar, and Judge on the Diocesan Tribunal. After Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee heard a minstrel sing of the deeds of the Fellowship of the Ring, J. R. R. Tolkien wrote that “their joy was like swords, and they passed in thought out to regions where pain and delight flow together and tears are the very wine of blessedness.” By exploring the phrase, “their joy was like swords,” we learn to understand the reality of joy mingled with sorrow and experience God’s merciful love as we embrace the Cross. The Marion E. Wade Center at Wheaton College, is a research library devoted to the Inklings, (a literary discussion g...

Saint Francis de Sales, the 17th century French bishop and Doctor of the Church, yearned to save souls. His gentleness of spirit, pastoral aptitude and compassion made him a great teacher of the Faith. The following illustrates his deep insight: Make friends with the angels, who though invisible are always with you. Often invoke them, constantly praise them, and make good use of their help and assistance in all your temporal and spiritual affairs. — St. Francis de Sales __________________________________________ Prayer for the Intercession of St. Francis de Sales Almighty God, who for the salvation of souls willed that the Bishop Saint Francis de Sales become all things to all, graciously grant that, following his example and holy intercession, we may always display the gentleness of your charity in the service of our neighbor. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Memorial - January 24th  St. Francis de Sales, a gentle saint, encouraged and celebrated the sanctity of both the ordained and the laity. Born in 1567 in Savoy, France, it was assumed that he would follow his father into law. Therefore, it came as a great surprise to the elder de Sales when his son announced that he had decided to pursue an ecclesiastical life instead. Francis would go on to win numerous souls to Christ. Ordained to the priesthood in 1593, from 1594 to 1598 Francis labored at the difficult and dangerous task of preaching to the Protestants of Chablais, effecting the return of some 70,000 souls to the Catholic faith. In 1602 he became bishop of Genf. His zeal for souls is attested in 21,000 extant letters and 4,000 sermons showing how he applied St. Paul's words: "I have become all things to all men." Most widely known is the saint's Introduction to the Devout Life , which, together with his Treatise on the Love of God , are considered semin...

Saint Marianne Cope was a 19th century Sister of Saint Francis, who dedicated her life to helping to care for the poor, especially those suffering from leprosy. In Kalaupapa, Moloka‘i, she set up a home for girls with leprosy and became friends with Saint Damien de Veuster. Here is her quote on imitating Christ with humility. What little good we can do in this world to help and comfort the suffering, we wish to do it quietly and so far as possible unnoticed and unknown. —  St. Marianne Cope  ______________________________________ Prayer for St. Marianne Cope’s Intercession O God, who called us to serve your Son in the least of our brothers and sisters, grant, we pray, that by the example and intercession of the Virgin Saint Marianne Cope, we may burn with love for you and for those who suffer. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit. Amen. St. Marianne Cope, help us see Christ in the weak and those despis...

Optional Memorial - January 23rd  St. Marianne Cope was a professed member of the Sisters of St. Francis and is recognized as an extraordinary woman of the 1800's and early 1900's. Her call to labor as a servant of God and the Franciscan spirit she embraced, provided a foundation of values that gave her the courage and compassion to accept difficult challenges with diplomacy and grace. She is a model of humility amid suffering. As a leader in her community, Mother Marianne was instrumental in opening two of the first Catholic Hospitals in Central New York: St. Elizabeth in Utica and St. Joseph’s Hospital in Syracuse. Recognizing the need for basic health care in a city of immigrants, she and a small group of women defied convention by purchasing a saloon in Syracuse, New York and transforming it into a hospital to serve the needs of a diverse community. Here they welcomed everyone regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, or means. They pioneered rules of patient’s righ...

Optional Memorial - January 23rd  St. Vincent of Saragossa was one of the Church's three most illustrious deacons, the other two being Stephen and Lawrence. He is also Spain's most renowned martyr. Born in the late 3rd century, he was ordained deacon by Bishop Valerius of Saragossa. Vincent was forced in chains to Valencia during the Diocletian persecution and martyred. Legend records the following about his martyrdom: After brutal scourging in the presence of many witnesses, he was stretched on the rack; but neither torture nor blandishments nor threats could undermine the strength and courage of his faith. He was cast on a heated grating, lacerated with iron hooks, and seared with hot metal plates. Then he was returned to prison, where the floor was heavily strewn with pieces of broken glass. A heavenly brightness flooded the entire dungeon, filling all who saw it with greatest awe. After this he was placed on a soft bed in the hope that lenient treatment would in...

The theme of this year's Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is "Your Right Hand, O Lord, Glorious in Power." (Exodus 15:6). The octave of prayer for the promotion of Christian unity takes its impetus from Exodus 15:1-21, the words of Moses. Day One   You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt  The Israelites’ memory of being strangers in the land of Egypt lay behind the Law’s instruction that God’s people were to welcome the stranger in their midst. The memory of their own exile was expected to prompt empathy and solidarity with contemporary exiles and strangers. Like Israel, our common Christian experience of God’s saving action goes together with remembering both alienation and estrangement - in the sense of estrangement from God and from his kingdom. This kind of Christian remembering has ethical implications. God has restored our dignity in Christ, and made us citizens of his kingdom, not because of anything we did to des...

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal designates January 22nd each year as a particular day of prayer and penance, called the "Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children". It states: "In all the Dioceses of the United States of America, January 22 shall be observed as a particular day of prayer for the full restoration of the legal guarantee of the right to life and of penance for violations to the dignity of the human person committed through acts of abortion." America needs no words from me to see how your decision in Roe v. Wade has deformed a great nation. The so-called right to abortion has pitted mothers against their children and women against men. It has sown violence and discord at the heart of the most intimate human relationships.  It has portrayed the child as...an intrusion.  — St. Teresa of Calcutta ________________________________________ Prayer of Blessing Upon the Unborn Child God, author of all life, bless, w...

Fr. Charles Irvin Senior Priest Diocese of Lansing ( Click here for today’s readings ) Nineveh was the oldest and most populous city of the ancient Assyrian Empire. Its ruins are located on the east bank of the Tigris River opposite the modern city of Mosul in Iraq. The Ninevites were a great empire known for their ruthlessness. They were the sworn enemies of the Jews. Each despised the other and yet Jonah, a Jew, was sent by God to them. The Ninevites were going to end the Israelite civilization in a few years but it was to them that God sent Jonah. Jonah definitely did not want to go to them but God made sure that he did in spite of Jonah’s efforts to avoid the task to which God had called him. After the episode with the whale Jonah finally ended up on their shore. He went to them and they repented of their evil ways. They acted immediately on God’s word. Jonah was there only one day in what was to be a three day journey. That’s the key idea. On hearing God’s word pro...

Memorial - January 21st  (In 2018, this feast is superseded by the Sunday liturgy.) Saint Agnes is numbered among the most famous martyrs of the early Church. When the Diocletian persecution was at its height, and when priests as well as laymen were apostatizing from the faith, Agnes freely chose to die for Christ. When she was commanded to offer incense to false gods, she raised her hand to God and made the Sign of the Cross. The following is excerpted from a reflection by Msgr. Bernard Bourgeois on St. Agnes’ great courage and enduring example: ______________________________________________________ St. Agnes of Rome: Her Life & Faithful Witness By Msgr. Bernard Bourgeois "Little is known of St. Agnes. She died as a martyr in Rome somewhere near the beginning of the fourth century, only 12 or 13 at her death. Legend has it she was a very beautiful girl whom many men wanted to marry. She, however, had promised God to remain a virgin and to seek a life of...