BIG C CATHOLICS

Memorial - November 17th  There are people who make a lasting impact on the world even though their earthly lives are very short. Saint Elizabeth of Hungary or Saint Elizabeth of Thuringia was just such a person. Both a king’s daughter and a king’s wife, her love and care for the poor led her to be beloved by the common people during her life, and resulted in her canonization a mere four years after her death. Elizabeth, daughter of the king of Hungary, was born in 1207. In 1221, at the age of 14, she married Louis IV of Thuringia (Germany), He ascended the Thuringian throne at the age of 16. Over the next six years Elizabeth would bear him three children. The couple were deeply in love and very devoted to each other. Louis fully supported his young wife in her spiritual life and in her prodigious efforts aiding the destitute. This included selling state treasures to assist the needy. Tragically, in 1227, Louis died on the Sixth Crusade after promising Emperor Frederick II he wo

Optional Memorial - October 16th Occasionally, we get so caught up in the holiness of saints — sometimes to the point of thinking that we could never be like them — that we forget that they, like us, often suffered misunderstanding, criticism, and ridicule for the things they said and did. This was true with St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, the Visitation nun whose visions of the Sacred Heart were at first largely dismissed as delusions. Margaret Mary’s childhood was far from idyllic. Born in the village of L'Hautecour, France in 1647, she suffered the death of her father at an early age. That event, coupled with the unscrupulous actions of a relative, resulted in the family being left poverty stricken and humiliated. After her First Communion at the age of nine, Margaret Mary herself became ill and was paralyzed for four years. Her health, along with the desperate situation the family found itself enduring, caused her emotional anguish. “The heaviest of my crosses,” she later

August 20th, is the Memorial of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, (1090-1153) the 12th century French abbot, gifted spiritual writer, counselor to popes, and Doctor of the Church who reformed the Cistercian Order. His extensive Marian theology marks him not only as a theologian of the highest rank, but also as the "cithara of Mary," (A cithara is a stringed instrument similar to a lyre.) He is especially noted for his development of the Blessed Mother's role as mediator. Pope Pius XII’s encyclical Doctor Mellifluus , issued on the 800th anniversary of St. Bernard’s death, called him "The Last of the Fathers." The Divine Office contains numerous excerpts from his sermons. Like his other works, these are conspicuous for their genuine emotion and spiritual depth. He was born the third of seven children, to a prominent noble family, the son of Lord Tescelin de Fontaine and Alèthe de Montbard near Dijon, France. From an early age, his intellectual gifts, literary prop

September 23rd, is the memorial of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, (1887-1968) better known as Padre Pio, the 20th century Capuchin priest, stigmatic and mystic, who during his lifetime, was a spiritual father to innumerable souls. He is the only priest in the history of the Church to receive the stigma — the divine marks of predilection — from our Lord’s Passion and Death. For much of his priesthood, Padre Pio suffered the spiritual, emotional and physical anguish of Christ’s holy wounds. In addition, he was given the miraculous gifts of bilocation, transverberation, (a divine piercing of the heart indicating union with God) the odor of sanctity, the ability to read souls, the ability to see and communicate with spiritual beings, (i.e. guardian angels, demons, the departed) and the capacity to write and comprehend languages foreign to him. Moreover, his brother Capuchins testified under oath that he levitated, healed by touch, and experienced divine ecstasies while praying, as well as,

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. She

Saint Raymond of Peñafort was the appointed confessor for King James I, the Conqueror, of Aragon. The Spanish monarch, a loyal son of the Church, had, however, let his lustful desires shackle him. While on the island of Majorca to evangelize the Moor population there, James brought his mistress with him. St. Raymond, upon discovering that he entertained a lady at his court with whom he was suspected to have criminal conversation, made the strongest instances to have her dismissed, which the king promised should be done, but postponed the execution. The saint, dissatisfied with the delay, begged leave to retire to his convent at Barcelona. The king not only refused him leave, but threatened to punish with death any person that should undertake to convey him out of the island. The saint, full of confidence in God, said to his companion, "A king of the earth endeavors to deprive us of the means of retiring; but the King of heaven will supply them." He then walked boldly to

Memorial - December 14th "How gently and lovingly You wake in my heart,  Where in secret You dwell alone;  And in Your sweet breathing,  Filled with good and glory,  How tenderly  You swell my heart with love." At first glance, you might think that the lines of poetry quoted above were the work of one of the great English Romantic poets, like Wordsworth or Keats; if so, it may come as a surprise that this beautiful verse was actually written by an ascetic Carmelite. "The Living Flame of Love," from which this stanza was taken, was composed by one of the great mystics and doctors of the Church, St. John of the Cross, and expresses "the soul in the intimate communication of loving union with God." St. John of the Cross was born into poverty in Spain in 1541. After the death of his father, John’s widowed mother struggled to keep her family together despite homelessness and destitution. At the age of 14, John went to work in a hospital,

Feast Day - December 12th   When Saint John Paul II declared Our Lady of Guadalupe to be patroness of both Mexico and the Americas, he was not merely acknowledging the miracles that took place on a hill near Mexico City in 1531. He was confirming in a powerful way the lesson that Our Lady had already taught when she chose a poor Indian peasant to be her ambassador of faith. He emphasized that all the Americas — north, south, central and the Caribbean — are one, and that all the peoples therein need to be treated equally. He pointed to the fact that the Blessed Mother, through her appearance as Our Lady of Guadalupe, is the Mary of the Magnificat, who stands with the lowly and the poor. And finally, the Pope reminded us that it was Mary’s wish to invite all people, both those native to Mexico and those who came there from Europe, to a profound conversion together in the name of her Son, Jesus. The story of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a beautiful one. It began near present-day Mexi

The feast of Saint Sabbas (or Savvas) the Sanctified of Jerusalem is celebrated on December 5th in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. He was born in Cappadocia during the reign of Emperor Justinian in the 6th century. The son of devout parents, from a young age he excelled in the spiritual life, prayer and asceticism. At sixteen, he traveled to Jerusalem, to the Monastery of Euthymius the Great, who sent him to the Monastery of the venerable Theoctistus. Here, he advanced in holiness becoming a mentor and shepherd of many desert monks. He was later blessed to seclude himself in a cave. On Saturdays, he would leave his hermitage and come to the monastery, where he participated in the divine services and broke bread with the brethren. In due course, Sabbas received permission not to leave his hermitage at all, and he endured in the cave for five years. After several years, disciples began to gather around him desiring the monastic life. As the number of monks increased, a lav

Memorial - November 22nd  When Saint Augustine famously said, "One who sings prays twice," he may have been thinking of the early Church martyr most often associated with music. Saint Cecilia has often been depicted in art with either an organ or a viola since at least the time of the Renaissance. She is the patron saint of music and musicians, and especially those engaged in the composition and performance of sacred hymns. Much of her story is actually legend, and authentic material related to her life is scarce. We know that she was a Christian woman of high rank who was martyred in either the 2nd or 3rd century. The daughter of patrician Roman Christians, she was given in marriage to a rich young nobleman, Valerian of Trastevere, despite desiring to remain a virgin. By the designs of Providence, her innocence was preserved. There was a feast in her honor celebrated in the Church as early as 545, and at least one church was dedicated in her name in the late 4th cen

According to the 1962 Missal of Saint John XXIII, November 20th is the feast of St. Felix of Valois, the companion of St. John of Matha in founding the Trinitarian Order for the redemption of Muslim captives. St. Felix died in 1212, in Cerfroid. The Trinitarian Order's motto inscribed in the heart of Trinitarians is, "Gloria Tibi Trinitas et captivis libertas." (Glory to you O Trinity and liberty to the captives.) ____________________________________ St. Felix of Valois was born in 1127. Together with St. John of Matha, he founded the Order of Trinitarians for liberating captured Christians from Saracen (Muslim) slavery. He belonged to the royal family of Valois. The breviary recounts several marvelous events from his life. As a boy he frequently gave away his clothes to clothe the naked. He pleaded for the life of a murderer condemned to death and foretold that he would reform and lead a highly edifying life-which proved true. With St. John of Matha he journeye

Optional Memorial - November 16th  There are people who make a lasting impact on the world even though their earthly lives are very short. Saint Elizabeth of Hungary or Saint Elizabeth of Thuringia was just such a person. Both a king’s daughter and a king’s wife, her love and care for the poor led her to be beloved by the common people during her life, and resulted in her canonization a mere four years after her death. Elizabeth, daughter of the king of Hungary, was born in 1207. In 1221, at the age of 14, she married Louis IV of Thuringia (Germany), He ascended the Thuringian throne at the age of 16. Over the next six years Elizabeth would bear him three children. The couple were deeply in love and very devoted to each other. Louis fully supported his young wife in her spiritual life and in her prodigious efforts aiding the destitute. This included selling state treasures to assist the needy. Tragically, in 1227, Louis died on the Sixth Crusade after promising Emperor Frede

November 16th is the optional memorial of Saint Gertrude the Great. A 12th century Benedictine nun of the monastery of Helfta, in Saxony, she is regarded as one of the great mystics of the Middle Ages. Our Savior favored her with visions. Her book Revelations is her marvelous account of them. St. Gertrude introduced the devotion to the Sacred Heart which, four centuries later, Saint Margaret Mary spread throughout the Church. She died at the beginning of the 13th century. One of the most lovable German saints from medieval times, Gertrude, through her writings, will remain for all ages a guide to the interior life. She was born in 1256 at Eisleben and at the age of five taken to the convent at Rossdorf, where Gertrude of Hackeborn was abbess. Similarity in name has caused confusion between the two Gertrudes. St. Gertrude the Great never functioned as superior. In spite of much ill-health, Gertrude used her exceptional natural talents well, such as her fluency in Latin. In 1281,

November 11th is the memorial of St. Martin of Tours. Born around the year 316, in present-day Hungary during the reign of Constantine, he was one of the most popular saints of the Middle Ages. Martin was immediately thrust into a world in transition. Although Christianity had recently been declared legal in the Roman Empire, there were many people who still worshipped the various Roman deities of old, including Martin’s parents. In order to follow Christ, the young Martin had to become a catechumen in secret — which he did at the tender age of 10. At age 15, Martin, as the son of a veteran, was compelled by Roman law to join the army. Though he was a soldier, he tried his utmost to live as a Christian. It was at Amiens, Gaul (modern-day France) that he performed the service for which he would always be remembered. As the army entered the town on a particularly cold winter day, they encountered a poor beggar, dressed in rags and in danger of freezing to death. Martin, moved with c

According to the 1962 Missal of Saint John XXIII, October 19th, is the feast of Saint Peter of Alcantara, (1499 -1562) the 16th century priest known for his gifts of contemplation and the virtue of penance. He was one of Saint Teresa of Avila's spiritual directors who perceived in her a soul chosen by God for a great work. He counseled and encouraged St. Teresa in her reformation of the Carmelite Order. Peter, surnamed Alcantara after the town of his birth, was eminent among the saints of the sixteenth century for an extraordinary spirit of penance and for attaining the heights of contemplation. He was a great mystic. At the age of sixteen he entered the Order of Friars Minor. He was an apostle of spiritual reform in his own community and aided St. Teresa in her reform of the Carmelites. God revealed to her that no one would remain unheard who begged in Peter's name. Thereafter Teresa was most eager to have his prayers and honored him as a saint while he was still alive.

Optional Memorial - October 16th Occasionally, we get so caught up in the holiness of saints — sometimes to the point of thinking that we could never be like them — that we forget that they, like us, often suffered misunderstanding, criticism, and ridicule for the things they said and did. This was true with St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, the Visitation nun whose visions of the Sacred Heart were at first largely dismissed as delusions. Margaret Mary’s childhood was far from idyllic. Born in the village of L'Hautecour, France in 1647, she suffered the death of her father at an early age. That event, coupled with the unscrupulous actions of a relative, resulted in the family being left poverty stricken and humiliated. After her First Communion at the age of nine, Margaret Mary herself became ill and was paralyzed for four years. Her health, along with the desperate situation the family found itself enduring, caused her emotional anguish. “The heaviest of my crosses,” she later

A Carmelite nun who left her cloister at Avila and set up a reformed Carmelite Order, Saint Teresa of Ávila endured much suffering with a joyful heart. She experienced spiritual insights and interior manifestations of her mystical union with God, including this glimpse of hell intended as a divine correction. [ Source ] I was at prayer one day when suddenly, without knowing how, I found myself, as I thought, plunged right into hell. I realized that it was the Lord's will that I should see the place which the devils had prepared for me there and which I had merited for my sins. These words are found in the autobiography of one of the greatest saints in the history of the Church, St. Teresa of Jesus. Elsewhere she says that the place prepared for her in hell was actually less horrible than she had really deserved. _________________________________ Prayer for St. Teresa of Ávila’s Intercession Father, by your Spirit you raised up Saint Teresa of Jesus to show your Churc

According to the 1962 Missal of Saint John XXIII, October 13th, is the feast day of Saint Edward the Confessor (1003-1066). As king he was renowned for his gentleness, humility, detachment and angelic holiness. He preserved perfect chastity in his wedded life. So little was his heart set on worldly riches that he readily dispensed his goods at the palace gate to those who were sick or poor. Edward, the last king of the Anglo-Saxons, a grandson of the martyr-king of the same name, passed his youth in exile with his uncle, a Norman leader. In an environment of sin, he preserved innocence of life. Called to the throne in 1042, he put into practice the Christian ideals for a ruler, with the help of God's grace. His reign saw near continuous peace. All spoke highly of the "good King Edward." His first efforts were directed toward a renewal of religion in the hearts of his people. Priests were invited into his kingdom, churches were built or restored. His subjects prospe

On October 13, 1973, Our Lady of Akita (Japan) told the visionary Sister Agnes Katsuko Sasagawa that heresy would occur within the Catholic Church: "The work of the devil will infiltrate even into the Church in such a way that one will see cardinals opposing cardinals, bishops against bishops. The priests who venerate me will be scorned and opposed by their conferees (other priests)... The Church will be full of those who accept compromises and the demon will press many priests and consecrated souls to leave the service of the Lord." Our Lady concluded with these hopeful words, echoing her message at Fatima: "Pray very much the prayers of the Rosary. I alone am able still to save you from the calamities which approach. Those who place their confidence in me will be saved." Holy Mary, pray that the Church remains faithful starting with ourselves. _____________________________________________ Prayer for a Holy Church and Priests O my Jesus, I beg You on

In early August 1224, Saint Francis of Assisi, accompanied by three fellow friars, ascended Mount La Verna where the later would pray an extended vigil ending on the Feast of St. Michael the Archangel. In the morning light of September 17th, Francis beheld a six-winged Seraph, [angel] whose wings were aflame, imprint him with the Holy Stigmata and assume the likeness of Christ Crucified. Here are excerpts from a reflection by Br. Vincent Mary Carrasco via Catholic Chowder . ______________________________________ Saint Francis Receives the Stigmata of Christ Br. Vincent Mary Carrasco, O.F.M.Cap. "According to the writings of Saint Bonaventure, Saint Francis was 'led by divine providence to a high place apart called Mount La Verna.' (FAED II, Ch. 12) Two years before his death, in what was his usual custom of fasting for 40 days in honor of Saint Michael the Archangel, Saint Francis would 'experience more abundantly than usual an overflow of the sweetness