BIG C CATHOLICS

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,

On December 7th, the Church observes the memorial of Saint Ambrose, the 4th century bishop and Doctor. One of the most important prelates and influential theologians in the early Church, he is acclaimed in the West as a Father of the Church. Ambrose was born at Treves in Gaul, a territory which encompassed modern France, Britain, Spain, and part of Africa. He completed his studies in Rome and later became governor of Liguria and Aemelia with residence at Milan. In the year 370, in his capacity as governor, Ambrose tried to resolve a heated dispute over who would ascend to the episcopacy of Milan. His words struck such a chord in people that someone shouted out that Ambrose should become bishop. Ambrose had no intention of being a priest or a bishop. He was still a catechumen who was preparing for baptism. But the people prevailed and by popular assent, Ambrose was baptized and then consecrated bishop of Milan the following week. His judicious administration proved to be very eff

December 6th is the optional memorial of Saint Nicholas, (270-343) also called Nikolaos of Myra, (present day Demre, Turkey) known for his tireless generosity and defense of orthodoxy. Although we have few facts about this 4th century bishop, the many stories about him preserved by tradition and popular piety together with the widespread devotion the faithful have expressed toward him across many times and cultures, give us a glimpse into the holiness of the man. He was born into a wealthy family during the latter part of the 3rd century in what is now the southern coast of Turkey; his parents, devout Christians, died in an epidemic when Nicholas was still a very young man. As a result, he suddenly found himself in possession of a fairly substantial fortune. However, rather than keep his money, he obeyed Jesus’ command to “sell all you have and give it to the poor” and distributed his wealth to the poorest and neediest around him. Nicholas was ordained a priest and was subsequen

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 - December 3rd (In 2017, this feast is superseded by the Sunday liturgy.) Saint Francis Xavier is one of the great saints who emerged during the Counter-Reformation of the Catholic Church in the mid-16th and early 17th centuries. As a member of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), the zeal with which he undertook his missionary work was so astonishing that both contemporaries and historians alike have compared him to none other than St. Paul, the great apostle to the Gentiles. He was born in Spanish Navarre on April 7, 1506. At the age of 19, he traveled to France to study at the University of Paris. There, he met and became friends with another Spaniard named Ignatius of Loyola. Ignatius, who had experienced a profound spiritual conversion years before, tried to convince Francis that his life might best be spent, not in academics, but as a missionary in service to Christ. At first, Francis was not convinced of this, but Ignatius persisted and finally won him over. T

The feast of Saint Edmund Campion (1540-1581), the Jesuit priest and English martyr, is celebrated on December 1st. He was born the son of a bookseller in Paternoster row, just behind Saint Paul's Cathedral in London. He grew up amid the religious strife of the 16th century following the dispute between King Henry VIII and Rome. He is venerated among the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. Campion enrolled in the local grammar school and then, at age 12, attended the new Christ's Hospital school for orphans and the poor. In August 1553, he was selected to deliver a ceremonial address to Queen Mary as she passed through London. Campion was able academically and went to St John's College, Oxford, at the age of 15. He was awarded a degree in 1564 and became a fellow of the University. In 1566, he was again chosen to make a formal speech of welcome before the new Queen, Elizabeth I, as she visited Oxford. Much impressed with Campion, Queen Elizabeth ensured he had friends and

According to the 1962 Missal of Saint John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, November 28th is the feast day of Saint Saturninus, the early 3rd century bishop. missionary and martyr. Saturninus lived heroic virtue in imitation of Christ. The first named prelate in Gaul, he is called the Apostle to the Gauls. ________________________________________ The Life and Holy Martyrdom of St. Saturninus  Saturninus went from Rome, by direction of Pope Fabian, about the year 245, to preach the faith in Gaul. He fixed his episcopal see at Toulouse, and thus became the first Christian bishop of that city. There were but few Christians in the place. However, their number grew fast after the coming of the Saint; and his power was felt by the spirits of evil, who received the worship of the heathen. His power was felt the more because he had to pass daily through the capitol, the high place of the heathen worship, on the way to his own church. One day a great multitude was ga

Feast Day - November 28th   To call Saint James of the Marches zealous is an understatement. He was born James Gangala into a poor family at Monteprandone, a small town in eastern Italy, in the year 1394. He is called "St. James of the Marches" because he was from the March, or coast of the Adriatic Sea. His personal piety, prayerfulness and powerful sermons in defense of the Faith won innumerable souls to Christ. His lowly origins did not prevent him from studying at the University of Perugia, where he earned doctorates in both civil and canon law. He then went to study theology with Saint John of Capistrano and, at age 22, joined the Franciscans at Assisi. His entry into said Order occurred thusly: When traveling one day near Assisi, James entered the Church of the Portiuncula to pray. Moved by the fervor of the holy men who served God there and by the example of their founder Saint Francis, he petitioned in that very place for the habit of the Order. James soon be

November 25th is the optional memorial of Saint Catherine of Alexandria, the brilliant 4th century apologist and virgin, whose arguments and courageous witness for the Faith won many souls for Christ. Popular piety memorializes her heroic virtue and holy death. She is the patron of apologists and philosophers. ______________________________________ The account of her martyrdom is legendary and defies every attempt to cull out the historical kernel. Old Oriental sources make no mention of her. In the West her cult does not appear before the 11th century, when the crusaders made it popular. She became the patroness of philosophical faculties; she is one of the "Fourteen Holy Helpers" [invoked against disease]. The Breviary offers this: Catherine, virgin of Alexandria, devoted herself to the pursuit of knowledge; at the age of 18, she surpassed all her contemporaries in science. Upon seeing how the Christians were being tortured, she went before Emperor Maximin, upbraid

Optional Memorial - November 23rd   Though he died nearly fourteen-hundred years ago, Saint Columban is a saint for our time, which bears an uncanny resemblance to his own. In the midst of great social and spiritual upheaval, he stands as an example of someone not afraid to be outspoken in the face of moral corruption and depravity—even when that involved bishops and kings. Many miracles were credited to him during his life. St. Columban was one of the great Irish missionaries who made his way to the continent of Europe near the close of the 6th century. He traveled there after spending some 30 years in a monastery in northern Ireland, where he had fled to overcome severe temptations of the flesh. Once in Gaul, he became known for his moral discipline, homilies, and deep commitment to charity and religious life. Countless souls went to hear him preach and to pray in the monasteries there. The devastation of the barbarian invasions had completely disrupted Gaul’s civil and re

November 23rd, is the optional memorial of Pope Saint Clement I, also known as Clement of Rome, the 1st century pontiff and martyr who was converted by Saint Peter [possibly along with Saint Paul] and ordained by the same. A seminal figure in early Christianity, he served as the forth Bishop of Rome and is considered the first Apostolic Father of the Church. Saint Clement of Alexandria called him an apostle; and Rufinus, (the monastic theologian and translator) almost an apostle. Clement accompanied Saint Paul to Philippi and was a companion of the latter, with Sts. Luke and Timothy, in many of his missionary journeys. St. Paul ranks him among those whose names are inscribed in the book of life. Clement's letter to the Corinthians is a precious treasure from the apostolic period. In his letter (1 Clement) dated around 95 AD to the Christian community in the Greek city of Corinth, he responds to a dispute in which presbyters of the Corinthian church were deposed. He asserts the

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

Feast Day - November 18th  St. Rose Philippine Duchesne was born August 29, 1769, in Grenoble, France. She was the daughter of Pierre Francois Duchesne, a successful lawyer and a leader of the French Revolution and Rose Perier, an intelligent, practical, Christian woman. When Rose was twelve, she was sent to boarding school at Ste. Marie d’en Haut. Here she was educated by the Visitation nuns and drawn to their life of contemplation. She entered their congregation at the age of eighteen, but shortly thereafter, the Revolution in France forced the Nuns to disperse. Rose nursed prisoners, found shelter for orphans, and helped give food to the poor. In December 1804, she joined the Society of the Sacred Heart upon meeting Madeline Sophie Barat, the foundress of this Society. Often, during the next eleven years, Rose discussed with Mother Barat her long held dream of becoming a missionary to the American Indians in the New World. The Dream was ignited when Bishop Du Bourg visited t

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, the Church celebrates the optional memorial of Saint Margaret of Scotland, also known as Margaret of Wessex. According to Divine Providence, a shipwreck near Scotland turned out to be good fortune for both that country and its monarch, because it brought the virtuous young woman to their shores. She proved to be a model mother and exemplary queen who worked hard to improve the morality of her subjects. St. Margaret is the secondary patroness of Scotland. Margaret was born sometime around the year 1050, in Hungary, where her father was living in exile, and likewise spent her childhood there as an unusually devout and pious girl. While her birth date is uncertain, her lineage is unmistakable. The daughter of Princess Agatha of Hungary and Prince Edward Atheling, she was brought up in the court of her great uncle, Edward the Confessor, who was King of England. Her father died suddenly in 1057, the year they returned to England. When William the Conqueror invaded that

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,

On November 15th, the Church celebrates the optional memorial of Saint Albert the Great. The son of a German nobleman, he was studying at Padua when the Master General of the Dominicans, Jordan of Saxony, succeeded in attracting him to that Order. He was to become one of the Dominicans' greatest glories. After taking his degrees at the University of Paris, he taught philosophy and theology at Paris and then in Cologne. Saint Thomas Aquinas was among his pupils. St. Albert, the "light of Germany," called the Great because of his encyclopedic knowledge, was born in 1193 at Lauingen, Donau. He joined the newly-founded Order of Preachers in 1223. Soon he was sent to Germany where he taught in various cities. In 1248 he received the honor of Master in Sacred Theology at Paris. Throngs attended his lectures, drawn by his piety and towering intellect. In 1254, Albert was chosen provincial of his Order in Germany. For a time, he lived at the court of Pope Alexander II, who

Memorial - November 13th  Sometimes the things we believe we are supposed to do in life are merely a variation on what God actually has in mind for us. Such was the case with a young Italian girl named Frances Xavier Cabrini. As a child, she dreamed of becoming a missionary in China. But Pope Leo XIII would one day suggest that her missionary efforts were destined to be carried out in a very different part of the world; it wasn’t China, but it was precisely where God desired her to be. Frances Xavier Cabrini was born on a farm in Lombardi, Italy in 1850, one of 13 children.  She was trained as a teacher in a nearby convent school and, when she reached the age of 18, she sought to join the Order that had educated her. Her health, however, was so frail that they denied her request and Frances instead returned to the family farm, where she cared for her parents until their death. Shortly afterward, at the request of a priest, Frances began working at the House of Providence Orph

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