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A Gallery of Saints
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A New Year's Blessing &The Patron Saint of Time
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A New Year's Blessing forClocks & Calendars
Lord, You who live outside of time,
and reside in the imperishable moment,
we ask Your blessing this New Year’s Day
upon your gift to us of time.
Bless our clocks and watches,
you who kindly direct us
to observe the passing of minutes and hours.
May they make us aware of the miracle
of each second of life we experience.
May these our ticking servants
help us not to miss that which is important,
while you keep us from machine-like routine.
May we ever be free from being clock watchers
and instead become time lovers.
Bless our calendars,
these ordered lists of days, weeks and months,
of holidays, holydays, fasts and feasts—
all our special days of remembering.
May these servants, our calendars,
once reserved for the royal few,
for magi and pyramid priests,
now grace our homes and our lives.
May they remind us of birthdays and other gift-days,
as they teach us the secret
that all life
is meant for celebration
and contemplation.
Bless, Lord, this new year,
each of its 365 days and nights.
Bless us with new moons and full moons.
Bless us with happy seasons and a long life.
Grant to us, Lord,
the new year’s gift
of a year of love.
Amen.—from Prayers for the Domestic Church-a Handbook
for Worship in the Home
Fr. Edward M. Hays (1931-2016)
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Meet St. Expeditus,The Saint of Time
What do we know of St. Expeditus? It's said that he was a Roman centurion in Armenia martyred for his faith around April 303 in what is now Turkey. Considered the patron saint of urgent causes, he is also known as the saint of time, we celebrate his feast on April 19.
He's depicted as a Roman soldier bearing a palm frond with one or more crows at his feet are one or more crows. From the crows’ mouths comes a banderole with the word cras (Latin: “tomorrow”). He also holds a cross inscribed with the Latin word hodie (Latin: “today”). Tradition has it that, upon his decision to convert - an event inspired by the Holy Spirit - as he made his way to the Church, the devil took the form of a murder of crows to delay him. The crows cried aloud in Latin, Cras! Cras! (Latin: “Tomorrow! Tomorrow!”) But impatient Expeditus, stomped on the birds as he shouted, Christianus ero, hodie! (Latin: “I will be a Christian today!”)
Not a bad prayer to offer up each morning...
I will be a Christian today!
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Advocate for Human Rights
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St. Pope John Paul II, 1920 - 2005Feast Day ~ October 22
Pope St. John Paul II’s lengthy papacy and extensive teachings covered a wide range of life issues. A vocal advocate for human rights, John Paul often spoke out about suffering in the world. He held strong positions on many topics, including his opposition to capital punishment. John Paul II’s social justice encyclicals addressed the moral dimensions of human labor, the widening gap between rich and poor and the shortcomings of the free-market system. He called for a new sense of mission to bring Gospel values into every area of social and economic life. A charismatic figure, John Paul used his influence to bring about political change and is credited with the fall of communism in his native Poland.
John Paul II also presided over an unprecedented public apology for the sins of Christians during darker chapters of Church history, such as the Inquisition and the Crusades. He also expressed the Church’s improved relations with Jews during his pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 2000. These actions as well as his other ecumenical and interfaith initiatives remind us of the Catholic Social Teaching principle, the “Call to Family, Community, and Participation.” A person’s culture, how people organize in society, directly affects human dignity and the capacity of individuals to grow in community. By dialoging with other faiths, John Paul II further upheld the value of the lives of persons who practice other faith traditions.
As we celebrate Pope St. John Paul II’s feast day, we ask him to intercede for us that we may advocate for human rights as he did and to see the goodness of God in people who practice other faiths.Credits - Biography, The Southern Cross
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Prayer for Life
O Mary, bright dawn of the new world,
Mother of the living, to you do we entrust
the cause of life: Look down, O Mother,
upon the vast numbers of babies
not allowed to be born, of the poor
whose lives are made difficult, of men and
women who are victims of brutal violence,
of the elderly and the sick killed by
indifference or out of misguided mercy.
Grant that all who believe in your Son
may proclaim the Gospel of life with
honesty and love to the people of our time.
Obtain for them the grace to accept
that Gospel as a gift ever new, the joy of
celebrating it with gratitude throughout
their lives and the courage to bear witness
to it resolutely, in order to build, together
with all people of good will, the civilization
of truth and love, to the praise and glory of
God, the Creator and lover of life. Amen.
St. John Paul II
Evangelium Vitae, 1995
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Conversion & Reform:Spiritual Challenges for Respect Life Month
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St. Teresa of Avila, 1515 - 1582Feast Day ~ October 15
St. Teresa of Avila is another great example in our communion of saints to emulate and request intercession from as we celebrate Respect Life Month. While St. Thérèse of Lisieux’s “little way of love” (see below) emphasizes the small ways we can make a difference, St. Teresa of Avila’s life is a great example of how reform and systemic change are also important to respecting life and the dignity of persons – two elements central to our faith.
Franciscan Media points out that St. Teresa shared her gifts with the Church and the world as a contemplative and as an active reformer. Her heart belonged to God. Her ongoing conversion was a lifelong struggle, yet she clung to God in life and in prayer.
St. Teresa was also a woman “for others.” Though a contemplative, she spent much of her time and energy seeking to reform herself and the Carmelites, to lead them back to the full observance of the primitive Rule. She founded over a half-dozen new monasteries. She traveled, wrote, fought—always to renew, to reform. In her self, in her prayer, in her life, in her efforts to reform, in all the people she touched, she was a woman for others, a woman who inspired and gave life.In his article “5 Important Lessons From St. Tesesa of Avila”, Fr. Roger Landry of the Diocese of Fall River, Massachusetts, explains that St. Teresa’s personal conversion led her to push for reforms in Church institutions:
St. Teresa entered the Carmelite monastery when she was 20, but the house was in a spiritual malaise. … Eventually she succumbed to the worldliness herself… When she was 39, God reawakened her from her lukewarm life in which she was tolerating venial sins and revivified her desire for holiness, for happiness.
That experience of conversion [led to …] ecclesial conversion. She witnessed and experienced what can happen to people even in places where people profess total dedication to God. She became aware of how much Church institutions, beginning with Carmelite convents, needed profound reform, and, despite great personal suffering, spent the rest of her life trying to be an instrument to bring her fellow Carmelites, and through them the Church, back to her first love [God].
In celebrating St. Teresa’s feast day, we ask her to intercede for us that we may share her hunger for continuous personal conversion as well as for the reform of ecclesial institutions and the universal Church. May our efforts at reform, grounded in prayer, bring about greater respect for human life as well as greater protection of the diversity of life of the natural world.
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St. Teresa of Avila,
Saint Joseph’s Catholic Church
Central City, Kentucky -
Guided By You, A PrayerBy St. Teresa of Avila
Lord, grant that I may always allow myself to be guided by You,
always follow Your plans,
and perfectly accomplish Your Holy Will.
Grant that in all things, great and small, today and all the days of my life, I may do whatever You require of me.
Help me respond to the slightest prompting of Your Grace, so that I may be Your trustworthy instrument for Your honour.
May Your Will be done in time and in eternity by me, in me, and through me.
Amen. -
Avila, Spain, a walled city
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The Little Way of LoveA Spiritual Practice for Respect Life Month
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St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, 1873-1897Feast Day ~ October 1
Little Flower pray with us!
A Novena Prayer to
Saint Thérèse of Lisieux
O Little Thérèse of the Child Jesus, please pick for me a rose from the heavenly garden and send it to me as a message of love.
O Little Flower of Jesus, ask God to grant the favors I now place with confidence in your hands:
(mention your special prayer request here)
St. Thérèse, help me to always believe as you did, in God’s great love for me, so that I may imitate your “Little Way” each day.
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This Respect Life Month, we take a look at
St. Thérèse of Lisieux’s “little way of love” and how practicing this spirituality can help us integrate a greater respect for all life into our daily life.The Jesuit priest, Fr. Sean Barry, writes of her: To simplify, [St. Thérèse] spirituality is founded upon doing little things with great love. Thérèse did not see herself as able to do fantastic things or to be able to make a great difference in the world.
It’s unlikely that any of us will make an enormous change in the world; we lack power or connections. However, that does not mean that we cannot do the little things in life well. … What is our attitude towards [chores and everyday tasks]? Do we look at them as a burden or an obligation or instead as an opportunity?
…What about the people we encounter? How can we be kind to them, offering a kind word or doing a small task? When someone asks us for help, do we respond in kindness or begrudgingly? How do we treat the person whose particular ways of eating, talking, or even driving drive us up a wall? It is easy to respond in anger, … the challenge is to respond in love, in kindness, with compassion. After all, Jesus is present in each person we encounter. Can we respond with that same love like St. Thérèse did?
In speaking about the environment in Laudato Si, Pope Francis similarly connects St. Thérèse’s little way with environmental justice and respect for life:
Saint Thérèse of Lisieux invites us to practice the little way of love, not to miss out on a kind word, a smile or any small gesture which sows peace and friendship. An integral ecology is also made up of simple daily gestures which break with the logic of violence, exploitation and selfishness. In the end, a world of exacerbated consumption is at the same time a world which mistreats life in all its forms. (paragraph 230)
As we go about our day, let’s keep in mind the little way of love and do our best to respect all life – human, plant, and animal life – in our tasks and in our attitudes.
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Two Saints Special to Our Parish with Shared Feasts
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St. Gregory the Greatc. 540 - 604
The internet offers many posts on this great saint of the Middle Ages. He is one of the four male doctors of the Western church with Augustine, Ambrose, and Jerome. His connection to our parish is important for he sent and sent again, our patron, St. Augustine of Canterbury, to evangelize England. It's very human when faced with challenges and trials to want to turn around - this reflection on St. Gregory reminds us to persevere.
Reflection
Gregory was content to be a monk, but he willingly served the Church in other ways when asked. He sacrificed his own preferences in many ways, especially when he was called to be Bishop of Rome. Once he was called to public service, Gregory gave his considerable energies completely to this work. Gregory's description of bishops as physicians fits in well with Pope Francis' description of the Church as a "field hospital."
~ from Franciscan Media
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St. PhoebeFirst Century
Far less widely available is information on this Deacon of the early Church. We do know that she was from the port of Corinth and willing to do good for the Church there. We also know that she carried a stellar endorsement from St. Paul to the Christian community in Rome (Romans 16:1-2).
The National Catholic Register offers this observation and suggested practice to honor St. Phoebe.
Phoebe is an excellent example of how women have crucial roles in the Church. Whatever talents they have, there is a way to bring them to the altar.
St. Phoebe’s memorial is Sept. 3, and many women might turn to her for help with church ministries.
The four passages below may be used as a devotional to get to know St. Phoebe a little better. Prayerfully meditating on and journaling about one passage a day might inspire you to refresh or take up a new ministry at your church.-
Day 1) Romans 16:1–2
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Day 2) Acts 18:18b
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Day 3) Philippians 1:1
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Day 4) 1 Timothy 3:8–13
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St. Clare of Assisi, 1194 - 1253August 11
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Reformer & Servant of People Suffering Poverty,Pray for Us!
Stories of St. Clare and St. Francis of Assisi, her friend and spiritual guide, are legion and legendary. While seemingly improbable, they are authenticated by contemporaneous accounts. There are glowing descriptions of Clare's life at San Damiano, the convent in which she lived in Assisi. Writings of the time attest to the gentle care she gave to the sick. They describe how she would wash the feet of the nuns who begged on behalf of the convent.
The Rule of Life that Clare developed for the order that she led, the Poor Clares, emphasized Gospel poverty. They held no property and existed from day to day on contributions alone. Clare and Francis found that the materialistic culture of their time was a powerful distraction from where focus should be, on a life spent following in the footprints of the poor crucified Christ through poverty, contemplation, and community.
Clare's life story includes great acts of bravery, trust, and faith. One such instance is often used in illustrations of the saint. When San Damiano and the city of Assisi were threatened by invaders, it is said that Clare left her sick bed to meet them carrying the Blessed Sacrament. She had the Eucharist placed on the convent wall facing the attackers. Then, on her knees, she prayed, “I beseech you, dear Lord, protect these whom I am now unable to protect.” To her sisters she said, “Don’t be afraid. Trust in Jesus.” It is said that a voice was heard to say, "I will keep them always in my care." Struck with fear, the armies turned in flight leaving the convent and the city unharmed.
In his homily on her Memorial, Fr. Bruce shared that such trust and adoring devotion to the Eucharist, made her one of the first to practice Eucharistic Adoration. Her spiritual director, Francis, fostered a devotion we pray today - the Stations of the Cross - where we use a shortened version of his prayer of adoration...We adore you, O Lord Jesus Christ,
in this church and all the churches of the world,
and we bless you, because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
Amen.
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St. Lawrence, Deacon & Martyr,August 10
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Patron of Cooks, Deacons, and Persons in Poverty
The Feast of St. Lawrence on August 10 provided time to reflect as Fr. Paolo shared the story I remembered reading as a girl [Mitzi]. I’d been intrigued by this saint of ancient Rome whose job was to take care of the wealth of the Church and give money - alms - to those in need.
He worked for a Pope, Saint Sixtus II, who was martyred for the faith. A few days later, the Roman prefect demanded the Church’s riches, citing the well known scripture to "render unto Caesar what is his." Quick-thinking Lawrence convinced the official that he’d need three days to collect and catalogue the vast trove of assets in his care. During the delay, he disposed of all the wealth, distributing it to those in need. When the Romans returned, Lawrence met them with elders, children, people who were weak, ill, and impoverished arrayed around him. These, he said, were the real treasures of the Church.
The livid official ordered Lawrence to be executed in a slow, horrible, and most painful fashion. He was to be roasted over a gridiron. Legend has it that, after some time on the flames, Lawrence joked to all present that he was done on that side and needed to be turned over. For this he is a patron saint of cooks as well as of deacons and the poor. Reportedly born in what is now Spain on December 31, 225 and martyered on August 10, 258, his young life ended at 33. Instead of snuffing out Christianity as was intended by the persecutions of Emperor Valerian, St. Lawrence's stellar example of Christian compassion and care for persons less fortunate increased conversions to the faith.St. Lawrence, pray for us!
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A Celebration of Siblings -The Expanded Feast of Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus
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Stained Glass by Ward and Hughes, 1886
From St Botolph without Aldersgate -
From Franciscan Media
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About the Expanded Feast
On February 2, 2020, the celebration of Saints Martha, Mary and Lazarus was established on the General Roman Calendar. Here is language from the Vatican's Decree.
In the household of Bethany the Lord Jesus experienced the family spirit and friendship of Martha, Mary and Lazarus, and for this reason the Gospel of John states that he loved them. Martha generously offered him hospitality, Mary listened attentively to his words and Lazarus promptly emerged from the tomb at the command of the One who humiliated death.
The traditional uncertainty of the Latin Church about the identity of Mary - the Magdalene to whom Christ appeared after his resurrection, the sister of Martha, the sinner whose sins the Lord had forgiven - which resulted in the inclusion of Martha alone on 29 July in the Roman Calendar, has been resolved in recent studies and times, as attested by the current Roman Martyrology, which also commemorates Mary and Lazarus on that day. Moreover, in some particular calendars the three siblings are already celebrated together.
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Celebrating St. Kateri Tekakwitha's Feast Day
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From the West Texas Angelus and A Very Dear St. Austin Parishioner
This article on St. Kateri, written by our own Mary Lou Gibson, was published in the July edition of the West Texas diocesan newspaper, The Angelus.
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The First Native American Saint
St. Kateri Tekakwitha (1656-1680) was the first Native American declared a saint in the Catholic Church. While her canonization took place in 2012, the main champion of her sainthood was Fr. Clarence Walworth (1820-1900), one of the founders of the Paulist Fathers. Her father was a Mohawk chief; her mother, an Algonquin and a Catholic. St. Kateri was born into the Mohawk tribe in what later became upstate New York. She lived in a time of great upheaval for native peoples - Europeans arrived with new diseases, like smallpox which left her partially blind and disfigured.
This Paulist Patron is a saint of social action as well. As a young girl, Kateri worked alongside Jesuit missionaries to care for the sick and wounded when the Mohawk were attacked by the Mahican. Beyond care for people, St. Kateri cared for all creation. The St. Kateri Conservation Center observes, "The Indigenous worldview then and now involves relationships built on reciprocity, respect, gratitude, and responsibility that extends to the natural world. It is a worldview of giving thanks daily for life and the world around us."
St. Kateri, “Lily of the Mohawks,” is the patroness of Native Americans, the environment, refugees, and the disabled. While most of the United States recognizes her feast day on July 14, in the Diocese of Phoenix and in Canada, her feast day is celebrated on April 17, the day she died.
We invite you to learn more about St. Kateri Tekakwitha through these resources:-
Her life story from the New York Historical Society
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A reflection in observance of Native American Heritage month that discusses St. Kateri and her connection to the Paulist Fathers written by Fr. Rich Andre and posted in Rich Thoughts.
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For those with a deep curiosity, this link to Two Rivers - A Report on Catholic Native American Culture & Ministry from the USCCB
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Celebrate St. Kateri's Memorial with Mass (link in the side Window)
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The photo above is of the statue of St. Kateri in the hogan Church of Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Chinle, Arizona and is shared with us by Catholic Extension.
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Fr. Paolo Celebrates the Memorial of St. Kateri, A Paulist Patron SaintJuly 14, 2022
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St. Josephine Bakhita Pray with Us! Teach Us
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"We Must Be Compassionate"
Let us ask the intercession of St. Josephine Bakhita whose feast we celebrate on February 8. In 2021 on St. Josephine's Feast Day we were to observe Ash Wednesday - an observance postponed by the Winter Storm. For nine days we were held in the grip of forces beyond our control. As we slowly recovered, many suffered the loss of loved ones, others catastrophic property damage. The privations we experienced allow us to relate in some small measure to the suffering of this holy woman. Let us follow her toward greater compassion.
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On St. Josephine from the USCCB
St. Josephine Bakhita was born in Sudan in 1869 and enslaved as a child. Eventually she was sold to an Italian diplomat and taken to Italy, where she was later brought to freedom through the help of the Canossian Daughters of Charity. Through their guidance, she learned about God and served him faithfully until her death in 1947. In October 2000, Josephine Bakhita was canonized by Pope John Paul II, at which point he noted that “in St. Josephine Bakhita we find a shining advocate of genuine emancipation. The history of her life inspires not passive acceptance but the firm resolve to work effectively to free girls and women from oppression and violence, and to return them to their dignity in the full exercise of their rights” (Canonization Mass, October 1, 2000).
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A Model of Forgiveness
"If I were to meet the slave-traders who kidnapped me and even those who tortured me, I would kneel and kiss their hands, for if that did not happen, I would not be a Christian and Religious today... The Lord has loved me so much: we must love everyone... we must be compassionate!"
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A Missionary Life of Amazing Grace
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The Student, the Nun & the Amazon(Video, 30 min)
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Sr. Dorothy Stang, SNDdeN
Pope Francis seeks to promote greater awareness of “missio ad gentes” and to animate the missionary transformation of Church life and pastoral activity by asking each country to highlight a great missionary who shared their life for the love of the Gospel.
In the United States, Sister Dorothy Stang, SNDdeN, martyred in Brazil in 2005 because of her defense of Indigenous people and the Environment is our great missionary of the Gospel who died reciting, "Blessed are the peacemakers..." (Mt 5:9)
To learn more about her exemplary missionary life, please view the video at the left and visit this link to the website of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, her congregation ~ -
This little virtual altar in honor of Sr. Dorothy was first published in October of 2020.
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