Simple, humble persons can sometimes be powerful in their effect on and work with the people of God. Saint Giles Mary of Saint Joseph was such a man. Giles Mary was loved on the streets of Naples for his goodness born of prayer.
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Saint Apollonia is the patron saint of dentists because her teeth were knocked out by an angry mob. Hardly the way we would wish a dentist to extract our teeth, but Saint Apollonia certainly evidenced great courage in her defiance of those who were attacking Christians.
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Devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes runs deep in the hearts of the faithful as a sign of God’s care and healing. The mediation of Mary, his mother, is a real consolation to those who suffer any ill.
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Family ties and religious obligations may affect one another, but they are not necessarily opposed. Saint Scholastica’s relationship with her brother Saint Benedict, is a good example.
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An orphan at the age of 15, Saint Jerome Emiliani ran away from home and ran into some trouble. He ended up in prison where he had time to think. After a conversion, Saint Jerome studied for the priesthood and, after his ordination, he worked for abandoned children.
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Kidnapped at the age of nine and being too terrified to remember her name, Josephine acquired the name “Bakhit” which means “fortunate one.”
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Saint Colette is known as a reformer of the Order of Saint Clare. Known as the Colettine Poor Clares, these nuns follow a more primitive rule of Saint Clare and are known for their austerity.
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One of the four virgin martyrs celebrated in the Catholic calendar of saints, Saint Agatha was arrested during the persecution of Decius in 251. Tortured for her beauty and tempted to violate her chastity, Agatha was eventually martyred.
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Saint Joseph of Leonissa was known for his austerity of life and single-minded commitment to preaching. Arrested and warned to change his ways, Joseph returned to his former behavior and was re-arrested and condemned to die. He escaped, however, and continued a life of preaching.
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Popularly known as the saint who protects from ailments of the throat, Saint Blaise was a bishop and martyr of the fourth century. We know little else about him, except that he suffered persecution even after the Edict of Toleration was to have freed the Roman world for worship.
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Being an observant Jewish couple, it stands to reason that Mary and Joseph went to the Temple for Mary’s purification—as prescribed by Mosaic Law—40 days after Jesus’ birth. The blessing of candles and the procession of light were added to this feast, giving it the popular name “Candlemas.”
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Saint Ansgar was a Benedictine missionary who spent his life trying to convert northern Europe. It seems for every step he took forward, he ended up taking two backward.
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Inspired by Saint Francis de Sales, Saint John Bosco founded the Salesians to continue his work among boys. Then, joining forces with Mary Mazzarello, he helped found the Salesian Sisters. All this during a time when established religious communities in Italy were closing their doors.
Read MoreBlessed Mary Angela Truszkowska founded the Felician Sisters as a result of a conversion experience she had while convalescing from an illness. At the age of 44 she was forced to resign due to ill health. She lived however, into her ’70s.
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Brother Juniper was a simple man who joined Saint Francis in the earliest days of the Order. While Saint Francis praised him and wished he had a “whole forest of such Junipers,” nevertheless, he could be exasperating for his generosity. Even saints can be frustrating.
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Saint Thomas Aquinas is well known for his writings, especially the “Summa Theologica.” But he was far more than a philosopher/theologian. He was a devout man who wrote beautiful prayers and hymns. Perhaps the best known is the “Pange Lingua.”
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Saints Timothy and Titus were trusted friends and co-workers with Saint Paul through many of his trials. He eventually set both up as heads of local Churches and encouraged them as would a father. Saint Paul seems to have truly relished their support and friendship.
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Saint Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus was to be the turning point in his spiritual life. There he met Jesus and nothing was the same after that. Thereafter, all his zeal and energy were focused on the spread of the gospel message.
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Saint Francis de Sales was born into a senatorial family where he was destined to work in government positions of authority. Instead, he felt a call to the priesthood and was ordained for the Diocese of Geneva.
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Born in Germany, Saint Marianne Cope’s family soon moved to Utica, NY. In 1862 she entered the Sisters of the Third Order of Saint Francis where she served as superior for a number of years.
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Very little is known about Saint Vincent of Zaragossa other than some details about his martyrdom. We know that he was a deacon and that a large devoted following survived his death. Most of what we know comes from the “Acts” of Prudentius.
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Like other young martyrs, the death of Saint Agnes reminds us that length of years is not a requirement for a holy life. Little is known about Saint Agnes other than that she was a martyr.
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In art, Saint Sebastian is often depicted as standing near or strapped to a pole riddled with arrows. Indeed, he was executed by archers, but didn’t actually die. Later he was beaten to death with clubs. Little else is known about this third century martyr.
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Like many people, Saint Charles of Sezze thought he knew what God wanted, only to find out that he was mistaken. Instead of going to India as a missionary, Saint Charles settled in Rome where he cooked and cared for the friary and friary chapel. While being simple, Saint Charles was no simpleton as is obvious from his life story.
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Saint Anthony was a solitary ascetic who practiced great mortification yet drew many people to himself. He responded by founding an early form of monastic life. He lived until age 105.
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Saint Francis considered Saints Berard and his companions as true Friars Minor because they were willing to lay their lives on the line for the faith. Such heroic virtue inspired Saint Anthony to join the Franciscans.
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Born into an affluent Hindu family in 1712, Devasahayam Pillai converted to Christianity and was martyred for his chosen faith in 1752. At his 2012 beatification Pillai became the first Indian layman not connected to any religious institute to be beatified. Ten years later he was canonized by Pope Francis.
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Saint Gregory Nazianzen paid a huge price for his faith. In conflict with the Emperor Valens, who defended the Arians, Saint Gregory worked hard to defend the Catholic faith.
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Saint Hilary of Poitiers was converted to Christianity through his reading of the Sacred Scriptures. A married man, he was chosen as Bishop of Poitiers in France where he arduously fought Arianism. As a result, he was sent into exile, but returned home to Poitiers before he died.
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Born in France but adopting Canada as her home, Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys definitely won the hearts of the Canadians. She moved to Canada at the request of the governor of the French settlement. She later founded a school for girls in Montreal and founded the Sisters of Notre Dame.
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Born in London, Blessed William Carter was a printer who got in trouble for printing Catholic material during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Eventually brought to trial, he was convicted and hanged, drawn, and quartered on January 11, 1584.
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Saint Gregory of Nyssa, the brother of Saint Basil and the son of Saints Basil and Emmilia, was a married man when he began studying for the priesthood. He became Bishop of Nyssa and fought Arianism and was a prominent figure at the Council of Constantinople.
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Saint Angela of Foligno was a wife and mother who had little interest in the spiritual life until about age 40. After her husband and children died, Angela entered the Secular Franciscans, spending the rest of her life in prayer and service.
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Saint Raymond of Peñafort was a lawyer who used his talents to both compile legislation for easy access and to write legal treatises on penance for the use of confessors.
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Saint André Bessette was orphaned at 12, and eventually worked in the United States during the Civil War. At 25, he became a Brother of the Holy Cross.
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Saint John Neumann was the first member of his community, the Redemptorists, to profess vows in the United States. He did missionary work in Maryland, Virginia, and Ohio, and became the bishop of Philadelphia. Noted for his humility and organizational skills, he helped form the Church in the New World.
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Convert, wife, mother, widow, teacher, religious─Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton did it all. Yet, in many ways, she was an ordinary woman of her time who lived life in an extraordinary way.
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Saint Paul tells us in his Letter to the Philippians that Jesus’ name is above every other name. It is the name in which we are all saved. Devotion to the Most Holy Name of Jesus is deeply rooted in Christian history.
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Saint Basil is the Father of Eastern monasticism—as Saint Benedict is for western monasticism. Besides being a good pastor, Saint Basil also lead the fight against Arianism, a heresy that denied the divinity of Christ.
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Mary’s divine motherhood broadens the Christmas spotlight. Hers role as mother of God places her in a unique position in God’s redemptive plan.
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Saint Egwin was a Benedictine monk who became the bishop of Worcester, England. He seems to have had a good reputation─except with the clergy; they found his reforms a bit too strict. He was exonerated by Rome, however, and he continued to function as the diocesan bishop.
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Saint Thomas Becket, the well-known archbishop of Canterbury, England, is a saint with a checkered past. As depicted in the movie “Becket,” Thomas did not at first take his responsibilities as a deacon seriously, but when King Henry II tried to use his friend’s lukewarm devotion to his advantage, he found a converted cleric who was a worthy match for any king.
Read MoreAccording to the account in Saint Matthew’s Gospel, King Herod slaughtered a number of male babies in an attempt to rid himself of the perceived threat of a usurper to his throne. What he didn’t realize is that Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world─a fact that emerges later in Saint Matthew’s Gospel.
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Saint John, traditionally thought to be the “Beloved Disciple,” was the writer of the fourth Gospel, and presumably, the only apostle who was not martyred. He is also the disciple to whom Jesus entrusted his mother from the cross. Symbolized as an eagle, Saint John’s Gospel “soars” in its theological treatment of the Good News.
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If it weren’t for Saint Luke telling us about the selection and martyrdom of Saint Stephen in Acts of the Apostles, we would know nothing about him at all. The little we do know, however, speaks volumes about what kind of man he was, his love for Jesus, and the early Church community.
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All feast days celebrate, in one way or another, the gifts of God granted to us human beings. Today we celebrate THE gift─the Son of God made flesh. A gift granted to all people of all times and places. Truly we have been gifted.
Read MoreBeing a man who wanted to experience things with all of his senses, Saint Francis decided one Christmas to depict the birth of Jesus with live animals and real people. This “first crèche” was created in Greccio in 1223. Our tradition of having a Christmas crèche in our homes and churches continues the practice begun all those years ago.
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Saint John of Kanty was a beloved priest in Kraków, Poland, where he taught Scripture. A simple, humble man, John was often taken advantage of, but maintained his generous attitude to those in need. He died on Christmas Eve in 1473.
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An important Catholic reformer in Germany, Saint Peter Canisius earned a master’s degree at age 19, and then joined the Jesuits. He was a great writer and patron of the sick and imprisoned.
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The connection between Saint Dominic of Silos and Saint Dominic, founder of the Dominican Order, is a curious but interesting one. Separated by 100 years, the two men were linked by a prophecy given by Dominic of Silos to the mother of the other Dominic.
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