Cristy Li

St. Clare of Assisi (1194-1253)
Image Courtesy: Archbishop Jose Gomez

(CNA) Born in Italy Assisi into a noble family, Clare’s mother received a sign before her birth that Clare would be a bright light of God in the world. As a child, Clare was already very strongly drawn to the things of God, praying fervently, devoutly visiting the Blessed Sacrament and manifesting a tender love towards the poor.

When Clare was 18 yrs of age she heard St. Francis (Feast Day: 04 October) preaching in the town square during Lent and she knew at once that God wanted her to consecrate herself to Him. The next evening Clare left her house at night and ran to meet St. Francis and his Companions at the Church they were staying in and shared her desire to follow him in his way of life.

St. Francis received her, gave her his tunic, cut off her golden locks and sent her to a Benedictine Convent because she could not stay with the Brothers. Clare’s younger sister St. Agnes soon joined her and the two young Women had to resist much pressure from their family to return home.

When Clare was 22 yrs old , St. Francis placed her in a small house beside the Convent and made her Superior, a post she would serve for the rest of her life.

The Poor Clare Sisters as they would became known, lived an unusually austere life for Women of their time, walking barefoot around town, wearing sackcloth, seeking alms (donations/charity) and living without any possessions, completely dependent on others for food of what was given to them but the emphasis of their lives was and still is–contemplation.

Many young noble Women left all they had to take on the Poor Habit of Clare and the Order grew rapidly with houses being founded all over Italy, all of them took Clare as their model and inspiration.

Clare’s reputation for holiness was such that the Pope came to her deathbed in 1253 to give her absolution and wanted to Canonize her immediately upon her death but was advised by the Cardinal’s to wait.

In absolute tranquility Clare would draw her last breathe on this date in 1253 saying to one of her bothers just before she passed: “Dear brother, ever since through His servant Francis, I have known the Grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ, I have never in my whole life found any pain or sickness that could trouble me.”

Clare was Canonized just two years subsequent to her death by Pope Alexander IV

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Saint Lawrence Distributing Alms –Image: Pinterest

(Vatican) Lawrence is believed to have been born in Spain at Osca, a town near Aragon near the foot of the Pyrenees. As a youth, he was sent to Saragonza to complete his secular and theological studies, it was here that Lawrence first encountered the future Pope Sixtus II a teacher in what was then one of the most renowned centers of academic learning–the future Pope was one of the most famous and esteemed teachers.

Lawrence who would become the head of the Deacons of the Roman Church was remarkable for his human qualities, his subtlety of the mind and for his intelligence. Between Master and Disciple a communion of life and friendship grew. With the passage of time, love for Rome, the center of Christianity and seat of the Vicar of Christ, was consolidated and grew stronger in both.

Eventually following a migratory wave which was then very pronounced, both left Spain for the city where the Apostle Peter had established his See and given supreme witness. Thus Master and Disciple were able to realize their ideal of evangelism  and missionary activity to the point of shedding their blood in Rome, the heart of Christianity.

Sixtus was raised to the Chair of St. Peter and began a Pontificate which would last for less than a year. — Without hesitation, he desired to have Lawrence his friend and Disciple at his side so as to entrust to him the important Office of Proto-Deacon. Both sealed their life of communion and friendship by dying at the hands of the same persecutor a few days apart from each other.

St. Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage preserves an account of the death of Pope Saint Sixtus  in one of his letters. Commenting on the situation of great uncertainty and unease in which the Church found herself because of increasing hostility towards Christians he notes:

“The Emperor Valerian has consigned to the Senate a decree by which he has determined that all Bishops, Priests and Deacons will be immediately be put to death.” Saint Cyprian then continued, “I communicate to you that Sixtus suffered martyrdom on the 6th August together with four Deacons while they were in a cemetery. The Roman authorities have established a norm according to which all Christians who have been denounced must be executed and their goods confiscated by the Imperial treasury.” (CSEL 3, 839-840)

Following Pope Sixtus martyrdom, Lawrence became the principal authority of the Roman Church having been the Church’s treasurer. When he was summoned before the executioners he was Ordered to bring all of the wealth of the Church with him. Lawrence showed up with a handful of crippled, poor and sick men and when questioned replied that, “These are the treasure of the Church.”

Lawrence was immediately then martyred for Jesus Christ by being burned to death this date in 258 on a gridiron.

More here from Franciscan Media and here from EWTN

Saint Cajetan (1480-1547)
Image Courtesy: Catholic Online

(EWTN) Born in Italy Vicenza, Cajetan family were of Venetian nobility and under the care of his deeply religious mother he was a studious and exemplary youth. As a young man, he studied law in Padua according to SQPN earning his law degree by the age of 24 becoming a Prothonotary Apostolic in the Court of Julius II, taking an important share in reconciling the Republic of Venice with the Pope.

Upon the death of Julius II in 1513, Cajetan withdrew from the Court and is credited with the founding shortly thereafter the Theatine Order to foster the Church mission, together with reviving the spirit and zeal of the Clergy in Rome, which spread to other communities. Though remarkable because of Cajetan love of God, he didn’t enter the Priesthood himself  until 1516

Recalled to Vicenza in the following year due to the death of his beloved mother, he subsequently founded there a hospital for the terminally ill, thus giving proof of the active charity that filled his life. — Fr. Cajetan passion was however more moved by spiritual diseases that plagued mankind and infected the Clergy of all ranks and like Saint Augustine (Feast Day: 27 May) in earlier times, he was diligent to help reform them by instituting a body of regular Clergy who should combine the spirit of monasticism with the exercises of the active ministry.

Returning to Rome in 1523 Fr. Cajetan laid the foundations of his new congregation which was Canonically erected by Pope Clement VII in 1524 — One of Fr. Cajetan four companions was Giovanni Pietro Caraffa, Bishop of Chieti — later Pope Paul VI — They managed to escape to Venice after their house in Rome was wrecked when Emperor Charles V’s troops sacked Rome in 1527 The Theatines were outstanding among the Catholic reform movements that took shape before the Protestant Reformation.

Fr. Cajetan likewise founded a ‘Monte de Pieta’ (a bank to help the poor and offer an alternative to Loan Sharks) in Naples, one of the many charitable, non-profit credit organizations that loaned money on the security of pawned objects, which later became the Bank of Naples.

In 1547 Fr. Cajetan passed away in Naples — In 1629 he was Beatified by Pope Urban VIII and Canonized in 1671 by Pope Clement X

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Related: For Today’s Bible Readings for the Memorial of St. Cajetan, Visit: -USCCB

Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord
Image: Archbishop Jose Gomez

(Franciscan Media) All the Synoptic Gospels tell the story of the Transfiguration: Matthew 17:1-8  Mark 9:2-9  Luke 9:28-36 with remarkable agreement. All three place the event shortly after Peter’s confession of faith, that Jesus is the Messiah and Jesus’ first prediction of His passion and death. Peter’s eagerness to erect tents or booths on the spot suggests it occurred  during the Jewish week long Fall celebration of Sukkot, celebrated the 15th day of Tishrei (varies in either September or October) just before the arrival of Diaspora.

In spite of the texts agreement, its difficult to reconstruct the Disciples’ experience, according to Scriptural Scholars because the Gospels drew heavily on Old Testament descriptions of the Sinai encounter with God and prophetic visions of the Son of Man. — Certainly Peter, James and John had a glimpse of Jesus’  divinity strong enough to strike fear into their hearts. Such an experience defies description, so they drew on familiar religious language to describe it and certainly Jesus warned them that His glory and His suffering were to be inextricably connected–a theme John highlights throughout his Gospel.

Tradition names Mt. Tabor as the site of the revelation. A Church first raised there in the 4th century was dedicated on the 06 August — A Feast in honor of the Transfiguration was celebrated in the Eastern Church from about that time–Western observances began in some localities about the 8th century.

On 22 July, 1456 Crusaders defeated the Turks at Belgrade, news of this victory reached Rome on the 06 August and Pope Callistus III placed the Feast on the Roman calendar the following year.

More here from EWTN

Related: For Today’s Bible Readings and More Visit: -USCCB:

Dedication of St. Mary Major Basilica in Rome
Image Courtesy: Catholic Online

(EWTN) There are in Rome three patriarchal Churches in which the Pope officiates on different festivals–These are the Basilica’s of St. John Lateran (09 November) St. Peter’s on the Vatican Hill (25 April) and St. Mary Major — This last one is so called because it is both in antiquity and dignity, the First Church in Rome among those that are dedicated to God in Honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

First raised by the Order of Pope Liberius in the mid 4th century according to Franciscan Media the Liberian Basilica was rebuilt by Pope Sixtus III, shortly after the ‘Council of Ephesus’ affirmed Mary’s title as ‘Mother of God’ in 431 — Rededicated at that time to the ‘Mother of God’ St. Mary Major is the largest Church in the world honoring God through Mary.

Standing atop on of Rome’s seven hills, the Esquiline has survived many restorations without losing its character as an early Roman Basilica. Its interior retains three naves divided by colonnades in the style of Constantine’s era – 5th century mosaics on its walls testify to its antiquity.

One legend, unreported before the year 1000 gives another name to today’s Feast: ‘Our Lady of the Snows’ — According to that story, a wealthy Roman couple pledged their fortune to the ‘Mother of God’ in affirmation, she produced a miraculous Summer snowfall and told them to build a Church on that site. This legend was long celebrated by releasing a shower of white rose petals from the Basilica’s Dome every 05 August.

Related: For Today’s Bible Readings on the ‘Memorial of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. Mary Major’ in Rome, Visit: -USCCB

St. Peter Julian Eymard (1811-1868) Image: Pinterest

(Franciscan Media) Born in Southeaster France La Mure, Peter grew up in a poor working family according to SQPN during the anti-Catholic aftermath of the French Revolution.

Peter wanted to begin study for the Priesthood as a youth but his father forbid it, wanting him to takeover the family business instead but by the age of 18, Peter was finally permitted to join the ‘Oblate Novitiate’ however he became very ill, so ill that they sent Peter back home to die. — Peter however didn’t die but made a remarkable recovery, entering the Seminary once more, following his father’s death.

In 1834 Peter was Ordained to the Diocesan Priesthood, later joining the Society of Mary (Marist Fathers) — Fr. Peter Julian’s years as a Marist, included service as a provincial leader, together with his deepening of his Eucharist devotion especially through his preaching of ‘Forty Hours’ in many Parishes.

Inspired at first by the idea of reparation for indifference to the Eucharist, Fr. Peter Julian was eventually attracted to a more positive spirituality of Christ centered-love.

In 1851 Fr. Peter Julian answered a call to establish a community of men according to Catholic News Agency called the ‘Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament’ its mission was to promote the importance and significance of the Eucharist, together with working with the poor and helping then to prepare for their first Communion.

Fr. Perter Julian passed away this month in 1868 following a stroke. In 1925 he was Beatified by Pope Pius XI and Canonized in 1962 one day after Vatican II first session ended by Pope John XXIII