Cristy Li

Saint Paul the Hermit (233-345)
Image Courtesy: Catholic Tradition

(Aleteia) Paul the Hermit reportedly was born in Egypt where he was orphaned at 15 yrs of age, a learned and devout young man.

During the persecution of Decius in Egypt in the year 250, Paul was forced to hide in a home of a friend. Fearing a brother-in-law would betray him, he fled to a cave in the desert, his plan, was to return when the persecution ended but the sweetness of a solitude life and heavenly contemplation convinced him to stay–Paul went on to live in the cave for the next 90 years.

A nearby spring gave Paul drinking water, a palm tree furnished him clothing and nourishment, after 21 years of solitude, a raven began bringing him half of a loaf of bread each day.

Without knowing what was happening in the world, Paul prayed the world would be a better place.

Saint Anthony of Egypt (Feast Day-17 January) attests to Paul’s holy life and death, tempted by thought that no one had served God in the wilderness longer than he, Anthony was led by God to find Paul and acknowledge him as a man, more perfect than himself–the raven that day brought a whole loaf of bread instead the usual half. As Paul predicted, Anthony would return to bury his friend.

Thought to have been about 112 when he died, Paul is known as the ‘First Hermit’ his feast day is celebrated in the East, he’s also commemorated in the Coptic and Armenian rites of the Mass.

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Saint Gregory Nazianzen

After Gregory’s baptism in 360 he lived the quiet life in solitude according to Catholic Culture later he gladly accepted his friend St. Basil invitation to join him in a newly found Monastery.

The tranquility Gregory found at the monastery was broken when Gregory’s father, a Bishop needed his help in his diocese and estate–It seems that Gregory reluctantly agreed to become a Priest, was ordained and with some hesitation accepted the responsibility, skillfully avoiding a schism that threatened when his own father made compromises with Arianism.

At the age of 41 Gregory was chosen ‘Suffragan Bishop of Caesarea’ and at once, came into conflict with Valens, the Emperor who supported the Arians, which denied the divinity of Jesus Christ–An unfortunate by-product of the conflict was the cooling of the friendship of two Saints.

Basil his Archbishop, sent Gregory to a miserable and unhealthy town on the border of unjustly creating divisions in the diocese–Basil reproached Gregory for not going to his See.

When protection of Arianism ended with the death of Valens, Gregory was called to rebuild the faith in the great See of Constantinople, which had been under Arian teachers for three decades.

Retiring and sensitive, Gregory dreaded being drawn into the whirlpool of corruption and violence. Gregory first stayed at a friend’s home which became the only Orthodox Church in the city–In such surroundings, he began delivering the great sermons on the Trinity for which he was famous. In time, Gregory did rebuild the faith in the city but at the cost of great suffering, slander, insults and even personal violence–an interloper, even attempted to take-over his Bishopric.

Gregory’s last days were spent in solitude and austerity, writing religious poetry–some of it autobiographical of great depth and beauty, acclaimed simply as ‘The Theologian’ his writings merited for him the title of ‘Doctor of the Church.’

Saint Hilary, Bishop of Poitiers Confers Minor Orders on Saint Martin

(Franciscan Media) The staunch defender of the Divinity of Jesus Christ, was a gentle and courteous man, devoted to some of the greatest theology on the Trinity and was like his master being labeled a ‘Distributor of the Peace’ in a very troubled period of the Church, his holiness was lived out in both scholarship and controversy–he was Bishop of Poitiers in France.

Hilary raised a pagan, converted to Christianity when he met his God of nature in the scriptures, his wife was still living when he was chosen, against his will, to be the Bishop of Poitiers in France and was soon taken up with battling  what became to scourge of the 4th century–Arianism, which denied the Divinity of Jesus Christ.

This heresy spread rapidly, St. Jerome said: ‘The world groaned and marveled to find that it was Arian.’ When Emperor Constantius, ordered all of the Bishops of the West to sign a ‘Condemnation of Athanasius’ the greatest defender of the faith in the East, Hilary refused and was banished from France to far off Phrygia (in modern day Turkey) eventually he was called the ‘Athanasius of the West.’

While writing in exile, Hilary was invited by some semi-Arians (hoping for reconciliation) to a council the Emperor called to counteract the ‘Council of Nicea’ but Hilary predictably defended the Church and when he sought public debate with the heretical bishop who had exiled him, the Arians dreading the meeting and its outcome, pleaded with the Emperor to send this troublemaker back home–Hilary was welcomed by his people.

• A favorite motto of of Saint Hilary was: “Ministros veritatis decet vera proferre.” — “Servants of the truth ought to speak the truth.”

Related: For Today’s Most Holy Scripture Readings for the Memorial of St. Hilary, Visit: -USCCB

St. Marguerite Bourgeoys (1620-1700)
Image Courtesy: Catholic Online

(Vatican) Marguerite, born the 6th of 12 children in France Troyes, she lost her Mother when she was just 19 yrs old.

The following year in a course of a procession held on the 07 October in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary, Marguerite had an unforgettable experience–her eyes resting on a statue of the Blessed Virgin, at that moment, she felt inspired to withdraw from the world and to consecrate herself to the service of God and with that unchanging fidelity to what she believed God’s will to be for her, an allegiance that characterized her life thenceforth, she set about to discern her vocation.

Marguerite registered at once as a Member of the ‘Congregation of Troyes’ an association of young ladies devoted to the charitable work of teaching children in the poor districts of the town. While still engaged in this, she learned about the foundation of ‘Ville Marie’ (present day Montreal) in 1642 and at that time, believed it was a first call to missionary life.

This calling was rendered concrete in 1652 when she was introduced to Monsieur de Maisonneve, founder and Governor of the French settlement who was in search of someone who would volunteer her services for the gratuitous instruction of the French-Indian children, according to Franciscan Media when Marguerite arrived, the colony numbered 200 with a hospital and Jesuit Mission Chapel.

Soon after starting the school, Marguerite realized her need for co-workers, returning to France Troyes, she recruited a friend–Catherine Crolo and two other young Women. In 1667 they added classes at their school. A second trip back to France three years later, resulted in 6 more young Women and a Letter form King Louis XIV, authorizing the school–the Congregation of Notre Dame was established in 1676

Marguerite established a school for Indian girls in Montreal–At the age of 69, she walked from Montreal to Quebec, in response to the Bishop’s request to establish a community of her Sister’s in that city.

At the time she passed away (12 January, 1700) Marguerite was referred to as the ‘Mother of the Colony’ acknowledged for her holiness.

The educative and apostolic effort of Marguerite Bourgeoys, continues through the commitment of the members of the community that she founded–More than 2,600 Sisters of the ‘Congregation de Notre Dame’ work in fields of action, according to the needs of time and place — from school, to college or university, in the promotion of the family, parish and diocesan endeavors, they’re on mission in Canada, the United States, Japan, Latin America, Cameroon and most recently, they have established a house in France.

On the 12 November, 1950 Pope Pius XII beatified Marguerite, she was Canonized by Pope John Paul II on the 31 October, 1982 giving the Canadian Church, its first Woman Saint.

Related: Marguerite Bourgeoys Museum, Montreal Canada

Bl. William Carter –Image: A Catholic Prayer@Twitter

(Franciscan Media) Born in London, William Carter entered the printing business at an early age. For many years he worked as an apprentice to well known Catholic printers–one of who served a prison sentence for persisting in Catholicism. William also served prison time for printing ‘lewd (i.e. Catholic) pamphlets’ as well as possessing books upholding Catholicism.

Even more, William offended public officials by publishing works that aimed to keep Catholics firm in their faiths. Officials that searched William’s house found various vestments and suspect books and were even able to extract information from William’s distraught wife–Over the next 18 months, William remained in prison, tortured and subsequently learning of his wife’s death.

William was eventually charged with printing and publishing the ‘Treatise of Schisme’ which allegedly incited violence by Catholic and which was said to have been written by a traitor who addressed to traitors.

While William calmly placed his trust in God, the jury met for only 15 minutes before finding him guilty–William made his final confession to a Priest who was being prosecuted along side of him, hanged, drawn and quartered the following day.

In 1987 he was beatified by Pope John Paul II

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Saint Adrian of Canterbury (635-710) Image Courtesy: EBK

(EWTN) Though St. Adrian turned down a papal request to become Archbishop of Canterbury England, Pope Vatalian, accepted the rejection on the condition that Adrian serve as the Holy Father’s assistant and advisor, Adrian accepted but ended up spending most of his life and doing most of his worl in Canterbury.

Born in Libya, Adrian was serving as an Abbot in Italy when the new Archbishop of Canterbury appointed him Abbot of the Monastery of Saint’s Peter and Paul in Canterbury. Thanks to his leadership skills, the faculty became one of the most important centers for learning, attracting many outstanding scholars from far and wide and produced numerous future Bishops and Archbishops–students reportedly learned Greek and Latin, speaking Latin as their own native languages.

Adrian taught at the school for 40 yrs, died there and was buried in the Monastery. Several hundred years later when reconstruction was being done, Adrian’s body was discovered in an incorrupt state, as word spread people flocked to his tomb which became famous for miracles–Rumor had it, that young schoolboys in trouble with their masters, made regular visits there.

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St. Raymond of Penafort (1175-1275)
Image Courtesy: Canonically Speaking

(Franciscan Media) Since Raymond lived into his 100th year, he had an opportunity to do many things. As a member of the Spanish nobility, he possessed the resources and the education to get a good start in life.

By the time Raymond was 20, he was teaching Philosophy, in his early 30s, he earned a doctorate in both Canon and civil law and at 41 he became a Dominican.

Pope Gregory IX called Raymond to Rome to work for him and to be a Confessor and one of the things the Pope asked him to do, was to gather together all of the decrees of Pope’s and Councils that had been made in 80 years since a similar collection by Gratian the Roman Emperor (375-383)

Raymond compiled 5 books called the ‘Decretals’ they were looked upon as one of the best organized collections of Church law until the 1917 codification of Canon law.

Earlier Raymond had written for a confessors a book of cases ‘Summa de Casibus Poenitentiae’ more than simply a list of sins and penances, it discussed pertinent  doctrines and laws of the Church that pertained to the problem or case brought to the confessor.

At the age of 60, Raymond was appointed Archbishop of Tarragona a port city in Spain but he didn’t like the honor at all and ended up getting sick and resigning in two years.

Raymond didn’t get to enjoy his peace for long however because when he was 63 he was elected by his fellow Dominicans to be the head of the whole Order–the successor of St. Dominic (1170-1221) Raymond worked hard and visited on foot all of the Dominicans, recognized their constitutions and managed to put through a provision that a Master General be allowed to resign. When the new constitutions were accepted, Raymond then at age 65 resigned–he sill had 35 years to oppose heresy, work for the conversion of Moors in Spain and convinced St Thomas Aquinas, to write his work ‘Against the Gentiles.’

In Raymond’s 100th year, the Lord allowed him to retire.

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