Cristy Li

Saint Francis of Assisi (1182-1226)
Image Courtesy: Catholic Online

(Franciscan Media) Born in Italy Umbria, Francis (baptismal name ‘Giovanni’) father Pietro Bernardone returned from a trip to France to find out his wife had given birth to a son. Far from being excited and overjoyed according to Catholic Online Pietro was furious because his wife had their baby baptized as ‘Giovanni’ after St. John the Baptist — The last thing that Pietro wanted in his son, was a ‘Man of God’ for he wanted a man of business, a cloth merchant like he was and especially wanted a son who would reflect his infatuation with France, so Pietro had him renamed ‘Francesco’ which was equivalent in calling him a Frenchman.

Francesco (‘Francis’) enjoyed a very rich easy life growing up because of his father’s wealth and the permissiveness of the times. From the very beginning everyone loved Francis as he was a happy go lucky young lad–when he was picky, people would excuse him, when he was ill, people cared for him. if he did poorly in school people excused him, in many ways, he was too easy to like for his own good–no one attempted to control or teach him.

As he grew up, Francis became the leader of the crowd of young people who spent their nights at wild parties–Francis himself acknowledged his misspent youthful days saying, “I lived in sin,’ during that time.

Serious illness brought young Francis to see the error in his ways with his frolicking life–prayer lengthy and difficult, led Francis to a self emptying  like that of Jesus Christ, climaxed by embracing a leper he met on the road. It symbolized his complete obedience to what he had heard in a payer:

“Francis! Everything that you have loved and desired in the flesh, it is your duty to despise and hate, if you wish to know My will and when you have begun this, all that now seems sweet and lovely to you will become intolerable and bitter but all that you used to avoid will turn itself to great sweetness and exceeding joy.”

From the Cross in the neglected field Chapel of San Damiano, Christ told Francis: “Go out and build up My House, for it is nearly falling down.” Francis would become the totally poor and humble workman. Francis must have suspected a deeper meaning to ‘build My House’ but he would have been content to be the rest of his life the ‘poor nothing man’ actually putting brick-on-brick on abandoned Chapels.

Francis gave up all of his possessions, piling even his clothes before his father Pietro (who was demanding restitution for Francis’ gifts to the poor–so that he would be totally free to say: “Our Father in Heaven.” Francis was for a time considered to be a religious fanatic, begging from door-to-door to get money for his work, evoking sadness and disgust in the hearts of his (now) former friends and ridicule from the thoughtless but genuineness will tell.

A few people began to realize that Francis was actually trying to live a Christian life. He really believed what Jesus said about proclaiming the Kingdom of God, ‘Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money–not even an extra tunic.’ —Luke 9:2-3

Francis’ first rule for his followers was a collection of texts from the Gospels. He had no idea of founding an Order but once it began, he protected it and accepted all the legal structures needed to support it. Francis’ devotion and loyalty to the Church were absolute and highly exemplary at a time when various movements of reform tended to break the Church’s unity. Francis was torn between a life devoted entirely to prayer and a life of active preaching the Good News, he decided in favor of the latter but always returned to solitude whenever he could.

During the last years of Francis’ relatively short life (he passed away at the age of 44) he was half-blind and seriously ill. Two years prior to his death, Francis received the ‘Stigmata’, the real and painful wounds of Christ in his hands, feet and side.

Francis passed away on this date in Italy Portiuncula and was Canonized in 1228 by Pope Gregory IX

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

Celebration of the Feast of Our Guardian Angels
Image: Archbishop Jose Gomez

(Franciscan Media) ‘For He will command His Angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.’ –Psalm 91:11 — Perhaps no aspect of Christian devotion is as comforting to parents as the faith that an Angel is watching over their children from dangers both real and imagined. Yet ‘Guardian Angels’ are not only for children, their role is to represent individuals before God, to watch over them always, to aid their prayers and to present their souls to God at death.

The concept of an Angel assigned to guide and nurture each human being is a development of Catholic doctrine and faith based on Scripture but not directly drawn from it.

Jesus words in Matthew 18:10 “Take care that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I tell you, in Heaven their Angels continually see the face of My Father in Heaven,” best supports that belief.

Devotion to ‘Our Guardian Angels’ began to develop with the birth of the Monastic tradition. St. Benedict gave it impetus at St. Bernard of Clairvaux (Feast Day: 20 August) the great Christian reformer, was such an eloquent spokesman for the ‘Guardian Angels’ that Angelic devotion assumed its current form in his day.

A ‘Feast in Honor of the Guardian Angels’ was first observed in the 16th century. In 1615 Pope Paul V, added it to the Roman calendar.

More here from EWTN

Related: For Today’s Holy Scripture Readings for the Memorial of Our Holy Guardian Angels, Visit: -USCCB

St. Therese of Lisieux (1873-1897)
Image Courtesy: Archbishop Jose Gomez

(Franciscan Media) “I prefer the monotony of obscure sacrifice to all ecstasies. To pick-up a pin for love can covert a soul,” said Therese of the Child Jesus’ who was born in France Normandy and daughter of Saint’s Louis & Zelie Martin (Feast Day: 25 September)

A Carmelite Nun (known also as ‘The Little Flower’) she entered the Convent as a teenager and lived a cloistered life of obscurity in the Convent in France  Lisieux — All 4 of Sister Therese’s siblings also entered into a religious life becoming Nun’s.

Sister Therese’s preference for hidden sacrifice did convert souls to Christ, few Saint’s of God are more popular than this young Nun. — In her biography “The Story of the Soul” (available at Amazon) has been heard, read and loved throughout the world.

According to SQPN Sister Therese, “defined her path to God and holiness as ‘The Little Way’ which consisted of a child-like love and trust in God.”

Sister Therese passed away at the age of 24 following her long battle with tuberculosis — Sister Therese was Beatified in 1923 and Canonized in 1925 by Pope Pius XI; In 1997 St. Therese was declared a ‘Doctor of the Church’ by Pope Saint John Paul II

More here from EWTN here from Catholic Ireland

Related: Why Can’t I Change? Wisdom from St. Therese – Ascension Press Media

St. Therese was a Prima Ballerina — Spiritual Direction

Saint Jerome (345-420)
Image Courtesy: Archbishop Jose Gomez

Born into a wealthy family in Stridon, present day Croatia according to Catholic News Agency Jerome benefited with a Christian education courtesy of his father who sent him to Rome for instruction in philosophy and classical literature, he led a misspent youth according to SQPN dominated by a struggle between worldly pleasures which brought him many temptations.

Baptized in 360 by Pope Liberius, Jerome would travel widely among the monastic and intellectual centers of the new Christian empire. Upon returning to the community of his birth, Jerome would study Theology, mastering Latin, Greek, Hebrew and Chaldean, together with working closely with two future Saint’s Chromatius of Aquileia and Heliodorus who were outstanding teachers of orthodox theology.

St. Jerome was above all a Scriptural Scholar, translating most of the Old Testament from the Hebrew between 390-405 according to Franciscan Media (between 390-394 according to EWTN St. Jerome translated the Books of Samuel, Kings, Job, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes) and also wrote commentaries, which are a great source of Scriptural inspiration to us today.

Summarizing his scholarly works St. Jerome once said: “I interpret as I should, following the command of Christ: ‘Search the Scriptures,’ and ‘Seek and you shall find.’ For if as Paul says, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God and if the man who does not know Scripture does not know the power and wisdom of God, then ignorance of Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.”

On this date in 420 St. Jerome died in Bethlehem where he had established a Monastery.

More here by Fr. Jose de Siguenza

Saint’s Michael, Gabriel and Raphael Archangels from God
Image Courtesy: Archbishop Jose Gomez

(Franciscan Media) Angels — Messengers from God, appear frequently in Scripture but only Michael, Gabriel and Raphael are named.

St. Michael appears in Daniel’s vision as ‘The Great Prince’ —Daniel 12:1 who defends Israel against its enemies; In the Book of Revelation, Archangel Michael, leads God’s armies to final victory over the forces of evil. —Revelation 12:7-12; also see: Rev 12:7 & Commentary –USCCB Devotion to Michael is the oldest Angelic devotion, rising in the East in the 4th century–the Church in the West began to observe the Feast, honoring Michael and the Archangels in the 5th century.

St. Gabriel also makes an appearance in Daniel’s visions:
Daniel 8:15-16; Daniel 9:21-27  and Luke 1:26-36 — St. Gabriel appears to Mary who consents to give birth to the Messiah Jesus.

St. Raphael activities are confined to the Old Testament story of Tobit–According to Jewish Encyclopedia St. Raphael is one of the seven Archangels who brings prayers before God, although he is not one of the six who buried Moses, he is the second among the six or seven angels, Saint Michael as the most prominent.

The Feast Day’s of Saint Gabriel (24 March) Saint Raphael (according to SQPN formally was on the 24 October) were added to the Roman calendar, joining their Feast Day’s to St. Michael.

More here from EWTN

Related: For Today’s Most Holy Scripture Readings and More, Visit: -USCCB

St. Vincent de Paul (1581-1660)
Image: Aquitaine

(EWTN) Born in France Gascony, Vincent like his fellow Saint Francis de Sales (Feast Day: 24 January) who was his friend and contemporary, performed an invaluable service to the Church in a period of confusion and laxness.

In 1625 St. Vincent de Paul established the Congregation of Priests of the Missions according to Catholic News Agency as part of an effort to evangelize rural populations and foster vocations to remedy a priest shortage in which he wrote courtesy of the Vatican a wonderful message so practical, for even in our day:

“Our vocation is to go and enflame the heart of men, to do what the Son of God did, He who brought fire into the world to set it alright with His love. What else can we wish for than for it to burn and consume all things?

Thus it is true that I have been sent not only to love God but also to make men love Him.

It is not enough to love God if my neighbor does not love Him. I must love my neighbor as the image of God and the object of His love and do everything so that in their turn men love their Creator who knows and considers them as His brothers who He has served. I must obtain that they love each other with mutual love, out of love for God who loved them to the point of abandoning to death His very Son. So that is my duty.

Now if it is true that we are called to bear God’s love near and far, if we must set nations alight, if our vocation is to go and spread this divine fire in the whole world, if it is so my brothers, if it is really so, how must I myself burn of this divine fire.

How can we give love to others, if we do not have it among us? Let us look if it is so not generally but if each one has it within himself, in due amount because if love is not on fire in us, if we do not love each other as Jesus Christ loved us and if we do not act as He did. how can we hope to spread such love throughout the world? You can not give what you do not have. The precise duty of charity consists of ‘doing to others what you reasonably would like done for yourself.’ Do I really behave towards my neighbor as I wish he would towards me?

Let us look at the Son of God. Only our Lord can be so taken by love for creatures so much as to leave His Father’s throne and take a body subject to infirmity and why? In order to establish among us, with His word and example, the love of our neighbors. This is the love that led Him to the Cross and accomplished the wonderful work of our redemption. If we had a little of such love, would we stay here with folded arms? Oh! No, love can not remain barren, it urges us to obtain Salvation and relief for others.”

Not long after establishing the ‘Congregation of Priests of the Mission’ Fr. Vincent de Paul worked with the future Saint Louise de Marillac (Feast Day: 15 March) to establish the ‘Daughters of Charity’ dedicated to serving the sick, poor and neglected.

Under Sister Louise de Marillac direction, the Order collected donations which Fr. Vincent de Paul distributed widely among the needy. — These contributions went toward homes for abandoned children, a hospice for the elderly and a large complex where some 40,000 poor people were given lodging and work.

Admired for great accomplishments during his lifetime, Fr. Vincent de Paul, maintained great personal humility, using his reputation and connections to help the poor and strengthen the Church.

Fr. Vincent de Paul passed away on this date in 1660 only months following the death of St. Louise de Marillac (1591-1660) — In August 1729 he was Beatified by Pope Benedict XIII and Canonized in June 1737 by Pope Clement XI

More here from Franciscan Media

St. Cosmas and St. Damian
Image: Garden of Mary

(CNA) Cosmas and Damain were twins born in 3rd century Arabia into a Christian family and grew up in the region around the border between what’s now modern day Turkey and Syria, both became Physicians attaining a great reputation, charging nothing for their medical services, called ‘Anargyros’ and thus were able to win many souls for Christ, earning them a place of prominence in the Christian communities.

When the persecutions of Emperor Diocletian (from around 284 to 305 — see also: Feast of Saint Januarius Feast Day:19 September) the ‘Perfect Lysias’ had Cosmas and Damian arrested and ordered them to deny their faith in Christ, when they refused, they were repeatedly tortured but in a miraculous manner would suffer no injuries from either water, fire, air or crucifixion. Their Torturers weary of what they realized would be an impossible task, finally beheaded the brothers. — In Rome, Pope Felix IV (526-530) erected a Church in their honor.

Saint Cosmas and Saint Damian are invoked in the Canon of the Mass and the Litany of Saints.

More here from EWTN