Cristy Li

St. John Chrysostom  -Image Courtesy: Pinterest

(CNA) Born in Asia-Minor (modern day Turkey) Antioch, St. John Chrysostom  was perhaps one of the greatest preachers in the history of the Church, thus the name that earned him the title ‘Chrysostom’ (Golden Mouthed) and the most prominent Greek Father of the Church.

John grew up in Antioch (ancient Greek–Roman city) receiving an excellent classical Greek education–upon meeting the Holy Bishop Meletus, John decided to devote his time to the study of Sacred Scripture and religious works. Following his Baptism and three years of study, John set out for the desert to live the ascetic life of a Hermit in solitude. — John’s extreme mortification left him in fragile health, necessitating his return to Antioch.

After two years of recovery, John would devote himself to studying for the Priesthood, he was Ordained in 386, serving in the Cathedral of Antioch for 12 yrs, earning him widespread fame for his preaching which is said, “the content of his sermons, his exegesis of Scripture were never without a point according to Franciscan Media which sometimes the point stung the high and mighty–some of Fr. John’s sermons were said to have lasted up to 2 hours.

In 398 Fr. John was appointed ‘Patriarch of Constantinople’ and quickly became very popular with the people, through his example of preaching and courage in front of the imperial authority, whose corruption and decadence he never shirked from publicly criticizing. — This attitude naturally made Fr. John enemies of the Empress, Eudoxia as well as Theophilus Bishop of Alexandria, who had Fr. John condemned on false allegations in 403

Fr. John was subsequently exiled to Armenia where he continued to be a great presence in the Church of the East, through his many letters–From there, Fr. John was exiled from Armenia to an isolated place along the Black Sea, where he would die during the journey in 407 of natural causes.

In 438 the Emperor Theodosius II of Constantinople had Fr. John’s body returned and he did penance for the sins of his mother Eudoxia (Aelia Eudocia) who died in 460

Fr. John Chrysostom’s many writings, especially his Homilies and commentaries on the Gospels remain in existence and have exerted great influence throughout the centuries.

Related: St. John Chrysostom Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew

St. John Chrysostom Homilies on the Gospel of John

St. John Chrysostom on the Day he was Ordained a Priest

Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Image Courtesy: Archbishop Jose Gomez

(Franciscan Media) Today’s Feast is a counterpart to the Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus (Feast Day: 03 January) both have the possibility of reconciling people too easily divided.

The ‘Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary’ began in Spain 1513 and by 1671 was extended to all of Spain and the Kingdom of Naples.

In 1683 King John Sobieski III of Poland (1629-1696) brought an Army to the outskirts of Vienna to stop the advance of Muslim armies, loyal to Mohamed in Constantinople — After King Sobieski entrusted himself to Our ‘Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God’ he and his Soldiers thoroughly defeated the Muslims (an invaluable lesson that Americans should heed today –I digress)

Pope Innocent IV extended this Feast to the entire Church as a perpetual memorial of the great blessing won by Christians at Vienna.

More here from Our Lady of the Rosary Church

Related: For Today’s Most Holy Scripture Readings for the Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Mary, Visit: -USCCB

Saint Peter Claver (1581-1654)
Image: Catholic Online

(CNA) Born in Spain into a farming family, Peter would go on to study at the Univ of Barcelona and would join the Jesuits at the age of 20 — Later while studying Philosophy, Peter developed a friendship with an older Jesuit Lay Brother (who would later together with Peter be Canonized) Saint Alphonsus Rodriguez (Feast Day: 30 October)

Although St. Alphonsus spent his days doing menial work as a door-keeper, he had immense insight into spiritual matters and encouraged young Peter to become a Missionary in the Spanish colonies.

In 1610 now a Priest–Fr. Claver, arrived in Cartagena a port city (present day Colombia) despite Pope Paul III repeated condemnations of slavery during the previous century, European Colonists continued importing African Slaves that if they survived the journey would expect to be worked to death on plantations and in mines.

Fr. Peter Claver was determined to sacrifice his own freedom, to bring material aid and eternal salvation to the African Slaves in keeping with his solemn vow to become ‘the Slave of the Blacks forever,’ the young Priest made and kept this resolution despite his own health issues (aggravated by the climate) and the language barrier between himself and the population he served.

Many Spanish Royal officials in Cartagena appreciated Fr. Claver’s work and made contribution for the Slaves ‘relief and education’ — the Slave traders on the other hand found Fr. Claver and his interpreters to be a nuisance. — Meanwhile some bigoted Spanish expats, who sought out Fr. Claver because of his Holy reputation, refused to enter the same Church or Confessional as the African Slaves.

In order for Fr. Claver to minister to African Slaves who spoke a different language, he would often employ ‘pictorial representations’ of Catholic truths and would effectively communicate by generosity, expressions of love, together with giving food and drink to the ailing Slaves and would visit with them during times of illness which often times proved fatal to them.

“We must speak to them with our hands,” Fr. Claver reasoned,
“before we try to speak with our lips.”

In keeping with his vow of ‘Slavery’ Fr. Peter Claver survived on minimal amounts of food and sleep–his life of humility and penance, led to miraculous occurrences, as when the sick were healed with the touch of his cloak or he appeared surrounded by a supernatural light during his hospital visits.

Fr. Peter Claver’s work came to an end with his death in September 1654 he had Baptized and had taught Christianity to more than 300,000 African Slaves during his four decades in Cartagena — The city Magistrates ordered that he should be buried at public expense with great ceremony.

In 1851 Fr. Peter Claver was Beatified by Pope Blessed Pius IX and Canonized together with his friend St. Alphonsus Rodriguez in 1887 who declared St. Peter Claver, the worldwide patron of missionary work among Black Slaves.

More here from EWTN 

Related: For Today’s Most Holy Scripture Readings for the Memorial of St. Peter Claver, Visit: -ISCCB

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Image Courtesy: Meadowsweet

(Franciscan Media) The Church has celebrated Mary’s Birth since the end of the 7th century according to EWTN brought there by Eastern Monks. Gradually and in varied ways, it spread to other parts of the West in the centuries that followed.

From the 13th century on, the celebration assumed notable importance becoming a Solemnity with a major Octave and preceded by a Vigil calling for a Fast–the Octave was reduced to a simple one during the reform of Pope Saint Pius X (1903-1914) and was abolished altogether under the reform of Pope Pius XII (1939-1958)

The present calendar characterizes the ‘Birth of Mary’ as a Feast, placing it on the same plane as the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Feast Day: 31 May) — For some centuries now, the birth has been assigned to the 08 September both in the East and West but in ancient times it was celebrated on different dates from place-to-place. However when the Feast of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception (Feast Day: 08 December) was extended to the whole Church, the Birth little-by-little became assigned everywhere to the 08 September, nine months after the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.

Scripture does not give an account of Mary’s Birth however the Protoevangelium of James fills in the gap. This work has no historical value but it does reflect the development of Christian faith. According to this account, Saint Anne and Saint Joachim are infertile but pray to God for a child and subsequently receive the promise of a child that will advance God’s plan of Salvation for the world. — Such a story (as many Biblical counterparts) stress the special presence of God in Mary’s life from the very beginning.

Saint Augustine connects the Blessed Virgin Mary’s Birth with Jesus’ saving work and describes it according to Catholic News Agency with cosmic and historic significance, an important prelude to the Birth of Jesus Christ.

“She is the flower of the field from whom bloomed
the precious lily of the valley.
Through her Birth the nature inherited
from our first parents is changed.”

The opening prayer at Mass speaks of the Birth of Mary’s Son as the dawn of our Salvation and asks for an increase of peace.

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

(Angelus News) St. Cloud was born in 522 was the Grandson of King Clovis I, the first Catholic monarch of what is now present day France, after the death of their father, Cloud and his brother were raised by their Grandmother, St. Queen Clothilde.

King Cloud divided his kingdom into four sections one for each of his sons, following his death in 511, two of Prince Cloud’s uncles and two other boys in an attempt to leave only one living son, King of all the territories. Prince Cloud escaped and lived as a Monk for many years, giving away his wealth to the poor and renouncing his position and wealth entirely, he would become a Priest in 551

Fr. Cloud spent time as a Hermit in the forest studying Holy Scripture, he would found a community of Monks and passed away there at the age of thirty-eight on this date in 560 — Many cities and towns are named after St. Cloud, including St. Cloud, Minnesota.

St. Cloud, please pray that we’ll always be committed to Christ Jesus and the most Holy Scriptures no matter the consequences.

(Angelus News) St. Lawrence (1381-1455) wanted to become a Canonized Saint from the time he was a child and when he was nineteen, he received a vision that left a void in his heart that only God could fulfill, he turned down an arranged marriage, instead joined the ‘Canons Regular of St. George’ a friend of his, tried to tempt him back into a life of earthly pleasures but Brother Lawrence knew that only God could bring him happiness.

Brother Lawrence became Superior and subsequently General of ‘Canons Regular of St. George’ he would later become Bishop of his Diocese and later appointed the first Patriarch of Italy Venice, through it all he remained humble, eternally seeking Heaven.

Blessed Claudio Granzotto (1900-1947)
Image Courtesy: Pinterest

(Franciscan Media) Born in Italy Santa Lucia di Piave in 1900, Claudio was the youngest of 9 children in a peasant farming family according to SQPN and so was accustomed to hard work in the fields. At the age of 9, Claudio’s father passed away and six years later at 15, Claudio was drafted into the Army serving three years.

Claudio loved art especially religious themed art and graduated with Honors from Italy Venice ‘Academy of Fine Arts’ in 1929 — Four yrs after graduation, Claudio entered the ‘Order of Friars Minor’ which his Parish Priest wrote of him: “The Order is receiving not only an artist but a Saint.”

Prayer, charity to the poor and artistic work characterized Claudio’s short life as he died on the day of the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1947 at the age of just 46 of a brain tumor.

Claudio was Beatified in 1994 by Pope Saint John Paul II