Cristy Li

St. Lucy of Syracuse (283-304)

(Franciscan Media) Every young girl named Lucy must bite her tongue in disappointment when she attempts to find out what there is to know about her Patron Saint.

Lucy was born in Sicily Syracuse into a wealthy devout Christian family according to SQPN at an early Lucy vowed a life for Christ. When Lucy’s father passed away when she was still quite young, her Mother Eutychia arranged a marriage for her. For three years, Lucy managed to keep the marriage on hold.

to change her mother’s mind about her being married, Lucy prayed at the tomb of St. Agatha (Feast Day: 05 February) and her mother’s long hemorrhagic illness was cured. Subsequently Lucy’s mother agreed with Lucy’s desire to live for God.

Paschasius (Lucy’s disappointed suitor) wasn’t nearly as understanding. Accusing Lucy of being a Christian to the Governor of Sicily, she was sentenced to ‘forced prostitution’ – When the guard went to get Lucy, they could not move her even when they hitched a team of oxen to her. Subsequently as a result of this, the Governor of Sicily ordered that Lucy be tortured (which included blinding her) and burned to death. — Lucy was surrounded by bundles of wood but when the fire was set a blaze it went out. Lucy was subsequently Martyred by being stabbed to death.

One can easily imagine what a young Woman had to contend with in pagan Sicily in the year 300–If one has difficulty imagining, just take a look at today’s removal of God from all places an ‘pleasure at all cost’ society and the barriers it presents at leading an honorable Christian life.

Lucy’s ‘friends’ must have wondered aloud about Lucy’s hero, an obscure itinerant preacher in a far-away captive nation that was once a carpenter, that had been crucified by Roman soldiers after His own people turned against Him. — Lucy though believed with her whole being that this man named Jesus, had risen from the dead. Heaven had put a stamp on all He said and did, to give witness to her faith she had made a vow of chastity.

What a ruckus Lucy’s desire to lead a Christian life of chastity among her pagan acquaintances, the kindlier ones may have thought this was just a little peculiar, to be pure before marriage, though an ancient Roman ideal, it was rarely found but never condemned. To exclude marriage altogether, this was just too much in that day, Lucy must have something sinister to hide.

Lucy knew of the heroism of earlier virgin martyrs for Christ and she remained faithful to their example and the Carpenter whom she knew as the Son of God.

What an inspiring ‘Saint of the Day’ for all Christians — Lucy was an authentic first class heroine, an abiding inspiration for all Christians, whose moral courage shines forth as a guiding light for future generations just as it did in Lucy’s day.

More here from EWTN

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

Pope Saint Damasus I –Image: Pinterest

(CatholicOnline@Facebook) All lovers of scripture have reason to celebrate this date. Damasus was the Pope that commissioned Saint Jerome to translate the scriptures into Latin, the Vulgate version of the  Bible.

To his Secretary St. Jerome, Damasus was “an incomparable person, learned in the scriptures, a virgin doctor of the virgin Church, who loved chastity and heard its praises with pleasure.”

As Pope, his lifestyle was simple in contrast to other ecclesiastics of Rome and he was fierce in his denunciation of Arianism and other heresies. A misunderstanding of the Trinitarian terminology used by Rome threatened amicable relations with the Eastern Church and Damasus was only moderately successful in dealing with that challenge.

More here from Catholic Online and here from Franciscan Media

Blessed Fr. Adolph Kolping (1813-1865) –Image: The Black Cordelias

(Franciscan Media) Born in the village of Kerpen Germany in 1813 Adolph Kolping became a shoemaker at an early age because of his families economic situation–Ordained in 1845, Kolping ministered to young workers in Cologne, establishing a choir which by 1849 grew into the ‘Young Workman’s Society’ a branch of this began in St Louis, Missouri in 1856

Nine years later, there were over 400 ‘Gersellenvereine’ (workman societies) around the world more commonly called the Kolping Societies today this group has over 500,000 members in 54 countries emphasizing the sanctification of the family life and dignity of labor.

Father Kolping, worked to improve conditions for workers and greatly assisted those in need.

Father Kolping once told his followers: “The first thing a person finds in life and the last to which he holds out his hand and the most precious he possesses even if he does not realize it, is his family.”

Blessed Fr. Kolping was beatified by Pope John Paul II on the 27 October, 1991 who said during his homily:

“Adolph Kolping gathered skilled workers and factory laborers together thus he overcome their isolation and defeatism–a faith society gave them strength to go out into their everyday lives as Christ’s witnesses before God and the world, to come together, to become strengthened in the assembly and thus to scatter again is and still remains our duty today. We are not Christians for ourselves alone but always for others too.”

More here on Blessed Fr. Adolph Kolping from The Black Cordelias

(Franciscan Media) A feast called the ‘Conception of Mary’ arose in the Eastern Church during the 7th Century and came to the West in the 8th Century.

In the 11th century it received its present name–the ‘Immaculate Conception’ and during the 18th century it became a feast of the universal Church and is now recognized as a solemnity.

In 1854, Pius IX solemnly proclaimed: “The Most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first in the first instant of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin.”

It took a long time for this doctrine to develop. While many Fathers and Doctors of the Church considered Mary the greatest and holiest of the Saints, they often had difficulty in seeing Mary as sinless–either at her conception or throughout her life. This is one of the Church teachings that arose more from the piety of the faithful than from the insights of the brilliant theologians. Even such champions of Mary as Bernard of Clairvaux and Thomas Aquinas, could not see theological justification for this teaching.

Two Franciscans, William of Ware and Blessed John Duns Scotus, helped develop the theology–pointing out that Mary’s Immaculate Conception enhances Jesus’ redemptive work. Other members of the human race are cleaned from original sin after birth.

In Mary, Jesus’ work was so powerful as to prevent original sin at the outset.

More here from EWTN

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

Where is the Immaculate Conception in the Holy Scriptures

Seven Quotes From Canonized Saint’s on the Immaculate Conception

St. Romaric –Image Courtesy: The Metropolitan Museum

(America Needs Fatima) Romaric a Merovingian nobleman gave up his title, renounced the world becoming a Homeless Monk at Luxeuil, subsequently meeting Amatus a French Abbot that had converted to Christianity, Romaric and Amatus established a Monastery on Romaric’s former estate.

More here from Catholic Online

Related: Why Do Catholic’s Seek the Intercession of Saint’s?

How Can You Become a Saint?

(Catholic Online) Crispina was a wealthy Roman wife and mother of several children in Africa, arrested for being a Christian, she was taken before Proconsul Anulinus at Thesbaste in Numidia and ordered to deny Christ Jesus, when she refused, Crispina was tortured, publicly ridiculed and beheaded on this date in 304

Crispina’s  death was observed by Bishop Augustine of Hippo in his sermons, mentioning her by name during his message on Psalm 120, observing: “The persecutors turned their rage against Crispina, whose birthday we celebrate today. They unleashed their savagery against a rich woman delicately nurtured but she was strong because the Lord was for her a better defense than the hand of her right hand and He was guarding her. Is there anyone in Africa who does not know about these events, brothers or sisters?”

• Jesus: “Do not fear those who kill the body but can not kill the soul, rather fear Him (Almighty God) who can destroy both soul and body in Hell.” –Matthew 10:28

More here from Catholic Encyclopedia

Related: Why Do Catholic’s Seek the Intercession of Saint’s?

How Can You Become a Saint?

(Catholic Online) Barbara was the daughter to a wealthy pagan named Dioscorus, after the death of her mother, Dioscorus dedicated himself to his only daughter. Barbara was known for her beauty and as a way of protecting his daughter, Dioscorus shielded her from the world, locking her high up in a tower, he would only permit pagan teachers to see her.

Barbara would spend her days gazing upon the hills and admiring God’s splendor of creation, she would often ponder about God and the harmonious world and soon began to realize the idols which her father and teachers worshiped were not of God’s creation. Barbara secretly became a Christian and dedicated herself to knowing the One and only true God of creation and consecrated to the Lord her virginity. As Barbara grew older, her father Dioscorus began presenting her to men for marriage, she refused them all and warned her father that his persistence could forever damage their relationship.

Dioscorus permitted Barbara to leave her room in the tower, hoping that some freedom would change her attitude to his chosen suitors. Barbara however took this opportunity to meet other Christians, that taught her about the Lord, Christ Jesus, the Holy Trinity and the Church, a Priest disguised as a merchant baptized Barbara (See: Mark 16:15-16) into Christ Jesus and His Holy Church.

While Barbara was out exploring the world, her father Dioscorus has a private bath house built for her, this bath house became a place of healing power, many miracles would occur there. After Barbara returned from her travels, she informed her father that she had become a Christian, was baptized and would no longer worship any of his idols. Full of anger and rage, Dioscorus grabbed his sword but before he could hurt her, Barbara ran off, Dioscorus searched and searched for his daughter but could not find her.

Dioscorus came upon two shepherds, asking them if they had seen his daughter? The first denied seeing her, the second however betrayed Barbara, Dioscorus subsequently would beat his daughter, locked her away and would starve her before handing Barbara over to Martianus, a city authority, together they would beat Barbara, demanding that she renounce Jesus and her Christian faith but she refused and prayed that God would heal her wounds.

Miraculously Barbara’s were healed and Christ Jesus gave to her the strength and courage to stand firm in her faith. This would only enrage Maritianus, who subsequently would torture Barbara and another Christian woman named Juliana with rakes and hooks, then led them naked throughout the city.

Barbara would pray to Jesus, an Angel of God appeared and would cover the two women with robes, torches that were lit to burn Barbara would go out when they would come near her. Finally Barbara was condemned to death by beheading by her father, for failing to renounce Jesus, her martyrdom took place on this date during the third century.

Both Dioscorus and Martianus were struck by lightning and killed, this would be seen as punishment from God for their actions.

• Jesus: “Do not fear those who kill the body but can not kill the soul, rather fear Him (Almighty God) who can destroy both soul and body in Hell.” –Matthew 10:28

More here from Lives of the Saint’s.com

Related: Why Do Catholic’s Seek the Intercession of Saint’s?

How Can You Become a Saint?