Cristy Li

Saint Matthias, Apostle
Image: Catholic Online

(EWTN) The Greek ‘Matthias’ was one of the seventy disciples of Jesus and had been with him from His baptism by John to the Ascension —Acts 1:21-22 It is related Acts 1:15-26 that in the days following the Ascension, Peter proposed to the assembled Brethren–that they choose one to fill the place of the traitor Judas in the Apostolate. Two disciples Joseph called Barsabas and Matthias were selected and lots were were drawn, with the result in favor of Matthias, who became associated with the 11 Apostles.

All further information concerning the life and death of Matthias is vague and contradictory, according to Franciscan Media Matthias is not mentioned by name anywhere else in the New Testament.

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

Saints Nereus & Achilleus
Image: Catholic Online

Nereus and Achilleus were Roman soldiers of the Praetorian Guard (the Emperor’s security detail) it is said, they were Baptized by St. Peter himself and were martyred for Jesus Christ at the end of the First Century.

When Nereus and Achilleus became Christians, they gave up their posts which they seen as immoral, they were subsequently exiled and killed during the reign of Emperor Trajan (98 to 117 AD)

An epitaph written by Pope Damasus says the following: “Nereus and Achilleus the Martyrs that joined the army and carried out the cruel orders of the tyrant, obeying his will continually out of fear. Then came a miracle of faith. They suddenly gave up their savagery, they were converted, they fled the camp of their evil leader, throwing away their shields, armor and bloody spears. Professing the Faith of Christ, they are happy to witness to its triumph. From these words of Damasus, understand what great deeds can be brought about by God’s glory.”

Some five centuries after the deaths of Saints Nereus and Achilleus, Martyrs for Christ, Pope Gregory the Great (540-604 AD) delivered his 28th Homily on the occasion of their feast: “These Saints, before whose tomb we are assembled despised the world and trampled it under their feet when peace, riches and gave it charms.”

More here from Bartleby.com and here from SQPN

Saint Ignatius of Laconi (1701-1781)
Image: SS_Reliquiis_Custos@Flickr

Born the second of seven children in a poor farming family in Italy Laconi, Francis Ignatius Vincent Peis, was named because of his safe delivery through a difficult pregnancy was achieved through the intercession of St. Francis of Assisi (Feast Day 04 October) Francis’ Mother promised the Saint, that she would name her unborn baby ‘Francis’ and that he would join the Capuchin Friars as an adult.

From his early childhood, Francis demonstrated a capacity of hard work in the fields and a strong devotion to Jesus Christ. He would often be seen in prayer and was known to wait at the Church doors every day in prayer, waiting patiently to celebrate Mass until they were opened.

Francis wanted to join the Capuchin Friars as a teenager but his father would not permit it because the family depended on his labor in order to survive however, on surviving a riding accident through God’s intervention at the age of 20, Francis decided to enter the Capuchin Monastery at once, taking his vows a year later–Francis at that time took his second name ‘Ignatius’ as his religious name.

Ignatius spent his 15 years as a Capuchin Friar, doing various menial jobs around the Monastery, for the last 40 years of his life, he was appointed ‘Questor’ (person that sought alms or charity) for the Monastery–Ignatius would travel around the town, collecting food and donations for the Capuchin Friars.

Loved by the poor and the area children, Ignatius was often given alms by those who barely had anything to give themselves–Ignatius refused to accept anything from the very poor, saying that it was better for them to keep it for themselves.

Ignatius tended to the sick and to the street children daily on his rounds throughout the town, many miracles of healing were said to have occurred through his intercession.

On this date at the age of 81, Ignatius went home to be with the Lord — Ignatius was Beatified in 1940 and Canonized in 1951 by Pope Pius XII 

More here from Capuchin Franciscans and here from Franciscan Media

Saint John of Avila –Image: Parroquias de Mara

(EWTN) Born in Spain Almodovar del Campo, John of Avila (San Juan de Avila) lived in the first half of the 16th century. John was the only son of wealthy, devout Christian parents.

When John was 14 yrs of age, he was sent to study law at the prestigious University of Salamanca but left his studies at the end of his 4th term following a profound experience of conversion, prompting him to return home to devote himself to meditation and prayer.

Set on becoming a Priest, in 1520 John left to study theology and humanities at the University of Alcala de Henares, which was open to the great currents of theology and humanities of the time.

In 1526 John was Ordained a Priest and celebrated his first Solemn Mass in his Parish Church. Intending to serve as a missionary to the West Indies, Fr. Avila determined to distribute his large inheritance to the needy. Subsequently, with the consent of the Bishop of Mexico Tlaxcala, Fr. Avila went to Spain Seville to await a ship to the new world.

Fr. Avila was imprisoned in 1531 as a result of a Homily that he delivered according to SQPN speaking boldly against the sins of the ruling class. While incarcerated, Fr. Avila began writing the first version of his work, thereafter these were to be the pillars of his spiritual life and central theses of his Homilies, subsequent to his release from prison–Fr. Avila became more popular than ever.

After traveling throughout Andalusia and other regions of Central & Eastern Spain in ministry and prayer, in 1554 already ill, Fr. Avila finally withdrew to a simple house in Spain Montilla, where he exercised his apostolate through an abundant of correspondence and his several writings.

The Archbishop of Granada wanted to take Fr. Avila as his theological expert to the final two sessions of the ‘Council of Trent’ but Fr. Avila’s ill health prevented him from traveling.

On the morning of the 10 May, 1569 after much suffering from his ill health, surrounded by his friends and followers, Fr. Avila surrendered his soul to the Lord while clinging to a Crucifix.

Fr. Avila was Beatified in 1894 by Pope Leo XIII and was Canonized in 1970 by Pope Paul VI

More here from Franciscan Media

Saint Peter of Tarantaise (1102-1174)
Image: All Saints & Martyrs

(EWTN) Born in France Rhone Alps, Peter had a strong inclination of learning, assisted by his genius and happy memory which carried him successfully through his studies.

At 20 years of age, Peter took the Cistercian habit at France Bonnevaux, a Monastery that had been lately filled by a colony sent by St. Bernard from Clairaux. They employed a great part of their day hewing wood and tilling the ground in the forest in perpetual silence and prayer. They ate but once a day and their fare was herbs or roots–mostly turnips of a coarse sort.

Four hours in the 24 day was their usual allowance of sleep, rising at Midnight, they continued in the Church until morning and returned no more to rest, which was the primitive custom of that Order.

In 1142 according to Franciscan Media Peter was named Archbishop of Tarantaise, replacing a Bishop which had been deposed because of corruption.

Bishop Peter, tackled his new assignment with vigor, bringing reforms into the diocese, replaced lax Clergy and reached out to the poor–Bishop Peter, visited all parts of his mountainous diocese on a regular basis.

After about a decade as Bishop, Peter ‘disappeared’ for a year and lived quietly as a Lay-Brother in the Cistercian Abbey in Switzerland according to SQPN as he had badly missed the life of a  Monk. When Peter was discovered, he was persuaded to return to his post, again focusing many of his energies on providing assistance to the poor.

Bishop Peter was sent by the Pope to the King Louis VII, to endeavor to bring reconciliation between the King and his son Prince Henry II but his journey did not have the desired effect.

On Bishop Peter’s return home, he fell sick and passed away at Bellevaux Monastery–Bishop Peter was Canonized in 1191 by Pope Celestine III

Christian Martyrs –Image: ASB240@Wikispaces

(Franciscan Media) Often its difficult to find much detail of the lives of the Saint’s of the early Church–What we do know about the 3rd century Martyrs ‘Saint’s Marian and James’ that we honor today is likewise minimal but we do know that they lived and died for their faith in Jesus Christ.

Born in North Africa, Marian was a lecturer (or reader) and James was a Deacon, for their devotions to faith, they suffered during the persecution of Emperor Valerian from 257-259

Prior to their persecution and martyrdom, Marian and James were visited by two Bishop’s Agapius and Secundinus, who encouraged them in their faith (not long before they to were martyred for Jesus Christ) shortly thereafter, Marian and James were arrested, interrogated which they confessed their faith for that, they were tortured.

While imprisoned, they are said to have experienced visions, including one of Bishop’s Agapius and Secundinus that had visited them earlier.

On the last day of their lives, Marian and James joined other Christians facing martyrdom. They were blindfolded and put to death.

More here from SQPN and here from Bartleby.com

Saint Hilary of Arles (400-449)
Image: Catholic Online

(EWTN) Most likely born in France, Hilary’s family were wealthy and he received a traditional aristocratic education in philosophy and rhetoric (wisdom, grammar and logic) which he expected to put into good use in his life.

One of Hilary’s relatives Honoratus Archbishop of Arles, founded Lernis Monastery near the French Riveria and given his life in service to the Church, he was very concerned for Hilary’s salvation, urging him with tears to abandon worldly pursuits for the sake of following Jesus Christ.

“On one side,” Hilary later recalled, “I saw the Lord calling me, on the other, the world offering me its seducing charms and pleasures. How often did I embrace and reject will and not will the same thing but in the end,  Jesus Christ triumphed in me and three days after Honoratus had left me, the mercy of God solicited by his prayers, subdued my rebellious soul.”

Hillary returned to Honoratus, humbling himself as one of his disciples and embraced a life of prayer, abstinence of worldly pleasures and study of the Scriptures, he sold off his property and gave the proceeds to the poor, embracing the monastic life of the Lernis Monastery.

When Archbishop Honoratus died in 429, Hilary again attempted to leave Arles but the faithful of the city sent out a search party and brought him back so that he could be consecrated as Honoratus’ successor.

Though he was not yet 30 yrs old at the time, as the new Archbishop, he was well prepared by his years in a religious life and the time assisting Honoratus as one of his disciples.

As Archbishop, Hilary maintained the simplicity of a Monk, he owned few possessions, put the poor ahead of himself and continued to perform manual labor.

Known for his kindness and charity, Archbishop Hilary was also remembered for publicly rebuking a government official who brought shame on the Church — Hilary would also warn ‘lukewarm believers’ that they would “not so easily get out of Hell, if you are once unhappily fallen into its dungeons.”

Archbishop Hilary helped to establish Monasteries in his diocese and strengthened the discipline and orthodoxy (conforming to Christian faith) of the local Church through a series of Councils; Hilary sold off Church property in order to pay the ransoms of those who had been abducted–Its is said, that he worked many miracles during his lifetime.

On this date in the year 449 Archbishop Hilary of Arles died at the age of 49 of natural causes. Pope Leo I praised Hilary the Bishop of Arles in a letter to his successor honoring him as: “Hilary of Holy Memory.”

More here from Franciscan Media