Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order

Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order - February 12th


These seven Saints were all young men who lived in Florence, Italy. They had joined a Confraternity in honor of the Blessed Virgin because of their great devotion to her.


On the feast of the Assumption, while they were all deep in prayer, the Blessed Mother appeared to them and inspired them to leave the world and to live alone with God.


After several years of living by themselves, they went to the Bishop to ask for a rule of life. The Bishop told them that the matter was one which needed much prayer. The monks then went back to pray and ask Our Lady to let them know what to do. Mary appeared to them carrying a black habit. At her side was an angel bearing a scroll with the words “Servants of Mary” written on it. In the vision, the Blessed Mother said that she had chosen then to be her servants and to wear the black habit.


These seven wonderful men helped each other to love and serve God better. Together they became great Saints.


Many young men came to join these holy Founders. They were known as Servants of Mary, or Servites.


Like these seven Saints, let us love our Blessed Mother and ask her to help us in every need.

Our Lady of Lourdes

Our Lady of Lourdes - February 11th


It was on February 11, 1858, that the Blessed Mother first appeared to Bernadette Soubirous, a young girl of Lourdes, France. Bernadette was a sickly, little girl, whose family was so poor they lived in a cellar that had once been a jail. Even though she was fourteen years old, Bernadette could not read or write. She never could remember her catechism lessons, but she was a good girl who loved God very much. And even if her memory was bad, she kept trying hard to learn all she could about God. She was pure and obedient, too. It was to this young girl that our Blessed Mother appeared. The beautiful Lady Bernadette saw wore a white dress with a light blue sash. A white veil covered her head and fell over her shoulders to the ground. On her feet were two lovely golden roses. Her hands were joined and a Rosary hung from her right arm. Its chain and cross shone like gold. The lovely Lady encouraged Bernadette to say the Rosary.


The Blessed Mother appeared eighteen times to St. Bernadette and told her to tell the people to pray, to do penance and often to recite the Rosary for sinners. During the last apparition, Bernadette asked the beautiful Lady who she was. The Lady replied, “I am the Immaculate Conception.”


At Lourdes, miracles take place. Many people are cured of sicknesses. Crippled people walk again. Blind people see again. There, where she once appeared to St. Bernadette, Our Lady still shows her love for us.


Let us try to say the Rosary to our Blessed Mother every day. Through this prayer, we receive al the graces we need for ourselves and for those we love.

St. Scholastica

St. Scholastica - Patroness against Convulsions in Children - February 10th


Scholastica was the twin sister of St. Benedict. For many years, her parents had begged God to send them children. When at last Benedict and Scholastica were born, their good mother did all she could to make them Saints.


Scholastica was a friendly, intelligent girl who promised herself to Jesus when she was still very young. Her parents died, she went to visit her holy brother. He had built a big monastery and was the leader of many good monks.


St. Benedict was very good to his holy sister. When he found out that she and other young women wanted to become religious, he helped her start her convent.


Once a year, St. Benedict came to visit her for one day. On one of his visits, when he was ready to leave the convent, Scholastica begged him to stay longer. Benedict said he could not, but Scholastica knew that soon she would die. So she bowed her head and prayed with all her heart. No sooner had she lifted her head than such a storm arose that Benedict was unable to leave. He stayed and they talked all through the night about the goodness of God and the happiness of the Saints in Heaven. Three days later, when St. Benedict was praying in his monastery, he saw the beautiful soul of his sister Scholastica going up to Heaven in the form of a dove.


Like this saintly brother and sister, let us love one another at home and be of good example to each other.

St. Apollonia and the Martyrs of Alexandria

St. Apollonia and the Martyrs of Alexandria - St. Apollonia, Patroness of Dentists - February 9th


In Alexandria, Egypt, during the reign of the Emperor Decius, there lived a holy virgin named Apollonia.


Apollonia had spent her whole life serving God. Now that she was growing old, she did not take time to rest. She bravely risked her life to comfort the Christians in prison when a persecution began.


“Remember that the suffering will not last long,” she would say. “But the joys of Heaven will last forever.”


At last Apollonia, too, was captured. When the judge asked her name, she courageously said, “I am a Christian and I love and serve the true God.”


Apollonia was made to suffer greatly because she would not give up her Faith. First, all her teeth were smashed and then pulled out. That is why we pray to St. Apollonia when we have a toothache. The Saint was then told that if she did not deny Christ, she would be thrown into the fire.


Apollonia was not afraid. She chose to die rather than sin.


When the pagans saw her heroic action, many of them were converted.


The martyrs greatly desired to shed their blood for Christ. And what do we do for Him? Are we strong enough to stand a little suffering for His love?

St. John of Matha

St. John of Matha - February 8th

St. John of Matha was born in France. He was a happy, pure boy, who loved God and His Blesses Mother very much. His father sent him to school, and John did well in his studies. As he grew older, many people began coming to him for advice and counsel, and he decided to become a priest so that he could help them more.

When St. John said his first Mass, God showed him that he was to spend his life working to free Christians held as slaves by the Moslems. He founded an Order of priests called Trinitarians to help him in this mission.

St. John’s work was blessed by God, and many Christians were freed. Their Moslem owners were very angry with John. But he was not afraid. In fact, he would have liked nothing better that to die a martyr.

Once, when he was going to Africa to Rome, the Moslems tried to sink the ship on which he was traveling. Holding a Crucifix in his hands, John knelt on the deck and began to pray. Soon the ship reached Rome, unharmed!

St. John died two years later.

By often thinking of the great charity of St. John and his priests, we will find it much easier to do good deeds to our neighbor.

St. Romuald

St. Romuald - February 7th


St. Romuald was an Italian nobleman. As a boy, he had many temptations to impurity. In order to avoid falling into sin, he kept himself busy by going hunting in the woods. When Romuald was twenty years old, he was horrified to see his father kill a man in duel. He went to a Benedictine monastery to do penance for forty days, in reparation for his father’s grave sin. Up until that time, he had lived a lazy life of pleasure, but now at the monastery, Romuald was so moved by the good example of the monks that he decided to become one himself. He asked a good monk named Marino to teach him how to become holy. To test him, Marino treated him harshly. Yet Romuald never complained. Later, he founded the Camaldolese Order and gave all his monks a wonderful example of penance. For a whole year, all he ate each day was a bit of boiled beans. Then for three years, he ate only the little food he grew himself. Through these sacrifices Romuald grew closer and closer to God. A hundred times a day, he would pray in his room: “Oh, my sweet Jesus! God of my heart! Delight of pure souls! The object of all my desires!”


When he was over a hundred, St. Romuald had to suffer very much because he was accused of a very bad sin which he had not committed. He did not become angry or take revenge, even when he was not allowed to say Mass for six months. He could easily have proven that it was all a lie. Yet he chose to suffer for love of God until, at last, Jesus Himself showed everyone that Romuald was innocent.


No matter what happens to us, it will turn out for the best, if we love God and pray to Him.

St. Dorothy

St. Dorothy - Patroness of Gardners - February 6th


St. Dorothy was a young and beautiful girl who lived in the city of Caesarea. Both her father and mother died for the Faith. They left her a great deal of money, and Dorothy used it to help the poor people and prisoners. Everyone knew her and loved her for her modesty and piety. She was so beautiful and holy that many young men wanted to marry her. But she has given herself to God alone. So they called her, “The Bride of Christ.”


When Dorothy herself was put in prison for the Faith, the wicked governor sent two young girls named Crista and Callista to persuade her to deny Jesus. There girls had been Christians once. They had given up their Faith when the governor made them many promises and gave them gifts. But these girls could not change Dorothy. It was she who made them cry for their sin and encouraged them to die bravely for Jesus.


Furious, the governor tortured Dorothy, but she would not worship the gods of Rome. “I cannot worship them or the Emperors either,” she said. “I worship only the true God, the Creator of Heaven and earth.” At last, the governor gave up. The saint was getting the best of him, with her wise answers. So he condemned her to death by beheading.


When Dorothy was on her way to be beheaded, a young pagan made fun of her Faith. “Send me some roses and apples from the garden where you are going after you die,” he shouted. Then he laughed cruelly. But St. Dorothy promised that she would. As soon as she died, a child appeared to that pagan carrying three roses and three apples! Where could they have come from? It was not the season for apples and roses! The amazed man realized that the child was an angel come from God and that the flowers and fruit were sent from Heaven. He was converted right then. Soon afterwards, he, too, have his life for God.


Today let us pray especially for someone who is far away from God, so that he will return to our Heavenly Father.

St. Agatha

St. Agatha - Patroness of Island of Malta - February 5th


Agatha was a beautiful and holy Christian girl of Sicily. When the governor heard of Agatha’s beauty, he had her brought to his palace. He wanted to make her commit sins against purity, but she was brave and would not give in. “My Lord Jesus Christ,” she prayed, “You see my heart and You know my desire. You alone must have me, because I am yours. Save me from that evil man. Make me worthy of winning out over the devil.”


The governor tried sending Agatha to the house of a wicked women in the hope that she would change for the worse. But Agatha had great trust in God and prayed all the time. She kept herself pure and would not listen to the evil suggestions of that woman and her daughters. After one month, she was brought back to the governor. He tired again to win her. “You are a noblewomen,” he said kindly. “Why have you lowered yourself to be a humble Christian?”


"Even though I am a noble,” answered Agatha, “I am a slave of Jesus Christ.”


“Then what does it really mean to be a noble?” the governor asked.


Agatha answered wisely, “It means to serve God.”


When he saw that she would not sin, the governor had her whipped and tortured very cruelly. As she was being carried back to prison she said, “Lord, my Creator, You have protected me from the cradle. You have taken me from the love of the world and given me patience to suffer. Now receive my soul.” And with that, her beautiful soul went home to Heaven.


Let us learn from this saint to pray with all our heart when we feel tempted to do something wrong.

St. Jane Valois

St. Jane Valois - February 4th


St. Jane was the daughter of King Louis XI of France. Since the King wanted a son, he was very disappointed when Jane was born. Later, he did not even want her to live at the Palace, because she was very short and deformed. When she was five years old, she was sent away to live with other people.


Jane did not want to marry when she grew up because she has given herself to Jesus and His Most Blessed Mother. Her Father, however, forced her to marry the Duke of Orleans. Jane was a devoted wife for twenty-two years, but after the Duke became King, he sent Jane to live by herself in a far-off township. The Queen did not complain at such unkindness. She exclaimed, instead: “God be praised! He has permitted this that I may serve Him better than I have up until now.”


St. Jane performed many penances and prayed very fervently. She gave all of her money to the poor and founded and Order of Sisters called the Sisters of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.


Let us remember that no matter what a person looks like, what really counts is the goodness in his heart.

St. Blaise

St. Blaise - Patron of Throat Ailments - February 3rd


St. Blaise, as a young man, was a doctor, and a very good one. All the sufferings and troubles he saw made him realize that only spiritual joys can make us really happy. He became a priest and then a Bishop. With all his heart, St. Blaise worked to make his people holy and happy. He prayed and preached; he tried to help everyone.


When the Emperor Licinius began to persecute the Christians, St. Blaise was captured and sent to prison to be beheaded. On the way, people crowded the road to see their beloved bishop for the last time. He blessed them all, even the pagans. A poor mother rushed up and begged him to save her child who was choking to death from a fishbone. The Saint prayed and then worked the miracle. This is why St. Blaise is called upon by all those who have throat diseases. On his feast day, we have our throats blessed, and we ask him to protect us from all sicknesses of the throat.


In prison, the saintly bishop converted many pagans. No torture could make him give up his faith in Jesus. Finally he was beheaded and went to be with Jesus forever.


Today let us honor St. Blaise by going without that candy bar or ice cream cone we planned to have.