St. Helena

St. Helena - August 18th

This Saint was the mother of the great Roman Emperor Constantine. She was about sixty-three years old when she became a Christian, but she began at once to make up for the time she had lost as a pagan. While her convert son labored to make the Catholic Church glorious with his gifts of buildings and his laws, Helena gave such wonderful examples of piety, humility and charity that she made all who saw her love the Christian Faith more.

When she was eighty years old, St. Helena traveled to Jerusalem to take charge in building a marvelous church on Mt. Calvary and to try to find the true cross on which Jesus had died. On the trip she gave away great sums of money to cities, to prisoners, to soldiers, to widows, to all kinds of people. Although she was Empress of the great Roman Empire, she had such respect for Sisters that she would visit their convents to serve them and wait on them with her own hands.

On Mt. Calvary, while the foundations for the church were being dug, the sacred cross was discovered. What joy this discovery brought to St. Helena, who devoutly venerated it! The Saint spent her last days in Jerusalem praying in the churches and decorating them beautifully to the honor of God. When she died, her holy remains were brought back to Rome.

I will be proud to make the Sign of the Cross in public and to proclaim myself a follower of Jesus Christ.

Related Links:
http://www.rosaryworkshop.com/ROME-Pilgrimage-Crx.html
http://www.stpetersbasilica.org/Statues/StHelen/StHelen.htm

Blessed Joan Delanoue

Blessed Joan Delanoue - August 17th

When this French girl was twenty-five, her widowed mother died and left her the store they had been running. Joan was not an evil girl, but she thought only of making money, and she committed many little sins to do it. She had once been devout, but now there was little love or charity in her heart. Her mother had always been generous to beggars. Joan, instead, would buy food only just in time for dinner, so that she could tell any beggars who came to the door during the day: “I have nothing to give you.”

Joan was not happy, however. At last, when she was twenty-seven, a good priest helped her to start living up to her Faith with love and fervor. Then she finally saw that her “business” was to give away money, not hoard it. Joan began taking care of poor families and orphans, even closing up her shop entirely to devote her time to them. People called her houseful of poor orphans, “Providence House.” Later, she persuaded other young women to help her, and they became the Sisters of St. Anne of Providence in Saumur, Joan’s town.

Joan treated her body so harshly that St. Grignion de Monfort told her that pride was making her do too much penance. Then she saw that her heart was really full of love of God, so he said: “Go on in the way you have begun. God’s spirit is with you. Follow His voice and fear no more.”

When Blessed Joan died, the people of Saumur said, “That little shopkeeper did more for the poor of Saumur than all the town councilors put together. What a women! And what a saint!”

There are so many poor people in the world. Many, many die hunger. Today, and every day, I will not waste food; instead I will eat even what I do not like, and offer this sacrifice to Our Lord so he will help the hungry people.

St. Rock

St. Rock - Patron of Invalids and Those With Skin Disease - August 16th

Rock was the son of the governor of Montpellier in France. When his parents died, he decided to go on a pilgrimage to Rome. At this time, he was about twenty years old. A terrible disease, called the plague, was spreading all over Italy when Rock arrived in that land, and he went from one city to another nursing the sick. Many times he cured them just by making the sign of the cross over them.

In the city of Piacenza, St. Rock became sick himself, and he who had helped so many others did not want to be a bother to anyone. So he managed to make his way into a forest and there he lay down to die. But God took care of him. A dog led his master to the Saint and this man took care of Rock until he grew better.

Finally, St. Rock returned home to Montpellier, France, but his uncle did not even recognize him. After five years of patient suffering, Rock died there, and only when a small cross-like mark on his chest was noticed did people realize that he was the son of their former governor. He was given a great funeral and many miracles took place.

He who visit’s the sick and helps them will earn a great reward from God.

The Assumption of Mary into Heaven

The Assumption of Mary into Heaven

- August 15th

Assumption means that Our heavenly Mother entered into the glory of Heaven not only with her soul, but also with her body. Since the Son of God took His body from Mary’s most pure womb, it was fitting that her body should be glorified as soon as her life here on earth was ended.

Now Our Blessed Mother sits on a sublime throne in Heaven. There she is Queen, and every time she asks Jesus to give us graces, He listens to her plea.


After the resurrection from the dead, we, too, will go to Heaven with this body of ours, if we use it now only to do good, and if we are pure in thoughts, words and deeds.


After the resurrection our body will be all perfect. It will not be subject to illness any more. It will not need any more food and drink to keep alive. It will be able to go every place without time or effort. It will be beautiful and splendid!


Let us prepare for our glory in heaven by imitating Our Blessed Mother’s virtues, especially obedience, charity, purity and patience.

St. Athanasia

St. Athanasia - August 14th

St. Athanasia was born on an island near Greece. She married a young army officer, but only sixteen days after the wedding, her husband was killed in a battle. After this, the young widow realized more than ever how quickly everything on earth passes. She began to want God alone, yet because her parents desired it, Athanasia married again. Together she and her good husband helped the poor and the sick.

On Sundays, the Saint used to gather her neighbors in her house and read them a piece from the Holy Bible. Afterwards she would explain it to them in her own words. She wanted everyone to share her love for God’s word.

When Athanasia’s husband left with her permission to become a monk, she changed her house into a convent and became Abbess of the nuns who joined her. For a while they stayed there in the middle of that noisy town and practiced very great penance. Then a wise Abbot advised them to move to a quieter spot. There, so many women joined them that they had to add on to their buildings. And St. Athanasia became so well known that the Empress Theodora called her to court to be her adviser. Then Saint fell sick very shortly after she went back to her convent, but she kept working and praying as usual, until at last she gave her nuns her blessing and died.

Let us love the virtue of purity and the things of God. These will give us true happiness, not the passing joys of this world….

St. Radegund

St. Radegund - August 13th

This German princess was taken prisoner when she was only twelve years old by the French King Clotaire. She grew up to be such a charming young women that the King married her. As Queen, she loved to take care of the sick and poor captives. She began a hospital for lepers and tenderly waited on them herself. A friend who saw her kiss the lepers’ sores scolded her, saying, “No one will dare kiss you after this!” St. Radegund was not the least worried about that. “If you don’t want to kiss me,” she answered, “I really do not mind a bit!”

King Clotaire caused his good wife much suffering before he finally let her live for God alone. At first he loved her, but all too soon, he began to speak to her in a mean, scornful way, and to give his attentions to other women. Finally, he even murdered St. Radegund’s beloved brother, and it was then that she left the court. The bishop St. Medard was a bit afraid to give her the veil of a nun when she asked for it, because he knew what a violent man the King was. But St. Radegund would not take no for an answer. “If you will not consecrate me, you fear man more than God,” she said, and at that, St. Medard gave in. King Clotaire once asked St. Radegund to forgive him and pray for him, but his repentance did not last long. He took many wives and committed terrible murders before he died. However, he did leave the Saint in peace and even helped support her convent.

St. Radegund and her nuns not only prayed and did penance but they also spent time studying every day and they worked for peace between rulers. When the Saint died, St. Gregory of Tours wrote: “We went to the convent and found her lying in her coffin, her face shinning with a brightness greater than the beauty of lilies and roses.”

Let us learn from the example of this saint to do our Christian duty all the time, without worrying about what people may say.

St. Clare of Assisi

St. Clare of Assisi - Patroness of Eyes and Television - August 12th

Clare was a beautiful Italian noblewomen who became the Foundress of an Order of nuns now called “Poor Clares.” When she heard St. Francis of Assisi preach, her heart burned with a great desire to imitate Francis and to live a poor humble life for Jesus. So one evening, she ran away from home, and in a little chapel outside Assisi, gave herself to God. St. Francis cut of her hair and gave her a rough brown habit to wear, tied with a plain cord. Her parents tried in every way to make her return home, but Clare would not. And soon her sister, St. Agnes, joined her, as well as other young women who wanted to be brides of Jesus, and live without any money.

St. Clare and her sisters wore no shoes, ate no meat, lived in a poor house, and kept silent most of the time. Yet they were very happy, because Our Lord was close to them all the time. Once, He saved them from a great danger in answer to St. Clare’s prayer. An army of rough soldiers came to attack Assisi and they planned to raid the convent first. Although very sick, St. Clare had herself carried to the wall and right there, where the enemies could see it, she had the Blessed Sacrament placed. Then on her knees, she begged god to save the Sisters. “O Lord, protect these Sisters whom I cannot protect now,” she prayed. And a voice seemed to answer: “I will keep them always in My care.” At the same time a sudden fright struck the attackers and they fled as fast as they could.

St. Clare was sick and suffered great pains for many years, but she said that no pain could trouble her. So great was her joy in serving the Lord that she once exclaimed: “They say that we are too poor, but can a heart which possesses the Infinite God be truly called poor?”

I will remember this miracle of the Blessed Sacrament when I am at church. And then I will pray with great faith to Jesus in the Holy Eucharist: “Save me, O Lord, from every evil-of soul and body.”

Feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

Feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
Friday following the Second Sunday After Pentecost
Taken from, “Divine Intimacy,” by Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, O.C.D., pp.622-623

PRESENSE OF GOD – O Jesus, grant that I may penetrate the secrets hidden in Your divine Heart.

MEDITATION

1. After we have contemplated the Eucharist, a gift crowning all the gifts of the love of Jesus for men, the Church invites us to give direct consideration to the love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the source and cause of all His gifts. We may call the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus the feast of His love for us. “Behold this Heart which has so loved men,” Jesus said to St. Margaret Mary; “Behold this Heart which has so loved men,” the Church repeats to us today, showing us that it is truly “in the Heart of Christ, wounded by our sins, that God had deigned to give us the infinite treasures of His love” (cf. Collect). Today’s liturgy inspired with this thought, reviews the immense benefits we owe to the love of Christ and sings a hymn in praise of His love. “Cogitationes cordis ejus,” chants the Introit of the Mass: “The thoughts of His Heart” – the Heart of Jesus – “are to all generations: to deliver them from death, to feed them in time of famine”. The Heart of Jesus is always in search of souls to save, to free from the snares of sin, to wash in His Blood, to feed with His Body. The Heart of Jesus is always living in the Eucharist to satisfy the hunger of all who long for Him, to welcome and console all those who, disillusioned by the vicissitudes of life, take refuge in Him, seeking peace and refreshment. Jesus Himself in our support of the hard road of life. “Take up My yoke upon you and learn of Me, because I am meek and humble of heart, and you shall find rest for your souls, Alleluia.” It is impossible to eliminate sorrow from our life; yet if we live for Jesus we can suffer in peace and find in the Heart of Jesus repose for our weary soul.

2. Today’s Gospel and Epistle lead us to consider the Sacred Heart of Jesus even more directly. The Gospel (Fn 19, 31-37) shows us His Heart pierced with a lance: “One of the soldiers opened His side with a spear,” and St. Augustine offers this comment: “The Evangelist says...opened, to show us that thereby the door of life was thrown open, through which the Sacraments of the Church flow forth”. From the pierced Heart of Christ, symbol of the love which immolated Him on the Cross for us, came forth the Sacraments, represented by the water and the Blood flowing from the wound, and it is through these Sacraments that we receive the life of grace. Yes, it is eminently true to say that the Heart of Jesus was opened to bring us into life. Jesus once said, “Narrow is the gate...that leadeth to life” (Mt. 7, 14); but if we understand this gate to be the wound in His Heart, we can say that no gate could open to us with greater welcome.

St. Paul, in his beautiful Epistle (Eph 3, 8-19), urges us to penetrate further into the Heart of Jesus to contemplate His “unsearchable riches” and to enter into “the mystery which hath been hidden from the eternity of God”. This is the mystery of infinite, divine love which has gone before us from all eternity and was revealed to us by the Word made flesh; it is the mystery of the love which willed to redeem us and sanctify us in Christ “in whom we have...[free] access to God”.

Again Jesus presents Himself as the door which leads to salvation. “I am the door. By Me if any man enter in he shall be saved.” (Fn 10, 9). This door is His Heart, which, wounded for us, has brought us into life. By love alone can we penetrate this mystery of infinite love, but not any kind of love will suffice. As St. Paul says, we must “be rooted and founded in charity”. Only thus shall we be able “to know...the charity of Christ which surpasseth all knowledge, that [we] may be filled unto all the fullness of God”.

St. Alexander the Coalman

St. Alexander the Coalman - August 11th

When the city of Comana in Asia Minor had so many Christians that a bishop was needed, St. Gregory the Wonder-Worker came to take charge of choosing one. Many different men were suggested to him, especially one very important and wealthy, but St. Gregory did not choose any of these.

"The Apostles were poor, ordinary men," he said. At that, someone asked sarcastically, "Very well, then. Why don't you pick Alexander the Charcoal-burner?" St. Gregory did not forget those words, even though they had been said so scornfully. He sent Alexander, and the coal trader came all covered with dirt and dressed in rags. His appearance did not fool the Saint for he realized that Alexander was really a wise man. he took him aside and asked him who he actually was. Alexander told him that he had been a noble, educated man who had given away everything he owned so that he could be poor like Christ.

All the people were amazed when St. Gregory chose Alexander to be bishop. But when they learned what kind of wise, holy man Alexander really was, they were very happy to have him for their bishop.

St. Alexander made a fine teacher of the faith and leader of his people. St. Gregory of Nyssa praised him as a great bishop. When persecution came, Alexander gave his life for the faith. He was put to death by fire. So it was that the poor coalman won fame as a Saint and a martyr.

Jesus taught us: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven." One is poor in spirit when he is not too eager for money for a comfortable life, but works hard, is honest and satisfied with his condition in life. This good person will have a rich place in Heaven.

St. Philomena

St. Philomena The Wonder-Worker - August 11th

St. Philomena is perhaps the most extraordinary saint in the history of the Catholic Church.

When the relics of this 13-year-old Virgin Martyr were discovered in the Roman Catacombs in 1802, she became almost overnight one of the most popular saints in the Church, earning the nickname of "The Wonder-Worker" because of the countless remarkable favors that she sent to those who prayed to her. For a century and a half there was a worlwide Catholic devotion to St. Philomena, approved by many Popes. But amazingly, since the 1960's, she has been forgotten.

This little book by the beloved Fr. Paul O'Sullivan-author of All About the Angels, Read Me or Rue It, The Secret of Confession, etc.-gives the fascinating story of St. Philomena. Fr. O'Sullivan tells of her martyrdom, her miracles, her relics, her partnership with the Cure of Ars, and the great miracle involving Pauline Jaricot, as well as recounting many other true stories of the "dear Little Saint's" generous answers to those who invoke her.

God obviously wishes to give out His gifts and favors throough the hands of St. Philomena, and it is His will that we ask her for them. These pages will give new hope to all whoneed a special friend in Heaven to answer their prayers.

May this little book help to open up the floodgates of heavenly gifts so that once again this sweet young Saint will become known by that beautiful title: St. Philomena-The Wonder-Worker!