St. Angela Merici

St. Angela Merici - May 31st

Angela was born in a small Italian town and became an orphan at ten. She and her beloved sister were taken care of by their uncle. When she was thirteen, another big sorrow fell upon Angela. The sister she loved so much died suddenly, even before there was time to give her the last Sacraments. Angela was worried about her, but in His goodness, Jesus let her know that her sister was saved. To thank Him, the Saint gave her heart completely to Him.

When she was about twenty-two, she began to realize how little the poor children in her town knew about religion. Their parents were not teaching them anything about it. Angela asked some of her girlfriends to join her in teaching Catechism to these children. None of the girls had money or important positions, but they were anxious to help Angela do good to the children.

At that time there were no orders of teaching sisters at all. No one had ever thought of such a thing. St. Angela Merici was the first one to gather together a group of women to open schools for children. At first these women lived in their own homes, and because of many difficulties, it was a very long time before they could live together in a convent. The Saint herself died when her Congregation had just started. But she had great trust in God. She knew He would take care of the mission she had begun. And so He did. Her Congregation, called the Ursuline Sisters, spread to many countries and has become famous for its many good works in the Church of God.

The life of this Saint was one of prayer and patience. Let us not be discouraged even if we cannot do all the good we want to do. God will reward us for trying to do what we can.

St. Joan of Arc

St. Joan of Arc - Patroness of France and of Soldiers - May 30th

Joan was born in a village of France. From her gentle, loving mother, she learned to be a good housekeeper. “I can sew and spin as well as any women,” she once said. She loved to pray, especially at the shrines of Our Blessed Mother. This honest, kind little peasant girl was to become a great soldier-saint. One day while she was watching her sheep, St. Michael the Archangel, the patron of her country, told her, “Daughter of God, go save France!” For three years she heard the voices of saints telling her to go, and when she was sixteen, she began her marvelous mission.

At that time there was a war going on between France and England. It was called the Hundred Years’ War. England had won so much land that the King of England called himself King of France, too. The real French King was a weak, fun-loving man who thought the French armies would never be able to save the country.

With his permission, St Joan led an army into the city of Orleans, which the English had almost captured. In her white, shining armor, this young heroine rode with her banner flying above her. On it were the names of Jesus and Mary. She was hit by an arrow in the great battle of Orleans, but she kept on urging her men to victory, and at last they won! St. Joan and her army won more and more battles and the English armies had to retreat. After these glorious victories, Joan’s time of suffering began. She was captured by the enemy, and the ungrateful French king did not even try to save her. She was put in prison and after an unfair trial, was burned at the stake.

Joan was not even twenty, and she had a great horror of fire. Yet she went bravely to her death, and her last word was “Jesus!”

When we meet with difficulties, instead of giving up, let us say this prayer: “By myself I can do nothing, but with God I can do all things.”

St. Mary Magdalen dei Pazzi

St. Mary Magdalen dei Pazzi - May 29th

This Italian Saint was the only daughter of very rich parents. When she was fourteen, she became a boarder at a convent school, and there she grew to love life in a religious house. But about a year later, her father took her home and began to think of choosing a rich husband for her. Her heart, however, was set on becoming a nun, and she told her parents that three years before she had already made a vow of chastity. They could not believe it, but finally they let her enter the Carmelite convent. Only fifteen days later, however, they came and took her home, hoping to make her change her mind. After three months of trying, they gave up and let her go back for good, with their blessings.

As a novice, St. Mary Magdalen fell very sick and was permitted to make her profession ahead of time. Since she was suffering greatly, one of the sisters asked her how could she stand the pain without a word. The Saint pointed to the crucifix and said: “See what the great love of God has suffered for my salvation. This same love sees my weakness and gives me strength.”

St. Mary Magdalen had great sufferings her whole life, and she also had very strong temptations to impurity and to greed for food. She overcame everything by her great love of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist and for Mary. Often she ate only bread and water, and practiced other mortifications. Moreover, her love for Jesus became so great that she would say, “Lord, let me suffer or let me die.” With tears she would pray and offer her pains for sinners and pagans, right up until she died. She once said: “O my Jesus, if I had a voice loud and strong enough to be heard in every part of the world, I would cry out to make you known and loved by everyone!”

Our love for God and for souls will grow, too, if we look at the crucifix from time and think of how Jesus loved us.

St. Augustine of Canterbury

St. Augustine of Canterbury - Patron of England - May 28th

This Italian missionary to England was the Abbot of a monastery in Rome. Pope St. Gregory the Great chose him and forty other monks to go preach the Gospel to the pagans in England. They started out, but when they reached Southern France, people warned them that the English pagans were very fierce. All the monks felt discouraged and asked Augustine to go back to obtain the Pope’s permission to give up the whole idea. The Pope, however, said: “Go on, in God’s name! The greater your hardships, the greater your crown. May the grace of God protect you!”

In England, the missionaries were well received by King Ethelbert, whose wife was a Christian princess from France. They formed a procession when they landed and walked along singing psalms. At their head they carried a cross and a picture of Our Lord. This little army of Christ soon conquered many souls. King Ethelbert himself was baptized, and on Christmas of the same year, ten thousand of his subjects became Christians. Pope St. Gregory was very happy when he heard this news. He sent more priests to England, three of whom became saints.

In his humility, St. Augustine often wrote to ask the Pope the best thing to do in different matters. And St. Gregory gave him much holy advice, too. Speaking about the many miracles St. Augustine worked, the Pope said: “You must rejoice with fear and fear with joy for that gift.” He meant that Augustine should be happy that through the miracles the English were being converted. But he should be careful not to become proud.

At Canterbury, St. Augustine built a church and a monastery, which became the most important in England. It was there that he was buried.

When we are commanded something by our parents or superiors, let us try our best to do it, even if it seems difficult, because God will help us.

St. Bede the Venerable

St. Bede the Venerable - May 27th

This English priest is famous not only as a Saint, but also as a writer of history. St. Bede loved the Holy Bible very much. He tells us that it was a joy for him to study the Bible, teach it, and write about it.

When sickness forced him to stay in bed, his pupils came to study by his bedside. He kept on teaching them and working on his translation of St. John’s Gospel in English. Many people could now read Latin and he wanted them to be able to read the words of Jesus in their own language. “I do not want my pupils to read false things,” he said.

As he grew worse, St. Bede was happy that he was about to go back to God. His brothers in the monastery wept when he told them that they would not see him again on earth. The Saint kept on working, even though he was dying. At last, the boy who was doing the writing for him said, “There is still one sentence, dear Master, which is not written down.” “Write it quickly,” answered the Saint. When the boy said, “It is finished,” the Saint said, “Good! You are right-it is finished. Now hold my hand so that I may have the happiness to sit facing the place where I used to pray and there call upon my Heavenly Father.” So it was that St. Bede died right after he had sung the “Glory be to the Father.”

Let us not lose time. Our Lord will not reward us for bragging, but for the good deeds we do.

St. Philip Neri

St. Philip Neri - Patron of Rome - May 26th

This Italian Saint was called Pippo buono-”Good little Phil”-when he was a child. He was always so jolly and friendly that everyone he met loved him. He studied in Rome and while still a teenager, gave up a great amount of money he could have received from his uncle. He studied hard and led a pure, good life. Once some evil young men hid two bad women in his room to tempt him to sin. Philip could not go out, but he saved his soul from any impure sin by kneeling down and praying out loud with all his heart. Those women were so struck with shame that they did not even dare to look at the Saint!

When Philip became a priest, he did much good to poor children, to sinners, to sick people, and to all. Because of him, the whole city of Rome became better. He treated himself very strictly, but he was gentle and kind to everyone. He listened to confessions for hours every day. He worked miracles. Knew the future, and read minds. But to avoid the admiration of the people, he played jokes and did funny things, like shaving only one side of his face, so that they would laugh and forget how holy he was.

St. Philip cheered up all who came near him. Often he would say: “I will have no scrupulosity and no melancholy in my house.” He was always ready to comfort and help anyone. At the same time he was very prudent. Once he was called to a sick women’s bed, but when he got there, he found that she was only pretending to be sick. She wanted to tempt the Saint to sin, instead. St. Philip turned right around and left at once. So pure was he that many times one look of his drove temptations away.

To conquer temptations of impurity, we must avoid the occasions of sin. If we cannot avoid these occasions, let us pray and be modest, and then Our Lord will help us.

St. Gregory VII

St. Gregory VII – May 25th

This Pope’s name was Hildebrand and he was born in Italy. His uncle was the superior of a monastery in Rome and there the young boy was sent to be educated. Later, Hildebrand became a Benedictine monk in France, but soon he was called back to Rome. There he held very important positions under several Popes until he himself was made Pope.

For twenty-five years he had refused to let himself be elected. But when Pope Alexandra II died, all the Cardinals made up their minds to elect Hildebrand Pope. With one voice they dried out, "Hildbrand is the elect of St. Peter!" "They carried me to the throne," wrote the Saint afterwards, "and my protests did no good. For filled my heart and darkness was all around me."

These were truly dark times for the Catholic Church, because the kings and emperors were naming the men they wanted to be the Bishops and Cardinals and even Popes. Many of these were not very good men and so they gave bad example. The first thing Pope St. Gregory did was to pray for days. Then he asked others to pray with him, because he knew that without prayer, nothing can be done. Afterwards, he began to act to make the clergy better and to keep the civil rulers out of the affairs of the Church. This was a very difficult work because the rulers were all against any change. However, some gave in. But the Emperor Henry IV of Germany caused Pope Gregory great sufferings. He was a young man, sinful, and greedy for gold. He would not stop trying to run the affairs of the Church, and he even sent his men to capture the Pope. But the people of Rome rescued the Saint from prison, and Gregory put the Emperor out of the Church. Henry set up another man as Pope. Of course this man was not the real Pope, but Henry tired to make people think he was. Then, once again the Emperor sent his armies to capture the Saint. Gregory was obliged to leave Rome. He retired to Salerno, where he died. His last words were, "I have loved justice and hated evil. That is why I am dying in exile."

Let us learn from this great Saint that the first thing to do in our difficulties is to pray.

St. David I of Scotland

St. David I of Scotland – May 24th

David was the youngest son of St. Margaret, Queen of Scotland and her good husband, King Malcolm. He became king himself when he was about forty. Those who knew him well saw how little he wanted to accept the royal crown. But once he was King, he was a very good one.

St. David ruled his kingdom with great justice. He was very charitable to the poor and let all his subjects come to visit him whenever they desired. He gave everyone good example with his own love of prayer. Under this holy king, the people of Scotland united more closely into one nation and became better Christians.

King David established new dioceses and built many new monasteries. He gave much money to the Church during his rule of about twenty years.

Two days before he died, he received the last Sacraments and spent his time praying with those attending him. The next day, they urged his to rest, but he answered: "Let me think about the things of God, instead, so that my soul may be strengthened on his trip from exile to home," he said. "No one will be able to deliver me from His hand." So he kept on praying right up until be died.

When we are tempted to excuse our faults by saying, "Everyone else does it," let us remember that this excuse will not count when we go before God to be judged….

St. Julia

St. Julia - May 23rd

St. Julia was born of noble parents in North Africa. When she was still quite young, her city was conquered by barbarians. Julia was captured and sold as a slave to a pagan merchant. But she did not complain or feel sorry for herself. She accepted everything, and performed the most humble tasks with wonderful cheerfulness. For Julia loved God with her whole heart. In her spare time, she read holy books and prayed fervently.

One day her master decided to take her with him to France. On the way, he stopped at an island to go to a pagan festival. Julia refused even to go near the place where they were celebrating. She did not want to have anything to do with those superstitious ceremonies.

The governor of that region was very angry with her for not joining in the pagan feast. “Who is that women who dares to insult our gods?” he cried. Julia’s owner answered that she was a Christian. He said, too, that although he had not been able to make her give up her religion, still she was such a good, faithful servant that he would not know what to do without her.

“I will give you four of my best women slaves for her,” offered the governor. But her master refused. “No,” he said. "All you own will not buy her. I would willingly lose the most valuable thing in the world rather than lose her.”

When the merchant was asleep, however, the wicked governor tried to make Julia sacrifice to the gods. He promised to have her set free if she would. But she absolutely refused. She said she was as free as she wanted to be as long as she could serve Jesus. Then the pagan ruler, in great anger, had her struck on the face and her hair torn from her head. She was next put on the cross to hang until she died.

We would never look down on anyone if we stopped to think that poor or homely boys or girls may be much closer to God than we are.

St. Rita of Cascia

St. Rita of Cascia - Saint of the Impossible (Wife, Mother, Widow, Nun) - May 22nd

Rita was born in a little Italian village when her good parents had already grown rather old. They had fervently begged God to send them a child, and they brought her up very well. However, when, at fifteen, she asked them to let her enter the convent, they wanted her to marry, instead.

The man they chose for Rita turned out to be a very mean, unfaithful husband. He had such a hot temper that everyone in the neighborhood was afraid of him. Yet, for eighteen years, his wife patiently took all his insults. Her prayers, gentleness and goodness at last won hi heart, and he returned to God. In fact, when his temper seemed to about to get the best of him, he would leave the house because he did not want to make Rita feel bad, and would return when he calmed down.

The Saint’s happiness over her husband’s conversion did not last long, for one day he was suddenly murdered. Yet she forgave his murderers and tried to make her two sons forgive them, too. When she saw that they, instead, were determined to revenge their father’s death, she prayed, “Lord, I would rather see my sons dead than see them stain their souls with sin.” Her courageous prayer was answered. In one year, both sons died, and while she nursed them lovingly, Rita had the grace to persuade them to forgive, and to ask God’s forgiveness for themselves.

Left alone in the world, the Saint now tried three times to enter the convent in Cascia, but that community was not permitted to accept widows. She did not give up, however, and at last, they made an exception for her. In the convent, Rita was outstanding for her obedience and charity. She had great devotion to Jesus Crucified and once, while praying, she asked Him to let her share some of His pain. One thorn from His crown of thorns pierced for forehead and made a sore that never healed. In fact, it grew so bad and gave off such an odor that St. Rita had to stay away from the other Sisters. She was happy to suffer, and died when she was seventy-six years old.

If we want to convert a person who is far from God, let us pray with faith and without ceasing, until we receive this grace.

St. Andrew Bobola

St. Andrew Bobola - May 21st

Andrew was born in Poland, and after he became a Jesuit priest, people began to realize what a great preacher he was. For twenty years, he traveled from one village to the next, converting those who had left the Catholic Church. Then he was made Superior of one of the house of his Order. A terrible sickness spread through that land, and St. Andrew risked his own life to help the sick and the dying.

After being Superior, he went back to preaching and was so successful that enemies of the Church tried in every way to stop him. For several years, in every village, they trained groups of children to follow him, calling him names and shouting to drown out his voice when he tried to preach. Still the Saint never lost patience with them or quit.

At last, Father Bobola was captured by those who hated him and the Catholic Church. He was beaten without mercy, but he would not give up the Faith. Then they began to torture him in ways too cruel to describe. Because he kept calling on Jesus and Mary, they tore out his tongue. They wounded him in every part of his body. Finally they ended the Saint’s life by cutting of his head.

Let us bravely and patiently offer up our small sufferings for the love of Jesus, Who died on the cross for love of us.

St. Bernardine of Siena

St. Bernardine of Siena - Patron of Publicity Agents - May 20th

Bernardine was the son of an Italian governor. Before he was seven years old, his father and mother died, but his good aunt brought him up, and his uncle gave him a good education. He grew to be a tall, handsome boy who was so much fun that all his friends loved to be with him. Yet they knew better than to use any impure words when he was around, for he would not stand for it. Twice when an evil man tried to lead him into sin, Bernardine punched him in the face and sent him running with stones flying after him!

The Saint had a special love for the Blessed Mother, and it was she who kept him pure. Even when he was a teenager, he would talk to her in prayer, as a child talks with his mother. For the poor, he felt pity, and once, when his aunt had not extra food to give a beggar, Bernardine cried, “I’d rather go without food myself than leave that poor man with none!”

Bernardine became a Franciscan priest and soon began his life’s work of preaching. At first, his voice was so hoarse and weak that he could not be heard well. He prayed to Our Lady to change it, and it became clear and strong. Before every sermon, Bernardine read the Holy Bible and prayed before the crucifix. Then after he preached, he knelt again before the crucifix to pray for himself and for those who had listened to him.

In those days, bad habits were ruining both young and old people. “How can I save these lost people by myself?” the Saint cried to the Lord. “With what weapons can I fight the devil?” And God answered, “My holy Name will be enough for you.” So Bernardine spread devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus. He used this Name a great many times in every sermon and had people put it over the gates of the cities, over their doorways-everywhere. With this devotion and devotion to the Blessed Mother, this great Saint converted thousands of people all over Italy.

Let us invoke the Holy Name of Jesus very often. We will realize how powerful it is against every danger we may face.

St. Celestine V

St. Celestine V - Patron of Bookbinders - May 19th

When the father of this Italian Saint died, his good mother brought up her twelve children well, even though they were very poor. “Oh, if I could only have the joy of seeing one of you become a saint!” she used to say. Once when she asked as usual, “Which of you is going to become a saint?” little Peter (who was to become Pope Celestine) answered with all his heart, “Me, Mama! I’ll become a saint!” And he did.

When he was twenty, Peter became a hermit and spent his days praying or reading the Holy Bible. If he was not praying or reading, he would copy books or do some hard work so that the devil would not find him doing nothing and tempt him. Because other hermits kept coming to him and begging him to guide them, he started a new Order.

Peter was an old monk, eighty-four years of age, when he was made Pope. It came about in a very unusual way. For two years, there had been no Pope, because the Cardinals could not decide whom to choose. St. Peter sent them a message to decide quickly, for God was not pleased at the long delay. Then and there, they chose the holy old hermit himself! Poor Peter wept when he heard the news, but he sorrowfully accepted and took the name Celestine V.

He was Pope only about five months. Because he was so humble and simple, everyone took advantage of him. He could not say “no” to anyone, and soon matters were in great confusion. At last, the Saint decided that he had better give up his position as Pope. He did so and then threw himself at the feet of the Cardinals to ask forgiveness for not having been capable of governing the Church. What an impression his humility made on all of them!

St. Celestine hoped to live in one of his monasteries in peace. But the new Pope thought it would be safer to keep him where wicked people could not take advantage of him. The Saint was put in a cell and died there. Yet he was cheerful and close to God. “You wanted a cell, Peter,” he would repeat to himself, “and a cell you have.”

St. Celestine loved to live alone, because he wanted to be closely united to Our Lord. Once in a while, let us stop what we are doing for a few seconds and have a heart-to-heart talk with Jesus.

St. Felix of Cantalice

St. Felix of Cantalice - May 18th

Felix was born of poor Italian farmers, and as a little boy, he used to take his father’s cows out to pasture. He became a shepherd next and when he grew stronger, he took a job ploughing a rich man’s fields. Felix got into the wonderful habit of letting everything he saw remind him of God’s power and goodness. For a while, he thought he might become a hermit, but he finally decided it would be better to join a monastery.

St. Felix was thirty years old when he became a Capuchin brother. He had to beg the Superior to let him enter. The Superior led Felix to a crucifix and asked him, “Can you live your whole life on the cross with Jesus?” The Saint soon proved that he was ready to suffer anything for the love of God. The duty given to Brother Felix was to beg for food for the community. Joyfully he did this hard, humble work daily for forty years in Rome. Even though he was always among people, he never lost the thought of God’s presence, and he was so pure that he said he had not once gazed on a women’s face.

So humble was St. Felix that he hid the penances he performed. When someone noticed that he was walking barefoot, he said, “I can walk faster this way.” Although he could not read or write, St. Charles Borromeo and St. Philip Neri used to go to him for advice. Felix often said that he knew only six letters: fie red ones and one white one. By the five red ones, he meant the five wounds of Our Lord, as he was very devoted to the Passion of Jesus. By the one white letter, he meant the spotless purity of Mary. Indeed, by studying and copying these six “letters,” Felix became a great saint.

A very powerful means to live as the Saints did is to remember that God sees us all the time. If we remember this, we will never do anything displeasing to Him.

St. Paschal Baylon

St. Paschal Baylon - Patron of Eucharistic Congresses and Societies - May 17th

Paschal is a Spanish saint. From the time he was seven until he was twenty-four years old, he worked as a shepherd and never had a chance to go to school. Yet he taught himself to read and write, asking everyone he met to help him. This he did so that he could read from religious books.

Paschal was very honest. If any of his sheep damaged someone’s crops in any way he would make sure the owner was paid for what was lost.

When he was twenty-four, the shepherd became a Franciscan brother. His companions in the monastery found him to be a kind, humble man who willingly did the most unpleasant and hardest chores. He practiced even more mortifications than the strict rule required so that he could overcome his temptations. Yet he was a gay and happy soul whose great joy was to be with Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. He would kneel for hour at a time before the altar without letting his joined hands touch the pew, and he loved to serve one Mass after the other.

Out of some scraps of paper, St. Paschal made himself a little notebook. In it, in nice handwriting, he wrote down some beautiful thoughts and prayers. After he died, a holy Archbishop read some of these and exclaimed, “These simple souls are stealing Heaven from us!”

St. Paschal’s other great love was the Blessed Mother. Every day he said as many Rosaries as he could and he wrote beautiful prayers to our Heavenly Mother.

This humble Saint died with the Rosary in his hands just as the bell rang at the consecration of the Mass. The last word on his lips was the holy name of Jesus.

Let us make it a practice never to pass a church without paying a brief visit to Jesus. He lives there for our love and wants to help us in all our needs.

St. Ubald

St. Ubald - May 16th

When he was only a child, this son of a noble Italian family became an orphan. His uncle, a bishop, took charge of him and gave him a good education. When he finished his schooling, Ubald had the chance to marry any one of a number of lovely noblewomen, but he wanted to dedicate his life to God. He became a priest, and since his virtue was outstanding, the Pope made him bishop of Gubbio, Ubald’s own city.

St. Ubald was so mild and patient that he did not seem to mind any insult. Once a workman repairing the city wall damaged his vineyard very much. The Saint gently pointed it out to him. The workman, who probably did not recognize the bishop, shoved him so hard that he fell into a pile of wet cement and got up all covered with it. Yet he said not one word of complaint and went into his house. The city officials were going to punish the man, but Ubald wanted him to be set free and her himself gave him the kiss of peace.

The holy Bishop did indeed love peace, and he had the courage it takes to keep it. Once, when the people of Gubbio were fighting in the streets, he seemed unafraid of the swords clashing and the rocks flying. Suddenly he fell to the ground. The people stopped fighting at once, for they thought the Saint had been killed. But he got up and showed them that he was not even hurt. Then all together, the people thanked God for having stopped them from doing each other more harm. Another time, when the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa was going to attack the city, St. Ubald went out on the road to talk to him, and he convinced this bold emperor to leave Gubbio alone.

The Saint also had much to suffer from sicknesses. Yet he never spoke about his pains, and if someone tried to show sorrow over them, he would change the subject at once. Even in his last sickness he managed to get up to say Mass and give the people his blessing.

Let us learn from St. Ubald never to give in to anger, and to forgive those who may hurt us in any way.

St. John Baptist de la Salle

St. John Baptist de la Salle - Patron of Teachers - May 15th

This young French Man was studying to become a priest when both his parents died. He had to leave the seminary and go home to take care of the educating his brothers. But while he was teaching and training them, he kept on studying himself. So it was that they turned out to be fine young men, and John Baptist was ordained a priest.

At that time, the noble people of France lived in great luxury, and the common people were terribly poor and ignorant. St. John Baptist felt very sorry for the children of the poor, and began to open schools for them. To provide teachers, he started the Congregation of the Brothers of the Christian Schools.

Although St. John Baptist also taught the children himself, he spent most of his time training the teaching brothers. For them he wrote a rule of life and a book explaining the best way to teach. He was one of the best educators of all time and he believed in teaching in the language of the people, not in Latin, as others did. He grouped the students into classes and made sure they kept silent while the lesson was being explained.

After a while the brothers opened more schools and taught the sons of the working people and nobles, too. Many difficulties faced the new Congregation, but with St. John Baptist’s constant prayer and sacrifices, it continued to grow and to spread everywhere.

To please God and to do well in our studies, we shall be quiet during class and listen to the explanation of the lesson.

St. Boniface of Tarsus

St. Boniface of Tarsus - May 14th

The story of this Saint as it comes to us from tradition, shows God’s infinite goodness and mercy.

In the city of Rome there lived a very beautiful and rich women named Aglae. This lady was so anxious to get attention that three times she paid for special entertainments for all the people. The one in charge of her household was a man named Boniface, and Aglae lived in sin with him. He often got drunk, was impure, and commited many other sins. Yet he was very kind to poor people and to needy travelers.

One day Aglae felt sorry for all the offenses the two of them were giving God. She called Boniface and said, “We have forgotten that we shall some day have to appear before the Lord and answer for our sins. I have heard that whoever honors the relics of martyrs will share in their glory. So you go to the East where there is a persecution and bring me back some relics.”

Boniface made ready to go. “I will do my best to bring you back some relics,” he told Aglae, “but what if my own body should be brought back to you as one of them?” However, she thought he was only joking. Then Boniface set out. On the way, he became a very different man. He began to pray and to do penance, neither eating meat nor drinking wine. To the poor he met he gave away his money.

Boniface went to the city of Tarsus, where the persecution was worse. As soon as he arrived, he went straight to the governor who right then was cruelly torturing about twenty Christians. “Great is the God of the Christians!” cried Boniface. “Pray for me, servants of Christ, that I may join with you in fighting the devil!”

Furious, the Governor ordered his men to torture Boniface in every way. Then he commanded him to be put to death. Just before being beheaded, Boniface asked for a little time in which to pray. Finally his soul passed from this miserable earth to the glory of Heaven. His body was brought back to Rome and Aglae built a church in which it was kept. She herself did penance for fifteen years until she died.

If we have some friend who leads us into sin, we will break off with him or her at once. For the strength to do it, we shall pray and make some mortification.

St. Robert Bellarmine

St. Robert Bellarmine - Patron of Catechists - May 13th

Robert was born in Italy. As a boy, he was not much interested in playing games. He liked to spend his playtime in repeating to his younger brothers and sisters the sermons he had heard and in explaining the lessons in catechism to the little farm children of the neighborhood. Once he had made his first Holy Communion, he used to receive Jesus every Sunday.

Robert’s father hoped to make a famous gentleman out of his son. For this reason, he wanted him to study many subjects and music and art, too. Whenever a song had words that were not nice, Robert would make up holy words of his own. “My voice is no good for singing things that are not pure,” he would say.

It was his great desire to become a Jesuit priest, but his father had quite different plans for him. For a whole year, Robert worked to persuade his father and at last, when he was eighteen, he was permitted to enter the Jesuits. As a young Jesuit, he did very well in his studies and was sent to preach even before he became a priest. When one good women first saw such a young man, not even a priest yet, going up into the pulpit to preach, she knelt down to pray that he would not become frightened and stop in the middle. When he finished his sermon, she stayed kneeling, but now she was thanking God for the magnificent sermon this brilliant preacher had given!

St. Robert Bellarmine became a famous writer, preacher and teacher. He wrote thirty-one important books. Three hours every day he spent in prayer. Because of his great knowledge of sacred matters, he was declared a Doctor of the Church. Yet, even when he had become a Cardinal, he considered the catechism so important, that he himself taught it to his household and to the people.

Let us not miss through our own fault even one religion class, and let us make up our minds to get the best marks in this subject.

Sts. Nereus, Achilleus, Domitilla, and Pancreas

Sts. Nereus, Achilleus, Domitilla, and Pancreas - May 12th

Nereus and Achilleus were Roman soldiers. Out of fear, they carried the cruel commands of the Emperor, until suddenly they gave up this way of life. They were converted to the Christian Faith and left behind them their shields and bloody arrows forever. St. Peter baptized these two new followers of Jesus, who were soon accused of being Christians. Nereus and Achilleus both professed their Faith and again, but they absolutely refused to sacrifice to the false gods of the Romans. For this, they were at last beheaded.

Domitilla was a rich Roman girl who had made up her mind to belong only to Jesus. The young man who had hoped to marry her was furious at her decision. He accused her of being a Christian, and she was put in prison. There she suffered much. When she still would not give up her Faith, she was burned to death.

Pancras was a fourteen-year-old boy who left his rich home to go to Rome. There he was baptized by the Pope himself. Not long after that, he was arrested for being a Christian, but he refused to give up his Faith. In fact, with all the courage of a hero, he offered his head to the executioner to be cut off.

These four young martyrs could have had all the pleasures money can buy. Yet they did not hesitate to give up the joys of the world in order to win the happiness of Heaven, which is much greater and lasts forever.

Let us often think of the happiness which is waiting for us in Heaven. This thought will make it easier to keep God’s law all the time.

St. Antonino

St. Antonino - May 10th

Antonino means “little Anthony,” and this Italian saint was given the nickname because he was a small fellow. Yet even as a lad, he showed that he had a lot of good sense and will power. When he was fifteen, he asked to join a Dominican monastery, but the Superior thought he was too young and small. “I’ll accept you,” he said, “when you know Gratian’s Decree by heart.” This book was several hundred pages long! Antonino accepted the challenge, and one year later, he came back. It would be hard to describe the good Superior’s amazement when he found that Antonino had memorized the whole decree! Needless to say, he was accepted at once.

The new religious, though just sixteen, continued to surprise everyone by the prefect way in which he lived the life in his Order. As he grew older, he was given one important position after another. Finally, Antonino was made the Archbishop of Florence.

“The father of the poor” was the name given this Saint. He never refused to help anyone. When he had no more money, he would give his clothes, his shoes, his furniture or-his one mule. Many times this mule was sold to help someone, then bought back for him by wealthy citizens, only to be sold once again to help someone else!

Often St. Antonino would say, “A successor of the apostles should not own anything except the wealth of virtue.”

We may not have much money to give, but we can always give good example, a good word, and a helping hand. All this and more comes under the practice of charity.

St. Gregory Nazianzen

St. Gregory Nazianzen - May 9th

Gregory was born in Cappodocia. His parents were Saints: St. Nonna and St. Gregory the Elder. As soon as he was born, his mother took him to church to off her to God. At the same time, to sanctify his hands, she touched them to the Holy Bible. As soon as he was old enough, he was given the Bible to read and meditate on. Gregory was sent to the best schools and he studied hard.

At the famous school of Athens in Greece, he met a wonderful student, Basil, who became St. Basil! These two very close friends spent years happily studying together. They respected everyone, but they never went with anyone who did not behave as he should. In the midst of many dangers, they kept themselves pure.

Later, they both became priests and then bishops. Gregory was such a wonderful preacher that great crowds, and even heretics and pagans, came to hear him. They clapped loud and long after his speeches, and this he did not like, because, although he was very learned, he was also very humble.

While he was Bishop of Constantinople, Gregory converted many heretics with his sermons. Because of this, the heretics persecuted him and even tried to take away his life. A young man offered to carry out this murder, but at the last minute, he felt great remorse and threw himself at the Saint’s feet. With great sorrow he confessed his evil intention. The Saint forgave him at once and won him with his gentleness. This was, in fact, his motto: “Let us show our enemies what we have learned at the feet of Jesus. We must overcome them by gentleness.”

Let us do our best never to be the cause of fights or arguments. And let us be kind and patient when other start trouble.

St. Peter of Tarentaise

St. Peter of Tarentaise - May 8th

The whole family of this young Frenchman followed him when he became Cistercian monks like him, and his mother and sister became Cistercian nuns. Peter was not quite thirty when he was made superior of a monastery, high up in the mountains. There he opened a shelter for sick people and for the many travelers crossing the mountains. His great joy was to wait on these guests himself.

Much against his desires, St. Peter was next made Archbishop of Tarentaise. He found his diocese in very bad condition, but he worked so hard for thirteen years that his people became fervent and good. Now, everyone loved and admired the Saint and called him a wonder-worker. Humble St. Peter decided he had better go back to being a monk and serve God hidden in a monastery. So one day, to their great sorrow, the people of Tarentaise learned that their beloved Archbishop had disappeared! It was a whole year before he was discovered in a monastery in Switzerland. There he was doing all the hard work as a poor brother. And no one in that monastery ever dreamed that the new brother was really the great Archbishop Peter!

Since it was God’s will, back went the Saint to his diocese, to the immense joy of his people. There he stayed the rest of his life, and spent himself for souls, especially for the poor. Twice in freezing weather, he took of his own habit and gave it to poor men, even though he could have frozen to death himself.

The Saints did their best to avoid being admired. Let us imitate by doing things only for God, not to win praise and admiration.

St. Stanislaus

St. Stanislaus - Patron of Poland - May 7th

St. Stanislaus was born in Poland. His parents had prayed for thirty years for a child, and at his birth, they offered him to God in gratitude. When he grew up, he studied in Paris. After his parents died, he gave all their wealth to the poor. Then he became a priest, and later on he was made a bishop.

As bishop, Stanislaus won the love of all, because of the way he took care of poor people, of widows and orphans. Often he served them himself.

The King of Poland at that time was Boleslaus II. He was so cruel and so impure that all the people were disgusted. Stanislaus first corrected him privately. The king seemed sorry, but soon started again and he committed more shameful sins. The Bishop then had to put him out of the Church. Boleslaus flew into a rage at that. To get revenge, he ordered two of his guards to kill St. Stanislaus. Three times they tired and failed. Then the king himself, in mad rage, rushed in and murdered St. Stanislaus right in the chapel, as he was saying Mass.

God worked many miracles after his death, and all the people called him a martyr.

When we are corrected for doing wrong, let us accept the correction humbly and let us put into practice the good advice we are given.

St. John Before the Latin Gate

St. John Before the Latin Gate - May 6th

St. John was the youngest of the Apostles. Jesus loved him with a special love because he was a virgin. He was the only Apostle who stood right near the cross when Our Lord was crucified.


By the year 95, St. John was the only Apostle still alive. All the others had been martyred. He was known and loved by all Christians for his great virtues.


At last, St. john, too, was arrested in the city of Ephesus during the terrible persecution of Christians ordered by the Emperor Domitian. He was taken to Rome and brought before the cruel Emperor. Even though the Saint was so old, the Emperor felt no pity for him. He commanded St. John to be whipped and then thrown into a pot of boiling oil. The Apostle’s face lit up with great joy when he heard the order. He wanted with all his heart to suffer for Jesus, Who died for us. And he was anxious to see his beloved Master again in Heaven.


But God worked a miracle to save St. John from the burning oil. It did not hurt him at all; in fact, when he was taken out, he looked better and stronger than when he was put in!


More furious than ever, the Emperor sent St. John into exile on the island of Patmos.


This St. John was the brother of the Apostle St. James. One day Our Lord had asked them if they could drink the same cup of sufferings he was going to drink. The two Apostles boldly declared they were ready to suffer anything for Him. Then Our Lord told them they would indeed suffer much for His sake. And so it came about, because both of them underwent martyrdom.


Those who keep themselves pure are especially loved and blessed by God.

St. Pius V

St. Pius V - May 5th

This holy Pope’s name was Michael Ghisleri. He was born in a little town of Italy of very poor parents. As a boy, he wanted to become a priest, but it seemed as though his great dream would never come true, because he had no money to go to school. One day, two Dominicans came to his home and when they met Michael, they liked him so much that they offered to educate him. And so at the age of fourteen, Michael joined the Dominican Order.


He became a holy priest, and a superior in different Dominican monasteries. Then he was made a bishop, and later a Cardinal. Courageously he defended the teachings of the Church against those who opposed them. And he always lived a holy life of penance, just as he had done in his monastery.


When he was sixty-one, he was chosen Pope and he took the name Pius V. He who had once been a poor shepherd boy was now the Head of the whole Church. Yet he remained as humble as ever. He still wore his white Dominican habit, the same old one he had had. And no one could persuade him to change it.


There were many problems for the Pope Pius V to face. He drew strength from the crucifix. Twice a day he meditated on the sufferings and death of Our Lord. Whenever he entered or left his room, he would kiss the feet of Christ on the cross.


At this time the Turks were trying to conquer the whole Christian world, and they had a great navy on the Mediterranean Sea. A Christian force went to battle them at a place called Lepanto, near Greece.


This was one of the greatest sea battles there ever was. From the moment the army set out, the Pope prayed the Rosary almost without stopping. And he had the people do the same.


Thanks to the help of the Blessed Mother, the Christians won a great victory. In gratitude to Our Lady, St. Pius V established the feast of the Holy Rosary.


If we make it a habit to say a Rosary every day, we will win our Heavenly Mother’s help and protection from evil.

St. Monica

St. Monica - Patroness of Mothers - May 4th

It was in North Africa that this famous mother of St. Augustine was born. She was brought up as a good Christian. Her strong training was a great help to her when she was married to the pagan Patricius. Patricius admired his wife, but he had a terrible temper and made her suffer much. Still Monica never answered back and never complained about him. Instead she prayed for him fervently. At last, before he died, her prayers and her good example converted Patricius and her mother-in-law, also.

St. Monica’s joy over the holy way in which her husband had died soon changed to great sorrow when she found out that her son Augustine was living a wicked life. This brilliant young man of nineteen had turned to a false religion and to evil habits. Monica prayed and cried and did much penance for her son. She begged priests to talk to him. Augustine was brilliant, yet very stubborn, and he did not want to give up his sinful life.

But Monica would not give him up, either. When he went to Rome without her, she followed him. At Rome, she found he had become a teacher in Milan. So Monica went to Milan. And all those years, she never stopped praying for him. What love and faith! After thirty years of prayers and tears, her reward came when Augustine was converted. Not only did he become a good Christian, as she had prayed, but also a priest, a bishop, a great writer, and a very famous saint.

We should not become discouraged if our prayers are not answered right away. Like St. Monica, we must keep praying, because Our Lord promised, “Ask and you shall receive.”

St. Philip of Zell

St. Philip of Zell - May 3

Philip was an Englishman who made a pilgrimage to Rome and was there ordained a priest. Then he went to live in Germany. He made his home in a woods and lived alone, spending his time praying and growing his own food. The little creatures of the forest were very dear to Philip because they were all created by the good God Whom he loved and served. Birds used to perch on his shoulder and eat right out of his hand. Rabbit played about his feet.

People began to come to ask St. Philip’s advice. Even the King, the famous King Pepin of the Franks, used to love to talk with this holy priest. They became good friends, King Pepin learned from St. Philip to trust in God.

Another priest came to live with the Saint, to share his life of prayer and work. Once two thieves stole the oxen used by the Saint and his companion. But in trying to get out of the woods with the two animals, the robbers lost their way. After going around in circles all night, they found themselves in the morning right back in front of St. Philip’s hut! They had a change of heart and begged the good priest to forgive them. St. Philip treated them as special guests before sending them on their way. They were so moved by his goodness that from then on they were different men from what they had once been.

After St. Philip died, a monastery and then a church were built where his little hut had been.

Let us often say a special prayer for the conversion of sinners. These prayers are very pleasing to Jesus, Who wants sinners to return to Him and to be saved.

St. Athanasius

St. Athanasius - May 2nd


Athanasius was an Egyptian who devoted his life to proving that Jesus is truly God against the Arians who denied it. Even before he was ordained a priest, he had read so many books on the Faith that he easily could point out the mistakes in the false teachings of the Arians.


For forty-six years, he was Archbishop of the great city of Alexandria in Egypt. Four Roman emperors could not make him stop writing his clear and beautiful explanations of our holy Faith. His enemies persecuted him in every way and sent him into exile many times.


Once they were chasing him down the Nile River. “They are catching up to us!” cried the Saint’s friends. Athanasius was not worried. “Turn the boat around,” he said, “and row towards them.” The men from the other boat shouted, “Have you seen Athanasius?” Back came the answer: “You are not far from him!” The enemy boat sped on faster than ever, and the Saint was safe!


Because the people of Alexandria so loved their good Archbishop, who was a real father to them, they saw to it that he spent the last seven years of his life safe with them. The enemies of the true Faith could not harm him, and he died in peace.


Let us never let the teasing or laughter of our companions stop us from doing what is right. God sees us and He will reward us in Heaven for every good act.

Sts. Philip and James

Sts. Philip and James - May 1st

Philip was one of Jesus’ first Apostles. Our Lord found him and said, “Follow me.” Philip was so happy to be with Jesus that he wanted to share his happiness with his friend, Nathaniel. “We have found Him of whom Moses and the prophets wrote. He is Jesus of Nazareth,” he told Nathaniel.

Nathaniel was not at all excited. Nazareth was just a little village, not a big city like Jerusalem. So Nathaniel said, “Can any good come out of Nazareth?” But Philip did not become angry at his friend’s answer. He just said, “Come and see.” Nathaniel went to see Jesus, and after he had spoken with Him, he, too, became a zealous follower of the Lord.

St. James was also one of the twelve apostles. He was a cousin of Our Lord. After Jesus ascended into Heaven, James became Bishop of Jerusalem and the people thought so much of him that they called him, “James the Just,” which means “James the Holy One.” In all his prayers, he kept begging God to forgive the people. Even when the enemies of Jesus were putting him to death for preaching about Our Lord, St. James asked God to pardon them.

It does no good to become angry if others make fun of us. We will win them little by little if we are patient and keep praying.

Today is also the Feast of St. Joseph, Patron of Workmen

To read the short story about St. Joseph, look for him on March 19, or click, or copy and paste the following link into your web browser:

http://thesaintsstories.blogspot.com/2008/07/st-joseph-patron-of-universal-church.html