St. Hilarion

St. Hilarion – October 21st

Hilarion was a pagan lad when he left his home in Palestine to go to school in Egypt. There he learned about the Christian Faith, and soon he was baptized. Hilarion was only about fifteen at this time, but before long, he was off on a visit to the famous St. Anthony in the desert. He wanted to be alone to serve Jesus, whom he had just come to love. Hilarion stayed two months with St. Anthony, but it was not quiet enough there for him. Too many people came to St. Anthony for help, in his opinion. So he left and after giving everything he had to the poor, he went into the wilderness to live as a hermit.

Hilarion had to battle many temptations. At times it seemed to him as if none of his prayers were heard at all. Yet he did not let these temptations stop him from praying even harder.

After twenty years in the desert, the holy man worked his first miracle and soon many people began coming to his hut to beg his help. Many men asked him to let them stay with him to learn how to pray and do penance. In his great love of God and souls, the Saint did not refuse. But finally, when he was sixty-five, he began going from one country to another trying to find peace and quiet. The fame of his miracles of mercy always brought crowds of visitors, however. It was not until a few years before he died at eighty that this great lover of God could be alone with Him.

When I say my prayers I will avoid every willful distraction.

St. Hildegard

St. Hildegard – September 17th

God favored this German nun with many special messages and she felt she should write them down, but she was too afraid. Everyone wrote in Latin in her time and she did not know Latin very well. Besides, she feared people would not believe that her visions were real. At last, however, after she had become Abbess of her convent, St. Hildegard wrote about Our Lord’s love for us, about His kingdom, the angels, the devil, and hell. An Archbishop read her writings and approved them, saying: “These visions are from God.” The Pope himself expressed happiness at these favors God had granted her, and warned her not to become proud.

St. Hildegard had many unusual talents. She wrote hymns and sacred poems and even a holy play for her nuns to enjoy in recreation time. She wrote two books on medicine and science. The scientific book is a very careful description of trees, fish, birds, animals, and metals.

Although very sick and often criticized by many people, the Saint wrote hundreds of letters to emperors and kings, to popes and bishops, and to other saints. She traveled to many convents and monasteries and to many cities to tell people what Our Lord had told her. Nor was she afraid to scold those who were sinning, and to warn some that God would punish them. If they became angry, it did not frighten St. Hildegard. “I am a poor vessel made of earth,” she would say, “and I do not say these things of myself. They come from God, the calm Light.” Her whole life was full of much activity joined with a deep peace in God, and in this same joyful peace, she died.

Sometimes we think it is difficult to be good because many around us are not good. They may even make fun of us and be mean to us. But we will learn from this Saint to be brave and be different, which means to be what we should be.

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

St. Henry the Emperor

St. Henry the Emperor - Patron of Benedictine Oblates - July 15th

Henry was Duke of Bavaria when one night he had an unusual vision. St. Wolfgang, who had been his beloved teacher when he was a boy, appeared to him and pointed to the words, “After six” written on the wall. What could that mean? Perhaps Henry was to die in six days? With that thought, he prayed with great fervor for six days, only to find himself alive and in perfect health. Perhaps it meant six month? The good Duke devoted himself to doing good more than ever. At the end of six months, he was healthier than before. So he decided he had six years to get ready for a holy death. But instead of dying after that time had passed, he was elected Emperor of Germany, and then he understood what the vision had meant.

As Emperor, Henry worked hard to keep his people happy and at peace. To defend justice he had to fight many wars, but he always won, since before every battle he prayed and made his soldiers pray. He preserved both his purity and his humility, even though as Emperor, he received great honor and power. He and his wife, St. Cunegundes, lived as brother and sister, and when they went to Rome to be crowned Emperor and Empress of the Holy Roman Empire, it is said that Jesus rewarded Henry for his purity and justice with a wonderful vision. The Saint was praying in the Basilica of St. Mary Major, when he saw Our Lord Himself, Jesus the Eternal Priest, offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass!

Even when we are very busy, we should stop a few minutes now and then, to say a prayer for the salvation of our souls.

St. Heliodorus

St. Heliodorus - July 3rd

Helidorus was a soldier who met the great St. Jerome and became his disciple. When St. Jerome went to the East with other companions, Heliodorus went with them. But he refused to follow Jerome when the Saint moved into the desert to live.

Heliodorus loved and respected St. Jerome as his guide and teacher in divine things. Yet he felt that duty called him back to work for souls in the cities, instead of staying in the desert as a hermit.

St. Heliodorus was named Bishop of his own city shortly after he returned home. He made an excellent Bishop, full of zeal for the good of souls. St. Jerome never lost his affection for Helidorus, even though he had been very hurt when he left. In fact, he told the priest Nepotian to take Heliodorus as his model of a Christian pastor. And in the Introduction to one of the books of the bible which he translated, St. Jerome thanked Heliodorus for the great encouragement and gifts of money he had given him to carry on his work.

These two great Saints had to separate to labor in different ways for God, but their lives show that they still loved each other and sanctified themselves.

We will respect everyone’s good ideas, even when they are different from our own.

Blessed Herman Joseph

Blessed Herman Joseph - April 7th

Herman’s parents were very poor people who lived in Germany. Because he was so poor, little Herman did not receive much of an education. Yet his great love for our Blessed Mother kept him out of trouble. He grew up under Our Lady’s loving care and he went to her every time he needed something. He liked nothing better than to spend time praying to Mary.

When he entered a monastery, Herman was not too happy at first. This was because he had to work in the kitchen and serve his brothers at table. So much of his time was spent with the pots and pans that poor Herman could not pray to his Blessed Mother for hours any more. One day he complained about it to her and Our Lady came to tell him not to worry. “For every day work,” she said, “you earn a greater reward in Heaven than if you had prayed all day long!” Then Herman was happy. He knew that we please Our Lord and His Mother most when we do our duty in obedience.

Herman received his other name of Joseph in an unusual way. It was given him by the other monks when they saw how much he was like the great St. Joseph, Our Lady’s Spouse. Herman was so humble that he did not think he deserved that name. So our Blessed Mother herself came to tell him to keep this name-Herman Joseph.

After he became a priest, the holy monk celebrated Mass with such love of God that people cried to see him. Even though he was so spiritual, Herman worked, too. In fact, he was a good Mechanic, and went to on monastery of his Order after another to repair clocks. Herman suffered much from sickness and temptations, but he offered it all to Our Lord and never lost his courage.

Our good actions are like letters that need the right address. This means that they will reach God and bring us a reward only if we do them for Him.

St. Hugh of Grenoble

St. Hugh of Grenoble - April 1st

St. Hugh was born in France. He grew to be tall and handsome, gentle courteous, but very shy. Although he always wanted to go off to live alone God, he was so intelligent that he was given important positions. After he was ordained a priest, he was made a canon of the Cathedral of Valance, and next was chosen Bishop of Grenoble.

As Bishop, Hugh began at once to correct evil ways of living practiced by many people of his diocese. He made wise plans, but that was not all he did. To draw God’s mercy down upon his people, St. Hugh prayed with his whole heart and did hard penances. In a short time, his wicked people became very virtuous and pious.

But still Hugh wanted to be a monk. He resigned as bishop and entered a monastery. There he was so fervent in all that he did, and so humble, too, that he became a prefect model of every virtue. Yet it was not God’s will for Hugh to be a monk. After one year, the Pope commanded him to become the Bishop of Grenoble again. Right away, St. Hugh obeyed. He knew it was more important to please God than to please himself.

For forty years, the good Bishop was sick nearly all the time. Yet he forced himself to keep working, because he wanted to do his duty. He suffered from terrible temptations, too. But he fought them and prayed and never gave in to sin.

When the will of our parents and teachers is different from what we would like, we will drop our plans at once and obey.

St. Honoratus

St. Honoratus – Patron of Bakers – January 16th


St. Honoratus’ father was a pagan Roman consular. When still very young Honoratus refused to worship the idols of the pagans and became a Christian. He also persuaded his brother Venantius to do the same. Honoratus was very fervent and wanted to live alone with God, but his father had plans to make him great and famous. He tried to change his son’s mind by giving him beautiful clothes and everything that he thought could delight him. Yet Honoratus was loyal to Jesus. He kept himself pure always. At last, he was able to leave home. He and Venantius left their riches and went off to serve God. But many people heard of them and came to visit them. With the intention of living alone, they asked a holy hermit, St. Caprais, to be their director, and the three of them left Gaul to set out for a desert. They suffered so much on the journey that Venantius died soon afterwards, and Honoratus himself became very sick. He realized that God willed him to return to France, and so, after he was well enough, he went back and founded a monastery there.


When the Archbishop of Arles died, St. Honoratus was made Archbishop. Although he only lived three years more, everyone loved him for his great charity.


Let us give good example to our younger brothers and sisters, so that they will find it easier to be good.

St. Hilary of Poitiers

St. Hilary of Poitiers - Patron Against Snake Bites - January 14th


St. Hilary was born in France and raised a pagan. But he was a very intelligent man, and he thought it was foolish to worship many gods as pagans do. He obtained a copy of the Holy Bible and read it eagerly. There he learned about the one true God and about Jesus Christ Our Savoir. At last, Hilary became a Christian.


From his baptism to the end of his life, St. Hilary tried to teach people to believe in God. He also tried to encourage them to lead holy lives. He converted his wife and daughter and later was ordained to the priesthood. He became the Bishop of Poitiers, his city. During this time there was a heresy that said Jesus was not God. St. Hilary showed people how wrong it was.


He wrote many books about the Faith and traveled everywhere preaching that Jesus Christ is truly God. For this he earned the title of Doctor of the Church.


Like St. Hilary, let us be proud of our faith and defend it every time we have a chance.