The Immaculate Heart of Mary

The Immaculate Heart of Mary

- August 22nd

The Heart of Our Blessed Mother was not only one full of love for God and for neighbor.


It was the most humble and pure, the most devout and fervent in prayer.


It was the bravest heart, and even during her Son’s passion she never gave in to discouragement.


It was the most patient and most faithful heart. It was the one which was always united to God in intimate contemplation and at the same time had charity for all. It was the heart of the Mother of Jesus, and because of this, it was in all things like the heart of her Divine Son. Like Jesus and with Him, Mary loved and suffered in her heart for the salvation of all poor sinners.


In the Heart of Our Blessed Mother, as in the Heart of Jesus, there is a most ardent desire to save souls from Hell and from Purgatory. Mary prays continually to her Son for our salvation. She knows that Jesus came on earth especially for sinners. She does not forget that when He was dying, He made her the Mother of us all.


In spite of our sins, let us look up to our Blessed Mother and let us have confidence in her motherly heart. Then, even if we are sad or upset, we will feel peaceful and happy again.

St. Jane Frances de Chantal

St. Jane Frances de Chantal - August 21st

Jane’s father was President of the lawmakers in the section of France. He was a devout man who brought his children up well after the death of his wife. Jane, whom he dearly loved, he married to Christopher, the Baron de Chantal. Jane and Christopher were very happy, for they were very much in love and God blessed them with four children. Jane showed her love for God by loving her husband and children with her whole heart.

Then, suddenly, a great sorrow fell upon that happy home. Baron Christopher was accidentally shot by a friend who had gone hunting with him. When he died, Jane was heart-broken, yet as a good Christian should, she forgave the man who had caused his death and even became his child’s godmother.

Now Jane Frances began to ask Our Lord to send her a holy priest to guide her, so she would know what to do with her life. In the meantime, she prayed and brought up her children in the love of God. She visited the poor and sick and comforted the dying. When she met St. Francis de Sales, she knew this was the holy man God had sent to guide her. Following his plan, she and three other young women started the order of the Sisters of the Visitation. But first Jane Frances had to overcome the objections of her relatives. By now Jane’s oldest daughter was married to St. Francis’ young brother, and she sent her two younger daughters with her to bring up. But her fifteen-year-old son, who was to stay with his grandfather, threw himself to the ground across the doorway, sobbing. Jane knew God wanted her to go and that He Himself would take the best care of her son, so she stepped over the boy and went away with tears spilling down her cheeks.

St. Jane showed this same courage in all the difficulties that faced her as she opened up many convents, and in fighting her own temptations. “Despite all her suffering,” wrote St. Vincent de Paul, “her face never lost its peaceful look. And she was always perfectly faithful to God. So I consider her one of the holiest souls I have ever met.”

Like this Saint, let us always obey the Will of God, even when it costs us great sacrifices. If we do it, we, too, will become saints.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux

St. Bernard of Clairvaux - Patron of Candle-Makers and Candle-Sellers - August 20th

Bernard was a handsome young French noble whose heart was broken when his mother died. He was just seventeen then and he might have let sadness get the best of him had it not been for his lively sister Humbeline. She cheered him up and soon Bernard became a very popular man, for he was not only good-looking and brilliant, but also a lover of fun, good-humored and very likeable.

Yet one day, Bernard greatly surprised his friends by telling them he was going to join the very strict Cistercian Order. They did all they could to make him give up the idea, but in the end, it was Bernard who convinced his four brothers, an uncle, and twenty-six of his friends to join him! As Bernard and his brothers left their home, they said to their little brother Nivard, who was playing with other children: “Good-bye, little Nivard! You will now have all the lands and property for yourself!” But the youngster answered: “What! Will you take Heaven and leave me the earth? Do you call that fair?” And not too long after, Nivard, too, joined his brothers in the monastery.

St. Bernard became a very good monk. To keep fervent, he would ask himself every morning: “Why did you come here?” This question spurred him on to become a Saint. After three years, Bernard was sent to start a new Cistercian monastery and to be its Abbot. He and his monks lived such good and heroic lives for God that over a hundred men soon joined them. Although the Saint would have liked to stay working and praying in his monastery, he was called to preach, to make peace between rulers, to advise the Popes, and to write beautiful spiritual books. He became the most famous man of his time, yet Bernard’s great desire was to go to Heaven.

This Saint had a great devotion to the Blessed Mother and often greeted her with a “Hail Mary” when he passed her statue. One day, the Blessed Mother returned his greeting: “Hail, Bernard!” In this way, Our Lady showed how much his love and devotion pleased her.

Let us ask ourselves every day, “Why did God make us?” Then let us say the answer slowly, “God made us o know, love and serve Him in this world, and to share His eternal happiness in Heaven.”

THE NICENE CREED

THE NICENE CREED

On video, in English words, Latin singing (St. Pius V Choir), and pictures

Video created by, Rita-The Saints Administrator

Your Profession of Faith

("THE NICENE CREED" link takes you to watch this video on the YouTube website)

St. John Eudes

St. John Eudes - August 19th

John was the oldest son of a farmer in Normandy. He was a good boy, who tried to copy the examples given by Our Lord. When he was only nine, a companion slapped his face, and john did what Jesus told us to do: he turned his face for a slap on his other cheek, also.

John’s parents wanted him to marry but he finally persuaded them to let him become a priest. He gave good example to everyone in the Congregation of the Oratory which he joined, just as he had been of good example at home and in school. When a plague brought great suffering to Normandy Father Eudes volunteered to help the sick, caring for their souls and bodies. Later, he became a popular preacher of missions in parishes. In his life he preached one hundred and ten of them.

St. John is responsible for the establishment of important Congregations: the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity and the Good Shepherd nuns who try to convert sinful girls and help them lead good lives. He also founded the Congregation of Jesus and Mary for priests, dedicated to training young men to become good parish priests.

St. John was very devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and to the Holy Heart of Mary, and he wrote a book on them. He fell sick after he preached a mission for nine weeks outdoors in cold winter weather, and a few years later, invoking the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, he died a holy death.

Let us imitate this Saint in his great devotion to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. The devotion of the Nine First Fridays and of the five First Saturdays assures us of our eternal salvation.

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….