Feast of Saint Saba

Monastery of Mar Saba in Palestine

Born in Cappadocia (modern-day Turkey), St. Saba is one of the most highly regarded patriarchs among the monks of Palestine and is considered one of the founders of Eastern monasticism.

After an unhappy childhood in which he was abused and ran away several times, St. Saba finally sought refuge in a monastery. While family members tried to persuade him to return home, the young boy felt drawn to monastic life. Although the youngest monk in the house, he excelled in virtue.

At age 18 he traveled to Jerusalem, seeking to learn more about living in solitude. Soon he asked to be accepted as a disciple of a well-known local solitary, though initially he was regarded as too young to live completely as a hermit. Initially, St. Saba lived in a monastery, where he worked during the day and spent much of the night in prayer. At the age of 30 he was given permission to spend five days each week in a nearby remote cave, engaging in prayer and manual labor in the form of weaving baskets. Following the death of his mentor, St. Euthymius, St. Saba moved farther into the desert near Jericho. There he lived for several years in a cave near the brook Cedron. A rope was his means of access. Wild herbs among the rocks were his food. Occasionally men brought him other food and items, while he had to go a distance for his water.

Some of these men came to him desiring to join him in his solitude. At first he refused. But not long after relenting, his followers swelled to more than 150, all of them living in individual huts grouped around a church, called a laura.

The bishop persuaded a reluctant St. Sabas, then in his early 50s, to prepare for the priesthood so that he could better serve his monastic community in leadership. While functioning as abbot among a large community of monks, he felt ever called to live the life of a hermit. Throughout each year —consistently in Lent—he left his monks for long periods of time, often to their distress. A group of 60 men left the monastery, settling at a nearby ruined facility. When St. Sabas learned of the difficulties they were facing, he generously gave them supplies and assisted in the repair of their church.

Over the years St. Saba traveled throughout Palestine, preaching the true faith and successfully bringing back many to the Church. At the age of 91, in response to a plea from the Patriarch of Jerusalem, St. Saba undertook a journey to Constantinople in conjunction with the Samaritan revolt and its violent repression. He fell ill and, soon after his return, died at the monastery at Mar Saba. Today the monastery is still inhabited by monks of the Eastern Orthodox Church, and St. St. Saba is regarded as one of the most noteworthy figures of early monasticism.

القديسة بربارة و حكاية القمح المسلوق...

من العادات والتقاليد أن نأكل القمح المسلوق في عيد القديسة العظيمة في الشهيدات بربارة . وذلك لأن حبة القمح لا تُثمر ولا تأتي بسُنبلة إلا إذا ماتت . وكما قال السيّد المسيح له المجد " إن لم تمت حبّة الحنطة فإنها تبقى وحدها ولكن إن ماتت تأتي بثمرٍ كثير . وهكذا الشهيدات والشهداء القديسون بإستشهادهم وقبولهم الموت ورفضهم نكران المسيح إنما أعطوا بعملهم هذا نموا للإيمان المسيحي وبغزارة . كحبة القمح التي إن ماتت فقط تأتي بثمر كثير .

لوحة زيتية  من سنة 1620 تمثل القديسة بربارة و هي تهرب من والدها

ولدت القديسة بربارة في أوائل القرن الثالث للمسيح ، كان أبوها ، و إسمه ذيوسقورس ، غنياً جداً ووثنياً متحمساً يكره المسيحيين و يزدريهم ، أما والدتها فقد ماتت و هي طفله صغيره ، و كانت بربارة ابنته الوحيدة جميله جداً و ذكيه فخاف عليها أبوها فبنى لها قصراً عالي الأسوار ، جعل فيه كل أنواع البهجة كي لا يكون لها كسجن ، تقيم فيه ووضع لها خداماً و حراساً و أحضر لها أساتذة مهرة ليعلموها علوم ذلك العصر حتى تنشأ على حب آلهتهم و أتاحت لها وحدتها عادة التأمل و التفكير و قادتها كثرة التأمل إلي البحث عن الإله الحقيقي الذي خلق السماء و الأرض و النجوم و أنبت أزهار الحقل...... ألخ

فأخذت تبحث على من يشرح لها أسرار الألوهية و كان بين خدامها أناس مسيحيون أخبرها أحدهم عن الديانة المسيحية و عرفها بها وشرح لها الكتاب المقدس و تجسد المسيح و إفتداءه للبشر، و عن بتولية العذراء مريم و جمال البتولية فآمنت و إعتمدت و تناولت جسد الرب يسوع المسيح و دمه الكريمين و من ذلك الوقت خصصت بتوليتها للرب على مثال العذراء . حدث هذا و أبوها لا يعلم و قد كثر خطابها من الأسر الكبيرة و الغنية و كانت ترفضهم ، و أخيراً أخبرت أباها بأنها لا تريد أن تتزوج لأنها أصبحت مسيحية و نذرت نفسها للرب يسوع، فغضب أبوها غضباً شديداً خاصة بعد أن رأى بأنها قد حطمت الأصنام في البيت ووضعت صلباناً بدلاً منها فاستل سيفه ليقتلها و لكنها هربت منه فلحق بها عند صخرة كبيرة فانفتحت الصخرة و جازت بربارة فيها ثم أطبقت ، و لما عرف أبوها مكانها أمسكها و جرها من شعرها ووضعها في قبو مظلم ، و بينما كانت تصلي ظهر لها الملاك و قال لها : " لا تخافي لأن الله سيكون نصيرك".

و في اليوم التالي ذهب أبوها و أخبر الوالي (مركيانوس) بأن إبنته أصبحت مسيحية فأرسل لها الوالي و طلب منها أن تترك المسيحية و تعود إلي عبادة الأصنام فرفضت ، فأمر بجلدها فجلدوها و جروا جسمها على قطع من الفخار المكسر وجرحوها و علقوها في الفضاء و رأسها إلي أسفل و ضربوها و رشوا على جسدها الجريح ملحاً لكي يزيدوا آلامها و لم تستسلم فأعادوها إلي السجن، و في اليوم التالي وجدوا أنها قد شفيت من جروحها ، فسألوها كيف شفيت ؟ فقالت لهم :" إن الذي شفاني هو الرب يسوع المسيح". فثار الحاكم و أمر بأن يعذبوها و يعروها من ثيابها و يطوفوا بها في الشوارع حتى يبصق عليها كل من يراها، أما هي فصلت و تضرعت إلي الله أن ينقذها من هذا العقاب ، و أن يستر جسدها حتى لا يراه الناس ، و ما كادت تنهي صلاتها حتى شاهد الناس أن جروحها قد شفيت و أضاء حولها نور بهر العيون حتى أنه لم يقدر أحد من الناس أن ينظر إليها ، فخاف الحاكم و أمر بقطع رأسها

فتقدم أبوها و طلب من الحاكم أن يقوم هو بقطع رأس إبنته فسمح له بذلك فأخرجها أبوها خارج المدينة و قطع رأسها بضربة من فأسه ، حينئذ إنصب عليه غضب الله إذ أظلمت السماء و تكاثفت الغيوم و إنقضت عليه صاعقة أحرقته و أحرقت مركيانوس الحاكم الظالم معه ، و ذاع صيت بربارة بين الناس و كثرت العجائب التي نالها الناس بتضرعاتها و إتخذها الناس شفيعة لهم و خاصة في أمراض العيون و إشتداد الصواعق و المهن الخطرة و شيد على إسمها كثير من الكنائس في العالم .

Feast of Saint Artemius (Mar Shallita)

Icon of Saint Artemius the Martyr

Shalita, who is also known as Artemius, was born in the fourth century. He achieved high rank in the Roman army and was eventually given responsibility for the Roman troops stationed in Egypt. He remained a faithful Christian despite the danger of losing his position and even his life. He was summoned before the emperor in Antioch for having destroyed the temples and idols of the pagan gods. It is said that his body was taken to Constantinople by Arista, who was a deacon of the Church in Antioch. 

Cardinal Baronius inserted the name of St. Artemius in the Roman Martyrology, following the example of the Eastern church which had venerated him in spite of the fact that he was a supporter of the Arians. 

Artemius healing shrine was a great center of devotion at Constantinople. The Greek life printed in the Acta Sanctorum, which is based ultimately upon the Arian chronicler Philostorgius, states that the emperor Constantius II commissioned Artemius to convey the relics of St. Andrew the Apostle and St. Luke the Evangelist, from Achaia to Constantinople. Artemius accomplished his task and was rewarded with the appointment to the rank of dux Aegypti (360).

One year later Constantius was succeeded by his cousin Julian, who was a Pagan. The people of Alexandria accused Artemius of several atrocities, and Julian condemned him to death. Artemius was beheaded in 363 in the city of Antioch, where he had been recalled by Emperor Julian the Apostate for maladministration of his province. The charges stemmed from his persecution of pagans in Alexandria, and his use of troops in the seizure and despoliation of the Temple of Serapis instigated by George of Cappadocia. 

May the faithful prayers of Saint Shalita enlighten us. Amen. His feast day is October 20th.

Feast of Saint Augustine

Saint Augustine, bishop and Doctor of the Church, is best known for his Confessions (401), his autobiographical account of his conversion. His writings had a profound influence on the church. St. Augustine was born in 354, at Tagaste in Africa. He was brought up in the Christian faith, but without receiving baptism. An ambitious school-boy of brilliant talents and violent passions, he early lost both his faith and his innocence. He persisted in his irregular life until he was thirty-two. Being then at Milan professing rhetoric, he tells us that the faith of his childhood had regained possession of his intellect, but that he could not as yet resolve to break the chains of evil habit.

Portrait of Saint Augustine in His study

One day, a however, stung to the heart by the account of some sudden conversions, be cried out, "The unlearned rise and storm heaven, and we, with all our learning, for lack of heart lie wallowing here." He then withdrew into a garden, when a long and terrible conflict ensued. Suddenly a young fresh voice (he knows not whose) breaks in upon his strife with the words, "Take and read;" and he lights upon the passage beginning, "Walk honestly as in the day." The battle was won. He received baptism, returned home, and gave all to the poor.

At Hippo, where he settled, he was consecrated bishop in 395. For thirty-five years he was the centre of ecclesiastical life in Africa, and the Church's mightiest champion against heresy; whilst his writings have been everywhere accepted as one of the principal sources of devotional thought and theological speculation. He died in 430.

Saint Augustine’s books, essays and letters of Christian Revelation are probably more influential in the history of thought than any other Christian writer since St. Paul, namely his Confessions, sermons on the Gospel and the Epistle of John, the The Trinity (400-416) and what he finished late in life, the The City of God (426), writings that deal with the opposition between Christianity and the `world’ and represents the first Christian philosophy of history. He also wrote of the controversies with Manicheans, Pelagians, and Donatists which helped lead to his ideas on Creation, Grace, the Sacraments and the Church. There is a massive collection of his writings and they also include: Soliloquies (386-387), On Grace and Free Will. (426) Retractions (426-427) and Letters (386-430).

VIDEO: Saint Charbel's House in Bekaakafra, Lebanon

Saint Charbel was born on the 8th of May, 1828 in the village of Bekaakafra in the district of Bsharre in northern Lebanon. He grew up and lived until he reached the age of 23, he lived with his family in a house, which according to the official registers and the elders of the village is almost four centuries old.

When in 1950, the miracles related to the intercession of Saint Charbel occurred, the Maronite Order decided to buy his house and to make it part of the precious heritage for the Maronite Order and for Lebanon. The decision was put into effect on June 23, 1953. 

Restoration works took place and the house was renovated in an artistic way which preserved its authentic character and its typical architecture. Then the order converted it into a sanctuary. A cedar wood altar was installed and on May 25, 1955 a solemn Mass was celebrated for its inauguration, in the presence of great crowds of the religious and the faithful.

The successive monks in charge have improved the house, and they added rooms for the monks own accommodation, a library and an oratory were also added. The basement and two neighboring houses were also restored turning the whole complex into a museum devoted to Saint Charbel. A new road leading all the way to the house was opened and a permanent art exhibition was inaugurated. The gallery houses illustrations and paintings retracing the life of the Saint. A marble statue of Saint Charbel was inaugurated in the spring of 1994. 

Currently there are several relies exposed in the house of Saint Charbel, including such objects as an ampule containing blood of the Saint, a handkerchief with the impression of his face and a chasuble he wore. 

While preserving this precious historical and religious heritage, the Maronite Order decided to launch apostolic and social movements in the village and to organize conferences and cultural gatherings. These activities contribute to the special role played by the village of Saint Charbel and its young generation inside the Church and the Country.

"ما بيكفي تعرف الطريق تا توصل لازم تمشي عليها. ألله بيضوّيلك على الصفحات بس لازم انت تقرأ، الله بنوّرلك دربك بس لازم انت تمشي." (القديس شربل)

ما أجمل ما قاله القديس شربل إبن لبنان البار. حكمة في غاية الروعة نطقها بكلمات بسيطة فدوّت أصداءها عبر التاريخ لنقرأها نحن أيضا هنا في هذا المنبر الماروني المبارك ونتأمل فيها ونحن نحتفل في هذه الأيام بعيده الميمون. أعاده الله عليكم.

ومن خلال هذا الصدى النيّر لهذه الدرر أردت أن أطرح على القارىء تأملا، لعلنا بوضعه تحت المجهر نتأمل حقبة من الزمن نرى من خلالها ماهية الطريق الذي سار عليه الأبرار الذين أسسوا بدمائهم دعائم الارتكاز للكنيسة جمعاء ونتأمل أيضا كيف مشوا عليه نحو هدف الله المعلن ليتمجد اسمه القدوس فيكون لنا الخلاص.

قال الرب في انجيل يوحنا 33:16  "في العالم سيكون لكم ضيق" وكأنه يلقي الضوء على درب لا بد لنا وأن نسير فيه لكي نصل. طريق يبدو صعبا ورهيبا ولكن بوعده الألهي أكد لنا الوصول بمجد وكرامة حين أردف قائلا "ولكن ثقوا، أنا قد غلبت العالم". أنه الطريق الذي سلكه المسيحيون في القرون الثلاث الأولى من تارخ العهد الجديد. ولا زال العدد العديد منهم يسلكونه الى هذه لساعة.

طريق الاضطهادات العشرة من زمن نشأت المسيحية في العصر الروماني.

الإضطهاد الأول:

وقع سنه 81م أيام حكم فسباسيان الذي خلف نيرون الطاغية. وأهم الحوادث في أيامه هي تأديب اليهود وتخريب أورشليم وهدم الهيكل وحرقه على يد تيطس أبنه وقائد جيشه الذي بعد حصار أشد ضيقاً مما حكاه التاريخ استولى على المدينة ودمر الهيكل وأهلك مليون يهودي وأستولى على نفائس الهيكل وحملها معه إلى روما كما فعل نبوخذ نصر ملك بابل من قبله وكان ذلك قبل 660 سنة من عهده.

الإضطهاد الثاني:

وقع سنة 96م في أواخر حكم الإمبراطور دومينيان الذي في أيامه نفى الرسول يوحنا إلى جزيرة بطمس.

الإضطهاد الثالث:     

وقع سنه 107م في أوائل حكم الإمبراطور تراجان.

الإضطهاد الرابع:     

وقع سنه 177م في حكم ماركوس اوريليوس.

الإضطهاد الخامس:   

وقع سنه 192م في آخر حكم كومودوس.

الإضطهاد السادس:   

وقع سنه 230م في حكم الكسندر مسيفورس.

الإضطهاد السابع:      

وقع سنة 251م في أول حكم فالريان.

الإضطهاد الثامن:      

وقع سنه 258م في آخر حكم فالريان.

الإضطهاد التاسع:    

وقع سنه 284م في أول حكم ديوقلسيانوس وبه ابتدأ تاريخ الشهداء الأقباط في مصر.

الإضطهاد العاشر:    

استمر من سنة 303م إلى سنة 313 ومدته عشر سنوات وقد وقع في مده حكم (ديوقلسيانوس) وهنا ختام الإضطهادات العامة.

وقد بدأ إضطهاد المسيحين الفعلي وبعنف في حكم نيرون الطاغية 54 – 68م إذ في سنة 64 شبت نار في روما ودام اللهيب ستة أيام ولياليها حتى جعل نصفها رماداً وشاع حينذاك أن نيرون أمر بذلك الحريق لكي تخلو المدينة من أبنيتها العتيقة ليعيد بنائها على نظام أبدع. وأنه من على سطح قصره كان يشاهد المنظر المؤلم وهو يتغنى بقصيدة من نظمه. ولكي يحول عنه الظنون، أتهم المسيحين بالمؤامرة على روما إتماماً لنبواتهم حيث كانوا يبشرون بمجيء المسيح ثانية وهلاك العالم الشرير واحتراق روما بالنار كما جاء (2 بط 3 : 11 – 13) فكان هذا الاتهام مبرراً لإثارة اقسى أنواع الاضطهادات في تاريخ الكنيسة فقد دهنت أجساد الكثيرين من المسيحين بالزيت وأشعلت فيهم النار ليلاً لكي يقوموا مقام المصابيح في الحدائق الملكية .

وفي الإضطهاد العاشر (في أواخر حكم ديوكلسيانوس) وقع أعنف اضطهاد على المسيحين من الأباطرة الوثنيين فكان المسيحيون يطرحون في السجون العميقة ويلقون أمام السباع في الملاعب ويحرقون بالنار الخفيفة ويماتون بطرق أخرى كثيرة وشديدة القسوة.

وأبدى هؤلاء الشهداء كل التقوى والثبات في تحمل الآلام وهذه الآلام جاءت بالكثيرين إلى دائرة الإيمان. وكان المسيحيون في جميع الاضطهادات يلجأون إلى المغارات والسراديب التي تقع تحت مدينة روما وكانوا هناك يدفنون موتاهم ويرسمون على حوائط القبور رموز رجائهم، واثارهم موجوده إلى الآن.

By Anonymous Author

Pope Francis' Homily on the Feast of Saint John the Baptist, June 24, 2013

The church exists for courageously proclaiming -until martyrdom- Christ, to serve and "take nothing for herself". In his homily at morning Mass on Monday, Pope Francis pointed to St. John the Baptist as model for Church: he didn't claim the Truth, the Word as his own; he diminished himself so Christ could shine. 

Monday June 24th is the Solemnity of the Birth of the Saint, whom the Gospels indicate as the forerunner or precursor of Jesus. Dedicating his homily him Pope Francis said the Church is called to proclaim the Word of God, even to martyrdom. 

A 16th's Century painting of John the Baptist

Pope Francis began his homily addressing best wishes to all who bear the name John. The figure of John the Baptist, the Pope said, is not always easy to understand. "When we think of his life - he observed – we think of a prophet," a "man who was great and then ends up as a poor man." Who is John? The Pope said john himself explains: "I am a voice, a voice in the wilderness," but "it is a voice without the Word, because the Word is not him, it is an Other." Here then is the mystery of John: "He never takes over the Word," John "is the one who indicates, who marks". The "meaning of John's life - he added - is to indicate another." Pope Francis then spoke of being struck by the fact that the "Church chooses to mark John’s feast day” at a time when the days are at their longest in the year, when they "have more light." And John really "was the man of light, he brought light, but it was not his own light, it was a reflected light." John is "like a moon" and when Jesus began to preach, the light of John "began to decline, to set". "Voice not Word - the Pope said - light, but not his own" 

"John seems to be nothing. That is John’s vocation: he negates himself. And when we contemplate the life of this man, so great, so powerful - all believed that he was the Messiah - when we contemplate this life, how it is nullified to the point of the darkness of a prison, we behold a great mystery. We do not know what John’s last days were like. We do not know. We only know that he was killed, his head was put on a platter, as a great gift from a dancer to an adulteress. I don’t think you can lower yourself much more than this, negate yourself much more. That was the end that John met". 

Pope Francis noted that in prison John experienced doubts, anguish and he called on his disciples to go to Jesus and ask him, "Are you You, or should we expect someone else?". His life is one of “pain and darkness”. John “was not even spared this”, said the Pope, who added: "the figure of John makes me think so much about the Church": 

"The Church exists to proclaim, to be the voice of a Word, her husband, who is the Word. The Church exists to proclaim this Word until martyrdom. Martyrdom precisely in the hands of the proud, the proudest of the Earth. John could have made himself important, he could have said something about himself. 'But I never think', only this: he indicated, he felt himself to be the voice, not the Word. This is John’s secret. Why is John holy and without sin? Because he never, never took a truth as his own. He would not be an ideologue. The man who negated himself so that the Word could come to the fore. And we, as a Church, we can now ask for the grace not to become an ideological Church ... "

The Church, he added, must hear the Word of Jesus and raise her voice, proclaim it boldly. "That - he said - is the Church without ideologies, without a life of its own: the Church which is the mysterium lunae which has light from her Bridegroom and diminish herself so that He may grow"

"This is the model that John offers us today, for us and for the Church. A Church that is always at the service of the Word. A Church that never takes anything for herself. Today in prayer we asked for the grace of joy, we asked the Lord to cheer this Church in her service to the Word, to be the voice of this Word, preach this Word. We ask for the grace, the dignity of John, with no ideas of their own, without a Gospel taken as property, only one Church that indicates the Word, and this even to martyrdom. So be it! "

Mass was co-celebrated by Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, and attended by a group of priests and collaborators of the Pontifical Council for Culture, a group of employees of the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology and the Vatican’s Philatelic and Numismatic Office.

Feast of Saint George

Saint George was a soldier of the Roman army who was tortured and beheaded for his Christian faith in the year 303, in Lydda (in modern day Palestine). He was likely born in Cappadocia, of a Cappadocian father and a Palestinian mother of noble rank. At the death of his father (possibly martyrdom) he moved to Palestine with his mother where he joined the military and apparently served with some distinction, meriting several promotions in rank.

One account of the martyrdom of St. George is Eusebius´ Ecclesiastical History, which relates that when the emperor Diocletian issued an edict "to tear down the churches to the foundations and to destroy the Sacred Scriptures by fire…a certain man, of no mean origin, but highly esteemed for his temporal dignities, stimulated by a divine zeal, and excited by an ardent faith, took it as it was openly placed and posted up for public inspection, and tore it to shreds as a most profane and wicked act." This act of instransigence and holy audacity enraged the emperor who had the man tortured and killed. This man “of no mean origin”, i.e. of nobility, has been identified by more than one ancient source, including Eusebius, as St. George, though most modern historians of the period state that this is unlikely.

St. George is usually depicted in Christian art as a soldier on horseback killing a dragon with a lance. This image is a representation of a popular legend of St. George which first appears in 1265 in a romance titled "The Golden Legend," in which he saved a town terrorized by a dragon with one blow of his lance. The image, however, is also, and more significantly, a powerful symbol of the victory of Christian faith over evil (sometimes interpreted more contextually in the early Church as “paganism”), personified by the devil who is symbolized by the dragon according to the imagery in Revelations.

St. George is invoked as a patron of military causes, not only because he was a soldier, but also, and primarily, due to his appearance to the Christian armies before the battle of Antioch, in which they were victorious, and to King Richard the Lionheart of England during his crusade against the Saracens.

The cult of St.George, while universal, remains strongest in the Eastern Church where he is venerated as “The Great Martyr.” Accounts of early pilgrims identify the seat of the cult of St.George at his burial site in Lydda. The cult has been in existence since the 4th century, soon after his death.

St. George is the patron of soldiers and the patron of many nations, including Palestine; Lebanon; England; Georgia; Malta. He is also the patron of Palestinian Christians and of Boy Scouts. He is invoked by sufferers of herpes, skin diseases, skin rashes, syphilis, and snakebites.

Saint Dominic Savio

Saint Dominic Savio, the patron of choirboys, was born into a peasant family at Riva, Italy. One day when he was just four, he disappeared and his good mother went looking for him. She found the little fellow in a corner praying with his hands joined and his head bowed. He already knew all his prayers by heart! At five, he was an altar boy. When he was seven, he received his First Holy Communion. On that solemn day, he chose a motto: "Death, but not sin!" and he kept it always.

"A teenager such as Dominic, who bravely struggled to keep his innocence from Baptism to the end of his life, is really a saint," said Pope St. Pius X. Yes, Dominic was an ordinary boy with an extraordinary love for God.

At the age of twelve, Dominic entered the school run by St. John Bosco. Don Bosco examined him first and at the end of the questions, Dominic asked, "What do you think of me?" "I think you're good material," answered the priest, with a big smile. "Well, then," said Dominic, "You are a good tailor, so if the material is good, take me and make a new suit out of me for Our Lord!"

Dominic impressed John Bosco with his desire to be a priest and to help him in his work with neglected boys. A peacemaker and an organizer, young Dominic founded a group he called the Company of the Immaculate Conception which, besides being devotional, aided John Bosco with the boys and with manual work. All the members save one, Dominic, would in 1859 join John in the beginnings of his Salesian congregation. By that time, Dominic had been called home to heaven.

As a youth, Dominic spent hours rapt in prayer. His raptures he called “my distractions.” Even in play, he said that at times “It seems heaven is opening just above me. I am afraid I may say or do something that will make the other boys laugh.” Dominic would say, “I can’t do big things. But I want all I do, even the smallest thing, to be for the greater glory of God.”

One day Dominic began to feel sick and was sent home to get better. While at home he grew worse, instead, and received the last Sacraments. He was only fifteen then, but he did not fear death. In fact, he was overjoyed at the thought of going to Heaven. Just before he died, he tried to sit up. "Goodbye," he murmured to his good father. Suddenly his face lit up with a smile of great joy and happiness. "I am seeing such wonderful things!" he exclaimed. Then he spoke no more, for he had gone to Heaven. He died on March 9, 1857. Saint John Bosco himself wrote the account of his life.

Some thought that Dominic was too young to be considered a saint. St. Pius X declared that just the opposite was true, and went ahead with his cause. Dominic was canonized in 1954. His Feast day is March 09.

Saint Valentine

Valentine was a holy priest in Rome, who, with St. Marius and his family, he helped and gave assistance to  Christians who were persecuted under Roman Emperor Claudius II. He was apprehended, and sent by the emperor to the prefect of Rome, who, on finding all his promises to make him renounce his faith ineffectual, commanded him to be beaten with clubs, and afterwards, to be beheaded, which was executed on February 14, about the year 270. Pope Julius I is said to have built a church near Ponte Mole to his memory, which for a long time gave name to the gate now called Porta del Popolo, formerly, Porta Valetini. The greatest part of hisrelics are now in the church of St. Praxedes. His name is celebrated as that of an illustrious martyr in the sacramentary of St. Gregory, the Roman Missal of Thomasius, in the calendar of F. Fronto and that of Allatius, in Bede, Usuard, Ado, Notker and all other martyrologies on this day. To abolish the heathens lewd superstitious custom of boys drawing the names of girls, in honor of their goddess Februata Juno, on the fifteenth of this month, several zealous pastors substituted the names of saints in billets given on this day.

The Origin of St. Valentine

The origin of St. Valentine, and how many St. Valentines there were, remains a mystery. One opinion is that he was a Roman martyred for refusing to give up his Christian faith. Other historians hold that St. Valentine was a temple priest jailed for defiance during the reign of Claudius. Whoever he was, Valentine really existed because archaeologists have unearthed a Roman catacomb and an ancient church dedicated to Saint Valentine. In 496 AD Pope Gelasius marked February 14th as a celebration in honor of his martyrdom.

The first representation of Saint Valentine appeared in a The Nuremberg Chronicle, a great illustrated book printed in 1493. [Additional evidence that Valentine was a real person: archaeologists have unearthed a Roman catacomb and an ancient church dedicated to Saint Valentine.] Alongside a woodcut portrait of him, text states that Valentinus was a Roman priest martyred during the reign of Claudius the Goth [Claudius II]. Since he was caught marrying Christian couples and aiding any Christians who were being persecuted under Emperor Claudius in Rome [when helping them was considered a crime], Valentinus was arrested and imprisoned. Claudius took a liking to this prisoner -- until Valentinus made a strategic error: he tried to convert the Emperor -- whereupon this priest was condemned to death. He was beaten with clubs and stoned; when that didn't do it, he was beheaded outside the Flaminian Gate [circa 269].

Saints are not supposed to rest in peace; they're expected to keep busy: to perform miracles, to intercede. Being in jail or dead is no excuse for non-performance of the supernatural. One legend says, while awaiting his execution, Valentinus restored the sight of his jailer's blind daughter. Another legend says, on the eve of his death, he penned a farewell note to the jailer's daughter, signing it, "From your Valentine."

Saint Valentine was executed in 269 in Rome and was buried on the Flaminian Way. He is the Patron Saint of affianced couples, bee keepers, engaged couples, epilepsy, fainting, greetings, happy marriages, love, lovers, plague, travelers, young people. He is represented in pictures with birds and roses.

Feast of Saint Maroun

Saint Maroun (345-410) was from the ancient area of Cyrrhus (Cyrus) in what is now southern Turkey, not far from the Syrian city of Aleppo. He lived the life of an ascetic, at a hill top where an ancient temple to the Babylonian god Nabo stood, which he converted to a Christian church. His hermit lifestyle was characterized as living “in the open air.” Where he resided, the summers were very hot and the winters very cold, but he was willing to be exposed to these extremes in order to focus on his spiritual goals and overcome concerns for his body.

The Christian tradition of the area where he lived dates back to St. Peter, who established a church in Antioch and visited there several times, approximately during the period 35-55 A.D., before moving on to Rome, where he was martyred around 67 A.D.

A record of St. Maroun’s life comes to us from St. Theodoret (393-457), who was born in Antioch and became bishop of Cyrrhus (423-457); he was a respected writer of his time. He wrote the book Historia Religiosa, describing a number of hermit-monks, and gave praise to St. Maroun, noting his powers of healing, after describing St. Acepsimas:

“After him [Acepsimas] I shall recall Maroun, for he too adorned the godly choir of the saints. Embracing the open-air life, he repaired to a hill-top formerly honored by the impious. Consecrating to God the precinct of demons on it, he lived there, pitching a small tent which he seldom used. He practiced not only the usual labors, but devised others as well, heaping up the wealth of philosophy.”

“The Umpire measured out grace according to his labors: so the magnificent one gave in abundance the gift of healing, with the result that his fame circulated everywhere, attracted everyone from every side and taught by experience the truth of the report. One could see fevers quenched by the dew of his blessing, shivering quieted, demons put to flight, and varied diseases of every kind cured by a single remedy; the progeny of physicians apply to each disease the appropriate remedy, but the prayer of the saint is a common antidote for every distress.”

“He cured not only infirmities of the body, but applied suitable treatment to souls as well, healing this man’s greed and that man’s anger, to this man supplying teaching in self-control and to that providing lessons in justice, correcting this man’s intemperance and shaking up another man’s sloth. Applying this mode of cultivation, he produced many plants of philosophy, and it was he who planted for God the garden that now flourishes in the region of Cyrrhus. A product of his planting was the great James [known now as St. James of Cyrrhestica], to whom one could reasonably apply the prophetic utterance, ‘the righteous man will flower as the palm tree, and be multiplied like the cedar of Lebanon’, [Psalm 92:12] and also all the others whom, with God’s help, I shall recall individually….”

In Theodoret’s description, one of the specific conditions mentioned as being alleviated by St. Maroun was ‘shivering,’ for which he retained a strong reputation even after his death. Thus, St. Maroun has long been known as the saint to appeal to in cases of disorders involving trembling and shaking, such as Parkinson’s disease.

We learn of the respect St. Maroun gained during his life from a letter by the well-known theologian St. John Chrysostom (347-407), who was later declared a “doctor of the Church:”

“To Maroun, the Monk Priest: 
We are bound to you by love and interior disposition, and see you here before us as if you were actually present. For such are the eyes of love; their vision is neither interrupted by distance nor dimmed by time. We wished to write more frequently to your reverence, but since this is not easy on account of the difficulty of the road and the problems to which travelers are subject, whenever opportunity allows we address ourselves to your honor and assure you that we hold you constantly in our mind and carry you about in our soul wherever we may be. And take care yourself that you write to us as often as you can, telling us how you are, so that although separated physically we might be cheered by learning constantly about your health and receive much consolation as we sit in solitude. For it brings us no small joy to hear about your health. And above all please pray for us.”

Chrysostom was in Antioch, about a two days journey from Maroun’s residence, and the difficulty of the road mentioned in his letter revealed the dangerous travel at the time. Concerns for Maroun’s health probably reflected his old age at the time this was written (around 405 A.D.), while Maroun continued to live in the often severe environment.

St. Maroun became so popular that his numerous followers were known as Maronites. After his death, a Maronite monastery (Beth-Maroun) was built around 452 near Saint Maroun’s tomb; Theodoret also described the profound devotion which the monks of the monastery had to their departed spiritual father. The monastery engendered a larger community where men and women, under the guidance of the monks, could find material and spiritual happiness. The monastery, situated not far from Mount Lebanon, belonged to the patriarchy of the Church of Antioch. As the hardships of the early Christian church continued, the faithful set their hopes on the Maronite community where, in spite of persecutions and devastating wars, the spiritual leaders provided guidance and protection. For centuries the spiritual leaders of the Maronites have kept watch over the political and social rights of their people.

The Maronite movement reached Lebanon during its earliest days when St. Maroun’s first disciple, Abraham of Cyrrhus, moved there to evangelize; he became known as the Apostle of Lebanon. For the past few centuries, the center of Maronite life has been in Lebanon (it is pointed out that the town of Cana, where the famous wedding feast took place with Mary, Jesus, and his new disciples in attendance, is in southern Lebanon). Today, there are Maronites in most countries, and they number more than 4 million. The liturgical rite of St. Chrysostom, which has been utilized in the Eastern churches (some rely on the rite of St. Basil), is adapted for the Maronite rite, one of 22 rites of the Catholic Church.

A unique cross was developed to represent the Maronite faith, one which gives tribute to the Holy Trinity by having three crossbars representing Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. There is also frequent reference in Marion tradition to the cedars of Lebanon (Cedrus libani), mentioned several times in the bible; these cedars make-up a large forest in northern Lebanon near the area where St. Maroun lived. The cross has an appearance like these cedars (presented in the picture); in fact, sometimes the three-bar cross is drawn as a cedar.

The Maronite Cross

There were many people inspired by Maroun, who led lives imitating his, living as hermits and avoiding any comforts; others lived in an isolated monastic setting. Monastic life in the Maronite community was formally organized in 1695, when several independent monasteries in Lebanon were collected under one religious order. The monks were divided into three categories: lay brothers, priests and hermits; all pronounced vows of poverty, chastity, obedience, and humility. In 1770, this Order was then divided into two organizations: the Lebanese Maronite Order (Baladite Order) and the Aleppine Order, renamed the Lebanese Mariamite in 1969.

Saint Maroun’s feast day is celebrated on February 9 in the Maronite churches around the world. This day is also an official national day in the State of Lebanon.

Feast of Saint Ephrem the Syrian

On January 28, the Eastern Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christian honors Saint Ephrem of Syria, a deacon, hermit, and Doctor of the Church who made important contributions to the spirituality and theology of the Christian East during the fourth century. Roman Catholics celebrate his feast on June 09.

In a 2007 General Audience on St. Ephrem’s life, Pope Benedict XVI noted that St. Ephrem became known as the “Harp of the Holy Spirit,” for the hymns and writings that sang the praises of God “in an unparalleled way” and “with rare skill.”

Ephrem was born in the city of Nisibis in approximately 306. Traditions differ on the question of his family background, with some sources attesting that his father was at one time a pagan priest. Other sources suggest that his family either was, or later became, entirely Christian.

During his youth, and prior to his baptism at age 18, Ephrem committed certain sins that continued to trouble him in later years. In one incident, he caused the death of a neighbor’s cow by chasing it into an area where it was killed by a wild animal. Another source of shame was his temporary doubt regarding God’s providential direction of events.

A sense of God’s care for him, however, was reinforced by an incident in which he was falsely accused of theft and imprisoned. An angel appeared to Ephrem, informing him that he would be shown an example of God’s providence. Through a complex series of events, Ephrem’s innocence was ultimately vindicated, in fulfillment of the angel’s words.

Soon after this ordeal, Ephrem received baptism and began to consider the salvation of his soul more seriously. He embraced an ascetic lifestyle under the direction of an elder, who gave him permission to live as a hermit. Ephrem supported himself with manual labor, making sails for ships, while living in a remarkably austere manner with few comforts and little food.

Ephrem’s spiritual director and friend, Bishop James of Nisibis, died in 338. Soon after, Ephrem left his solitude and moved to Edessa in present-day Turkey. Ordained as a deacon in Edessa, he was known for sermons which combined articulate expressions of Catholic orthodoxy with urgent and fruitful calls to repentance.

The deacon was also a voluminous author, producing commentaries on the entire Bible as well as the theological poetry for which he is best known. Ephrem used Syriac-language verse as a means to explain and popularize theological truths, a technique he appropriated from others who had used poetry to promote religious error.

An effective evangelist and opponent of heresy, Ephrem was also known as a compassionate spiritual director, who warned new converts not to attempt excessive works of penance.

Late in his life, the deacon made a pilgrimage to the city of Caesarea, where God had directed him to seek the guidance of the archbishop later canonized as Saint Basil the Great. Basil helped Ephrem to resolve some of his own spiritual troubles, giving him advice which he would follow as he spent his final years in solitary prayer and writing.

Near the end of his life, Ephrem briefly left his hermitage to serve the poor and sick during a famine. His last illness came in 373, most likely from a disease he contracted through this service.

When his own death approached, he told his friends: “Sing no funeral hymns at Ephrem’s burial … Wrap not my carcass in any costly shroud: erect no monument to my memory. Allow me only the portion and place of a pilgrim; for I am a pilgrim and a stranger as all my fathers were on earth.”

St. Ephrem of Syria died in June of 373. Soon after his death, he was remembered in a public address by his contemporary Saint Gregory of Nyssa, who closed his remarks by asking Ephrem’s intercession.

“You are now assisting at the divine altar, and before the Prince of life, with the angels, praising the most holy Trinity,” said Gregory. “Remember us all, and obtain for us the pardon of our sins.”

Feast of Saint Gregory the Wonderworker, November 17

Born to a wealthy and distinguished pagan family, trained in law and rhetoric in his youth, brother-in-law to the Roman governor of Palestine, his father died when Theodore was age 14. The boy had originally planned to study at the law school in Beirut, but when he arrived at Caesarea with his brother-in-law’s entourage, he encountered Origen, head of the catechetical school in Alexandria, Egypt. He and his brother Athenodorus each gave up the idea of law school, became students of Origen, and converted to Christianity; Theodore changed his name to Gregory. Studied philosophy and theology for seven years under Origen. Returned to Pontus c.238.

Bishop of Caesarea, a diocese with only 17 Christians when he arrived, Gregory converted most of his bishopric; tradition says there were only 17 pagans left at the time of his death. He instituted the celebration of martyrs, teachings about the saints, and celebration of saint feast days as a way to interest pagans in the Church. During the Decian persecutions c.250, he and his flock fled into the desert. Worked among the sick when the plague struck soon after, and with refugees during the invasion of Pontus by the Goths in 252. Attended the First Council of Antioch in 264 and 265. Opposed the heresies of Sabellianism and Tritheism. Used his legal training to help his parishioners, and settle disputes between them without taking their problems to the civil courts controlled by pagans. Oversaw the council that chose Saint Alexander the Charcoal Burner as the first bishop of Comana. Saint Macrina the Elder heard Gregory preach many times in her youth, and passed his wisdom onto her grandsons Saint Basil the Great and Saint Gregory of Nyssa. He was acclaimed as "The Theologian".

As one might expect from someone surnamed the Wonder Worker, there were many miraculous events in Gregory’s life:

- Saint Gregory of Nyssa writes that the Wonder-Worker was the first person known to receive a vision of the Theotokus. The Virgin and Saint John the Baptist appeared to him in a vision, and gave him what became a statement of doctrine on the Trinity.

- Gregory had the power of healing by laying on of his hands. Often the healing was so powerful that the patient was cured of his illness, and became a fervent convert on the spot.

- During the construction of a church for his growing flock, the builders ran into a problem with a huge buried boulder. Gregory ordered the rock to move out of the way of his church; it did.

- In order to stop the River Lycus from its frequent and damaging floods, Gregory planted his staff at a safe point near the river bank. He then prayed that the river would never rise past the staff. The staff took root, grew into a large tree, and the river never flooded past it again. This act led to his patronage against floods and flooding.

- Two local pagans, hearing that Gregory was a soft touch for money, decided to con the bishop. One lay beside the road where Gregory was travelling, and pretended to be dead. The other stopped the bishop, pleaded poverty, and asked for money to bury his dead friend. Gregory had no money with him, so he took off his cloak and threw it over the “dead” man, telling the “live” one to sell the cloak and use the funds. When Gregory had moved on, the “live” con-man found that his friend had died.

- Two brothers in Gregory’s diocese had inherited a piece of land that contained a lake. Unable to decide how to divide the lake, the two settled on armed combat to settle the matter. On the night before the battle, Gregory prayed for a peaceful solution to the matter. The next morning the brothers found that the lake had dried up leaving easily dividable farm land.

- During Gregory’s time in the desert during the Decian persecutions, an informer told the authorities where to find the bishop. Guards went to the site, but found nothing but two trees standing in isolation in the desert. The informer went back to the place and found that what the soldiers had seen as trees were actually Gregory and a deacon in prayer. This convinced the informer of the reality of Gregory’s God, and he converted.

- When returning from the wilderness, Gregory had to seek shelter from a sudden and violent storm. The only structure nearby was a pagan temple. Gregory made the sign of the cross to purify the place, then spent the night there in prayer, waiting out the storm. The next morning, the pagan priest arrived to receive his morning oracles. The demons who had been masquerading as pagan gods advised him that they could not stay in the purified temple or near the holy man. The priest threatened to summon the anti-Christian authorities to arrest Gregory. The bishop wrote out a note reading “Gregory to Satan: Enter”. With this “permission slip” in hand, the pagan priest was able to summon his demons again.

- The same pagan priest, realizing that his gods unquestioningly obeyed Gregory’s single God, found the bishop and asked how it was done. Gregory taught the priest the truth of Christianity. Lacking faith, the priest asked for a sign of God’s power. Gregory ordered a large rock to move from one place to another; it did. The priest immediately abandoned his old life, and eventually became a deacon under bishop Gregory. This ordering about of boulders led to Gregory’s patronage against earthquakes.

Feast of Saint Philip the Apostle, November 14

Philip was born in Bethsaida in Galilee and was one of the 12 Apostles that Jesus called. Immediately, Philip began to convert others, finding his friend Nathaniel and telling him that Jesus was the one whom Moses and the other prophets had foretold. 

Probably an Hellenized Jew. One of the seven Jerusalem deacons mentioned in the canonical Acts of the Apostles.Preached and performed miracles in Samaria, convertingmany including the magician Simon Magus. Commanded by an angel, he travelled from Jerusalem to Gaza.Converted and baptized the eunuch of Queen Candace ofEthiopia. Transported to Azotus, he preached throughout the region, finally returning to Caesarea where he lived with his four daughters, virgins with the gift of prophecy. Met with Saint Paul the Apostle on his last journey to Jerusalem. Some traditions say be became bishop of Tralles (modern Aydin, Turkey).

Feast of Pope Saint Leo the Great, November 10

November 10 is the Roman Catholic Church’s liturgical memorial of the fifth-century Pope Saint Leo I, known as “St. Leo the Great,” whose involvement in the fourth ecumenical council helped prevent the spread of error on Christ's divine and human natures.

Pope St Leo the Great

St. Leo intervened for the safety of the Church in the West as well, persuading Attila the Hun to turn back from Rome. Eastern Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians also maintain a devotion to the memory of Pope St. Leo the Great. Churches of the Byzantine tradition celebrate his feast day on Feb. 18.

“As the nickname soon attributed to him by tradition suggests,” Pope Benedict XVI said in a 2008 general audience on the saint, “he was truly one of the greatest pontiffs to have honoured the Roman See and made a very important contribution to strengthening its authority and prestige.”

Leo’s origins are obscure and his date of birth unknown. His ancestors are said to have come from Tuscany, though the future pope may have been born in that region or in Rome itself. He became a deacon in Rome in approximately 430, during the pontificate of Pope Celestine I.

During this time, central authority was beginning to decline in the Western portion of the Roman Empire. At some point between 432 and 440, during the reign of Pope St. Celestine’s successor Pope Sixtus III, the Roman Emperor Valentinian III commissioned Leo to travel to the region of Gaul and settle a dispute between military and civil officials.

Pope Sixtus III died in 440 and, like his predecessor Celestine, was canonized as a saint. Leo, away on his diplomatic mission at the time of the Pope’s death, was chosen to be the next Bishop of Rome. Reigning for over two decades, he sought to preserve the unity of the Church in its profession of faith, and to ensure the safety of his people against frequent barbarian invasions.

Leo used his authority, in both doctrinal and disciplinary matters, against a number of heresies troubling the Western church – including Pelagianism (involving the denial of Original Sin) and Manichaeanism (a gnostic system that saw matter as evil). In this same period, many Eastern Christians had begun arguing about the relationship between Jesus’ humanity and divinity.

As early as 445, Leo had intervened in this dispute in the East, which threatened to split the churches of Alexandria and Constantinople. Its eventual resolution was, in fact, rejected in some quarters – leading to the present-day split between Eastern Orthodoxy and the so-called “non-Chalcedonian churches” which accept only three ecumenical councils.

As the fifth-century Christological controversy continued, the Pope urged the gathering of an ecumenical council to resolve the matter. At the Council of Chalcedon in 451, the Pope’s teaching was received as authoritative by the Eastern bishops, who proclaimed: “Peter has spoken through the mouth of Leo.”

Leo’s teaching confirmed that Christ’s eternal divine personhood and nature did not absorb or negate the human nature that he assumed in time through the Incarnation. Instead, “the proper character of both natures was maintained and came together in a single person.”

“So without leaving his Father's glory behind, the Son of God comes down from his heavenly throne and enters the depths of our world,” the Pope taught. “Whilst remaining pre-existent, he begins to exist in time. The Lord of the universe veiled his measureless majesty and took on a servant's form. The God who knew no suffering did not despise becoming a suffering man, and, deathless as he is, to be subject to the laws of death.”

In 452, one year after the Council of Chalcedon, Pope Leo led a delegation which successfully negotiated with the barbarian king Attila to prevent an invasion of Rome. When the Vandal leader Genseric occupied Rome in 455, the Pope confronted him, unarmed, and obtained a guarantee of safety for many of the city’s inhabitants and the churches to which they had fled.

Pope St. Leo the Great died on Nov. 10, 461. He was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Pope Benedict XIV in 1754. A large collection of his writings and sermons survives, and can be read in translation today.

Feast of Saint Zita, Domestic Workers Patroness

On April 27 the Catholic Church honors Saint Zita, a 13th century Italian woman whose humble and patient service to God has made her a patron saint of maids and other domestic workers. 

Body of St Zita on Display in the Basilica
Di San Frediano in Lucca

Born into poverty during the early 1200s, Zita was taught by her mother from an early age to seek God's will in all circumstances. She had already developed a strong prayer life by the time she was sent, at age 12, to work in the home of the Fatinelli family in Lucca.

Zita's employers lived near a church where she managed – by waking up extremely early in the morning – to attend daily Mass. She looked upon her work primarily as a means of serving God, and kept herself mindful of his presence during long hours of exhausting tasks.

Her presence in the Fatinelli household, however, was inexplicably unwelcome and met with harsh treatment for a number of years. Zita suffered hostility and abuse from her employers, including fits of rage and beatings.

The young woman faced these trials with patience and inner strength developed through a life of prayer. In time, the members of the household came to value her service, and appreciate the virtues she had acquired through God's grace.

Zita maintained her humility when she was promoted to a position of responsibility within the Fatinelli home. She continued to view her earthly responsibilities as a service to God, and to seek his presence through prayer and fasting. She also refused to hold a grudge against those who once mistreated her.

Within her new household role, Zita was faithful to Christ's admonition that superiors should conduct themselves as the servants of all. She was kind to those under her direction, and mindful of the poor through frequent almsgiving to the point of personal sacrifice.

Throughout her life, Zita found a source of strength and consolation in the Mass and Holy Communion, which frequently moved her to tears. Despite her many responsibilities, she frequently set aside time to recall God's presence through contemplative prayer in the course of the day.

After foretelling her own death and spiritually preparing for it, Saint Zita died in Lucca on April 27, 1271. Many residents regarded her as a saint and began to seek her intercession, to which a large number of miracles were attributed. Some writers even began referring to the city of Lucca as “Santa Zita” in her honor.

The Fatinelli family, which had once caused St. Zita such extreme suffering, eventually contributed to the cause of her canonization. The earliest account of her life was found in a manuscript belonging to the family, and published in 1688.

The Church's liturgical veneration of St. Zita was introduced in the early 1500s, and confirmed by Pope Innocent XII in 1696. In 1580, her body was exhumed and found to be miraculously incorrupt. It is venerated today in the Basilica of St. Frediano, where she attended Mass during her life.

Feast of Saint Anselm

On April 21, the Catholic Church honors Saint Anselm, the 11th and 12th-century Benedictine monk and archbishop best known for his writings on Christ's atonement and the existence of God.

A Statue of Saint Anselm at the Aosta Cathedral

In a general audience given on Sept. 23, 2009, Pope Benedict XVI remembered St. Anselm as “a monk with an intense spiritual life, an excellent teacher of the young, a theologian with an extraordinary capacity for speculation, a wise man of governance and an intransigent defender of the Church's freedom.”

St. Anselm, the Pope said, stands out as “one of the eminent figures of the Middle Ages who was able to harmonize all these qualities, thanks to the profound mystical experience that always guided his thought and his action.”

Anselm was born in Aosta, part of the Piedmont region of present-day Italy, around 1033. While his father provided little in the way of moral or religious influence, his mother was a notably devout woman and chose to send Anselm to a school run by the Benedictine order.

The boy felt a profound religious calling during these years, spurred in part by a dream in which he met and conversed with God. His father, however, prevented him from becoming a monk at age 15. This disappointment was followed by a period of severe illness, as well as his mother's early death.

Unable to join the monks, and tired of mistreatment by his father, Anselm left home and wandered throughout parts of France and Italy for three years. His life regained its direction in Normandy, where he met the Benedictine prior Lanfranc of Pavia and became his disciple.

Lanfranc recognized his pupil's intellectual gifts and encouraged his vocation to religious life. Accepted into the order and ordained a priest at age 27, Anselm succeeded his teacher as prior in1063 when Lanfranc was called to become abbot of another monastery.

Anselm became abbot of his own monastery in1079. During the previous decade the Normans had conquered England, and they sought to bring monks from Normandy to influence the Church in the country. Lanfranc became Archbishop of Canterbury, and asked Anselm to come and assist him.

The period after Lanfranc's death, in the late 1080s, was a difficult time for the English Church. As part of his general mistreatment of the Church, King William Rufus refused to allow the appointment of a new archbishop. Anselm had gone back to his monastery, and did not want to return to England.

In 1092, however, he was persuaded to do so. The following year, the king changed his mind and allowed Anselm to become Archbishop of Canterbury. But the monk was extremely reluctant to accept the charge, which would involve him in further struggles with the English crown in subsequent years.

For a three-year period in the early 12th century, Anselm's insistence on the self-government of the Church – against the claims of the state to its administration and property – caused him to be exiled from England. But he was successful in his struggle, and returned to his archdiocese in 1106.

In his last years, Anselm worked to reform the Church and continued his theological investigations – following the motto of “faith seeking understanding.” After his death in 1109, his influence on the subsequent course of theology led Pope Clement XI to name him a Doctor of the Church in 1720.

Feast of Saint Joseph

The Catholic Church celebrates the feast of St. Joseph on March 19. Saint Joseph was the spouse of the Virgin Mary and foster father of Jesus Christ our Lord. He was of the line of David and worked as a carpenter at Nazareth. God chose him for the greatest mission ever conferred upon a man. His humility, his sanctity and his confidence in God were remarkable. Devotion to Saint Joseph had its orgins in the West. The whole Church now venerates him; the Maronite Church also commemorates him on the Fifth Sunday of Announcement as it prepared for the Birth of our Lord.

Saint Joseph and the Child Jesus

“Saint Joseph is a man of great spirit. He is great in faith, not because he speaks his own words, but above all because he listens to the words of the Living God. He listens in silence. And his heart ceaselessly perseveres in the readiness to accept the Truth contained in the word of the Living God,” Pope John Paul II had once said.

There is very little about the life of Joseph in Scripture but still, we know that he was the chaste husband of Mary, the foster father of Jesus, a carpenter and a man who was not wealthy. We also know that he came from the royal lineage of King David.

We can see from his actions in scripture that Joseph was a compassionate man, and obedient to the will of God. He also loved Mary and Jesus and wanted to protect and provide for them. Since Joseph does not appear in Jesus' public life, at his death, or resurrection, many historians believe Joseph had probably died before Jesus entered public ministry.

Matthew's gospel describes St. Joseph as a "just man" (1:19). He is the patron saint of the Universal Church, and people invoke his aid for workers, families, and the grace of a happy death, among other things.

St. Thomas Aquinas once noted that St. Joseph is unique among patron saints in that he is able to assist us at anytime for anything. St Theresa of Avila echoed this sentiment when she wrote "I know by experience that the glorious St. Joseph assists us generally in all necessities. I never asked him for anything which he did not obtain for me."

Feast of Saint Patrick

On March 17 the Catholic Church celebrates Saint Patrick, the fifth century bishop and patron of Ireland, whose life of holiness set the example for many of the Church's future saints.

St. Patrick is said to have been born around 389 AD in Britain. Captured by Irish raiders when he was about 16, St. Patrick was taken as a slave to Ireland where he lived for six years as a shepherd before escaping and returning to his home. At home, he studied the Christian faith at monastic settlements in Italy and and what is now modern-day France. He was ordained a deacon by the Bishop of Auxerre, France around the year 418 AD and ordained a bishop in 432 AD. It was around this time when that he was assigned to minister to the small, Christian communities in Ireland who lacked a central authority and were isolated from one another.

When St. Patrick returned to Ireland, he was able to use his knowledge of Irish culture that he gained during his years of captivity. Using the traditions and symbols of the Celtic people, he explained Christianity in a way that made sense to the Irish and was thus very successful in converting the natives. The shamrock, which St. Patrick used to explain the Holy Trinity, is a symbol that has become synonymous with Irish Catholic culture.

Although St. Patrick's Day is widely known and celebrated every March the world over, various folklore and legend that surround the saint can make it difficult to determine fact from fiction. He is often mistakenly recognized as the man who drove away snakes during his ministry despite the climate and location of Ireland, which have never allowed snakes to inhabit the area. St. Patrick is most revered not for what he drove away from Ireland, but what brought and the foundation he built for the generations of Christians who followed him.

Although not the first missionary to the country, he is widely regarded as the most successful. The life of sacrifice, prayer and fasting has laid the foundation for the many saints that the small island was home to following his missionary work. To this day, he continues to be revered as one of the most beloved saints of Ireland.

In March of 2011, the Irish bishops' conference marked their patron's feast by remembering him as “pioneer in an inhospitable climate.” As the Church in Ireland faces her own recent difficulties following clerical sex abuse scandals, comfort can be found in the plight of St. Patrick, the bishops said.

They quoted The Confession of St. Patrick, which reads: “May it never befall me to be separated by my God from his people whom he has won in this most remote land. I pray God that he gives me perseverance, and that he will deign that I should be a faithful witness for his sake right up to the time of my passing.”

Feast of Saint Gregory the Great

Saint Gregory is certainly one of the most notable figures in Ecclesiastical history. He has exercised in many respects a momentous influence on the doctrine, the organization, and the discipline of the Catholic Church. To him we must look for an explanation of the religious situation of the Middle ages; indeed, if no account were taken of his work, the evolution of the form of medieval Christianity would be almost inexplicable. And further, in so far as the modern Catholic system is a legitimate development of medieval Catholicism, of this too Gregory may not unreasonably be termed the Father. Almost all the leading principles of the later Catholicism are found, at any rate in germ, in Gregory the Great.

Saint Gregory the Great

Gregory is said of grex, which is to say a flock; and of gore, which is to say a preacher. Then Gregory is to say as a preacher to an assembly or flock of people. Or it is said as a noble doctor or preacher. Or Gregory is to say in our language as awaked, for he awoke to himself, to God, and to the people, he awoke to himself by keeping of cleanness, to God by good contemplation, and to the people by continual predication. And by this is deserved the vision of God; and S. Austin saith, in the Book of Order, that he seeth God that well liveth, well studieth, and well prayeth. And Paul, the historiographer of the Lombards, writeth his history and life of him, the which John the deacon afterwards much diligently compiled and ordained.

S. Gregory was born of the parentage of senators of Rome, whose father was named Gordian and his mother Silvia. And when he had so much learned that he was a master in philosophy, and also was rich of patrimony, he thought that he would leave all the riches that he had, and would enter into religion for to serve God. But in this, that he put this thought in respite, he conceived another purpose, that was that him seemed he should better serve God in a secular habit, in doing the office of the pretoria of the provost of Rome, for to give to each man duly reason after the nght of his cause. But he found in this office so great secular business that it began to displease him, because by this great business he withdrew him over far from God. In this meanwhile his father and mother died, in such wise that he was rich of patrimony and puissant, that at the beginning he founded and endowed with rents six abbeys in Sicily, and the seventh he founded within the walls of Rome in the honour of S. Andrew the apostle, in the which he became a monk, and the remnant of his patrimony he gave for God's sake so that he that tofore went clothed in clothes of gold and of silk, and adorned with precious stones in the city, when he was monk served in a poor habit the monks. There was at the beginning of his conversation of so perfect a life that it might be said well that he was all perfect. He made great abstinences in eating, in drinking, in waking, and in praying, in so much that he was so travailed that unnethe he might sustain himself. He had put out of his heart all secular things so that his conversation was in heaven, for he had addressed all his desire for to come to the joy permanable.

S. Gregory made and ordained the song of the office of holy church, and established at Rome two schools of song, that one beside the church of S. Peter, and that other by the church of S. John Lateran, where the place is yet, where he lay and taught the scholars, and the rod with which he menaced them, and the antiphoner on which he learned them is yet there. He put to the canon of the mass these words: Diesque nostros in tua pace disponas, atque ab æterna damnatione nos eripi, et in electorum tuorum jubeas grege numerari. At the last when S. Gregory had been pope thirteen years, six months and ten days, he being full of good works, departed out of this world in the year of our Lord six hundred and six years, in the time when Phocas was emperor of Rome. Let us then pray to S. Gregory that he get us grace that we may amend so ourselves here in this life that we may come unto everlasting life in heaven. Amen.