Day 27 -- Saint Therese of Lisieux

"Jesus, help me to simplify my life by learning what you want me to be --
and becoming that person."
St. Therese of Lisieux

I have only recently come to understand the magnitude of what a great saint and woman St. Therese of Lisieux was. Right away when I started reading her autobiography only a few months ago I was drawn to the simplicity of the way she lived. She lived with a child-like, not childish, love for Jesus, and I knew I wanted that to learn more about her life to have that same child-like love for Christ.

Francoise-Marie Therese Martin was born on January 2, 1873 at Alcon, Normandy, France. Her family was a pious middle-class French family. Now both her parents are "Blessed" and all four of her sisters who lived into adulthood all became nuns. She was the youngest of the nine children. Her mother died when Therese was only 4 years old and the family moved to Lisieux. Therese was cured from an illness at 8 years old when a statue of Mary smiled at her. She was confirmed at age 11. Just before her 14th birthday she received a vision of the Child Jesus and it was then that she immediately understood the great sacrifice that had been made for her and developed an unshakable faith. Because she was young she was denied to join the Carmelites. She made a pilgrimage to Rome and she met Pope Leo XIII whom she met and he actually knew of her desire to become a nun. She was then able to join the Carmelites at Lisieux at age 15 on April 9, 1888 and she took her final vow on September 8, 1890 at age 17. Age age 20 she become the novice mistress. Then at age 22 she was ordered by her prioress (her own sister Pauline) to being writing her memories, which then became her autobiography The Story of a Soul. Her "little way" was her path to God and holiness which was child0like love and trust in God. She lived a cloistered life and she died of tuberculosis at the young age of 24 on Thursday, September 30, 1897 at 7pm in Lisieux. Many miracles have been attributed to her and she was canonized on May 17, 1925 by Pope Pius XI. She was declared a Doctor of the Church in 1997.

She is the patron saint of AIDS patients, florists, missionaries, loss of parents, tuberculosis and others.

I thought it was wonderful that she was able to meet the pope--that is one of the things on my "dream list" too...to meet the pope, any pope in my lifetime!


A MORNING PRAYER WRITTEN BY ST. THERESE
O my God! I offer Thee all my actions of this day for the intentions and for the glory of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I desire to sanctify every beat of my heart, my every thought, my simplest works, by uniting them to Its infinite merits; and I wish to make reparation for my sins by casting them into the furnace of Its Merciful Love. O my God! I ask of Thee for myself and for those whom I hold dear, the grace to fulfill perfectly Thy Holy Will, to accept for love of Thee the joys and sorrows of this passing life, so that we may one day be united together in heaven for all Eternity. Amen.


"Our Lord does not come down from Heaven every day to lie in a golden ciborium. He comes to find another heaven which is infinitely dearer to him - the heaven of our souls, created in His Image, the living temples of the Adorable Trinity."

Day 26 -- Saint Jerome

What is your favorite Scripture passage? I have many...
"Perfect love casts out fear." (1 John 4:18)
"Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" (1 Cor 3:16)
"You have been told, O man, what is good, and what the LORD requires of you: Only to do the right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8)
"For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the LORD, plans for your welfare, not for woe! plans to give you a future full of hope." (Jeremiah 29:11)
"I praise you, so wonderfully you made me; wonderful are your works! My very self you knew." (Psalm 139:15)


Saint Jerome was friend and teacher with our saint from yesterday, Eustochium. Jerome was born to a rich pagan family in the year 347. He studied law in Rome. He was baptized in 365 and then studied theology. He lived as a hermit as a monk for years in the Syrian deserts. It was there that it was reported that he took out a thorn from a lion's paw and then the lion stayed loyal to him for years. He then became a student of Saint Gregory of Nazianzen and become a priest and became the secretary to Pope Damasus I who commissioned him to revise the Latin text of the Bible. He worked for 30 years on the Vulgate translation of the Bible which is still in use. His friendship with Saint Eustochium lead to much gossip so he left Rome and spend the last 34 years of his life in the Holy Land as a semi-recluse in the desert. He died in 419 and his relics are in the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome. He is a Doctor of the Church and Father of the Church.

Prayer Christ's Mercy
O Lord, show your mercy to me and gladden my heart. I am like the man on the way to Jericho who was overtaken by robbers, wounded and left for dead. O Good Samaritan, come to my aid, I am like the sheep that went astray. O Good Shepherd, seek me out and bring me home in accord with your will. Let me dwell in your house all the days of my life and praise you for ever and ever with those who are there.

At the last meeting with my spiritual director she said I should pray for God's mercy. I have always loved singing the Divine Mercy Chaplet, but I wanted to find a prayer to pray too.

"Be at peace with your own soul, then heaven and earth will be at peace with you." Saint Jerome

Day 25 -- The Archangels

Do you have a message that needs to get to the world? What message do you need to deliver to someone? Right now for me, I think my message is to get the stories of the saints out there to family and friends. I feel like I am on a spiritual overload...maybe becuase I am invoking the prayers of all these holy men and women! What message do you need to hear? Are you taking the time to listen to God and to others for their messages? I try to make time every day...definitely at Mass each day and also time in prayer with the Blessed Sacrament to talk to God and help me understand my place in this world and His plan for me.

Today's feast day is for the Archangels of Raphael, Michael, and Gabriel the three archangels mention in the Bible who delivered important messages. They are angels and saints.

Probably the most known is of Saint Gabriel. He delivered three messages in the Bible. One was delivering the message to Daniel to explain his visions relating to the Messiah (Daniel 8). The other message was to Zechariah to announce the birth of his son, John the Baptist (Luke 1) . But probably the most known is the message he delivered to Mary that she would conceive the Son of God (Luke 1). What a message to deliver! If that was me, I would be so afraid that I would mess it up! One of the meanings of his name is "strong man of God." He is the patron of many place, things, and people including television, radio, post offices, Portugal, and the Archdiocese of Seattle, WA.

PRAYER
We beseech you to intercede for us at the throne of divine mercy: As you announced the mystery of the Incarnation to Mary, so through your prayers may we receive strength of faith and courage of spirit, and thus find favor with God and redemption through Christ Our Lord. May we sing the praise of God our Savior with the angels and saints in heaven forever and ever. Amen.


Saint Michael is probably the second most known. I know about his story growing up with my brother Michael and 3 others in my family (grandfather, uncle, and godmother's husband). Michael was the leader of the army of God during Lucifer's uprising. There are writings about Michael in Christianity, Judaism, and Muslim. He is considered the guardian and protector of the Church. He is mentioned in the book of Daniel (ch. 12) as rising up to defends the Church against the ant-Christ. An apparition of Saint Michael occurred in 492 to herders in southern Italy. Michael then appeared to the local bishop and requested that a church be build in the honor of the Holy Angels in the cave. Michael's name means "who is like God?" He is the patron of about 50 things or places, including EMTs, artists, a holy death, Spanish police officers, paratroopers, radiologists, the Diocese of Mobile, AL, and the city of Papua, New Guinea.

PRAYER
Saint Michael, Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray. And you, Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into Hell Satan and the other evil spirits who prowl the world for the ruin of souls. Amen. (Pope Leo XIII)


And last but not least, Saint Raphael. He is the lead character in the deuterocanoncial book of Tobit where he traveled with Tobiah and cured a man's blindness. Traditionally in Scripture, he is considered the power behind the healing power of the sheep pool from John 5:1-4. His name means "God heals." He is the patron travelers, young people, against many bodily ills, also nurses, pharmacists, and physicians.

PRAYER
Dear Saint Raphael, your lovely name means "God heals." The Lord sent you to young Tobiah to guide him throughout a long journey. Upon his return you taught him how ot cure his father's blindness. How natural, therefore, for Christians to pray for your powerful help for safe travel and a happy return. This is what we ask for ourselves as well as for all who are far from home.


QUOTE
"You should be aware that the word “angel” denotes a function rather than a nature. Those holy spirits of heaven have indeed always been spirits. They can only be called angels when they deliver some message. Moreover, those who deliver messages of lesser importance are called angels; and those who proclaim messages of supreme importance are called archangels."
from homily from Pope Saint Gregory the Great

Day 24 -- Saint Eustochium

How many languages can you speak? I know need to study my Spanish before World Youth Day! Our saint today, Eustochium, spoke Latin and Greek and was able read Sacred Scripture in Hebrew.

Have you also thought about your family? Imagine having your family members be saints too. Eustochium was the third of four daughters of Saint Paula of Rome and Roman senator Toxotius and her sister was Saint Blaesilla. Saint Eustochius of Tour might have been her nephew and further descendants may have included Saint Perpetuus and Saint Volusianus.

She was a student of Saint Jerome in 382. She traveled with her mother and Jerome to the Holy Land to help with the translation of the Vulgate Bible. She worked for Jerome as his housekeeper and did his reading and writing when his eyesight began to fail. Eustochium made a personal vow of perpetual virginity. St. Jerome wrote numerous letters to her for her spiritual advancement and instruction. Her mother died in the year 404 and she took over the spiritual direction of three women's communities which were formally guided by her mother. She died in 419 in Bethlehem.

Day 23 -- Saint Vincent dePaul

"We must love our neighbor as being made in the image of God and as an object of His love."

I first heard about St. Vincent de Paul when I was very young. We had a priest at our parish, Fr. Francis McKenna, who opened a St. Vincent de Paul Society in town, which then moved to Derby and still is open. I take clothes I want to donate there. I remember going there with my mom when Michael and I were kids to help Fr. McKenna, and I remember when Fr. McKenna gave my brother a toy car which I know he still has.

St. Vincent de Paul was born to a peasant family on April 24, 1581 in France and the town is now known as Saint-Vincent-de-Paul, Landes. (Nice! I would love to have something named after me when I die.) Vincent spent 4 years with the Franciscan Friars for his education. He then became a tutor and began divinity studies in 1596 and was ordained at age 20. He was taken captive by Turkish pirates and was sold into slavery. He was freed in 1607 when he converted one of his owners to Christianity. He returned to France and was at a parish near Paris where he started organizations to help the poor, abandoned, sick, and found jobs for the unemployed. He worked with Louise de Marillac and founded the Congregation of the Daughters of Charity and instituted the Congregation of Priests of the Mission (Lazarists). Vincent died in Parish on September 27, 1660 of natural causes. He was canonized by Pope Clement XII on June 16, 1737. He is the patron saint of many places and things, including, charities, hospitals, lepers, Madagascar, Prisoners, and the Diocese of Richmond, VA.


PRAYER

Dear Saint, the mere mention of your name suggests a litany of your virtues: humility, zeal, mercy, self-sacrifice. It also recalls your many foundations: Works of Mercy, Congregations, Societies. And the Church gratefully remembers your promotion of the priesthood. Inspire all Charitable Workers, especially those who minister to the poor - both the spiritually and the materially poor. Amen.

"Free your mind from all that troubles you; God will take care of things. You will be unable to make haste in this (choice) without, so to speak, grieving the heart of God, because he sees that you do not honor him sufficiently with holy trust. Trust in him, I beg you, and you will have the fulfillment of what your heart desires."

Day 22 -- Blessed Louis Tezza

I think the Lord is trying to tell me something....do not be afraid! How many times do we hear that? I was at a talk once and it was titled that. The speaker said that saying, Do Not Be Afraid, in one form or another is in the Bible 365 times...one for every day of the year! The reason that I write this for this particular saint is because of where he died.

Blessed Luigi (Louis) Tezza was the only son of his parents born November 1, 1841 in Italy. His father was a doctor and died when Louis was only 9. He entered the Ministers of the Sick of Saint Camilus de Lellis at age 17 and then his mother became a nun. Louis was ordained in 1864. His work was around the world and in different capacities. He worked with the new religious, novice master, went to France as novice master and worked with the sick. He was expelled from France but then secretly returned to unite the scattered religious around France. He then became procurator and vicar general of the Camillians in 1891. In that year, while on retreat he met Blessed Josephine Vannini and they both wanted to found a women's congregation in the same spirit of Saint Camillus de Lellis. The Congregation of the Daughters of Saint Camillus was founded on February 2, 1892 which continues to grow. In 1900, at age 59 he went as s visitor to Peru to reform the Camillian community and he remained there for 23 years, working for the care of the sick poor in hospitals, homes, and prisons. He was the spiritual director and confession to the seminary and other congregations. He was also a counsellor to the nuncio and archbishop. He died in Lima, Peru on September 23, 1923. He was beatified on November 4, 2001 by Pope John Paul II and is awaiting canonization.

Blessed Louis leaves us with a challenge: “God’s invitation to become saints is for all, not just a few. Sanctity therefore must be accessible to all. In what does it consist? In a lot of activity? No. In doing extraordinary things? No, this could not be for everybody and at all times. Therefore, sanctity consists in doing good, and in doing this “good” in whatever condition and place God has placed us. Nothing more, nothing outside of this."

The inscription from a holy card distributed in Lime in memory of Father Louis:
"He was sought after as a father and venerated as a saint: he is no longer with us but he continues to teach us from the tomb; his presence and comportment was angelic; his word was that that of a minister of the gospel; his heart a repository of noble affection; his mission was always salvific. He passed among us as a heavenly vision, ever good and humble, always charitable. Faith was the basis of all his work while goodness enveloped him like a mantle and tiara."

Day 21 -- Herman the Cripple

What is in a name? Does your name characterize who you are? Are you what your name says you are? Today's saint Herman the Cripple was who his name says he was. When I first read about him, I thought how sad and I couldn't write about him. But then I thought it is people like him, who lived 1000 years ago, an average life, that I want to learn about and read.

But Herman was not average. He was born with a cleft palate, cerebral palsy, and spina bifida to a family on a farm in Swabia (modern Germany) on February 18, 1013. His parents cared for him until he was 7 years old, but then they handed him over to the care of the abbey of Reichenau Island in southern Germany and he spend the rest of his life there. At age 20 he became a Benedictine monk. He was considered a genius and studied and wrote on astronomy, theology, math, history, poetry, Arabic, Greek and Latin. He built musical instruments and astronomical equipment. He later become blind and had to give up his writing. He was the most famous poet of his time. It is said that he is the author of the Alma Redemptoris Mater (click here for a YouTube video) and the Salve Regina. Herman died on September 21, 1054 at the abbey in Germany.

Now those of you who are following me, you will remember about a week ago that I wrote Peter Martinez was the one who penned the Salve Regina, so who really wrote the this prayer? But the main thing is that I was going to pray that prayer everyday to pray if I was going to attend World Youth Day. Well, I signed up on Wednesday, so I need to pray this prayer in preparation for attending this incredible gathering of youth and adults from across the world next August. They are expecting 2 million; in Australia we only had 500,000.

Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy. Hail my life, my sweetness and my hope! To you do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To you do we send up our sighs; mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn, most gracious Advocate, your eyes of mercy toward me, and after this, our exile, show to us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus Christ! Clement, loving, sweet Virgin Mary! Amen.

Day 20 -- Our Lady of Walsingham

Out of the saints today, I chose Our Lady of Walsingham to remind me to pray for a friend who moved back to Peru. She visited England and went to the Shrine and brought me back a prayer card and cross which I keep on my desk at work. I miss her!

Here is the history of Our Lady of Walsingham. In 1061 Richeldis de Faverches, lady of the manor near the village of Walsingham, Norfolk, England had a vision of Mary. Our Lady asked her to build a replica in Norfolk of the house where she was born, grew up in, and received the Annunciation of the birth of Christ. She did so immediately, building a house 23'6" by 12'10" according to the plan Mary gave her. Its fame slowly spread, and in 1150 a group of Augustinian Canons built a priory next to it. Its fame continued to grow, and for centuries it was a point of pilgrimage for many people throughout Europe.

When King Henry VIII formed the Church of England, all Catholic shrines and places of worship were ordered to be destroyed. In 1538, the Holy House was stripped and the statue of the Virgin Mary was taken to London to be burned, and the other buildings were used as sheds for the next three centuries.

In 1896 Charlotte Boyd purchased the Slipper Chapel (named in honor of those who - in the Middle Ages - removed their shoes to walk barefoot to the Holy House) and donated it to Downside Abbey. In 1897 Pope Leo XIII refounded the ancient shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham, and pilgrimages resumed. In 1922, the statue of Our Lady is enshrined which began an era of cooperation at the between Catholics and Anglicans. In 1981 construction began on the Chapel of Reconciliation and in 2000 the feast of Our Lady of Walsingham was reinstated.

"Let all who are in any way distressed or in need seek me there in that small house that you maintain for me at Walsingham. To all that seek me there shall be given succor."

Day 19 -- Padre Pio

Wow! Two great saints to choose from today! Who do I choose? Who do I choose....Padre Pio or St. Clare of Assisi? Hard choice....and anyone who knows me knows I have a hard time making choices so why not write about them both!! (Well technically the feast day of St. Clare is not today--it is August 11--the day she died, but today was the day we celebrate the finding of her body.) So I will focus write about Padre Pio.

I first remember hearing about Padre Pio from my mom when I was kid. She was explaining to me about the stigmata and how Padre Pio was someone who had that. I thought it was neat, to actually bear the wounds of Christ. Padre Pio first received the stigmata on September 20, 1918 while praying before a cross. He was the first priest to ever be blessed to receive the stigmata. 90% of people who receive it are women.

At 16 years old he entered the novitiate of the Capuchin friars in Italy and joined the order at age 19. He was ordained at age 22 on August 10, 1910. He would hear confessions for hours on end, and supposedly would be able to read the consciences of those who held back. It was said he was able to bilocate, levitate, and heal by touch. He founded a House for the Relief of Suffering which is a hospital that serves 60,000 people a year. In the 1920s he started prayer groups which continue today and have 400,000 members worldwide.

His canonization miracle was from the cure of a little boy named Matteo, the 7 year old son of a doctor who works at the House for Relief of Suffering. In 2000 Matteo was admitted with meningitis and the doctors had lost hope for him because nine of his organs didn't have signs of life. That night, during a prayer vigil with his mother and some Capuchin friars, Matteo's condition suddenly improved. He woke up from the coma and said he had seen an elderly man with a white beard and a long, brown habit say to him, "Don't worry, you will soon be cured." The miracle was approved by the Congregation and Pope John Paul II on December 20, 2001.

Padre Pio was born on May 25, 1887 as Francesco Forgione. He died of natural causes on September 23, 1968. He was canonized by Pope John Paul II on June 16, 2002 in Rome. Here is information from the Vatican's website from his canonization.

There is a Padre Pio Shrine in New York City.

I have been hearing about saints my whole life and I do remembering asking my mom what a martyr was, so vividly that I remember where we even were in the house. I still am in awe of the heroic lives all the saints have lived. Reading about their lives, I hope has made me a better person these past couple weeks. I continue to look forward to what the Good Lord has in store for me and His plan for my life. I pray that I am open to receive His message.


QUOTES
"Pray, Hope, Don't Worry!"

"Always humble yourself lovingly before God and man, because God speaks to those who are truly humble of heart and enriches them this His gifts."

"Pray, pray to the Lord with me, because the whole world needs prayer. And every day, when your heart especially feels the loneliness of life, pray. Pray to the Lord, because even God needs our prayers."


A Prayer by Padre Pio
May your heart always be the temple of the Holy Spirit. May Jesus always be the helmsman of your little spiritual ship. May Mary be the star which shines on your path and may she show you the safe way to reach the Heavenly Father. Amen.

A Prayer for Trust and Confidence in God's Mercy by St. Pio of Pietrelcina

O Lord, we ask for a boundless confidence and trust in Your divine mercy, and the courage to accept the crosses and sufferings which bring immense goodness to our souls and that of Your Church. Help us to love You with a pure and contrite heart, and to humble ourselves beneath Your cross, as we climb the mountain of holiness, carrying our cross that leads to heavenly glory. May we receive You with great faith and love in Holy Communion, and allow You to act in us as You desire for your greater glory. O Jesus, most adorable Heart and eternal fountain of Divine Love, may our prayer find favor before the Divine Majesty of Your heavenly Father.

Day 18 -- Martyrs of Valencia, Spain

Do you know how many martyrs there have been in the 20th century? More martyrs in our last century than in the first 19 centuries combined! Today we commemorate the feast of the 218 Martyrs of Valencia, Spain who were killed between the years 1934 and 1938. There were 22 different groups represent these people who were martyred. They were beatified on March 11, 2001 by Pope John Paul II and await canonization. Some groups include:

1. Diocesan priests of the Archdiocese of Valencia
2. Women of Catholic Action of the Archdiocese of Valencia
3. Men and Youth of Catholic Action of the Archdiocese of Valencia
4. Dominicans
5. Capuchin Sisters of the Order of Saint Clare
6. Carmelite Sisters of Charity
7. Little Sisters of the Abandoned Elderly

There were 266 martyrs beatified from the 20th century. Below is what is on the Vatican's website in reference to all the martyrs of the 20th century who were beatified, including Maximilian Kolbe who was canonized.

"Like Jesus they died at the hands of their executors, they died for their people, forgiving and asking God to hasten the hour of reconciliation. We are sure that even in the hour of their own glorification these martyrs cried out with the voice of their innocent blood to ask that peace and reconciliation may soon be a joyful reality among all peoples. Here is the list following the chronological order of the beatifications. Besides the year of death, also indicated is the manner of death and in brackets the date of beatification and, when celebrated outside the Vatican, where it took place."

Day 17 -- Saint Matthew

"For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be."
Do you know who wrote this?

Or this: "Your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father."

The answer is Saint Matthew. Saint Matthew lived in Capernaum and was a tax collector. It was people like Matthew with who Jesus wanted to associate. When others called him a traitor, Jesus said, "I did not come to call the just, but sinners."

Matthew is mentioned in his own Gospel when Jesus called him to be one of his Twelve Apostles (9:9). Matthew recounts the genealogy of Jesus (1:1-17), gives us the story of the birth of Jesus (1:18-2:23), and gives us the Beatitudes (5:2-11). He gave us the Our Father in chapter 6. It is Matthew in chapter 15 who gives us one of the stories of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes.

Matthew wrote to convince his Jewish readers that Jesus was the Messiah. He preached to the Jews for fifteen years. His Gospel was written before the year 70AD...the time of the destruction of the city of Jerusalem.

Like Mark, Luke, and John, Matthew is depicted in art with one of the four living creatures from Revelation 4:7. The one that accompanies him is in the form of a winged man....like the one from Rembrandt here to the right. This is called The Evangelist Matthew Inspired by an Angel which was painted in 1661.

Some of my favorite Scripture verses come from Matthew:

• "You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden" (5:14)
• "So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect." (5:48)
• "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened unto you." (7:7)
• "Do not be afraid" (10:31)
• The Parable of the Sower (ch. 13) reminds me of my Encounter with Christ retreat in college.
• When Peter walks on water in chapter 14.

And my favorite response in the Mass is "Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed." This comes from Matthew 8:8 when we read "Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed."

Let us as Catholics not be afraid to pick up our Bible and read the stories of Jesus from people who actually lived with him. Even a few sentences a day can help in our formation as Catholic Christians.


PRAYER
O Glorious Saint Matthew, in your Gospel you portray Jesus as the longed-for Messiah who fulfilled the Prophets of the Old Covenant and as the new Lawgiver who founded a Church of the New Covenant. Obtain for us the grace to see Jesus living in his Church and to follow his teachings in our lives on earth so that we may live forever with him in heaven. Amen.


QUOTE
“Jesus saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax office, and he said to him: Follow me.” Jesus saw Matthew, not merely in the usual sense, but more significantly with his merciful understanding of men.” He saw the tax collector and, because he saw him through the eyes of mercy and chose him, he said to him: “Follow me.” This following meant imitating the pattern of his life - not just walking after him. Saint John tells us: “Whoever says he abides in Christ ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” “And he rose and followed him.” There is no reason for surprise that the tax collector abandoned earthly wealth as soon as the Lord commanded him. Nor should one be amazed that neglecting his wealth, he joined a band of men whose leader had, on Matthew’s assessment, no riches at all. Our Lord summoned Matthew by speaking to him in words. By an invisible, interior impulse flooding his mind with the light of grace, he instructed him to walk in his footsteps. In this way Matthew could understand that Christ, who was summoning him away from earthly possessions, had incorruptible treasures of heaven in his gift.
from a homily by Saint Bede

Day 16 -- Marie Therese of Saint Joseph

There are many saints to choose from for today. Today the Church celebrates the lives of Saint Andrew Kim Taegŏn and his companions from Korea who lived remarkable lives of courage and faith.

But I wanted to write about Blessed Marie Therese of Saint Joseph. She was born in East Prussia (modern-day Poland) on June 19, 1855 with the name of Anna Maria Tauscher van den Bosch. She converted from the Lutheran Church to Catholicism on October 30, 1888. In 1891 she founded a home for neglected children in Berlin, Germany. The young women there then founded the Congregation of the Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus. Mother Mary Teresa was known for her prayer and put her faith into action by founding nurseries, homes, and day care centers for children and the aged. She also worked with immigrants, the poor, and abandoned. The work of her Community are found in Europe, Africa, and America. There are three convents in the United States: Wisconsin, Texas, and Missouri. She died on September 20, 1938 in Limburg, Netherlands of natural causes. She was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI on May 13, 2006 in the Netherlands and is awaiting canonization.

Reading the story of Blessed Marie Therese of Saint Joseph makes me think of my work for the Diocese of Bridgeport. It has been such a joy the past six months to work with our RCIA Coordinators who work with the adults in our Diocese who have heard the Lord's call and have answered to join the Catholic Church or complete their Sacraments of Initiation. It is many times those who become Catholic as adults give back to the Church for the work. We can see this evident in the life of Blessed Marie Therese--she gave back so much to the universal Catholic Church--where today women are living the Carmel charism because of her.


QUOTES
"To be able to dry tears, to heal wounds of souls from the heights of heaven, this is my ardent wish." (said on her deathbed)

"Prayer and meditation come first; work for God, neighbor or the religious family in between is secondary."

"Let us rest in the Divine Heart like little children in the arms of their father. The greater our confidence, the more will God's goodness be seen in us."

PRAYER
O, God, Our Father, You purified Your Servant Maria Teresa of St. Joseph through suffering and afflictions. Her great faith, her firm trust and unselfish love made her, through Your grace, a pure instrument in Your hand with which You could do great things.
Encouraged by her example and her trust in Your help we ask, through her intercession (name your intention here).
May Your holy will be done Lord. Make our hearts ready to accept what You send. Then we know that we pray in the spirit of Mother Mary Teresa. This we ask through Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Day 15 -- Saint Januarius

Today's saint I have chosen is Saint Januarius. He was bishop of Benevento, Italy. He was arrested while visiting imprisoned deacons and was martyred with them in the year 304. Other than that, there is not much else known about his life....he was put into a fiery furnace but the flames would not harm him. He was also thrown to wild beasts, but they did not harm him either...he was martyred by beheading. A vile of his blood was saved and now for the past 600 years--since at least 1389--this vile of blood liquefies on his feast day. This is the most studied religious phenomenon.

He is the patron saint against volcano eruptions, blood banks, and Naples, Italy.

Growing up, I had heard about Saint Januarius, but mainly because of the Feast of San Gennaro in NYC...even though I have never been to this feast. Being Italian is a wonderful thing! We have many traditions, religious and food-wise. Many of our family food traditions come from Naples. Even though my brother and I are grown and both live out of the house, we still have Friday night dinner together which are filled with many laughs. I look forward to our Friday nights all week.

Day 14 -- Saint John de Massias

Saint John de Massias was born to a pious and noble family on March 2, 1585 in Estramadura, Spain. He was orphaned at age four and went to work as a shepherd with his uncle. Through a vision, he then moved to Lima, Peru where he worked on a cattle ranch. He joined the Dominicans as a lay brother on January 23, 1622. He worked at the friary for over twenty years as a porter and doorkeeper. He had visions and cared for the poor in Lima. He prayed the rosary very frequently and offered his prayers for the release of the souls in Purgatory. It is said that he freed over a million through his prayers. In Lima, he met Saint Martin de Porres and the two become close friends. He died in Lima of natural causes on September 16, 1645. Two-hundred years later he was beatified by Pope Pius VII and he was then canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1975. His image is located on the main altar of the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary of Lima. A temple was built in his honor in 1970 in Lima. Every third Sunday of November his image along with Martin de Porres are paraded around the streets and venerated by the faithful of Peru.

While reading more about John de Massias, whose birth name was Juan de Arcas Sanchez, I am obviously thinking about the Fraternas (Marian Community of Reconciliation) since they were founded in Lima, Peru. I am so grateful that I know them and can learn from them. I have become closer to our mother Mary because of them and I have learned more about myself and God's plan for me. May God bless their community with many vocations from young women who have heard God's call and will respond.

O God, who was pleased that John, Thy Confessor, early endowed with the richness of Thy grace, should in a lowly state of life blossom with a brilliance of virtue, grant us, we beseech Thee, so to follow his footsteps that by purity of mind we may merit to come to Thee. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Day 13 -- Blessed Hildegard von Bingen

Today I am writing about one of my favorites....Hildegard von Bingen. I remember writing a paper about her in Grad School and making a CD of her music when I had to do research about Benedictines. The picture here to the left is one of my favorites of her as well. It in intrigued me that in the 1100s she was writing major works of theology and about her visions. She lived in a time when women were not respected, but she was often consulted by and advised bishops, popes, and kings. She is the first musical composer whose biography is known. She founded a vibrant convent, where her musical plays were performed. It is such a surprise that she is not canonized, even though many miracles have been attributed to her, she is often mentioned as Saint Hildegard, and her name is mentioned in the Roman Martyrology.

Hildegard was the tenth child born to a noble family and as was customary with the tenth child, which the family could not count on feeding, the child could be considered a tithe and she was dedicated at birth to the Church. At the age of three, Hildegard started to have visions of luminous objects, but soon realized she was unique in this ability and hid this gift for many years. By eight years old, her family sent Hildegard to an anchoress (women who renounce the world in order to spend their lives alone in penance and prayer) to receive a religious education. Her education was elementary and Hildegard never lost the feelings of inadequacy over her lack of schooling. Her knowledge of Latin grammar was never complete and she had to have a secretary write down her visions, but she was capable of constructing complicated sentences which today students still have a challenge reading it.

Hildegard's anchoress, Jutta, lived close to a Benedictine monastery and it is here where Hildegard was exposed to religious services which became the basis for her own musical compositions. Her visions were recorded in icons. Jutta died when Hildegard was 38 and she was elected the head of the convent near the anchorage. With Hildegard head of the convent, they had many aspirants and opened another convent. This was somewhere between 1147 and 1150 and in 1165 another convent opened.

This image here is an illumination from Liber Scivias showing Hildegard receiving a vision and dictating to her scribe and secretary.

She never did doubt the divine origin of her visions and she wanted them approved by the Church. She wrote to Saint Bernard and he took the matter to Pope Eugenius who encouraged Hildegard to finish her writings. With papal imprimatur, after 10 years of writing Hildegard finished her first visionary work Scivias ("Know the Ways of the Lord"). It was through this writing that her fame grew around Germany and beyond. Hildegard wrote explicitly about the natural world as God's creation and how God has entrusted creation to our care, to be used for our benefit and to not be destroyed. This manuscript is an illumination from Scivias.

To listen to her song "O frondens virga" click here.

Hildegard was born in 1098 and died on September 17, 1179.

PRAYER
O God, by whose grace your servant Hildegard, kindled with the fire of your love, became a burning and shining light in your Church: Grant that we also may be aflame with the spirit of love and discipline, and walk before you as children of light; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

QUOTES
"Without woman, man could not be called man; without man, woman could not be named woman. Thus woman is the work of man, while man is a sight full of consolation for woman. Neither of them could henceforth live without the other. Man is in this connection an indication of the Godhead while woman is an indication of the humanity of God's Son."

"A human being is a vessel that God has built for Himself and filled with His inspiration so that His works are perfected in it."

This second quote reminds me of what God wants for us and why He put us on this planet. It goes to the questions I ask all the time "What do you want of me Lord?" "Why purpose am I serving on this earth?" "What is God's plan for me?" It reminds me of one of my favorite verses from Scripture from 1 Corinthians 6:19 "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you whom you have from God?" Oh Lord, I pray that You show Your plan for me.

Day 12 -- Saint Cornelius

Today's saint I chose was the reluctant 21st pope of our Catholic Church. His name was Saint Cornelius. He was elected during the year and a half period during which the persecutions were so bad that papal ascension was a quick death sentence. He was pope for two years, three months, and ten days. He called a synod to confirm him as rightful pontiff as opposed to the anti-pope Novatian. He had the support of two other saints: Saint Cyprian of Carthage and Saint Dionysius. He was exiled to Centemcallae (in Rome) in 252 by Roman authorities to punish Christians who were said to have provoked the gods to send a plague against Rome. He died a martyr. St. Cornelius was not buried in the chapel of the popes, but in the adjoining catacombs.

A document from Saint Cornelius shows the size of the Catholic Church in Rome during his papacy...46 priests, 7 deacons, 7 subdeacons, and about 50,000 Christians.

He is the patron saint against earaches, epilepsy, fevers, twitching, and Kornelimunster, Germany.

God our Father,
in Saints Cornelius and Cyprian
You have given Your people an inspiring example
of dedication to the pastoral ministry
and constant witness to Christ in their suffering.
May their prayers and faith give us courage
to work for the unity of Your Church.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Let us pray for our current pope, Benedict XVI as he travels to England.

Day 11 -- Our Lady of Sorrows

Today we celebrate a Marian feast: Our Lady of Sorrows. The feast is based on the seven sorrows in the life of Mary (see below). The feast of the Our Lady of Sorrows was originated by a provincial synod of Cologne in 1413. Over the centuries several devotions and orders, arose around meditation on Mary's Sorrows. Mother of Sorrows (Mater Dolorosa) is one of the three common artistic representations of a sorrowful Virgin Mary, the other two are the Stabat Mater (here stands the mother) which is the song sung at the Stations of the Cross and Pieta. The picture to the right depicts Mary and the seven sorrows.

• The Prophecy of Simeon over the Infant Jesus (Luke 2:34)
• The Flight into Egypt of the Holy Family (Matthew 2:13)
• The Loss of the Child Jesus for Three Days (Luke 2:43)
• The Meeting of Jesus and Mary along the Way of the Cross (Luke 23:26)
• The Crucifixion, where Mary stands at the foot of the cross (John 19:25)
• The Descent from the Cross, where Mary receives the dead body of Jesus in her arms (Matthew 27:57)
• The Burial of Jesus (John 19:40)

Prayer for Our Lady of Sorrows

Our mother of sorrows,
with strength from above you stood by the cross,
sharing in the sufferings of Jesus,
and with tender care
you bore Him in your arms, mourning and weeping.

We praise you for your faith,
which accepted the life God planned for you.
We praise you for your hope,
which trusted that God would do great things in you.
We praise you for your love
in bearing with Jesus the sorrows of His passion.

Holy Mary, may we follow your example,
and stand by all your children
who need comfort and love.

Mother of God, stand by us in our trials
and care for us in our many needs.
Pray for us now and at the hour of our death.  Amen!

Mary, I pray that you be with me and my family and friends as we grow closer to your son, Jesus Christ!

Day 10 -- Saint Crescentius of Rome

According to tradition, Saint Crescentius of Rome was born to a noble Roman family around the year 289. His father was St. Euthymius. He and his parents were baptized together by St. Epigmenius. During the persecutions of Christian by Diocletian, his family fled to Perugia where his father died. When he was 11 years old arrested, tortured, beheaded and martyred for the crime of being Christian.

Wow, what an incredible story for such a young boy!! He must have had remarkable faith to be martyred at such a young age. Would I have that kind of faith if something like this was happening to me?

I also think it is so neat to know that his father is a saint and he was baptized by a saint. I often think -- is there anyone I know in my lifetime who will become a saint?

Day 9 -- Saint John Chrysostom

Saint John Chrysostom was young when his father died and he was raised by a very pious mother. He was a monk, preacher and priest. It was while he was in Syria that he developed a stomach ailment that bothered him the rest of his life. It was from his sermons that he earned the title Chrysostom which means golden-mouthed. His sermons were always on point, explaining the Sacred Scriptures with clarity and could have gone on for hours. He was made bishop of Constantinople in 398, which got him involved in politics. He He criticized the rich for not sharing their wealth, fought to reform the clergy prevented the sale of ecclesiastical offices, called for fidelity in marriage and encouraged practices of justice and charity. Then as archbishop he revised the Greek liturgy. Since his sermons advocated change in people's lives, some people-even bishops-tired to remove him from his diocese. With success, he was exiled two times from his diocese being banished to Pythius and died on the road. He is on the doctors of the Church. (c.347 to 407) He is the patron of preachers and speakers, and against epilepsy.

I have been wanting to find a prayer to recite before receiving communion and it looks like I may have found it from today's saint.

Prayer to Jesus before Holy Communion
O Lord, my God, I am not worthy that you should come into my soul, but I am glad that you have come to me because in your loving kindness you desire to dwell in me. You ask me to open the door of my soul, which you alone have created, so that you may enter into it with your loving kindness and dispel the darkness of my mind. I believe that you will do this for you did not turn away Mary Magdalene when she approached you in tears. Neither did you withhold forgiveness from the tax collector who repented of his sins or from the good thief who asked to be received into your kingdom. Indeed, you numbered as your friends all who came to you with repentant hearts. O God, you alone are blessed always, now, and forever.

"If we wish to know a man's moral habits, we have only to observe the character of the friends with whom he associates; because friendship finds or makes him like his friends."

Day 8 -- Saint Guy of Anderlecht

The saint I chose today is Saint Guy of Anderlecht who was born in Belgium around the year 950 into poverty which he embraced as God's will for him. He spent much of his time caring for the poor and sick when he was not working on the fields. He spent so much time at the local church that the priest made him the parish sacristan. Guy ended up living there and often time spent all night in prayer. Guy made a pilgrimage on foot to Rome, then Jerusalem and worked as a guide for the pilgrims. Guy never did join an order or became a priest, but he vowed chastity and devoted much time in prayer. He died in Belgium in 1012 of natural causes. Many post-mortem miracles are attributed to him. He is associated with a horse because his grave was lost for many years until it was uncovered by a horse. His relics were destroyed by Protestants in the 18th century. He is the patronage of many things including: his hometown of Anderlecht, Belgium, against epilepsy, bachelors, sacristans, horned animals, and others. As in the picture here, Saint Guy is represented as a pilgrim with a hat, staff, rosary, and ox.

Dear Saint Guy, you devoted your life to helping the poor and the sick. Help me to have the same Christian attitude in my life. Help me to be kind and caring to all those I meet. Amen.

Day 7 -- Saint Jean-Gabriel Perboyre

Today's saint that I chose is Saint Jean-Gabriel Perboyre, who was one of eight children, and born in France on January 6, 1802. At at 16 he followed his brother Louis to the seminary and joined the Congregation of the Mission of Saint Vincent on Christmas Day 1818. He was ordained in Paris on September 23, 1825. He was a professor of theology, seminary rector, and assistant director of novices. His brother Louis died on his way to China for a mission and John Gabriel was asked to replace him. In March 1835 is sailed to China and began his mission in June 1836. Three years later widespread persecution of Christians began. John Gabriel was denounced and tried on September 16, 1839. He was tortured by hanging by his thumbs and he was flogged with bamboo rods and was martyred by being strangled on September 11, 1840. He is the first saint associated with China. He was beatified in 1889 and canonized in 1996.

Today as we remember the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 on our country, I think of all the men and women who died for our country....all 2,996 of them. The many firefighters and police officers who gave their lives for our country; I see the similarities between them--our country's heroes and the Church martyrs.

God Bless America!

Day 6 -- Saint Peter Martinez

Well as always there as a list of saints to choose from -- all of whom I had never heard of before. Today we will learn a little bit about Saint Peter Martinez. The main reason why I chose him is because he was from Spain. Unfortunately, not much is known about his life. He died around the year 1000. He was a Benedictine monk of Saint Mary of Mozonzo and then became an abbot of Saint Martin of Antealares in Compostela, Spain. Around the year 986 he became the Archbishop of Santiago de Compostela. Saint Peter is traditionally credited with being one of the composers of the Salve Regina.

So Saint Peter Martinez was from Spain. I have been going back and forth now for many months to try to decide if I want [or if the Lord wants me] to go to World Youth Day 2011 which will be in Madrid, Spain. The Diocese of Bridgeport has put together an incredible itinerary for 12 days! It includes going to Fatima, Avila, and walking part of the Santiago de Compostela (the Way of Saint James) and celebrating Mass in this awesome cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. I need to pray about this more, but I have been praying and I am still not getting an answer. I think my prayer should be through Saint Peter by praying the Salve Regina to our Lady.

"Rooted and built up in Jesus Christ, firm in the faith."
(Col 2:7)

Day 5 -- Blessed Maria Euthymia Üffing

When I was reading over the list of saints for today, the saint of the day--Peter Claver--had a story (he was sent to Columbia to work with the slaves and baptized 300,000 in the 40 years he was there), but Emma Üffing "Blessed Maria Euthymia" caught my attention and I wanted to write about her.

Here is her story. Emma Üffing was born in a small town in Germany on April 8, 1914 and was of eleven children. As an infant she developed a form of the rickets which stunted her growth and left her in poor health the rest of her life. At the age of 14 she began to feel the call to religious life. She joined the Sister of the Congregation of Compassion on July 23, 1933 taking the name Euthymia. She made her simple vows on October 11, 1936, and her final profession on September 15, 1940. She then went on to school for a nursing degree and worked through World War II and was then assigned to nurse prisoners of war. She worked tirelessly for them, praying for them, and making sure they received the sacraments. After the war worked at the Motherhouse in the laundry room and Saint Raphael Clinic. Blessed M. Euthymia was noted as saying, "everything is for Almighty God." In the little free time that she had, she spent in prayer before the Eucharist. She died on the morning of September 9, 1955 of cancer. She was beatified on October 7, 2001 and is awaiting for canonization.

Even though she liked serving her fellow human beings rather than the machines of the laundry service, she had this to say of her mission: "The Lord can use me like a ray of sun to brighten the day." Pope John Paul II goes on to say in his homily at her beatification, "This Sister lived the word of the Gospel: whatever we do, we are only unworthy servants. We have only done our duty" (Lk 17,10). In her faith in small things lies her greatness."

Like I said, I wanted to write about her instead of Peter Claver. I liked her story. It was the simplicity that caught my attention. Her availability for her mission to help those in need during the war and to then work in the laundry. She was happy and content during it all. We all have a story to tell. Have you ever thought about your life story? How is your life affecting someone else? I hope I am affecting other people's lives...as we say in Cursillo...leavening our environments. I pray for my family, friends, and workplace that I can leaven my environment in those situations.

Blessed Maria Euthymia, Pray for Us!

Day 4 -- Nativity of Blessed Virgin Mary

Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen!

Today we celebrate the birthday of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. What else could be said that we have not already read about or heard about Mary? Mary is special and unique from the day of her Immaculate Conception. She had to be as the Mother of God, the Mother of the world, the Mother of us all. She was predestined from all eternity. I wonder what Anne and Joachim thought!

I have always had a hard time "praying" to Mary, and only until recently I have come to realize that I am not praying "to" her (we only pray to God), but I can pray with her and through her asking her to help me on my journey. There are so many prayers to Mary: Haily Mary, Salve Regina, Remember..., The Angelus. But maybe the best prayer to Mary is the one we just let come naturally from the deepest part of our hearts. Here is mine today: "Dear Mary, help me to be like you in more ways in my life. Help me to be gentle with those who love me. Help me to be caring for the poor and less fortunate. Help me to have confidence, courage, and trust in myself and trust in others. Help me to say yes to your Son when he calls me. Let me shout my FIAT. Allow me to surrender--let it be done to me according to your word. Amen!" Thank you, Mary!

_________________________________________________
Our Lady comes to us in many forms. Here are just a few of the many:
1. Our Lady of Tears
2. Our Lady of Lourdes
3. Our Lady of Fatima
4. Our Lady of Good Counsel
5. Our Lady of Guadalupe
6. Our Lady of Knock
7. Our Lady of Sorrows
8. Our Lady of Perpetual Help
9. Our Lady of the Snow
10. Our Lady, Cause of our Joy
11. Our Lady of Walsingham
_________________________________________________

"And if we say yes, like Mary, by the very measure of our 'yes', that mysterious exchange also happens to and in us: we are assumed in the divinity of He who assumed our humanity." Pope Benedict XVI

"Hence, all creation sings with joy, exults, and participates in the joy of this day.... This is, in fact, the day on which the Creator of the world constructed His temple; today is the day on which by a stupendous project a creature becomes the preferred dwelling of the Creator." -Saint Andrew of Crete (660-740) Monk, Bishop of Gortyna, On the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Happy Birthday Mary!!

Day 3 - Blessed Eugenia Picco

Today is my brother's birthday. It is hard to imagine that 27 years ago my life was blessed with the greatest gift I ever received = Michael Vincent Donnarummo. I gave my parents a card yesterday thanking them for him. We are siblings, but we are also good friends and I treasure that. I think I treasure it more now that we are older and that we do not see each other every day. Like my spiritual director said to me the other day "it's when we don't have something all the time that we love it more when we to have it."

Today's saint's parents were musicians--just like Michael. Blessed Eugenia Picco lived mostly with her grandparents and when she did live with her mom, it was a morally corrupt environment. Eugenia spent many hours praying at the nearby Basilica of Saint Ambrose, then at age 20 she felt called to religious life and joined the Congregation of the Little Daughters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in Milan, Italy and professed her final vows in 1894. Her life consisted of working for her Order and for the poor, especially children. She helped with the formation of the Sisters in her Order and had a love of the Eucharist. Eugenia was a courageous woman. She suffered from a degenerative bone disease and eventually she had to have her right leg amputated.

I hope and pray I can be courageous like Blessed Eugenia Picco and be able to YES to the Lord when He calls me. It seems scary to make a life-long commitment to something, but if it is for the good of the world and our Lord's doing, isn't it the right thing to say yes?

(November 8, 1867 to September 7, 1921)

"As Jesus has chosen bread, which is very common, so must my life be, common, approachable by all and, at the same time, humble and hidden, like bread."

This is a song my brother wrote--it is my favorite one that he has written so far!
http://www.mvdmusicstudio.com/MVD_Music_Studio/Mikes_Music/Pages/For_Her-Love.html