Day 44 -- Saint Luke

We have all heard of today's saint...Saint Luke. He wrote the Gospel of Luke and Acts of the Apostles. He was born to Greek, pagan parents, and he was maybe a slave. He is one of the earliest converts to Christianity. Besides writing the Gospel of Luke and Acts, he was also a physician and most likely traveled as a ship's doctor. Legend also says that he was a painter and painted portraits of Jesus and Mary, but none of them have ever been correctly identified as his. He met Saint Paul and evangelized in Greece and Rome with Saint Paul. The Gospel according to Luke is based on a lot of the teachings and writings of Saint Paul, which includes interviews with early Christians and his own experiences. The Acts of the Apostles is about the history of the early Church.

The name Luke means bearer of light. Each of the four evangelists are represented with an image and he is represented by an ox or calf. He is the patron saint of many occupations, including physicians, artists, surgeons, unmarried men, and notaries.

One of my favorite quotes that I now have comes from Acts of the Apostles, 1:8: "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses to the ends of the earth." This was the theme of World Youth Day 2008 when I went to Australia. That was, to say the least, an incredible pilgrimage. I had never experienced anything like that. In the past two years I have grown in my relationship with the Lord and have gotten to know Him better, and that is wonderful and I look forward to what the Lord will bring into my life tomorrow.


PRAYER
Most charming and saintly Physician, you were animated by the heavenly Spirit of love. In faithfully detailing the humanity of Jesus, you also showed his divinity and his genuine compassion for all human beings. Inspire our physicians with your professionalism and with the divine compassion for their patients. Enable them to cure the ills of both body and spirit that afflict so many in our day. Amen.

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 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)