January 1 - Mary the Blessed Virgin - All Saints on the Hudson
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January 1 – Mary the Blessed Virgin
Mary is venerated with a special cult, called by St. Thomas
Aquinas, hyperdulia, as the holiest of all creatures. The main
events of her life are celebrated as liturgical feasts of the
universal Church.
Traditionally, she was declared the daughter of Sts. Joachim and
Anne. Born in Jerusalem, Mary was presented in the Temple and
took a vow of virginity. Living in Nazareth, Mary was visited by
the archangel Gabriel, who announced to her that she would
become the Mother of Jesus, by the Holy Spirit.
She became betrothed to St. Joseph and went to visit her cousin,
Elizabeth, who was bearing St. John the Baptist. Acknowledged by
Elizabeth as the Mother of God, Mary intoned the Magnificat.
When Emperor Augustus declared a census throughout the vast
Roman Empire, Mary and St. Joseph went to Bethlehem where he
was born, as he belonged to the House of David. There Mary gave birth to Jesus and was
visited by the Three Kings.
Mary and Joseph presented Jesus in the Temple, where St. Simeon rejoiced and Mary received
word of sorrows to come later. Warned to flee, St. Joseph and Mary went to Egypt to escape the
wrath of King Herod. They remained in Egypt until King Herod died and then returned to
Nazareth.
Nothing is known of Mary's life during the next years except for a visit to the Temple of
Jerusalem, at which time Mary and Joseph sought the young Jesus, who was in the Temple with
the learned elders.
The first recorded miracle of Jesus was performed at a wedding in Cana, and Mary was
instrumental in calling Christ's attention to the
need. Mary was present at the Crucifixion in
Jerusalem, and there she was given into John the
Apostle's care. She was also with the disciples in
the days before the Pentecost, and it is believed
that she was present at the resurrection and
Ascension.
No scriptural reference concerns Mary's last years
on earth. According to tradition, she went to
Ephesus, where she experienced her "dormition."
Another tradition states that she remained in
Jerusalem. The belief that Mary's body was
assumed into heaven is one of the oldest traditions
of the Catholic Church.
Pope Pius XII declared this belief Catholic dogma in
1950. The four Catholic dogmas are: Mother of God,
Perpetual virginity of Mary, the Immaculate
Conception and Assumption of Mary.
January 2 – St. Basil the Great
St. Basil the Great was born at
Caesarea of Cappadocia in 330. He
was one of ten children of St. Basil
the Elder and St. Emmelia. Several of
his brothers and sisters are honored
among the saints. He attended
school in Caesarea, as well
as Constantinople and Athens,
where he became acquainted with
St. Gregory Nazianzen in 352.
A little later, he opened a school
of oratory in Caesarea and practiced
law. Eventually he decided to
become a monk and found a
monastery in Pontus which he
directed for five years.
He wrote a famous monastic rule which has proved the most lasting of those in the
East. After founding several other monasteries, he was ordained and, in 370,
made bishop of Caesaria. In this post until his death in 379, he continued to be
a man of vast learning and constant activity, genuine eloquence and immense
charity. This earned for him the title of "Great" during his life and Doctor of the
Church after his death. Basil was one of the giants of the early Church. He was
responsible for the victory of Nicene orthodoxy over Arianism in the Byzantine East,
and the denunciation of Arianism at the Council of Constantinople in 381-82 was in
large measure due to his efforts. Basil fought simony (the act of selling church
offices and roles or sacred things), aided the victims of drought and famine, strove
for a better clergy, insisted on a rigid clerical discipline, fearlessly
denounced evil wherever he detected it, and excommunicated those involved in the
widespread prostitution traffic in Cappadocia. He was learned, accomplished in
statesmanship, a man of great personal holiness, and one of the great orators of
Christianity.
January 3 – St. Genevieve
St. Genevieve was a fair and courageous peasant girl who was
born around 422 in Nanterre, France.
When Genevieve was only seven-years-old, St. Germanus,
Bishop of Auxerre visited Nanterre on his way to Britain.
While he was there, many people flocked to receive his
blessing. The young Genevieve stood amid a crowd which
had gathered around the man of God who singled her out and
foretold her future sanctity. At her request, the holy Bishop
led her to a church, accompanied by all the faithful, and
consecrated her to God as a virgin.
The next day, Germanus asked Genevieve if she had
remembered the promise she made to God. She did and
proclaimed she would always fulfill it faithfully. He
presented her with a cross engraved-brass medal to always
wear around her neck, as a reminder of the consecration she
made of herself to God. He ordered her to never wear any
other bracelets, necklaces or jewelry, to avoid falling into
vanity.
Encouraged by Germanus, Genevieve dedicated her life to
prayer, practices of devotion and a acts of penance. When
she was only 15-years-old, she met with the Bishop of Paris and asked to become a nun. From this
moment, she also began praying continuously and fasting, eating only twice a week, as a sign of
her complete dedication to the Lord.
The signs of the working of the Holy Spirit accompanying this holy young woman included
miracles and spiritually inspired predictions. She frequently had visions of heavenly angels and
saints. However, when she shared those visions and experiences of the Lord, people began to turn
against her. They called her a hypocrite and accused her of being a false visionary. In fact, they
were determined to drown her in a lake of fire. However, the Bishop Germanus intervened and
silenced those who were accusing her of false statements, and persecuting her.
Genevieve was appointed by the Bishop to look after the welfare of the consecrated virgins. She
did so faithfully and helped to lead them into a greater degree of holiness as they grew closer to
the Lord Jesus.
Genevieve had a great influence over Childeric, the King of Gaul who overtook Paris as well as
having a big effect on King Clovis. He listened to her advice and under her request, he granted
freedom to several of his prisoners.
When Attila and his army of Huns came upon Paris, the Parisian Christians were prepared to run,
but Genevieve spoke to them and convinced them to stay within their homes, fast and pray to the
Lord. She assured them they would have the protection of Heaven. Her prediction came true as
Attila suddenly changed his path and turned away from Paris.
Genevieve died at 89-years-old on January 3, 512.
Shortly after she was buried, the people built a small church over her tomb, asking for the
intercession of Saints Peter and Paul. Although her tomb remains there and can still be seen
today, it is empty. Her relics were encased by St. Eligius in a handmade gold and silver shrine
around 630. Over the years, the Normans destroyed the church several times. Once it was rebuilt
around 856, St. Genevieve's relics were returned and miracles began happening, making this
church famous all throughout France.
January 4 - St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton was the first native
born American to be canonized by the Catholic
Church. Born two years before the American
Revolution, Elizabeth grew up in the upper class
of New York society. She was a prolific reader,
and read everything from the Bible to
contemporary novels.
In spite of her high society background,
Elizabeth's early life was quiet, simple, and often
lonely. As she grew a little older, the Bible was to become her continual instruction, support and
comfort -and she would continue to love the Scriptures for the rest of her life.
In 1794, Elizabeth married the wealthy young William Seton. This time of Elizabeth's life was to be
a brief happiness before the many deaths and partings she was to suffer. Within four years,
William's father died, leaving the young couple in charge of William's seven half brothers and
sisters, as well as the family's importing business.
Events moved quickly from there with devastating effect. Both William's business and health
failed. He was forced to file for bankruptcy and, in a final attempt to save William's health, the
Setons sailed for Italy, where William had business friends. Unfortunately, William died of
tuberculosis while in Italy.
With all that had happened in her life, she was drawn to God and eternity. The accepting and
embracing of God's will - "The Will," as she called it - would be a keynote in her spiritual life.
Elizabeth's deep concern for the spiritual welfare of her family and friends eventually led her into
the Catholic Church.
In Italy, Elizabeth captivated everyone by her kindness, patience, good sense, wit, and courtesy.
During this time Elizabeth became interested in the Catholic Faith and, over a period of months,
her Italian friends guided her in Catholic instruction.
Having lost her mother at an early age, Elizabeth felt great comfort in the idea that the Blessed
Virgin was truly her mother. She asked the Blessed Virgin to guide her to the True Faith and
officially joined the Catholic Church in 1805.
At the suggestion of the president of St. Mary's College in Baltimore, Maryland, Elizabeth started a
school in that city. The school had originally been secular but once news of her entrance to
Catholicism spread, several girls were removed from her school. It was then Seton, and two other
young women who helped her in her work, began plans for a Sisterhood. They established the first
free Catholic school in America. When the young community adopted their rule, they made
provisions for Elizabeth to continue raising her children. On March 25, 1809, Elizabeth Seton
pronounced her vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, binding for one year. From that time
she was called Mother Seton.
Although Mother Seton became afflicted with tuberculosis, she continued to guide her children.
The Rule of the Sisterhood was formally ratified in 1812. It was based upon the Rule St. Vincent de
Paul had written for his Daughters of Charity in France.
For the last three years of her life, Elizabeth felt that God was getting ready to call her, and this
gave her great joy. Mother Seton died in 1821 at the age of 46, only sixteen years after becoming a
Catholic. She was beatified by Pope John XXIII on March 17, 1963 and was canonized on
September 14, 1975 by Pope Paul VI.
January 5 - St. John Neumann
This American saint was born
in Bohemia in 1811. He was looking
forward to being ordained in 1835
when the bishop decided there would
be no more ordinations. John was sure
he was called to be a priest but all the
doors to follow that vocation seemed to
close in his face.
But John didn't give up. He had learned
English by working in a factory with
English-speaking workers so he wrote
to the bishops in America. Finally,
the bishop in New York agreed to ordain him. In order to follow God's call to
the priesthood John would have to leave his home forever and travel to the US.
In New York, John was one of 36 priests for 200,000 Catholics. John's parish in
western New York stretched from Lake Ontario to Pennsylvania. His church had no
steeple or floor but that didn't matter because John spent most of his time traveling
from village to village, climbing mountains to visit the sick, staying in garrets and
taverns to teach, and celebrating the Mass at kitchen tables.
Because of the work and the isolation of his parish, John longed for community and
so joined the Redemptorists, a congregation of priests and brothers dedicated to
helping the poor and most abandoned.
John was appointed bishop of Philadelphia in 1852. As bishop, he was the first to
organize a diocesan Catholic school system. A founder of Catholic education in this
country, he increased the number of Catholic schools in his diocese from two to 100.
The ability to learn languages that had brought him to America led him to learn
Spanish, French, Italian, and Dutch so he could hear confessions in at least six
languages. When Irish immigration started, he learned Gaelic so well that one
Irish woman remarked, "Isn't it grand that we have an Irish bishop!"
January 6 –
St. Andre Bessette
When Alfred Bessette came to the Holy
Cross Brothers in 1870, he carried with
him a note from his pastor saying, "I
am sending you a saint." The Brothers
found that difficult to believe. Chronic
stomach pain had made it impossible
for Alfred to hold a job very long and
since he was a boy he had wandered
from shop to shop, farm to farm, in his
native Canada and in the United States,
staying only until his employers found
out how little work he could do. The
Holy Cross Brothers were teachers
and, at 25, Alfred still did not know how to read and write. It seemed as if Alfred approached the
religious order out of desperation, not vocation.
Alfred was desperate, but he was also prayerful and deeply devoted to God and Saint Joseph. The
Holy Cross Brothers took him into the novitiate but soon found out what others had learned -- as
hard as Alfred, now Brother Andre, wanted to work, he simply wasn't strong enough. They asked
him to leave the order, but Andre appealed to a visiting bishop who promised him that Andre
would stay and take his vows.
After his vows, Brother Andre was sent to Notre Dame College in Montreal (a school for boys age
seven to twelve) as a porter. His responsibilities were pretty much bellman’s duties.
In 1904, he asked the Archbishop of Montreal if he could build a chapel to Saint Joseph on the
mountain near the college. The Archbishop refused to go into debt and would but gave permission
for Brother Andre to build what he had money for. He had collected donations for Saint Joseph, for
years but only a few hundred dollars.
Andre took his few hundred dollars and built what he could ... a small wood shelter only fifteen
feet by eighteen feet. He kept collecting money and went back three years later to request more
building from the Archbiship. He was allowed to continue as long as he took on no debt.
He started by adding a roof so people wouldn't have to stand out in the rain and the wind. Then
came walls, heating, a paved road up the mountain, a shelter for pilgrims, and finally a place
where Brother Andre and others could live and take care of the shrine. He even attempted to build
a basilica on the mountain. At ninety-years old he told his co-workers to place a statue of St.
Joseph in the unfinished, unroofed basilica. He was so ill he had to be carried up the mountain to
see the statue in its new home. Brother Andre died soon after on January 6, and didn't live to see
the work on the basilica completed.
On December 19, 2009, Pope Benedict XVI promulgated a decree recognizing a second miracle at
Blessed André's intercession and on October 17, 2010, Pope Benedict XVI formally declared
sainthood for Blessed Andre.
January 7 - St. Raymond of Pennafort Once Raymond traveled with King James to the Island of Majorca to preach about Jesus. But there were conflicts between the two. King James was a man of great qualities, but he let himself be ruled by passions. There on the Island, too, he was giving bad example. The Saint commanded him to send the woman away. The King said he would, but he did not keep his promise. So St. Raymond decided to leave the Island. The King declared he would punish any ship captain who brought the Saint back to Barcelona. Putting all his trust in God, Saint Raymond spread his cloak upon the water, tied up one corner of it to a stick for a sail, made the Sign of the Cross, stepped onto the cloak, and sailed along for six hours until he reached Barcelona. This miracle moved the King. He was sorry for what he had done, and he became a true follower of St. Raymond. St. Raymond was one hundred years old at the time of his death.
January 8 - St. Thorfinn In the year 1285, in a Cistercian monastery near Bruges, a Norwegian bishop named Thorfinn passed away. . He had never attracted particular attention and was soon forgotten. But over fifty years later, in the course of some building operations, his tomb in the Church was opened and it was reported that the remains gave out a strong and pleasing spell. The Abbot made inquiries and found that one of his monks, and aged man named Walter de Muda, remembered Bishop Thorfinn staying in there monastery and the impression he had made of gentle goodness combined with strength. Father Walter had in fact, written a poem about him after his death and hung it up over his tomb. It was then found that the parchment was still there, none the worse over time. This was taken as a direction from God that the Bishop's memory was to be perpetuated, and Father Walter was instructed to write down his recollections of him. For all that, there is little enough known about St. Thorfinn. He was a Trondheim man (city in Norway) and perhaps was a Canon of the Cathedral of Nidaros, since there was such a one named Thorfinn among those who witnessed the agreement of Tonsborg in 1277. This was an agreement between King Magnus VI and the Archbishop of Nidaros confirming certain privileges of the clergy, the freedom of elections and similar matters. Some years later, King Eric repudiated this agreement, and from that there was a dispute between Church and state. Eventually the King outlawed the Archbishop, John, and his two chief supporters, Bishop Andrew of Oslow and Bishop Thorfinn of Hamar. Bishop Thorfinn, after many hardships, including shipwreck, made his way to a Abbey in Flanders, which had a number of contacts with the Norwegian Church. It is possible that he had been there before, and there is some reason to suppose he was himself a Cistercian monk of the Abbey of Tautra, near Nidaros. After a visit to Rome he became ill. He was young, but saw that he was near death an made his will; he divided what he had between his mother, his brothers and sisters, and certain monasteries, churches and charities in his dioceses. He died shortly after in 1285. Once memories came back of Thorfinn, miracles were reported at his tomb and St. Thorfinn was venerated by the Cistercians. In our own day, his memory has been revived among the few Catholics of Norway, and his feast is observed in his episcopal city of Hamar. The tradition of Thorfinn's holiness ultimately rests on the poem of Walter de Muda, where he appeared as a kind, patient, generous man, whose mild exterior covered a firm will against whatever he felt to be evil and ungodly.
January 9 - St. Adrian, Abbot
Born in Africa, Adrian
became abbot of a monastery
near Naples. He declined an
appointment as archbishop of
Canterbury, but traveled with St.
Theodore to England when
Theodore was appointed as the
Archbishop. Theodore then
appointed him Abbot of Saints
Peter and Paul Monastery (later
changed to St. Augustine's) in
Canterbury, and during his thirty-
nine years' as the abbot, the
monastery became renowned as
a center of learning. He died on
January 9 in Canterbury, and
his tomb soon became famous
for the miracles wrought there.
Adrian was born before 637 and
died in 710.
January 10 – St. William of Bourges
William Berruyer, of the
illustrious family of the ancient
Counts of Nevers (Commune in
Nièvre, France), was educated
by Peter the hermit,
archdeacon of Soissons, who
was his uncle. He learned from
his infancy to despise the folly
and emptiness of the riches
and grandeur of the world. His
only delight was in exercises of
piety and in his studies, in
which he employed his whole
time with passion. He was
made canon, first of Soissons,
and afterwards of Paris: but he
soon took the resolution of
abandoning all commerce with
the world; and retired into the
solitude of the monastery in
Grandmont,, where he lived until seeing its peace disturbed by a contest which
arose between the fathers and lay-brothers. Then he moved into the Cistercian.
He took the habit in the abbey of Pontigny, and shining as a model of monastic
perfection, was after some time chosen prior of that house, and afterwards abbot.
On the death of Henry de Sully, archbishop of Bourges, the clergy of that church
requested his brother Eudo, bishop of Paris, to come and assist them in the
election of a pastor. Wanting to choose some abbot of the Cistercian Order, then
renowned for holy men, they put on the altar the names of three. He was chosen.January 11 - St. Theodosius the Cenobiarch
St. Theodosius was an Abbot
and founder. He was born at
Garissus, Cappadocia (modern
Turkey). In 423 he undertook
a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and
after meeting with the famed
St. Simeon Stylites, he entered
a monastery.
Later, he was named the head
of a church that was
between Jerusalem and
Bethlehem, but departed to
live as a hermit near the Dead
Sea. As he attracted a large number of followers, Theodosius established a
monastery which was divided among the various nationalities of the monks
(Greek, Armenian, etc.), each with their own church. Appointed by
the patriarch of Jerusalem to the post of Visitor to all the Cenobitical ( monastic
tradition that stresses community life) communities of Palestine , he used his
influence as Cenobiarch (the leader; an abbot) to oppose the spread of the
heretical doctrines of Eutychianism, displaying great passion in his preaching that
Emperor Anastasius I (r. 491-518), who was sympathetic to the Eutychians, exiled
him. Recalled by Emperor Justin soon after Anastasius' death, Theodosius spent
his last years in poor health.January 12 - St. Marguerite Bourgeoys
Marguerite had survived many threats in the
twenty-six years she had been in wilderness of
Canada. She had lived through Iroquois attacks, a
fire that destroyed her small village, plagues on the
ships that she took back and forth to France, but
nothing threatened her dreams and hopes more
than what her own bishop said to her in 1679. He
told her that she had to join her Congregation of
Notre Dame with its teaching sisters to a cloistered
religious order. This was not the first time she'd
heard this command. Whether from a misplaced
desire to protect her Sisters or from discomfort in
dealing with an active religious order of
women, bishops had long wanted to fit her into the
usual mold of cloistered orders.
The stories of hardships and dangers in Montreal that made other people shiver
had awakened a call from God in her to serve the Native Americans and settlers
who endured this adversity. She met with the governor of what was then called Ville
Marie and convinced him she was the person he was looking for to help start a
school for the children of Montreal.
When she arrived in Ville Marie, as it was called then, she found that
few children survived to school age. She helped the remarkable Jeanne Mance, who
ran the hospital, to change this tragedy. When she finally had children to teach, she
had to set to up school in a stable.
So she was not ready to surrender to the bishop. There was too much at stake. She
reminded him that because her order was cloistered, they could not go out and
teach, as her Sisters had done. The poor and uneducated would not and could not
travel to a Quebec cloister over miles of frontier at the risk of their lives.
But her Sisters were more than willing to live in huts in order to fulfill their call
from God. She had set up schools all over the territory, not just for children. When
the king, in well-meaning ignorance, had sent untrained orphans over to be
colonists she had set up a school for the women to teach them how to survive and
thrive in Canada.
The Congregation remained an active teaching order, one of the very first of its kind
for women. Their rule had to go through one more attempt at turning them into
a cloister but Marguerite lived to see the triumph when their Rule was made official
in 1698. She was canonized in 1982 by Pope John Paul II.January 13 - St. Hilary of Poitiers He was the Bishop of the city of his birth, Poitiers at the beginning of the fourth century and he died there in 368. He belonged to a noble and very pagan family, he was instructed in all the branches of non-religious education but, also took up the study of Holy Scripture in search of the truth. He renounced idolatry and was baptized. It is known and documented that Hilary was opposed to heresy. The Church was then greatly disturbed by internal discords, the authority of the popes not being so powerful in practice as either to prevent or to stop them. Arianism grew strong and in various regions and threatened gaining strength in Gaul, where it already had numerous partisans more or less secretly affiliated with it. Saturninus, Bishop of Arles, being exposed by Hilary, convened and presided over a council at Béziers in 356 with the intention of justifying himself, or rather of establishing his false doctrine. Here the Bishop of Poitiers courageously presented himself to defend orthodoxy, but the council, composed for the most part of Arians, refused to hear him, and he was taken to the distant coasts of Phrygia. Instead of remaining inactive during his exile he gave himself up to study, completed certain of his works which he had begun, and wrote his treatise on the synods. Certain Catholics, the leader of whom was Lucifer, Bishop of Cagliari did not approve of his writings. Through strength and actions, he was able to prove his position. In 361 Hilary re-entered Poitiers in triumph and resumed possession of his see. Traveling to Milan and then back to his city of Poitiers, which he never left again, and where he was to die. This learned and energetic bishop had fought against error with the pen as well as in words. Pius IX raised him to the rank of Doctor of the Universal Church. The Church of Puy is to have possession of his relics, but according to one tradition his body was borne to the church of St-Denys near Paris, while according to another it was taken from the church of St-Hilaire at Poitiers and burned by the Protestants in 1572.
January 14 - St. Felix of Nola Felix was the son of a Syrian who had been a Roman soldier. He was born on his father's estate at Nola near Naples, Italy. On the death of his father, Felix distributed his inheritance to the poor, was ordained by Bishop St. Maximus of Nola, and became his assistant. When Maximus fled to the desert at the beginning of Decius' persecution of the Christians in 250, Felix was seized and imprisoned. He was released from prison by an angel, who directed him to the ailing Maximus, whom he brought back to Nola. Even after Decius' death in 251, Felix was a hunted man but kept well hidden until the persecution ended. When Maximus died, the people unanimously selected Felix as their Bishop, but he declined the honor in favor of Quintus, a senior priest. Felix spent the rest of his life on a small piece of land sharing what he had with the poor, and died there on January 14. His tomb soon became famous for the miracles reported there, and when St. Paulinus became bishop of Nola almost a century later (410), he wrote about his predecessor, adding legendary material that had grown up about Felix in the intervening century.
January 15 - St. Paul the Hermit He was also known as Paul the First Hermit and Paul of Thebes, an Egyptian hermit and friend of St. Jerome. Born in Egypt, he was left an orphan at about the age of fifteen and hid during the persecution of the Church under Emperor Decius. At the age of twenty two he went to the desert to circumvent a planned effort by his brother in law to report him to authorities as a Christian and thereby gain control of his property. Paul soon found that living as a hermit was something he embraced and so remained in a desert cave for the rest of his reportedly very long life. His contemplative existence was disturbed by St. Anthony, who visited the aged Paul. Anthony also buried Paul, supposedly wrapping him in a cloak that had been given to Anthony by St. Athanasius. According to legend, two lions assisted Anthony in digging the grave. While there is little doubt that Paul lived, the only source for details on his life are found in the Vita Pauli written by St. Jerome and preserved in both Latin and Greek versions.
January 16 - St. Fursey
Fursey was born in Ireland, as a
noble. He founded Rathmat Abbey,
now probably Killursa. In 630
Fursey and his friends went to
England, where he founded a
monastery on land donated by
King Sigebert. In his later years,
Fursey went to France to build a
monastery near Paris, France. He was buried in Picardy. St. Bede and others wrote
about Fursey.
He died about 650 while on a journey and his body was eventually buried in
the portico of the church of St Peter where Fursey had earlier placed the relics of
Saints Meldan and Beoan. His body lay unburied for thirty days pending the
dedication of the church, and was during that time visited by pilgrims from all
parts, incorrupt and emitting a sweet odor. At the end of that time, it was buried
near the altar of the church. Four years later his remains were moved from their
earlier location to a new chapel specifically built to hold the remains to the east
of the main altar. The city would later become a great centre of devotion to him.January 17 – St. Anthony the Abbot Anthony's whole life was not one of observing, but of becoming. When his parents died when he was eighteen or twenty he inherited their three hundred acres of land and the responsibility for a young sister. One day in church, he heard read Matthew 19:21: "If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." Not content to sit still and meditate and reflect on Jesus' words he walked out the door of the church right away and gave away all his property except what he and his sister needed to live on. On hearing Matthew 6:34, "So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today," he gave away everything else, entrusted his sister to a convent, and went outside the village to live a life of praying, fasting, and manual labor. It wasn't enough to listen to words, he had to become what Jesus said. Every time he heard of a holy person he would travel to see that person. But he wasn't looking for words of wisdom, he was looking to become. So if he admired a person's constancy in prayer or courtesy or patience, he would imitate it. Then he would return home. Throughout his life he argued and literally wrestled with the devil. His first temptations to leave his ascetic life were arguments we would find hard to resist -- anxiety about his sister, longings for his relatives, thoughts of how he could have used his property for good purposes, desire for power and money. When Anthony was able to resist him, the devil then tried flattery, telling Anthony how powerful Anthony was to beat him. Anthony relied on Jesus' name to rid himself of the devil. It wasn't the last time, though. One time, his bout with the devil left him so beaten, his friends thought he was dead and carried him to church. Anthony had a hard time accepting this. After one particular difficult struggle, he saw a light appearing in the tomb he lived in. Knowing it was God, Anthony called out, "Where were you when I needed you?" God answered, "I was here. I was watching your struggle. Because you didn't give in, I will stay with you and protect you forever." With that kind of assurance and approval from God, many people would have settled in, content with where they were. But Anthony's reaction was to get up and look for the next challenge -- moving out into the desert. Anthony always told those who came to visit him that the key to the ascetic life was perseverance, not to think proudly, "We've lived an ascetic life for a long time" but treat each day as if it were the beginning. To many, perseverance is simply not giving up, hanging in there. But to Anthony perseverance meant waking up each day with the same zeal as the first day. It wasn't enough that he had given up all his property one day. What was he going to do the next day?
January 18 - St. Volusian He was a senator at Tours, he was initially married, and supposedly to a most unpleasant wife. Named bishop of the city in 488, he was forced to leave the see in 496 by the Arian Visigoths, and went to Spain. Volusian, bishop of Tours, in France where the See was made famous by St. Martin two centuries earlier. He lived at a time before clerical celibacy had been enforced in the West and was married to a woman famous for her violent temper, which was a great trial to the bishop. He also lived in a time when the barbarian invasions had begun and the fear of the Goths was everywhere. As the Goths began to overrun Volusian's diocese, they suspected him of sympathies with their enemy, Clovis, King of the Franks, so Volusian was driven from his See and sent into exile. We have no further information about Volusian's wife or his family, and we are not sure whether he died in southern France or in Spain. It is simply known that he was driven from his See, went into exile, and died after ruling as bishop for seven years.
January 19 - St. Fillan Fillan, son of Feriach and St. Kentigerna, was also known as Foelan. He became a monk in his youth and accompanied his mother from Ireland to Scotland where he lived as a hermit near St. Andrew's monastery for many years, and then was elected abbot. He later resigned and resumed his eremitical life at Glendochart, Pertchire, where he built a church and was reknowned for his miracles. Various legends attribute the most extravagant miracles to him, such as the one in which his prayers caused a wolf that had killed the ox he was using to drag materials to the church he was building, to take the ox's place. St. Fillan was credited with powers such as the healing of the sick and also possessed a luminous glow from his left arm which he used to study and write Sacred Scriptures in the dark. Fillan died on January 19. St. Fillans Priory St. Fillan was the abbot of a monastery in Fife. At an Augustinian priory at Kirkton Farm along to the West Highland Way, the priory's lay abbot, who was its superior in the reign of William the Lion, held high rank in the Scottish kingdom. This monastery was restored in the reign of Robert I of Scotland .
January 20 - St. Fabian Eusebius, born just a few years after Fabian's death, tells us how Fabian came to Rome after Pope Anteros died in 236. A layperson, and not a very important one, he may have come for the same reason many still come to Rome today during a papal election: concern for the future of the faith, curiosity about the new pope, and a desire to grieve for the pope who had passed. During the discussion of naming a new pope, a dove descended from the ceiling. But it didn't settle on "someone known" for anything at all. The dove, according to Eusebius, "settled on Fabian's head as clear imitation of the descent of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove upon the Savior." There must have been something of the Holy Spirit working because everyone suddenly proclaimed Fabian as "worthy" to be pope and this stranger was elected. Starting close to Fabian's election, the suffering and persecuted Church began a time of peace. The emperor, Philip, was friendly to Christians and not only was the persecution stopped but Christians experienced acceptance. In this era of peace, Fabian was able to build up the structure of the Church of Rome, appointing seven deacons and helping to collect the acts of the martyrs. But, in a timeless story, the people who had always been in power were not happy to see the newcomers growing and thriving. There were many incidents of pagans attacking Christians and when Philip died so died the time of peace. The new emperor, Decius, ordered all Christians to deny Christ by offering incense to idols or through some other pagan ritual. In the few years of peace, the Church had grown soft. Many didn't have the courage to stand up to martyrdom. But Fabian, singled out by symbol of peace, stood as a courageous example for everyone in his flock. He died a martyr in 250 and is buried in the Cemetery of Calixtus (is one of the Catacombs of Rome on the Appian Way) that he helped rebuild and beautify. A stone slab with his name can still be found there.
January 21 - St. Agnes
St. Agnes of Rome was born in 291 AD and raised in a Christian family.
Agnes was very beautiful and belonged to a wealthy family. Her hand in
marriage was highly sought after, and she had many high ranking men
chasing after her. However, Agnes made a promise to God never to
marry. Her love for the Lord was great and she hated sin even more
than death! Whenever a man wished to marry Agnes, she would always
say, "Jesus Christ is my only Spouse." According to legend, the young
men she turned away became so angry and insulted by her devotion to
God and purity that they began to submit her name to authorities as a
Christian follower. In one incident, the Governor's son became very
angry when she refused him. He tried to win her for his wife with rich gifts
and promises, but the beautiful young girl kept saying, "I am already
promised to the Lord of the Universe. He is more splendid than the sun and
the stars, and He has said He will never leave me!" In great anger, he accused her of being a
Christian and brought her to his father, the Governor. The Governor promised Agnes wonderful gifts
if she would only deny God, but Agnes refused. He tried to change her mind by putting her in chains,
but her lovely face shone with joy.
Next he sent her to a place of sin, but an Angel protected her. At last, she was condemned to death.
Even the pagans cried to see such a young and beautiful girl going to death. Yet, Agnes was as happy
as a bride on her wedding day. She did not pay attention to those who begged her to save herself. "I
would offend my Spouse," she said, "if I were to try to please you. He chose me first and He shall
have me!" Then she prayed and bowed her head for the death-stroke of the sword. There are other
accounts of her death: One, she was dragged through the streets; another, she was tied to a stake
with an attempt to burn her. But the stakes burned around her. This prompted an officer to draw his
sword and behead the girl. It is believed that her blood, which poured out to the stadium, was soaked
up with cloths by Christians.
She died a virgin-martyr at the age of 12 or 13 on January 21st, 304.
Agnes was buried beside the Via Nomentana (an ancient road) in Rome. Her bones are currently
conserved beneath the high altar in the church of Sant'Angese fuori le mura in Rome, which was built
over the catacomb that held her tomb. Her skull is preserved in the church of Sant'Agnese in Agone
in Rome's Piazza Navona.
She is often represented with a lamb, the symbol of her virgin innocence, and a palm branch, like
other martyrs. She is shown as a young girl in robes holding a palm branch with the lamb either at
her feet or in her arms.
On her feast day, it is customary for two lambs to be brought in to be blessed by the
pope. On Holy Thursday the lambs' wool is removed and woven into the pallium the
pope gives to a newly consecrated archbishop as a sign of his power and union with the
pope.January 22 - St. Vincent Pallotti St. Vincent Pallotti, was born in Rome in 1795. St. Vincent became a priest and dedicated himself completely to God and cared for souls. He dreamed of gaining for Christ all non-Catholics, especially the Mohammedans. To this end he inaugurated a revolutionary program which brought together the collaboration of the laity in the apostolate of the clergy. But St. Vincent was also well aware of the many deprivations in the natural sphere that hindered the spread of the Faith. He obtained and spent huge sums for the poor and underprivileged. He founded guilds for workers, agriculture schools, loan associations, orphanages and homes for girls - all of which made him the pioneer and precursor of Catholic Action. His great legacy was the congregation which he founded for urban mission work, known as the "Society for Catholic Action.” In 1850 he suffered from a severe cold which he most likely caught on a cold rainy night after giving his cloak to a beggar who had none, and he passed away. He was proclaimed blessed by Pope Pius XII on January 22, 1950. He was canonized in 1963 by Pope John XXIII. On April 6, 1963, he was named principal patron of the Pontifical Missionary Union of Clergy. When Pallotti's body was exhumed in 1906 and 1950, examiners found his body to be incorrupt, a sign of holiness in the tradition of the Roman Catholic Church. His body is enshrined in the church of San Salvatore in Onda, in Rome, where it can be seen.
January 23 - St. Ildephonsus St. Ildephonsus is highly regarded in Spain and closely associated with devotion to, the Blessed Virgin which he fostered by his famous work concerning her perpetual virginity. Born around 607, Ildephonsus came from a noble family and was probably a pupil of St. Isidore of Seville. While still quite young, he entered the Benedictine monastery of Agalia near Toledo and went on to become its Abbot. In that capacity he attended the Councils of Toledo in 653 and 655. In 657 the clergy and people elected this holy man to succeed his uncle, St. Eugenius, as Archbishop of Toledo. He performed his duties with diligence and sanctity until his death in 667. This saint was a favorite subject for medieval artists, especially in connection with the legend of Our Lady's appearance to present him with a chalice. St. Ildephonsus was a prolific writer, but unfortunately only four of his works have survived. Among these are the one already mentioned and an important document of the history of the Spanish Church during the first two-thirds of the seventh century, entitled “Concerning Famous Men.” Although his writings were less influential outside of Hispania, Ildefonsus was cannonised and remained a potent force in the peninsula for centuries. Spanish and (to a lesser extent) Portuguese missionaries spread his words worldwide.
January 24 - St. Francis de Sales
St. Francis de Sales was born to a noble
family at Chateau de Sales in the
Kingdom of Savoy near Geneva,
Switzerland on August 21, 1567. He was
a Bishop and Doctor of the Church.
Francis was both intelligent and gentle.
From a very early age, he desired to
serve God. He knew for years he had a
vocation to the priesthood, but kept it
from his family. His father wanted him
to enter a career in law and politics. In
1580, Francis attended the University of
Paris, and at 24-years-old, he received
his doctorate in law at the University of
Padua. All the time, he never lost his
passion for God. He studied theology
and practiced mental prayers, but kept
quiet about his devotion. To please his
father, he also studied fencing and
riding.
God made His will clear to Francis one day while he was riding. Francis fell from his horse three times that
day. Every time he fell, the sword came out of the scabbard, and every time it came out, the sword and
scabbard came to rest on the ground in the shape of the Christian cross. After much discussion and
disagreement from his father, Francis was ordained to the priesthood and elected provost of the Diocese of
Geneva, in 1593, by the Bishop of Geneva.
In 1604, Francis took one of the most important steps in his life -- the step toward extraordinary holiness and
mystical union with God. In Dijon, Francis saw a widow listening closely to his sermon -- a woman he had seen
already in a dream. Jane de Chantal was a dedicated Catholic Christian on her own, as Francis was, but it was
only when they became friends they began to become saints. Jane wanted him to take over her spiritual
direction, but, not surprisingly, Francis wanted to wait. "I had to know fully what God himself wanted. I had
to be sure that everything in this should be done as though his hand had done it." Jane was on a path to
mystical union with God and, in directing her, Francis was compelled to follow her and become a mystic
himself. Years after working with Jane, he made up his mind to form a new religious community. In 1610, he
founded The Order of Visitation.
In December 1622 de Sales was required to travel in the entourage of Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy, for
the Duke's Christmas tour of his domain. Upon arrival in Lyon, de Sales chose to stay in the gardener's hut at
the Visitandine monastery in that city. While there he suffered a stroke, from which he died on 28 December
28th, 1622.
He was beatified in 1661 by Pope Alexander VII, who then canonized him four years later. He was declared
a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius IX in 1877.January 25 - St. Peter Thomas Peter was born in Gascony, France and joined the Carmelites while still a young man. In 1342 he was appointed procurator of the order and, from Avignon, he oversaw the organization and government of the Carmelites. As Avignon was then the seat of the popes, he entered into their service, attracting papal attention because of his skills as a preacher and his eloquence. Named to the papal diplomatic service in Genoa, Milan, and Venice. Asked by Pope Urban V, he journeyed to Serbia, Hungary, and Constantinople in an effort to organize a crusade against the Turks. He took part in a military operation against Alexandria, Egypt, in 1365 during which he was severely wounded. He died from his injuries at Cyprus a few months later. While never formally canonized, his feast was permitted to the Carmelites in 1608.
January 26 – St. Timothy Born at Lystra, Lycaenia, Timothy was the son of a Greek father and Eunice, who converted from Judaism. He joined St. Paul when Paul preached at Lystra replacing Barnabas, and became Paul's close friend and confidant. Paul allowed him to be circumcised to placate the Jews, and because of his mother. He then accompanied Paul on his second missionary journey. When Paul was forced to flee Berea because of the enmity of the Jews there, Timothy remained, but after a time was sent to Thessalonica to report on the condition of the Christians there and to encourage them under persecution, a report that led to Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians when he joined Timothy at Corinth. Timothy and Erastus were sent to Macedonia in 58, went to Corinth to remind the Corinthians of Paul's teaching, and then accompanied Paul into Macedonia and Achaia. Timothy was probably with Paul when the Apostle was imprisoned at Caesarea and then Rome, and was himself imprisoned but then freed. According to tradition, he went to Ephesus, became its first bishop, and was stoned to death there when he opposed the pagan festival of Katagogian in honor of Diana. Paul wrote two letters to Timothy, one written about 65 from Macedonia and the second from Rome while he was in prison awaiting execution. Timothy is venerated as an apostle, saint, and martyr by the Eastern Orthodox Church. The General Roman Calendar venerates Timothy together with Titus by a memorial on 26 January, the day after the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul. From the 13th century until 1969 the feast of Timothy (alone) was on January 24th, the day before that of the Conversion of Saint Paul. In the 4th century, the relics of Timothy were transferred from Ephesus to Constantinople and placed in the Church of the Holy Apostles near the tombs of Andrew and Luke. Later on in the 13th century, the relics seem to have been taken to Italy by a count returning from the crusades, and buried around 1239 in the Termoli Cathedral. The remains were re-discovered in 1945, during restoration works.
January 27 - St. Angela Merici
St. Angela Merici was an Italian religious educator and founder of the Ursulines whose deep prayer
life and relationship with the Lord bore the fruit of mystical encounters with God.
She was born on March 21, 1474 in Desenzano, a small town on the shore of
Lake Garda in Lombardy.
At just 10-years-old, Angela and her older sister became orphans and went
to live with their uncle. There they led a quiet and devout Catholic
Christian life. After the untimely death of her sister, Angela was saddened
by the fact the that she had not had the opportunity to receive her last
Sacraments and was concerned for her sister's eternal salvation. Angela
was inspired by the Holy Spirit to dedicate herself to the Lord and to give
her life in service to the Church to help everyone grow closer to the Lord.
Still filled with grief, she prayed for God to reveal the condition of her
deceased sister's soul. In a vision, she learned her sister was in Heaven with the
company of saints. She became increasingly more devout and joined the Third Order of St. Francis
where she also pledged to remain a consecrated virgin, forsaking marriage to one man to be married
to the Lord and His Church.
When Angela was 20-years-old, her uncle died and she returned to Desenzano. She found that around
her hometown there were many young girls who had no education and no hope. Inspired by the Holy
Spirit, Angela became convinced there was great need for a way of teaching these young girls. So,
she opened her own home to them and began to teach them herself. She devotedly taught them the
Catholic Christian faith, how to participate in the sacramental life of the church and opened them up
to a life of grace.
During the Jubilee year in 1525, Angela traveled to Rome to gain the special grace of the plenary
indulgence offered to all Christian pilgrims. Pope Clement VII had heard of Angela and her great
holiness. He noted her wonderful success as a religious teacher for young girls and invited her to stay
in Rome. Angela was humble, disliked publicity and kindly declined the generous offer. Though she
turned him down, perhaps the pope's request gave her the inspiration or the push to make her little
group more formal. Although it was never recognized formally as a religious order in her lifetime,
Angela's Company of Saint Ursula, or the Ursulines, was the first group of women religious to work
outside of the cloister and became the first teaching order of women in the Catholic Church. The
Ursulines opened both schools and orphanages and in 1537, Angela was elected "Mother and
Mistress" of the group. Her Rule was officially approved by Pope Paul III in 1544 and the Ursulines
became a recognized religious community of women with a teaching ministry.
Before her death, Angela reassured her Sisters who were afraid to lose her in death: "I shall continue
to be more alive than I was in this life, and I shall see you better and shall love more the good deeds
which I shall see you doing continually, and I shall be able to help you more."
St. Angela Merici died on January 27, 1540. Clothed in the habit of a Franciscan tertiary, Angela was
buried in the Church of St. Afra in Brescia. She was beatified on April 30, 1768 by Pope Clement XIII
and canonized May 24, 1807 by Pope Pius VII.January 28 – St. Thomas Aquinas Thomas is believed to have been born in the castle of Roccasecca in the old county of the Kingdom of Sicily, which is now known as the Lazio region of Italy, in 1225. His parents were well-off, but as the youngest son Thomas was expected to enter the monastery. At 5-years-old, Thomas began his education at Monte Cassino, where he remained until the military conflict between Emperor Frederick II and Pope Gregory IX reached the abbey. He was then transferred and enrolled at the studium generale in Naples. It is believed that Thomas was introduced to his philosophical influences - Aristotle, Averroes, and Maimonides - at the university, where he also met John of St. Julian, a Dominican preacher, who influenced him to join the recently founded Dominican Order. His family tried to keep him from joining the Dominican Order in many ways including imprisonment! He escaped, returned to Naples, then to Rome where he studied and even refused Pope Innocent IV's offer to the position as abbot of Monte Cassino as a Dominican. Instead, when he completed is studies, he taught in Cologne teaching his students on the books of the Old Testament. It was during this time he wrote many of his famous works. He went on to Paris to continue to teach and write and then called to Rome to serve as the papal theologian and was later ordered by the Dominican Chapter of Agnani to teach at the studium conventuale, which was the first school to teach the full range of philosophical subjects of both moral and natural natures. While teaching, Thomas wrote his most famous work, Summa theologiae, which he believed was particularly useful to beginning students "because a doctor of Catholic truth ought not only to teach the proficient, but to him pertains also to instruct beginners." In 1273 Thomas was seen by the sacristan to be crying and levitating in prayer before an icon of the crucified Christ at the Dominican convent of Naples, in the Chapel of Saint Nicholas. During this prayer, Christ is said to have told him, "You have written well of me, Thomas. What reward would you have for your labor?" Thomas replied, "Nothing but you, Lord." Following this exchange, something happened but Thomas never wrote or spoke of it. He abandoned his routine and, when begged to return to work, replied, "I cannot, because all that I have written seems like straw to me." In May of 1274, Thomas was called to the Second Council of Lyon, where his works for Pope Urban IV would be presented. While journeying to the meeting, Thomas hit his head on the branch of a fallen tree and fell ill. He was escorted to Monte Cassino to recover, then he set out again. Unfortunately, he became ill once again and stopped at the Cistercian Fossanova Abbey, where the monks cared for him for several days. He received his last rites and prayed, "I receive Thee, ransom of my soul. For love of Thee have I studied and kept vigil, toiled, preached and taught..." Thomas died on March 7, 1274. His remains were placed in the Church of the Jacobins in Toulouse on January 28, 1369. It is not known who beatified Thomas, but on July 18, 1323, Pope John XXII canonized him.
January 29 – Sts. Sarbelius & Barbea Sadly, finding anything written of these martyrs, brother and sister, is very, very thin. Because of the time they lived in, little has been recorded. We know that yes, they were in fact, brother and sister, in what is now, Turkey. Sarbelius, also called Sharbel, was a high priest at Edessa in Mesopotamia. He and his sister were arrested during the persecutions of Emperor Trajan in 101 AD for converting to the faith, and were tortured with red-hot irons prior to execution at Edessa. They were Christian martyrs venerated by the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church.
January 30 - St. Aldegunais Aldegunais was a virgin and abess, also known as Aldegonde or Orgonne. She was a member of the royal family of the Merovingians and was raised by two saints: St. Walbert and St. Bertila, both of whom were her parents. The family resided in the Hainault region of Flanders, a region of the Low Countries. Aldegundis refused offers of marriage from other nobles and received “the veil” from St. Amandius, the bishop of Maastricht. She followed this ceremony of acceptance into the religious life with the foundation of the convent near the Sambre River, at a desert site called Malbode. Having allegedly walked across the waters of the Sambre, she had build on its banks a small hospital. Her sister, St. Waldetrudis, had founded a convent at Mons. Aldegundis' foundation became Mauberge, a noted Benedictine monastery, later taken over by canonesses. Aldegundis is reported to have died of breast cancer at the age of forty- four.
January 31 - St. John Bosco
John Bosco, also known as Giovanni Melchiorre Bosco and Don Bosco, was born in Becchi, Italy, on August 16,
1815. His birth came just after the end of the Napoleonic Wars which ravaged the area. Compounding the
problems on his birthday, there was also a drought and a famine at the time of his birth.
At the age of two, John lost his father, leaving him and his two older brothers to be raised by his mother,
Margherita. His "Mama Margherita Occhiena" would herself be declared venerable by the Church in 2006.
Raised primarily by his mother, John attended church and became very devout. When he was not in church,
he helped his family grow food and raise sheep. They were very poor, but despite their poverty his mother
also found enough to share with the homeless who sometimes came to the door seeking food, shelter or
clothing.
When John was nine years old, he had the first of several vivid dreams that would
influence his life. In his dream, he encountered a multitude of boys who swore
as they played. Among these boys, he encountered a great, majestic man and
woman. The man told him that in meekness and charity, he would "conquer
these your friends." Then a lady said, "Be strong, humble and robust. When
the time comes, you will understand everything." This dream influenced
John the rest of his life.
Not long afterwards, John witnessed a traveling troupe of circus performers.
He was enthralled by their magic tricks and acrobatics. He realized if he
learned their tricks, he could use them to attract others and hold their
attention. He studied their tricks and learned how to perform some himself. One
Sunday evening, John staged a show for the kids he played with. At the end of the
show, he recited the homily he heard earlier in the day. He ended by inviting his neighbors to pray with him.
His shows and games were repeated and during this time, John knew he was called to become a priest. He
had no money for education but he found a priest willing to provide him with some teaching and a few books.
In 1835, John entered the seminary and following six years of study and preparation, he was ordained a priest
in 1841. He worked in poor neighborhoods, slums that had such widespread poverty. While visiting the
prisons, Fr. Bosco noticed a large number of boys, between the ages of 12 and 18, inside. The conditions were
deplorable, and he felt moved to do more to help other boys from ending up there. Alongside his mother,
they worked tirelessly to find homes and work for over 800 boys where he set the rules for their manual labor,
menial work that was not part of their jobs. At which time he also began to teach them about faith and his
religion.
In 1859, Fr. Bosco established the Society of St. Francis de Sales. He organized 15 seminarians and one teenage
boy into the group. Their purpose was to carry on his charitable work, helping boys with their faith formation
and to stay out of trouble. The organization still exists today and continues to help people, especially children
around the world.
In the years that followed, Fr. Bosco expanded his mission, which had, and still has, much work to do.
Fr. Bosco died on January 31, 1888. The call for his canonization was immediate. Pope Pius XI knew Fr. Bosco
personally and agreed, declaring him blessed in 1929. St. John Bosco was canonized on Easter Sunday, 1934
and he was given the title, "Father and Teacher of Youth."
In 2002, Pope John Paul II was petitioned to declare St. John Bosco the Patron of Stage Magicians. St. Bosco
had pioneered the art of what is today called "Gospel Magic," using magic and other feats to attract attention
and engage the youth.You can also read
