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March 1 |
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St. David of Wales
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David was the son of King Xantus of South Wales.
When he grew up, he became a priest. He went to
the Isle of Wight to live as a hermit, with a wise and
holy man named Paulinus as his spiritual guide. He
lived in solitude for a long time, preparing himself to
carry out his ministry.
Then David went out and devoted his life to
preaching. He built twelve monasteries and gave the
monks a rule, which was based on the lifestyle of the
Egyptian monks. The rule encouraged the monks to
devote themselves to hard work in the fields and to
pray at all times, either with words, or by turning their
minds and hearts to God. After their work was done,
the monks would return to their monastery to pray,
read, and write.
David was asked to attend an important meeting
of bishops at Brevi. His wisdom and preaching made
such a good impression on the bishops, that he was
made a bishop himself. As bishop, David called
another meeting in which he set up regulations for
the churches in Britain.
David died in the middle of the sixth century, in
one of his monasteries. He is the patron Saint of Wales.
St. David understood the importance of talking
to God. Before beginning his important work of
preaching the Gospel, he prepared himself by a long
period of prayer and solitude. Before we begin each
day, we should take time to ask God for the help
we’ll need to do well whatever will be asked of us
that day. The more we trust in God’s help, the more
successful we’ll be.
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March 2 |
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Blessed Agnes of Bohemia
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Princess Agnes was born in 1205. She was the
daughter of King Ottokar of Bohemia. At the age of three
she was promised in marriage to a nobleman named
Boleslaus. (This is how things were done in those days.)
Then Boleslaus died, and when Agnes was nine, it was
arranged that her future husband would be Emperor
Frederick II’s son, Henry. But Agnes had secretly promised
to live only for God. She wanted to be a nun. So
when Henry ignored the marriage arrangement and
married the Duke of Austria’s daughter instead, Agnes
was very happy.
But then Agnes’s brother promised her in marriage
to Frederick, and in 1235, the wedding plans
were started. Agnes asked Pope Gregory IX to help
her, explaining that she wanted to become a nun.
The pope interceded for her, and she was released
from the arranged marriage.
The following year, Agnes built a convent in
Prague. St. Clare of Assisi sent five of her nuns to
live in the convent, and Agnes joined them. She
later became abbess and lived a life of humility,
poverty, and kindness to the poor. She died on
March 2, 1282.
If we pray to know our vocation in life, God will
reveal it to us, as he revealed her vocation to
Blessed Agnes. While parents shouldn’t try to force
their children into a particular profession or way
of life, they can offer helpful advice to guide them
in making the right decisions.
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March 3 |
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St. Katharine Drexel
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Katharine Drexel was born in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, on November 26, 1858. Her mother
died when she was just a baby. Not long after, her
father, a very successful banker, got married again to
a kind woman named Emma. Emma was very loving
to Katharine and her older sister Elizabeth. In a few
years another baby girl was born into the family. Mr.
and Mrs. Drexel named her Louise. The three Drexel
sisters had a great time growing up together.
Katharine’s parents were very religious. The family
prayed together every day before an altar they had
set up in their home. Mrs. Drexel devoted much of
her time to helping the poor, and Katharine and her
sisters learned from her the joy of sharing their
wealth with those who were in need. This was how
they could show their love for God.
When Katharine grew up, she was a very active
Catholic. She was generous with her time and her
money. She realized that the Church had many needs.
She directed her energies and her fortune to helping
the poor and forgotten. Her work for Jesus would be
among the African American and Native American
people.
In 1891, Katharine began a new religious community
of missionaries. They were called the Sisters
of the Blessed Sacrament. Katharine became known
as Mother Katharine.
Mother Katharine inherited her family’s great fortune.
She used the money for wonderful works of
charity. She and her sisters built schools, convents and
churches. In 1915, they established Xavier University
in New Orleans. During her long, fruitful lifetime,
Mother Katharine spent millions of dollars of her
inheritance to provide education and assistance to
African Americans and Native Americans who were in
need. She found Jesus truly present in the Eucharist
and in all the people whom she so lovingly served.
Mother Katharine died on March 3, 1955, at the
age of ninety-seven. She was declared “blessed” by
Pope John Paul II on November 20, 1988, and canonized
on October 1, 2000. She is the second native born
United States citizen to be declared a saint.
St. Katharine teaches us a special lesson. We
could spend our lives being concerned only about
ourselves and our own needs. But how much better
it is to imitate Mother Katharine and do as much
as we can to help others. This will make us more
like Jesus!
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March 4 |
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St. Casimir
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Casimir was born in Cracow, Poland, on October 3,
1458. He was the third of thirteen children born to
Casimir IV, king of Poland, and Elizabeth of Austria.
From his childhood, Casimir was taught to live a
life of holiness and charity. He preferred to wear plain
clothes rather than the fine garments a prince was
expected to wear. He spent time each day in prayer,
and devoted himself to penance. He got into the
habit of always remembering that he was in God’s
presence. Because of this, he was cheerful and kind
to everyone. He was especially devoted to the sufferings
of Jesus, to the Holy Mass, and to the Blessed
Virgin Mary. In her honor, he recited a beautiful hymn
very often. The name of the hymn is “Daily, Daily, Sing
to Mary.” His hand-written copy of this hymn was
buried with him.
When he was thirteen, Casimir’s father pressured
him to lead an army against the king of nearby
Hungary and seize the throne, making himself the
king. But Casimir was convinced that he had no right
to do it, so he refused. Casimir was never healthy, yet
he was courageous and strong in character. He always
did what he knew was right. Sometimes he would
even advise his father, the king, to rule the people
fairly. He did this with great respect, and his father listened
to him.
Casimir’s parents found a very beautiful and virtuous
young woman for him to marry. But Casimir
chose to remain single. He wanted to give his heart to
God alone.
While in Lithuania on an assignment of service for
that country, Casimir became ill with tuberculosis. He
died at the age of twenty-six. He was proclaimed a
saint by Pope Leo X in 1521. St. Casimir is the patron
of Poland and Lithuania.
St. Casimir helps us see that even if we are not
physically strong or healthy, we can still be strong
in character. We can always stand up for what is
right, but in a kind and respectful way.
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March 5 |
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St. John Joseph of the Cross
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St. John Joseph of the Cross was born in southern
Italy on the feast of the Assumption, August 15, 1654.
He was a young noble, but he dressed like a poor
man. He did that because he wanted to be as poor as
Jesus had been.
At the age of sixteen, John Joseph entered the
Franciscan Order. He wanted very much to live in imitation
of Jesus. This led him to cheerfully make many
sacrifices.
Later he was ordained a priest. Father John Joseph
became the superior at Santa Lucia’s in Naples where
he spent most of his long life. He always insisted on
doing the hardest work. He happily chose to do the
duties that no one else wanted.
John Joseph had a wonderful personality. But he
did not try to be the center of attention. Instead of
expecting people to recognize his gifts and reach out
to him, he would reach out to others. All the priests
and brothers thought of him as a loving father. He
was very devoted to the Blessed Virgin, and tried to
help others love her.
This good priest loved God so much that even
when he was sick, he kept on working. Father John
Joseph died in March of 1734, at the age of eighty. He
was proclaimed a saint by Pope Pius VIII in 1839.
St. John Joseph was generous with his love for
God and other people. He invites us to overcome
any selfishness we may sometimes feel. Let’s really
try to treat everyone with the same respect and
kindness, even if we might like some people better
than others.
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March 6 |
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St. Colette
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Born in 1381, Nicolette was named in honor of
St. Nicholas of Myra. Her parents nicknamed her
Colette from the time she was a baby. Colette’s
father was a carpenter at an abbey in Picardy, France.
Quiet and hard working, Colette was a big help to
her mother with the housework. Her parents
noticed Colette’s love of prayer and her sensitive,
affectionate nature.
When Colette was seventeen, both her parents
died. The young woman was placed under the care
of the abbot at the monastery where her father had
worked. She asked for and received a hut built next
to the abbey church. Colette lived there for many
years. She spent her time praying and sacrificing for
Jesus’ Church. More and more people found out
about this holy young woman. They went to see her
and asked her advice about important problems.
They knew that she was wise because she lived close
to God. Colette received everybody with gentle kindness.
After each visit, she would pray that her visitors
would find peace of soul.
Colette was a member of the Third Order of St.
Francis. The order of nuns started by St. Clare, who
was a follower of St. Francis of Assisi, is called the
Poor Clares. In 1406 St. Francis appeared to Colette.
He asked her to help the Poor Clares go back to living
the way he and St. Clare had taught them. Colette
must have been surprised and afraid of such a difficult
task. But she trusted in God’s grace. Colette traveled
to the Poor Clare convents. She helped the nuns
become more poor and prayerful. She became a Poor
Clare herself and was appointed superior of all the
convents she reformed.
The Poor Clares were inspired by St. Colette’s life.
She had a great devotion to Jesus in the Eucharist. She
also spent much time meditating on the passion and
death of Jesus. She loved Jesus and her religious vocation
very much.
Colette knew exactly when and where she was
going to die. She died in one of her convents in Ghent,
Flanders, in 1447.She was sixty-seven years old. Colette
was proclaimed a saint by Pope Pius VI in 1807.
St. Colette became a leader who was able to help
others because she knew how to listen to God in her
heart. If we take time each day to pray and to learn
about the teachings of Jesus, we will give good
example to others too.
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March 7 |
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St. Perpetua and St. Felicity
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Perpetua and Felicity lived in Carthage, North
Africa, in the third century. It was the time of the
fierce persecution of Christians by Emperor
Septimus Severus.
Twenty-two-year-old Perpetua was the daughter
of a rich nobleman. While growing up, she had
received everything she wanted. But she realized that
she loved Jesus and her Christian faith more than anything
the world could offer. For this she found herself
a prisoner on the way to execution.
Perpetua’s father, who was not a Christian, was
brokenhearted at the thought of losing his beloved
daughter. He tried to convince her to reject her
Christian beliefs. But Perpetua answered, “Can a jar
be called anything else? Neither can I call myself anything
else but what I am—a Christian.” This was an
especially difficult decision because Perpetua knew
that she would have to leave behind her husband
and baby.
Felicity, Perpetua’s Christian maid, had been a
slave. She and Perpetua were great friends. They
shared their belief in and love for Jesus. Like
Perpetua, Felicity was also willing to sacrifice her life
for Jesus and for her faith. She had been sent to
prison with Perpetua.
Felicity was a young wife and she was expecting a
baby. Her baby was born while she was in prison. The
baby was adopted by a good Christian woman. Felicity
was happy because now she could die a martyr.
Hand in hand, Perpetua and Felicity bravely
faced martyrdom together at the public games in
the amphitheater. They were charged by wild animals
and then beheaded. They died around the
year 203.
The martyrs were so faithful to Jesus that they
made great sacrifices. They even gave up their lives
for him. Let’s ask St. Perpetua and St. Felicity to help
us accept cheerfully the little sacrifices that come
our way.
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March 8 |
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St. John of God
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John was born in Portugal on March 8, 1495. His
parents were poor, but deeply Christian. As a young
man, John became a soldier. He fought in the wars
between France and Spain, and in Hungary. During
these years he fell away, little by little, from the practice
of his faith. Following his time as a soldier, John
became a shepherd near Seville, Spain.
By age forty, John began to regret the way he
had lived his life. He opened a shop in Granada
where he sold holy pictures and religious books.
At about this time, he happened to hear a sermon
by the holy priest, St. John of Avila. The sermon
made John think about the way he had been living.
He was so sorry for the wrong he had done that he
suffered a kind of breakdown and had to spend
time in the hospital. St. John of Avila visited him
and helped him to form a new plan for his life.
After coming out of the hospital in 1539, John
began to live differently. He put prayer and
penance into his daily schedule. He devoted himself
to helping the poor and the sick. He opened a
hospital, and other men came to help him in his
work. This was the beginning of the Order of
Brothers Hospitalers.
It is believed that a bishop gave John his name
because he changed his selfish life completely and
really became a man “of God.”
Some people wondered if John was as holy as
he seemed. Once, a nobleman disguised himself as
a beggar. He knocked on John’s door, asking for a
donation. John cheerfully gave him everything he
had, which amounted to a few dollars. The man
did not reveal his identity at the time but went
away very impressed. The next day he sent a messenger
to return the borrowed money to John.
The messenger also brought a letter of explanation
and a large sum of money. Besides making this
donation, the nobleman also had fresh bread, meat
and eggs—enough for all the patients and staff—
delivered every morning to the hospital that John
had started.
After ten years of hard work in his hospital, John
became sick himself. He died on his birthday in 1550.
John of God was proclaimed a saint by Pope
Innocent XI in 1690. He is the patron of the sick,
nurses, and hospitals.
St. John of God listened to the advice of St. John
of Avila and other spiritual people. They helped
him make the right choices. It’s a very good idea to
ask the advice of people we trust.
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March 9 |
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St. Frances of Rome
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St. Frances was born in Rome in 1384. Her parents
were wealthy, but they taught Frances to be concerned
about people and to live a good Christian life. She was
an intelligent little girl. When she was eleven, Frances
informed her parents that she had made up her mind
to become a nun. Her parents encouraged her to think
of marriage instead. As was the custom, they selected
a good young man to be Frances’s husband. The bride
was just thirteen.(This was not unusual in those days.)
Frances and her husband, Lorenzo Ponziano, fell
in love with each other. Even though their marriage
had been arranged, they were happily married for
forty years. Frances and her sister-in-law, Vannozza,
prayed every day and performed penances for Jesus’
Church, which had many trials at that time. Frances
and Vannozza also visited the poor. They took care of
the sick. They brought food and firewood to people
who needed it. Other wealthy women were inspired
to help the poor by their good example. When the
city was struck by a plague and famine, Frances sold
her jewelry in order to help the victims. Frances led
a holy life of prayer, penance, and devotion to her
husband and children. She was an example for her
whole household, and treated her hired help as her
own brothers and sisters.
Frances and Lorenzo were compassionate people.
They knew what it was like to suffer. They lost
two of their three children who caught the plague.
This made them even more sensitive to the needs of
the poor and suffering. During the wars between the
real pope and the men who were claiming to be
pope, Lorenzo led the armies that defended the true
pope. While he was away at battle, his enemies
destroyed his property and possessions. Even then,
Frances cleaned up a part of the family villa that had
been damaged and used it for a hospital. As hard as
things were for her family, the people out on the
street were in greater need.
At this time Frances also formed a society of
women living in the world without vows, dedicated
to helping the poor. They were called the Oblates of
Mary. Lorenzo was wounded and came home to be
nursed back to health by his loving wife. After his
death in 1436, Frances entered the community she
had founded and became its superior.
Frances died on March 9, 1440. She was declared
a saint by Pope Paul V in 1608.
St. Frances really loved Jesus and his Church. She
knew that the best way to show that love was to
pray for the Church. Other ways were to take good
care of her family and to look after the poor. We
can ask St. Frances to help us know how to show
our love for Jesus and his Church.
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March 10 |
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St. Dominic Savio
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Dominic Savio was born in northern Italy in 1842.
One day when he was just four years old, he disappeared.
When his mother went to look for him, she
found Dominic kneeling in a quiet corner praying.
At five, Dominic became an altar boy. When he was
seven, he received his First Holy Communion. On
that day, Dominic chose a motto for himself. He promised
Jesus in his heart, ”I will die, but I won’t sin!” And
he prayed every day to be true to his promise.
When he was twelve, Dominic went to the school
run by St. John Bosco in Turin, Italy. Dominic missed
his family, but he was happy to be at Don Bosco’s
school. Here he would learn everything that he
would need to become a priest, which is what he
wanted to do with all his heart. Dominic was a good
student, but he was a lot of fun to be with, too. He
was the kind of person Don Bosco and the students
knew they could depend on.
Once Dominic broke up a fight between two
angry boys. He held up a little crucifix and reminded
the boys that they should forgive as Jesus did.
Another time, Dominic noticed a group of bigger
boys huddled in a circle. He worked his way
through to see what was so interesting and found
pornographic magazines. He grabbed them and
ripped them up. The boys had never seen Dominic
so angry. “Oh, what’s so wrong with looking at
these pictures anyway?” one of the boys blurted. ”If
you don’t see anything wrong,” Dominic said sadly,
“that’s even worse. It means you’re used to looking
at impure things!”
Sometime later, Dominic began to feel sick. He
was sent home to his family to get better. But even
in his hometown, his health did not improve. He
grew worse instead and received the last sacraments.
He began to realize that he would not be
going back to Don Bosco’s school. His great hope of
becoming a priest was not to be fulfilled. Just
before he died, Dominic tried to sit up. He said to
his father, “I am seeing wonderful things. ”Then he
rested his head on the pillow and closed his eyes.
Dominic died in 1857, just a few weeks before his
fifteenth birthday.
We can imitate St. Dominic Savio by asking ourselves,
“Is this pleasing to God?” whenever we have
to make a decision or a choice. This question will
help us to make good choices.
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March 11 |
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St. Gemma Galgani
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Gemma was born in Tuscany, Italy, in 1878. Her parents,
Henry and Aurelia, were devout Catholics. Gemma
was very close to her mother, who took time each day
to pray with her and teach her about God. But Mrs.
Galgani was very ill because she had caught tuberculosis
when Gemma was only three. After five years of
heroic suffering, Gemma’s mother died. Gemma longed
for someone to pray with her and talk to her about holy
things as her mother had done, but no one else in the
family seemed to understand her needs.
Gemma did well in school, and was liked by all
her classmates and teachers. She helped out as much
as she could at home, and she brought food and
money to the poor. She also went to daily Mass and
spent time every day praying.
When she was about nineteen, Gemma became
very sick. For two years she had to stay in bed and
seemed very close to death. But then St. Gabriel
Possenti, a saint of the Passionist Order, appeared to
her in a vision, and she was miraculously cured. After
that, Gemma wanted to become a Passionist nun. But
the nuns did not accept her, probably because of her
weak health.
In the meantime, Gemma had been experiencing
extraordinary things. She received the stigmata, or the
five wounds of Jesus, and Jesus let her share every week
in the sufferings he went through before his death.
Jesus often visited Gemma. He also gave her the gift of
being able to always see her guardian angel by her side.
In the spring of 1902, Gemma became sick again
with tuberculosis. For a year, she grew worse and worse.
She was happy to be able to share in the sufferings of
Jesus, and she offered her pain to God to make up for
the sins of the whole world. Gemma died on Holy
Saturday, April 11, 1903. She was twenty-five years old.
Everyone experiences sadness and difficulties
sometimes. Like St. Gemma, we can offer our sorrows
and sufferings to God. If we do this, God will
help us to feel better and he will make us grow
stronger as a person.
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March 12 |
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Blessed Aniela Salawa
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Aniela was born on September 9, 1881, near
Krakow, Poland. When she was sixteen, she got a job
as a housekeeper. Two years later, her sister died, and
Aniela began to think seriously about what she wanted
to do with her life. She decided to dedicate herself
to God.
Aniela devoted herself to prayer, and encouraged
other servants to live a life of faith and prayer. Even
so, she never neglected to do any of the duties given
her by her employers.
In 1911, her mother, and then the woman she
worked for, both died. A year later, Aniela became a
member of the Franciscan Third Order. When World
War I broke out, she spent her free time bringing relief
and hope to the wounded in the hospitals of Krakow.
Aniela became very sick in 1917. She could no
longer work, or bring comfort to others. For five
years, she suffered patiently, offering her pain to God
in atonement for sins and praying that those who
were far away from God would turn back to him. She
died on March 12, 1922 at the age of forty. She was
beatified by Pope John Paul II on August 13, 1991.
Blessed Aniela shows us how to be open to the
Holy Spirit. Let’s allow God to work in our lives, beginning
here and now, by helping those around us.
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March 13 |
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St. Seraphina (Fina)
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Seraphina was born in a little Italian town called
San Geminiano, near Tuscany. Her parents had once
been well off, but misfortune had left them poor.
Seraphina, or Fina, as her family called her, was pretty
and lively. She had a generous nature. Each day she
saved half of her dinner for someone in the town who
was poorer than she was. During the day she sewed
and spun cloth to help pay the family debts. At night,
she usually spent a long time praying to Jesus and Mary.
When she was still quite young, her father died.
Fina was struck with an illness that deformed and
paralyzed her. It became almost impossible for her to
move and she lay for six years on wooden planks. She
was always in great pain and the only way she could
bear it was to concentrate on Jesus as he was nailed
to the cross. ”I unite my sufferings to yours, Jesus,” she
would whisper.
Fina was left alone for many hours every day
because her mother had to go out to work or beg.
Then, unexpectedly, Fina’s mother passed away. Now
the girl was left alone. Only one neighbor, her good
friend Beldia, came to care for her. Beldia tried to give
Fina as much attention as she could, but she could
not stay with her day and night.
It soon became clear that Fina could not live
much longer. She refused to feel sorry for herself.
Someone mentioned to her about the great sufferings
St. Gregory the Great had gone through. Fina
became devoted to him. It is said that one day, as she
groaned in pain, St. Gregory appeared to her. He said
kindly, “Child, on my feast day God will grant you
rest.” His feast day in those days was celebrated on
March 12, because he had died on March 12, 604.
On March 12, 1253, St. Gregory came to take Fina
home to heaven.
St. Fina helps us appreciate the Christian meaning
and value of suffering. Her story also shows us
how important it is for us to visit shut-ins, elderly
persons, and those who are sick. We can ask St. Fina
to give us a sensitive heart for people who are lonely
or suffering.
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March 14 |
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St. Matilda
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Matilda was born about 895. She was the daughter
of a German count. When she was still quite
young, her parents arranged her marriage to a nobleman
named Henry. Soon after their marriage, Henry
became king of Germany.
As queen, Matilda lived a simple lifestyle with
times for daily prayer. Everyone who saw her realized
how good and kind she was. She was more like a
mother than a queen. She loved to visit and comfort
the sick. She helped prisoners. Matilda did not let herself
be spoiled by her position, but tried to reach out
to people in need. King Henry realized that his wife
was a special person. He told her many times that he
was a better person and a better king because she
was his wife. Even though their marriage had been
arranged, Henry and Matilda really loved each other.
Matilda was free to use the treasures of the kingdom
for her charities and Henry never questioned her.
In fact, he became more aware of the needs of people.
He realized that he had the power to ease suffering
because of his position. The couple was happily married
for twenty-three years. Then King Henry died
quite suddenly in 936. The queen suffered the loss
very much. She decided then and there to live for God
alone. So she called the priest to celebrate Mass for
King Henry’s soul. Then she gave the priest all the jewels
she was wearing. She did this to show that she
meant to give up the things of the world from then on.
After years spent in practicing charity and
penance, and in building three convents and a
monastery, St. Matilda died peacefully in 968. She was
buried beside her husband.
From St. Matilda we can learn to use whatever
we have to help others less fortunate than ourselves.
Christians too.
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March 15 |
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St. Zachary
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Zachary was born in San Severino, Italy, to a Greek
family. He became a deacon in Rome, and then, in
741, pope. In his time, there was fighting all over Italy.
Pope Zachary kept making peace and saving people
from terrible wars. At times he risked his life to do it.
It was because this pope was so gentle and kind
that the leaders did what he asked. Zachary would
do favors even for his enemies, and he gave them the
kindest treatment possible. He never took revenge on
them. When Pope Zachary learned that the
Lombards were about to attack Rome, he asked to
have a meeting with their leader. The pope and
Liutprand of the Lombards met. Whatever they said
to each other, the results were impressive. Liutprand
canceled his attack. He also returned all the land he
had taken in that area over the previous thirty years.
He even released all prisoners. Liutprand signed a
twenty-year treaty in which the Romans would be
guaranteed freedom from attacks from the Lombards.
Pope Zachary was also known as a real father
toward the poor. He built homes for the poor and for
travelers. His loving heart could not bear to see people
suffer. Once he heard that some businessmen had
bought poor slaves in Rome and were going to sell
them in Africa. He called those men and scolded
them for being so cruel. Then he paid them the price
they were asking for the slaves and set the slaves free.
When Zachary died in 752, all the people were
saddened to have lost such a good and saintly father.
St. Zachary was a peacemaker because he was
willing to talk to people who disagreed with him.
Let’s try to be like St. Zachary and settle arguments
by listening to others. We may find that they are
more open to our ideas if they know we are treating
them with respect.
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March 16 |
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Blessed Torello
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Torello was born around 1202, in Poppi, Italy. He
grew up like all the other children of his village. But
after his father’s death, Torello started to change his
whole way of life. He got involved with companions
who drank. They hung around town all day instead
of working. Torello liked his new friends and was trying
hard to win their approval.
Then while he was playing an outdoor sport one
day, a rooster flew down from its roost. It landed on
Torello’s arm and crowed three times, long and loud.
Torello was speechless. He walked away and wouldn’t
finish the game. He couldn’t help but think that what
the rooster had done was no coincidence. He was
being warned, just as St. Peter had once been warned,
not to deny Jesus. Torello realized that the way he
was living was leading him away from Jesus.
Torello decided then and there to change his life.
He went to see the abbot of San Fedele, who helped
him make a good confession. Then Torello went out to
a quiet, wooded area and selected a spot near a big tree.
He spent eight days in prayer. At the end of that time
he decided that he would be a hermit. He went back to
Poppi and sold all his property. He kept only enough
money to buy the small square plot of land around the
big tree he had found in the woods. Next to that tree he
built a shack where he spent the rest of his life. He
grew his own vegetables for food and got water from
the stream. He led a life of prayer and penance.
Torello felt that being a hermit was what God
wanted of him. This is how he peacefully spent his
life. While he was alive, very few people knew of his
hermit’s life. Only one friend was aware of Torello’s
hidden life in the forest. Torello died in 1282 at the age
of eighty after spending over fifty years as a hermit.
Blessed Torello realized that the way he had
been living was not right. We should always try to
remember that God has created us to be happy with
him in heaven. If we think about this, it will help us
to live in a way that pleases God.
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March 17 |
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St. Patrick
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It is believed that St. Patrick was born in fifth century
Britain to Roman parents. When he was sixteen,
he was captured by pirates and taken to Ireland. There
he was sold as a slave. His owner sent him to tend his
flocks of sheep on the mountains. Patrick had very lit-
tle food and clothing. Yet he took good care of the animals
in rain, snow and ice. Patrick was so lonely on the
hillside that he turned often in prayer to Jesus and his
mother Mary. His life was hard and unfair. But Patrick’s
trust in God grew stronger all the time.
Six years later, when he escaped from Ireland, Patrick
decided to become a priest. After years of study and
preparation, he was ordained. After some time he was
made a bishop. Now what Patrick wanted more than anything
else was to return to Ireland and bring the light
of faith in Jesus to the Irish people. It was while
St. Celestine I was pope that Patrick went back to Ireland.
How happy he was to bring the Good News of the true
God to the people who once had held him a slave!
Right from the start, Patrick suffered much. His
relatives and friends wanted him to quit before the
people of Ireland killed him. Yet Patrick kept on
preaching about Jesus. He traveled from one village to
another. He seldom rested, and he performed great
penances for those people whom he loved so much.
Before he died, the whole nation of Ireland was
Christian. In spite of his great success, St. Patrick never
grew proud. He called himself a poor sinner and gave
all the praises to God. In his Confessio, Patrick wrote
about his work of spreading the faith among the Irish.
Most of what we know about his life comes from this
writing. Patrick died in 461.
Many missionaries are working today to bring
the Good News to our world just as St. Patrick did. We
can pray and make sacrifices so that their hard work
will lead many people to know and love Jesus.
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March 18 |
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St. Cyril of Jerusalem
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Cyril was born around 315 when a new phase
was beginning for Christians. Before that date, the
Church was persecuted by the emperors. Thousands
of Christians had been martyrs. In 313, Emperor
Constantine recognized Christianity as a legal religion.
That was a wonderful thing, but it didn’t end all
the problems. In fact, during the years that followed
Constantine’s Edict of 313, a whole new difficulty
arose. There was confusion about some Christian
beliefs. Some priests and bishops became brave
defenders of Church teaching. One such bishop was
Cyril of Jerusalem.
When St. Maximus, bishop of Jerusalem, died, Cyril
was chosen to take his place. Cyril was the bishop of
Jerusalem for thirty-five years. At the time, certain priests
and bishops who were trying to explain the Holy Trinity
became confused. A group of them, called Arians, began
to teach that Jesus Christ is not God. As bishop, Cyril
explained the Church’s teachings very clearly. He
reminded everyone that each of the three Persons of
the Holy Trinity is God. Because Bishop Cyril disagreed
with the Arians, they had him banished from Jerusalem
three times. But Cyril continued to teach the truth. In
379, the Council of Antioch investigated the case and
found that Cyril was teaching the correct faith.
The reign of Emperor Julian the apostate began
in 361. (An apostate is someone who gives up the
Christian faith.) Julian decided to rebuild the famous
Temple of Jerusalem. He had a definite purpose in
mind: he wanted to prove that Jesus had been wrong
when he declared that the Temple of Jerusalem
would not be rebuilt. So Julian spent a lot of money
and sent all the materials for a new Temple. Many
people helped by giving jewels and precious metals.
St. Cyril calmly responded to Emperor Julian’s act of
pride. He was sure that the Temple could not be
built, because Jesus, who is God, had said so. The
bishop simply looked at all the building materials
and said, ”I know that this will fail.” And sure enough,
first a storm, then an earthquake, then a fire stopped
the emperor! He finally abandoned the project.
St. Cyril died in 386 when he was around seventy.
This gentle, kindly man had lived in times of upheaval
and sadness. But he never lost his courage because it
came from Jesus. He was faithful to the Lord all his
life. Because he was so successful in explaining the
truth about Christ and about his Church in difficult
times, Pope Leo XIII declared St. Cyril of Jerusalem a
Doctor of the Church in 1882.
St. Cyril teaches us how important it is to have
a correct understanding of our Catholic faith.
Learning the teachings of Jesus and of his Church
is not only for children. As we grow older and are
able to understand more, we should continue to
study our faith more deeply.
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March 19 |
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St. Joseph, Husband of Mary
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Joseph was a good Jewish man in the family line
of the great King David. His family was originally
from Bethlehem in Judea, but Joseph himself was a
poor carpenter living in Nazareth. Joseph was
Mary’s husband and Jesus’ foster father. It was his
great privilege and joy to take care of God’s own
Son, Jesus, and his mother, Mary. Joseph was happy
to work for his little family. He loved Jesus and Mary
very much.
Whatever the Lord wanted him to do, St. Joseph
did at once, no matter how difficult it was. He was
humble and pure, gentle and wise. Jesus and Mary
loved him and obeyed him because God had placed
him as the head of their family.
Joseph is not mentioned in the Gospel once Jesus
began his ministry. This is probably because he had
died by this time. We can imagine what a beautiful
death St. Joseph experienced, with Mary and Jesus
there beside him. For this reason, St. Joseph is prayed
to as the protector of the dying.
St. Teresa of Avila chose St. Joseph as the protector
of her Carmelite Order. She had great trust in his
prayers. ”Every time I ask St. Joseph for something,”
she said, ”he always obtains it for me.”
Pope Pius IX proclaimed St. Joseph the patron of
the Universal Church. Pope Leo XIII named him as a
model for fathers of families.
Let’s try to obey our parents and willingly
help them with the work to be done at home,
just as Jesus obeyed, loved and helped Mary and
St. Joseph.
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March 20 |
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St. Cuthbert
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St. Cuthbert lived in England in the seventh
century. He was a poor shepherd boy who loved to
play games with his friends. He was very good at
them, too. One of his friends scolded him for loving
to play so much. In fact, his playmate said
words that didn’t seem to be coming from himself.
The boy said, “Cuthbert, how can you waste your
time playing games when you have been chosen to
be a priest and a bishop?” Cuthbert was confused
and very impressed when he heard this. He
wondered if he really was going to be a priest and
a bishop.
In August, 651, fifteen-year-old Cuthbert experienced
something he would never forget. He saw a
totally black sky. Suddenly a bright beam of light
moved across it. In the light were angels carrying a
ball of fire up beyond the sky. Sometime later,
Cuthbert learned that the same night of the vision,
the bishop, St. Aiden, had died. Cuthbert did not know
how this all involved him, but he made up his mind
about his life’s vocation and entered a monastery.
There Cuthbert became a priest.
From one village to another, from house to house,
Father Cuthbert went, on horse or on foot. He visited
people bringing them the Good News of Jesus. He
could speak the dialect of the peasants because he
himself had once been a poor shepherd boy.
Cuthbert did good everywhere and brought many
people to God. He was cheerful and kind. People felt
attracted to him and no one was afraid of him. He was
also a prayerful, holy monk.
When Cuthbert was ordained a bishop, he
worked just as hard as ever to help his people. He visited
them no matter how difficult it was to travel on
poor roads or in very bad weather. As he lay dying,
Cuthbert urged his monks to live in peace and charity
with everyone. He died peacefully in 687.
St. Cuthbert went out of his way to be kind and
loving with his people. We can ask him to help us to
be like him so that no one will find it hard to get
along with us.
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March 21 |
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St. Serapion
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Serapion lived in Egypt in the fourth century.
Those were exciting times for the Church and for
Serapion. As a young man, he received an impressive
education in his Christian faith and in all the usual
subjects taught in school. For a while, he directed the
famous Christian school that taught the faith in
Alexandria. Then Serapion went out into the desert
and became a monk. There he met the famous hermit,
St. Anthony of Egypt. Serapion tried very hard to
learn from Anthony and imitate him. When he died,
Anthony left Serapion one of his cloaks, which
Serapion treasured for the rest of his life.
Serapion became bishop of Thumis, a city in
lower Egypt. He went to a very important meeting of
bishops in Sardis in 347. Serapion proved to be a very
brave bishop. He loved the truths of the faith and
tried to protect them from those who wanted to
change Christian beliefs. He worked with St.
Athanasius, another brave bishop. Both were outstanding
for their courage. They tirelessly explained
Church teachings with their sermons and with their
writings. Most of St. Serapion’s writings were lost.
They were letters full of instruction about the faith
and an explanation of the Psalms. His most important
work, a book called the Euchologium, was lost for
hundreds of years. It was found and published at the
end of the nineteenth century.
Emperor Constantius II, who disagreed with some
Catholic teachings and with St. Athanasius, sent
Serapion into exile. It seems that Serapion died
around the year 370 in the place where he was exiled.
St. Serapion shows us by the way he lived that
being a good Christian takes courage and honesty.
Sometimes people may not understand or agree
with our choices. But if we want to be true to Jesus
and his Church, we will have to risk being unpopular
at times.
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March 22 |
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St. Deogratias
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The city of Carthage in Africa was taken over by
barbarian armies in 439. The conquerors were the
Vandals. They arrested the bishop and priests and
put them on a large, old wooden raft and set it adrift
at sea. Incredible as it may seem, the bishop and his
priests reached the port of Naples, Italy, and were rescued.
But Carthage, the city they left behind, was
without a bishop for fourteen years.
Emperor Valentinian in Rome asked Genseric, the
leader of the Vandals, to permit the ordination of
another bishop for Carthage. Genseric agreed, and a
young priest of that city was chosen. He was respected
by the conquerors and loved by the Christians. His
name in Latin was “Deogratias,” which means “thanks
be to God.” Bishop Deogratias labored for the faith
and well-being of the people of Carthage.
Then Genseric attacked Rome. He returned to
Africa with hundreds of slaves—men, women and
children. Whole families were kidnapped and divided
up among the Vandals and Moors. Genseric
allowed family members to be sold and separated
from their loved ones.
Bishop Deogratias heard about the tragedy. When
the slave ships docked at Carthage, he bought back as
many slaves as he could. He raised the money by selling
the church vessels, vestments and ornaments. He
was able to free many families. He found living quarters
for them. When the houses were filled up, he
used two large churches for this purpose. He bought
everything they needed so that the people could feel
at home in their new surroundings.
Bishop Deogratias died in 457 after only three
years as Carthage’s bishop. He was totally worn out
from his life of self-sacrifice and loving service. The
people he helped would never forget him.
St. Deogratias helps us realize that we can never
put a price on a human life. Each person is valuable
because we are all children of God, our loving
Father. Let’s pray to St. Deogratias that human life
will be more respected.
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March 23 |
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St. Toribio de Mogrovejo
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Toribio was born in 1538 in Majorca, Spain. He
became a university professor and then a famous
judge. He was a fine Christian with a reputation for
being honest and wise.
An unusual thing happened to Toribio, and it
changed his whole life. He was asked to become the
archbishop of Lima, Peru. First of all, he was not
even a priest. Second, Peru was in South America, far
away from Spain. Many people in the Church realized
that Toribio had the qualities for such a trusted
position. He begged to be excused from the honor.
But when he learned about the miserable condition
of the native people of Peru, Toribio could not
refuse. He wanted to help them and to bring them
the faith. Toribio was ordained a priest and set out
for Peru in 1581.
As archbishop, Toribio traveled all over the country.
He made his way over the snowy mountains on
foot. He walked over the hot sands of the seashore.
He built churches and hospitals. In 1591, he established
the first seminary in the Americas. Now young
men of Peru could be trained to become priests who
could minister to their own people. Archbishop
Toribio learned the different native languages. He
wanted the people to be able to listen to homilies at
Mass and go to confession in their own language. He
protected the natives who were often cruelly treated
by their conquerors. Toribio loved the people of
Peru. He spent the rest of his life as a priest and bishop
for them. He died on March 23, 1606, at the age
of sixty-eight. Archbishop Toribio was proclaimed a
saint by Pope Benedict XIII in 1726.
We don’t want to be fooled into judging the
importance of people by the amount of money they
have or the expensive things they own. Each one is
important because God is the Father of us all. We
can ask St. Toribio to help us treat every person
with respect and kindness as he did.
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March 24 |
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Blessed Diego
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Blessed Diego was born on March 29, 1743, in
Cadiz, Spain. He was baptized Joseph Francis. His parents
loved their faith and practiced it. They were
delighted when Joseph constructed an altar and decorated
it. He liked to kneel in front of it and pray to
Jesus, to the Blessed Mother and to St. Joseph.
When he was old enough, Joseph learned how
to serve Mass at the Capuchin Franciscan church
just down the street. Joseph loved to go to Mass. He
used to get up early enough to be at the church each
morning to wait for the doors to be unlocked. He
never missed a day. One of the Capuchins gave Joseph
a book about the lives of the Capuchin saints. He read
it and read it again. Joseph learned every story. He
grew to love these holy men who were poor and
humble like Jesus. The day came when he asked to
join the Capuchin Order. He was accepted and went
to Seville, Spain, for his novitiate training. He began a
new life with a new name, Brother Diego.
After years of preparation, Brother Diego was
ordained a priest. He was sent out to preach the
Good News of Jesus to the people. He loved doing
this. His homilies were so clear and kind that people
listened. They even brought their friends to listen.
Soon an ordinary church was too small for the
crowds. When Father Diego was preaching, the talks
were held outdoors, usually in the town square or in
the streets. Father Diego loved to preach about the
Holy Trinity. He was always available to hear confessions,
too. He was happy when people came to the
sacrament of Reconciliation. Whenever he had some
free time, he visited prisons and hospitals. He also
would go to visit shut-ins in their homes.
Father Diego died in 1801 and was declared
“blessed” by Pope Leo XIII in 1894.
Blessed Diego lived a wonderful life for God’s
people. Let’s ask him to help us make the most of the
good influences in our lives. Such influences can be
holy people, religious instruction, the Mass and
good books or magazines.
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March 25 |
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Annunciation of the Lord
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Nine months before Christmas, we celebrate the
moment in which our Lord Jesus Christ became man
and began to grow as a baby in Mary’s womb. We
read about the Annunciation (the announcement of
the coming of Jesus) in the Gospel of Luke (1:26-38).
When the time had arrived for God’s Son to come
down to us from heaven, God sent the Archangel
Gabriel to the town of Nazareth where Mary lived.
The archangel entered Mary’s little house and said,
“Hail Mary, full of grace! The Lord is with you, and you
are blessed among women.” Mary was surprised to
hear the angel’s words of praise.
“Do not be afraid, Mary,” continued Gabriel. Then
he told Mary that she was to be the mother of Jesus,
the Son of God and our Savior.
Mary understood what a great honor God was giving
her. She answered, “I am the handmaid of the
Lord!” Mary knew, too, that as the mother of Jesus, she
would have many sorrows. She knew she would have
to suffer when her Son suffered. But with all her heart,
she said, ”Let everything happen as you have said.” At
that very moment, Mary became the Mother of God.
At the Annunciation our Blessed Mother gave us
a wonderful example of humility and obedience.
Let’s show God our love by obeying those who represent
him—our parents or guardians and teachers.
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March 26 |
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St. Margaret Clitherow
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Margaret was born in York, England, in the middle
of the sixteenth century. Her father was a rich candle
maker. In 1571, she married John Clitherow, a well off
butcher. About two or three years later, Margaret
embraced the Catholic faith.
There were laws in England at the time that forbade
people to be Catholics. John Clitherow was
fined many times because his wife was not attending
Protestant services. Because she continued to practice
her Catholic faith, Margaret was put into prison
for two years. As soon as she was released, she began
a Catholic school for children. She rented a house
where the Mass could be celebrated in secret.
Catholic priests had been forced into hiding, and
Margaret’s home became one of their most important
hiding places.
In 1584 Margaret was put under house arrest in
her own home for eighteen months because she had
sent her oldest son to France to receive a Catholic
education. A short time later, her house was searched
and a hiding place was found, containing books and
articles used for Mass. Margaret was arrested and
charged with hiding Catholic priests. Since this was a
capital offense, she was sentenced to die on March
25, 1586. Pope Paul VI canonized brave Margaret
Clitherow in 1970 as one of the Forty Martyrs of
England and Wales.
It’s not always easy for us to stand up for what
our religion teaches us. We may worry about what
others will think of us. When this happens we can
pray to St. Margaret for the courage to be true to
our faith in everyday life. We may even find that
others are grateful for our example of faith!
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March 27 |
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St. John of Egypt
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A man who desired to be alone with God was to
become one of the most famous hermits of his time.
St. John of Egypt was born around 304. Not much is
known about his childhood except that he learned
the carpenter’s trade. When he was twenty-five, John
decided to leave the world for good to spend his life
in prayer and sacrifice for God. He became one of the
famous desert hermits of that time.
For ten years he was the disciple of an elderly
hermit. This holy man taught him all about the spiritual
life. John called him his “spiritual father.” After
the older monk’s death, John spent four or five years
in various monasteries. He wanted to become familiar
with the way monks pray and live. Finally, John
found a cave high in the rocks. The area was quiet
and protected from the desert sun and winds. He
divided the cave into three parts: a living room, a
workroom and a little chapel. People in the area
brought him food and other necessities. Many also
came to seek his advice about important matters.
Even Emperor Theodosius I asked his advice twice,
in 388 and in 392.
Such well-known saints as Augustine and Jerome
wrote about the holiness of St. John. When so many
people came to visit him, some men became his disciples.
They stayed in the area and built a hospice, a
place where travelers could stay. They took care of
the hospice so that more people could come to benefit
from the wisdom of this hermit. St. John was
able to prophesy future events. He could read the
thoughts of those who came to see him. When he
applied blessed oil on those who had a physical illness,
they were often cured.
Even when John became famous, he kept humble
and led a strict life. He died peacefully in 394 at the
age of ninety.
We can ask St. John to show us how to keep close
to God. St. John will help us make a real effort to put
God first in our lives so that he will be able to work
in and through us.
sensitive and compassionate.
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March 28 |
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St. Tutilo
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Tutilo lived in the late ninth and early tenth centuries.
He was educated at the Benedictine Monastery
of St. Gall in Switzerland. Two of his classmates
have been declared “blessed.” All three gradually
became monks in the monastery where they had
gone to school.
Tutilo was a person of many talents. He was a
poet, a portrait painter, a sculptor, an orator, a metalworker
and an architect.
His greatest talent was music. He could play all
the instruments known to the monks for their liturgies.
Tutilo and his friend, Blessed Notker, composed
tunes for the liturgy responses. Only three poems
and one hymn remain of all Tutilo’s works. But his
paintings and sculptures are still found today in several
cities of Europe. The paintings and sculptures
are identified with St. Tutilo because he always
marked his works with a motto. But Tutilo was not
proclaimed a saint because of his many talents. He
was a humble person who wanted to live for God. He
praised God the way he knew how: by painting,
sculpting and composing music. Tutilo was proclaimed
a saint because he spent his life praising and
loving God. St. Tutilo died in 915.
Whether we have many talents or few, it’s
important to remember that they are gifts from
God. We should develop our talents and use them
to do good, just as St. Tutilo did. In this way, we’ll
show God that we’re grateful for the gifts he has
given us.
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March 29 |
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St. Jonas and St. Barachisius
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King Sapor II of Persia reigned in the fourth century.
He hated Christians and persecuted them cruelly.
He destroyed their churches and monasteries.
Two monks named Jonas and Barachisius heard of
the persecutions. They learned that many Christians
had been put to death. They decided to go to help
the Christians and to encourage them to remain faithful
to Jesus. Jonas and Barachisius knew that they,
too, might be captured. But that did not stop them.
Their hearts were too full of love of others to have
room for worry about their own safety.
At last the two monks were taken prisoner. They
were told that if they did not worship the sun, the
moon, and fire and water, they would be tortured and
put to death. Of course, they refused to worship anything
or anyone except the one true God. They had
to suffer greatly, but they prayed. They kept thinking
of how Jesus had suffered for them. The two monks
endured terrible tortures but would not give up their
faith. They were finally condemned to death and joyfully
gave up their lives for Jesus.
Jonas and Barachisius were martyred in 327
When we have some little pain, we can ask St.
Jonas and St. Barachisius to help us offer it to Jesus.
They will show us how to be brave and cheerful.
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March 30 |
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St. John Climacus
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It is believed that John was born in Palestine in
the sixth century. He seems to have been a disciple of
St. Gregory Nazianzen. He could have become a
famous teacher, but he decided to serve God with his
whole heart. John joined a monastery on Mount Sinai
when he was sixteen. Then he went to live for forty
years by himself. He spent all his time praying and
reading the lives of the saints.
At first, John was tempted by the devil. But he
put all his trust in Jesus and prayed harder than ever.
So the temptations never made him fall into sin. In
fact, he only grew holier. He became so close to God
that many heard of his holiness. They came to ask
him for advice.
God gave St. John a wonderful gift. He was able
to bring peace to people who were upset and
tempted. Once a man who was having terrible
temptations came to him. He asked St. John to help
him. After they had prayed together, peace filled the
poor man’s soul. He was never again troubled with
those temptations.
When the saint was in his seventies, he was chosen
abbot of Mount Sinai. He became the superior of
all the monks and hermits in the country. Another
abbot asked St. John to write the rules which he had
lived by all his life. This way the monks could follow
his example. With great humility, St. John wrote the
book called The Ladder of Perfection, or The Climax
of Perfection. And that is why he is called “Climacus.”
St. John died in 649.
It is very wise to keep a good book in our room.
We can read from it a little bit each day or before
we go to bed. Reading about the lives of the saints
is what helped St. John become a saint himself.
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March 31 |
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St. Guy of Pomposa
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Guy lived in Ravenna, Italy, in the eleventh century.
As a young man, he gave everything he owned
to the poor and became a monk in Rome. He lived
for three years beside the Po River with a hermit
named Martin. After this he joined the monks at
Pomposa Abbey. His wisdom and holiness became
well known, and soon crowds of people were flocking
to see him.
The archbishop of Ravenna was considering closing
the monastery, but changed his mind after meeting
with Guy. In fact, because Guy was attracting so
many disciples, another monastery had to be built!
In his old age, Guy returned to a hermit’s life.
He died at Borgo San Donnino in 1046, on his way
to a meeting with Emperor Henry III, who needed
his advice.
When we take time each day to be close to God
in prayer, we find the help we need to be like St. Guy
and reach out to others who are struggling with
problems or difficulties.
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