June 1:
St. Justin (d. 165)
Justin never ended his quest for
religious truth even when he converted to Christianity after years of
studying various pagan philosophies. As a young man, he was principally
attracted to the school of Plato. However, he found that the Christian
religion answered the great questions about life and existence better
than the philosophers. Upon his conversion he continued to wear the
philosopher's mantle, and became the first Christian philosopher. He
combined the Christian religion with the best elements in Greek
philosophy. In his view, philosophy was a pedagogue of Christ, an
educator that was to lead one to Christ. Justin is known as an
apologist, one who defends in writing the Christian religion against
the attacks and misunderstandings of the pagans. Two of his so-called
apologies have come down to us; they are addressed to the Roman emperor
and to the Senate. For his staunch adherence to the Christian religion,
Justin was beheaded in Rome in 165.
As patron of philosophers, Justin
may inspire us to use our natural powers (especially our power to know
and understand) in the service of Christ and to build up the Christian
life within us. Since we are prone to error, especially in reference to
the deep questions concerning life and existence, we should also be
willing to correct and check our natural thinking in light of religious
truth. Thus we will be able to say with the learned saints of the
Church: I believe in order to understand, and I understand in order to
believe. "Philosophy is the knowledge of that which exists, and a clear
understanding of the truth; and happiness is the reward of such
knowledge and understanding" (Justin, Dialogue with Trypho,
3). (AmericanCatholic.org)
Saint Whyte This early British saint gave her name to, and
is buried at Whitechurch Canonicorum, in Dorset (England). Her modest
shrine, together with that of Edward the Confessor, are the only two to
survive intact in England to this day. Very little is known about her.
Some historians think she was a West Saxon, others say she may have
been the Welsh saint Gwen, whose relics were given by St Athelstan to
this church. William Worcestre and John Gerard both mention her relics.
St Thomas More referred to the custom of offering cakes or cheese on
her feast day. In 1990 her leaden coffin was opened. It was inscribed:
Hic requiescunt reliquie Sancte Wite, and contained the bones of a
small woman about 40 years old.
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June 2:
Sts.
Marcellinus and Peter (d. 304)
Marcellinus and Peter were prominent enough in
the memory of Church to be included among the saints of the Roman
Canon. Mention of their names is optional in our present Eucharistic
Prayer I. Marcellinus was a priest and Peter was an exorcist, that is,
someone authorized by the Church to deal with cases of demonic
possession. They were beheaded during the persecution of Diocletian.
Pope Damasus wrote an epitaph apparently based on the report of their
executioner, and Constantine erected a basilica over the crypt in which
they were buried in Rome. Numerous legends sprang from an early account
of their death.
Why are these men included in our Eucharistic
prayer, and given their own feast day, in spite of the fact that almost
nothing is known about them? Probably because the Church respects its
collective memory. They once sent an impulse of encouragement through
the whole Church. They made the ultimate step of faith. "The Church has
always believed that the apostles, and Christ's martyrs who had given
the supreme witness of faith and charity by the shedding of their
blood, are quite closely joined with us in Christ" (Dogmatic
Constitution on the Church, 50).
(AmericanCatholic.org)
Saint Erasmus, popularly known as
St Elmo, this early saint was Bishop of Formiae in Italy. When
the Christians were being persecuted under Emperor Diocletian according
to legend, he took refuge on Mt Lebanon, living on food brought to him
by birds. He was captured and suffered horrendous tortures before he
managed to escape and began boldly preaching again. He was recaptured
in Illyricum, tortured again, and finally killed in 303. His symbol is
a windlass used to lift a ship's anchor. St Elmo is the patron saint of
sailors. St Elmo's Fire — a electrical phenomenon that sometimes
appears on ship's mastheads after a storm, is named after him. For
centuries the parish church of Faversham in Kent had an altar dedicated
to St Erasmus with lights provided by legacies. Several alabastar
carvings, and paintings of him by Grunwald, Cranach and Dirk Bouts
survive to this day, as does a sculpture of the saint in the chapel of
Henry VII in Westminster Abbey. (Saints)
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June 3:
Saint
Charles Lwanga and his companions (d. 1886)
One of 22 Ugandan martyrs, Charles Lwanga is the patron of youth and
Catholic action in most of tropical Africa. He protected his fellow
pages (aged 13 to 30) from the homosexual demands of the Bagandan
ruler, Mwanga, and
encouraged and instructed them in the Catholic faith
during their imprisonment for refusing the ruler’s demands. For his own
unwillingness to submit to the immoral acts and his efforts to
safeguard the faith of his friends, Charles was burned to death at Namugongo on June 3, 1886, by Mwanga’s order. Charles first learned of
Christ’s teachings from two retainers in the court of Chief
Mawulugungu. While a catechumen, he entered the royal household as
assistant to Joseph Mukaso, head of the court pages. On the night of
Mukaso’s martyrdom for encouraging the African youths to resist Mwanga,
Charles requested and received Baptism. Imprisoned with his friends,
Charles’s courage and belief in God inspired them to remain chaste and
faithful. When Pope Paul VI canonized these 22 martyrs on October 18,
1964, he referred to the Anglican pages martyred for the same reason.
Like Charles Lwanga, we are all teachers and witnesses to Christian
living by the examples of our own lives. We are all called upon to
spread the word of God, whether by word or deed. By remaining
courageous and unshakable in our faith during times of great moral and
physical temptation, we live as Christ lived. On his African tour in
1969, Pope Paul VI told 22 young Ugandan converts that "being a
Christian is a fine thing but not always an easy one."
(AmericanCatholic.org)
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June 4:
Blessed
John XXIII (1881-1963)
Although few people had as great an impact on the 20th century as Pope
John XXIII, he avoided the limelight as much as possible. Indeed, one
writer has noted that his “ordinariness” seems one of his 
most remarkable qualities. The firstborn son of a farming
family in Sotto il Monte, near Bergamo in northern Italy, Angelo
Giuseppe Roncalli was always proud of his down-to-earth roots. In
Bergamo’s diocesan seminary, he joined the Secular Franciscan Order.
After his ordination in 1904, Angelo returned to Rome for canon law
studies. He soon worked as his bishop’s secretary, Church history
teacher in the seminary and as publisher of the diocesan paper. His
service as a stretcher-bearer for the Italian army during World War I
gave him a firsthand knowledge of war. In 1921 he was made national
director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith; he found time
to teach patristics at a seminary in the Eternal City. In 1925 he
became a papal diplomat, serving first in Bulgaria, then in Turkey and
finally in France (1944-53). During World War II, he became well
acquainted with Orthodox
Church leaders and with the help of Germany’s
ambassador to Turkey, Archbishop Roncalli helped save an estimated
24,000 Jewish people. Named a cardinal and appointed patriarch of
Venice in 1953, he was finally a residential bishop. A month short of
entering his 78th year, he was elected pope, taking the name John, his
father’s name and the two patrons of Rome’s cathedral, St. John
Lateran. He took his work very seriously but not himself. His wit soon
became proverbial and he began meeting with political and religious
leaders from around the world. In 1962 he was deeply involved in
efforts to resolve the Cuban missile crisis. His most famous
encyclicals were Mother and Teacher (1961) and Peace on Earth (1963).
Pope John XXIII enlarged the membership in the College of Cardinals and
made it more international. At his address at the opening of the Second
Vatican Council, he criticized the “prophets of doom” who “in these
modern times see nothing but prevarication and ruin.” Pope John XXIII
set a tone for the Council when he said, “The Church has always
opposed... errors. Nowadays, however, the Spouse of Christ prefers to
make use of the medicine of mercy rather than that of severity.” On his
deathbed he said: “It is not that the gospel has changed; it is that we
have begun to understand it better. Those who have lived as long as I
have…
were enabled to compare different cultures and traditions, and
know that the moment has come to discern the signs of the times, to
seize the opportunity and to look far ahead.” Pope John Paul II
beatified him on September 3, 2000, and assigned as his feast day
October 11, the day that Vatican II’s first session opened.
Throughout his life, Angelo Roncalli cooperated with God’s grace,
believing that the job at hand was worthy of his best efforts. His
sense of God’s providence made him the ideal person to promote a new
dialogue with Protestant and Orthodox Christians, as well as with Jews
and Muslims. In the sometimes noisy crypt of St. Peter’s Basilica, many
people become silent on seeing the simple tomb of Pope John XXIII,
grateful for the gift of his life and holiness. After the
beatification, his tomb was moved into the basilica itself. In 1903,
young Angelo wrote in his spiritual journal: “From the saints I must
take the substance, not the accidents of their virtues. I am not St.
Aloysius, nor must I seek holiness in his particular way, but according
to the requirements of my own nature, my own character and the
different conditions of my life. I must not be the dry, bloodless
reproduction of a model, however perfect. God desires us to follow the
examples of the saints by absorbing the vital sap of their virtues and
turning it into our own life-blood, adapting it to our own individual
capacities and particular circumstances. If St. Aloysius had been as I
am, he would have become holy in a different way” (Journal of a
Soul).
(AmericanCatholic.org
Saint Petroc, Abbot.
Cornwall's most famous saint and early hunt saboteur. Petroc is said to
have been the son of a Welsh chieftain. He studied in Ireland before
settling in Cornwall in the 4th century. Petroc founded a monastery at
what is now called Padstow (Petroc's Stow). About 30 years later he
established another monastery at Little Petherick, where he built a
mill and a chapel. In his last years, Petroc lived as a hermit on
Bodmin Moor. He built a cell there for himself by the river and a
monastery for twelve monks who followed him. St Petroc died at Treravel
while on a journey visiting his other monasteries. He was buried at
Padstow which became the centre of his cult. His relics were later
moved to Bodmin. In 1177 a disgruntled canon took them off to the abbey
of St Mewan in Brittany. Thanks to the intervention of King Henry II
they were returned to Bodmin amidst great celebrations. This event has
been revived as part of the Bodmin Riding and Heritage Festival. The
actual reliquary survived the Reformation and the destruction of the
shrine. Petroc was greatly revered for centuries throughout Cornwall
and Brittany, (where he is known as St Perreux). The saint had a
special affinity with wild animals. One of his emblems is a stag — in
memory of one he rescued from hunters. According to legend he also once
tamed a dragon.
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June 5:
St
Boniface, bishop and martyr (672?-754)
Boniface,
known as the apostle of the Germans, was an English Benedictine monk
who gave up being elected abbot to devote his life to the conversion of
the Germanic tribes. Two characteristics stand out: his Christian
orthodoxy and his fidelity to the pope of Rome. How absolutely
necessary this orthodoxy and fidelity were is borne out by the
conditions he found on his first missionary journey in 719 at the
request of Pope Gregory II. Paganism was a way of life. What
Christianity he did find had either lapsed into paganism or was mixed
with error. The clergy were mainly responsible for these latter
conditions since they were in many instances uneducated, lax and
questionably obedient to their bishops. In particular instances their
very ordination was questionable.
These are the conditions that
Boniface was to report in 722 on his first return visit to Rome. The
Holy Father instructed him to reform the German Church. The pope sent
letters of recommendation to religious and civil leaders. Boniface
later admitted that his work would have been unsuccessful, from a human
viewpoint, without a letter of safe-conduct from Charles Martel, the
powerful Frankish ruler, grandfather of Charlemagne. Boniface was
finally made a regional bishop and authorized to organize the whole
German Church. He was eminently successful. In the Frankish kingdom, he
met great problems because of lay interference in bishops’ elections,
the worldliness of the clergy and lack of papal control.
During a final mission to the Frisians, he and 53 companions were
massacred while he was preparing converts for Confirmation. In order to
restore the Germanic Church to its fidelity to Rome and to convert the
pagans, he had been guided by two principles. The first was to restore
the obedience of the clergy to their bishops in union with the pope of
Rome. The second was the establishment of many houses of prayer which
took the form of Benedictine monasteries. A great number of Anglo-Saxon
monks and nuns followed him to the continent. He introduced Benedictine
nuns to the active apostolate of education.
Boniface bears
out the Christian rule: To follow Christ is to follow the way of the
cross. For Boniface, it was not only physical suffering or death, but
the painful, thankless, bewildering task of Church reform. Missionary
glory is often thought of in terms of bringing new persons to Christ.
It seems—but is not—less glorious to heal the household of the
faith.
(AmericanCatholic.og)
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June 6:
St.
Norbert (1080?-1134)
Friends sometimes jokingly mangle the name of the Premonstratensians
into “Monstrous Pretensions,” just as the Franciscan O.F.M. is said to
mean “Out For Money.” The name actually derives from Premontre, the
region of France where Norbert established this Order in the 12th
century. Recalling the nickname, Norbert’s founding of the Order was in
truth a monstrous task: combatting rampant heresies (particularly
regarding the Blessed Sacrament), revitalizing many of the faithful who
had grown indifferent and dissolute, plus effecting peace and
reconciliation among enemies. Norbert entertained no pretensions about
his own ability to accomplish this multiple task. Even with the aid of
a goodly number of men who joined his Order, he realized that nothing
could be effectively done without God’s power. Finding this help
especially in devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, he and his Norbertines
praised God for success in converting heretics, reconciling numerous
enemies and rebuilding faith in indifferent believers. Reluctantly,
Norbert became archbishop of Magdeburg in central Germany, a territory
half pagan and half Christian. In this position he zealously and
courageously continued his work for the Church until his death on June
6, 1134.
A different world cannot be built
by indifferent people. The same is true in regard to the Church. Sad to
say, the so-called updating of the Church has not engendered the
different Church which was so devoutly and hopefully envisioned by
Vatican Council II. A principal reason for this failure was—and is—the
indifference of vast numbers of nominal faithful, their indifference to
ecclesiastical authority and essential doctrines of the faith.
Unswerving loyalty to the Church and fervent devotion to the Eucharist,
as practised by Norbert, will continue immeasurably towards maintaining
the people of God in accord with the heart of Christ. On the occasion
of his ordination to the priesthood, Norbert said, "O Priest! You are
not yourself because you are God. You are not of yourself because you
are the servant and minister of Christ. You are not your own because
you are the spouse of the Church. You are not yourself because you are
the mediator between God and man. You are not from yourself because you
are nothing. What then are you? Nothing and everything. O Priest! Take
care lest what was said to Christ on the cross be said to you: 'He
saved others, himself he cannot save!'"
(AmericanCatholic.org)
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June 7:
Servant
of God Joseph Perez (1890-1928)
"The blood of martyrs is the seed of the
Church," said Tertullian in the third century. Joseph Perez carried on
that tradition. Joseph was born in Coroneo, Mexico, and joined the
Franciscans when he was 17. Because of Mexico’s civil unrest at that
time (the forces of Pancho Villa had crossed into New Mexico on a raid
the previous year), he was forced to take his philosophy and theology
studies in California. After ordination at Mission Santa Barbara, he
returned to Mexico and served at Jerecuaro from 1922 on. The
persecution under the presidency of Plutarco Calles (1924-28) forced
Joseph to wear various disguises as he travelled around to visit the
Catholics. In 1927 Church property was nationalized, Catholic schools
were closed, and foreign priests and nuns were deported. One day Joseph
and several others were captured while returning from a secretly held
Mass. Father Perez was stabbed to death by soldiers a few miles from
Celaya on June 2, 1928. When Joseph’s body was later brought in
procession to Salvatierra, it was buried there amid cries of "Viva, Cristo Rey!" (Long live Christ the King!). The Catholic Church in
Mexico today is much freer than it was in the 1920’s. Catholicism is
very much alive in Mexico today, nurtured in part by martyrs like
Father Perez.
Father Joseph’s memorial card includes
these words: "May almighty God grant that our prayer, which is
supported by the bloody sacrifice of this martyr, may graciously appear
in his sight and bring salvation to us and redemption to our country"
(Marion A. Habig, O.F.M., The Franciscan Book of Saints,
p. 412). (AmericanCatholic.org)
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June 8:
St.
William of York (d. 1154)
A disputed election as archbishop of York and a mysterious death. Those
are the headlines
from the tragic life of today's saint. Born into a
powerful family in 12th-century England, William seemed destined for
great things. His uncle was next in line for the English throne—though
a nasty dynastic struggle complicated things. William himself faced an
internal Church feud. Despite these roadblocks, he was nominated as
archbishop of York in 1140. Local clergymen were less enthusiastic,
however, and the archbishop of Canterbury refused to consecrate
William. Three years later a neighbouring bishop performed the
consecration, but it lacked the approval of Pope Innocent II, whose
successors likewise withheld approval. William was deposed and a new
election was ordered. It was not until 1154—14 years after he was first
nominated—that William became archbishop of York. When he entered the
city that spring after years of exile, he received an enthusiastic
welcome. Within two months he was dead, probably from poisoning. His
administrative assistant was a suspect, though no formal ruling was
ever made. Despite all that happened to him, William did not show
resentment toward his opponents. Following his death, many miracles
were attributed to him. He was canonized 73 years later. (AmericanCatholic.org)
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June 9:
St. Ephrem (306?-373)
Poet, teacher, orator and defender of the faith, Ephrem is the only Syrian
recognized as a doctor of the Church. He took upon himself the special task of
opposing the many false doctrines rampant at his time, always remaining a true
and forceful defender of the Catholic Church. Born in Nisibis, Mesopotamia, he
was baptized as a young man and became famous as a teacher in his native city.
When the Christian emperor had to cede Nisibis to the Persians, Ephrem, along
with many Christians, fled as a refugee to Edessa. He is credited with
attracting great glory to the biblical school there. He was ordained a deacon
but declined becoming a priest (and was said to have avoided episcopal
consecration by feigning madness!). He had a prolific pen and his writings best
illumine his holiness. Although he was not a man of great scholarship, his works
reflect deep insight and knowledge of the Scriptures. In writing about the
mysteries of humanity’s redemption, Ephrem reveals a realistic and humanly
sympathetic spirit and a great devotion to the humanity of Jesus. It is said
that his poetic account of the Last Judgment inspired Dante. It is surprising to
read that he wrote hymns against the heretics of his day. He would take the
popular songs of the heretical groups and, using their melodies, compose
beautiful hymns embodying orthodox doctrine. Ephrem became one of the first to
introduce song into the Church’s public worship as a means of instruction for
the faithful. His many hymns have earned him the title “Harp of the Holy
Spirit.” He preferred a simple, austere life, living in a small cave overlooking
the city of Edessa.
It was here he died around 373.
Lay me not with sweet spices,
For this honour avails me not,
Nor yet use incense and perfumes,
For the honour befits me not.
Burn yet the incense in the holy place;
As for me, escort me only with your prayers,
Give ye your incense to God,
And over me send up hymns.
Instead of perfumes and spices,
Be mindful of me in your intercessions.
(From The Testament of St. Ephrem) (AmericanCatholic.org)
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June 10:
Blessed
Joachima (1783-1854)
Born into
an aristocratic family in Barcelona, Spain, Joachima was 12 when she
expressed a desire to become a Carmelite nun. But her life took an
altogether different turn at 16 with her marriage to a young lawyer,
Theodore de Mas. Both deeply devout, they became secular Franciscans.
During their 17 years of married life they raised eight children. The
normalcy of their family life was interrupted when Napoleon invaded
Spain. Joachima had to flee with the children; Theodore, remaining
behind, died. Though Joachima re-experienced a desire to enter a
religious community, she attended to her duties as a mother. At the
same time, the young widow led a life of austerity and chose to wear
the habit of the Third Order of St. Francis as her ordinary dress. She
spent much time in prayer and visiting the sick. Four years later, with
some of her children now married and younger ones under their care,
Joachima confessed her desire to a priest to join a religious order.
With his encouragement she established the Carmelite Sisters of
Charity. In the midst of the fratricidal wars occurring at the time,
Joachima was briefly imprisoned and, later, exiled to France for
several years. Sickness ultimately compelled her to resign as superior
of her order. Over the next four years she slowly succumbed to
paralysis, which caused her to die by inches. At her death in 1854 at
the age of 71, Joachima was known and admired for her high degree of
prayer, deep trust in God and selfless charity.
Joachima understands loss. She lost the home where
her children grew up, her husband and, finally, her health. As the
power to move and care for her own needs slowly ebbed away, this woman
who had all her life cared for others became wholly dependent; she
required help with life’s simplest tasks. When our own lives go
spinning out of control, when illness and bereavement and financial
hardship strike, all we can do is cling to the belief that sustained
Joachima: God watches over us always. (AmericanCatholic.org)
Saint Landry of Paris Saint Landry (or Landeric) is known mainly for his work with the sick.
From the time he was consecrated Bishop of Paris in 650, he devoted
himself to their care — founding the city's first hospital, dedicated
to St Christopher, next to Notre Dame Cathedral. His generosity was so
great that in times of famine, Landry sold or pawned the sacred vessels
and his own furniture in order to relieve the suffering of the poor.
Together with 23 other bishops he subscribed to the charter Clovis II
gave to Saint-Denis Abbey in 653. St Landry died in 661. The hospital
changed its name to the Hotel Dieu, and exists to this day. He was
buried in the church of Saint-Germain-des-Pres, then called St
Vincent's, where his relics, except two bones given to the parish of
Saint-Landry in 1408, are kept in a silver shrine. He is honoured with
an office in the new Paris Breviary. (Saints)
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June 11:
St.
Barnabas
Barnabas, a Jew
of Cyprus, comes as close as anyone outside the Twelve to being a
full-fledged apostle. He was closely associated with St. Paul (he
introduced Paul to Peter and the other apostles) and served as a kind
of mediator between the former persecutor and the still suspicious
Jewish Christians. When a Christian community developed at Antioch,
Barnabas was sent as the official representative of the Church of
Jerusalem to incorporate them into the fold. He and Paul instructed in
Antioch for a year, after which they took relief contributions to
Jerusalem. Later, Paul and Barnabas, now clearly seen as charismatic
leaders, were sent by Antioch officials to preach to the Gentiles.
Enormous success crowned their efforts. After a miracle at Lystra, the
people wanted to offer sacrifice to them as gods—Barnabas being Zeus,
and Paul, Hermes—but the two said, “We are of the same nature as you,
human beings. We proclaim to you good news that you should turn from
these idols to the living God” (see Acts 14:8-18). But all was not
peaceful. They were expelled from one town, they had to go to Jerusalem
to clear up the ever-recurring controversy about circumcision and even
the best of friends can have differences. When Paul wanted to revisit
the places they had evangelized, Barnabas wanted to take along John
Mark, his cousin, author of the Gospel, but Paul insisted that, since
Mark had deserted them once, he was not fit to take along now. The
disagreement that followed was so sharp that Barnabas and Paul
separated, Barnabas taking Mark to Cyprus, Paul taking Silas to Syria.
Later, they were reconciled—Paul, Barnabas and Mark. When Paul stood up
to Peter for not eating with Gentiles for fear of his Jewish friends,
we learn that “even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy” (see
Galatians 2:1-13).
Barnabas is spoken of
simply as one who dedicated his life to the Lord. He was a man "filled
with the Holy Spirit and faith. Thereby large numbers were added to the
Lord." Even when he and Paul were expelled from Antioch in Pisidia,
they were "filled with joy and the Holy Spirit." (AmericanCatholic.org)
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June 12:
Blessed
Jolenta (Yolanda) of Poland (d. 1298)
Jolenta was the daughter of Bela IV, King of
Hungary. Her sister, St. Kunigunde, was married to the Duke of Poland.
Jolenta was sent to Poland where her sister was to supervise her
education. Eventually married to Boleslaus, the Duke of Greater Poland,
Jolenta was able to use her material means to assist the poor, the
sick, widows and orphans. Her husband joined her in building hospitals,
convents and churches so that he was surnamed "the Pious." Upon the
death of her husband and the marriage of two of her daughters, Jolenta
and her third daughter entered the convent of the Poor Clares. War
forced Jolenta to move to another convent where, despite her
reluctance, she was made abbess. So well did she serve her Franciscan
sisters by word and example that her fame and good works continued to
spread beyond the walls of the cloister. Her favourite devotion was the
Passion of Christ. Indeed, Jesus appeared to her, telling her of her
coming death. Many miracles, down to our own day, are said to have
occurred at her grave.
Jolenta’s story begins like a fairy tale. But fairy tales
seldom include the death of the prince and never end with the princess
living out her days in a convent. Nonetheless, Jolenta’s story has a
happy ending. Her life of charity toward the poor and devotion to her
Franciscan sisters indeed brought her to a “happily ever after.” Our
lives may be short on fairy-tale elements, but our generosity and our
willingness to serve well the people we live with lead us toward an
ending happier than we can imagine. (AmericanCatholic.org)
Saint Peter of Mount
Athos, Monk and hermit.
According to legend, he was originally a soldier who was captured and
imprisoned by the Muslims. St Simeon is said to have negotiated his
release. After this he went to Rome where he was granted the monastic
habit by the Pope. He then experienced a vision of Our Lady, and
journeyed to Mount Athos where he lived the life of a hermit for the
next 50 years. St Peter of Mount Athos reputedly overcame many severe
trials and temptations, during his life, including assaults by the
devil. He is believed to be the first hermit to live on Mount Athos,
sparking the tradition which lead to the foundation of the great
monasteries upon the Holy Mountain.
(Saints)
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June 13:
Saint
Anthony of Padua, priest and doctor of the Church (1195-1231)
The gospel call to leave everything and follow
Christ was the rule of Anthony’s life. Over and over again God called
him to something new in his plan. Every time Anthony responded with
renewed zeal and self-sacrificing to serve his Lord Jesus more
completely. His journey as the servant of God began as a very young man
when he decided to join the Augustinians, giving up a future of wealth
and power to be a servant of God. Later, when the bodies of the first
Franciscan martyrs went through the Portuguese city where he was
stationed, he was again filled with an intense longing to be one of
those closest to Jesus himself: those who die for the Good News. So
Anthony entered the Franciscan Order and set out to preach to the
Moors. But an illness prevented him from achieving that goal. He went
to Italy and was stationed in a small hermitage where he spent most of
his time praying, reading the Scriptures and doing menial tasks. The
call of God came again at an ordination where no one was prepared to
speak. The humble and obedient Anthony hesitantly accepted the task.
The years of searching for Jesus in prayer, of reading sacred Scripture
and of serving him in poverty, chastity and obedience had prepared
Anthony to allow the Spirit to use his talents. Anthony’s sermon was
astounding to those who expected an unprepared speech and knew not the
Spirit’s power to give people words. Recognized as a great man of
prayer and a great Scripture and theology scholar, Anthony became the
first friar to teach theology to the other friars. Soon he was called
from that post to preach to the heretics, to use his profound knowledge
of Scripture and theology to convert and reassure those who had been
misled.
Anthony should be the patron of those who find their
lives completely uprooted and set in a new and unexpected direction.
Like all saints, he is a perfect example of turning one's life
completely over to Christ. God did with Anthony as God pleased—and what
God pleased was a life of spiritual power and brilliance that still
attracts admiration today. He whom popular devotion has nominated as
finder of lost objects found himself by losing himself totally to the
providence of God. In his Sermons, Anthony says: "The saints are like the stars.
In his providence Christ conceals them in a hidden place that they may not shine
before others when they might wish to do so. Yet they are always ready to
exchange the quiet of contemplation for the works of mercy as soon as they
perceive in their heart the invitation of Christ." (AmericanCatholic.org)
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June 14:
St.
Albert Chmielowski (1845-1916)
Born in
Igolomia near Kraków as the eldest of four children in a wealthy
family, he was christened Adam. During the 1864 revolt against Czar
Alexander III, Adam’s wounds forced the amputation of his left leg. His
great talent for painting led to studies in Warsaw, Munich and Paris.
Adam returned to Kraków and became a Secular Franciscan. In 1888 he
took the name Albert when he founded the Brothers of the Third Order of
Saint Francis, Servants to the Poor. They worked primarily with the
homeless, depending completely on alms while serving the needy,
regardless of age, religion or politics. A community of Albertine
sisters was established later. Pope John Paul II beatified him in 1983
and canonized him six years later.
Reflecting on his own priestly
vocation, Pope John Paul II wrote in 1996 that Brother Albert had
played a role in its formation "because I found in him a real spiritual
support and example in leaving behind the world of art, literature and
the theatre, and in making the radical choice of a vocation to the
priesthood" (Gift and Mystery: On the Fiftieth Anniversary of My
Priestly Ordination, p. 33). As a young priest, Karol Wojtyla
repaid his debt of gratitude by writing The Brother of Our God,
a play about Brother Albert’s life. The first reading at the
canonization included Isaiah 58:6 (“Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let
the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?”). The pope referred to
this passage and said: “This is the theology of messianic liberation,
which contains what we are accustomed to calling today the ‘option for
the poor’.... In this tireless, heroic service on behalf of the
marginalized and the poor, he [Albert] ultimately found his path. He
found Christ. He took upon himself Christ’s yoke and burden; he did not
become merely ‘one of those who give alms,’ but became the brother to
those he served....” (L'Osservatore Romano 1989, Vol. 49,
No. 9). (AmericanCatholic.org)
Saint Dogmael
A
6th century Welsh monk, St Dogmael is thought to have lived in
Pembrokeshire and Anglesey as many places there are dedicated to him
including, St Dogmael, across the river from Cardigan. A parish in
Anglesey also bears his name. At some time in his life he moved to
Brittany, where a St Dogmeel, or St Toel still has a cult. He is said
to have founded monasteries on both sides of the Channel. St Dogmael is
invoked to help children learn to walk. (Saints)
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June 15:
Servant
of God Orlando Catanii
An unexpected
encounter with St. Francis of Assisi in 1213 was to forever change—and
enrich—the life of Count Orlando of Chiusi. On the day a festival was
being organized for a huge throng, St. Francis, already well known for
his sanctity, delivered a dramatic address on the dangers of worldly
pleasures. One of the guests, Orlando (also known as Roland) was so
taken by Francis' words that he sought out the saint for advice on how
best to lead a life pleasing to God. A short time later, Francis
visited Count Orlando in his own palace, located at the foot of Mount
La Verna. Francis spoke again of the dangers of a life of wealth and
comfort. The words prompted Orlando to rearrange his life entirely
according to the principles outlined by Francis. Furthermore, he
resolved to share his wealth by placing at Francis' disposal all of
Mount La Verna, which belonged to Orlando. Francis, who found the
mountain's wooded recesses and many caves and ravines especially
suitable for quiet prayer, gratefully accepted the offer. Orlando
immediately had a convent as well as a church built there; later, many
chapels were added. In 1224, two years before the death of Francis,
Mount La Verna was the location where Francis received the holy wounds
of Christ. In return for his generous gift, Orlando desired only to be
received into the Third Order and to have St. Francis as his spiritual
director. Under Francis' guidance, Orlando completely detached himself
from worldly goods. He zealously performed acts of charity as a
Christian nobleman. After his happy death Orlando was laid to rest in
the convent church on Mount La Verna.
Even Francis, Lady Poverty’s
favourite knight, needed a suitable place to pray. Captivated by
Francis’ preaching, Orlando restructured his life. One of the
possessions he parted with was Mt. La Verna, which he offered to the
Little Poor Man. There Francis found the solitude he sought. In one
mountainside cave, he was branded with Christ’s own wounds. We may not
be as wealthy as Orlando, but we have enough to spare. Only God can
know who in Lady Poverty’s realm will be nurtured in sanctity because
we imitate Orlando in generosity. (AmericanCatholic.org)
Saints Vitus, Modestus
and Crescentia, Martyrs. The cult of these fourth century saints
is very ancient, but few facts are known about their lives. Historians
think it is probable that Modesta and Crescentia lived in Sicily, while
St Vitus came from Lucania. According to tradition, St Vitus became
Christian as a child, during the reign of the Emperor Diocletian.
Modesta and Crescentia were his tutor and nurse. He soon gained a
reputation for holiness and the power to work miracles. The Roman
authorities tried to convert him back to paganism, but he refused to
give up his faith. On one occasion when he was thrown to a hungry lion,
he stroked the animal and it licked him affectionately. St Vitus is a
patron of epileptics and those suffering from other seizures such as
Sydenham's Chorea (St Vitus' Dance). He also protects against poisoning
by dog or snake bite and is a patron of dancers and actors. Most
mediaeval abbeys in England celebrated St Vitus without Crescentia. An
ancient church in Rome on the Esquilline is dedicated to him. His
relics were claimed by Saint-Denis in Paris and Corvey in Saxony. (Saints)
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June 16:
St.
John Francis Regis (1597-1640)
Born into a family of some wealth,
John Francis was so impressed by his Jesuit educators that he himself
wished to enter the Society of Jesus. He did so at age 18. Despite his
rigorous academic schedule he spent many hours in chapel, often to the
dismay of fellow seminarians who were concerned about his health.
Following his ordination to the priesthood, he undertook missionary
work in various French towns. While the formal sermons of the day
tended toward the poetic, his discourses were plain. But they revealed
the fervour within him and attracted people of all classes. Father
Regis especially made himself available to the poor. Many mornings were
spent in the confessional or at the altar celebrating Mass; afternoons
were reserved for visits to prisons and hospitals. The Bishop of
Viviers, observing the success of Father Regis in communicating with
people, sought to draw on his many gifts, especially needed during the
prolonged civil and religious strife then rampant throughout France.
With many prelates absent and priests negligent, the people had been
deprived of the sacraments for 20 years or more. Various forms of
Protestantism were thriving in some cases while a general indifference
toward religion was evident in other instances. For three years Father
Regis travelled throughout the diocese, conducting missions in advance
of a visit by the bishop. He succeeded in converting many people and in
bringing many others back to religious observances. Though Father Regis
longed to work as a missionary among the North American Indians in
Canada, he was to live out his days working for the Lord in the wildest
and most desolate part of his native France. There he encountered
rigorous winters, snowdrifts and other deprivations. Meanwhile, he
continued preaching missions and earned a reputation as a saint. One
man, entering the town of Saint-Andé, came upon a large crowd in front
of a church and was told that people were waiting for "the saint" who
was coming to preach a mission. The last four years of his life were
spent preaching and in organizing social services, especially for
prisoners, the sick and the poor. In the autumn of 1640, Father Regis
sensed that his days were coming to a conclusion. He settled some of
his affairs and prepared for the end by continuing to do what he did so
well: speaking to the people about the God who loved them. On December
31, he spent most of the day with his eyes on the crucifix. That
evening, he died. His final words were: "Into thy hands I commend my
spirit." He was canonized in 1737.
(AmericanCatholic.org)
St. John Francis Regis
Jesuit priest. Born near Narbonne in 1597, John Francis Regis was the
son of a well-to-do merchant. He joined the Jesuits at 18 and was
ordained in 1631. From that time he began running missions in the very
poor rural areas of the Auvergne and Languedoc. A tireless preacher,
many people were converted by him. He made great efforts to help
prisoners and prostitutes — with little support from his superiors. He
also set up many Confraternities of the Blessed Sacrament. St John
Regis died 1640, while preaching a mission at La Louvesc in Dauphine.
He was canonised in 1737. His shrine there is still visited by many
thousands each year.
(Saints)
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June 17:
St.
Joseph Cafasso (1811-1860)
Even as a young man, Joseph loved to attend Mass and was known for his
humility and fervour in prayer. After his ordination he was assigned to
a seminary in Turin. There he worked especially against the spirit of
Jansenism, an excessive preoccupation with sin and damnation. Joseph
used the works of St. Francis de Sales and St. Alphonsus Liguori to
moderate the rigorism popular at the seminary. Joseph recommended
membership in the Secular Franciscan Order to priests. He urged
devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and encouraged daily Communion. In
addition to his teaching duties, Joseph was an excellent preacher,
confessor and retreat master. Noted for his work with condemned
prisoners, Joseph helped many of them die at peace with God. St. John
Bosco was one of Joseph’s pupils. Joseph urged John Bosco to establish
the Salesians to work with the youth of Turin. Joseph was canonized in
1947.
“O admirable heights and sublime lowliness! O sublime humility! O
humble sublimity! That the Lord of the universe, God and the Son of
God, so humbles Himself that for our salvation He hides Himself under
the little form of bread! Look, brothers, at the humility of God and
pour out your hearts before Him! Humble yourselves, as well, that you
may be exalted by Him. Therefore, hold back nothing of yourselves for
yourselves so that He Who gives Himself totally to you may receive you
totally” (Saint Francis, Letter to the Entire Order).
(AmericanCatholic.org)
Saint Ranier of Pisa
Born in 1117, the son of prosperous merchants, St Rainier enjoyed a
wild youth. But when he was about 23 his aunt introduced him to a monk
who persuaded him there was more to life than dissipation and
self-indulgence. St Ranier's change of heart was so dramatic, his
parents feared for his sanity. He walked barefoot, ate only on Sundays
and Thursdays and drank only water. However after a pilgrimage to the
Holy Land, he returned in a calmer state and spent the rest of his life
living quietly in monasteries and occasionally preaching. Many healings
and conversions are attributed to him. He is the patron saint of Pisa. (Saints)
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June 18:
Venerable
Matt Talbot (1856-1925)
Matt can be considered the patron of men and women struggling with
alcoholism. Matt was born in Dublin, where his father worked on the
docks and had a difficult time supporting his family. After a few years
of schooling, Matt obtained work as a messenger for some liquor
merchants; there he began to drink excessively. For 15 years—until he
was 30—Matt was an active alcoholic. One day he decided to take "the
pledge" for three months, make a general confession and begin to attend
daily Mass. There is evidence that Matt’s first seven years after
taking the pledge were especially difficult. Avoiding his former
drinking places was hard. He began to pray as intensely as he used to
drink. He also tried to pay back people from whom he had borrowed or
stolen money while he was drinking. Most of his life Matt worked as a
builder’s labourer. He joined the Secular Franciscan Order and began a
life of strict penance; he abstained from meat nine months a year. Matt
spent hours every night avidly reading Scripture and the lives of the
saints. He prayed the rosary conscientiously. Though his job did not
make him rich, Matt contributed generously to the missions. After 1923
his health failed and Matt was forced to quit work. He died on his way
to church on Trinity Sunday. Fifty years later Pope Paul VI gave him
the title venerable.
In looking at the life of Matt
Talbot, we may easily focus on the later years when he had stopped
drinking for some time and was leading a penitential life. Only
alcoholic men and women who have stopped drinking can fully appreciate
how difficult the earliest years of sobriety were for Matt. He had to
take one day at a time. So do the rest of us. On an otherwise blank
page in one of Matt’s books, the following is written: "God console thee and
make thee a saint. To arrive at the perfection of humility four things are
necessary: to despise the world, to despise no one, to despise self, to despise
being despised by others." (AmericanCatholic.org)
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June 19:
St.
Romuald (950?-1027)
After a wasted youth, Romuald saw his father kill a
relative in a duel over property. In horror he fled to a monastery near
Ravenna in Italy. After three years some of the monks found him to be
uncomfortably holy and eased him out. He spent the next 30 years going
about Italy, founding monasteries and hermitages. He longed to give his
life to Christ in martyrdom, and got the pope’s permission to preach
the gospel in Hungary. But he was struck with illness as soon as he
arrived, and the illness recurred as often as he tried to proceed.
During another period of his life, he suffered great spiritual dryness.
One day as he was praying Psalm 31 (“I will give you understanding and
I will instruct you”), he was given an extraordinary light and spirit
which never left him. At the next monastery where he stayed, he was
accused of a scandalous crime by a young nobleman he had rebuked for a
dissolute life. Amazingly, his fellow monks believed the accusation. He
was given a severe penance, forbidden to offer Mass and excommunicated,
an unjust sentence he endured in silence for six months. The most
famous of the monasteries he founded was that of the Camaldoli (Campus
Maldoli, name of the owner) in Tuscany. Here he founded the Order of
the Camaldolese Benedictines, uniting a monastic and hermit life. His
father later became a monk, wavered and was kept faithful by the
encouragement of his son.
Christ is a gentle leader, but he calls us to
total holiness. Now and then men and women are raised up to challenge
us by the absoluteness of their dedication, the vigor of their spirit,
the depth of their conversion. The fact that we cannot duplicate their
lives does not change the call to us to be totally open to God in our
own particular circumstances. (AmericanCatholic.org)
Saint
Romuald, Benedictine abbot. Born at Ravenna in about 950
Romuald
is said to have fled the world in horror after his father killed a man
in a duel. He joined the Cluniac monks, but after years of study became
attracted to a life of solitary prayer. He eventually left the
monastery and walked from place to place, founding many hermitages and
communities. The most important of these was Fonte Avellana and
Camaldoli, on a wooded mountainside in Tuscany. Romuald was a powerful
influence in the medieval church. His order of hermit monks, was very
austere and always had very few members, but survives to this day as an
independent order of Benedictines, called the Camaldolese monks.
Romuald made repeated attempts to undertake missionary work among the
Magyars and Slavs. He died on this day in 1027 at Val de Castro near
Camaldoli.
(Saints)
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June 20:
St.
Paulinus of Nola (354?-431)
Anyone who is praised in the
letters of six or seven saints undoubtedly must be of extraordinary
character. Such a person was Paulinus of Nola, correspondent and friend
of Augustine, Jerome, Melania, Martin, Gregory and Ambrose. Born near
Bordeaux, he was the son of the Roman prefect of Gaul, who had
extensive property in both Gaul and Italy. Paulinus became a
distinguished lawyer, holding several public offices in the Empire.
With his Spanish wife, Therasia, he retired at an early age to a life
of cultured leisure. The two were baptized by the saintly bishop of
Bordeaux and moved to Therasia’s estate in Spain. After many childless
years, they had a son who died a week after birth. This occasioned
their beginning a life of great austerity and charity, giving away most
of their Spanish property. Possibly as a result of this great example,
Paulinus was rather unexpectedly ordained a priest at Christmas by the
bishop of Barcelona. He and his wife then moved to Nola, near Naples.
He had a great love for St. Felix of Nola, and spent much effort in
promoting devotion to this saint. Paulinus gave away most of his
remaining property (to the consternation of his relatives) and
continued his work for the poor. Supporting a host of debtors, tramps
and other needy people, he lived a monastic life in another part of his
home. By popular demand he was made bishop of Nola and guided that
diocese for 21 years. His last years were saddened by the invasion of
the Huns. Among his few writings is the earliest extant Christian
wedding song.
Many of us are tempted to "retire" early
in life, after an initial burst of energy. Devotion to Christ and his
work is waiting to be done all around us. Paulinus's life had scarcely
begun when he thought it was over, as he took his ease on that estate
in Spain. "Man proposes, but God disposes." (AmericanCatholic.org)
Saint Alban
The first martyr of Britain.
This early saint was a Romano-Briton, living in Verulamium (now the
city of St Albans). During the persecutions of the Emperor Diocletian
he is said to have sheltered a Christian priest, St Amphilbalus, who
baptised him. When soldiers came looking for the priest, Alban dressed
in his clothes to help him escape. He was arrested and after refusing
to offer sacrifice, was killed by beheading in 209. One executioner was
converted. Alban was beheaded by another (whose eyes are said in one
story to have fallen out after the event). The cult of St Alban
extended all over England and parts of France. Many churches were
dedicated to him. Several shrines were built to him through the ages,
making the city of St Albans a great pilgrimage centre. His last shrine
in the cathedral was partly destroyed during the Reformation, but has
been painstakingly restored. The ancient shrine of St Amphilbalus, said
to have evangelised St Alban, is also in the cathedral.
(Saints)
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June 21:
Saint
Aloysius Gonzaga, religious (1568-1591)
The Lord can
make saints anywhere, even amid the brutality and license of
Renaissance life. Florence was the “mother of piety” for Aloysius Gonzaga despite his exposure to a “society of fraud, dagger, poison and
lust.” As a son of a princely family, he grew up in royal courts and
army camps. His father wanted Aloysius to be a military hero. At age
seven he experienced a profound spiritual quickening. His prayers
included the Office of Mary, the psalms and other devotions. At age
nine he came from his hometown of Castiglione to Florence to be
educated; by age 11 he was teaching catechism to poor children, fasting
three days a week and practicing great austerities. When he was 13
years old he travelled with his parents and the Empress of Austria to
Spain and acted as a page in the court of Philip II. The more Aloysius
saw of court life, the more disillusioned he became, seeking relief in
learning about the lives of saints. A book about the experience of
Jesuit missionaries in India suggested to him the idea of entering the
Society of Jesus, and in Spain his decision became final. Now began a
four-year contest with his father. Eminent churchmen and laypeople were
pressed into service to persuade him to remain in his “normal”
vocation. Finally he prevailed, was allowed to renounce his right to
succession and was received into the Jesuit novitiate. Like other
seminarians, Aloysius was faced with a new kind of penance—that of
accepting different ideas about the exact nature of penance. He was
obliged to eat more, to take recreation with the other students. He was
forbidden to pray except at stated times. He spent four years in the
study of philosophy and had St. Robert Bellarmine as his spiritual
adviser. In 1591, a plague struck Rome. The Jesuits opened a hospital
of their own. The general himself and many other Jesuits rendered
personal service. Because he nursed patients, washing them and making
their beds, Aloysius caught the disease himself. A fever persisted
after his recovery and he was so weak he could scarcely rise from bed.
Yet, he maintained his great discipline of prayer, knowing that he
would die within the octave of Corpus Christi, three months later. He
was 23.
As a saint who fasted,
scourged himself, sought solitude and prayer and did not look on the
faces of women, Aloysius seems an unlikely patron of youth in a society
where asceticism is confined to training camps of football teams and
boxers, and sexual permissiveness has little left to permit. Can an
overweight and air-conditioned society deprive itself of anything? It
will when it discovers a reason, as Aloysius did. The motivation for
letting God purify us is the experience of God loving us, in prayer.
"When we stand praying, beloved brethren, we ought to be watchful and
earnest with our whole heart, intent on our prayers. Let all carnal and
worldly thoughts pass away, nor let the soul at that time think on
anything except the object of its prayer" (St. Cyprian, On the
Lord's Prayer, 31). (AmericanCatholic.org)
St Mewan
A 6th century abbot, St Mewan was born in South Wales. The account goes
that he was a disciple of Samson and a companion of St Austell.
Together they migrated from Wales to Brittany, through Cornwall,
setting up churches along the way. Mewan founded one monastery in the
forest of Broceliande and another in a place now called Saint-Mean. The
cult of St Mewan spread all over France and there were once many
pilgrimages to his shrine. He is patron of St Mewan and Mevagissey in
Cornwall. Some of his relics are said to be at Glastonbury.
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June 22:
St.
Thomas More (1478-1535)
His belief that no
lay ruler has jurisdiction over the Church of Christ cost Thomas More
his life. Beheaded on Tower Hill, London, July 6, 1535, he steadfastly
refused to approve Henry VIII’s divorce and remarriage and
establishment
of the Church of England. Described as “a man for all
seasons,” More was a literary scholar, eminent lawyer, gentleman,
father of four children and chancellor of England. An intensely
spiritual man, he would not support the king’s divorce from Catherine
of Aragon in order to marry Anne Boleyn. Nor would he acknowledge Henry
as supreme head of the Church in England, breaking with Rome and
denying the pope as head. More was committed to the Tower of London to
await trial for treason: not swearing to the Act of Succession and the
Oath of Supremacy. Upon conviction, More declared he had all the
councils of Christendom and not just the council of one realm to
support him in the decision of his conscience.
Four hundred years later, in 1935, Thomas More
was canonized a saint of God. Few saints are more relevant to the 20th
century. The supreme diplomat and counsellor, he did not compromise his
own moral values in order to please the king, knowing that true
allegiance to authority is not blind acceptance of everything that
authority wants. King Henry himself realized this and tried desperately
to win his chancellor to his side because he knew More was a man whose
approval counted, a man whose personal integrity no one questioned. But
when Thomas resigned as chancellor, unable to approve the two matters
that meant most to Henry, the king had to get rid of Thomas More. (AmericanCatholic.org)
Thomas More
martyr
Thomas More was born in the year 1477. He studied
at the University of Oxford, married and had a son and three daughters.
He was a great lawyer and was appointed Chancellor of the kingdom. He
wrote a number of works about civil affairs and in defence of the
Catholic religion, and some spiritual works as well. His belief that no
lay ruler has jurisdiction over the Church of Christ cost Thomas More
his life. Described as “a man for all seasons,” More was a literary
scholar, eminent lawyer, gentleman, father of four children and
chancellor of England. An intensely spiritual man, he would not support
the king’s divorce from Catherine of Aragon in order to marry Anne
Boleyn. Nor would he acknowledge Henry as supreme head of the Church in
England, breaking with Rome and denying the pope as head. More was
committed to the Tower of London to await trial for treason: not
swearing to the Act of Succession and the Oath of Supremacy. Upon
conviction, More declared he had all the councils of Christendom and
not just the council of one realm to support him in the decision of his
conscience. Beheaded on Tower Hill, London, July 6, 1535,
he steadfastly
refused to approve Henry VIII’s divorce and remarriage and
establishment of the Church of England.
Four hundred years later, in 1935, Thomas More was canonized a saint of
God. Few saints are more relevant to the 20th century. The supreme
diplomat and counselor, he did not compromise his own moral values in
order to please the king, knowing that true allegiance to authority is
not blind acceptance of everything that authority wants. King Henry
himself realized this and tried desperately to win his chancellor to
his side because he knew More was a man whose approval counted, a man
whose personal integrity no one questioned. But when Thomas resigned as
chancellor, unable to approve the two matters that meant most to Henry,
the king had to get rid of Thomas More. (Saints)
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June 23:
St.
John Fisher (1469-1535)
John Fisher is usually associated with Erasmus, Thomas More and other
Renaissance humanists. His life, therefore, did not have the external
simplicity found in the lives of some saints. Rather, he was a man of
learning, associated
with the intellectuals and political leaders of
his day. He was interested in the contemporary culture and eventually
became chancellor at Cambridge. He had been made a bishop at 35, and
one of his interests was raising the standard of preaching in England.
Fisher himself was an accomplished preacher and writer. His sermons on
the penitential psalms were reprinted seven times before his death.
With the coming of Lutheranism, he was drawn into controversy. His
eight books against heresy gave him a leading position among European
theologians. In 1521 he was asked to study the problem of Henry VIII’s
marriage. He incurred Henry’s anger by defending the validity of the
king’s marriage with Catherine and later by rejecting Henry’s claim to
be the supreme head of the Church of England. In an attempt to be rid
of him, Henry first had him accused of not reporting all the
“revelations” of the nun of Kent, Elizabeth Barton. John was summoned,
in feeble health, to take the oath to the new Act of Succession. He and
Thomas More refused because the Act presumed the legality of Henry’s
divorce and his claim to be head of the English Church. They were sent
to the Tower of London, where Fisher remained 14 months without trial.
They were finally sentenced to life imprisonment and loss of goods.
When the two were called to further interrogations, they remained
silent. Fisher was tricked, on the supposition he was speaking
privately as a priest, and declared again that the king was not supreme
head. The king, further angered that the pope had made John Fisher a
cardinal, had him brought to trial on the charge of high treason. He
was condemned and executed, his body left to lie all day on the
scaffold and his head hung on London Bridge. More was executed two
weeks later.
Today many questions are
raised about Christians' and priests' active involvement in social
issues. John Fisher remained faithful to his calling as a bishop. He
strongly upheld the teachings of the Church; the very cause of his
martyrdom was his loyalty to Rome. He was involved in the cultural
enrichment circles as well as in the political struggles of his time.
This involvement caused him to question the moral conduct of the
leadership of his country. "The Church has the right, indeed the duty,
to proclaim justice on the social, national and international level,
and to denounce instances of injustice, when the fundamental rights of
man and his very salvation demand it" (Justice in the World,
1971 Synod of Bishops). Erasmus said of John Fisher: "He is the one man at this
time who is incomparable for uprightness of life, for learning and for greatness
of soul."
(AmericanCatholic.org)
Saint
John Fisher Bishop of Rochester Born at Beverly, 1469 — martyred
June 22, 1536, Tower of London Canonized (with Saint Thomas More) 1935.
John Fisher studied theology in Cambridge, England and became Bishop of
Rochester. His friend Saint Thomas More wrote of him, "I reckon in this
realm no one man, in wisdom, learning, and long approved virtue
together, meet to be matched and compared with him." Saint John Fisher
and his friend Saint Thomas More gave up their lives in testimony to
the unity of the Church and to the indissolubility of marriage.
Fisher’s Reply to Bishops
Stokesley, Gardiner and Tunstal, sent to the Tower by Thomas
Cromwell to persuade Fisher to submit to the King:
Methinks it had
been rather our parts to stick together in repressing these violent and
unlawful intrusions and injuries daily offered to our common mother,
the holy Church of Christ, than by any manner of persuasions to help or
set forward the same. And we ought rather to seek by all means the
temporal destruction of the so ravenous wolves, that daily go about
worrying and devouring everlastingly, the flock that Christ committed
to our charge, and the flock that Himself died for, than to suffer them
thus to range abroad. But (alas) seeing we do it not, you see in what
peril the Christian state now standeth: We are besieged on all sides,
and can hardly escape the danger of our enemy. And seeing that judgment
is begone at the house of God, what hope is there left (if we fall)
that the rest shall stand! The fort is betrayed even of them that
should have defended it. And therefore seeing the matter is thus begun,
and so faintly resisted on our parts, I fear that we be not the men
that shall see the end of the misery. Wherefore, seeing I am an old man
and look not long to live, I mind not by the help of God to trouble my
conscience in pleasing the king this way whatsoever become of me, but
rather here to spend out the remnant of my old days in praying to God
for him.
On the scaffold Fisher said to
the people assembled:
Christian people, I am come hither to die for the faith of Christ's
Holy Catholic Church, and I thank God hitherto my stomach hath served
me very well thereunto, so that yet I have not feared death. Wherefore
I
do desire you all to help and assist me with your prayers, that at the
very point and instant of death's stroke, I may in that very moment
stand steadfast without fainting in any one point of the Catholic faith
free from any fear; and I beseech Almighty God of His infinite goodness
to save the king and this Realm, and that it may please Him to hold His
holy hand over it, and send the king good Counsel.
He then knelt, said
the Te Deum, In te domine speravi, and submitted to the axe. Of all the
English bishops, only Bishop John Fisher of Rochester publicly opposed
Henry VIII's mandatory Oath of Allegience, which unlawfully declared
King Henry the head of the Church of England. The bishop's stand
ultimately cost him his life. May his example inspire all Catholics
today, especially the bishops on whose courageous leadership the Church
depends.
(Saints)
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June 24:
St. John the Baptist
Jesus
called John the greatest of all those who had preceded him: “I tell
you, among those born of women, no one is greater than John....” But
John would have agreed completely with what Jesus added: “Yet the
least in the kingdom of God is greater than he” (Luke 7:28). John spent
his time in the desert, an ascetic. He began to announce the coming of
the Kingdom, and to call everyone to a fundamental reformation of life.
His purpose was to prepare the way for Jesus. His Baptism, he said, was
for repentance. But One would come who would baptize with the Holy
Spirit and fire. John is not worthy even to carry his sandals. His
attitude toward Jesus was: “He must increase; I must decrease” (John
3:30). John was humbled to find among the crowd of sinners who came to
be baptized the one whom he already knew to be the Messiah. “I need to
be baptized by you” (Matthew 3:14b). But Jesus insisted, “Allow it now,
for thus it is fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness” (Matthew
3:15b). Jesus, true and humble human as well as eternal God, was eager
to do what was required of any good Jew. John thus publicly entered the
community of those awaiting the Messiah. But making himself part of
that community, he made it truly messianic. The greatness of John, his
pivotal place in the history of salvation, is seen in the great
emphasis Luke gives to the announcement of his birth and the event
itself—both made prominently parallel to the same occurrences in the
life of Jesus. John attracted countless people (“all Judea”) to the
banks of the Jordan, and it occurred to some people that he might be
the Messiah. But he constantly deferred to Jesus, even to sending away
some of his followers to become the first disciples of Jesus. Perhaps
John’s idea of the coming of the Kingdom of God was not being perfectly
fulfilled in the public ministry of Jesus. For whatever reason, he sent
his disciples (when he was in prison) to ask Jesus if he was the
Messiah. Jesus’ answer showed that the Messiah was to be a figure like
that of the Suffering Servant in Isaiah. John himself would share in
the pattern of messianic suffering, losing his life to the revenge of Herodias.
John challenges
us Christians to the fundamental attitude of Christianity—total
dependence on the Father, in Christ. Except for the Mother of God, no
one had a higher function in the unfolding of salvation. Yet the least
in the kingdom, Jesus said, is greater than he, for the pure gift that
the Father gives. The attractiveness as well as the austerity of John,
his fierce courage in denouncing evil—all stem from his fundamental and
total placing of his life within the will of God. "And this is not
something which was only true once, long ago in the past. It is always
true, because the repentance which he preached always remains the way
into the kingdom which he announced. He is not a figure that we can
forget now that Jesus, the true light, has appeared. John is always
relevant because he calls for a preparation which all men need to make.
Hence every year there are four weeks in the life of the Church in
which it listens to the voice of the Baptist. These are the weeks of
Advent" (A New Catechism).
(AmericanCatholic.org)
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June 25:
Blessed
Jutta of Thuringia (d. 1264?)
Today's patroness of
Prussia began her life amidst luxury and power but died the death of a
simple servant of the poor. In truth, virtue and piety were always of
prime importance to Jutta and her husband, both of noble rank. The two
were set to make a pilgrimage together to the holy places in Jerusalem,
but her husband died on the way. The newly widowed Jutta, after taking
care to provide for her children, resolved to live in a manner utterly
pleasing to God. She disposed of the costly clothes, jewels and
furniture befitting one of her rank, and became a Secular Franciscan,
taking on the simple garment of a religious. From that point her life
was utterly devoted to others: caring for the sick, particularly
lepers; tending to the poor, whom she visited in their hovels; helping
the crippled and blind with whom she shared her own home. Many of the
townspeople of Thuringia laughed at how the once-distinguished lady now
spent all her time. But Jutta saw the face of God in the poor and felt
honoured to render whatever services she could. About the year 1260, not
long before her death, Jutta lived near the non-Christians in eastern
Germany. There she built a small hermitage and prayed unceasingly for
their conversion. She has been venerated for centuries as the special
patron of Prussia.
Jesus once
said that a camel can pass through a needle’s eye more easily than a
rich person can enter God’s realm. That’s pretty scary news for us. We
may not have great fortunes, but we who live in the West enjoy a share
of the world’s goods that people in the rest of the world cannot
imagine. Much to the amusement of her neighbours, Jutta disposed of her
wealth after her husband’s death and devoted her life to caring for
those who had no means. Should we follow her example, people will
probably laugh at us, too. But God will smile.
(AmericanCatholic.org)
Saint
Prosper of Reggio This fifth century bishop of Reggio in Italy,
is not commemorated in the city's large cathedral, but in a small
church tucked behind it. He served Reggio for more than 20 years and
was much loved for his kindness and modesty. He cared so little about
his own glory that he specially asked to be buried in the small church
outside the city walls rather than the cathedral. When a rich young man
asked Jesus: "What have I to do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus told
him: "Sell all that you own and distribute the money to the poor, and
you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me." Prosper
took this command so seriously he gave away all his possessions. He
died on this day in 466. (Saints)
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June 26:
Blessed
Raymond Lull (1235-1315)
Raymond
worked all his life to promote the missions and died a missionary to North
Africa. Raymond was born at Palma on the island of Mallorca in the Mediterranean
Sea. He earned a position in the king’s court there. One day a sermon inspired
him to dedicate his life to working for the conversion of the Muslims in North
Africa. He became a Secular Franciscan and founded a college where missionaries
could learn the Arabic they would need in the missions. Retiring to solitude, he
spent nine years as a hermit. During that time he wrote on all branches of
knowledge, a work which earned him the title "Enlightened Doctor." Raymond then
made many trips through Europe to interest popes, kings and princes in
establishing special colleges to prepare future missionaries. He achieved his
goal in 1311 when the Council of Vienne ordered the creation of chairs of
Hebrew, Arabic and Chaldean at the universities of Bologna, Oxford, Paris and
Salamanca. At the age of 79, Raymond went to North Africa in 1314 to be a
missionary himself. An angry crowd of Muslims stoned him in the city of Bougie.
Genoese merchants took him back to Mallorca where he died. Raymond was beatified
in 1514.
Raymond
worked most of his life to help spread the gospel. Indifference on the part of
some Christian leaders and opposition in North Africa did not turn him from his
goal. Three hundred years later Raymond’s work began to have an influence in the
Americas. When the Spanish began to spread the gospel in the New World, they set
up missionary colleges to aid the work. Blessed Junipero Serra belonged to such
a college. Thomas of Celano wrote of St. Francis: "In vain does the wicked man
persecute one striving after virtue, for the more he is buffeted, the more
strongly will he triumph. As someone says, indignity strengthens a generous
spirit" (I Celano, #11). (AmericanCatholic.org)
St.
Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer (1902-1975) was born
in Barbastro, Spain, on January 9, 1902, the second of six children of
Jose and Dolores Escriva. Growing up in a devout family and attending
Catholic schools, he learned the basic truths of the faith and
practices such as frequent confession and communion, the rosary, and
almsgiving. The death of three younger sisters, and his father's
bankruptcy 
after business
reverses, taught him the meaning of suffering and brought maturity to
his outgoing and cheerful temperament. In 1915, the family moved to
Logrono, where his father had found new employment. Beginning in 1918,
Josemaria sensed that God was asking something of him, although he
didn't know exactly what it was. He decided to become a priest, in
order to be available for whatever God wanted of him. He began studying
for the priesthood, first in Logrono and later in Saragossa. At his
father's suggestion and with the permission of his superiors at the
seminary he also began to study civil law. He was ordained a priest and
began his pastoral ministry in 1925. In 1927, Fr. Josemaria moved to
Madrid to study for a graduate degree in law. He was accompanied by his
mother, sister, and brother, as his father had died in 1924 and he was
now head of the family. They were not well-off, and he had to tutor law
students to support them. At the same time he carried out a demanding
pastoral work, especially among the poor and sick in Madrid, and with
young children. He also undertook an apostolate with manual workers,
professional people and university students who, by coming into contact
with the poor and sick to whom Fr. Josemaria was ministering, learned
the practical meaning of charity and their Christian responsibility to
help out in the betterment of society. On October 2, 1928, while making
a retreat in Madrid, God showed him his specific mission: he was to
found Opus Dei, an institution within the Catholic Church dedicated to
helping people in all walks of life to follow Christ, to seek holiness
in their daily life and grow in love for God and their fellow men and
women. From that moment on, he dedicated all his strength to fulfilling
this mission, certain that God had raised up Opus Dei to serve the
Church. In 1930, responding to a new illumination from God, he started
Opus Dei's apostolic work with women, making clear that they had the
same responsibility as men to serve society and the Church. The first
edition of The Way, his most widely read work, was published in 1934
under the title Spiritual Considerations. His other spiritual writings
include Holy Rosary; The Way of the Cross; two collections of homilies,
Christ Is Passing By and Friends of God; and Furrow and The Forge,
which like The Way are made up of short points for prayer and
reflection. The development of Opus Dei began among the young people
with whom Fr. Josemaria had already been in contact before 1928. Its
growth, however, was seriously impeded by the religious persecution
inflicted on the Catholic Church during the Spanish Civil War
(1936-1939). The founder himself suffered severe hardships under this
persecution but, unlike many other priests, he came out of the war
alive. After the war, he travelled throughout the country giving
retreats to hundreds of priests at the request of their bishops.
Meanwhile Opus Dei spread from Madrid to several other Spanish cities,
and as soon as World War II ended in 1945, began starting in other
countries. This growth was not without pain; though the Work always had
the approval of the local bishops, its then-unfamiliar message of
sanctity in the world met with some misunderstandings and
suspicions-which the founder bore with great patience and charity.
While celebrating Mass in 1943, Fr. Josemaria received a new
foundational grace to establish the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross,
which made it possible for some of Opus Dei's lay faithful to be
ordained as priests. Aware that God meant Opus Dei to be part of the
mission of the universal Church, the founder moved to Rome in 1946 so
as to be close to the Holy See. By 1950 the Work had received
pontifical approvals. Beginning in 1948, full membership in Opus Dei
was open to married people. In 1950 the Holy See approved the idea of
accepting non-Catholics and even non-Christians as cooperators-persons
who assist Opus Dei in its projects and programs without being members.
The next decade saw the launching of a wide range of undertakings.
During Vatican Council II (1962-1965), Monsignor Escriva worked closely
with many of the council fathers. Deeply grateful for the Council's
teachings, he did everything possible to implement them in the
formative activities offered by Opus Dei throughout the world. Between
1970 and 1975 the founder undertook catechetical trips throughout
Europe and Latin America, speaking with many people, at times in large
gatherings, about love of God, the sacraments, Christian dedication,
and the need to sanctify work and family life. By the time of the
founder's death, Opus Dei had spread to thirty nations on six
continents. By 2002 it had more than 84,000 members in sixty countries.
Monsignor Escriva's death in Rome came suddenly on June 26, 1975, when
he was 73. Large numbers of bishops and ordinary faithful petitioned
the Vatican to begin the process for his beatification and
canonization. On May 17, 1992, Pope John Paul II declared him Blessed
before a huge crowd in St. Peter's Square. He was canonized on October
6, 2002.
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June 27:
St. Cyril
of Alexandria (376?-444)
Saints are not born with halos around their heads. Cyril, recognized as a great
teacher of the Church, began his career as archbishop of Alexandria, Egypt, with
impulsive, often violent, actions. He pillaged and closed the churches of the Novatian heretics, participated in the deposing of St. John Chrysostom and
confiscated Jewish property, expelling the Jews from Alexandria in retaliation
for their attacks on Christians. Cyril’s importance for theology and Church
history lies in his championing the cause of orthodoxy against the heresy of
Nestorius.
The controversy centred around the two natures in Christ. Nestorius would not
agree to the title “God-bearer” for Mary. He preferred “Christ-bearer,” saying
there are two distinct persons in Christ (divine and human) joined only by
a
moral union. He said Mary was not the mother of God but only of the man Christ,
whose humanity was only a temple of God. Nestorianism implied that the humanity
of Christ was a mere disguise. Presiding as the pope’s representative at the
Council of Ephesus (431), Cyril condemned Nestorianism and proclaimed Mary truly
the “God-bearer” (the mother of the one Person who is truly God and truly
human). In the confusion that followed, Cyril was deposed and imprisoned for
three months, after which he was welcomed back to Alexandria as a second
Athanasius (the champion against Arianism). Besides needing to soften some of
his opposition to those who had sided with Nestorius, Cyril had difficulties
with some of his own allies, who thought he had gone too far, sacrificing not
only language but orthodoxy. Until his death, his policy of moderation kept his
extreme partisans under control. On his deathbed, despite pressure, he refused
to condemn the teacher of Nestorius.
Lives of the saints are valuable not
only for the virtue they reveal but also for the less admirable qualities that
also appear. Holiness is a gift of God to us as human beings. Life is a process.
We respond to God's gift, but sometimes with a lot of zigzagging. If Cyril had
been more patient and diplomatic, the Nestorian Church might not have risen and
maintained power so long. But even saints must grow out of immaturity,
narrowness and selfishness. It is because they — and we — do grow, that we are truly
saints, persons who live the life of God. Cyril's theme: "Only if it is one and
the same Christ who is consubstantial with the Father and with men can he save
us, for the meeting ground between God and man is the flesh of Christ. Only if
this is God's own flesh can man come into contact with Christ's divinity through
his humanity. Because of our kinship with the Word made flesh we are sons of
God. The Eucharist consummates our kinship with the word, our communion with the
Father, our sharing in the divine nature—there is very real contact between our
body and that of the Word" (New Catholic Encyclopedia).
(AmericanCatholic.org)
Saint John
Southworth Priest and martyr. St John was born in 1592 in
Lancashire. He
went overseas to study and was ordained in Douai in
1618. St John returned to England in 1627 and was soon arrested. He
spent three years in prison — the first of several imprisonments. Most
of his priestly work was carried out in Westminster. He was much loved
for his ministry to the sick and dying, especially during the plague
years. He continued his work until 1654, when he was arrested for the
last time, tried and finally condemned to death. On this day, at the
age of 62, he was hung, drawn and quartered at Tyburn, close to where
Marble Arch now stands. St John was the last secular priest to suffer
in this way. His body was taken to Douai, embalmed and buried. But when
the seminary was demolished, during the French Revolution, his coffin
was lost. It was accidentally discovered in 1927 and taken to St
Edmund's College in Ware. Three years later St John's body was placed
in a shrine at Westminster Cathedral, in the parish where he spent so
much of his life. St John was canonised with the Forty Martyrs in 1970.
He is a patron saint of priests.
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June 28:
Saint
Irenaeus, bishop and martyr (130?-220)
The Church is fortunate that Irenaeus was involved in many of its controversies
in the second century. He was a student, well trained, no doubt, with great
patience in investigating, tremendously protective of apostolic teaching, but
prompted more by a desire to win over his opponents than to prove them in error.
As bishop of Lyons he was especially concerned with the Gnostics, who took their
name from the Greek word for “knowledge.” Claiming access to secret knowledge
imparted by Jesus to only a few disciples, their teaching was attracting and
confusing many Christians. After thoroughly investigating the various Gnostic
sects and their “secret,” Irenaeus showed to what logical conclusions their
tenets led. These he contrasted with the teaching of the apostles and the text
of Holy Scripture, giving us, in five books, a system of theology of great
importance to subsequent times. Moreover, his work, widely used and translated
into Latin and Armenian, gradually ended the influence of the Gnostics. The
circumstances and details about his death, like those of his birth and early
life in Asia Minor, are not at all clear.
A deep and genuine
concern for other people will remind us that the discovery of truth is not to be
a victory for some and a defeat for others. Unless all can claim a share in that
victory, truth itself will continue to be rejected by the losers, because it
will be regarded as inseparable from the yoke of defeat. And so, confrontation,
controversy and the like might yield to a genuine united search for God's truth
and how it can best be served. (AmericanCatholic.org)
St
Irenaeus, bishop
and martyr (130-202).
He was a disciple of St Polycarp of
Smyrna. Bishop. Born in Smyrna around 140, as a boy he was a friend of
St Polycarp who had heard St John the Evangelist preach. "The things we
learn in childhood are part of our soul," he wrote. St Irenaeus
cherished Polycarp's teachings, saying they were written "not on paper
but in my heart." St Irenaeus was an important theologian. The Church
is fortunate that Irenaeus was involved in many of its controversies in
the second century. He was a student, well trained, no doubt, with
great patience in investigating, tremendously protective of apostolic
teaching, but prompted more by a desire to win over his opponents than
to prove them in error. He
succeeded the martyred St Pothimus in the See of Lyons. As
bishop of Lyons he was especially concerned with the Gnostics, who took
their name from the Greek word for “knowledge.” Claiming access to
secret knowledge imparted by Jesus to only a few disciples, their
teaching was attracting and confusing many Christians. After thoroughly
investigating the various Gnostic sects and their “secret,” Irenaeus
showed to what logical conclusions their tenets led. These he
contrasted with the teaching of the apostles and the text of Holy
Scripture, giving us, in five books, a system of theology of great
importance to subsequent times. Moreover, his work, widely used and
translated into Latin and Armenian, gradually ended the influence of
the Gnostics. The circumstances and details about his death, like those
of his birth and early life in Asia Minor, are not at all clear. He
died at Lyon in 200 and was buried in the crypt of the church of St
John. In 1562 his shrine was destroyed by Calvinists. (Saints)
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June 29:
Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles Sts. Peter
and Paul (d. 64 & 67)
Peter: St. Mark ends the first half of his Gospel with a triumphant
climax. He has recorded doubt, misunderstanding and the opposition of
many to
Jesus. Now Peter makes his great confession of faith: "You are the Messiah"
(Mark 8:29b). It was one of the many glorious moments in Peter's life, beginning
with the day he was called from his nets along the Sea of Galilee to become a
fisher of men for Jesus. The New
Testament clearly shows Peter as the leader
of
the apostles, chosen by Jesus to have a special relationship with him. With
James and John he was privileged to witness the Transfiguration, the raising of
a dead child to life and the agony in Gethsemane. His mother-in-law was cured by
Jesus. He was sent with John to prepare for the last Passover before Jesus'
death. His name is first on every list of apostles. And to Peter only did Jesus
say, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed
this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and
upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the nether world shall
not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.
Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on
earth shall be loosed in heaven" (Matthew 16:17b-19). But the Gospels prove
their own veracity by the unflattering details they include about Peter. He
clearly had no public relations person. It is a great comfort for ordinary
mortals to know that Peter also has his human weakness, even in the presence of
Jesus. He generously gave up all things, yet he can ask in childish self-regard,
"What are we
going to get for all this?" (see Matthew 19:27). He receives the
full force of Christ's anger when he objects to the idea of a suffering Messiah:
"Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God
does, but as human beings do" (Matthew 16:23b). Peter is willing to accept
Jesus' doctrine of forgiveness, but suggests a limit of seven times. He walks on
the water in faith, but sinks in doubt. He refuses to let Jesus wash his feet,
then wants his whole body cleansed. He swears at the Last Supper that he will
never deny Jesus, and then swears to a servant maid that he has never known the
man. He loyally resists the first attempt to arrest Jesus by cutting off Malchus's ear, but in the end he runs away with the others. In the depth of his
sorrow, Jesus looks on him and forgives him, and he goes out and sheds bitter
tears.
Paul: If Billy Graham suddenly began preaching
that the United States should adopt Marxism and not rely on the Constitution,
the angry reaction would help us understand Paul's life when he started
preaching that Christ al
one can save us. He had been the most Pharisaic of
Pharisees, the most legalistic of Mosaic lawyers. Now he suddenly appears to
other Jews as a heretical welcomer of Gentiles, a traitor and apostate. Paul's
central conviction was simple and absolute: Only God can save humanity. No human
effort—even the most scrupulous observance of law—can create a human good which
we can bring to God as reparation for sin and payment for grace. To be saved
from itself, from sin, from the devil and from death, humanity must open itself
completely to the saving power of Jesus. Paul never lost his love for his Jewish
family, though he carried on a lifelong debate with them about the uselessness
of the Law without Christ. He reminded the Gentiles that they were grafted on
the parent stock of the Jews, who were still God's chosen people, the children
of the promise. In light of his preaching and teaching skills, Paul's name has
surfaced (among others) as a possible patron of the Internet.
(AmericanCatholic.org)
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June 30:
First Martyrs of the Church of Rome (d. 68)
There were
Christians in Rome within a dozen or so years after the death of Jesus, though
they were not the converts of the “Apostle of the Gentiles” (Romans 15:20). Paul
had not yet visited them at the time he wrote his great letter in AD 57-58.
There was a large Jewish population in Rome. Probably as a result of controversy
between Jews and Jewish Christians, the Emperor Claudius expelled all Jews from
Rome in 49-50 A.D. Suetonius the historian says that the expulsion was due to
disturbances in the city “caused by the certain Chrestus” [Christ]. Perhaps many
came back after Claudius’s death in 54 A.D. Paul’s letter was addressed to a
Church with members from Jewish and Gentile backgrounds. In July of 64 A.D.,
more than half of Rome was destroyed by fire. Rumor blamed the tragedy on Nero,
who wanted to enlarge his palace. He shifted the blame by accusing the
Christians. According to the historian Tacitus, a “great multitude” of
Christians was put to death because of their “hatred of the human race.” Peter
and Paul were probably among the victims. Threatened by an army revolt and
condemned to death by the senate, Nero committed suicide in 68 A.D. at the age
of 31.
Wherever the Good News of Jesus was
preached, it met the same opposition as Jesus did, and many of those who began
to follow him shared his suffering and death. But no human force could stop the
power of the Spirit unleashed upon the world. The blood of martyrs has always
been, and will always be, the seed of Christians. From Pope Clement I, successor
of St. Peter: “It was through envy and jealousy that the greatest and most
upright pillars of the Church were persecuted and struggled unto death.... First
of all, Peter, who because of unreasonable jealousy suffered not merely once or
twice but many times, and, having thus given his witness, went to the place of
glory that he deserved. It was through jealousy and conflict that Paul showed
the way to the prize for perseverance. He was put in chains seven times, sent
into exile, and stoned; a herald both in the east and the west, he achieved a
noble fame by his faith....” “Around these men with their holy lives there are
gathered a great throng of the elect, who, though victims of jealousy, gave us
the finest example of endurance in the midst of many indignities and tortures.
Through jealousy women were tormented, like Dirce or the daughters of Danaus,
suffering terrible and unholy acts of violence. But they courageously finished
the course of faith and despite their bodily weakness won a noble prize.”
(AmericanCatholic.org)