The Feast of All Saints

Today the Church honors all the Saints who live now in heaven with Jesus, His Father and the Holy Spirit.

 

The earliest observance of this day was a commemoration of “all the Martyrs” in the fourth century. Later, when Christians were free to worship according to their conscience, the Church acknowledged other paths to sanctity besides dying for the Faith. In the early centuries the only criterion for sainthood was popular acclaim, even when the bishop's approval became the final step in placing a commemoration on the calendar. The first papal canonization occurred in 993 AD; the lengthy process now required to prove extraordinary sanctity took shape over the past 500 years. Today's feast honors the obscure as well as the famous—the saints each of us have known and are invited to imitate. Pope Francis said today, “The saints are not distant, but love and understand us. They are happy and want to help us to be happy with them in Paradise.”

 

“After this I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue.

They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands....

One of the elders said to me, ‘These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress;

they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.’”

-Revelation 7:9, 14

 

The Feast of Saint Francis

Today we celebrate the feast of one of the most beloved persons in history…

 

Saint Francis of Assisi

Feast Day: October 4

 

Patron of Animals and All Who Care for the Earth

 

Saint Francis was born as the son of a wealthy merchant in Assisi in 1182. He loved to sing songs and party with his friends.

One day, Jesus spoke to Francis from the crucifix in the tiny chapel of San Damiano, “Go, rebuild My Church.”

Francis fell in love with Jesus. He gave away his rich clothing and wore a simple robe. He cared for the sick and needy.

He taught that everything God made, like the sun, the moon, the animals and plants, is good. God wants us to take good care of our earth.

Captivated by his sincerity and fervent heart, men and women, began to follow Francis.

Together they cared for others, especially the poor, and began to spiritually rebuild the Church.

 

The pope blessed Saint Francis and his followers. Saint Francis prayed and preached much.

He was the first person in history to receive the stigmata—the wounds of Jesus, and died with the words, “Welcome, Sister Death!”

 

 

Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi

 

Lord,

Make me an instrument of Thy peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love.

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

And where there is sadness, joy.

 

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

To be consoled, as to console;

To be understood, as to understand;

To be loved, as to love;

For it is in giving that we receive;

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Amen.

 

Saint Francis of Assisi, pray for us.

Feast of Saint Augustine

SAINT AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO

Patron of Theologians and Printers

Feast Day: August 28

Saint Augustine was born in 354, in Africa. He was very intelligent and quite popular. However, his heart was far from God. His mother, Monica, prayed every day that God would help her son. After 33 years, God answered Saint Monica’s prayers. Augustine asked Jesus to come into his heart, and God gave Augustine the gift of faith. He was baptized and gave all his goods to the poor. He became a bishop and fought the enemies of the Church by his life, preaching, and writing. Saint Augustine died in 430.

Our hearts were made for Thee, O Lord,

and restless shall they be,

until they rest in Thee.

--Saint Augustine

Illustrated Lives of the Saints for Children

The feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Today the Church celebrates the feast of the

Sacred Heart of Jesus.

 Born in France in 1647, Margaret Mary Alacoque was crippled by a disease at age 8.  After promising to give her life to Jesus’ service, she was miraculously healed through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. At 23, she entered the Visitation Order of Nuns.

Sister Margaret Mary loved our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament—the consecrated Body of Christ from Holy Communion, which is kept in the tabernacles of Catholic churches—very much. The world had grown cold and unresponsive to God and His offer of salvation through the grace His Son won for us all on the Cross. Over the course of a few years, Jesus appeared to Margaret, revealing to her His Sacred Heart.

 

The flames coming forth from Jesus’ Heart remind us of His burning love for us and His desire that we love Him in return. The crown of thorns around His Heart reminds us of His sacrifice for us and His invitation that we offer our sufferings to Him, as Saint Paul teaches us: “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church” (Colossians 1:24).

Jesus made at least twelve promises to Sister Margaret Mary, revealing the abundance of His love and telling her how He would help those who honor His Sacred Heart. He said, “Behold this Heart which has loved men and women so much, and yet they do not want to love Me in return. Through you My divine Heart wishes to spread its love everywhere on earth.” He further promised, “I will bless every home in which an image of My Heart will be honored.”

Sister Margaret Mary died in 1690, and was canonized a saint in 1920.

The Feast of Saint Joseph the Worker!

    "We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets,

Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth."

–John 1:45

For decades, May Day was the occasion for Communist countries to parade their military power. On this day in 1955, Pope Pius XII inaugurated the celebration of Saint Joseph the Worker.  It seemed comical, even absurd, to raise up Joseph to challenge the Communist military machine on its May Day march, but look at what happened! The collapse of Communism is often attributed to God working through the prayers of His people, and especially in response to the apparitions of Mother Mary at Fatima in 1917, urging all to pray and do penance for the conversion of Russia. 

It is also true that the Lord has transformed the world through Joseph and through simple, common, obscure workers like him—and us! As Saint Paul exhorts us, "Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being. Do it for the Lord rather than for men. ... Be servants of Christ the Lord" (Colossians 3:23-24

The Epiphany of the Lord

Caravans of camels shall fill you,

dromedaries from Midian and Ephah;

All from Sheba shall come

bearing gold and frankincense,

and proclaiming the praises of the LORD.

–Isaiah 60:6

At this time there were Wise Men, called Magi, who traveled a long distance to come to Jerusalem. They went to the king, named Herod, and said to him, “Where is he who is born King of the Jews? We have seen his star in the sky, and have come to worship him.”

Herod did not want to hear of any king but himself. He therefore called together the learned men in Jerusalem and asked them, “Where is the Messiah, called Christ, to be born?” They answered, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus wrote the prophet: ‘You, Bethlehem, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel.’”

Herod then said to the Magi in secret, “Go to Bethlehem and find the child. When you have found him, let me know, that I too may go and worship him.” The Magi then set out, following the star until it stopped over the place where Jesus was.

The Magi entered the house and found Jesus with his mother Mary. They worshiped the child, and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. After this, they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, and so they left by another way.