Six Saints Who Received the Sacred Stigmata

SIX WELL-KNOWN SAINTS THAT RECEIVED THE SACRED STIGMATA ✝️🙏

The main purpose of the stigmata is so the saint may suffer in union with Jesus for the conversion of sinners, that is, for the redemption of humanity. Those who bear the stigmata are then “co-redeemers” with Christ, as they, with their limited human capabilities, share in His sufferings and participate in a special way in His Redemption. 

Simply put, victim souls make reparation for sin and do penance for all those who don't. And through their sufferings in union with Jesus they lead souls to God, by obtaining the graces that certain souls need to turn to God. They participate in and live the Passion of Jesus in their body and souls, for the conversion of sinners.✨

http://www.miraclesofthesaints.com/2010/09/stigmata.html

St. Monica - Feast Day August 27

St. Monica (331 AD – 387 AD) 

Feast Day: August 27

St. Monica is the mother of St. Augustine. She always reminds me of a faithful mother who can never bear the thought of her son, the child who has issued forth from her womb, suffering eternal damnation because of his rejection of the Gospel. This painful truth makes her cry and weep intensely. She visits St. Ambrose repeatedly to petition him to intervene in her son’s case. Finally, St. Ambrose famously responds, “woman the child of those tears will never perish” (Confessions, III, 12).  

For 20 years she continues praying, crying and imploring God to save her son. This sentiment embodies the perfect love of a mother and the sweet maternal instinct in a woman who has set her priorities straight. 

It is good for a mother to offer food and other necessities to her children, but their eternal destiny comes first and foremost. It is more important than even the children’s life on this earth. Out of her loving concern for her rebellious son, she travels to Rome, then Milan. 

After her son is baptized into the Catholic Church, she speaks these words to St. Augustine, “Son, for myself, I have no longer any pleasure in anything in this life. What I want here further, and why I am here, I know not, now that my hopes in this world are satisfied. There was indeed one thing for which I wished to tarry a little in this life, and that was that I might see you a Catholic Christian before I died. My God has exceeded this abundantly, so that I see you despising all earthly felicity, made His servant—what do I here?” (Confessions IX, 10).  

Shortly after, she fell ill, and on her deathbed, she says to her two sons, “Lay this body anywhere, let not the care for it trouble you at all. This only I ask, that you will remember me at the Lord's altar, wherever you be” (Confessions IX, 11). 

St. Columban - Feast Day November 23

Feast Day: November 23
Born: 543 :: Died: 615

St. Columban, the most famous of the Irish missionary-monks was born at West Leinster in Ireland. His family was wealthy and he received a good education.

As a handsome teenager, he had a great wish to serve God but he was also tempted by all the pleasures the world had to offer him. He finally decided to become a monk.

His mother could not bear the thought of him leaving her and she even blocked the door to stop him from leaving. However, Columban felt the call to serve God in a quiet monastery.

After many years as a monk in Ireland, Columban and twelve other monks sailed to France. There was a shortage of priests there at that time. The French people were inspired by the lives of the monks and came to them for prayer and healing.

These holy men did penance, prayed a lot and lived in charity. Many young men were attracted to this holy way of life. They came and asked to join the monks. Soon the monks were building other monasteries to house all the disciples of St. Columban.

There were some people, however, who thought the rules of these monks were too strict. St. Columban also faced danger when he spoke to the king about his sins. The king immediately put him in prison. Later, he and his Irish monks had to leave France.

St. Columban, though quite old, still tried to preach to unbelievers in Switzerland. When he was seventy, he went into Italy and defended the faith against the Arians* who were against the Catholic teachings.

In his letters to Pope St. Boniface IV, St. Columban showed his great devotion to Christ and His church. He said, "All we Irish, living in the most distant parts of the earth, are bound to the Chair of St. Peter."

In his last years, St. Columban built the great monastery of Bobbio in Italy. Columbanus always enjoyed being in the forests and caves and as he walked through the woods, birds and squirrels would ride on his shoulders. 

When he knew his time was near, he went into a cave alone and stayed there until he died on November 23, 615. After his death, both the Irish and the Italians were very devoted to this wonderful missionary. 

*What did Arius teach?  He denied that the Son is of one essence, nature, or substance with God; Arian heresy taught that Jesus is not consubstantial (homoousios) with the Father, and therefore not like Him, or equal in dignity, or co-eternal, or within the real sphere of Deity. 

St. John the Apostle - Feast Day December 27

Feast Day: December 27

Born :(around the time of Jesus) :: Died: (around 100)

St. John was born to Zebedee and Salome. 

He was a fisherman in Galilee and was called along with his brother St. James to be an apostle. Jesus gave these sons of Zebedee the nickname, "sons of thunder."

St. John was the youngest of the apostles and Jesus loved him dearly. At the Last Supper, John leaned his head on the chest of Jesus to comfort him.

John was also the only apostle who did not desert Jesus during his passion and stood at the foot of the cross. The dying Jesus asked John to care for his Blessed Mother, Mary.

Turning to Mary, he said to John, "Behold your mother." So the rest of her life on earth, the Blessed Mother lived with St. John. He alone had the great honor of assisting and caring for the all-pure Mother of God.

On Easter morning, Mary Magdalene and the other women went with spices to Jesus' tomb to

anoint his body. They came running back to the apostles with exciting news. The body of Jesus was gone from the tomb.

Peter and John went to see if this was true. John arrived first but waited for Peter to go in ahead of him. Then he went in and saw the neatly folded linen cloths.

Later that same week, the disciples were fishing on the lake of Tiberias but did not catch any fish. A man standing on the beach asked them to let down their nets on the other side of the boat. When they pulled it up again it was full of large fish.

St. John, immediately knew this was Jesus, and called to Peter, "It is the Lord." With the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the apostles were filled with new courage and St. John and St. Peter were thrown into prison for preaching the good news without fear.

After the Ascension, John performed many miracles in the name of Jesus. Hearing him preach, hundreds of people were baptized and became followers of Jesus so St. John founded churches in Asia Minor for the people.

John lived for more than 100 years. He led a life of suffering, preached the Gospel, and became bishop of Ephesus. In the last years of his life, when he could no longer preach, his disciples would carry him to the crowds of Christians. His simple message was, "My dear children, love one another."

St. John died in Ephesus (modern Turkey) around the year 100. A church was built over his tomb and was later converted to a mosque.

source: http://www.holyspiritinteractive.net/kids/saints/1227.asp

St. Mark the Evangelist - Feast Day April 25

Feast Day: April 25 

Died: 68 AD

Mark lived at the time of Jesus. Although he was not one of the twelve apostles of Jesus, he was a cousin of St. Barnabas, an apostle. Mark is called an evangelist because he wrote one of the four Gospels. Mark's Gospel is short, but it gives many little details that are not in the other Gospels.

While still young, Mark went with the two great saints, Paul and Barnabas, as missionaries to bring the teachings of Jesus to Cyprus and other new lands. Before the journey was over, though, Mark had an argument with St. Paul and immediately returned to Jerusalem. Paul and Mark later made peace with each other. In fact, Paul wrote from prison in Rome and Mark visited to cheer and help him.

Mark also became a beloved disciple and was like a son to St. Peter, the first pope. St. Mark was made a bishop and sent to Alexandria, Egypt. There many people who heard him preach became Christians. He worked hard to spread love for Jesus and his Church and founded the first famous Christian school in Alexandria. 
He went through long and painful sufferings before he died a martyr for his faith. 

St Mark is often depicted with a lion. This Christian iconography is derived from the prophetic visions contained in Revelation 4:7. The lion is one of the four living creatures described in the book as placed around the throne of the Almighty and they are chosen as symbols of the four evangelists. These beings were previously described by the prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1: 1-21).





source: http://catholicherald.com/News/b_The_Symbolism_of_the_Gospel_Writers_-b/

St. Anselm - Feast Day April 21

Feast Day: April 21 

Born: 1033 :: Died: 1109

Anselm was born at Aosta, Piedmont in Italy to wealthy parents. He could see the Alpine Mountains from his home. As a child he was taught how to be holy and study well. When he was fifteen, Anselm tried to join a monastery in Italy but his father would not let him. 

Then Anselm became sick. Soon after he got better, his mother died. He was still young and rich and clever and began to think only of having good times. He had forgotten God. But soon Anselm became bored and wanted something better, something more important.

He argued with his father and ran away to France. There he visited the holy Abbot Lanfranc of the famous monastery of Bec. Anselm became Lanfranc's very close friend and the abbot brought him to God. Then at the age of twenty-seven, Anselm decided to become a Benedictine monk.

Anselm was a warm-hearted man who loved his brother monks dearly. Even those who first disliked him soon became his friends. When he was forty-five years old he was made the abbot of Bec.

He finally had to leave Bec to become archbishop of Canterbury in England, but he told the monks that they would always live in his heart. The people of England loved and respected Anselm. But King William II treated him badly.

Anselm had to leave the country and flee into exile in 1097 and again in 1103. King William even refused to let Anselm go to Rome to see the pope for advice. But Anselm went anyway. He stayed with the pope until the king died. Then he went back to his parish in England.

Even though he had many duties that kept him very busy, St. Anselm always found time to write important books of philosophy and theology. He also wrote down the many wonderful instructions he had given the monks about God.

They were very happy about that. He used to say: "Would you like to know the secret of being happy in the monastery? Forget the world and be happy to forget it. The monastery is a real heaven on earth for those who live only for Jesus."

St. Anselm died on April 21, 1109. He was declared a great teacher or Doctor of the Church.

St. James the Greater - Feast Day July 25

St. James the Greater
artist: Carlo Crivelli

Feast Day: July 25 

Born: (around the time of Jesus) :: Died: (around 44 AD)

James was the son of Zebedee and Salome and the brother of St. John the Apostle. Fishermen like their father, James and John were on their father's boat mending his nets when the Lord passed by. Jesus called James and John, and asked them to follow him. He told them, as his disciples they would become fishers of men. They would help him to spread the Good News about God’s kingdom. Zebedee watched as his two sons left the boat to follow Jesus.

With St. Peter and St. John, James was a special companion of Jesus. Along with them James was allowed to see what the other apostles did not see. Together they watched as Jesus raised the daughter of Jairus to life. They went up the mountain with Jesus and saw him shining like the sun, with his robes white as snow. Then they heard God’s voice telling them this was his beloved son. This event is called Jesus' Transfiguration.

On Holy Thursday, the night before he died, Jesus led the apostles into the garden of Gethsemane. Matthew's Gospel tells us he invited Peter, James and John to go with him to a quiet area to pray. They watched as Jesus’ face became sad with grief. Then in his great sorrow, his brow began to sweat drops of blood. It was heartbreaking to watch.

But the apostles were very tired and they fell asleep. When the enemies of Jesus finally came to take him away, St. James ran in fear. He was nowhere around when Jesus died on the cross on Good Friday. But on Easter Sunday evening in the upper room Jesus appeared to his apostles again. The resurrected Jesus came through the locked door and said, "Peace be to you."

St. James and the other apostles were graced with an overwhelming peace after the Holy Spirit's came upon them on Pentecost. St. James began his ministry as an in a very strong way.  He had great faith in Jesus and traveled to Samaria, Judea and Spain preaching the Good News of salvation.

He was given the honor of being the first apostle to die for Jesus. Chapter 12 of the Acts of the Apostles tells us that King Herod Agrippa had St. James put to death by the sword. As a martyr James gave the greatest witness of all.

Reflection: Despite St. James' weaknesses, Jesus loved him. Today we can pray for the grace to deeply recognize the love of Jesus.

St. Ignatius of Loyola - Feast Day July 31

Feast Day: July 31 

Born: 1491 :: Died: 1556

This famous saint who started the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) was born in Guipuzcoa in Spain as Inigo Lopez de Loyola. He was from a rich Spanish family and was one of twelve children. As a boy, he was sent to be a page at the royal court of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. There he wished someday to become a great soldier and marry a beautiful lady.

In the battle of Pamplona, he did, indeed, win honor for his courage but, a wound in the leg from a cannon ball forced him to spend months in bed at Loyola Castle. Ignatius asked for some books to read. He preferred stories of knights, but only life stories of Jesus and the saints were available.

Having nothing else to do, he read them. A little by little, the books began attracting him. His life began to change.

He said to himself: "These were men and women like me, so why can't I do what they have done?" 

All the glory he had wanted before seemed worthless now. He began to imitate the saints in their prayers, penances and good works.

When he was fully recovered, Ignatius hung his sword before the altar of the Virgin Mary and put on simple robes and began to live a simple life. He then traveled Europe and went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land before he settled in Rome.

St. Ignatius had to suffer many temptations and much shame. Before he could begin his great work of starting the Society of Jesus, he had to go back to school. He had to study Latin grammar. The rest of the students were little boys and Ignatius was thirty-three years old. Yet Ignatius was ready to bear the shame and went to the class because he knew he would need this knowledge to help him in his work for Jesus.

He received the boys' jeers and taunts with patience and good humor. He used his time trying to teach and
encourage people to pray. He was even put in jail for a while because of this! But that was not going to stop Ignatius.

"The whole city does not contain as many chains as I desire to wear for love of Jesus," he said.

Ignatius was forty-three years old when he graduated from the University of Paris. After this, with six other students, he took his religious vows and became a priest. Ignatius and his friends, including Blessed Peter Faber and Saint Francis Xavier promised to work for God in whatever way the Holy Father thought best. In 1540 their order was officially recognized by the pope.

Before Ignatius died, there were one thousand members of the Society of Jesus or "Jesuits." They were doing much good work teaching and preaching. He died in Rome, on July 31, 1556.

The Jesuits today have over five hundred universities and colleges; thirty thousand members; and teach over twenty thousand students each year.

Reflection: Let us pray today in the words of St. Ignatius Loyola: "Give me only your love and your grace. With this I am rich enough, and I have no more to ask."

St. Martha - Feast Day July 29

Feast Day: July 29 

Died: (around 80 AD)

Martha was the sister of Mary and Lazarus who lived in the little town of Bethany near Jerusalem. They were dear friends of Jesus, and he often came to visit them. In fact, the Gospel tells us: "Jesus loved Martha, and her sister Mary and Lazarus."

It was St. Martha who lovingly served the Lord when he visited them. One day, she was preparing a meal for Jesus and his disciples. She realized that the task would be easier if her sister Mary would help instead of sitting quietly at Jesus' feet, listening to him.

"Lord, tell my sister to help me," Martha suggested. 

Jesus was very pleased with Martha's loving service but he wanted her to know that listening to God's Word and praying is even more important. So he said gently,

 "Martha, Martha, you are anxious about many things, but only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the better part."

St. Martha's great faith in Jesus was seen when her brother Lazarus died. As soon as she heard that Jesus was coming to Bethany, Martha went to meet him. She trusted Jesus and said to him: "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."

Then Jesus told her that Lazarus would rise.

He said, "He who believes in me, even if he die, shall live. Do you believe this?" And Martha answered, "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who has come into the world." 

Jesus worked a great miracle and raised Lazarus from the dead!

Later, Jesus came again to have supper with Lazarus, Martha and Mary. St. Martha served them at table as always. This time, though, Martha did it lovingly and served them with a joyful heart.

St. John Marie Vianney - Feast Day August 4

Feast Day: August 4 

Born: May 8, 1768 :: Died: 1859

John Mary Vianney was born in Lyons, in France. As a child he took care of his father's sheep. He loved to pray but he also loved to play horseshoes. When John was eighteen, he asked his father if he could become a priest. His father was worried because John had become a big help on the family farm but two years later his father agreed.

When he was twenty years old, John studied under Father Balley. The priest was very patient but John became sad when he found it difficult to learn Latin. He then decided to walk sixty miles, which was a very long walk, to the shrine of St. John Francis Regis whose feast we celebrate on June 16. John prayed to St. John Francis for help. After the pilgrimage, he still found his lessons difficult but now he was not sad. He just decided to study harder.

John was finally able to enter the seminary to become a priest. No matter how much he tried, he found his studies quite hard. In the final exams, which were spoken, not written, John had to face a group of teachers and answer their questions. He was very worried and could not complete the test. 

Yet, because John was a holy man, he was full of common sense and understood what the Church taught about the subjects. He knew the right answers when asked what should be done in this case or that. He just couldn't say those answers in the difficult way they were taught in the Latin text books. John was ordained and became a priest anyway. He understood what his job was as a priest and everyone knew he was a good man.

After he became a priest, he was sent to a little parish called Ars. Father Vianney fasted, prayed and did hard penance so that God would save the people of his parish from sin. The people of his parish were not all good. They drank too much liquor, used bad language, worked even on Sundays and never went to Church.

Then God heard Fr. Vianney's prayer and one by one the liquor shops closed down. People slowly started going to Church for Mass and began worshipping God.

God gave John the power to see into people's minds and to know the future. Because of this gift, he converted many sinners and helped people make the right choices in life. 

Hundreds of pilgrims began to come to Ars and St. John Vianney spent twelve to sixteen hours everyday hearing confessions. He really wanted to spend the rest of his life in a monastery as a monk; instead, he stayed forty-two years at Ars and died there in 1859 at the age of seventy-three.

St. George - Feast Day April 23

Saint George Slaying the Dragon - artist Jost Haller 

Feast Day: April 23 
Died: (around) 304

St. George was a favorite soldier in the army of Diocletian, a pagan emperor who did not believe in God. Diocletian was a bitter enemy of the Christians and put to death every Christian he could find.

When George became a Christian, he went to the emperor and scolded him for being so cruel and gave up his position in the Roman army. He first sold everything he had and gave the money to the poor. Then, free to follow Jesus and bearing the shield of faith, he became a loyal soldier for Christ. 

St. George paid a very high price for his bravery. He was cruelly tortured and beheaded at Lydda in Palestine. So boldly daring and cheerful was St. George in declaring his faith that people were filled with courage when they heard about it.

Pictures of St. George usually show him killing a dragon to save a beautiful lady. The dragon stands for wickedness. The lady stands for God's holy truth. St. George kills the dragon because he won the battle against the devil.

The story goes like this … A dragon lived in a lake near Silena, Libya. Whole armies had gone up against this fierce creature, but had died. The monster ate two sheep a day and when he had eaten all the sheep, lots were drawn in local villages, and young women were given as food for the dragon instead of sheep. 

Into this country came Saint George. Hearing the story on a day when a princess was to be eaten, he made the sign of the cross, rode to battle and killed the dragon with a single blow of his lance. 
George then preached a wonderful sermon, and many of the people in that kingdom became Christians. The grateful king gave George a large reward but George distributed it to the poor and rode away. 

Because of his gracious behavior (protecting women, fighting evil, strong faith, strength, bravery, and generosity to the poor), devotion to Saint George became popular in the Europe and he was named the patron of England. His feast day was as popular and important as Christmas.

Many songs and poems were written about this martyr who gave his life for Jesus. Soldiers, especially, have always been devoted to him.

March 14 - St. Mathilde

Overlooking her slightly forbidding countenance, Saint Mathilda was noted for her great piety and for her charitable works. Her feast day is March 14th.

She is the patron of:

Misbehaving/disappointing children

Large families

Falsely accused persons.

People ridiculed for their piety.

Queens

Widows

Saint Mathilda pray for us!


From Catholic Online: (This blurb is so badly written! I have had not had time to edit the whole thing yet. Who writes these things??)

      St. Mathilda was the daughter of Theodoric, a Saxon Count. At an early age she was placed in the monastery of Erfurt under the care of Maud, her grandmother, who was Abbess of the monastery which she had entered after the death of her husband. 

     Here St. Mathilda learned needlework and acquired the love of labor, prayer and spiritual reading. She remained in the convent until her parents gave her in marriage, in 913, to Henry "the Fowler," so called from his fondness for hawking. 

      He became Duke in 916 on the death of his father, and in 919 he was chosen to succeed Conrad as King of Germany. 

     The pious Queen adorned the throne by her many virtues. She visited and comforted the sick and the afflicted, instructed the ignorant, succored prisoners, and endeavored to convert sinners, and her husband concurred with her in her pious undertakings. 

     After twenty-three years of married life, King Henry died, in 936. After King Henry died, the Queen had a Mass offered up for the repose of his soul. From that moment she renounced all worldly pomp. 

     Her sons were Otho, Henry, and Bruno.
Otho became King of Germany in 937, and in 962 he was crowned Emperor at Rome
Henry was Duke of Bavaria
St. Bruno  edified the Church as Archbishop of Cologne. 

Her two sons, Otho and Henry, entered into a contest for the crown.   
The Queen favored the former, a fault she expiated by great suffering, for both these sons subjected her to a long and cruel persecution. 
She died in 968. Her feast day is March 14th.

October 24 - St. Anthony Claret

I believe, Lord, but let me believe more firmly.

I hope, Lord, but let me hope more surely.

I love, Lord, but let me love more warmly.

I repent, Lord, but let me repent more deeply.


Lord, give me humility, meekness, patience, and charity.

Teach me goodness, knowledge and discipline.

Give me your love together with your grace
and I will be rich enough.


My God, my Jesus, my all in all.

~ St. Anthony Mary Claret



St. Anthony Mary Claret was born in Spain on December 23, 1807 and died on October 24, 1870.  He was canonized in 1950. 
His feast day is Oct. 24th.

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More about this saint:
https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-anthony-claret/

 http://catholicism.org/anthony-claret.html

May 18 - Mother Magdalen Damen

May 18 - “Mother Magdalen Damen” © icon by Br. Robert Lentz, OFM.

This foundress of the Franciscan Sisters of Penance and Christian Charity of Nonnenwerth was born in 1787 at Laek, in Dutch Limburg. She received the habit of the Third Order of St. Francis in 1817, and gathered a few other women around her to teach children and care for the sick. There were no institutions to provide these services.

The local priest profited from their help, but opposed their efforts to form a religious community. Once they had become a community, however, he stepped in and replaced Mother Magdalen with another superior who was better educated. Mother Magdalen went back to the kitchen and garden.

Mother Magdalen grew deaf as she became older. She ended her life as she had begun it, a contemplative wrapped in silence and prayer. She died on August 7, 1858, having just said, “Yes, I shall pray for you all!”

St. Catherine of Siena (Feast Day: April 29)

Feast Day of St. Catherine of Siena
Doctor of the Church (1347-1380)

The 25th child of a wool dyer in northern Italy, St. Catherine started having mystical experiences when she was only 6, seeing guardian angels as clearly as the people they protected. She became a Dominican tertiary when she was 16, and continued to have visions of Christ, Mary, and the saints. St. Catherine was one of the most brilliant theological minds of her day, although she never had any formal education. She persuaded the Pope to go back to Rome from Avignon, in 1377, and when she died she was endeavoring to heal the Great Western Schism. In 1375 Our Lord give her the Stigmata, which was visible only after her death. Her spiritual director was Blessed Raymond of Capua. St, Catherine's letters, and a treatise called "a dialogue" are considered among the most brilliant writings in the history of the Catholic Church. She died when she was only 33, and her body was found incorrupt in 1430.

St. Augustine (Stay With Us)

Saint Augustine
« Stay with us »

My brethren, when was it that the Lord made himself recognized? 
When he broke the bread. So we ourselves are convinced, too: when we break the bread we recognize the Lord. If he hadn't wanted to be recognized until that moment it was for our sakes, we who were not to see him in the flesh but who were yet to eat him in the flesh. 

So you who believe in him, whoever you are, you who do not bear the name of christian in vain, you who do not come casually into the church, you who hear the word of God in fear and hope: for you the broken bread will be a consolation. Our Lord's absence is not a real absence. 

Have trust, be faithful and he is with you even if you do not see him. When the Lord hailed them the disciples had no faith. They did not believe in his resurrection, they did not even hope that he might be raised. They had lost faith; they had lost hope. They were dead men walking alongside a living one; they were walking, dead, with life. Life was walking with them but, in their hearts, life was not as yet renewed. 

And do you long for life? Imitate the disciples and you will recognize the Lord. They offered hospitality; our Lord seemed determined to proceed on his way but they held him back... You too, then, keep hold of the stranger if you wish to recognize your Savior... Learn where to look for the Lord, where to possess him, where to recognize him: in breaking bread with him.

Prayer of St. Gertrude the Great

Prayer of St. Gertrude the Great "Eternal Father, I offer Thee the most Precious Blood of Jesus, with all the Masses being said all over the world this day, for the Souls in Purgatory." Our Lord showed St. Gertrude a vast number of souls leaving Purgatory and going to Heaven as a result of this prayer, which the Saint was accustomed to say frequently during the day. Taken from the booklet Read Me or Rue It by Fr. Paul O’Sullivan which has the approval of the Cardinal Patriarch of Lisbon, Portugal – March 4, 1936. St. Gertrude's life was the mystic life of the Cloister – a Benedictine nun. She meditated on the Passion of Christ, which many times brought a flood of tears to her eyes. She did many penances and Our Lord appeared to her many times. She had a tender love for the Blessed Virgin and was very devoted to the suffering souls in Purgatory. She died in 1334. Her feast day is November 16th.

St. Jean-Marie Vianney

St. Paul of Tarsus - YouTube

Saint Peter Canisius 1521-1597 (Dec 21) Secret Agent for the Vatican

St. Peter Canisius
Feastday: December 21
b: 1521 d: 1597


In 1565, the Vatican was looking for a secret agent. It was shortly after the Council of Trent and the pope wanted to get the decrees of the Council to all the European bishops. What would be a simple errand in our day, was a dangerous assignment in the sixteenth century. The first envoy who tried to carry the decrees through territory of hostile Protestants and vicious thieves was robbed of the precious documents. Rome needed someone courageous but also someone above suspicion. They chose Peter Canisius. At 43 he was a well-known Jesuit who had founded colleges that even Protestants respected. They gave him a cover as official "visitor" of Jesuit foundations. But Peter couldn't hide the decrees like our modern fictional spies with their microfilmed messages in collar buttons or cans of shaving cream. Peter traveled from Rome and crisscrossed Germany successfully loaded down with the Tridentine tomes -- 250 pages each -- not to mention the three sacks of books he took along for his own university!

Why did the Vatican choose Peter Canisius for this delicate task?

Born in Holland in 1521, Peter had edited and written several volumes on Church history and theology, been a delegate to the Council of Trent, and reformed the German universities from heresy. Called to Vienna to reform their university, he couldn't win the people with preaching or fancy words spoken in his German accent. He won their hearts by ministering to the sick and dying during a plague. The people, the king, and the pope all wanted to make Peter bishop of Vienna, but Peter declined vigorously and administered the diocese for a year.

For many years during the Reformation, Peter saw the students in his universities swayed by the flashy speeches and the well-written arguments of the Protestants. Peter was not alone in wishing for a Catholic catechism that would present true Catholic beliefs undistorted by fanatics. Finally King Ferdinand himself ordered Peter and his companions to write a catechism. This hot potato got tossed from person to person until Peter and his friend Lejay were assigned to write it. Lejay was obviously the logical choice, being a better writer than Peter. So Peter relaxed and sat back to offer any help he could. When Father Lejay died, King Ferdinand would wait no longer. Peter said of writing: "I have never learned to be elegant as a writer, but I cannot remain dumb on that account." The first issue of the Catechism appeared in 1555 and was an immediate success. Peter approached Christian doctrine in two parts: wisdom -- including faith, hope, and charity -- and justice -- avoiding evil and doing good, linked by a section on sacraments.

Because of the success and the need, Peter quickly produced two more versions: a Shorter Catechism for middle school students which concentrated on helping this age group choose good over evil by concentrating on a different virtue each day of the week; and a Shortest Catechism for young children which included prayers for morning and evening, for mealtimes, and so forth to get them used to praying.

As intent as Peter was on keeping people true to the Catholic faith, he followed the Jesuit policy that harsh words should not be used, that those listening would see an example of charity in the way Catholics acted and preached. However, his companions were not always as willing. He showed great patience and insight with one man, Father Couvillon. Couvillon was so sharp and hostile that he was alienating his companions and students. Anyone who confronted him became the subject of abuse. It became obvious that Couvillon suffered from emotional illness. But Peter did not let that knowledge blind him to the fact that Couvillon was still a brilliant and talented man. Instead of asking Couvillon to resign he begged him to stay on as a teacher and then appointed him as his secretary. Peter thought that Couvillon needed to worry less about himself and pray more and work harder. He didn't coddle him but gave Couvillon blunt advice about his pride. Coming from Peter this seemed to help Couvillon. Peter consulted Couvillon often on business of the Province and asked him to translate Jesuit letters from India. Thanks to Peter , even though Couvillon continued to suffer depression for years, he also accomplished much good.

Peter died in December 21, 1597. He is known as the Second Apostle of Germany and was named a Doctor of the Church.

In His Footsteps
Peter believed in the importance in learning and understanding the Catholic faith. If it is available to you, resolve to read a portion of the new Catechism of the Catholic Church. Don't try to read too much but consider reading a page a day. Before we can spread our faith we must have a solid foundation in ourselves.

Prayer:
Saint Peter Canisius, you saw the good in even the most troublesome of people. You found their talents and used them. Help me to see beyond the behavior of others that may bother me to the gifts God has given them. Amen

SOURCE: http://abitadeacon.blogspot.com/