May 25 – Memorial for St. Bede the Venerable, Priest and Worker; Memorial for St. Gregory VII, Pope; Memorial for St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi, Virgin St. Bede (672-735) was born around the time England was finally, completely Christianized. He was raised from age seven in the abbey of Sts. Peter and Paul at Wearmouth-Jarrow, and lived... Continue Reading →
21 May, Saturday – Persecution and Detachment
May 21 – Saint Christopher Magallanes and his Companions St. Cristóbal Magallanes Jara was born in the state of Jalisco in Mexico, in 1869. He was ordained priest at the age of 30, and became parish priest of his home town of Totatiche. He took a special interest in the evangelization of the local indigenous Huichol people... Continue Reading →
18 May, Wednesday – My Heavenly Vinedresser
May 18 – Memorial for St. John I, Pope and Martyr St. John (d. 526) was a priest in Rome, and became the 53rd pope in 523. Italy’s ruler then, Theodoric the Goth, was an Arian. For a while he left the Catholics alone, but in later life, he became suspicious of everyone, imagining conspiracies and attempts... Continue Reading →
23 February, Wednesday — Total Surrender to God’s Will
23 Feb – Memorial for St. Polycarp, bishop and martyr St. Polycarp (69-155) was an associate of, converted by, and disciple of St. John the Apostle. He was a friend of St. Ignatius of Antioch, and he fought Gnosticism. He was the Bishop of Smyrna (modern Izmir, Turkey), and was a revered Christian leader during the... Continue Reading →
21 February, Monday — God does NOT help those that help themselves
21 Feb – Memorial for St. Peter Damian, bishop and doctor St. Peter Damian (1007-1072) was the youngest child in a large family. When he was orphaned, he was sent to live with a brother where he was mistreated and forced to work as a swine-herd. He cared for another brother, a priest in Ravenna, Italy.... Continue Reading →
17 February, Thursday — On Church
17 Feb – Memorial for The Seven Holy Founders of the Order of Servites The Order of the Servants of Mary (Servites) was named the fifth mendicant order by Pope Martin V. It was founded in 1233 by Sts. Alexis Falconieri, Bartholomew degli Amidei, Benedict dell’Antella, Buonfiglio Monaldi, Gherardino Sostegni, Hugh dei Lippi-Uguccioni, and John... Continue Reading →
11 February, Friday — Opening Up To the Lord
11 Feb – Memorial for Our Lady Of Lourdes; World Day of Prayer for the Sick Today is an optional memorial for Our Lady of Lourdes. The apparitions concerned began on Feb 11, 1858, when St. Bernadette Soubirous, then a 14-year-old peasant girl from Lourdes admitted, when questioned by her mother, that she had seen... Continue Reading →
10 February, Thursday — Finding our way back to Him!
10 Feb – Memorial for St. Scholastica, virgin St. Scholastica (480-543) was the twin sister of St. Benedict of Nursia. Born to Italian nobility, her mother died in childbirth. She became a nun and led a community of women at Plombariloa near Montecassino. Patron Saint Index From her earliest years, she had been consecrated to God.... Continue Reading →
8 February, Tuesday – Laws and the Spirit
8 Feb – Memorial for St. Jerome Emiliani; Memorial for St. Josephine Bakhita, virgin St. Jerome (1481–1537) was born wealthy, the son of Angelo and Eleanor Mauroceni Emiliani. His father died when Jerome was a teenager, and he ran away from home at age 15. After a dissolute youth, he became a soldier in Venice... Continue Reading →
5 February, Saturday — Take a Break, Listen
5 Feb – Memorial for St. Agatha, virgin and martyr We have little reliable information about this martyr who has been honoured since ancient times, and whose name is included in the canon of the Mass. Young, beautiful and rich, Agatha (d.250) lived a life consecrated to God. When Decius announced the edicts against Christians,... Continue Reading →