Aug 29 – Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist To endure temporal agonies for the sake of the truth was not a heavy burden for such men as John; rather it was easily borne and even desirable, for he knew eternal joy would be his reward. Since death was ever at hand, such men considered... Continue Reading →
28 August, Wednesday — What If I Stumble?
Aug 28 – Memorial for St. Augustine, bishop, doctor After investigating and experimenting with several philosophies, Augustine (354-430) became a Manichaean for several years; it taught of a great struggle between good and evil, and featured a lax moral code. A summation of his thinking at the time comes from his Confessions: “God, give me... Continue Reading →
27 August, Tuesday — Understanding True Worth
Aug 27 – Memorial for St. Monica, married woman St. Monica was distressed to learn that her son had accepted a heresy and was living an immoral life. For a while, she refused to let him eat or sleep in her house. Then one night she had a vision that assured her Augustine would return... Continue Reading →
23 August, Friday — Valley of Dry Faith
Aug 23 – Memorial for St. Rose of Lima, virgin A beautiful girl and devoted daughter, Rose (1586-1617) was so devoted to her vow of chastity, she used pepper and lye to ruin her complexion so she would not be attractive. She lived and meditated in a garden, raising vegetables and making embroidered items to... Continue Reading →
21 August, Wednesday — Servant Leadership
Aug 21 – Memorial for St. Pius X, pope St. Pius X (1835-1914) encouraged frequent Holy Communion. He reformed the liturgy, promoted clear and simple homilies, and brought Gregorian chant back to services. He also reorganised the Roman curia, the administrative elements of the Church, and worked against the modern antagonism of the state against... Continue Reading →
20 August, Tuesday — If you are willing to listen, you will learn.
Aug 20 – Memorial for St. Bernard, abbot, doctor St. Bernard (1090-1153) founded and led a monastery which had over 700 monks and 160 daughter houses. He revised and reformed the Cistercians, and was advisor to, and admonisher of, King Louis the Fat and King Louis the Young, and spiritual advisor to Pope Eugenius III,... Continue Reading →
19 August, Monday — A Richer Exchange
Aug 19 – Memorial for St. John Eudes, priest, religious founder John Eudes (1601-1680) established seminaries, and founded the Congregation of Jesus and Mary Eudists to promote virtuous secular parochial clergy not bound by vows, but dedicated to improving the clergy through seminaries and missions. He also founded the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity... Continue Reading →
16 August, Friday — Details
Aug 16 – Memorial for St. Stephen of Hungary When he succeeded his father as chief of a group of people, Stephen adopted a policy of Christianisation in Hungary for both political and religious reasons. He suppressed a series of revolts by pagan nobles and welded the Magyars into a strong national group. As king,... Continue Reading →
14 August, Wednesday — Our favourite pizza
Aug 14 – St. Maximillian Mary Kolbe, priest, martyr Maximillian Mary Kolbe (1894-1941) was known as a mischievous child, sometimes considered wild, and a trial to his parents. However, around the time of his first Communion, he received a vision of the Virgin Mary that changed his life. While still in seminary, he and six... Continue Reading →
13 August, Tuesday — Adding to the One Hundred
Aug 13 – Memorial for St. Pontian, pope, martyr, and St. Hippolytus, priest, martyr Pontian was among the first victims of an anti-Christian new emperor. Rounded up with the antipope Hippolytus, Pontian was deported to the labour mines. While imprisoned, Hippolytus reconciled his differences with Pontian and even ordered his followers to bring themselves back... Continue Reading →
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