Saint of the day and Feast days.

[Shin]

I'm so happy. 

[odhiambo]

Shin, go and rest. I noticed you on line when I came on duty.
Now I am going home and I see you are on ?still
You must be bleary- eyed by now  

[odhiambo]

Hey Shin, have you got anything brief on Saint  Louis Mary de Montfort? Imagine  I forgot to prepare the post and it only now I have discovered the ommission  


Never mind, I have located it somewhere in a folder.

Please ignore this and go ahead and post.
Don't forget CAF

[Shin]

Oh, he's easy.  Very popular one.

[Shin]

'Poor men and women who are sinners, I, a greater sinner than you, wish to give you this rose, a crimson one, because the precious blood of our Lord has fallen upon it. Please God that it may bring true fragrance into your lives - but above all, may it save you from the danger that you are in. Every day unbelievers and un-repentant sinners cry, "Let us crown ourselves with roses." But our cry should be, "Let us crown ourselves with the roses of the holy Rosary."

How different are theirs from ours! Their roses are pleasures of the flesh, worldly honours and passing riches which wilt and decay in no time, but ours, which are the Our Father and Hail Mary which we have said devoutly over and over again, and to which we have added good penitential acts, will never wilt or die, and they will be just as exquisite thousands of years from now as they are today.'

St. Louis Marie de Montfort

'Because Mary remained hidden during her life she is called by the Holy Spirit and the Church "Alma Mater", Mother hidden and unknown. So great was her humility that she desired nothing more upon earth than to remain unknown to herself and to others, and to be known only to God. In answer to her prayers to remain hidden, poor and lowly, God was pleased to conceal her from nearly every other human creature in her conception, her birth, her life, her mysteries, her resurrection and assumption. Her own parents did not really know her; and the angels would often ask one another, "Who can she possibly be?", for God had hidden her from them, or if he did reveal anything to them, it was nothing compared with what he withheld.'

St. Louis Marie de Montfort

'According to St. Bonaventure, all the angels in heaven unceasingly call out to her: "Holy, holy, holy Mary, Virgin Mother of God." They greet her countless times each day with the angelic greeting, "Hail, Mary", while prostrating themselves before her, begging her as a favour to honour them with one of her requests. According to St. Augustine, even St. Michael, though prince of all the heavenly court, is the most eager of all the angels to honour her and lead others to honour her. At all times he awaits the privilege of going at her word to the aid of one of her servants.'

St. Louis Marie de Montfort

[odhiambo]

Oh, he's easy.  Very popular one.

O.K. Shin.
Please post and thanks!

[Shin]

NP.

[Shin]

April 28th

St. Louis Marie de Montfort

"From his childhood, he was indefatigably devoted to prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, and, when from his twelfth year he was sent as a day pupil to the Jesuit college at Rennes, he never failed to visit the church before and after class. He joined a society of young men who during holidays ministered to the poor and to the incurables in the hospitals, and read for them edifying books during their meals. At the age of nineteen, he went on foot to Paris to follow the course in theology, gave away on the journey all his money to the poor, exchanged clothing with them, and made a vow to subsist thenceforth only on alms. He was ordained priest at the age of twenty-seven, and for some time fulfilled the duties of chaplain in a hospital. In 1705, when he was thirty-two, he found his true vocation, and thereafter devoted himself to preaching to the people. During seventeen years he preached the Gospel in countless towns and villages. As an orator he was highly gifted, his language being simple but replete with fire and divine love. His whole life was conspicuous for virtues difficult for modern degeneracy to comprehend: constant prayer, love of the poor, poverty carried to an unheard-of degree, joy in humiliations and persecutions.

The following two instances will illustrate his success. He once gave a mission for the soldiers of the garrison at La Rochelle, and moved by his words, the men wept, and cried aloud for the forgiveness of their sins. In the procession which terminated this mission, an officer walked at the head, barefooted and carrying a banner, and the soldiers, also barefooted, followed, carrying in one hand a crucifix, in the other a rosary, and singing hymns.

Grignion's extraordinary influence was especially apparent in the matter of the calvary at Pontchateau. When he announced his determination of building a monumental calvary on a neighbouring hill, the idea was enthusiastically received by the inhabitants. For fifteen months between two and four hundred peasants worked daily without recompense, and the task had just been completed, when the king commanded that the whole should be demolished, and the land restored to its former condition. The Jansenists had convinced the Governor of Brittany that a fortress capable of affording aid to persons in revolt was being erected, and for several months five hundred peasants, watched by a company of soldiers, were compelled to carry out the work of destruction. Father de Montfort was not disturbed on receiving this humiliating news, exclaiming only: "Blessed be God!""

- Catholic Encyclopedia

He preached Mary everywhere and to everyone. A member of the Third Order of Saint Dominic, Saint Louis was one of the greatest apostles of the Rosary in his day, and by means his miraculously inspiring book, The Secret of the Rosary, he is still so today;

His greatest contribution to the Church and world is Total Consecration to the Blessed Virgin. He propagated this in his day by preaching and after his own death by his other famous book True Devotion to Mary. Consecration to Mary is for Saint Louis the perfect manner of renewing one’s baptismal promises.

- Patron Saints

[Shin]

St. Louis Marie de Montfort loves Mary and he loves God.

He is also a strong saint against evil, as I have read.

On one occasion, for example, he was walking through the streets of a town when his attention was caught by a singer who was singing a licentious song and selling the music to his indecent song. He would not let this offense pass; he took the music sheets and tore them up in the face of the singer.

On another occasions, some drunks from a nearby tavern heckled him during his sermon. He went into the tavern, and beat the tar out of them. The next day they were his best listeners.

 

[odhiambo]

St. Louis Marie de Montfort loves Mary and he loves God.

He is also a strong saint against evil, as I have read.

On one occasion, for example, he was walking through the streets of a town when his attention was caught by a singer who was singing a licentious song and selling the music to his indecent song. He would not let this offense pass; he took the music sheets and tore them up in the face of the singer.

On another occasions, some drunks from a nearby tavern heckled him during his sermon. He went into the tavern, and beat the tar out of them. The next day they were his best listeners.

 

Way to go St. Louis Marie de Montfort 

[odhiambo]

28 April

Today is the Feast day of
Saint Peter Chanel
Among many other saints

[odhiambo]

Saint Peter Chanel
Priest and Martyr.

Peter was born in 1803 at Cluet( Clet) in the diocese of Belley, France. His parents were peasants. At the age of seven, he was a shepherd boy. His intelligence and simple piety brought him to the attention of the local priest, Father Trompier. The priest convinced his parents to let him study, in a little school he had started locally. From there Peter went on to the seminary. Here, at the diocesan Seminary, Peter won the affection and the esteem of both students and professorst It was said of him: "He had a heart of gold with the simple faith of a child, and he led the life of an angel."
He was ordained a priest in 1827 and assigned to a parish at Crozet. In three years he had transformed the parish. In 1831, he joined the newly founded Society of Mary( Marist Fathers).He had always wanted to become a missionary. He was, however, assigned to teach at the seminary in Belley. He did this for five years. Finally, in 1836, his dream was realized, and he was sent with other Marists to the islands of the Pacific. St. Peter was appointed Superior of this little band of missionaries.
After strenous ten month journey, the team reached their destination. They split up and St. Peter went to the Island of Futuna ( ? Marshall Islands) accompanied by a lay brother and an English layman, Thomas Boog. They were at first well received by the pagans and their king Niuliki who had only recently forbidden canabalism. However, the king's jealousy and fear was aroused when the missionaries learned the language and gained the people's confidence. He realized the adoption of the Christian Faith would lead to the abolition of some of the powers he enjoyed as highpriest and also as king.
The last straw, was when the chief's son asked for baptism. This so angered the chief that he sent warriors to kill the missionary.
On April 18, 1841, a band of native warriors entered the hut of Father Peter Chanel on the island of Futuna in the New Hebrides islands near New Zealand. They clubbed the missionary to death and cut up his body with hatchets.
Two years after this detestible murder of Saint Peter, we are told that the whole island was Catholic!
Here is a very appropriate commentary from Eternal Word Television Network on the martyrdom of Saint Peter.

“St. Peter Chanel's death bears witness to the ancient axiom that "the blood of martyrs is the seed of Christians." He is the first martyr from Oceania, that part of the world spread over the south Pacific, and he came there as the fulfillment of a dream he had had as a boy”

Saint Peter was canonized in 1954 by Pope XII.

Saint Peter Chanel,
Pray for us!

[odhiambo]

29 April

Today is the Feast day of
Saint Catherine of Siena
Among many other saints.

[odhiambo]

Saint Catherine of Siena.
Dominican tertiary.
Doctor of the Church-
Papal Adviser.
Dominican Tertiary.

Catherine was on 25 March, 1347 at Siena, in northern Italy. She was the youngest of the 25 children born to her parents . Her father, Giacomo di Benincasa, was a  wool dyer and  her mother, Lapa, was the daughter of a local poet. Catherine was  a special child, different from other little girls.

From an early age, (before what is considered to be 'the age of reason') she began to practice austerities, to spend long periods of time in prayer, and to have mystical visions. She consecrated her viginity to Christ when she was  just seven.

Her parents raised her strictly and at the age of twelve, they thought of arranging a marriage for her, but she begged them to allow her to remain single. They tried unsuccessfully to discourage her but when she remained steadfast in her resolve, her father relented.

Catherine then joined the Third Order of Dominicans. She was now sixteen years old. After becoming a Dominican tertiary, she spend the next three years 'in the desert' in a small room in her parent's home. She lived the life of the anchorites of the desert in that room.

Sometime during this time, she underwent what is called a 'spiritual espousal', and she had a vision of the Infant Jesus offering her a wedding band.

She rejoined the world, and began to serve Christ in the sick, poor and ignorant. Many people were attracted to her by her charm, calm and wisdom. She served the poor, sick and also prayed for the conversion of sinners. She still spend much time in prayer. Despite persecutions by the local clergy and others, she began to gather disciples.

In 1370 Catherine received a series of special manifestations of Divine mysteries, which culminated in a prolonged trance, a kind of mystical death, in which she had a vision of Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven, and heard a Divine command to leave her cell and enter the public life of the world. She began to dispatch letters to men and women in every condition of life, entered into correspondence with the princes and republics of Italy, was consulted by the papal legates about the affairs of the Church.

It was chiefly her letters, advice, and persistence that finally convinced Saint Gregory XI to leave Avignon and return to Rome, to reform the clergy and administration of the Papal States, and to call for a Crusade to regain Jerusalem from the muslim infidels. Catherine traveled to many cities (at a time when travel wasn't easy or comfortable, especially for women) working for peace in Italy and the Church. She wrote hundreds of letters to important people and ordinary people alike. All were treasured for their wisdom and clarity of thought. She also wrote a book, called the Dialogue a conversation between the Eternal Father and the human soul, discussing the whole of mankind's spiritual life. For this important body of work and her service to the Church, she was named a Doctor of the Church in1970 becoming one of two women to be named Doctor of the Church (the other is St. Teresa of Avila).

Saint Catherine died on 29 April 1380, when she was just 33 years old.

Her mortal remains are in Rome and her relics are enshrined in Siena  and Venice.

She was canonized by Pope Pius II in 1461

She was named co-patroness of Europe, with Saint Brigid of Sweden and Saint Edith Stein, on October 1, 1999, by Pope John Paul II.

In 1939, she was made patroness of Italy and in 1970 was declared a Doctor of the Church as mentioned above, by Pope Paul VI.

She has been the patroness of Rome since 1866 and patroness of the dying.

She is invoked against headaches and the plague

Saint Catherine,

Pray for us!

Ref: 1. the Catholic Encyclopedia.

            2. Our Sunday VisitorsEncyclopedia of Saints-Revised.

                                                                .

 

 

[Patricia]

After becoming a Dominican tertiary, she spend the next three years 'in the desert' in a small room in her parent's home. She lived the life of the anchorites of the desert in that room.

She rejoined the world, and began to serve Christ in the sick, poor and ignorant.

Catherine traveled to many cities (at a time when travel wasn't easy or comfortable, especially for women) working for peace in Italy and the Church.

I think St Catherine would much prefer to live a solitary life but had to give it up and join the world because it was God's will that she do so.

St Catherine , Pray for us!  Give us the spirit of obedience to God's holy Will. 

[odhiambo]

I think St Catherine would much prefer to live a solitary life but had to give it up and join the world because it was God's will that she do so.

I agree