Saint of the day and Feast days.

[odhiambo]

I used to ask for St. Justa's help with the virtue of justice in the past, this brings back memories.

St. Justa, pray for us! St. Rufina, pray for us!

I doubt there is a saint you have not heard of Shin. You must have lots of friends up there smiling on you 

[odhiambo]

July 20
Today is the Feast day of
Saint Margaret of Antioch
Among many other saints.

[odhiambo]

Saint Margaret of Antioch
virgin and martyr.
Also known as Marina.

According to legend, Margaret was the daughter of a pagan priest at Antioch in Pisidia (Now Turkey). Her mother died when she was still an infant. She was subsequently raised by a Christian woman. When she converted to Christianity, and consecrated herself to God, her pagan father drove her away from home. She was adopted by her nurse. Margaret grew up to be a very beautiful girl. She became a shepherdess.
One day, while attending sheep, Margaret was seen by Olybrius, the local prefect. He became infatuated with her beauty. When she spurned his advances, he denounced her as a Christian. She was imprisoned and cruelly tortured. The legend goes that while she was in prison, she had an encounter with the devil in the form of a dragon. According the legend, she was swallowed by the dragon, but the cross she carried in her hand so irritated his throat that he was forced to disgorge her. The next day, attempts were made to execute her, first by fire, then by drowning; both attempts, however, failed as she was miraculously saved and thousands of spectators witnessing her ordeal, got converted.
Finally, she was beheaded.
My reference has this to say about the biography of the saint.
“That she existed and was martyred is probably true. All else is probably fictitious embroidery added to her story which was immensely popular in the middle ages, spreading from the East all over Western Europe.”.
Saint Margaret is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. Her voice was one of the voices heard by Saint Joan of Arc
Saint Margaret of Antioch is the patroness of childbirth, women in labour, among others.
Saint Margaret of Antioch
Pray for us!

Ref:
Dictionary of Saints.
By John J. Delaney

[odhiambo]

July 21

Today is the Feast day of
Saint Lawrence of Brindisi
Among many other saints.

[odhiambo]

Saint Lawrence of Brindisi.
Doctor of the Church
Lawrence was born on 22 July 1559 at Brindisi, Italy. His parents were Guglielmo de Rossi and Elisabetta Masella. His given name was Julius Caesar Rossi. He was educated by the Conventual Franciscans, there at his place of birth. His father died when he was just twelve years old. He then went to his uncle in Venice and continued his education there at Saint Mark’s . When he was sixteen years old, he joined the Capuchins at Verona and took the name Lawrence (Brother Lorenzo).
Lawrence went on to study theology, philosophy, Sacred Scriptures, and other subjects, at the university of Padua.
At the completion of his studies, he was ordained a priest. Soon after his ordination, he began preaching in northern Italy.
In 1596, Lawrence became a high ranking superior in the Order. Five years later, he was sent to Germany with Blessed Benedict of Urbino to combat Lutheranism. They founded priories in Prague, Vienna, Austria and Gorizia in Italy.
At the request of Emperor Rudolf II, Lawrence helped raise an army among the German rulers to fight agaist the Turks in Hungary. He is also credited with winning a battle in Hungary against the same Turks in 1601 by leading the troops into battle with only a crucifix to protect himself. In 1602, Lawrence was elected vicar-general of the Capuchins. In 1605, however, he refused re-election. He was sent by the Emperor to Spain to persuade King Philip III of Spain to join the Catholic Leaque. While in Spain, Lawrence founded a Capuchin house in Madrid. His next appointment was as papal nuncio to the court of Maximilian in Bavaria, Germany. He serverd in this position till 1618 when he retired to a monastery in Caeserta, Italy. Soon, however, at the request of the rulers of Naples, he was recalled to settle a dispute involving the duke of Osuna, Spanish envoy to Naples. He was requested to travel to Spain and convince the King to recall the duke to avoid an uprising in Naples.
The journey to Lisbon to meet with the king ended with his death on 22 July 1619 at Lisbon, Portugal.
He was buried in the cemetery of the Poor Clares on Villafranca, Spain.

Among his writings were commentaries on Genesis and Ezekiel, several treaties against Luther. His main writings, however, are the nine volumes of his sermons.
Lawrence was beatified on 1 June 1783 by Pope Pius VI and canonised on 8 December 1881 by Pope Leo XIII. He was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Blessed Pope John XXIII in 1959.

Saint Lawrence of Brindisi,
Pray for us!

[martin]

She was imprisoned and cruelly tortured. The legend goes that while she was in prison, she had an encounter with the devil in the form of a dragon. According the legend, she was swallowed by the dragon, but the cross she carried in her hand so irritated his throat that he was forced to disgorge her. The next day, attempts were made to execute her, first by fire, then by drowning; both attempts, however, failed as she was miraculously saved and thousands of spectators witnessing her ordeal, got converted.
Finally, she was beheaded.

Reminds me again of the lives of St Philomena and St Dymphna. The virgin martyrs had much in common, especially the miracles of conversion that many received while witnessing their torture and death. Virgins are very special to God and Our Lady.

St Margaret of Antioch ora pro nobis 

[odhiambo]

Reminds me again of the lives of St Philomena and St Dymphna. The virgin martyrs had much in common, especially the miracles of conversion that many received while witnessing their torture and death. Virgins are very special to God and Our Lady.
St Margaret of Antioch ora pro nobis 

Yes they are.
The Lord understands and appreciates the sacrifice they make for His sake in choosing to remain virgins.
It is such a noble call.

[odhiambo]

July 22
Today is the Feast day of
Saint Mary Magdalene
Among many other saints.

[odhiambo]

Mary Magdalene.
"The Penitent".
Mary Magdalene, though Jewish, was, according to Bible scholars, most likely born and lived in a Gentile town called Magdale, in northern Galilee. Her culture and manners were said to be those of a Gentile.
She was very beautiful and very proud. She was a known, notorious sinner when she first met Jesus. After meeting Jesus, however, Mary felt genuine sorry for her many sins. Jesus cast out seven devils from her (? seven deadly sins)
She became a follower of Christ and, to us all, she is the classic example of repentance and forgiveness.
Mary is identified with the unknown sinner who, when Jesus went to supper at the home of a rich man named Simon, came, to weep at the Lord’s feet.  Then, with her long beautiful hair, she wiped His feet dry and lovingly anointed them with expensive perfume.
Mary was also among the women at the crucifixion. Together with Joanna and Mary, the mother of James, and Salome, they discovered the empty tomb. To them, the angel of God announced the good news of the resurrection of Jesus.
That same day, Mary was the very first person to see Jesus after His resurrection. Imagine that privilege. Jesus chose her as the first person to see Him in His resurrected Body.
There are two schools of thought as to what happened to Mary after Jesus ascended to heaven.
According to the Greek Church, she retired to Ephesus with the Blessed Virgin Mary  and Saint John, and lived there the rest of her life.
According to a  French tradition, however,  Mary, Martha ,  Lazarus, and some companions came to Marseilles, France. They evangelized and converted the whole Provence region.  Mary then retired to live 30 years as a penitent hermitess at La Sainte-Baume.
 
According to the ancient tradition in the Latin Church, Mary the sinner is synonymous with Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus and with Mary Magdalene. “Dictionary of Saints “by John J. Delaney, however, makes this comment, and I quote:
“She is identified by the unknown sinner, who anointed Christ’s feet in Simon’s house…and with Mary the sister of Martha, but there are no real justifications for these identifications in the Gospels, and modern scholars do not believe they are the same.”
Saint Mary Magdalene is invoked against sexual temptations, among others.
Santa Maria Magdalena,
Ora pro nobis!

[odhiambo]

“When you commit any sin, repent of it at once and resolve to amend. If it is a grievous sin, confess it as soon as possible”

 St Alphonsus Liguori.

From Feast of all Saints

[martin]

That same day, Mary was the very first person to see Jesus after His resurrection. Imagine that privilege. Jesus chose her as the first person to see Him in His resurrected Body.

And she fell on her knees again and clasped His Feet.
She loved Our Blessed Lord so much.
St. Mary Magdalene ora pro nobis.

[odhiambo]

Today is the Feast day of
Saint Bridget
Among many other saints

[odhiambo]

This a very , very brief account of this great saint.
Shin please elaborate 
I posted the same last year at CAF.

Saint Bridget
Patroness of Sweden


Bridget was born of Swedish royal family in the year 1304.
In obedience to her father, she married Prince Ulpho of Sweden.
She became the mother of eight children , one of whom, Catherine, is also honored as a saint.
In order to live an even holier life, Saint Bridget and her husband agreed to separate. He entered the Cistercian Order .Bridget started the Order of St. Savior, or the Brigittines, in Sweden.
Saint Bridget received a series of revelations as you have seen from post #201.
She submitted all of them to her confessor for his judgment.
Before her death, Saint Bridget made a pilgrimage to Rome and Palestine. She had a great love for the Passion of Christ. During the pilgrimage, Jesus is said to have dictated to her the “ Fifteen Prayers of Saint Bridget” in honour of His Passion.
Saint Bridget died in Rome in 137

Saint Bridget,
Pray for us!

[odhiambo]

July 23

Today is also the Feast day of
Saint Phocas the Gardener
Among many other Saints.

[odhiambo]

Saint Phocas the Gardener
Martyr.
Dates about this saint are not known. He was born at and lived in Sinope in Paphlagonia, on the Black Sea in Turkey.Sinope was a Roman province under the rule of the Roman Emperor Diocletian
He was a gardener who lived as an anchorite, leading an austere life of prayer and contemplation. He fed the poor with whatever surplus food he had. He offered shelter to travellers who came his way.
According to legend, he was denounced as a Christian and sentenced to death. When the execution squad of Roman soldiers arrived at his house, he gave them shelter. They told him they were looking for a Christian named "Phocus". Do you know what the saint told them? He told them he would let them know where to find Phocus in the morning. True to his word, in the morning he prepared his soul, the better to meet his Creator. He dug his grave and then told them who he was the Phocus that they sought. Overcome by his courage and kindness, they hesitated. At his urging, however, he was beheaded. This was around the year 303.
Saint Phocus the Gardener,
Pray for us!

[odhiambo]

July 24
 
Today is the Feast day of
Saint John Boste
Among many other saints.