Saint of the day and Feast days.

[odhiambo]

September 27
Today is the Memorial of
Saint Vincent de Paul
Among many other Saints

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Saint Vincent de Paul
Vincent, the third of six children, was born on 24 April 1581 at Pouy in Gascony, in the south of France. His parents were peasants.
He was educated at Dax, under the Franciscans.
His father encouraged him to become a priest and accordingly, Vincent was ordained in 1600 after which he went for further studies at the University of Toulouse.
Five years later in 1605, Vincent had apparently gone to Marseilles to claim a legacy that had been left him. On his way back, traveling by sea, his ship was captured by pirates. He was sold as a slave in Algeria (or Tunis).
After two long years of captivity, he escaped in 1607 and went to Rome finally going to Paris, France in 1609. In Paris, Vincent came under the influence Cardinal Pierre de Bérulle.  At the urging of his mentor, Vincent gave himself completely to the life of charitable works and fast distinguished himself in the parish of Clichy, a poor rural parish just northwest of Paris to which he was named pastor in 1612.
In 1613, hardly a year after being named pastor of Clichy, Cardinal
Bérulle recalled him to Paris and appointed him tutor in the household of the powerful nobleman, the Comte de Gondi, general of the galleys. (A medieval type of ship).
He spent much of his time on the galleys ministering to the galley slaves.
In 1619 he became chaplain of galley slaves waiting to be shipped abroad. In 1625, Vincent founded the Congregations of the Missions, known as the Lazarites or Vincentians, a congregation of priests devoted to missionary work among the peasants. It soon spread all over France.
In 1633, with Saint Louise de Marillac, he founded the Sisters of Charity, the first congregation of women, outside the convent, to care for the poor and the sick. Vincent established hospitals and orphanages. He ransomed Christian slaves from North Africa, organized relief among the victims of war, etc. He also wrote widely on spiritual topics. Vincent’s whole life was devoted to alleviating human suffering and misery.
He died in Paris on 27 September 1660.
He was canonized on 16 June 1737 by Pope Clement XII .

Saint Vincent de Paul
Pray for us!

[odhiambo]

Let us also remember today
Saints Cosmos and Damien.

[odhiambo]

Saint Cosmas and Saint Damian
Cosmas and Damian were twins born in Arabia. They studied medicine in Syria and started their practice in Cilicia. (Southern Turkey).
The twins were Christians. They were filled with the spirit of charity and never took any payment for their services. They were called the “silver less” because of this practice of not taking money for services rendered. This act of charity converted many to the Catholic Faith. The twins attained great reputation.
Their most famous miraculous achievement was the grafting of a leg from a recently deceased Ethiopian to replace a patient’s ulcerated leg. This became the subject of many paintings and indeed wonders no less because the healed patient then had one leg black and the other white!
During the persecution of Christians by the emperor Diocletian, Cosmas and Damian were arrested by the orders of Lysias the governor of Cilicia. Lysias ordered them, under torture to recant but they remained true to their Faith. They underwent various forms of torture about the year 283, but in a miraculous manner they suffered no injury from water, fire and other forms of torture..
Examples
1: They were reportedly chained together and thrown into the sea but were brought back ashore miraculously.
2: They were reportedly tied to a post to be burnt, but the flames flared up against the executioners.
3: Lysias tried to have them stoned, but the stones fell short of their target.
Finally they were beheaded.
They had three younger brothers who had been very close to them; they too shared in their martyrdom.
Saint Cosmas and Saint Damian are the patron saints of medicine, doctors and pharmacists.
Saint Cosmas
Pray for us!
Saint Damian
Pray for us!

[Shin]

A number of moving stories of the deaths of saints lately. Thank you odhiambo! 

[odhiambo]

September 28
Today we remember
Saint Wenceslas
Among many other Saints

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Saint Wenceslas.
Wenceslas was born around the year 907 or 909 . He was born in Stochov Castle near Praque, present day Czech Republic. He was the eldest son of Prince Ratislav and his wife Drahomira.
His grandfather, Prince Borivoy and his grandmother Ludmilla, were committed Christians. Many powerful Czechs, however were opposed to Christianity as it threatened their powers.
His own mother, Drahomira was the daughter of a pagan tribal chief. She was a nominal Christian, changing with the wind, so to speak.
Wenceslass had four sisters and a brother after him. The brother was named Boleslav.
Wenceslas was brought up by his grandmother, Ludmilla, who educated him in the Christian Faith.
He loved the outdoor life, helping with the harvest and preparing bread and wine for religious purposes.
When Wenceslas was thirteen years old, his father died in battle, and his mother became regent. In no time at all, Drahomira reverted back to her pagan origins. She started persecuting Christian priests in the kingdom. She plotted for her mother in law to be strangled in her castle at Tetin in September of 921.
She then attempted to turn her son, Wenceslas from Christianity but he would have none of that..
At the age of eighteen, with the support of Christian nobles, Wenceslas was able to take control of the kingdom from his mother.
He promptly reinstated Christianity and ended the persecution of priests.
His rule, for the duration that it lasted, was marked with acts of charity for which he became renowned. He was kind to the poor whom he clothed and sheltered.
Trouble, in the person of his brother Boleslav was never far.
The pagan nobility convinced Boleslav to join them in their plot against Wenceslas.
So, they invited the King to attend a feast to be held in the chapel of Boleslav’s castle. He accepted to go although he had been warned that his life might be in danger.
When the service was over, his treacherous brother again invited him to stay the night. He accepted the invitation and spent the night at his brother’s castle.The next morning, 20th September 929, he went for his morning prayers at the chapel. Boleslav and his henchman caught him alone and unarmed. He was stabbed to death on the steps of the chapel.
His body was interred in the church of Saint Vitus and the chapel of Saint Wenceslas was constructed around his tomb.
King Wenceslas reigned for just five years.
He is the patron saint of the former Czechoslovakia.
Saint Wenceslas.
Pray for us!

[odhiambo]

September 29

Today we remember the
Three Archangels whose  the Bible tells us:
Saint Michael the Archangel,
Saint Gabriel the Archangel.
Saint Raphael the Archangel
Among many other Saints

[odhiambo]

Saint Michael the Archangel
Michael is one of the three angels mentioned above, whom the Church venerates by name. His name “Michael” means ‘who is like God’. Traditionally, he is considered one of the chief angels in heaven.
The Church honors Saint Michael with four main titles:
1: The Christian Angel of death. He assists the soul of each person in its journey after death to heaven for judgment.
2: He is the Special Patron and protector of the Chosen People of the Old Testament.
3: He is the supreme foe of Satan and the fallen angels being named specifically in the Book of Revelations as fighting against Satan and coming at the end of the world to command the hosts of the Lord in the final struggle.
Indeed Saint Michael is usually depicted as a tall handsome angel, holding a sword and shield, lance or banner. Often he is shown doing battle with Satan or dragon
4: He is the guardian of the Church
Michael appears twice in the Old Testament.
In Daniel 10:13 He is referred to as “Michael, one of the chief princes”. and then as “ the great prince”.
Veneration of Saint Michael dates back to a very early time in Christian history.
The veneration is accompanied by an extensive amount of legends; a few examples will suffice.
1: Michael supposedly made a dramatic appearance over the mausoleum of Emperor Hadrian( r 117-138) in Rome, in answer to an appeal during an outbreak of plaque. the plaque stopped and ever since, the mausoleum has been called the castel Sant’Angelo in his honor.
2: He has been claimed to intervene in assorted wars and battles. Saint Joan of Arc credited Michael as one of the holy Spirits who aided her and gave her the courage to save France from the English during the Hundred Years’ war ( 1337-1453).
3: Michael’s role as an angel of healing was celebrated in Asia Minor present day Turkey, where he was reputed to have caused healing springs to flow and where churches in his name were visited frequently by the sick. The monastery, Mont Saint Michel  in France, is named in his honor.
In 1950, Pope Pius XII named Saint Michael, the patron of policemen.
Saint Michael the Archangel
Pray for us!
Ref: Our Sunday Visitor Encyclopedia Of Saints.
By Matthew Bunson, Stephen Bunson, Margaret Bunson:

[odhiambo]

Saint Gabriel the Archangel.
Archangel Gabriel is the “Angel of the Annunciation” sent to proclaim the “Annunciation” to the Virgin Mary.  He announced the coming of Christ in the Old Testament and he told Zachariah of the birth of John the Baptist. Traditionally, Gabriel is also believed to guard the Tree of Life and may have been the heavenly being who expelled Adam and Eve from Aden.
Gabriel is patron of modern telecommunications and of postal services.
Saint Gabriel the Archangel.
Pray for us!

[odhiambo]

Saint Raphael the Archangel
The name Raphael means “The healer of God; God hath healed”
He is considered one of the angels of healing.
He is honored as the head of the guardian angels, the angel of knowledge and the angel of science.
In the Old Testament, Raphael appears in the Book of Tobit, in which he provides much needed assistance to Tobias, helping to rid him of the frightful torments of the demon Asmedeus. At the end of the book, he tells Tobias: “I am Raphael, one of the seven angels who stand in the presence of the Lord ready to serve Him”
He is also believed to be one of the three angels who visited Abraham just before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Saint Raphael is not mentioned in the New Testament.
In liturgical art, Archangel Raphael is depicted as a young man carrying a staff or a fish.
Saint Raphael the Archangel
Pray for us

[odhiambo]

For prayers please check our Shin's post :   
"It's the Three Archangels Day"

[odhiambo]

September 30

Today is the Memorial of
Saint Jerome
Among many other Saints

[odhiambo]

Saint Jerome
Doctor of the Church
Saint Jerome was born in Stridon, Northeastern Italy. His given name was Eusebius Hieronymus Sophronius. His father was a Christian. Jerome began his studies at his birth place but proceeded for further studies in Rome, the centre of learning at that time.
Although he was raised a Christian, Jerome was not baptized until he was eighteen years old.
In Rome, his teachers included Donatus,and Victorinus, two very well known pagans of that time.
He became fluent in Latin and Greek and he loved reading the pagan classics of Cicero, Pliny, etc. He also became worldly losing much of the piety his parents had instilled in him as a youngster.
After he completed his studies in Rome, Jerome traveled widely, visiting other parts of the world.
In 374, he went to Antioch and from there he went to the desert of Chalcis. While in the desert, Saint Jerome had a vision (vivid dream?) in which Jesus remonstrated him saying “ Ciceronianus es, Chritianus” a condemnation of Jerome’s preference for Roman literature to Christian writings. Jerome was jolted into changing his lifestyle.
He renounced all secular persuits to dedicate himself wholeheartedly to God.
He remained in the desert for four years praying, fasting, doing penance and studying. He wrote the life of Saint Paul of Thebes.
About the year 380, Jerome went to Constantinople to study Scripture under the Greek Bishop Gregory of Nazianzus.
Two years later he went back to Rome to attend a Council which Pope Damasus had called to deal with the Antioch Schism. He was appointed secretary of the Council and once it was over, the Pope appointed him as his own secretary. At the Pope’s request he embarked on preparing a revised text of the Latin New Testament in Greek.
After the death of the Pope, Saint Jerome went back to the Holy Land where he settled in Bethlehem where he lived in the cave believed to have been the birthplace of Jesus.
On September 30th in the year 420, Jerome died in Bethlehem.
The remains of his body is in the Basilica of Saint Mary Maggiore in Rome.
Saint Jerome is honored as one of the greatest Scholars of the early church.
His greatest work was the Vulgate.
Saint Jerome
Pray for us!

[odhiambo]

Saint Jerome had an extraordinarily intense love for God, that is a fact, but the Saint is also reputed to have had a very bad temper, a biting sarcasm and a vitriolic pen.
Reportedly, the wrote the following of worldly women who:

"paint their cheeks with rouge and their eyelids with antimony, whose plastered faces, too white for human beings, look like idols and, if in a moment of forgetfulness they shed a tear, it makes a furrow where it rolls down the painted cheeks; women to whom years do not bring the gravity of age, who load their heads with other people’s hair, enamel a lost youth upon the wrinkles of age, and effect a maidenly timidity in the midst of a troop of grandchildren"

The Saint was reportedly more severe on his own shortcomings than on others, and all his acidity was really all in the service of God, no one can  certainly fault that.
On seeing a picture of Saint Jerome striking his breast with a stone, a Pope reportedly remarked:
“ You do well to carry that stone, for without it, the Church would never have canonized you.!”
Butler’s lives of Saints

[odhiambo]

The all important quote of Saint Jerome:

"Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ"
 St Jerome