Saint of the day and Feast days.

[Patricia]

Amen!

[martin]

Ahh.. Saint Francis...  Another one of my favorite saints.
The good St Francis knew all about detachment. 

St. Francis ora pro nobis.

[Shin]

That is the truth! 

[Shin]

There's some real spiritual treasure in St. Bonaventure's biography of St. Francis for those who can approach it.

[odhiambo]

5th October.

Today we remember
Saint Placid
Among many other Saints

[odhiambo]

Saint Placidus
Saint Placidus was born in Rome in the year 515, to a noble family.
At the age of seven, his father, Tertulus, took him to the Benedictine monastery at Subiaco and committed him to the care of Saint Benedict who, like him, belonged to the nobility.
It was here at the monastery that Placid met another child, Maurus, committed in a similar manner by his own father to the care of the Abbot.
A miraculous incident of how Maurus walked on the water and that Saint Gregory the Great recorded in his book two of Dialogues was posted at CAF last year at this time by Shin. I hope Shin that this is okay with you. If not, I apologize and you can remove it.
Here it is:

We read in the Dialogues of Gregory the Great:
Once while blessed Benedict was in his room, one of his monks, the boy Placidus, went down to get some water. In letting the bucket fill too rapidly, he lost his balance and was pulled into the lake, where the current quickly seized him and carried him about an arrow's shot from the shore.
Though inside the monastery at the time, the man of God was instantly aware of what had happened and called out to Maurus: "Brother Maurus, run as fast as you can, for Placidus, who went to the lake to fetch water, has fallen in, and is carried a good way off."
Maurus asked for the blessing and on receiving it hurried out to fulfill his abbot's command. He kept on running, even over and atop the water till he reached the place where Placidus was drifting along helplessly. Pulling him up by the hair, Maurus rushed back to shore, still under the impression that he was on dry land. It was only when he set foot on the ground that he came to himself and looking back, realized that he had been running on the surface of the water. Overcome with fear and amazement at a deed he would never have thought possible, he returned to his abbot and told him what had taken place.
The holy man would not take any personal credit for the deed but attributed it to the obedience of his disciple. Maurus, on the contrary, claimed that it was due entirely to his abbot's command. He could not have been responsible for the miracle himself, he said, since he had not even known he was performing it. While they were carrying on this friendly contest of humility, the question was settled by the boy who had been rescued. "When I was being drawn out of the water," he told them, "I saw the abbot's cloak over my head; he is the one I thought was bringing me to shore."

What a miracle that was! It appears that the young Maurus was not even aware at the time of the momentous incident taking place.
Little really is known of the life of Saint Placidus. He is reported to have been sent to Sicily to found a monastery at Messina, but this part of his life is disputed so I will not go into it.
Saint Placidus was reportedly murdered in 514 together with other monks by heathen pirates because of the Faith.
Since the 10th century, he has been venerated as a Saint in the Benedictine Order.
Saint Placid,
Pray for us!

[odhiambo]

October 6
Today is the Memorial of
Saint Bruno
Among many other Saints

[odhiambo]

Saint Bruno
Founder of the Carthusian Order
Bruno was born in 1030 in Cologne, Germany. He was a member of the prominent Hartenfaust family. He studied at the Cathedral school in Rheims and on his return to his home town around the year 1055; he was ordained a priest and became a canon at Saint Cunibert’s. In 1056, Bruno returned to Rheims as professor of theology. He became head of the school the following year. He remained there until 1074 when archbishop of Rheims, Manasses, appointed him chancellor of Rheims.  In 1076, however, things soured up for Bruno. It started with a quarrel that Manasses had with Pope Saint Gregory VII. Bruno and other priests in the archdiocese denounced Manasse for this quarrel terming him unfit for the office of papal legate. He was forced to flee Rheims as a result of this stand. He returned to Rheims in 1080 when Manasses was deposed. The people of Rheims wanted him to become the successor to Manasses but Bruno preferred the eremitical life.
In 1083, Bruno became a hermit under the patronage of Saint Robert of Molesmes. The following year, Bruno and six companions went to Grenoble, France. Bishop Hugh of Grenoble showed them a desolate area called Grande Chartreuse. There, they built an oratory and cells, thereby founding the Carthusian Order that followed a life of manual labor, poverty and prayer. As the fame of the group spread, Bruno was brought to Rome in 1090 against his wishes. Pope Urban, who had been a student of his at Rheims, appointed him papal adviser in the reformation of the clergy. After aiding the pope in reforming the clergy, Bruno founded Saint Mary’s at La Torre, Calabria, Italy. He remained here until his death on October 6, 1101.
According to all my book of saints, Bruno was never officially canonized because of the Carthusian’s aversion to public honors. Pope Leo X granted them permission to celebrate his feast in 1514, and his name was placed in the Roman calendar in 1623.
He is the patron of the Carthusian Order
Saint Bruno
Pray for us!

[Shin]

A very special day for me.

Thank you odhiambo.

'The Lord created all mortals in the light, offering the supreme joys of heaven according to their merits.

Blessed is the one who without straying directs his soul toward those heights and is vigilant to preserve himself from all evil.

Blessed again is the one who repents after sinning and often weeps because of his fault.

Alas! People live as though death did not follow life, as if hell were only an unfounded fable, though burning embrace.

Mortals, have a care that you live, all of you, in such a way that you do not have to fear the lake of hell.'

St. Bruno

'He hath a demon within him who persists in any grave sin.

And because of this the Apostle admonishes us, where he says: Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body (Rom. 8:12). For as long as sin remains in a man, for so long is he bound and captive and possessed by the devil. Such a man, blind and dumb, if he be offered to the Lord, if he be converted to penance, the Lord shall straightaway heal him; so that the evil spirit being driven out of him he may speak and see.'

St. Bruno

'Knowing that the hour had come for him to pass from this world to the Father, [Bruno] called his brothers together, reviewed all the stages of his life since infancy, and recalled the special events of his lifetime. Then, in a profound, detailed discourse he expressed his faith in the Trinity, concluding with these words: "I believe also in the sacraments that the Church believes and holds in reverence, and particularly that the bread and wine which are consecrated on the altar are, after the Consecration, the true Body of our Lord Jesus Christ, his true Flesh and his real Blood, which we receive for the forgiveness of our sins and in the hope of eternal life." The following Sunday, the evening before the ninth of October in the year of our Lord 1101, his holy soul left his body.'

Letter describing the death of St. Bruno

[Shin]

I was wondering odhiambo, after so many stories of saints, who are the saints you think about and turn to the most?

[odhiambo]

I was wondering odhiambo, after so many stories of saints, who are the saints you think about and turn to the most?

Still making friends Shin.
At the moment, I have Saint Jude, Our Lord's cousin; Saint Augustine and his mother Saint Monica; Saint Rita of Cascia.
I hope to keep adding to the list as I know them better.

[odhiambo]

7th October

Today is the Feast day of
Our Lady of the Rosary

[odhiambo]

Our Lady of the Rosary

The origin of this title for Mary goes back to an apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Saint Dominic de Guzman in 1208 in the city of Prouille France.
Dominic was praying at the little chapel of Notre Dame de la Prouille. He was imploring Our Lady to save the Church from the Albigensians and also for their conversion.
The Albigensians (also called Cathar) was a heretical sect. They called themselves the “Prefects” and among their many doctrines, was one called “dualism” in which they did not believe that a good God could create a world filled with pain and sufferings. They therefore viewed the Old Testament God as an evil God. The New Testament God to them was the true, good and merciful God; two dualities constantly at odds and at war over the souls of man.
This was what the Church was up against. This was why Saint Dominic was praying so earnestly asking for Our Lady’s intervention. She responded to the request.
Our Lady appeared to him and gave him the Rosary, bidding him to go forth and preach it.
Saint Dominic did exactly that. With his rosary in hand, he revived the courage of the catholic armies and led them to victory against overwhelming numbers and finally subdued the heresy.

In 1571, Pope Pius V instituted Our Lady of Victory as an annual feast to commemorate the victory of Lepanto. This victory was attributed to the Blessed Virgin Mary as a rosary procession had been offered that day at St. Peter’s Square in Rome for the success of the mission of the Holy League to hold back Muslim forces from overriding Western Europe.

In 1573, Pope Gregory XIII changed the title of this feast day to the “Feast of the Holy Rosary” This feast was extended by Pope Clement XII to the whole of the Latin Rite, inserting it into the Roman Catholic  Calendar of Saints in 1716 and assigning it to the first Sunday in October.
Pope Pius X changed the date to 7th October in 1913 as part of his effort to restore celebration of the liturgy of the Sundays.
In 1969, Pope Paul VI changed the name of the feast to “Our Lady of the Rosary”.

Our Lady of the Rosary is the patron saint of several places around the world.
Maria del Rosario is also a common female Spanish name, shortened, Rosario or Charo.
Rosario is also used as a male first name.

Our Lady of the Rosary,
Pray for us!

[odhiambo]

October 7
Today is also the Memorial of
Saint Mark, Pope.
Among many other Saints

[odhiambo]

Saint Mark
Pope.
Little is known of the early life of Saint Mark or Marcus.
He was said to be a Roman. His father was called Priscus.
He was consecrated on January 18th 336 and died October 7 that same year.
There is said to be evidence that suggests that the early lists of bishops and martyrs known as ‘Depositio episcoporum’ and ‘Depositio martyrum’ were began during his pontificate.
Mark also issued a constitution confirming the power of the bishop of Ostia to consecrate newly elected popes.
He is credited with the foundation of the basilica of San Marco in Rome and the Juxta Pallacinis basilica just outside the city
The Pope died less than nine months after ascending to the papacy and was buried in the catacomb of Balbina, where he had built the cemetery church.
Pope Saint Mark,
Pray for us!

[Patricia]

She responded to the request.
Our Lady appeared to him and gave him the Rosary, bidding him to go forth and preach it.
Saint Dominic did exactly that. With his rosary in hand, he revived the courage of the catholic armies and led them to victory against overwhelming numbers and finally subdued the heresy.

A simple, humble prayer and so powerful that it is called the 'scourge of satan' ! Praise be to God!