Saint of the day and Feast days.

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28 January

Today is the Feast day of
Saint Thomas Aquinas
Among many other saints

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Saint Thomas Aquinas.
Dominican, Doctor of the Church.

Saint Thomas Aquinas is one of the greatest theologians and philosophers in the history of the Church.
He was born around 1225 at Roccasecca, Italy to a noble Italian family. His father was count Landulf of Aquino, a relative of the King of France. His mother was Theodora of Teano. When he was just 5 years old, Thomas entered the Benedictine Order at Monte Cassino as an Oblate.
Even at this early age, Thomas was noted to be brilliant. He studied here until the monks were ejected from the abbey by the troops of Emperor Fredrick II.
That same year, Thomas began studies at the University of Naples. While there, he was attracted to the recently established Dominican Order and desired to become a friar. His family had other plans for him. They wanted him to return to Monte Cassino and serve as abbot. When he refused, his brothers kidnapped him and kept him virtually a prisoner at Monte San Giovanni from 1244 to 1245! When he would not change his mind, his relatives accepted defeat. He was released and he went to Rome then to Paris where he enrolled at the University. In 1248, Thomas was ordained at the then new Dominican college at cologne. Two years later he returned to Paris as lecturer in theology and to continue his own private study.
On October 23, 1257, he was awarded a doctorate in theology and soon after he gave his inaugural lecture, “ The Majesty of Christ”, based on Psalms 104:13.
Two years later, he was appointed theological adviser at the papal court, spending time at the papal residences in Anagni and Orvieto. At the urging of Pope Urban IV, he undertook a number of writings, including;
1: The Office for the Feast of Corpus Christi.
2:The catena Aurea ( The Golden Chain).
3:The Contra Errores Graecorum ( Against the Errors of the Greeks)
Between 1265 and 1267, Thomas taught in Rome in the Dominican School of Santa Sabina. It was during this time that he began work on his magnum opus, the Summa Theologiae.
In 1267, he went to Viterbo and worked for Pope Clement IV, declining the post of archbishop of Naples.
Two years later, he returned to Paris and took up the chair of theology for the Dominicans.
Renowned throughout Christendom, Thomas was ordered to organize a Dominican “general study” in Naples.
He gave lectures, preached before huge crowds of faithful, and continued to work on the Summa Theologiae.
Increasingly ill and completely exhausted from his incessant labors, Thomas nevertheless obeyed the summons of Blessed Pope Gregory X that he should participate in the Council of Lyons. He set out for France in January 1274. He collapsed and died at the Cistercian monastery of Fossanova on March 7, 1274.
Saint Thomas Aquinas,
Pray for us!

[Shin]

'The greater the charity of the saints, in their heavenly home, the more they intercede for those who are still on their journey and the more they can help them by their prayers; the more they are united with God, the more effective those prayers are. This is in accordance with divine order, which makes higher things react upon lower things, like the brightness of the sun filling the atmosphere.'

St. Thomas Aquinas

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29 January

Today is the Memorial of
1:Saint Sabinian
2:Saint Apollinaris
3:And Servant of God Brother Juniper.
Among many other saints.

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Saint Sabinian
Martyr.
Also listed as Savinian .
According to to accounts available but described as “dubious” by Our Sunday Visitors Encyclopedia of Saints, Sabinian was born and raised a pagan on the island of Samos . He was the brother of Saint Sabina of Troyes. He travelled to Gaul where he met and was converted by Saint Patroclus of Troyes. He was apparently converted to the Christian Faith together with his sister Sabina.
After Patroclus's martyrdom,  Sabinian continued with his teacher's work, preaching and baptizing in the area of the Seine.
He was arrested, tortured and beheaded in 275 at Rilly near Troyes, France at the command of Emperor Aurelian.
He is revered as the “Apostle of Troyes”, where he was martyred.
Saint Sabinian,
Pray for us!

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30 January

Today is the Memorial of
Saint Hyacintha
Among many other Saints

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Saint Hyacintha
Hyacintha was a Franciscan tertiary , born in Viterbo, Italy.
She was placed in a monastery because she was a very troublesome girl!
 In fact she was reportedly so scandalous that she was forced to become a religious.
Even there, she reportedly rebelled!
After many years, however, she changed completely, becoming a model religious.
She died in 1640; was canonized in 1807.
Saint Hyacintha,
Pray for us!

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31 January
Today is the Memorial of
Saint John Bosco
Among many other saints.

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Saint John Bosco
Also known as Don Bosco or Giovanni Melchior Bosco.
Founder of the Salesian Society.
John was born on the 16th of August 1815, in a little cabin, at Becchi, a hill-side hamlet near Castelnuovo, Piedmont, Italy. His parents were poor farmers.
 When he was just two years old, his father died, leaving him and his brothers in the care of his mother, Marguerite.
The early years of John’s life were spent as a shepherd. He however, craved studying and desired to live the religious life.
From early childhood on, Our Lord and Our Lady repeatedly inspired John in what is termed his dream, to rescue young boys from evil ways and to train them in an honest trade through gentleness and kindness.
Following are some excerpts from Catholic Pages Directory on St. John Bosco

“The great dream.
At the age of nine, Don Bosco had the first, great dream which marked his entire life. He saw a multitude of very poor boys who play and blaspheme. A Man of majestic appearance told him: With meekness and charity you will conquer these friends; and a Lady just as majestic added: Make yourself humble, strong and robust. At the right time you will understand everything.
The years which followed were given direction by that dream. Son and mother saw in it the indication of a way of life.”

So, as a boy in rural Piedmont and after his ordination in Turin, he set out deliberately to cultivate every means for gaining their confidence and friendship. He studied jugglers tricks and the acrobats secrets, tight rope walking, playing the violin, singing, telling stories, etc.
“One Sunday evening, John gave his first performance in front of the kids from the neighboring houses. He performed balancing miracles with pots and pans on the tip of his nose. Then he jumped up on a rope strung between two trees, and walked on it applauded by the young spectators. Before the grandiose conclusion, he repeated for them the sermon he heard at the morning Mass, and invited all to pray. The games and the Word of God began transforming his little friends, who willingly prayed in his company.”

As John’s work became better known and supported by “cooperators”, he was able to establish regular night schools and put everything on a permanent basis by founding the Salasian Institute in Turin and placing it under the protection of Mary Help of Christians and Saint Francis de Sales.
Next he built technical schools, workshops, dormitories. Through these facilities, the boys learned not just religion, but reading, writing and  trade; They had daily Mass and frequent confessions.
In time, John Bosco came to be known as Don Bosco.
In order to extend his beneficient work to young girls, John, in collaboration with Saint Mary Mazzarello, founded the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in 1872.
The saint accomplished much in his life time. “When somebody would tell Don Bosco the list of the works he performed, he would interrupt the person and immediately saying: I have done nothing by myself. It is the Virgin Mary who has done everything. She had traced out his road in the famous dream he had when he was nine.
Don Bosco died on January 31, 1888, at dawn.
To the Salesians who were keeping vigil around his bed he said in a whisper these last words: Love each other as brothers. Do good to all and evil to none... Tell my boys that I wait for them all in Paradise.”
Saint John Boco,
Pray for us!

[Patricia]

My sons, in my long experience very often I had to be convinced of this great truth. It is easier to become angry than to restrain oneself, and to threaten a boy than to persuade him. Yes, indeed, it is more fitting to be persistent in punishing our own impatience and pride than to correct the boys. We must be firm but kind, and be patient with them.

See that no one finds you motivated by impetuosity or willfulness. It is difficult to keep calm when administering punishment, but this must be done if we are to keep ourselves from showing off our authority or spilling out our anger.

Let us regard those boys over whom we have some authority as our own sons. Let us place ourselves in their service. Let us be ashamed to assume an attitude of superiority. Let us not rule over them except for the purpose of serving them better.

This was the method that Jesus used with the apostles. He put up with their ignorance and roughness and even their infidelity. He treated sinners with a kindness and affection that caused some to be shocked, others to be scandalized and still others to hope for God's mercy. And so he bade us to be gentle and humble of heart.

-- Saint John Bosco from a letter

[Shin]

There's nothing like sacrifice, humility and gentleness for helping convert souls! 

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We are in the month of February.
This month is traditionally dedicated to
The Holy Family.

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1 February

Today is the Memorial of
1: Saint Ansgar
2: Saint John of the Grating.
Among many other saints

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Saint John of the Grating.
Bishop of Aleth
John was born in Brittany, France in 1098.
 He joined Clairvaux (a former commune in France), and became a Cistercian. He was professed by St. Bernard. He became the Bishop of Aleth.  The Bishop also founded several abbeys including: Sainte Croix de Guingamp and Saint Jacques de Montfort Abbeys.
He died in 1168 and was canonized in 1517.
John’s nick name of "Grating", was because of the grating , or metal rails, surrounding his shrine.
Saint John,
Pray for us!

[Shin]

It's also St. Brigid's day. St. Brigid pray for us!

    Christus in nostra insula
    Que vocatur Hibernia
    Ostensus est hominibus
    Maximis mirabilibus
    Que perfecit per felicem
    Celestis vite virginem
    Precellentem pro merito
    Magno in mundi circulo.

    Christ was made known to men
    On our island of Hibernia
    by the very great miracles
    which he performed
    through the happy virgin of celestial life,
    famous for her merits
    through the whole world.

- St. Ultan of Ardbraccan

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I replaced my St Brigid's cross today with a nice new green one. Thankfully the children still learn how to make them in school (or at least in a few). 

St Brigid pray for us and pray for Ireland.