Saint of the day and Feast days - Part 2

[susanna]

I've prayed for her intercession.  I have 3 brothers.   

[odhiambo]

Every time I read about what happened during their last meeting,
and her death; how her brother knew she had died by that that vision that the Lord allowed him,
I am just lost for words. There are people in this world who are so, so blessed .

[Shin]

She sounds like a great intercessor for such a case! 

Great to see you Susanna! 

[susanna]

Thanks Shin.  Yes, I believe she has helped me. 

[odhiambo]

Today, February 17, is the Optional Memorial of Seven Founders of the Order of Servites.
"Seven members of a Florentine confraternity founded the order of Servites of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the thirteenth century. The Servites lead a life of prayer and mortification, meditating on the Passion of the Lord and venerating the Blessed Virgin as Our Lady of Sorrows." (Daily Roman Missal)

Seven Founders of the Order of Servites,
Pray for us!

[Shin]

All ye holy Servites, pray for us!

[James - a humble servant]

Feb. 18

Today is the Feast of Bl. Fra Angelico.
(Also the name of my Diminican Order Chapter)
Happy Feast Day Everyone !

• Bl. John of Fiesole, popularly known as Bl. Fra Angelico, was a Dominican painter in the mid-fifteenth century known for the beauty of his paintings and the holiness of his priestly life. Nicknamed “Angelico” by his brothers, his Dominican consecration and life are worthy of imitation as he preached Jesus Christ by his life, his words, and his paintings.

Given the name Guido at Baptism, this saint was born near Vicchio, in the vicinity of Florence, at the end of the 14th century. From his youth he practiced the art of painting. Having entered the Dominican convent in Fiesole, he was given the name Brother Giovanni (Brother John). After ordination he held various responsibilities, one of which was that of prior of the convent in Fiesole.

Faithful to the promises he made as a Dominican, to preach the Gospel after having contemplated it in prayer, Fra Angelico put his creativity at the disposal of the Lord. With brush and paint in hand, he used his talents to transmit to all people the sublimity and the redemptive strength of the divine mysteries.

Between 1425 and 1447, Fra Angelico carried out his activity for the Dominican convents and other ecclesiastical institutes at Fiesole, Florence (most especially at the convent of San Marco), Cortona and Orvieto. The fame of his genius merited him the esteem of the Sovereign Pontiffs Eugenio IV and Nicolas V, who contracted him for the task of frescoing several rooms in the Vatican Palace (1445-1449).

Fra Angelico died on February 18, 1455, in the convent of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva in Rome and was buried in the adjoining Basilica, where his body was covered by a simple slab on which was carved his portrait. With a personality that was uncomplicated and clear, Brother Giovanni had lived a poor and humble life, refusing honors and positions.

The virtue and the profound religious spirit which characterized the life of this artist and Dominican is reflected in his spirituality, his purity, and the luminosity of his art. Even before his official recognition as a blessed of the Church, he had been given by the faithful the title “Beato Angelico.” In a moving ceremony on October 18, 1984, Pope John Paul II, on his knees in front of Fra Angelico’s tomb, proclaimed him solemnly to be the universal patron of all artists.

The Incarnation was one of Fra Angelico’s favorite themes, and he painted over 25 variations of it. His painted meditations, so needed at the time of the early Renaissance, are still necessary today. God became man to bring us closer to Himself by way of all things human. He makes all things new by fashioning them into possible vehicles of grace for us, so that by visible realities and concrete concepts, we can arrive at an understanding and a love of higher, invisible realities, all leading to God Himself.

[James - a humble servant]

Feb. 19

~ Bl. Alvarez of Cordoba ~

Today we celebrate the feast day of Blessed Alvarez of Cordoba, a Dominican friar and priest. Alvarez was born at Zomora, Spain in the middle of the fourthteenth century and entered the Dominican Order in A.D. 1368. Blessed Alvarez preached throughout Spain and Italy. By his preaching and devotion to the Lord's passion, Alvarez spread the practice of the Via Crucis (Stations of the Cross) throughout Western Europe. Blessed Alvarez died on 19 February 1430.

During his life Blessed Alvarez was the personal confessor, spiritual guide, and political advisor to Queen Catherine of Castile. And, Alvarez was charged with the educating the young King John II. Blessed Alvarez founded a Dominican house of strict observance in mountains around Cordoba, called Escalaceli (Ladder of Heaven), which became a well known house of piety and learning. Blessed Alvarez spent his time at Escalaceli, during the day, preaching, teaching, and begging for alms in the street. At night he was absorbed in prayer. Tradition tells that Blessed Alvarez set up a series of images in the gardens of Escalaceli with images of the Holy Land and our Lord's Passion--a foundational practice that we know today as the Stations of the Cross.

Tradition tells of two particular events in the life of Blessed Alvarez of Cordoba that provide great instruction on how we are called to live our lives today.

Our Lord calls us to humble ourselves and place our trust in Him.--Once, when the entire food stocks of Escalaceli consisted only of a single head of lettuce, Blessed Alvarez invited all of his Dominican brothers to sit with him at the table. When they had done so, Blessed Alvarez said a prayer of thanksgiving for the meal and sent a porter to answer the door. When the porter opened the door, he found a stranger leading a mule that was loaded with food. After the mule was unloaded of the food, the stranger and animal disappeared.

What you do for the least of my brothers, says the Lord, you do for Me.--Once, Blessed Alavarez found a dying beggar in the streets. Moved with pity, Blessed Alvarez wrapped the beggar in his own cloak and carried him back to Escalaceli. However, when he arrived at the priory and unwrapped his cloak, he found not the beggar, but a crucifix. That crucifix reportedly still hangs in Escalaceli today.

Prayer:

God of mercy, 
you endowed Blessed Alvarez with the gifts of penance 
and divine love. 
With the help of his prayers and example 
may we always bear the suffering of Christ 
in our bodies and your love in our hearts. 
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, 
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, 
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

[Shin]

I am enjoying this education in famous Dominicans!

[James - a humble servant]

I enjoy learning about the saints too Shin. Especially the Dominican Saints. Quite a lot to read about since the Order has been around for nearly 800 years.  In 2016 we will have a massive celebration for the 800th birthday of the Order. 

My post following is some good reading ! 

[James - a humble servant]

Today is the Memorial of
Bl. Christopher of Milan (Benedetto Christopher di Milano)
Italian, priest, reformer, missionary preacher, the "Apostle of Liguria".


(By: Br. Innocent Smith, O.P.)

One example of such fruitful patronage may be found in the life of Blessed Christopher of Milan, a fifteenth-century Dominican friar whose feast is celebrated by the Order of Preachers on February 20th. According to a recent biographer, “The austerity of his life and his zeal for souls led an ancient chronicler to say of him: ‘He was truly a Christ-bearer, for he carried Christ not only in name, but in his heart and on his lips.’” Given that “Christopher” derives from the Greek word for “Christ” and the Greek verb meaning “to bear” or “to carry,” we might wonder: was the ancient chronicler’s statement anything more than a pious commonplace that could just as well have been applied to anyone who happened to be named Christopher? On the contrary, his description was a very meaningful one, as we shall see.

During his lifetime, Christopher was well known for his zeal in fostering devotion to the saints. Thus, we may be sure that he would have been a diligent reader of The Golden Legend, which was written by his thirteenth-century Dominican confrère, Blessed Jacob of Voragine. The Golden Legend, a collection of legends and lives of saints, was the second most widely read book in the Middle Ages—after the Bible. In this text, Christopher of Milan would have read the following “etymological summary” of his third-century patron, Saint Christopher:

Before Christopher was baptized, he was called Reprobus, meaning outcast, but afterwards he was called Christophoros, the Christ-bearer. He bore Christ in four ways, namely, on his shoulders when he carried him across the river, in his body by mortification, in his mind by devotion, and in his mouth by confessing Christ and preaching him.

Thus, the chronicler’s description of the fifteenth-century Christopher of Milan as “a Christ-bearer [who] carried Christ not only in name, but in his heart and on his lips,” is a clear allusion to the description of the third-century Saint Christopher found in The Golden Legend.

But this is not just a matter of holiness by association. Christopher of Milan was famous in his own right for his devotion and his preaching. To take one of many examples, he was known for arranging that the hebdomadarian (that is, the priest who was called upon to officiate at the community liturgy throughout a given week) should be temporarily freed from all other duties so as to devote himself wholeheartedly to his liturgical service as alter Christus. As for his preaching, he was known for giving a sermon on the text of the gospel proper to each day’s Mass, rather than on his own choice of text. And thus he bore the words of Christ “on his lips.”

When we read Voragine’s description of Saint Christopher, the third-century martyr, we are also, in a very real way, reading a description of his fifteenth-century Dominican “protégé,” Blessed Christopher of Milan—who would himself have used Voragine’s text to come closer to his patron saint and to God. Thus we learn that it is possible to imitate a saint, that a saint’s life and works can, and often do, serve as inspiration for living a life of charity. Moreover, we can be assured that Blessed Christopher received his patron’s heavenly aid in his efforts to persevere in charity.

It is true, of course, that baptized children (along with religious and popes) are not required to receive saints’ names, so long as the name selected is not foreign to Christian sentiment—but the life of Blessed Christopher teaches us that it sure can help.

[James - a humble servant]

St. Athanasius
(295?-373)

Athanasius led a tumultuous but dedicated life of service to the Church. He was the great champion of the faith against the widespread heresy of Arianism, the teaching by Arius that Jesus was not truly divine. The vigor of his writings earned him the title of doctor of the Church.
Born of a Christian family in Alexandria, Egypt, and given a classical education, Athanasius became secretary to Alexander, the bishop of Alexandria, entered the priesthood and was eventually named bishop himself. His predecessor, Alexander, had been an outspoken critic of a new movement growing in the East—Arianism.

When Athanasius assumed his role as bishop of Alexandria, he continued the fight against Arianism. At first it seemed that the battle would be easily won and that Arianism would be condemned. Such, however, did not prove to be the case. The Council of Tyre was called and for several reasons that are still unclear, the Emperor Constantine exiled Athanasius to northern Gaul. This was to be the first in a series of travels and exiles reminiscent of the life of St. Paul.

After Constantine died, his son restored Athanasius as bishop. This lasted only a year, however, for he was deposed once again by a coalition of Arian bishops. Athanasius took his case to Rome, and Pope Julius I called a synod to review the case and other related matters.

Five times Athanasius was exiled for his defense of the doctrine of Christ’s divinity. During one period of his life, he enjoyed 10 years of relative peace—reading, writing and promoting the Christian life along the lines of the monastic ideal to which he was greatly devoted. His dogmatic and historical writings are almost all polemic, directed against every aspect of Arianism.

Among his ascetical writings, his Life of St. Anthony (January 17) achieved astonishing popularity and contributed greatly to the establishment of monastic life throughout the Western Christian world.


COMMENT:
Athanasius suffered many trials while he was bishop of Alexandria. He was given the grace to remain strong against what probably seemed at times to be insurmountable opposition. Athanasius lived his office as bishop completely. He defended the true faith for his flock, regardless of the cost to himself. In today’s world we are experiencing this same call to remain true to our faith, no matter what.

QUOTE:
The hardships Athanasius suffered in exile, hiding, fleeing from place to place remind us that Paul said his ministry took him: “On frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own race, dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, dangers among false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many sleepless nights, through hunger and thirst, through frequent fastings, through cold and exposure. And apart from these things, there is the daily pressure upon me of my anxiety for all the churches” (2 Corinthians 11:26-28).

[odhiambo]

"Jesus that I know as my Redeemer cannot be less than God"
Saint Athanasius

Saint Athanasius,
Pray for us!

[James - a humble servant]

Bl. Michael Giedroyc
(d. 1485)

A life of physical pain and mental torment didn’t prevent Michael Giedroyc from achieving holiness.
Born near Vilnius, Lithuania, Michael suffered from physical and permanent handicaps from birth. He was a dwarf who had the use of only one foot. Because of his delicate physical condition, his formal education was frequently interrupted. But over time, Michael showed special skills at metalwork. Working with bronze and silver, he created sacred vessels, including chalices.

He traveled to Kraków, Poland, where he joined the Augustinians. He received permission to live the life of a hermit in a cell adjoining the monastery. There Michael spent his days in prayer, fasted and abstained from all meat and lived to an old age. Though he knew the meaning of suffering throughout his years, his rich spiritual life brought him consolation. Michael’s long life ended in 1485 in Kraków.

Five hundred years later, Pope John Paul II visited the city and spoke to the faculty of the Pontifical Academy of Theology. The 15th century in Kraków, the pope said, was “the century of saints.” Among those he cited was Blessed Michael Giedroyc.

[James - a humble servant]

May 4—


Bl. Emily Bicchieri (OP)
(Nun & Virgin)

Blessed Emily was born at Vercelli, Italy, in 1238.
At 19 she made profession in the monastery built by
her father and several times served as prioress there.
She joyfully performed the most unpleasant tasks of
the monastery and was especially devoted to the
Passion of our Savior. She died on May 3, 1314.

[James - a humble servant]

St. Hilary of Arles 
(400-449)

It’s been said that youth is wasted on the young. In some ways, that was true for today’s saint.
Born in France in the early fifth century, Hilary came from an aristocratic family. In the course of his education he encountered his relative, Honoratus, who encouraged the young man to join him in the monastic life. Hilary did so. He continued to follow in the footsteps of Honoratus as bishop. Hilary was only 29 when he was chosen bishop of Arles.

The new, youthful bishop undertook the role with confidence. He did manual labor to earn money for the poor. He sold sacred vessels to ransom captives. He became a magnificent orator. He traveled everywhere on foot, always wearing simple clothing.

That was the bright side. Hilary encountered difficulty in his relationships with other bishops over whom he had some jurisdiction. He unilaterally deposed one bishop. He selected another bishop to replace one who was very ill–but, to complicate matters, did not die! Pope St. Leo the Great kept Hilary a bishop but stripped him of some of his powers.

Hilary died at 49. He was a man of talent and piety who, in due time, had learned how to be a bishop.