Saint of the day and Feast days - Part 2

[Shin]

St.. Trien pray for us! St. Patrick pray for us!

Oh, there use to be, I do not believe it is around any more, a place where you could send a donation for a wide variety of holy oils and holy waters, that had either come directly from various shrines, or at least (perhaps more likely), been blessed with and/or touched to relics of the saints. One has to sift through these kinds of places a little prudently I tend to think.

There are other places not quite the same as the one that's offline now, that offer things like this still I think. And perhaps now, some of the shrines themselves offer these off their webpages, though mostly these being in Europe there is likely the language barrier to finding it in English at times.

So in any case, I have, somewhere in a box for sorting through still I think some old holy oil and water bottles the latter may I think almost be all gone, with associations with various saints. Such as, holy oil of 'The Martyrs of the Plague in Alexandria', of 'St. Serapion', holy water of St. Blaise, and so forth. But I think there is very little left if it is in that old box, as I made regular use of it. I shall have to go look.

[odhiambo]

St.. Trien pray for us! St. Patrick pray for us!

Oh, there use to be, I do not believe it is around any more, a place where you could send a donation for a wide variety of holy oils and holy waters, that had either come directly from various shrines, or at least (perhaps more likely), been blessed with and/or touched to relics of the saints. One has to sift through these kinds of places a little prudently I tend to think.

There are other places not quite the same as the one that's offline now, that offer things like this still I think. And perhaps now, some of the shrines themselves offer these off their webpages, though mostly these being in Europe there is likely the language barrier to finding it in English at times.

So in any case, I have, somewhere in a box for sorting through still I think some old holy oil and water bottles the latter may I think almost be all gone, with associations with various saints. Such as, holy oil of 'The Martyrs of the Plague in Alexandria', of 'St. Serapion', holy water of St. Blaise, and so forth. But I think there is very little left if it is in that old box, as I made regular use of it. I shall have to go look.

Do you use it medicinally or just to bless yourself ?
I would love to have some holy oils.

[Shin]

Well, I would use it for blessing myself and spiritual protection mainly, but I have used them to help with health and recovery too.

I've been through a good deal of "spiritual warfare" and so I have always been looking for ways to do better in the spiritual conflict, and have found quite a few helps not well known.

Well, I am definitely going to go through my old box now. I have needed to finish up some sorting and neatening. Old broken rosaries, worn out scapulars, old memories.

[odhiambo]

Well, I would use it for blessing myself and spiritual protection mainly, but I have used them to help with health and recovery too.

I've been through a good deal of "spiritual warfare" and so I have always been looking for ways to do better in the spiritual conflict, and have found quite a few helps not well known.

Well, I am definitely going to go through my old box now. I have needed to finish up some sorting and neatening. Old broken rosaries, worn out scapulars, old memories.

As for "spiritual warfare" Shin, remember Saint Anthony the Great and his trials in the desert?
You are in good company there. The more one tries to leave the world, the more intense to warfare.

[odhiambo]

March 23
Today is the Memorial of
Saint Rafqa
Among many other Saints

[odhiambo]

Saint Rafqa.
This Saint is known by many names. Some of them are:
Agnes; Anissa; Lily of Himlaya
Little Flower of Lebanon; Petra; Petronilla; Pierette; Purple Rose; Rafqa Shabaq al-Rayes and
Rebecca.
Known as “the Little Flower of Lebanon” and “the Silent, Humble Nun”, Rafqa was born on 29 June 1832 in Himlaya, Lebanon. She was the only child of Mourad Saber Shabaq Al-Rayes and Rafqa Gemayel. Her mother died when she was six and her father remarried. The child did not get along well with her stepmother. When she was 14, she told her parents she wanted to become a nun. The father objected but she entered the Marian Order of the Immaculate Conception at Bikfaya as a postulant, taking the religious name of Anissa ( Agnes). She made her final vows in 1856.
In 1860, Anissa witnessed the massacre of Christians at Deir-el-Qamar.
In 1871, her Order merged with the order of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to form the Order of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary.
The sisters were given the choice of joining the new order, joining other orders, or being released from their vows. She prayed for guidance then on 12 July 1871, she joined the ascetic Baladiya Order of the Maronites and the Cloistered convent of Saint Simom in El-Qarn. (The Lebanese Order of Saint Anthony of the Maronites).She took the name Rafqa (Rebecca).
Gifted with supernatural visions and dreams, in 1885 Rafqa offered herself to Our Lord that she might share in His suffering. From that time, her health deteriorated steadily. She went blind, became paralised, and was in constant pain. She endured her suffering with joy and without complaint.
Rafqa died on 23 March 1914, at the Convent of Saint Joseph, Grabta, Lebanon. Four days after her death, her Mother Superior Ursula Doumit, experienced the first miracle brought about by Rafqa’s intercession.
She was beatified on 17 November 1985 by Pope John Paul II
and canonized on 10 June 2001 by Pope John Paul II.
Saint Rafqa,
Pray for us!

[odhiambo]

From the evidence presented for her Canonization process, a group of specialists.in ophthalmology, neurology and orthopedics,
concluded that the Rafqa most likely suffered from disseminated tuberculosis, with widespread lesions affecting the eyes, the spine, etc. 

[odhiambo]

When you mentioned "Spiritusl Warfare" Shin, I decided to have a look at the subject because I was not really clear in my mind what exactly we mean by the expression.
Has Satan zeroed in on the person or is it that one is more tempted than the next person.
I found this article from a Catholic source that I have really liked and has made me understand what is all about.
I wish I could share but.
I have sought permission to reproduce the article. Hope I get it.

[Shin]

Haha, when you can put what you learned into your own words, it always help the reader to remember a thing too.  

"Spiritual warfare" is from Ephesians 6:12:

'For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood; but against principalities and power, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places.'

And describes the battle against the evil spirits, that cause temptations, troubles, passions, etc. as the Christian's primary battle.

The desert fathers stories are all about these, that's all they talk about -- overcoming the passions, which the fallen angels try to incite to put them to the test in all the ways that can be done. And one could say it's because that's all there is to do in the desert, pray and be put to the test and grow in virtue and purity of one's love of God, it's simpler to focus on out there properly.

This reminds me that a daily duty for those of responsibility in families is to pray for the spiritual protection of the entire family every day -- this would especially be fathers and mothers. To not do this, is to leave a great emptiness where there should be defenses, and a failure of responsibility. It reminds me of how important for example, one sees in Holy Scripture, a father's blessing can be.

The way Hell works, is a hierarchy not unlike it used to be in Heaven, except this time it's for evil rather than overseeing the world for good.

Satan gives the orders and then there are the supervisory roles, and various lesser ranks, a gigantic cloud of innumerable demons with their various responsibilities of setting forth and tempting souls to ruin to become a part of Hell.

Those who are not troubled by the devils are those who are already damned, and so they do not experience spiritual warfare in a truly meaningful sense -- except the fallen angel making certain they stay that way. They are on the other side. But Christians who struggle in virtue immediately find that their actions are far more limited than they might first suspect, because the fallen angels set to work to prevent salvation and growth in virtue, and good works. They particularly for example will work to prevent prayer, and prayer that is pleasing to God, by for example, distractions, etc. And for those attempting to overcome vice, they will incite the passions related to that vice, cause forgetfulness, and attempt to cause distractions and fascinations, idolizations and obsessions that lead away from the road of salvation.

And then there is on the larger level, the overall grand work of suppressing of Christianity and corrupting those who have any positions of authority or influence, and what they teach to others, so that it is not the Faith. Well, but I am going on a bit lengthily.

[odhiambo]

"Length" is good, the better to understand  
Thanks for explaining. I do understand now how life is really a battle zone for us Catholics.
After reading that article I mentioned, I came home and looked for a book, " the Secret", I had bought some years back but never really read it other than a quick overall look at the content. I had also bought a C.D of the same which I watched only half way as it proved to be faulty. Well, I found the C.D and dumped it in the waste basket. The book, I am yet to locate. I had been told the the Secret is "New Age" thinking.
Anyway, I lost interest without really understanding what " New Age" was all about. The article mentions it as having  a connection with the occult.

[odhiambo]

March 24
Let us remember today
Saint Aldemar
Among many other Saints

[odhiambo]

Saint Aldemar the Wise
Aldemar was an abbot and a miracle worker called “the Wise”.
He was born in Capua, Italy. He became a monk in Monte Cassino and came to the attention of a princess of the region, Princess Aloara. When she built a new convent in Capua, Aldemar was appointed its director. As director of the convent, Aldemar reportedly performed many miracles and became known as “the Wise”. He was reassigned by his abbot to Monte Cassino, a move that the princess did not like at all. She wanted him to stay on as director of the convent, the abbot on the other hand, wanted him back at Monte Cassino. To escape the dispute, Aldemar moved to Boiana, Italy. Even here, a companion involved in the said dispute, attempted to kill him. Aldemar fled into the region of Bocchignano in the Abruzzi. He founded several more religious houses here which he directed until his death in 1080.
Saint Aldemar
Pray for us!

[Shin]

Ah-ha, the famous Monte Cassino.

St. Aldemar, pray for us!

[odhiambo]

Ah-ha, the famous Monte Cassino.

Yes, Saint  Benedict of Nursia founded the Benedictine Order there and he and his twin sister Saint Scholastica
are buried there.
A word here and a word there, one is reminded of so much!
Do you remember how Saint Scholastica came to spend her last day on earth with her brother?
Unforgettable!

[odhiambo]

March 25
Let us today remember
Saint Harold
Among many other Saints

[Shin]

Ah-ha, the famous Monte Cassino.

Yes, Saint  Benedict of Nursia founded the Benedictine Order there and he and his twin sister Saint Scholastica
are buried there.
A word here and a word there, one is reminded of so much!
Do you remember how Saint Scholastica came to spend her last day on earth with her brother?
Unforgettable!

Yes, it's something too touching to forget. All ye holy saints, pray for us!