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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171129
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171130
DTSTAMP:20260404T153641
CREATED:20170801T194751Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170801T194751Z
UID:5660-1511913600-1511999999@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Clement
DESCRIPTION:Image: Pope Saint Clement I | photo by Lawrence | flickr\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSaint Clement\nSaint of the Day for November 29\n(d. 101)\nClick to hear audio clip ► \nSaint Clement’s Story\nClement of Rome was the third successor of Saint Peter\, reigning as pope during the last decade of the first century. He’s known as one of the Church’s five “Apostolic Fathers\,” those who provided a direct link between the Apostles and later generations of Church Fathers. \nHis First Epistle to the Corinthians was preserved and widely read in the early Church. This letter from the bishop of Rome to the Church in Corinth concerns a split that alienated a large number of the laity from the clergy. Deploring the unauthorized and unjustifiable division in the Corinthian community\, Clement urged charity to heal the rift. \n\nReflection\nToday many in the Church experience polarization regarding worship\, how we speak of God\, and other issues. We’d do well to take to heart the exhortation from Clement’s Epistle: “Charity unites us to God. It knows no schism\, does not rebel\, does all things in concord. In charity all the elect of God have been made perfect.” \nRome’s Basilica of St. Clement\, one of the city’s earliest parish churches\, is probably built on the site of Clement’s home. History tells us that Pope Clement was martyred in either the year 99 or 101. \n\nThe Liturgical Feast of Saint Clement is November 23.\n\nSaint Clement is the Patron Saint of:\nMarble Workers\nMariners\nTanners
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-clement/2017-11-29/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171130
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171201
DTSTAMP:20260404T153641
CREATED:20170801T194853Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170824T132650Z
UID:5663-1512000000-1512086399@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Andrew
DESCRIPTION:  \nSaint Andrew\nSaint of the Day for November 30\n(d. 60?)\nClick to hear audio clip ► \nSaint Andrew’s Story\nAndrew was St. Peter’s brother\, and was called with him. “As [Jesus] was walking by the sea of Galilee\, he saw two brothers\, Simon who is now called Peter\, and his brother Andrew\, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. He said to them\, ‘Come after me\, and I will make you fishers of men.’ At once they left their nets and followed him” (Matthew 4:18-20). \nJohn the Evangelist presents Andrew as a disciple of John the Baptist. When Jesus walked by one day\, John said\, “Behold\, the Lamb of God.” Andrew and another disciple followed Jesus. “Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them\, ‘What are you looking for?’ They said to him\, ‘Rabbi (which translated means Teacher)\, where are you staying?’ He said to them\, ‘Come\, and you will see.’ So they went and saw where he was staying\, and they stayed with him that day” (John 1:38-39a). \nLittle else is said about Andrew in the Gospels. Before the multiplication of the loaves\, it was Andrew who spoke up about the boy who had the barley loaves and fishes. When the Gentiles went to see Jesus\, they came to Philip\, but Philip then had recourse to Andrew. \nLegend has it that Andrew preached the Good News in what is now modern Greece and Turkey and was crucified at Patras. \n\nReflection\nAs in the case of all the apostles except Peter and John\, the Gospels give us little about the holiness of Andrew. He was an apostle. That is enough. He was called personally by Jesus to proclaim the Good News\, to heal with Jesus’ power and to share his life and death. Holiness today is no different. It is a gift that includes a call to be concerned about the Kingdom\, an outgoing attitude that wants nothing more than to share the riches of Christ with all people. \n\nSaint Andrew is the Patron Saint of:\nFishermen\nGreece\nRussia\nScotland
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-andrew/2017-11-30/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171201
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171202
DTSTAMP:20260404T153641
CREATED:20170824T132712Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170824T132712Z
UID:6010-1512086400-1512172799@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Blessed Charles de Foucauld
DESCRIPTION:Blessed Charles de Foucauld\nSaint of the Day for December 1\n(September 15\, 1858 – December 1\, 1916)\nClick to hear audio clip ► \nBlessed Charles de Foucauld’s Story\nBorn into an aristocratic family in Strasbourg\, France\, Charles was orphaned at the age of 6\, raised by his devout grandfather\, rejected the Catholic faith as a teenager\, and joined the French army. Inheriting a great deal of money from his grandfather\, Charles went to Algeria with his regiment\, but not without his mistress\, Mimi. \nWhen he declined to give her up\, he was dismissed from the army. Still in Algeria when he left Mimi\, Charles reenlisted in the army. Refused permission to make a scientific exploration of nearby Morocco\, he resigned from the service. With the help of a Jewish rabbi\, Charles disguised himself as a Jew and in 1883 began a one-year exploration that he recorded in a book that was well received. \nInspired by the Jews and Muslims whom he met\, Charles resumed the practice of his Catholic faith when he returned to France in 1886. He joined a Trappist monastery in Ardeche\, France\, and later transferred to one in Akbes\, Syria. Leaving the monastery in 1897\, Charles worked as gardener and sacristan for the Poor Clare nuns in Nazareth and later in Jerusalem. In 1901 he returned to France and was ordained a priest. \nLater that year\, Charles journeyed to Beni-Abbes\, Morocco\, intending to found a monastic religious community in North Africa that offered hospitality to Christians\, Muslims\, Jews\, or people with no religion. He lived a peaceful\, hidden life but attracted no companions. \nA former army comrade invited him to live among the Tuareg people in Algeria. Charles learned their language enough to write a Tuareg-French and French-Tuareg dictionary\, and to translate the Gospels into Tuareg. In 1905 he came to Tamanrasset\, where he lived the rest of his life. A two-volume collection of Charles’ Tuareg poetry was published after his death. \nIn early 1909 he visited France and established an association of laypeople who pledged to live by the Gospels. His return to Tamanrasset was welcomed by the Tuareg. In 1915 Charles wrote to Louis Massignon: “The love of God\, the love for one’s neighbor…All religion is found there…How to get to that point? Not in a day since it is perfection itself: it is the goal we must always aim for\, which we must unceasingly try to reach and that we will only attain in heaven.” \nThe outbreak of World War I led to attacks on the French in Algeria. Seized in a raid by another tribe\, Charles and two French soldiers coming to visit him were shot to death on December 1\, 1916. \nFive religious congregations\, associations\, and spiritual institutes (Little Brothers of Jesus\, Little Sisters of the Sacred Heart\, Little Sisters of Jesus\, Little Brothers of the Gospel\, and Little Sisters of the Gospel) draw inspiration from the peaceful\, largely hidden\, yet hospitable life that characterized Charles. He was beatified on November 13\, 2005. \n\nReflection\nThe life of Charles de Foucauld was eventually centered on God and was animated by prayer and humble service\, which he hoped would draw Muslims to Christ. Those who are inspired by his example\, no matter where they live\, seek to live their faith humbly yet with deep religious conviction.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/blessed-charles-de-foucauld/2017-12-01/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171202
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171203
DTSTAMP:20260404T153641
CREATED:20170824T134349Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170914T192323Z
UID:6013-1512172800-1512259199@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Blessed Rafal Chylinski
DESCRIPTION:Blessed Rafal Chylinski\nSaint of the Day December 2\n(January 8\, 1694 – December 2\, 1741)\nClick to hear audio clip ► \nBlessed Rafal Chylinski’s Story\nBorn near Buk in the Poznan region of Poland\, Melchior showed early signs of religious devotion; family members nicknamed him “the little monk.” After completing his studies at the Jesuit college in Poznan\, Melchior joined the cavalry and was promoted to officer rank within three years. \nIn 1715\, against the urgings of his military comrades\, Melchior joined the Conventual Franciscans in Krakow. Receiving the name Rafal\, he was ordained two years later. After pastoral assignments in nine cities\, he came to Lagiewniki\, where he spent the last 13 years of his life\, except for 20 months ministering to flood and epidemic victims in Warsaw. In all these places\, Rafal was known for his simple and candid sermons\, for his generosity\, as well as his ministry in the confessional. People of all levels of society were drawn to the self-sacrificing way he lived out his religious profession and priestly ministry. \nRafal played the harp\, lute\, and mandolin to accompany liturgical hymns. In Lagiewniki he distributed food\, supplies\, and clothing to the poor. After his death\, the Conventual church in that city became a place of pilgrimage for people throughout Poland. He was beatified in Warsaw in 1991. \n\nReflection\nThe sermons preached by Rafal were powerfully reinforced by the living sermon of his life. The Sacrament of Reconciliation can help us bring our daily choices into harmony with our words about Jesus’ influence in our life.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/blessed-rafal-chylinski/2017-12-02/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171203
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171204
DTSTAMP:20260404T153641
CREATED:20170824T134551Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170914T192022Z
UID:6016-1512259200-1512345599@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Francis Xavier
DESCRIPTION:  \n \nSaint Francis Xavier\nSaint of the Day for December 3\n(April 7\, 1506 – December 3\, 1552)\nClick to hear audio clip ► \nSaint Francis Xavier’s Story\nJesus asked\, “What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?” (Matthew 16:26a). The words were repeated to a young teacher of philosophy who had a highly promising career in academics\, with success and a life of prestige and honor before him. \nFrancis Xavier\, 24 at the time\, and living and teaching in Paris\, did not heed these words at once. They came from a good friend\, Ignatius of Loyola\, whose tireless persuasion finally won the young man to Christ. Francis then made the spiritual exercises under the direction of Ignatius\, and in 1534 joined his little community\, the infant Society of Jesus. Together at Montmartre they vowed poverty\, chastity\, and apostolic service according to the directions of the pope. \nFrom Venice\, where he was ordained a priest in 1537\, Francis Xavier went on to Lisbon and from there sailed to the East Indies\, landing at Goa\, on the west coast of India. For the next 10 years he labored to bring the faith to such widely scattered peoples as the Hindus\, the Malayans\, and the Japanese. He spent much of that time in India\, and served as provincial of the newly established Jesuit province of India. \nWherever he went\, he lived with the poorest people\, sharing their food and rough accommodations. He spent countless hours ministering to the sick and the poor\, particularly to lepers. Very often he had no time to sleep or even to say his breviary but\, as we know from his letters\, he was filled always with joy. \nFrancis went through the islands of Malaysia\, then up to Japan. He learned enough Japanese to preach to simple folk\, to instruct\, and to baptize\, and to establish missions for those who were to follow him. From Japan he had dreams of going to China\, but this plan was never realized. Before reaching the mainland\, he died. His remains are enshrined in the Church of Good Jesus in Goa. He and Saint Therese of Lisieux were declared co-patrons of the missions in 1925. \n\nReflection\nAll of us are called to “go and preach to all nations” (see Matthew 28:19). Our preaching is not necessarily on distant shores but to our families\, our children\, our husband or wife\, our coworkers. And we are called to preach not with words\, but by our everyday lives. Only by sacrifice\, the giving up of all selfish gain\, could Francis Xavier be free to bear the Good News to the world. Sacrifice is leaving yourself behind at times for a greater good\, the good of prayer\, the good of helping someone in need\, the good of just listening to another. The greatest gift we have is our time. Francis gave his to others. \n\nSaint Francis Xavier is the Patron Saint of:\nJapan\nJewelers\nMissions\nSailors
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-francis-xavier/2017-12-03/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171204
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171205
DTSTAMP:20260404T153641
CREATED:20170824T134807Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170914T192018Z
UID:6019-1512345600-1512431999@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint John Damascene
DESCRIPTION:Saint John Damascene\nSaint of the Day for December 4\n(c. 676 -749)\nClick to hear audio clip ► \nSaint John Damascene’s Story\nJohn spent most of his life in the monastery of Saint Sabas\, near Jerusalem\, and all of his life under Muslim rule\, indeed\, protected by it. \nHe was born in Damascus\, received a classical and theological education\, and followed his father in a government position under the Arabs. After a few years\, he resigned and went to the monastery of Saint Sabas. \nHe is famous in three areas: \nFirst\, he is known for his writings against the iconoclasts\, who opposed the veneration of images. Paradoxically\, it was the Eastern Christian emperor Leo who forbade the practice\, and it was because John lived in Muslim territory that his enemies could not silence him. \nSecond\, he is famous for his treatise\, Exposition of the Orthodox Faith\, a summary of the Greek Fathers (of which he became the last). It is said that this book is for Eastern schools what the Summa of Aquinas became for the West. \nThird\, he is known as a poet\, one of the two greatest of the Eastern Church\, the other being Romanus the Melodist. His devotion to the Blessed Mother and his sermons on her feasts are well known. \n\nReflection\nJohn defended the Church’s understanding of the veneration of images and explained the faith of the Church in several other controversies. For over 30 years\, he combined a life of prayer with these defenses and his other writings. His holiness expressed itself in putting his literary and preaching talents at the service of the Lord.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-john-damascene/2017-12-04/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171205
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171206
DTSTAMP:20260404T153641
CREATED:20170824T135007Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170914T192015Z
UID:6022-1512432000-1512518399@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Sabas
DESCRIPTION:  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \nSaint Sabas\nSaint of the Day for December 5\n(439 – December 5\, 532)\n\n\n\n Click to hear audio clip ►\n\n\n\nSaint Sabas’ Story\nBorn in Cappadocia\, Sabas is one of the most highly regarded patriarchs among the monks of Palestine\, and is considered one of the founders of Eastern monasticism. \nAfter an unhappy childhood in which he was abused and ran away several times\, Sabas finally sought refuge in a monastery. While family members tried to persuade him to return home\, the young boy felt drawn to monastic life. Although the youngest monk in the house\, he excelled in virtue. \nAt age 18 he traveled to Jerusalem\, seeking to learn more about living in solitude. Soon he asked to be accepted as a disciple of a well-known local solitary\, though initially he was regarded as too young to live completely as a hermit. Initially\, Sabas lived in a monastery\, where he worked during the day and spent much of the night in prayer. At the age of 30 he was given permission to spend five days each week in a nearby remote cave\, engaging in prayer and manual labor in the form of weaving baskets. Following the death of his mentor\, Saint Euthymius\, Sabas moved farther into the desert near Jericho. There he lived for several years in a cave near the brook Cedron. A rope was his means of access. Wild herbs among the rocks were his food. Occasionally men brought him other food and items\, while he had to go a distance for his water. \nSome of these men came to him desiring to join him in his solitude. At first he refused. But not long after relenting\, his followers swelled to more than 150\, all of them living in individual huts grouped around a church\, called a laura. \nThe bishop persuaded a reluctant Sabas\, then in his early 50s\, to prepare for the priesthood so that he could better serve his monastic community in leadership. While functioning as abbot among a large community of monks\, he felt ever called to live the life of a hermit. Throughout each year—consistently in Lent—he left his monks for long periods of time\, often to their distress. A group of 60 men left the monastery\, settling at a nearby ruined facility. When Sabas learned of the difficulties they were facing\, he generously gave them supplies and assisted in the repair of their church. \nOver the years Sabas traveled throughout Palestine\, preaching the true faith and successfully bringing back many to the Church. At the age of 91\, in response to a plea from the Patriarch of Jerusalem\, Sabas undertook a journey to Constantinople in conjunction with the Samaritan revolt and its violent repression. He fell ill and soon after his return\, died at the monastery at Mar Saba. Today the monastery is still inhabited by monks of the Eastern Orthodox Church\, and Saint Sabas is regarded as one of the most noteworthy figures of early monasticism. \n\nReflection\nFew of us share Sabas’ yearning for a cave in the desert\, but most of us sometimes resent the demands others place on our time. Sabas understands that. When at last he gained the solitude for which he yearned\, a community immediately began to gather around him and he was forced into a leadership role. He stands as a model of patient generosity for anyone whose time and energy are required by others—that is\, for all of us.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-sabas/2017-12-05/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171206
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171207
DTSTAMP:20260404T153641
CREATED:20170824T135215Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170914T192011Z
UID:6025-1512518400-1512604799@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Nicholas
DESCRIPTION:Saint Nicholas\nSaint of the Day for December 6\n(March 15\, 270 – December 6\, 343)\nClick to hear audio clip ► \nSaint Nicholas’ Story\nThe absence of the “hard facts” of history is not necessarily an obstacle to the popularity of saints\, as the devotion to Saint Nicholas shows. Both the Eastern and Western Churches honor him\, and it is claimed that after the Blessed Virgin\, he is the saint most pictured by Christian artists. And yet\, historically\, we can pinpoint only the fact that Nicholas was the fourth-century bishop of Myra\, a city in Lycia\, a province of Asia Minor. \nAs with many of the saints\, however\, we are able to capture the relationship which Nicholas had with God through the admiration which Christians have had for him—an admiration expressed in the colorful stories which have been told and retold through the centuries. \nPerhaps the best-known story about Nicholas concerns his charity toward a poor man who was unable to provide dowries for his three daughters of marriageable age. Rather than see them forced into prostitution\, Nicholas secretly tossed a bag of gold through the poor man’s window on three separate occasions\, thus enabling the daughters to be married. Over the centuries\, this particular legend evolved into the custom of gift-giving on the saint’s feast. In the English-speaking countries\, Saint Nicholas became\, by a twist of the tongue\, Santa Claus—further expanding the example of generosity portrayed by this holy bishop. \n\nReflection\nThe critical eye of modern history makes us take a deeper look at the legends surrounding Saint Nicholas. But perhaps we can utilize the lesson taught by his legendary charity\, look deeper at our approach to material goods in the Christmas season and seek ways to extend our sharing to those in real need. \n\nSaint Nicholas is the Patron Saint of:\nBaker\nBrides\nChildren\nGreece\nGrooms\nPawnbrokers\nTravelers
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/6025/2017-12-06/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171207
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171208
DTSTAMP:20260404T153641
CREATED:20170824T135347Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170914T192008Z
UID:6028-1512604800-1512691199@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Ambrose
DESCRIPTION:Saint Ambrose\nSaint of the Day for December 7\n(337 – April 4\, 397)\nClick to hear audio clip ► \nSaint Ambrose’ Story\nOne of Ambrose’s biographers observed that at the Last Judgment\, people would still be divided between those who admired Ambrose and those who heartily disliked him. He emerges as the man of action who cut a furrow through the lives of his contemporaries. Even royal personages were numbered among those who were to suffer crushing divine punishments for standing in Ambrose’s way. \nWhen the Empress Justina attempted to wrest two basilicas from Ambrose’s Catholics and give them to the Arians\, he dared the eunuchs of the court to execute him. His own people rallied behind him in the face of imperial troops. In the midst of riots\, he both spurred and calmed his people with bewitching new hymns set to exciting Eastern melodies. \nIn his disputes with the Emperor Auxentius\, he coined the principle: “The emperor is in the Church\, not above the Church.” He publicly admonished Emperor Theodosius for the massacre of 7\,000 innocent people. The emperor did public penance for his crime. This was Ambrose\, the fighter\, sent to Milan as Roman governor and chosen while yet a catechumen to be the people’s bishop. \nThere is yet another side of Ambrose—one which influenced Augustine of Hippo\, whom Ambrose converted. Ambrose was a passionate little man with a high forehead\, a long melancholy face\, and great eyes. We can picture him as a frail figure clasping the codex of sacred Scripture. This was the Ambrose of aristocratic heritage and learning. \nAugustine found the oratory of Ambrose less soothing and entertaining but far more learned than that of other contemporaries. Ambrose’s sermons were often modeled on Cicero\, and his ideas betrayed the influence of contemporary thinkers and philosophers. He had no scruples in borrowing at length from pagan authors. He gloried in the pulpit in his ability to parade his spoils—“gold of the Egyptians”—taken over from the pagan philosophers. \nHis sermons\, his writings\, and his personal life reveal him as an otherworldly man involved in the great issues of his day. Humanity\, for Ambrose\, was\, above all\, spirit. In order to think rightly of God and the human soul\, the closest thing to God\, no material reality at all was to be dwelt upon. He was an enthusiastic champion of consecrated virginity. \nThe influence of Ambrose on Augustine will always be open for discussion. The Confessions reveal some manly\, brusque encounters between Ambrose and Augustine\, but there can be no doubt of Augustine’s profound esteem for the learned bishop. \nNeither is there any doubt that St. Monica loved Ambrose as an angel of God who uprooted her son from his former ways and led him to his convictions about Christ. It was Ambrose\, after all\, who placed his hands on the shoulders of the naked Augustine as he descended into the baptismal fountain to put on Christ. \n\nReflection\nAmbrose exemplifies for us the truly catholic character of Christianity. He is a man steeped in the learning\, law\, and culture of the ancients and of his contemporaries. Yet\, in the midst of active involvement in this world\, this thought runs through Ambrose’ life and preaching: The hidden meaning of the Scriptures calls our spirit to rise to another world. \n\nSaint Ambrose is the Patron Saint of:\nBee keepers\nBeggars\nLearning\nMilan
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/6028/2017-12-07/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171208
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171209
DTSTAMP:20260404T153641
CREATED:20170824T135644Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170914T192004Z
UID:6031-1512691200-1512777599@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
DESCRIPTION:Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception\nSaint of the Day for December 8\n\n\nClick to hear audio clip ►\n\n\nThe Story of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception\nA feast called the Conception of Mary arose in the Eastern Church in the seventh century. It came to the West in the eighth century. In the 11th century it received its present name\, the Immaculate Conception. In the 18th century it became a feast of the universal Church. It is now recognized as a solemnity. \nIn 1854\, Pius IX solemnly proclaimed: “The most Blessed Virgin Mary\, in the first instant of her conception\, by a singular grace and privilege granted by almighty God\, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ\, the savior of the human race\, was preserved free from all stain of original sin.” \nIt took a long time for this doctrine to develop. While many Fathers and Doctors of the Church considered Mary the greatest and holiest of the saints\, they often had difficulty in seeing Mary as sinless—either at her conception or throughout her life. This is one of the Church teachings that arose more from the piety of the faithful than from the insights of brilliant theologians. Even such champions of Mary as Bernard of Clairvaux and Thomas Aquinas could not see theological justification for this teaching. \nTwo Franciscans\, William of Ware and Blessed John Duns Scotus\, helped develop the theology. They pointed out that Mary’s Immaculate Conception enhances Jesus’ redemptive work. Other members of the human race are cleansed from original sin after birth. In Mary\, Jesus’ work was so powerful as to prevent original sin at the outset. \n\nReflection\nIn Luke 1:28 the angel Gabriel\, speaking on God’s behalf\, addresses Mary as “full of grace” (or “highly favored”). In that context\, this phrase means that Mary is receiving all the special divine help necessary for the task ahead. However\, the Church grows in understanding with the help of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit led the Church\, especially non-theologians\, to the insight that Mary had to be the most perfect work of God next to the Incarnation. Or rather\, Mary’s intimate association with the Incarnation called for the special involvement of God in Mary’s whole life. \nThe logic of piety helped God’s people to believe that Mary was full of grace and free of sin from the first moment of her existence. Moreover\, this great privilege of Mary is the highlight of all that God has done in Jesus. Rightly understood\, the incomparable holiness of Mary shows forth the incomparable goodness of God. \n\nMary as the Immaculate Conception is the Patron Saint of:\nBrazil\nUnited States
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/solemnity-of-the-immaculate-conception/2017-12-08/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171209
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171210
DTSTAMP:20260404T153641
CREATED:20170824T135841Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170914T192000Z
UID:6034-1512777600-1512863999@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Juan Diego
DESCRIPTION:Saint Juan Diego\nSaint of the Day for December 9\n(1474 – May 30\, 1548)\n\n\n Click to hear audio clip ►\n\n\nSaint Juan Diego’s Story\nThousands of people gathered in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe July 31\, 2002\, for the canonization of Juan Diego\, to whom the Blessed Mother appeared in the 16th century. Pope John Paul II celebrated the ceremony at which the poor Indian peasant became the Church’s first saint indigenous to the Americas. \nThe Holy Father called the new saint “a simple\, humble Indian” who accepted Christianity without giving up his identity as an Indian. “In praising the Indian Juan Diego\, I want to express to all of you the closeness of the Church and the pope\, embracing you with love and encouraging you to overcome with hope the difficult times you are going through\,” John Paul said. Among the thousands present for the event were members of Mexico’s 64 indigenous groups. \nFirst called Cuauhtlatohuac (“The eagle who speaks”)\, Juan Diego’s name is forever linked with Our Lady of Guadalupe because it was to him that she first appeared at Tepeyac hill on December 9\, 1531. The most famous part of his story is told in connection with the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12. After the roses gathered in his tilma were transformed into the miraculous image of Our Lady\, however\, little more is said about Juan Diego. \nIn time he lived near the shrine constructed at Tepeyac\, revered as a holy\, unselfish. and compassionate catechist who taught by word and especially by example. \nDuring his 1990 pastoral visit to Mexico\, Pope John Paul II confirmed the long-standing liturgical cult in honor of Juan Diego\, beatifying him. Twelve years later he was proclaimed a saint. \n\nReflection\nGod counted on Juan Diego to play a humble\, yet huge role in bringing the Good News to the peoples of Mexico. Overcoming his own fear and the doubts of Bishop Juan de Zumarraga\, Juan Diego cooperated with God’s grace in showing his people that the Good News of Jesus is for everyone. Pope John Paul II used the occasion of this beatification to urge Mexican laymen and laywomen to assume their responsibilities for passing on the Good News and witnessing to it.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/6034/2017-12-09/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171210
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171211
DTSTAMP:20260404T153641
CREATED:20170824T140026Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170914T191957Z
UID:6037-1512864000-1512950399@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Blessed Adolph Kolping
DESCRIPTION:Blessed Adolph Kolping\nSaint of the Day for December 10\n(December 8\, 1813 – December 4\, 1865)\nClick to hear audio clip ► \nBlessed Adolph Kolping’s Story\nThe rise of the factory system in 19th-century Germany brought many single men into cities where they faced new challenges to their faith. Father Adolph Kolping began a ministry to them\, hoping that they would not be lost to the Catholic faith\, as was happening to workers elsewhere in industrialized Europe. \nBorn in the village of Kerpen\, Adolph became a shoemaker at an early age because of his family’s economic situation. Ordained in 1845\, he ministered to young workers in Cologne\, establishing a choir\, which by 1849 had grown into the Young Workmen’s Society. A branch of this began in St. Louis\, Missouri\, in 1856. Nine years later there were over 400 Gesellenvereine (workman’s societies) around the world. Today this group has over 450\,000 members in 54 countries across the globe. \nMore commonly called the Kolping Society\, it emphasizes the sanctification of family life and the dignity of labor. Father Kolping worked to improve conditions for workers and greatly assisted those in need. He and St. John Bosco in Turin had similar interests in working with young men in big cities. He told his followers\, “The needs of the times will teach you what to do.” Father Kolping once said\, “The first thing that a person finds in life and the last to which he holds out his hand\, and the most precious that he possesses\, even if he does not realize it\, is family life.” \nHe and Blessed John Duns Scotus are buried in Cologne’s Minoritenkirche\, originally served by the Conventual Franciscans. The Kolping Society’s international headquarters are across from this church. \nKolping members journeyed to Rome from Europe\, America\, Africa\, Asia and Oceania for Father Kolping’s beatification in 1991\, the 100th anniversary of Pope Leo XIII’s revolutionary encyclical “Rerum Novarum” (“On the Social Order”). Father Kolping’s personal witness and apostolate helped prepare for that encyclical. \n\nReflection\nSome people thought that Father Kolping was wasting his time and talents on young working men in industrialized cities. In some countries\, the Catholic Church was seen by many workers as the ally of owners and the enemy of workers. Men like Adolph Kolping showed that was not true.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/6037/2017-12-10/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171211
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171212
DTSTAMP:20260404T153641
CREATED:20170824T140235Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170914T191954Z
UID:6040-1512950400-1513036799@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Damasus I
DESCRIPTION:Saint Damasus I\nSaint of the Day for December 11\n(304 – December 11\, 384)\nClick to hear audio clip ► \nSaint Damasus I’s Story\nTo his secretary Saint Jerome\, Damasus was “an incomparable person\, learned in the Scriptures\, a virgin doctor of the virgin Church\, who loved chastity and heard its praises with pleasure.” Damasus seldom heard such unrestrained praise. Internal political struggles\, doctrinal heresies\, uneasy relations with his fellow bishops and those of the Eastern Church marred the peace of his pontificate. \nThe son of a Roman priest\, possibly of Spanish extraction\, Damasus started as a deacon in his father’s church\, and served as a priest in what later became the basilica of San Lorenzo in Rome. He served Pope Liberius (352-366) and followed him into exile. \nWhen Liberius died\, Damasus was elected bishop of Rome; but a minority elected and consecrated another deacon\, Ursinus\, as pope. The controversy between Damasus and the antipope resulted in violent battles in two basilicas\, scandalizing the bishops of Italy. At the synod that Damasus called on the occasion of his birthday\, he asked them to approve his actions. The bishops’ reply was curt: “We assembled for a birthday\, not to condemn a man unheard.” Supporters of the antipope even managed to get Damasus accused of a grave crime—probably sexual—as late as A.D. 378. He had to clear himself before both a civil court and a Church synod. \nAs pope\, his lifestyle was simple in contrast to other ecclesiastics of Rome\, and he was fierce in his denunciation of Arianism and other heresies. A misunderstanding of the Trinitarian terminology used by Rome threatened amicable relations with the Eastern Church\, and Damasus was only moderately successful in dealing with that challenge. \nDuring his pontificate\, Christianity was declared the official religion of the Roman state\, and Latin became the principal liturgical language as part of the pope’s reforms. His encouragement of Saint Jerome’s biblical studies led to the Vulgate\, the Latin translation of Scripture which 12 centuries later the Council of Trent declared to be “authentic in public readings\, disputations\, preaching.” \n\nReflection\nThe history of the papacy and the Church is inextricably mixed with the personal biography of Damasus. In a troubled and pivotal period of Church history\, he stands forth as a zealous defender of the faith who knew when to be progressive and when to entrench. \nDamasus makes us aware of two qualities of good leadership: alertness to the promptings of the Spirit and service. His struggles are a reminder that Jesus never promised his Rock protection from hurricane winds nor his followers immunity from difficulties. His only guarantee is final victory.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-damasus-i/2017-12-11/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171212
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171213
DTSTAMP:20260404T153641
CREATED:20170824T140422Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170914T191950Z
UID:6043-1513036800-1513123199@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Our Lady of Guadalupe
DESCRIPTION:Our Lady of Guadalupe\nSaint of the Day for December 12\nClick to hear audio clip ► \nThe Story of Our Lady of Guadalupe\nThe feast in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe goes back to the 16th century. Chronicles of that period tell us the story. \nA poor Indian named Cuauhtlatohuac was baptized and given the name Juan Diego. He was a 57-year-old widower and lived in a small village near Mexico City. On Saturday morning\, December 9\, 1531\, he was on his way to a nearby barrio to attend Mass in honor of Our Lady. \nHe was walking by a hill called Tepeyac when he heard beautiful music like the warbling of birds. A radiant cloud appeared and within it stood a young Native American maiden dressed like an Aztec princess. The lady spoke to him in his own language and sent him to the bishop of Mexico\, a Franciscan named Juan de Zumarraga. The bishop was to build a chapel in the place where the lady appeared. \nEventually the bishop told Juan Diego to have the lady give him a sign. About this same time Juan Diego’s uncle became seriously ill. This led poor Diego to try to avoid the lady. The lady found Diego\, nevertheless\, assured him that his uncle would recover and provided roses for Juan to carry to the bishop in his cape or tilma. \nWhen Juan Diego opened his tilma in the bishop’s presence\, the roses fell to the ground and the bishop sank to his knees. On Juan Diego’s tilma appeared an image of Mary exactly as she had appeared at the hill of Tepeyac. It was December 12\, 1531. \n\nReflection\nMary’s appearance to Juan Diego as one of his people is a powerful reminder that Mary and the God who sent her accept all peoples. In the context of the sometimes rude and cruel treatment of the Indians by the Spaniards\, the apparition was a rebuke to the Spaniards and an event of vast significance for Native Americans. While a number of them had converted before this incident\, they now came in droves. According to a contemporary chronicler\, nine million Indians became Catholic in a very short time. In these days when we hear so much about God’s preferential option for the poor\, Our Lady of Guadalupe cries out to us that God’s love for and identification with the poor is an age-old truth that stems from the Gospel itself. \n\nOur Lady of Guadalupe is the Patron Saint of:\nThe Americas\nMexico
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/our-lady-of-guadalupe/2017-12-12/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171213
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171214
DTSTAMP:20260404T153641
CREATED:20170824T143740Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170914T191947Z
UID:6048-1513123200-1513209599@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Lucy
DESCRIPTION:Saint Lucy\nSaint of the Day for December 13\n(283 – 304)\n\n\n\n Click to hear audio clip ►\n\n\n\nSaint Lucy’s Story\nEvery little girl named Lucy must bite her tongue in disappointment when she first tries to find out what there is to know about her patron saint. The older books will have a lengthy paragraph detailing a small number of traditions. Newer books will have a lengthy paragraph showing that there is little basis in history for these traditions. The single fact survives that a disappointed suitor accused Lucy of being a Christian and she was executed in Syracuse (Sicily) in the year 304. But it is also true that her name is mentioned in the First Eucharistic Prayer\, geographical places are named after her\, a popular song has her name as its title\, and down through the centuries many thousands of little girls have been proud of the name Lucy. \nOne can easily imagine what a young Christian woman had to contend with in pagan Sicily in the year 300. If you have trouble imagining\, just glance at today’s pleasure-at-all-costs world and the barriers it presents against leading a good Christian life. \nHer friends must have wondered aloud about this hero of Lucy’s\, an obscure itinerant preacher in a far-off captive nation that had been destroyed more than 200 years before. Once a carpenter\, he had been crucified by the Roman soldiers after his own people turned him over to the Roman authorities. Lucy believed with her whole soul that this man had risen from the dead. Heaven had put a stamp on all he said and did. To give witness to her faith she had made a vow of virginity. \nWhat a hubbub this caused among her pagan friends! The kindlier ones just thought her a little strange. To be pure before marriage was an ancient Roman ideal\, rarely found but not to be condemned. To exclude marriage altogether\, however\, was too much. She must have something sinister to hide\, the tongues wagged. \nLucy knew of the heroism of earlier virgin martyrs. She remained faithful to their example and to the example of the carpenter\, whom she knew to be the Son of God. She is the patroness of eyesight. \n\nReflection\nIf you are a little girl named Lucy\, you need not bite your tongue in disappointment. Your patron is a genuine\, authentic heroine\, first class\, an abiding inspiration for you and for all Christians. The moral courage of the young Sicilian martyr shines forth as a guiding light\, just as bright for today’s youth as it was in A.D. 304. \n\nSaint Lucy is the Patron Saint of:\nThe Blind\nEye Disorders \n\nAnother Saint of the Day for December 13 is Servant of God Berthold of Ratisbon.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/6048/2017-12-13/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171214
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171215
DTSTAMP:20260404T153641
CREATED:20170824T143931Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170914T191944Z
UID:6051-1513209600-1513295999@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint John of the Cross
DESCRIPTION:Saint John of the Cross\nSaint of the Day for December 14\n(June 24\, 1541 – December 14\, 1591)\n\n\n\nClick to hear audio clip ►\n\n\n\nSaint John of the Cross’ Story\nJohn is a saint because his life was a heroic effort to live up to his name: “of the Cross.” The folly of the cross came to full realization in time. “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself\, take up his cross\, and follow me” (Mark 8:34b) is the story of John’s life. The Paschal Mystery—through death to life—strongly marks John as reformer\, mystic-poet\, and theologian-priest. \nOrdained a Carmelite priest in 1567 at age 25\, John met Teresa of Avila and\, like her\, vowed himself to the primitive Rule of the Carmelites. As partner with Teresa and in his own right\, John engaged in the work of reform\, and came to experience the price of reform: increasing opposition\, misunderstanding\, persecution\, imprisonment. He came to know the cross acutely—to experience the dying of Jesus—as he sat month after month in his dark\, damp\, narrow cell with only his God. \nYet\, the paradox! In this dying of imprisonment John came to life\, uttering poetry. In the darkness of the dungeon\, John’s spirit came into the Light. There are many mystics\, many poets; John is unique as mystic-poet\, expressing in his prison-cross the ecstasy of mystical union with God in the Spiritual Canticle. \nBut as agony leads to ecstasy\, so John had his Ascent to Mt. Carmel\, as he named it in his prose masterpiece. As man-Christian-Carmelite\, he experienced in himself this purifying ascent; as spiritual director\, he sensed it in others; as psychologist-theologian\, he described and analyzed it in his prose writings. His prose works are outstanding in underscoring the cost of discipleship\, the path of union with God: rigorous discipline\, abandonment\, purification. Uniquely and strongly John underlines the gospel paradox: The cross leads to resurrection\, agony to ecstasy\, darkness to light\, abandonment to possession\, denial to self to union with God. If you want to save your life\, you must lose it. John is truly “of the Cross.” He died at 49—a life short\, but full. \n\nReflection\nJohn\, in his life and writings\, has a crucial word for us today. We tend to be rich\, soft\, comfortable. We shrink even from words like self-denial\, mortification\, purification\, asceticism\, discipline. We run from the cross. John’s message—like the gospel—is loud and clear: Don’t—if you really want to live! \n\nSaint John of the Cross is the Patron Saint of:\nMystics
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-john-of-the-cross/2017-12-14/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171215
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171216
DTSTAMP:20260404T153641
CREATED:20170824T144124Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170914T191941Z
UID:6054-1513296000-1513382399@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Blessed Mary Frances Schervier
DESCRIPTION:Blessed Mary Frances Schervier\nSaint of the Day for December 15\n(January 3\,1819 – December 14\, 1876)\n\n\n\nClick to hear audio clip ►\n\n\n\nBlessed Mary Frances Schervier’s Story\nThis woman who once wanted to become a Trappistine nun was instead led by God to establish a community of sisters who care for the sick and aged in the United States and throughout the world. \nBorn into a distinguished family in Aachen (then ruled by Prussia but formerly Aix-la-Chapelle\, France)\, Frances ran the household after her mother’s death and established a reputation for generosity to the poor. In 1844 she became a Secular Franciscan. The next year she and four companions established a religious community devoted to caring for the poor. In 1851 the Sisters of the Poor of St. Francis were approved by the local bishop; the community soon spread. The first U.S. foundation was made in 1858. \nMother Frances visited the United States in 1863 and helped her sisters nurse soldiers wounded in the Civil War. She visited the United States again in 1868. When Philip Hoever was establishing the Brothers of the Poor of St. Francis\, she encouraged him. \nWhen Mother Frances died\, there were 2\,500 members of her community worldwide. They are still engaged in operating hospitals and homes for the aged. Mother Mary Frances was beatified in 1974. \n\nReflection\nThe sick\, the poor\, and the aged are constantly in danger of being considered “useless” members of society and therefore ignored—or worse. Women and men motivated by the ideals of Mother Frances are needed if the God-given dignity and destiny of all people are to be respected.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/blessed-mary-frances-schervier/2017-12-15/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171216
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171217
DTSTAMP:20260404T153641
CREATED:20170824T145418Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170914T191938Z
UID:6057-1513382400-1513468799@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Blessed Honoratus Kozminski
DESCRIPTION:Blessed Honoratus Kozminski\nSaint of the Day for December 16\n(October 16\, 1829 – December 16\, 1916)\nClick to hear audio clip ► \nBlessed Honoratus Kozminski’s Story\nWenceslaus was born in Biala Podlaska in 1829. By the age of 11 he had lost his faith. By the age of 16 his father died. He attended architecture school at the School of Fine Arts in Warsaw. Suspected of participating in a rebellious conspiracy against the Czarists in Poland\, he was imprisoned from April 1846 until March of 1847. His life then took a turn for the better\, and in 1848 he received the Capuchin habit and a new name\, Honoratus. He was ordained in 1855 and dedicated his energies to the ministry where he was involved\, among other things\, with the Secular Franciscan Order. \nA 1864 revolt against Czar Alexander III failed\, which led to the suppression of all religious orders in Poland. The Capuchins were expelled from Warsaw and moved to Zakroczym. There Honoratus founded 26 religious congregations. These men and women took vows but did not wear a religious habit and did not live in community. In many regards\, they lived as today’s secular institutes do. Seventeen of these groups still exist as religious congregations. \nFather Honoratus’ writings include many volumes of sermons\, letters\, and works on ascetical theology\, works on Marian devotion\, historical and pastoral writings\, as well as many writings for the religious congregations which he founded. \nWhen in 1906\, various bishops sought to reorganize the communities under their authority\, Honoratus defended them and their independence. In 1908\, he was relieved of his leadership role. He encouraged the members of these communities to be obedient to the Church. \nHe died on December 16\, 1916 and was beatified in 1988. \n\nReflection\nFather Honoratus realized that the religious communities that he founded were not truly his. When ordered by Church officials to relinquish control\, he instructed the communities to be obedient to the Church. He could have become bitter or combative\, but instead\, he accepted his fate with religious submission\, and realized that the gifts of the Religious were to be gifts to the larger community. He learned to let go.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/blessed-honoratus-kozminski/2017-12-16/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171217
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171218
DTSTAMP:20260404T153641
CREATED:20170824T145606Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170914T191934Z
UID:6060-1513468800-1513555199@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Hildegard of Bingen
DESCRIPTION:  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSaint Hildegard of Bingen\nSaint of the Day for December 17\n(September 16\, 1098 – September 17\, 1179)\nClick to hear audio clip ► \nSaint Hildegard of Bingen’s Story\nAbbess\, artist\, author\, composer\, mystic\, pharmacist\, poet\, preacher\, theologian—where to begin describing this remarkable woman? \nBorn into a noble family\, she was instructed for ten years by the holy woman Blessed Jutta. When Hildegard was 18\, she became a Benedictine nun at the Monastery of Saint Disibodenberg. Ordered by her confessor to write down the visions that she had received since the age of three\, Hildegard took ten years to write her Scivias (Know the Ways). Pope Eugene III read it and in 1147 encouraged her to continue writing. Her Book of the Merits of Life and Book of Divine Works followed. She wrote over 300 letters to people who sought her advice; she also composed short works on medicine and physiology\, and sought advice from contemporaries such as Saint Bernard of Clairvaux. \nHildegard’s visions caused her to see humans as “living sparks” of God’s love\, coming from God as daylight comes from the sun. Sin destroyed the original harmony of creation; Christ’s redeeming death and resurrection opened up new possibilities. Virtuous living reduces the estrangement from God and others that sin causes. \nLike all mystics\, she saw the harmony of God’s creation and the place of women and men in that. This unity was not apparent to many of her contemporaries. \nHildegard was no stranger to controversy. The monks near her original foundation protested vigorously when she moved her monastery to Bingen\, overlooking the Rhine River. She confronted Emperor Frederick Barbarossa for supporting at least three antipopes. Hildegard challenged the Cathars\, who rejected the Catholic Church claiming to follow a more pure Christianity. \nBetween 1152 and 1162\, Hildegard often preached in the Rhineland. Her monastery was placed under interdict because she had permitted the burial of a young man who had been excommunicated. She insisted that he had been reconciled with the Church and had received its sacraments before dying. Hildegard protested bitterly when the local bishop forbade the celebration of or reception of the Eucharist at the Bingen monastery\, a sanction that was lifted only a few months before her death. \nIn 2012\, Hildegard was canonized and named a Doctor of the Church by Pope Benedict XVI. \n\nReflection\nPope Benedict spoke about Hildegard of Bingen during two of his general audiences in September 2010. He praised the humility with which she received God’s gifts and the obedience she gave Church authorities. He praised the “rich theological content” of her mystical visions that sum up the history of salvation from creation to the end of time. \nDuring his papacy\, Pope Benedict XVI said\, “Let us always invoke the Holy Spirit\, so that he may inspire in the Church holy and courageous women like Saint Hildegard of Bingen\, who\, developing the gifts they have received from God\, make their own special and valuable contribution to the spiritual development of our communities and of the Church in our time.” \n\nThe Liturgical Feast of Saint Hildegard of Bingen is September 17.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-hildegard-of-bingen/2017-12-17/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171218
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171219
DTSTAMP:20260404T153641
CREATED:20170824T145900Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170914T191931Z
UID:6062-1513555200-1513641599@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Blessed Anthony Grassi
DESCRIPTION:Blessed Anthony Grassi\nSaint of the Day for December 18\n(November 13\, 1592 – December 13\, 1671)\nClick to hear audio clip ► \nBlessed Anthony Grassi’s Story\nAnthony’s father died when his son was only 10 years old\, but the young lad inherited his father’s devotion to Our Lady of Loreto. As a schoolboy\, he frequented the local church of the Oratorian Fathers\, joining the religious order when he was 17. \nAlready a fine student\, he soon gained a reputation in his religious community as a “walking dictionary” who quickly grasped Scripture and theology. For some time he was tormented by scruples\, but they reportedly left him at the very hour he celebrated his first Mass. From that day\, serenity penetrated his very being. \nIn 1621\, at age 29\, Anthony was struck by lightning while praying in the church of the Holy House at Loreto. He was carried paralyzed from the church\, expecting to die. When Anthony recovered in a few days he realized that he had been cured of acute indigestion. His scorched clothes were donated to the Loreto church as an offering of thanks for his new gift of life. \nMore important\, Anthony now felt that his life belonged entirely to God. Each year thereafter he made a pilgrimage to Loreto to express his thanks. \nHe also began hearing confessions\, and came to be regarded as an outstanding confessor. Simple and direct\, he listened carefully to penitents\, said a few words and gave a penance and absolution\, frequently drawing on his gift of reading consciences. \nIn 1635\, he was elected superior of the Fermo Oratory. He was so well regarded that he was reelected every three years until his death. He was a quiet person and a gentle superior who did not know how to be severe. At the same time he kept the Oratorian constitutions literally\, encouraging the community to do likewise. \nHe refused social or civic commitments and instead would go out day or night to visit the sick or dying or anyone else needing his services. As he grew older\, he had a God-given awareness of the future\, a gift which he frequently used to warn or to console. \nBut age brought its challenges as well. He suffered the humility of having to give up his physical faculties one by one. First was his preaching\, necessitated after he lost his teeth. Then he could no longer hear confessions. Finally\, after a fall\, he was confined to his room. The archbishop himself came each day to give him holy Communion. One of Anthony’s final acts was to reconcile two fiercely quarreling brothers. \n\nReflection\nNothing provides a better reason for reassessing a life than a brush with death. Anthony’s life already seemed to be on track when he was struck by lightning; he was a brilliant priest blessed\, at last\, with serenity. But his experience softened him. He became a loving counselor and a wise mediator. The same might be said of us if we put our hearts to it. We needn’t wait to be struck by lightning. \n\nThe Liturgical Feast of Blessed Anthony Grassi is December 15.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/blessed-anthony-grassi/2017-12-18/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171219
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171220
DTSTAMP:20260404T153641
CREATED:20170824T150031Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170914T191928Z
UID:6065-1513641600-1513727999@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Blessed Pope Urban V
DESCRIPTION:Blessed Pope Urban V\nSaint of the Day for December 19\n(1310 – December 19\, 1370)\nClick to hear audio clip ► \nBlessed Pope Urban V’s Story\nIn 1362\, the man elected pope declined the office. When the cardinals could not find another person among them for that important office\, they turned to a relative stranger: the holy person we honor today. \nThe new Pope Urban V proved a wise choice. A Benedictine monk and canon lawyer\, he was deeply spiritual and brilliant. He lived simply and modestly\, which did not always earn him friends among clergymen who had become used to comfort and privilege. Still\, he pressed for reform and saw to the restoration of churches and monasteries. Except for a brief period he spent most of his eight years as pope living away from Rome at Avignon\, seat of the papacy from 1309 until shortly after his death. \nHe came close but was not able to achieve one of his biggest goals—reuniting the Eastern and Western churches. \nAs pope\, Urban continued to follow the Benedictine Rule. Shortly before his death in 1370\, he asked to be moved from the papal palace to the nearby home of his brother so he could say goodbye to the ordinary people he had so often helped. \n\nReflection\nSimplicity in the midst of power and grandeur seems to define this saint as he reluctantly accepted the papacy but remained\, at heart\, a Benedictine monk. Surroundings need not negatively influence a person.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/6065/2017-12-19/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171220
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171221
DTSTAMP:20260404T153641
CREATED:20170824T150219Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170914T191924Z
UID:6068-1513728000-1513814399@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Dominic of Silos
DESCRIPTION:Saint Dominic of Silos\nSaint of the Day for December 20\n(c. 1000 – December 20\, 1073)\nClick to hear audio clip ► \nSaint Dominic of Silos’ Story\nIt’s not the founder of the Dominicans we honor today\, but there’s a poignant story that connects both Dominics. \nOur saint today\, Dominic of Silos\, was born in Spain around the year 1000 into a peasant family. As a young boy he spent time in the fields\, where he welcomed the solitude. He became a Benedictine priest and served in numerous leadership positions. Following a dispute with the king over property\, Dominic and two other monks were exiled. They established a new monastery in what at first seemed an unpromising location. Under Dominic’s leadership\, however\, it became one of the most famous houses in Spain. Many healings were reported there. \nAbout 100 years after Dominic’s death\, a young woman made a pilgrimage to his tomb. There Dominic of Silos appeared to her and assured her that she would bear another son. The woman was Joan of Aza\, and the son she bore grew up to be the “other” Dominic—the one who founded the Dominicans. \nFor many years thereafter\, the staff used by Saint Dominic of Silos was brought to the royal palace whenever a queen of Spain was in labor. That practice ended in 1931. \n\nReflection\nSaint Dominic of Silos’ connection with the Saint Dominic who founded the Dominican Order brings to mind the film Six Degrees of Separation: we are all connected it seems. God’s providential care can bring people together in mysterious ways\, but it all points to his love for each of us.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-dominic-of-silos/2017-12-20/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171221
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171222
DTSTAMP:20260404T153641
CREATED:20170824T150349Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170824T150349Z
UID:6071-1513814400-1513900799@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Peter Canisius
DESCRIPTION:Saint Peter Canisius\nSaint of the Day for December 21\n(May 8\,1521 – December 21\, 1597)\nClick to hear audio clip ► \nSaint Peter Canisius’ Story\nThe energetic life of Peter Canisius should demolish any stereotypes we may have of the life of a saint as dull or routine. Peter lived his 76 years at a pace which must be considered heroic\, even in our time of rapid change. A man blessed with many talents\, Peter is an excellent example of the scriptural man who develops his talents for the sake of the Lord’s work. \nHe was one of the most important figures in the Catholic Reformation in Germany. His played such a key role that he has often been called the “second apostle of Germany” in that his life parallels the earlier work of Boniface. \nAlthough Peter once accused himself of idleness in his youth\, he could not have been idle too long\, for at the age of 19 he received a master’s degree from the university at Cologne. Soon afterwards he met Peter Faber\, the first disciple of Ignatius Loyola\, who influenced Peter so much that he joined the recently formed Society of Jesus. \nAt this early age Peter had already taken up a practice he continued throughout his life—a process of study\, reflection\, prayer and writing. After his ordination in 1546\, he became widely known for his editions of the writings of Saint Cyril of Alexandria and St. Leo the Great. Besides this reflective literary bent\, Peter had a zeal for the apostolate. He could often be found visiting the sick or prisoners\, even when his assigned duties in other areas were more than enough to keep most people fully occupied. \nIn 1547 Peter attended several sessions of the Council of Trent\, whose decrees he was later assigned to implement. After a brief teaching assignment at the Jesuit college at Messina\, Peter was entrusted with the mission to Germany—from that point on his life’s work. He taught in several universities and was instrumental in establishing many colleges and seminaries. He wrote a catechism that explained the Catholic faith in a way which common people could understand—a great need of that age. \nRenowned as a popular preacher\, Peter packed churches with those eager to hear his eloquent proclamation of the gospel. He had great diplomatic ability\, often serving as a reconciler between disputing factions. In his letters (filling eight volumes) one finds words of wisdom and counsel to people in all walks of life. At times he wrote unprecedented letters of criticism to leaders of the Church—yet always in the context of a loving\, sympathetic concern. \nAt 70\, Peter suffered a paralytic seizure\, but he continued to preach and write with the aid of a secretary until his death in his hometown (Nijmegen\, Netherlands) on December 21\, 1597. \n\nReflection\nPeter’s untiring efforts are an apt example for those involved in the renewal of the Church or the growth of moral consciousness in business or government. He is regarded as one of the creators of the Catholic press\, and can easily be a model for the Christian author or journalist. Teachers can see in his life a passion for the transmission of truth. Whether we have much to give\, as Peter Canisius did\, or whether we have only a little to give\, as did the poor widow in the Gospel (see Luke 21:1–4)\, the important thing is to give our all. It is in this way that Peter is so exemplary for Christians in an age of rapid change when we are called to be in the world but not of the world. \n\nSaint Peter Canisius is the Patron Saint of:\nGermany
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-peter-canisius/2017-12-21/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171222
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171223
DTSTAMP:20260404T153641
CREATED:20170824T162101Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170914T191921Z
UID:6074-1513900800-1513987199@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Blessed Jacopone da Todi
DESCRIPTION:Blessed Jacopone da Todi\nSaint of the Day for December 22\n(c. 1230 – December 25\, 1306)\nClick to hear audio clip ► \nBlessed Jacopone da Todi’s Story\nJacomo\, or James\, was born a noble member of the Benedetti family in the northern Italian city of Todi. He became a successful lawyer and married a pious\, generous lady named Vanna. \nHis young wife took it upon herself to do penance for the worldly excesses of her husband. One day Vanna\, at the insistence of Jacomo\, attended a public tournament. She was sitting in the stands with the other noble ladies when the stands collapsed. Vanna was killed. Her shaken husband was even more disturbed when he realized that the penitential girdle she wore was for his sinfulness. On the spot\, he vowed to radically change his life. \nHe divided his possessions among the poor and entered the Secular Franciscan Order. Often dressed in penitential rags\, he was mocked as a fool and called Jacopone\, or “Crazy Jim\,” by his former associates. The name became dear to him. \nAfter 10 years of such humiliation\, Jacopone asked to be a member of the Order of Friars Minor. Because of his reputation\, his request was initially refused. He composed a beautiful poem on the vanities of the world\, an act that eventually led to his admission into the Order in 1278. He continued to lead a life of strict penance\, declining to be ordained a priest. Meanwhile\, he was writing popular hymns in the vernacular. \nJacopone suddenly found himself a leader in a disturbing religious movement among the Franciscans. The Spirituals\, as they were called\, wanted a return to the strict poverty of Francis. They had on their side two cardinals of the Church and Pope Celestine V. These two cardinals\, though\, opposed Celestine’s successor\, Boniface VIII. At the age of 68\, Jacopone was excommunicated and imprisoned. Although he acknowledged his mistake\, Jacopone was not absolved and released until Benedict XI became pope five years later. He had accepted his imprisonment as penance. He spent the final three years of his life more spiritual than ever\, weeping “because Love is not loved.” During this time he wrote the famous Latin hymn\, Stabat Mater. \nOn Christmas Eve in 1306 Jacopone felt that his end was near. He was in a convent of the Poor Clares with his friend\, Blessed John of La Verna. Like Francis\, Jacopone welcomed “Sister Death” with one of his favorite songs. It is said that he finished the song and died as the priest intoned the “Gloria” from the midnight Mass at Christmas. From the time of his death\, Brother Jacopone has been venerated as a saint. \n\nReflection\nHis contemporaries called Jacopone\, “Crazy Jim.” We might well echo their taunt\, for what else can you say about a man who broke into song in the midst of all his troubles? We still sing Jacopone’s saddest song\, the Stabat Mater\, but we Christians claim another song as our own\, even when the daily headlines resound with discordant notes. Jacopone’s whole life rang our song out: “Alleluia!” May he inspire us to keep singing.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/blessed-jacopone-da-todi/2017-12-22/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171223
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171224
DTSTAMP:20260404T153641
CREATED:20170824T165833Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170824T165833Z
UID:6077-1513987200-1514073599@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint John of Kanty
DESCRIPTION:Saint John of Kanty\nSaint of the Day for December 23\n(June 24\, 1390 – December 24\, 1473)\nClick to hear audio clip ► \nSaint John of Kanty’s Story\nJohn was a country lad who made good in the big city and the big university of Kraków\, Poland. After brilliant studies he was ordained a priest and became a professor of theology. The inevitable opposition which saints encounter led to his being ousted by rivals and sent to be a parish priest at Olkusz. An extremely humble man\, he did his best\, but his best was not to the liking of his parishioners. Besides\, he was afraid of the responsibilities of his position. But in the end he won his people’s hearts. After some time he returned to Kraków and taught Scripture for the remainder of his life. \nHe was a serious man\, and humble\, but known to all the poor of Kraków for his kindness. His goods and his money were always at their disposal\, and time and again they took advantage of him. He kept only the money and clothes absolutely needed to support himself. He slept little\, ate sparingly\, and took no meat. He made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem\, hoping to be martyred by the Turks. He made four pilgrimages to Rome\, carrying his luggage on his back. When he was warned to look after his health\, he was quick to point out that\, for all their austerity\, the fathers of the desert lived remarkably long lives. \n\nReflection\nJohn of Kanty is a typical saint: He was kind\, humble and generous\, he suffered opposition and led an austere\, penitential life. Most Christians in an affluent society can understand all the ingredients except the last: Anything more than mild self-discipline seems reserved for athletes and ballet dancers. Christmas is a good time at least to reject self-indulgence.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-john-of-kanty/2017-12-23/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171224
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171225
DTSTAMP:20260404T153641
CREATED:20170824T170512Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170824T170512Z
UID:6081-1514073600-1514159999@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Christmas at Greccio
DESCRIPTION:Christmas at Greccio\nSaint of the Day for December 24\nClick to hear audio clip ► \nThe Story of Christmas at Greccio\nWhat better way to prepare for the arrival of the Christ Child than to take a brief journey to Greccio\, the spot in central Italy where Saint Francis of Assisi created the first Christmas crib in the year 1223. \nFrancis\, recalling a visit he had made years before to Bethlehem\, resolved to create the manger he had seen there. The ideal spot was a cave in nearby Greccio. He would find a baby (we’re not sure if it was a live infant or the carved image of a baby)\, hay upon which to lay him\, an ox and an ass to stand beside the manger. Word went out to the people of the town. At the appointed time\, they arrived carrying torches and candles. \nOne of the friars began celebrating Mass. Francis himself gave the sermon. His biographer\, Thomas of Celano\, recalls that Francis “stood before the manger…overcome with love and filled with a wonderful happiness… \n” For Francis\, the simple celebration was meant to recall the hardships Jesus suffered even as an infant\, a savior who chose to become poor for our sake\, a truly human Jesus. \nTonight\, as we pray around the Christmas cribs in our homes\, we welcome into our hearts that same Savior. \n\nReflection\nGod’s choice to give human beings free will was\, from the beginning\, a decision to be helpless in human hands. With the birth of Jesus\, God made the divine helplessness very clear to us\, for a human infant is totally dependent on the loving response of other people. Our natural response to a baby is to open our arms\, as Francis did\, to the infant of Bethlehem and to the God who made us all.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/christmas-at-greccio/2017-12-24/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171225
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171226
DTSTAMP:20260404T153641
CREATED:20170824T170643Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170824T170643Z
UID:6084-1514160000-1514246399@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord
DESCRIPTION:Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord\nSaint of the Day for December 25\nClick to hear audio clip ► \nThe Story of the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord\nOn this day\, the Church focuses especially on the newborn Child\, God become human\, who embodies for us all the hope and peace we seek. We need no other special saint today to lead us to Christ in the manger\, although his mother Mary and Joseph\, caring for his foster-son\, help round out the scene. \nBut if we were to select a patron for today\, perhaps it might be appropriate for us to imagine an anonymous shepherd\, summoned to the birthplace by a wondrous and even disturbing vision in the night\, a summons from an angelic choir\, promising peace and goodwill. A shepherd willing to seek out something that might just be too unbelievable to chase after\, and yet compelling enough to leave behind the flocks in the field and search for a mystery. \nOn the day of the Lord’s birth\, let’s let an unnamed\, “non-celebrity” at the edge of the crowd model for us the way to discover Christ in our own hearts—somewhere between skepticism and wonder\, between mystery and faith. And\, like Mary and the shepherds\, let us treasure that discovery in our hearts. \n\nReflection\nThe precise dating in this passage sounds like a textbook on creationism. If we focus on the time frame\, however\, we miss the point. It lays out the story of a love affair: creation\, the deliverance of the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt\, the rise of Israel under David. It climaxes with the birth of Jesus. From the beginning\, some scholars insist\, God intended to enter the world as one of us\, the beloved people. Praise God!
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/solemnity-of-the-nativity-of-the-lord/2017-12-25/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171226
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171227
DTSTAMP:20260404T153641
CREATED:20170824T170827Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170824T170827Z
UID:6087-1514246400-1514332799@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Stephen
DESCRIPTION:Saint Stephen\nSaint of the Day for December 26\n(d. c. 36 )\nClick to hear audio clip ► \nSaint Stephen’s Story\nAs the number of disciples continued to grow\, the Greek-speaking Christians complained about the Hebrew-speaking Christians\, saying that their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. So the Twelve called together the community of the disciples and said\, “It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table. Brothers\, select from among you seven reputable men\, filled with the Spirit and wisdom\, whom we shall appoint to this task\, whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” The proposal was acceptable to the whole community\, so they chose Stephen\, a man filled with faith and the Holy Spirit… (Acts 6:1-5). \nActs says that Stephen was a man filled with grace and power\, who worked great wonders among the people. Certain Jews\, members of the Synagogue of Roman Freedmen\, debated with Stephen but proved no match for the wisdom and spirit with which he spoke. They persuaded others to make the charge of blasphemy against him. He was seized and carried before the Sanhedrin. \nIn his speech\, Stephen recalled God’s guidance through Israel’s history\, as well as Israel’s idolatry and disobedience. He then claimed that his persecutors were showing this same spirit. “[Y]ou always oppose the holy Spirit; you are just like your ancestors” (Acts 7:51b). \nHis speech brought anger from the crowd. “But [Stephen]\, filled with the holy Spirit\, looked up intently to heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God\, and he said\, ‘Behold\, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God….’ They threw him out of the city\, and began to stone him…. As they were stoning Stephen\, he called out\, ‘Lord Jesus\, receive my spirit…. Lord\, do not hold this sin against them’” (Acts 7:55-56\, 58a\, 59\, 60b). \n\nReflection\nStephen died as Jesus did: falsely accused\, brought to unjust condemnation because he spoke the truth fearlessly. He died with his eyes trustfully fixed on God\, and with a prayer of forgiveness on his lips. A “happy” death is one that finds us in the same spirit\, whether our dying is as quiet as Joseph’s or as violent as Stephen’s: dying with courage\, total trust and forgiving love. \n\nSaint Stephen is the Patron Saint of:\nDeacons
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-stephen/2017-12-26/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171227
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171228
DTSTAMP:20260404T153641
CREATED:20170824T170938Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170824T171010Z
UID:6090-1514332800-1514419199@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint John the Apostle
DESCRIPTION:Saint John the Apostle\nSaint of the Day for December 27\n(6 – 100)\nClick to hear audio clip ► \nSaint John the Apostle’s Story\nIt is God who calls; human beings answer. The vocation of John and his brother James is stated very simply in the Gospels\, along with that of Peter and his brother Andrew: Jesus called them; they followed. The absoluteness of their response is indicated by the account. James and John “were in a boat\, with their father Zebedee\, mending their nets. He called them\, and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him” (Matthew 4:21b-22). \nFor the three former fishermen—Peter\, James and John—that faith was to be rewarded by a special friendship with Jesus. They alone were privileged to be present at the Transfiguration\, the raising of the daughter of Jairus and the agony in Gethsemane. But John’s friendship was even more special. Tradition assigns to him the Fourth Gospel\, although most modern Scripture scholars think it unlikely that the apostle and the evangelist are the same person. \nJohn’s own Gospel refers to him as “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (see John 13:23; 19:26; 20:2)\, the one who reclined next to Jesus at the Last Supper\, and the one to whom he gave the exquisite honor\, as he stood beneath the cross\, of caring for his mother. “Woman\, behold your son…. Behold\, your mother” (John 19:26b\, 27b). \nBecause of the depth of his Gospel\, John is usually thought of as the eagle of theology\, soaring in high regions that other writers did not enter. But the ever-frank Gospels reveal some very human traits. Jesus gave James and John the nickname\, “sons of thunder.” While it is difficult to know exactly what this meant\, a clue is given in two incidents. \nIn the first\, as Matthew tells it\, their mother asked that they might sit in the places of honor in Jesus’ kingdom—one on his right hand\, one on his left. When Jesus asked them if they could drink the cup he would drink and be baptized with his baptism of pain\, they blithely answered\, “We can!” Jesus said that they would indeed share his cup\, but that sitting at his right hand was not his to give. It was for those to whom it had been reserved by the Father. The other apostles were indignant at the mistaken ambition of the brothers\, and Jesus took the occasion to teach them the true nature of authority: “…[W]hoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so\, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:27-28). \nOn another occasion\, the “sons of thunder” asked Jesus if they should not call down fire from heaven upon the inhospitable Samaritans\, who would not welcome Jesus because he was on his way to Jerusalem. But Jesus “turned and rebuked them” (see Luke 9:51-55). \nOn the first Easter\, Mary Magdalene “ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved\, and told them\, ‘They have taken the Lord from the tomb\, and we don’t know where they put him’” (John 20:2). John recalls\, perhaps with a smile\, that he and Peter ran side by side\, but then “the other disciple ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first” (John 20:4b). He did not enter\, but waited for Peter and let him go in first. “Then the other disciple also went in\, the one who had arrived at the tomb first\, and he saw and believed” (John 20:8). \nJohn was with Peter when the first great miracle after the Resurrection took place—the cure of the man crippled from birth—which led to their spending the night in jail together. The mysterious experience of the Resurrection is perhaps best contained in the words of Acts: “Observing the boldness of Peter and John and perceiving them to be uneducated\, ordinary men\, they [the questioners] were amazed\, and they recognized them as the companions of Jesus” (Acts 4:13). \nThe Apostle John is traditionally considered the author of the Fourth Gospel\, three New Testament letters and the Book of Revelation. His Gospel is a very personal account. He sees the glorious and divine Jesus already in the incidents of his mortal life. At the Last Supper\, John’s Jesus speaks as if he were already in heaven. It is the Gospel of Jesus’ glory. \n\nReflection\nIt is a long way from being eager to sit on a throne of power or to call down fire from heaven to becoming the man who could write: “The way we came to know love was that he laid down his life for us; so we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers” (1 John 3:16). \n\nSaint John the Apostle is the Patron Saint of:\nTurkey
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-john-the-apostle/2017-12-27/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171228
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171229
DTSTAMP:20260404T153641
CREATED:20170824T171147Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170824T171147Z
UID:6093-1514419200-1514505599@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Holy Innocents
DESCRIPTION:Holy Innocents\nSaint of the Day for December 28\nClick to hear audio clip ► \nThe Story of the Holy Innocents\nHerod “the Great\,” king of Judea\, was unpopular with his people because of his connections with the Romans and his religious indifference. Hence he was insecure and fearful of any threat to his throne. He was a master politician and a tyrant capable of extreme brutality. He killed his wife\, his brother and his sister’s two husbands\, to name only a few. \nMatthew 2:1-18 tells this story: Herod was “greatly troubled” when astrologers from the east came asking the whereabouts of “the newborn king of the Jews\,” whose star they had seen. They were told that the Jewish Scriptures named Bethlehem as the place where the Messiah would be born. Herod cunningly told them to report back to him so that he could also “do him homage.” They found Jesus\, offered him their gifts and\, warned by an angel\, avoided Herod on their way home. Jesus escaped to Egypt. \nHerod became furious and “ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under.” The horror of the massacre and the devastation of the mothers and fathers led Matthew to quote Jeremiah: “A voice was heard in Ramah\, sobbing and loud lamentation; Rachel weeping for her children…” (Matthew 2:18). Rachel was the wife of Jacob/Israel. She is pictured as weeping at the place where the Israelites were herded together by the conquering Assyrians for their march into captivity. \n\nReflection\nThe Holy Innocents are few\, in comparison to the genocide and abortion of our day. But even if there had been only one\, we recognize the greatest treasure God put on the earth—a human person\, destined for eternity and graced by Jesus’ death and resurrection. \n\nThe Holy Innocents are the Patron Saints of:\nBabies \n 
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/holy-innocents/2017-12-28/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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