A Little Bit of Everything

Several years ago when our children were young, Michael decided they all needed to take on a German name as he often spoke to them in German.  Most of the children chose names that were similar to their own, except for one of our children who randomly (or may not so random) chose Wolfgang.  We soon found out that this name would become much more in our family.

St. Wolfgang

Feast Day: October 31
Born:  934
Death:  994
Patron:  against apoplexy, paralysis, stomach diseases and strokes; and for carpenters
Germany

Wolfgang is actually quite an interesting man.  He had an uneventful childhood growing up in a family of nobles.  He was called to the assistance of his childhood tutor, who had become a bishop, to teach in the cathedral school.  He was very involved in reforming the structure of the diocese in spite of opposition.

After the death of the bishop in 964, Wolfgang entered the Benedictine order in Switzerland, and was ordained priest by Saint Ulrich in 968.  After the death of the bishop in 964, Wolfgang entered the Benedictine order in Switzerland and was ordained priest by Saint Ulrich in 968.

At the request of Ulrich and at the desire of the Emperor Otto the Great, Wolfgang, was "sent to the [pagan]  Hungarians" as the most suitable man to evangelize them.

By 972, Wolfgang would be placed in the position of bishop in Regensburg.  In addition to this role, Wolfgang became the tutor of Emperor Saint Henry II, who learned from him the principles which governed his saintly and energetic life (I will not write about this saint until next July, along with St. Ulrich!).  He would also tutor other nobles of the day.

Among other duties, Wolfgang worked to streamline the order of his diocese.  He would also spend much of this time reforming the monasteries and convents within the diocese.  He willing gave up a portion of his large diocese to create a new diocese adjacent to his in Prague.  He then spent time at court advising the emperor in matters of importance, going so far as to accompanying the emperor on his military advancements.

Wolfgang spent the last years of his life as a hermit.  He was discovered by a huntsman and encouraged to return to society; however, he grew ill along the journey and died upon entering a small chapel in Austria.

St. Wolfgang is generally depicted with an ax in the right hand and the bishop's crosier in the left, or as a hermit in the wilderness being discovered by a hunter.

The axe refers to an incident in the life of the saint. After having selected a solitary spot in the wilderness, he prayed and then threw his ax into the thicket; the spot on which the ax fell he regarded as the place where God intended he should build his cell. This ax is still shown in the little market town of St. Wolfgang which sprang up on the spot of the old cell.

Saint Wolfgang is sometimes counted among the Fourteen Holy Helpers.  A group of saints revered in early times as particularly aiding Christians.

St. Wolfgang, pray for us!

The Two Who Stayed Together

St Jude painted by another mother and  St Simon painted by our Henry

Saints Simon and Jude were brothers and were often grouped together in the Bible and in stories of them after the Resurrection.  We do not know much about their lives; however, we can presume that they carried on the message of Salvation through the spread of their devotion.

St. Simon (the Zealot)

Feast Day:  October 29
Born:  ??
Death:  65 AD
Patron: Curriers; sawmen; sawyers; tanners

The Zealots were a Jewish sect that represented an extreme of Jewish nationalism. For them, the messianic promise of the Old Testament meant that the Jews were to be a free and independent nation. God alone was their king, and any payment of taxes to the Romans was a blasphemy against God.  Simon ended his association with this group upon his following of Jesus but this is a distinction to set set him apart from the other apostles.

It is believed that he preached in Egypt and then went to Persia with St. Jude, where both suffered martyrdom.  St. Simon is represented in art with a saw, the instrument of his martyrdom by being sawn in half.

St. Jude (also known as Thaddeus to distinguish from the traitor Iscariot)

Feast Day:  October 29
Patron: Desperate situations; forgotten causes; hospital workers; hospitals; impossible causes; lost causes

In iconic pictures of St. Jude, he holds a square to depict his role as an architect of the house of God.  This is likely because of the epistle attributed to him to the Churches of the East, particularly the Jewish converts, directed against the heresies of the Simonians, Nicolaites, and Gnostics.

It is known that Jude was the nephew of St. Joseph, yet he was called to the inner circle with his brother James the Lesser.

At the Last Supper, Jude's conversation with Jesus is recorded in the Gospel of John:

Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”

Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me." (21-23)

Images of St. Jude often include a flame around his head, which represent his presence at Pentecost, when he accepted the Holy Spirit alongside the other apostles. Another attribute is St. Jude holding an image of Christ.  It is believed that the king of Edessa was ill, and Jude placed an image of Jesus on the king and he was miraculously healed.

Jude is believed to have been martyred either in Armenia or Beirut.  Following his death, Jude's body was brought to Rome and left in a crypt in St. Peter's Basilica. Today his bones can be found in the left transept of St. Peter's Basilica under the main altar of St. Joseph in a tomb he shares with the remains of the apostle Simon the Zealot.

The prayer of the liturgy of the Catholic Church thus prays to our Lord today: "O God, through the work of the apostles you have spoken your Word of love, your Son, into our world's deafness. Open our ears to hear; open our hearts to heed; open our will to obey, that we may proclaim the good news with our lives."

The Saint We All Knew

There are not many people who hear the name John Paul II who do not know he was our pope. We all grew up with his presence in our lives regardless of our faith.  He gave us so much as pope, however, his humble beginnings are worth learning about and all his amazing life.

Feast Day:  October 22
Birth: 1920
Death: 2005
Born in Poland as Karol Josef Wojtyla
Patron of World Youth Day

Karol was born into a world of upheaval and war.  His childhood would be marked with sadness as his mother died when he was only nine years old and his older brother would die just a few years later.  Then his father died when Karol was 21 years old.  He was truly left with no family but by this time he has fully heard his call to the service of God in the priesthood.

This might have been an easy choice in a peaceful time, however, he lived during a time of Nazi occupation.  He had been attending university in Krakow; however, he was sent work in the mines when the university was shut down.  He continued to study on his own and entered into a secret seminary designed to ordain priests during the war.

When Karol was ordained, he was sent to Rome to complete his education leading to a doctorate in Theology.  He returned to Poland to teach philosophy as well as take on the position of student chaplain.  This role would always be dear to his heart as he truly cared for the youth.

In 1958, he was appointed the auxiliary bishop of Krakow.  This would place him in a position to attend all four sessions of the Vatican II Council.  He would play a key role in the writings of the council.  By 1968 he would become the archbishop of Krakow and be elected as cardinal.

He was chosen as pope in 1978, opening his heart to the world with the words, "Do not be afraid."  He took on the name of his predecessor, John Paul II, in order to show reverence and continuity.

He would become the first pope to travel extensively throughout the world.  He would make 104 apostolic trips to 124 different countries.  His 1979 visit to Poland encouraged the growth of the Solidarity movement there and the collapse of communism in central and eastern Europe 10 years later. He began World Youth Day and traveled to several countries for those celebrations. He very much wanted to visit China and the Soviet Union but the governments in those countries prevented that.

He would have an attempt on his life in 1981, but immediately forgave his attacker.  He would even speak to him personally after the assault in 1983.

In his 27 years of papal ministry, John Paul II wrote 14 encyclicals and five books, canonized 482 saints and beatified 1,338 people.

In the last years of his life, he suffered from Parkinson’s disease and was forced to cut back on some of his activities.  He died on the eve of Divine Mercy Sunday.  This was a feast day he established after the vision of St .Faustina.  John Paul II had many connections to Mary as well and this article
explains in great detail his dedication and "coincidences" that are associated with this devotion.

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, then dean of the College of Cardinals and later Pope Benedict XVI, presided at the funeral Mass and concluded his homily by saying: “None of us can ever forget how, in that last Easter Sunday of his life, the Holy Father, marked by suffering, came once more to the window of the Apostolic Palace and one last time gave his blessing urbi et orbi [‘to the city and to the world’].

“We can be sure that our beloved pope is standing today at the window of the Father’s house, that sees us and blesses us. Yes, bless us, Holy Father. We entrust your dear soul to the Mother of God, your Mother, who guided you each day and who will guide you now to the glory of her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.”

There are so many stories of his life that could be told; I hope we all can learn from his example.

Tonight we honored Pope John Paul II with a Polish meal of Kotlet Mielony, latkeys, cucumber salad, followed by a simple milk cake for dessert.

St. Pope John Paul II, pray for us!

The Two Ladies of Education

Today is another double saint day.  I just could not decide which of these two saints to paint so  Isat down yesterday and painted them both.  After reading about their lives, I now feel it is fitting that they should be painted together as they both influenced the education of others.

St. Ursula

Feast Day: October 21
Born:  Some time before 4th century
Patron: Catholic education (especially of girls); educators; holy death; students; teachers
England

Ursula is a legendary saint as we know little about her other than her death and the veneration after this event.  Even her death was exaggerated to legendary extremes do to a misunderstanding.

From what we can gather from the stories, she was the daughter of a Christian king.  She was asked to marry a man she did not desire.  She requested a three year reprieve in order to go on a pilgrimage to Rome.

On her return, Ursula and her group of companions were attacked by Huns.  She was killed because she refused to marry their chieftain.  The numbers were in the thousands most likely because of a writer's error in the tenth century.

The only real evidence we have of Ursula and her maiden companions is an inscription on a church in Cologne built to commemorate a group of virgins who were martyred before the 4th century.

SO...why paint a peg doll for a legendary saint?

There happen to be a group of women who have dedicated their work to God...and these nuns known as "The Company of St. Ursula" beginning in 1540.  This order of nuns was established by St. Angela de Merici.  The religious order was dedicated to educate young girls.  It was the first teaching order of women established by the Church and continues this purpose to this day.  The order began with humble roots as Angela was only seventeen years old when she gathered her small group of women together to teach and pray.  However, the group were granted the popes approval and spread quickly throughout the area before her death and then into several countries (even the United States as early as 1727).  More on St Angela de Merici in a future post (January).

St. Ursula and her companions, pray for us!

St. Laura of Saint Catherine of Sienna

Feast day: October 21
Birth: 1874
Death: 1949
Born as María Laura Montoya Upegui
Columbia
Patron of suffering from racial discrimination, orphans, Congregation of Missionary Sisters of Immaculate Mary and of Saint Catherine of Siena

Laura's father was killed when she was a young child during the Colombian Civil War of 1876.  She was sent to live with her grandmother.  In order to help her widowed mother, Laura earned money as a school teacher.  However, she felt called to the religious life and entered the order of Discalced Carmelites.  She became unsettled in this life as a cloistered nun and felt called to missionary work.

In 1908, Laura began to use her training as a teacher as she began her missionary work in the surrounding regions.  She then founded the "Works of the Indians" in South America in order to assist the native people.

She would eventually form her own order (Missionaries of Mary Immaculate and Saint Catherine of Siena) that was dedicated to resolve issues of bigotry and to the service of the natives.  She was often criticized for her work but she continued to persevere even when she became ill and was confined to a wheelchair.

She died in 1949 but her order spread to other countries, which include 19 countries today.  She was only recently venerated by Pope John Paul II in 2004 and later canonized by Pope Francis in 2013.

St. Laura of St Catherine of Sienna, pray for us!

One of the Nine

I did not feel that I should paint all nine of the saints celebrated on this day.  However, St. Isaac Jogues has always been an interesting twist to the martyrdom of the nine Jesuits who try to spread the Good News to the natives in the north east and into Canada.

Feast Day:  October 19
Born:  1607
Death:  1646
France
Born into a middle class family
Patron: Americas; Canada

Schooled from home until he was 17 years old, Isaac entered a school of higher learning and felt called to the missionaries in the New World.  Soon after being ordained in 1636, Isaac fulfilled this desire and traveled to New France. He was assigned as a missionary to the Huron and Algonquian allies of the French.  Less than six months of his arrival, he became sick along with many of the other missionaries and the natives.  The natives blamed these illnesses on the missionaries and threatened to have them killed, however, the epidemic ended allowing the missionaries to stay.

In 1641, Isaac and others were sent out on a mission to the west.  They were soon welcomed into a village and asked to tell more about the faith.  Traveling by canoe to reach the Huron village, Isaac and  small group traveling with him were was captured by a war party of Mohawk of the Iroquois Confederacy.  The men were tortured and at this time Isaac lost two of his fingers.

Jogues survived this event and lived as a slave among the Mohawk for some time; he tried to teach his captors about Christianity. A party of Dutch traders from Fort Orange ransomed him and gave him money for passage down the Hudson River to New Amsterdam (New York) and a return to France.

Upon his return, he was treated as a "living martyr" and praised for his work among the natives of the new world.  He was even given special permission (a dispensation from Pope Urban VII) to celebrate Mass with his mutilated hands.  His only desire was to return to complete his missionary work among the Huron.

When Isaac Jogues returned to Paris after his first capture and torture, he said to his superior: "Yes, Father, I want whatever our Lord wants, even if it costs a thousand lives." He had written in his mission report: "These tortures are very great, but God is still greater, and immense."

He returned in 1646 after a treaty was made with the natives.  However, soon after his return another epidemic broke out along with a crop failure.  The natives blamed this on the missionaries and on October 18, 1646, Isaac was attacked with a tomahawk and killed.

SIDE NOTE:  Ten years after the martyrdom of St. Isaac Jogues, Kateri Tekakwitha was born in the same village in which he died.

St. Isaac Jogues and companions, pray for us!

The Gospel Writer for the Gentiles

Of the four Gospels, St. Luke is clear that he writes with the desire to bring the fullness of the truth to the Gentiles.  However, there are other themes in his Gospel as well, such as:

• Christ's ancestry to the first man, Adam
• Women as valuable followers, especially Mary
• Gospel of the poor and of social justice
• Prayer has a distinctive role for believers
• God longs to forgive sinners 
• Human leaders can resist but cannot overcome God's will
• The Role of the Holy Spirit

These themes continue in his account of the Acts of the Apostles.



But who was Luke?

Feast day: October 18
Patron of Physicians and Surgeons
Born: Antioch, Turkey
Death: A.D. 70 due to natural causes

Very little is known about him directly, however, we can gather some information from his writings and from others of his time.

Most likely, Luke was a Greek Gentile as he is not mentioned among the Jews.  This would also explain why he had a desire to witness to the overall Gentile community.  According to the early Church historian Eusebius Luke was born at Antioch in Syria.

We know with little doubt that Luke was a physician (Colossians 4:14).  However, do not be fooled into thinking he led a life of leisure and wealth.  Some believe that Luke was actually a slave, as it was common in those days to have a servant to be trained to care for the family illnesses.

Looking at the narrative in Acts, we can conclude that he joined Paul in his journeys in Troas at about the year 51 and accompanied him into Macedonia where they traveled first to Samothrace, Neapolis, and finally Philippi.   On a second journey, they traveled together through Miletus, Tyre, Caesarea, to Jerusalem.  In Paul's final imprisonment, Luke is the only one who stays with him. (2 Timothy 4:11)

We also know that Luke was not present during the events of Jesus life; however, Luke gathered the information from many sources to understand more fully to be able to present the information in an orderly fashion.  (Luke 1:1-3)

We do not know what happened to Luke after the martyrdom of Paul.  However, some believe that he died at 84 after settling in Greece to write his Gospel.  He is often shown with an ox or a calf because these are the symbols of sacrifice, which Luke portrayed the sacrifice Jesus made for all the world in his Gospel.

SIDE NOTE:  I enjoyed painting this saint peg doll.  I even had a little help from my Little Miss.  She told me she was finishing his eyes!  I took a picture along with his front because I wanted to show his traditional bull symbol.

Sacred Heart Nun

Many have seen the image of the Sacred Heart, however, it was through the blessing of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque that we have been given this devotion.

These dolls were not painted by myself.  The peg doll representing Margaret Mary was designed by another mother.  However, the Sacred Heart doll was painted by my artistic son, Henry!  He did such a great job and there will be other dolls from him in the future that I will share.

Feast day: October 17
Patron: against polio; devotees of the Sacred Heart; loss of parents
Birth: 1647
Death: 1690
France

At the age of eight, Margaret had little time to recover from the death of her father before she was sent to the Poor Clares school at Charolles.

Her difficulties continued when she was bedridden for five years with rheumatic fever.  However, this is when her love for the Blessed Sacrament began to grow.  When twenty-four years of age, Margaret entered the cloister, choosing the most menial tasks. Gifted with intelligence and common sense, she made great progress in holiness.

She began receiving frequent visions of Christ.  Christ informed her that she was His chosen instrument to spread devotion to His Sacred Heart, instructed her in a devotion that was to become known as the Nine Fridays and the Holy Hour, and asked that the feast of the Sacred Heart be established.  It would take several years for her to convince the superiors of these requests, but the convent then began to observe the feast of the Sacred Heart privately beginning in 1686, and two years later, a chapel was built to honor the Sacred Heart.  Soon observation of the feast of the Sacred Heart spread to other convents.  The devotion was officially recognized and approved by Pope Clement XIII in 1765, seventy-five years after her death.

Quote:  "I need nothing but God, and to lose myself in the heart of God."

St. Margaret Mary, pray for us!

A Saint for Mothers and a Motherly Saint

Today we celebrate the fest of two saints.  St Gerard is a saint I have asked for intercession many times over the last 20 years...for myself and others.  St. Hedwig is a new saint for our family but very fitting since she had so many children.  I think she will be on my list of prayer warriors from now on!

St Gerard Majella

Feast day: October 16
Patron of expectant mothers, falsely accused people, good confessions, lay brothers
Born: 1726
Death: 1755
Born in Muro, Italy to poverty stricken family

Gerard was the youngest from a large family and struggled through his childhood.  His father died when he was 12 years old, and his mother sent him to an uncle to learn to be a tailor.  He would then be sent to a local bishop to be his servant.  Any wages he earned were split between his mother and the poor.  He desired to enter the local monastery; however, his health was so poor they refused his entrance.

Gerard was allowed to join the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer at the age of 23.  He became a lay brother and took on several menial jobs.  However, because of his piety he was soon allowed to counsel communities of religious women.  He never refused to assist in anyone who called upon him for help.

Throughout his life Gerard was shown to be truly devoted to God.  This devotion had outward signs, including levitation, bi-location and the ability to read souls.  Several miracles are also attributed to his intercession.  Some of these miracles include:  restoring a boy's life after he fell from a high cliff; blessing a poor farmer's crops, ridding it of mice; blessing a poor family's supply of wheat, causing it to last until the next harvest; and he multiplied bread for the poor on several occasions.

The one intercession to Gerard that continues into the present day is that of pregnant women in labor.  The story told of his intercession is:  

"Shortly before his death, Majella encountered a young girl. He had dropped his handkerchief and she set out to return it, only to be told to keep it. Majella told her she "may need it someday." Years after Majella's passing, the young girl became married and with child. She unexpectedly went into labor and was on the verge of losing her baby. She called for Majella's handkerchief to be applied to her. Almost immediately, her pain abated and she proceeded to give birth to a healthy child."

Gerard died of tuberculosis on October 16, 1755 at the age of 29, living in the religious life for six years.

"Consider the shortness of time, the length of eternity and reflect how everything here below comes to an end and passes by. Of what use is it to lean upon that which cannot give support?"

St Gerard, pray for us!

St. Hedwig of Silesia

Feast day: October 16
Patron: brides; duchesses; death of children; marital problems; victims of jealousy; widows
Birth: 1174
Death: 1243
Born to noble family in Andechs, Bavaria, Germany

Being a member of a noble family might sound like an easy life; however, there were burdens that came with it for Hedwig.  For instance, she was betrothed when she was only a year old.  Then she was married at the age of twelve to Duke Henry of Silesia, the head of the Polish Royal family.!

Thankfully, she had a happy marriage and became the mother of seven children.  Henry and Hedwig dedicated their lives to God's work.  They founded a Cistercain convent at Trebnitz, as well as hospitals and monasteries.

She lived a life of poverty and humility, despite her prominent position. Every day, even in winter, she would walk barefooted, so her feet were in bad shape. A story tells us her husband sent her a pair of shoes, insisting that she not be without them — so she kept them under her arm.

When Henry died, Hedwig would take vows and live at the convent they had established.  She died at this same convent in 1243 after outliving all but one of her children (Gertrude).  The most dreadful of these deaths was watching her son (Henry II) who had taken over the role of Duke murdered before assistance could arrive.

St. Hedwig, pray for us!

Reluctant Prayer Warrior

What a wonderful gift we have to be a friend of Jesus!  We all have this opportunity, but how many of us actually take the time to grow that relationship?  Well, today's saint, St. Theresa of Avila, truly felt Jesus in her life daily....but it took her well into her adulthood to see how wonderful this relationship could be.  I guess there is still help for all of us to find a better connection with God!

Created by another mother spring 2015

Feast day: October 15
Birth: March 28, 1515
Death: October 4, 1582
Ávila, Spain
Patron of Headache sufferers, Spanish Catholic Writers
Given name:  Teresa Ali Fatim Corella Sanchez de Capeda y Ahumada

From a very young age, Theresa had a desire to bring peace near upheaval.  When she was seven years old, she convinced her brother that they needed to go to the "land of the Moors and beg them, out of love of God, to cut off our heads there."  Her thought was that she would sacrifice herself to avoid others being hurt.

However, even with this sense of piety in her early childhood, Theresa became a rebellious youth.  Her father was so concerned that he sent her to a convent for discipline.  After a time of adjustment, she found that she liked the way she was able to grow closer to God.

But...STILL...she did not form the relationship she needed.  She gave into a worldly lifestyle within the walls of the convent as it was a place to send girls when they had no where else to go.  This did not provide the prayerful life that was needed to develop a religious.  She found excuses to prevent her from finding her way to God.

Teresa sympathizes with those who have a difficult time in prayer: "All the trials we endure cannot be compared to these interior battles."

"For mental prayer in my opinion is nothing else than an intimate sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with him who we know loves us. The important thing is not to think much but to love much and so do that which best stirs you to love. Love is not great delight but desire to please God in everything."

She did find that union with God in her prayer life.  Once she had given herself fully to His will, she began a profound experience that would continue the rest of her life.  She was then asked to write a book about prayer.  Not sure what she should write...considering herself uneducated and unworthy...she did what she knew best...she prayed for help.  Out of this intercession, Theresa was given her most profound mystical experience which allowed her to write The Interior Castle.  She analyzed and dissected mystical experiences the way a scientist would in a lab.

Her journey was still not an easy one.  The closer she grew to God, the more other ridiculed her.  She was often left to dwell on her experiences alone because she was told that her experiences were not from God.  She realized that the environment of the convent needed to change.  At the age of 43, she became determined to found a new convent that went back to the basics of a contemplative order: a simple life of poverty devoted to prayer.  This should have been an easy task but the times were difficult and no one seemed to want Theresa in their town.

She would continue her effort for the next twenty years.  When dying she often repeated the words: "Lord, I am a daughter of the Church!"

She is the founder of the Discalced Carmelites. In 1970 she was declared a Doctor of the Church for her writing and teaching on prayer, one of two women to be honored in this way.

St. Theresa of Avila, pray for us!

Rising to the Role of Pope

To many the role of pope would seem to be only for those who seek power and fame.  This is further from the truth.  Most popes throughout time were very humble men who only desired to do God's will.  This is true for today's saintly pope.

Born:  ??
Death:  222
Born to a Christian slave
Patron: Cemetery workers.

The interesting history of St. Pope Callistus I is actually given to us from his archrival, Saint Hippolytus who eventually recanted his rumors of Callistus upon his death.  Why would the man behind the vicious rumors against a saintly pope be deemed a saint as well?  Well, he had spent his service to the Church trying to unify those who had rejected their beliefs during the early years of Christianity.  Hippolytus did not believe that a person could repent from their sins and return to the Church.  Thankfully, Pope Callistus saw the mercy of God in these sinners after they had performed public penance.

Pope Callistus did not stop at this to bring Christ to the people.  He was also very concerned with equality among the people.  Maybe because he knew the discrepancies of the day.  He accepted marriages between free people and slaves.  Maybe he thought this important because he had been a slave himself before becoming a deacon.

And this might show one of the reason Hippolytus was so concerned that Callistus held this important role in the Church.  I must admit it would be difficult to overlook the troublesome begins of this man.  Hippolytus tells of Callistus fleeing from his master after an issue with money.  Callistus was punished and sentenced to a cruel punishment -- forced labor on the treadmill.  Callistus was released but after further troubles was sent to work in the mines.  Callistus was freed from the mines when a group of Christians were ransomed.

A few years later, Pope Zephyrinus began to teach the slave in the teachings of the Church.  He was asked to administer the Church's property and organize the burial of martyrs in the catacombs on the Appian Way, still named the Cemetery of Saint Callistus.  It seems the pope saw promise in this man as Callistus was made a deacon and an adviser.  He seemed to have a theological understanding beyond his position and this was probably what infuriated Hippolytus.  This sense of jealousy and his own desire for the role of pope clouded his judgment when it came to Callistus.  In actuality, Callistus seemed to bring clarification during a confusing time of multiple heresies.

Pope Callistus is listed as a martyr but we have no record of how he was martyred or by whom. There were no official persecutions at the time, but he may well have been killed in riots against Christians. Some histories state that he was thrown into prison, and then was tortured by starvation in prison and scourged daily. Finally Callistus was thrown from a window of the house headlong into a well, where he drowned.

St. Callistus, pray for us!

The Confessor King

St. Edward is special to our family.  His feast day just before the coming our our little Edward (12 years ago) should have been a sign that we would have our third son (not a daughter as so many predicted).  We had no idea at the time, however, it proved to clinch his given name as I prayed for intercession to this saint when I was praying for a healthy birth.

Born 1003
Death 1066
Patron: Difficult marriages; kings; separated spouses
England, but sent to Normandy
Edward the Confessor was the son of King Ethelred III and his Norman wife, Emma, daughter of Duke Richard I of Normandy

In spite of much tribulation in his early life (his father died and his mother married his country's invader bearing two half brothers who would be in line for the throne before him), he rose to the throne as King of England in 1042.  Edward gained a reputation as a just man, worthy of kingship, and the people of England gave him their support.  His reign was somewhat peaceful; however, there were times of distress in his life.  He was forced into a marriage to the daughter of his supporter, Godwin, yet Edward had him banished during his reign to avoid division.  When Godwin rebelled against Edward, instead of fighting a battle they met to discuss their differences and find a resolution.

He spent his later years building up the churches in England, including the building of the famous Westminster Abbey .  He allowed his advisers and his named heir to the throne, Harold, in charge of the affairs of the country.

His saintly name distinguishes him from an earlier king Edward (the Martyr).  The title "confessor" recalls his pious life as a witness to the teachings of the Church through his life.  This title is not given to priests as confessors of the people but to show the way their lives led others to Christ.  He would often give away his riches at his castle gates.  He would also care for the sick and poor.

His favorite saint was John the Evangelist.  There is a story that the apostle once came to him and asked for alms in the name of John.  Edward did not have any thing to give to this 'beggar' but wanting to do the right thing took off his royal ring.  The beggar then appeared as John and foretold the king's death.  Edward died soon after from an unknown illness.

As he lay dying, his words were: “I shall not die but shall live. Departing from the land of the dying, I hope to see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.”

St. Edward the Confessor, pray for us!

The Good Pope

Controversial stories came out after his death in the way he handled the events during World War II.  However, he was always considered a good man.  Times were hard and many secretive missions took place that we learn about through those he helped.

Feast day: June 3
Patron of Papal delegates, Patriarchy of Venice, Second Vatican Council
Birth: 1881
Death: 1963
Born in small village in Italy to poor parents (sharecroppers)
Named Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli

He was ordained to the priesthood on 10 August 1904 and served in a number of posts.

In 1905, Roncalli was appointed to act as secretary for his bishop.  He continued working as the bishop's secretary until the bishop died in August 1914. The bishop's last words to Roncalli were, "Pray for peace."

Words that Roncali would not forget, especially as Italy was drawn into World War II and Roncalli was drafted into the Italian Army as a stretcher bearer and chaplain.  Roncalli did his duty and was eventually discharged from the army in 1919.

In 1925, Roncalli was summoned to the Vatican and he was sent to Bulgaria as the Apostolic Visitor to that country. Later, he was appointed aspostolic delegate to Turkey and Greece and made archbishop of Mesembria.

Beginning in 1935, racial tensions and anti-Jewish sentiment began to explode into actual acts of violence against the Jews and other ethnic minorities. Roncalli started using his influence to save what people he could from both local authorities and later the Nazis. During his tenure as archbishop, Roncalli saved thousands of Jews, enough that he was named a "Righteous Gentile" following the war.

In late 1944, Roncalli was appointed as the new papal Nuncio and sent to France to negotiate the retirement of bishops who were involved with the Nazis.

In 1952, Roncalli was offered a new position, this time as Patriarch of Venice. At the same time he assumed his new title, Roncalli became the Cardinal-Priest of Santa Prisca. He assumed his new responsibilities on March 15, 1953.

Pope Pius XII died on October 9, 1958 and Roncalli was soon summoned to Rome where he was to participate in the process of selecting a new pope.  After 11 ballots, he was elected to serve as Pope and took the name John XXIII.  This name was quite significant as there was an anti-pope 500 years before who had taken this name.  The pope wanted to make it clear that the apostolic succession continued.

This was only the beginning of his desire to bring unity within the Church.  One of his first actions as pope was to go out to the community for visits.  He visited the sick, the poor, and prisoners. He apologized for episodes of anti-Semitism within the Church carried on by some of his predecessors.

Then he called a ecumenical council to form...we know it as Vatican II.  As we realize now, this council would help to clarify the teachings of the Church.  He prohibited the use of contraceptives which interfere with the procreative will of God. He upheld the traditional view that married couples may not divorce. He also moved to protect the Church from scandal, ordering confidentiality when dealing with matters of clergy accused of the sexual abuse of children. (Some would deem this a way to cover up the abuse; however, he saw this as a way to defend the clergy of false accusations.)

Pope John XXIII did not live to see the Vatican Council to completion.  On June 3, 1963, Pope John XXIII died (stomach cancer) in his bed at age 81.

The world mourned John XXIII and he was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Johnson in December 1963.  Pope John XXIII generally maintained a good reputation among those who remembered him and he was often titled "the Good."

On September 3, 2000, Pope John Paul beatified him. Miracles were attributed to him and his body was found to be in an uncorrupted state, a phenomenon consistent with sainthood. His body was put on display for the veneration of the faithful.  Pope John XXIII's feast day will be October 11, as opposed to the day of his death, which is June 3. This special feast day is intended as a commemoration of the opening of the Second Vatican Council on October 11, 1962.

SIDE NOTE:  When on my two week stay in Rome for study, I was able to visit his uncorrupt body on display in St. Peter's Basilica.

After studying his life, it is easy to see that he led a life of humility.  Here is a quote that sums up his life:

"In the hour of farewell, or, better, of leave-taking, I repeat once more that what matters most in this life is: our blessed Jesus Christ, his holy Church, his Gospel, and in the Gospel above all else the Our Father according to the mind and heart of Jesus, and the truth and goodness of his Gospel, goodness which must be meek and kind, hardworking and patient, unconquerable and victorious."

—John XXIII.Spiritual Testament. 1954 p.343, Journal of a Soul

I do wish that the spirit of Pope John XXIII would be upon the current synod on the family.  I believe he would reiterate what he once said about the family:

"The family, founded upon marriage freely contracted, one and indissoluble, must be regarded as the natural, primary cell of human society. The interests of the family, therefore, must be taken very specially into consideration in social and economic affairs, as well as in the spheres of faith and morals. For all of these have to do with strengthening the family and assisting it in the fulfilment of its mission"

—John XXIII.Pacem in Terris. 1963

Saint John XXIII, pray for us!

Conversion

John Henry Newman, the 19th-century's most important English-speaking Roman Catholic theologian, spent the first half of his life as an Anglican.

Peg doll made by another mom in a doll exchange

Feast Day:  October 9
Born: 1801
Death:  1890
Born in London, England

After 1833, Newman was a prominent member of the Oxford Movement, which emphasized the Church's debt to the Church Fathers and challenged any tendency to consider truth as completely subjective.

He was asked to research the fallen nature of the Catholic Church; however, upon his research he began to suspect that the Church was actually in closest continuity with the Church that Jesus established.  When realizing this he chose to come into full communion as a Catholic. Two years later he was ordained a Catholic priest in Rome and joined the Congregation of the Oratory.  When Newman was named a cardinal in 1879, he took as his motto "Cor ad cor loquitur" (Heart speaks to heart).

He was a prolific write with over 40 books and thousands of letters.

One quote I discovered while researching this man can be followed by all of us in life:

"I have a mission; I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next. I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons; He has not created me for naught."

St. John Henry Newman, pray for us!

Our Lady of the Rosary

The feast of Our Lady of the Rosary was instituted to honor Mary for the Christian victory over the Turks at Lepanto on October 7, 1571. Pope St. Pius V and all Christians had prayed the Rosary for victory.  This victory saved Europe from being overrun by the forces of Islam.

According to pious tradition, the concept of the Rosary was given to Saint Dominic in an apparition of the Virgin Mary in the year 1214. Pope, Leo XIII, known as the Rosary Pope, issued a record twelve encyclicals and five Apostolic Letters on the rosary.  He instituted the Catholic custom of daily Rosary prayer during the month of October.  The Rosary as a family prayer was supported by Pope Pius XII in his encyclical Ingruentium malorum (In the face of approaching evils): "The custom of the family praying of the Holy Rosary is a most efficacious means."  Pope Benedict XVI (as well as other popes throughout history) encouraged all families to pray the Rosary for the intentions of the Pope, the mission of the Church and peace.

Our family has not always had the most devoted to this beautiful prayer of meditation; however, I find it interesting that we always lean toward this prayer when we are in need of special graces.  I have always found it a great way to center myself on God.  There is also many wonderful places to pause and add intercessions, praise, and worship.

The Rosary has often been misunderstood as just a group of repetitive words.  However, it is in this group of simple prayers that one can get lost in the even and continuous flow in order to find God.  I have often felt closest to God as I meditate on the mysteries that lead us through the joyful, luminous, sorrowful, and glorious moments in the life of Christ.  For anyone who knows the Bible, the mysteries found in the verses are easily brought to mind.

Bruno Who?

I will admit...I did not know a lot about this saint when I decided to paint this doll.  However, that just shows the vastness of the inspiration that God has given us in the saints.  I love learning about new saints and how they gave their lives to God.   This helps to keep focused in a fallen world.  Praise God for the saints!

Feast Day:  October 6
Born: 1030 in Cologne, Germany
Died:  1101 at Calabria, Italy
Parents are St. Matilda and King Henry I
Established the Carthusian monks
Patron saint of diabolic possession

Bruno became a priest at the age of 25 and then taught theology at the university.  After many years in this position, he decided to leave the world and pursue a life of complete solitude and prayer. (some say he did this after rejecting the position of archbishop).  In 1084, he joined with a small group of men to establish the first Carthusian monastery.  They built an oratory and individual cells, roughly followed the rule of St. Benedict, and thus began the Carthusian Order. They embraced a life of poverty, manual work, prayer, and transcribing manuscripts.

In 1090, he was called to Rome by Pope Urban II, as Papal Adviser in the reformation of the clergy, against his best efforts to refuse.  After some time, Bruno convinced the pope that he should return to his hermit style life.  He established another monastery in Calabria.  He became very ill and called all his followers together to hear his public confession before his death.

He was never formally canonized because of the Carthusians' aversion to public honors but Pope Leo X granted the Carthusians permission to celebrate his feast in 1514, and his name was placed on the Roman calendar in 1623.

Divine Mercy

St. Fuastina has been an inspiration to me as I work with pro-life efforts over the years.  I did not paint these saint pegs as they were part of our first doll exchange last Easter.

Here is a little information about her life.

Feast day: October 5
Birth: 1905
Death: 1938
Born Helena Kowalska in a small village of Poland
Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy (care and education of troubled young women)

Many would say that she is a saint because of her message received from God about mercy.  However, it is her life of humility and service that allows us to look at her saintly life for inspiration.

In the 1930's, Sister Faustina received from the Lord a message of mercy that she was told to spread throughout the world.  Her entire life, in imitation of Christ's, was to be a sacrifice - a life lived for others. At the Divine Lord's request, she willingly offered her personal sufferings in union with Him to atone for the sins of others; in her daily life she was to become a doer of mercy, bringing joy and peace to others, and by writing about God's mercy, she was to encourage others to trust in Him and thus prepare the world for His coming again.

Sister Faustina wrote and suffered in secret, with only her spiritual director and some of her superiors aware that anything special was taking place in her life. After her death from tuberculosis in 1938, even her closest associates were amazed as they began to discover what great sufferings and deep mystical experiences had been given to her.

The message of mercy that Sister Faustina received is now being spread throughout the world; her diary, Divine Mercy in my Soul, has become the handbook for devotion to the Divine Mercy.

I have prayed these simple words of mercy before abortion clinics many times.  The words bring hope at a place of despair:

You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world. O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us.

O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fountain of Mercy for us, I trust in You!

Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your Dearly Beloved Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.

For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury
of compassion --- inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with
great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will,
which is Love and Mercy itself.

To celebrate this feast day, we enjoyed a yummy (yet simple) soup for dinner.  And then I made these delicious Kolaczki for dessert.

St. Faustina, pray for us!

Animal Lover

Most people (even non-Catholics) will know today's saint for his love of animals.  However, there is so much more to this amazing man!  We are so excited to be able to enjoy the day in San Francisco on his feast day!

Saint created by another mother (notice the wolf, an interesting story)

St. Francis of Assisi

Feast day: October 4
Patron of Animals, Merchants & Ecology
Birth: 1181
Death: 1226
Merchant family
Founder of the Franciscan Order

I always wondered why he was not the patron saint of those who were misunderstood by their parents.  He definitely disappointed his father (he wanted Francis to carry on his merchant business) in many ways throughout his early life.

It is interesting to see that this man who would grow up to be a symbol of poverty and chastity grew up in a family of little wants.  He had all that he needed and spent many years enjoying a life of leisure.  He was also loved by everyone (except his father!).  Maybe too much for his own good. Thomas of Celano, his biographer who knew him well, said, "In other respects an exquisite youth, he attracted to himself a whole retinue of young people addicted to evil and accustomed to vice." Francis himself said, "I lived in sin" during that time.

In all of this, Francis knew that something was missing.  He just was not sure what this was...so he entered into the military service hoping to achieve glory on the battle field.  As if history itself wanted to please Francis, a war broke out at just the right time so he could prove his courage and leadership when Assisi declared war on their longtime enemy, the nearby town of Perugia.  Instead of glory, Francis found himself captured and placed in a dungeon for a year before he was ransomed.

However, he still did not change his ways.  He returned to Assisi to his frivolous lifestyle.  He again dreamed of going to battle, and a second opportunity came in the form of the 4th Crusades.  This time he was expected to have a suit of armor for the battle.  He had the finest armor his father could buy.  However, this time he had only gone a day's journey when he was sent a message from God to return.

Strange that Francis should heed God's message at this time in his life.  Not only was he giving up on his life time dream, but he would also face ridicule and scorn as the people in Assisi considered him a coward.  His father was furious with him and made him pay back the money for the wasted armor.

It was at this point in his life that Francis began to see his wicked ways and repented for his mistakes.  However, he was not sure what he should do to right the problem.  Francis started to spend more time in prayer. He went off to a cave and wept for his sins.  Then an encounter with a leper was the final message needed for Francis to have a full conversion.

To find solitude as Francis tried to find his way, he found himself at the ancient church at San Damiano. While he was praying there, he heard Christ on the crucifix speak to him, "Francis, repair my church." Francis assumed this meant church with a small c -- the crumbling building he was in.

To help fund this "mission," Francis took fabric from his father's shop and sold it to get money to repair the church. His father saw this as an act of theft -- and put together with Francis' cowardice, waste of money, and his growing disinterest in money made Francis seem more like a madman than his son. Pietro dragged Francis before the bishop and in front of the whole town demanded that Francis return the money and renounce all rights as his heir.

The bishop was very kind to Francis; he told him to return the money and said God would provide. That was all Francis needed to hear. He not only gave back the money but stripped off all his clothes -- the clothes his father had given him -- until he was wearing only a hair shirt. In front of the crowd that had gathered he said, "Pietro Bernardone is no longer my father. From now on I can say with complete freedom, 'Our Father who art in heaven.'"

Francis went back to what he considered God's call. He begged for stones and rebuilt the San Damiano church with his own hands, not realizing that it was the Church with a capital C that God wanted repaired. Scandal and avarice were working on the Church from the inside while outside heresies flourished.

Soon Francis started to preach the need for repentance.  Slowly companions came to Francis seeking his way of life.   With companions, Francis knew he now had to have some kind of direction, so he opened the Bible in three places. He read the command to the rich young man to sell all his good and give to the poor, the order to the apostles to take nothing on their journey, and the demand to take up the cross daily. "Here is our rule," Francis said -- as simple, and as seemingly impossible, as that.

Francis did not try to abolish poverty, he tried to make it holy.  Francis was a man of action. His simplicity of life extended to ideas and deeds. If there was a simple way, no matter how impossible it seemed, Francis would take it. So when Francis wanted approval for his brotherhood, he went straight to Rome to see Pope Innocent III. You can imagine what the pope thought when this beggar approached him! As a matter of fact he threw Francis out. But when he had a dream that this tiny man in rags held up the tilting Lateran basilica, he quickly called Francis back and gave him permission to preach.

Francis decided to go to Syria to convert the Moslems while the Fifth Crusade was being fought. In the middle of a battle, Francis decided to do the simplest thing and go straight to the sultan to make peace. When he and his companion were captured, the real miracle was that they weren't killed. Instead Francis was taken to the sultan who was charmed by Francis and his preaching. He told Francis, "I would convert to your religion which is a beautiful one -- but both of us would be murdered."

Francis' final years were filled with suffering as well as humiliation. Praying to share in Christ's passion he had a vision and received the stigmata, the marks of the nails and the lance wound that Christ suffered, in his own body.

Years of poverty and wandering had made Francis ill. On July 16, 1228, he died.  He was proclaimed a saint by Pope Gregory IX.  It is customary to hold ceremonies blessing animals on his feast day of October 4. He is also known for his love of the Eucharist, his sorrow during the Stations of the Cross, and for the creation of the Christmas crèche or Nativity Scene.

Someone to Watch Over Us

Today is the feast of the Guardian Angels.  Along with the archangels, we have a special devotion to our "every day" angels.  Today we were able to go to Mass at the cathedral.  Our retired bishop told us that our guardian angels remind us of the intimacy God wishes to have with us on a regular basis.

Each person on earth has a guardian angel who watches us to guide us to Heaven, helping us in temptation and protecting us from physical danger.  These angels are given to us at conception and continues throughout our whole life and join us in the heavenly kingdom.

From the Gospel of today's liturgy we read: "See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father" (Matthew 18:10).

Today's feast appeared in Spain during the sixteenth century. It was extended to the universal Church and made obligatory in 1670.

There are many thoughts about guardian angels written throughout the ages.  Here are a few of my favorites from the Bible and writings of the saints:

For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. (Psalm 91:11)

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.(Hebrews 13:2)

And to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels. (2 Thessalonians 1:7)

“Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. (Exodus 23:20)

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, ..." (Psalm 91:1-16)

"These things I warmly wish for you: someone to love, some work to do, a bit o' sun, a bit o' cheer, and a guardian angel always near." -- Irish blessing

"The servants of Christ are protected by invisible, rather than visible, beings. But if these guard you, they do so because they have been summoned by your prayer." -- St. Ambrose.

Many of the saints had a special relationship with their guardian angels.  Here are just a few:

Padre Pio
Rose of Lima
Jean Vianney
Therese of Liseux
John Henry Newman
Bernard of Clairvaux
and many more

Today we enjoyed a "heavenly" meal that I learned to make while in Italy.  We have grown accustom to eating it on this feast day to honor our guardian angels.  I suppose we could have enjoyed angel food cake for dessert as well but I was not thinking that far ahead!

We ended the day  as we always do, praying this prayer of intercession:

Angel of God, my guardian dear,
to whom God's love commits me here,
ever this day (or night), be at my side,
to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.

The Scent of Flowers

St. Therese, the Little Flower, is one of the widely known saints of all times.  It is to understand this recognition as her message is so simple and beautiful yet so profound that many come to learn about her life to try to emulate her virtuous life.

Feastday: October 1
Patron of the Missions
Birth: 1873
Death: 1897
French
Cloistered Carmelite nun
Daughter of a mother who had wanted to be a saint and a father who had wanted to be monk

Therese was a pampered child, especially after her mother died of breast cancer when Therese was four years old.  Although most would consider her a spoiled child, she soon became dutiful in her prayer life.  After feeling abandoned by her "second mother" (her older sister Pauline who took the Carmelite habit), she became quite ill (many thought she would die).  At this time, she tells of a miraculous visit from Mary in which she is blessed with a smile and then healed.

By the age of 15, she had the desire to follow her sisters (by this time three of her sisters had become nuns) into the convent.  However, her age was a hindrance.  She was determined to follow her calling and went to first the bishop and then to Rome for permission from the pope.  The wise Pope Leo XIII told her that if it was God's will it would happen before she was carried away by two guards for holding up the line!

She did gain admittance to the convent within the year but her life was not easy at the convent either.  Her oldest sister, Pauline, asked that Therese remain a postulate because there were now four of the sisters at the same convent and Pauline did not want the other nuns to worry that they were trying to overstep their positions.  Therese had always desired to become a missionary however her health was too poor to encourage this desire.

At one point, Pauline asked Therese to write an autobiography about her life (The Story of a Soul is still read today for inspiration for a holy life.).  It truly became an act of penance because she did not consider her "little way" worthy of an outward audience.

All of this in her short life of 24 years!  She died from tuberculosis  She tried to remain smiling and cheerful -- and succeeded so well that some thought she was only pretending to be ill. Her one dream as the work she would do after her death, helping those on earth. "I will return," she said. "My heaven will be spent on earth." She died on September 30, 1897.

Many who have prayed for her intercession have been known to smell the fragrance of roses.  I had a dear friend who especially asked for her intercession on a regular basis and she would always havea sign of roses in some form after her prayers!  I truly believe that St. Therese has kept her promise to assist those here on earth...it seems to be her way of fulfilling her calling to missionary work.

To celebrate, we made these delicious little apple roses!  So yummy!

Also, another mother painted our little peg doll this time...so thankful to have her in our home to remind us to be holy!

St. Therese, pray for us!