Either we must speak as we dress, or dress as we speak. Why do we profess one thing and display another? The tongue talks of chastity, but the whole body reveals impurity.
St. Jerome is a Father and Doctor of the Church who is best known for
his compiling of the Vulgate version of the Catholic Bible, now the
standard edition in use.
He was born about the year 347 at Stidon, near Dalmatia, to wealthy
Christian parents. Initially educated at home, his parents soon sent him
to Rome to further his intense desire for intellectual learning. There
he studied and excelled at grammar, Latin and Greek, rhetoric, and
philosophy, and lived a deeply materialistic life alongside his fellow
students.
Jerome was baptized in his late teen years, as was the custom at the time, around the time he finished his schooling.
After spending many years in travel and, notably, discovering and
investigating his extreme interest in monasticism, Jerome’s life took a
sudden turn.
In the spring of 375, he became seriously ill and had a dream that
profoundly impacted him, because in it he was accused of being a
follower of Cicero – an early Roman philosopher – and not a Christian.
Afterwards, Jerome vowed never to read any pagan literature again – not
even the classics for pleasure. He separated himself from society and
left to become a hermit in the desert so as to atone for his sins and
dedicate himself to God.
Having no experience of monasticism and no guide to direct him,
Jerome suffered greatly and was often quite ill. He was plagued terribly
with temptations of the flesh and would impose harsh penances on
himself to repress them. While there, he undertook the learning of
Hebrew, as an added penance, and was tutored by a Jewish convert.
When controversy arose among his fellow monks in the desert
concerning the bishopric of Antioch, Jerome left to avoid the tension of
the position he found himself in.
Having developed a reputation as a great scholar and ascetic, Jerome
was ordained to the priesthood by the persuasion of Bishop Paulinus, on
the condition that he be allowed to continue his monastic lifestyle and
not be obliged to assume pastoral duties.
In 382, he was appointed as secretary to Pope Damascus, who urged him
to undertake a Latin translation of the Bible from its original Greek
and Hebrew origins.
After the death of the Holy Pontiff, Jerome left Rome for the Holy
Land with a small group of virgins who were led by his close friend,
Paula.
Under his direction, Paula established a monastery for men in
Bethlehem and three cloisters for women. Jerome remained at this
monastery until his death around A.D. 420, only leaving occasionally for
brief trips.
He is the patron saint of librarians and translators.
Saint Raphael is first
mentioned in the Book of Tobit, where he appeared disguised in human
form to Tobias, son of the blind man Tobit, and traveled with him from
Nineveh to Media.
While they were in Media, the Archangel told Tobias of Sarah,
daughter of Raguel. Sarah had been married seven previous times, but
each time, on the night of the wedding, her husband was abducted and
slain by a demon. St. Raphael convinced Tobias to present himself as a
husband to Sarah, who accepted him.
Sarah despaired that yet another of her husbands would be taken from
her, and she prayed for her own death. Raphael banished the demon from
her, and she and Tobias had a happy marriage. After the wedding feast,
Tobias and Sarah return to Nineveh. There, Raphael cured Tobit’s
blindness, revealed his true identity and returned to heaven.
Raphael's name means "God heals." This identity came about because of
the biblical story which claims that he "healed" the earth when it was
defiled by the sins of the fallen angels.
He is also the patron of the blind, happy meetings, nurses, physicians and of travelers.
“And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a
city of Galilee, called Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose
name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And the angel being come in, said unto her:
'Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.'
Who having heard, was troubled at his saying, and thought with
herself what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said to
her:
'Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God.
Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name Jesus.
He
shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the most High; and the
Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father; and he
shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever.
And of his kingdom there shall be no end'.” —Luke 1:25-33
The Strength of God
The message that St. Gabriel – which means “the strength of God”
– took to Our Lady is a message that affirms the Incarnation of the
Word and therefore the greatest act of power and domination that God
could exercise upon the world.
With the Incarnation of the Word, God was preparing to rescue the
world. In doing this, He, who is king of the world by right, also became
king by conquest. Thus, He – the second Person of the Blessed Trinity –
entered the earth to conquer on the cross.
In this special way, He established His kingship upon the world. From
this, we can draw some applications for the prayers we can still
address to him today. St. Gabriel announced the coming and triumph of
the Messiah to Our Lady and thus to all men.
Saint Gabriel's Intercession
First: We should ask that he now announce the
recovery of God’s effective kingship upon the earth through the coming
of the fulfillment of the Fatima message.
Today we are in a situation that is even worse than that of the ancient world before Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, we can ask that Our Lord Jesus Christ reign once again,
that He establish His reign on earth in Mary and through Mary, and that
this period of darkness in which we find ourselves come to an end. He
has done one thing, let Him do the other. He had the key to do it to
close the era of antiquity, and thus opened a new epoch. Let Him close
this era and open the Reign of Mary.
Second: we should ask St. Gabriel for an enormous,
superabundant devotion to Our Lady and that this devotion grow every
instant until the end of our lives.
Third: we should ask him for a most ardent,
intransigent, vigilant and therefore most militant love of purity; and
to have every form of revulsion and disdain for impurity in every way
and degree.
This is what we should ask him. May he thus protect us and bring us closer to Our Lady.
St. Michael is the model of the Christian warrior because of the
fortitude which he showed by casting into hell the legions of damned
spirits.
He is the warrior of God who will not tolerate the divine Majesty to
be challenged or offended in his presence, and who is ready to wield the
sword at any time in order to crush the enemies of the Most High.
He teaches us that it is not enough for a Catholic to behave well: it
is also his duty to fight evil. And not just an abstract evil, but evil
as it exists in the ungodly and in sinners.
For St. Michael did not cast evil into hell as a principle, a mere
conception of the intellect, nor are principles and concepts susceptible
to be burned by eternal fire.
It was Lucifer and his minions that the Champion of the Almighty cast
into hell, as he hated the evil that existed in them and which they
loved.
We live at a time of profound religious liberalism. Few Christians
have an inkling that they belong to a Church militant, as militant on
earth as St. Michael and the faithful Angels were militant in heaven.
We also should know how to crush the insolence of wickedness. We too
must tenaciously counter the adversary by attacking him and rendering
him powerless.
In this struggle, St. Michael should not just be our model but our
help. The fight between St. Michael and Lucifer has not ceased but
continues throughout the ages.
He helps all Christians in the battles they wage against the power of darkness.
The practice of devotion to Our Lady Undoer of Knots
originated with events that led to the painting of the image you see
pictured here; whereas the theology of the devotion actually goes back
to the second century. At that time, Saint Irenaeus wrote that, “The
knot of Eve’s disobedience was untied by the obedience of Mary.”
The painting was donated in the early eighteenth century by
Hieronymus Ambrosius Langenmantel (1641-1718), a canon of the Monastery
of Saint Peter in Augsburg.
The donation is said to be connected with something that happened in
his family that would resonate with families up to the twenty-first
century.
His grandfather Wolfgang Langenmantel (1586-1637) was on the verge of
separation from his wife Sophia Rentz (1590-1649) and therefore sought
help from Father Jacob Rem, the Jesuit priest in Ingolstadt.
Consequently, on September 28th, 1615, in a solemn ritual act, Father
Rem prayed to the Blessed Virgin Mary and said: "In this religious act,
I raise the bonds of matrimony, to untie all knots and smoothen them,"
elevating the wedding ribbon 1
and untying the knots one by one. While smoothing the ribbon out, the
white ribbon attained such an intense brightness, that not even the
palette of any painter could have reproduced it.
Immediately peace was restored between the husband and wife, and the
separation did not happen. In thanksgiving and to keep alive the memory
of this event, their grandson commissioned the painting of the "Untier
of Knots."
The original Baroque painting of Mary Untier of Knots, by Johann
George Melchior Schmidtner, is found in the church of St. Peter am
Perlach, in Augsburg, Bavaria, Germany. It measures six feet in height
and almost four feet in width. The painting has survived wars,
revolutions, and secular opposition, and continues to draw people to it.
In the eighteenth century the devotion to Mary Untier of Knots was
localized to Germany. The devotion was augmented during the Chernobyl
Nuclear Power Plant disaster (1986), when victims sought help through
the intercession of Mary Untier of Knots. The first chapel to be named
Mary Untier of Knots was constructed in 1989 in Styria, Austria.
On December 8, 2000, a chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary Untier of
Knots was inaugurated in Formosa, Argentina. Since 1998, the devotion
has been spreading in South America thanks to the booklet, Mary, Undoer
of Knots Novena, published with ecclesiastical permission.
Devotion to Our Lady Undoer of Knots
The image of Our Lady Undoer of Knots depicts Mary suspended between
heaven and earth, resplendent with light. The Holy Spirit in the form of
a dove is above her head, reminding us that she became Mother of God
and full of grace by virtue of the third person of the Trinity.
She is dressed resplendently in crimson, and a deep blue mantle
representing her glory as Queen of the Universe. A crown of twelve stars
adorning her head signifies her Queenship of the Apostles.
Her feet crush the head of the serpent indicating her victory over
Satan. She is surrounded by angels, signifying her position as Queen of
the Angels and Queen of Heaven. In her hands is a knotted white ribbon,
which she is serenely untying.
Assisting her at the task are two angels: one presents the knots of
our lives to her, while another angel presents the ribbon, freed from
knots, to us.
Mary’s faith unties the knot of sin; but what are these knots we may ask?
They are the problems and struggles we face for which we do not see
any solution… knots of discord in our family, lack of understanding
between parents and children, disrespect, violence, the knots of deep
hurts between husband and wife, the absence of peace and joy at home.
There are also the knots of anguish and despair of separated couples,
the dissolution of the family, the knots of a drug addicted son or
daughter, sick or separated from home or God, knots of alcoholism, the
practice of abortion, depression, unemployment, fear, solitude; all the
knots of our life that suffocate the soul, beat us down and betray the
heart’s joy and separate us from God.
Gordian Knot
It is like when a ball of yarn gets tangled, and it is impossible to
untangle because of our impatience; it is as difficult to solve as a
“Gordian knot.” 2
In many cases the solving of the puzzle is so difficult that is destroyed.
The first thing we need to do is to place ourselves under the
protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, our help, our
advocate and our intercessor. Thru prayer and meditation, we will be
able to see how those knots were “made” and the reason why they were
made.
With Our Lady’s maternal assistance, one by one you will untie every
knot. Start with the simplest knots, so that you may have more clarity
until you reach the main ones. This is why patience is so necessary. We
need to use self-examination, analyze ourselves and pray. Prayer is what
will give us the determination to continue and never give up.
1 The ribbon was placed by
the maid of honor to represent an invisible union of the bride and the
groom for the rest of their life. Their arms were joined together during
the wedding ceremony.
2 The origins of the
“Gordian knot,” a term commonly used to describe a complex or unsolvable
problem, can be traced back to a legendary event in the life of
Alexander the Great.
We must practice modesty, not only in our looks, but also in our whole deportment, and particularly in our dress, our walk, our conversation, and all similar actions.
Wenceslaus was born near Prague in the year 907. His father was Duke
Wratislaw, a Christian, and his mother, Dragomir, a pretended Christian,
but a secret favorer of paganism. One of twins, Wenceslaus was raised
by his grandmother, St. Ludmilla, while his brother, known as Boleslaus
the Cruel, was raised by their mother.
Jealous of the great influence which Ludmilla wielded over
Wenceslaus, Dragomir instigated two noblemen to murder her. She is said
to have been strangled by them with her own veil. Wratislaw died in 916,
also at the hand of assassins, leaving the eight-year-old Wenceslaus as
his successor. Acting as regent for her son, Dragomir actively opposed
Christianity and promoted pagan practices.
Urged by the people, Wenceslaus took over the reins of government and
placed his duchy under the protection of Charlemagne’s successor, the
German Henry I. Emperor Otto I subsequently conferred on him the dignity
and title of king. However, his German suzerainty and his support of
Catholicism within Bohemia were vehemently opposed by some of his
subjects and a rebellion ensued.
After the virtuous monarch married and had a son, the king’s brother
Boleslaus, seeing himself displaced from the direct succession to the
throne by his nephew, joined the rebellion. At the instigation of their
mother, Dragomir, Boleslaus conspired with the rebels to murder his
royal brother.
In September of 929, Boleslaus invited Wenceslaus to celebrate the
feast of Sts. Cosmas and Damian with him. The king accepted, and on the
night of the feast, said his prayers and went to bed. The next morning,
as Wenceslaus walked to Mass, he met Boleslaus and stopped to thank him
for his hospitality. Instead, the jealous brother stabbed the king and
held him down as other traitors killed him.
King Wenceslaus’s last words were addressed to his brother. “Brother,
may God forgive you!” His body, hacked to pieces, was buried at the
place of the murder.
Three years later, having repented of his deed, Boleslaw ordered the
translation of his brother’s remains to the Church of St. Vitus in
Prague where they may be venerated to this day.
The martyr-king is the patron of Bohemia, Hungary and Poland.
Born in 1576, ordained to the priesthood in 1600, he suffered many
trials and setbacks and did not become a pastor for a number of years
after his ordination.
He was captured by Muslim pirates and held in captivity for two years
after which he escaped with an apostate Italian, whom he succeeded in
converting back to Catholicism.
It was only in 1617 that he became a pastor and also the chaplain to Queen Marguerite, the separated wife of King Henry IV.
During this period, he founded many hospitals and orphanages, and
frequently visited prisons. Through all of these arduous works, he
remained calm and pleasant with everyone despite the tremendous amount
of work he had undertaken, because as Father de Laurent states, Vincent
possessed treasures of goodness.
His bright eyes reflected his burning charity and his copious
undertakings were the fruit of his pure goodness for “no one exerts a
serious influence upon his surroundings if he is not fundamentally
good.” He welcomed all with a beaming smile and charm, and firmly
believed that the hours that he sacrificed to charity were never lost.
He saw the wealthy as a reflection of the Divine nobility of Our
Lord, and in the poor, His voluntary and sublime poverty. While Vincent
received many considerably large donations along with notable
recognition from on high, none of this affected his profound humility.
He also led an intense spiritual life. His contemplation of God gave him
the graces and strength to accomplish what ordinary men could never do.
He was a man of action, but he also was a man of continual prayer.
His actions were a mere overflowing of his interior life, which was well
nourished.
He would often say “There is not much to hope for from a man who does
not like to converse with God.” Rising at four in the morning, he would
go directly to the chapel to spend an hour in meditation, celebrate
daily Mass and afterward, recite his breviary.
Visitors would come by seeking consultations in grave matters during
which he would remain silent for a few minutes, praying to God for good
counsel and then dispense advice. He would bless himself each time that
the clock struck the hour or quarter-hour. Vincent said that he saw the
soul of Jane Frances de Chantal rise to Heaven in the form of a fiery
globe during one of his Masses.
He was a humble man who never divulged his prayer life, often recommended communal prayer and would frequently say:
"Perfection in love does not consist of ecstasies, but in doing the will of God."
Most importantly, he had a special devotion to Our Lady. He began
this devotion in his youth and increased it throughout his life.
Ultimately, he went forward in life after contemplation and prayer, not
relying on human support, and by doing the Will of God.
Vincent was taken ill and died in 1660. He was canonized by Pope Clement XII in 1737.
The rosary is the book of the blind, where souls see and there enact the greatest drama of love the world has ever known; it is the book of the simple, which initiates them into mysteries and knowledge more satisfying than the education of other men; it is the book of the aged, whose eyes close upon the shadow of this world, and open on the substance of the next. The power of the rosary is beyond description.
Very little is known about Sts. Cosmas and Damian. It is said that
they were twin brothers from Arabia some time in the early 200s. They
were Christians, and students of medicine.
They dedicated their lives to God and offered medical services for
free – a charitable act that made them renowned among the people and was
often the cause of conversions to the Faith, a fact which did not go
unnoticed by officials.
Cosmas and Damian, who had lovingly become known in the East as the
“moneyless ones” because of their kindness, were killed around the year
283.
When the persecution under Emperor Diocletian began, their
reputation as do-gooders marked them as objects of ruthless cruelty and
they were both savagely tortured and beheaded.
Many churches have been erected in their honor. They are the patron saints of pharmacists.
When tempted, invoke your Angel. He is more eager to help you than you are to be helped! Ignore the devil and do not be afraid of him: he trembles and flees at the sight of your Guardian Angel.
Albert was born in Parma, Italy, about 1149 to a prominent family.
He became a canon of Holy Cross Abbey in Mortoba and, in 1184, was
appointed as the Bishop of Bobbio, Italy. Soon after, he was named to
the see of Vercelli.
Albert served as a mediator in the dispute between Pope Clement III
and Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, who fought against Clement’s papacy.
In gratitude, Clement appointed Albert as Patriarch of Jerusalem in
1205, a post established in 1099 when Jerusalem became a Latin kingdom
in the control of Christian crusaders. Jerusalem, however, was no longer
in Christian hands as the Saracens recaptured the city in 1187.
The Christians needed a patriarch, but the position was a dangerous
one, open to persecution and martyrdom at the hands of the Muslims.
Though his predecessors had failed, Albert accepted and in time,
proved himself not only to the local Christians, but also to the Muslims
who respected him for his sanctity and his intelligence. Because of the
heavy Muslim presence in Jerusalem, Albert took up residence in Acre, a
northern port.
Near the city is the holy Mount Carmel, where a group of hermits
lived. In 1209, they sought Albert out and requested that he devise a
rule of life that they may follow (this rule was the beginning of the Carmelite Order).
Pope Honorius III confirmed the rule in 1226, and it was mitigated twenty years later in 1254 by Pope Innocent IV.
Albert was called to the general council of the Lateran to lend his
wisdom and diplomacy, but was assassinated before leaving Palestine.
Albert had disposed a doctor of his post at a local hospital and in
revenge the doctor stabbed the holy man to death.
The year was 1214, and Albert had been presiding over a procession on the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
God made Mary so powerful over the devils that not only can she instantly terrify them with a single glance, but also that the devils prefer to have their pains redoubled rather than to see themselves subject to her power.
Gerard was a Venetian, born in the beginning of the eleventh century.
At a young age, he consecrated himself to God and dedicated his life to fighting for Christ.
He joined the Benedictine monastery of San Giorgio Maggiore at Venice.
Not long after, he began a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and was passing
through Hungary when King Stephen – the future St. Stephen – asked him
to remain and tutor his son.
Finding the people of Hungary likewise in need of evangelization, Gerard decided to stay and preach.
On the death of King Stephen, Hungary was thrown into anarchy by
competing claims to the throne, and a revolt against Christianity and
Gerard ensued.
On September 24, 1046, he was attacked and beaten, but still forgave
his assailants. As a spear was thrust into his body he prayed:
“Lord, lay not this sin to their charge, they know not what they do.” His dead body was thrown into a river below.
Gerard and King Stephen were canonized in 1083.
St. Gerard is considered one of the patrons of Hungary.
Francesco was born in the small Italian village of Pietrelcina on May
25, 1887. His parents, Grazio Forgione and Maria Giuseppa Di Nunzio,
were peasant farmers, but they recognized their son was close to God.
When he was only five years old, he solemnly consecrated himself to
Jesus. It is said he often spoke with Our Lord, Our Lady and his
guardian angel, who defended him against attacks by the devil.
He joined the Capuchin Franciscans at the age of fifteen, and took
the name Pio with his religious vows. After seven years of study he was
ordained to the priesthood in 1910.
During the same month he was ordained, Padre Pio was praying in the
chapel when Our Lord and His Blessed Mother appeared and gave him the
Stigmata. However, the wounds soon faded and then disappeared. “I do
want to suffer, even to die of suffering,” Padre Pio told Our Lady, “but
all in secret." Soon after, he experienced the first of his spiritual
ecstasies.
Pio was in the military for a short time, but was discharged due to
poor health. Upon his return to the monastery, he became a spiritual
director. He had five rules for spiritual growth: weekly confession,
daily Communion, spiritual reading, meditation, and examination of
conscience.
He often advised, "Pray, Hope and Don’t Worry."
In July of 1918, Padre Pio received the visible Stigmata, the five
wounds of Christ (hands, feet and side), after offering himself as a
victim for the end of the war.
By 1933, the holy priest was recognized by the Church and by 1934 had
attracted thousands of pilgrims that attended his masses and frequented
his confessional.
On September 23, 1968, Padre Pio said his final Mass, renewed his
vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience and died in his cell after
suffering from grave physical decline. Before his death, Padre Pio
orchestrated and oversaw the building of the “House for the Alleviation
of Suffering,” a 350-bed medical and religious center.
He was canonized on June 16, 2002. An estimated 300,000 people attended the canonization ceremony.
Dearest St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, you said that you would spend your time in heaven doing good on earth.
Your trust in God was complete. Pray that He may increase my trust in
His goodness and mercy as I ask for the following petitions…
(mention your intentions)
Pray for me that I, like you, may have great and innocent confidence
in the loving promises of our God. Pray that I may live my life in union
with God’s plan for me, and one day see the Face of God whom you loved
so deeply.
St. Thérèse, you were faithful to God up until the moment of your
death. Pray for me that I may be faithful to our loving God. May my life
bring peace and love to the world through faithful endurance of love
for God our savior. Amen
Loving God, you blessed St. Thérèse with a capacity for a great love.
Help me to believe in your unconditional love for each of your
children, especially for me.
St. Thérèse, privileged Little Flower of Jesus and Mary, I approach you with childlike confidence and deep humility.
I lay before you my desires, and beg that through your intercession they may be realized.
Did you not promise to spend your heaven doing good upon earth? Grant
me according to this promise the favors I am asking from you.
Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be…
DAY TWO
Loving God, you loved St. Thérèse’s complete trust in your care. Help
me to rely on your providential care in each circumstance of my life,
especially the most difficult and stressful.
O dear little St. Thérèse, as I am one of those children for whom
Christ died, obtain for me all the graces I need in order to profit by
that Precious Blood.
Use your great power with our divine Lord and pray for me.
Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be…
DAY THREE
Loving God, you gave St. Thérèse the ability to see You in the
ordinary routine of each day. Help me to be aware of your presence in
the everyday events of my life.
Dear Little Flower, make all things lead me to heaven and God.
Whether I look at the sun, the moon, the stars and the vast expanse in
which they float, or whether I look at the flowers of the field, the
trees of the forest, the beauties of the earth so full of color and so
glorious, may they speak to me of the love and power of God; may they
all sing His praises in my ear.
Like you may I daily love Him more and more in return for His gifts.
Teach me often to deny myself in my dealings with others, that I may
offer to Jesus many little sacrifices.
Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be…
DAY FOUR
Loving God, You taught St. Thérèse how to find You through the
“little way” of humility and simplicity. Grant that I may never miss the
grace hidden in humble service to others.
Dear Little Flower of Carmel, bearing so patiently the
disappointments and delays allowed by God, and preserving in the depths
of your soul an unchanging peace because you sought only God’s will,
obtain for me a complete conformity to that adorable Will in all the
trials and disappointments of life.
If the favors I am asking during this Novena are pleasing to God,
obtain them for me. If not, it is true I shall feel the refusal keenly,
but I wish only God’s Will as you did. I pray that Jesus will be the
perfect fulfillment of all my wishes as He was for you.
Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be…
DAY FIVE
Loving God, You gave St. Thérèse the gift of forgiving others even
when she felt hurt and betrayed. Help me to be able to forgive others
who have wounded me, especially…
Little Flower of Jesus, from the very first moment of your religious
life you thought only of denying yourself in all things so as to follow
Jesus more perfectly; help me to bear patiently the trials of my daily
life.
Teach me to make use of the trials, the sufferings, the humiliations,
that come my way, to learn to know myself better and to love God more.
Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be…
DAY SIX
Loving God, St. Thérèse experienced every day as a gift from You. She
saw it as a time to love You through other people. May I, too, see
every day as an opportunity to say yes to You.
St. Thérèse, Patroness of the Missions, be a great missionary
throughout the world to the end of time. Remind our Master of His own
words, "The harvest is great, but the laborers are few."
Your zeal for souls was so great, obtain a like zeal for those now
working for souls, and beg God to multiply their numbers, that the
millions to whom Jesus is yet unknown may be brought to know, love and
follow Him.
Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be…
DAY SEVEN
Loving God, St. Thérèse offered to You her weakness. Help me to see in my weakness an opportunity to rely completely on you.
O little martyr of Love, you know now even better than in the days of
your pilgrimage that Love embraces all vocations; that it is Love alone
which counts, which unites us perfectly to God and conforms our will
with His. All you sought on earth was love; to love Jesus as He had
never yet been loved.
Use your power in heaven to make us love Him. If only we love Him we
shall desire to make Him loved by others; we shall pray much for souls.
We shall no longer fear death, for it will unite us to Him forever.
Obtain for us the grace to do all for the love of God, to give Him
pleasure, to love Him so well that He may be pleased with us as He was
with you.
Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be…
DAY EIGHT
Loving God, You loved St. Thérèse with a powerful love and made her a source of strength to those who had lost faith in You.
Help me to pray with confidence for those in my life who do not believe they can be loved.
Dear St. Thérèse, like you I have to die one day. I beseech you,
obtain from God, by reminding Him of your own precious death, that I may
have a holy death, strengthened by the Sacraments of the Church,
entirely resigned to the most holy Will of God, and burning with love
for Him.
May my last words on earth be, "My God. I love You."
Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be…
DAY NINE
Loving God, St. Thérèse never doubted that her life had meaning. Help
me to see how I can bless and love everyone in my life. Especially…
Dear Little St. Thérèse, by love and suffering while you were on
earth, you won the power with God which you now enjoy in heaven. Since
your life there began, you have showered down countless blessings on
this poor world; you have been an instrument made use of by your divine
Spouse to work countless miracles.
I beg of you to remember all my wants. Sufferings must come to me
also, may I use them to love God more, and follow my Jesus better. You
are especially the little missionary of love.
Make me love Jesus more, and all others for His sake. With all my
heart I thank the most Holy Trinity for the wonderful blessings
conferred on you, and upon the world through you.
Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be…
Simple Novena
Pray for nine consecutive days
O glorious St. Therese, whom Almighty God has raised up to aid and inspire mankind, I implore your miraculous intercession.
So powerful are you in obtaining every need of body and soul, Holy
Mother Church proclaims you a "Prodigy of Miracles, the greatest saint
of modern times."
I now fervently beseech you to answer my petition and grant me, Mention your intentions here.... and to carry out your promises of "spending Heaven doing good upon earth, of letting fall a shower of roses."
Henceforth, dear Little Flower, I will fulfill your plea to be made
known everywhere, and I will never cease to lead others to Jesus through
you. Amen
Dismiss all anger and look into yourself a little. Remember that he of whom you are speaking is your brother, and as he is in the way of salvation, God can make him a saint, in spite of his present weakness.
Thomas
was born in Castile, Spain in 1488. His family was not wealthy, but his
father’s work as a miller allowed the family to be charitable and
generous towards the poor.
He was sent to school at the University of Alcala at the age of
sixteen, where he threw himself enthusiastically into his studies and,
ten years later, became professor of philosophy.
In 1516 he joined the Augustinian Friars at Salamanca and was
ordained a priest two years later. He eventually became prior in several
houses of the Augustinian Order, notably Salamanca, Burgos, and
Valladolid.
When Don Jorge, the Archbishop of Valencia, resigned, the emperor did
not offer Thomas the see because he knew the high position would be a
grievous trial for the humble friar-priest. Instead, the emperor
nominated a religious of the Order of St. Jerome.
However, when the emperor discovered his secretary had written the
name of Brother Thomas of Villanova on the letter of nomination, he took
it as a sign from God and appointed Thomas bishop. The year was 1545.
Thomas immediately began to restore the spiritual and material life of
the archdiocese.
He was deeply committed to the poor, established care for orphans and
convinced the emperor to provide funds to organize priests for service
among the converted Moors who had lapsed back into their old religion
for lack of a shepherd.
Renowned for his personal charity, sanctity and austerities, Thomas
was eventually consecrated archbishop. While he did not attend the
sessions of the Council of Trent, he was an ardent supporter of the
Reformation against the Lutheran heresy.
Thomas of Villanova died in 1555 of angina at the age of sixty-seven.
He was canonized by Pope Alexander VII on November 1, 1658.
Before his conversion, Matthew was a Jew who worked as a tax collector for the Romans.
It was while Matthew was working at a tax collector’s bench in the
custom house of Capernaum that Jesus passing by called him saying,
“Follow me.” In his own account of himself, the Evangelist writes, “And
he rose up and followed him.”
Jewish tax collectors were generally hated by their fellow Jews, and were considered sinners by the Pharisees.
When they discovered Jesus’ choice of followers, they were
scandalized, and questioned Him. “I did not come to call the righteous,
but sinners” (Matt. 9:12b-13), Jesus said to them.
After the death and resurrection of Our Lord, Matthew went on to
evangelize and authored the first Gospel. It is uncertain whether he
died a natural death or as a martyr.
Saint Michael Novena(Say for nine consecutive days)
Saint Michael the Archangel, loyal champion of God and His Catholic
people, I turn to thee with confidence and seek thy powerful
intercession. For the love of God, Who hast made thee so glorious in
grace and power, and for the love of the Mother of Jesus, the Queen of
the Angels, be pleased to hear my prayer.
Thou
knowest the value of my soul in the eyes of God. May no stain of evil
ever disfigure its beauty. Help me to conquer the evil spirit who tempts
me. I desire to imitate thy loyalty to God and Holy Mother Church and
thy great love for God and men. And since thou art God’s messenger for
the care of His people, I entrust to thee this special request: here mention your request.
Saint
Michael, since thou art, by the will of the Creator, the powerful
intercessor of Christians, I have great confidence in thy prayers. I
earnestly trust that if it is God’s holy will, my petition will be
granted.
Pray for me,
Saint Michael, and also for those I love. Protect us in all dangers of
body and soul. Help us in our daily needs. Through thy powerful
intercession, may we live a holy life, die a happy death and reach
Heaven where we may praise and love God with thee forever. Amen.
Short Exorcism Prayer to Saint Michael - by Pope Leo XIII
Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection
against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we
humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly host, by the power of
God, cast into Hell Satan and all evil spirits who prowl about the
world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
Consecration to Saint Michael
Saint Michael the Archangel, invincible Prince of the Angelic hosts
and glorious protector of the universal Church, I greet thee and praise
thee for that splendor with which God has adorned thee so richly. I
thank God for the great graces He hast bestowed upon thee, especially to
remain faithful when Lucifer and his followers rebelled, and to battle
victoriously for the honor of God and the Divinity of the Son of Man.
Saint
Michael, I consecrate to thee my soul and body. I choose thee as my
patron and protector and entrust the salvation of my soul to thy care.
Be the guardian of my obligation as a child of God and of the Catholic
Church as again I renounce Satan, his works and pomps.
Assist
me by thy powerful intercession in the fulfillment of these sacred
promises, so that imitating thy courage and loyalty to God, and trusting
in thy kind help and protection, I may be victorious over the enemies
of my soul and be united with God in Heaven forever.Amen.
Saint Michael Chaplet
This chaplet was given by Saint Michael to the Portuguese Carmelite
nun Antonia d’Astonac. It was approved by Pope Pius IX and it starts
with an act of contrition. Then there are nine salutations, one for each
choir of angels. Each one is followed by an Our Father and three Hail
Marys. Then four Our Fathers are said, one honoring Saints Michael,
Gabriel, Raphael and the Guardian Angel. The chaplet concludes with a
prayer to Saint Michael.
Act of contrition: O my God, I am heartily
sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins, because I
dread the loss of heaven, and the pains of hell; but most of all because
they offend Thee, my God, Who are all good and deserving of all my
love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace to confess my sins,
to do penance and to amend my life. Amen.
The prayer starts: O God, come to my assistance. O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father.... etc.
Then pray one ‘Our Father’ and three ‘Hail Marys’ after each of the following nine salutations:
By the intercession of Saint Michael and the celestial Choir of
Seraphim may the Lord make us worthy to burn with the fire of perfect
charity. Amen.
By the intercession of Saint Michael and the celestial Choir of
Cherubim may the Lord grant us the grace to leave the ways of sin and
run in the paths of Christian perfection. Amen.
By the intercession of Saint Michael and the celestial Choir of
Thrones may the Lord infuse into our hearts a true and sincere spirit of
humility. Amen.
By the intercession of Saint Michael and the celestial Choir of
Dominions may the Lord give us grace to govern our senses and overcome
any unruly passions. Amen.
By the intercession of Saint Michael and the celestial Choir of
Powers may the Lord protect our souls against the snares and temptations
of the devil. Amen.
By the intercession of Saint Michael and the celestial Choir of
Virtues may the Lord preserve us from evil and falling into temptation.
Amen.
By the intercession of Saint Michael and the celestial Choir of
Principalities may God fill our souls with a true spirit of obedience.
Amen.
By the intercession of Saint Michael and the celestial Choir of
Archangels may the Lord give us perseverance in faith and in all good
works in order that we may attain the glory of Heaven. Amen.
By the intercession of Saint Michael and the celestial Choir of
Angels may the Lord grant us to be protected by them in this mortal life
and conducted in the life to come to Heaven. Amen.
Next, one Our Father is to be said in honor of each of the following
leading Angels: Saint Michael, Saint Gabriel, Saint Raphael and our
Guardian Angel.
Concluding prayer: O glorious prince Saint
Michael, chief and commander of the heavenly hosts, guardian of souls,
vanquisher of rebel spirits, servant in the house of the Divine King and
our admirable conductor, you who shine with excellence and superhuman
virtue deliver us from all evil, who turn to you with confidence and
enable us by your gracious protection to serve God more and more
faithfully every day.
Pray for us, O glorious Saint Michael, Prince of the Church of Jesus Christ, that we may be made worthy of His promises.
Almighty
and Everlasting God, Who, by a prodigy of goodness and a merciful
desire for the salvation of all men, has appointed the most glorious
Archangel Saint Michael Prince of Your Church, make us worthy, we ask
You, to be delivered from all our enemies, that none of them may harass
us at the hour of death, but that we may be conducted by him into Your
Presence. This we ask through the merits of Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.
During
the 17th century the Christian faith was brought to Korea through the
zeal of lay persons. From the very beginning these Christians suffered
terrible persecutions and many suffered martyrdom.
Son of Korean
converts who were martyred during the persecution of 1839 (and beatified
in 1925), Andrew Kim Tae-gon was baptized at fifteen. He traveled
thirteen hundred miles to the seminary in Macao, China, and was ordained
to the priesthood six years later. He traveled back to his home and
became involved in smuggling missionaries into the country to spread
Christianity.
During the year 1846, he was arrested with Paul
Chong Ha-sang and their companions, and they were all tortured prior to
being beheaded for his beliefs. Among them were a few bishops and
priests, but for the most part lay people, men and women, married and
unmarried, children, young people, and the elderly.
These martyrs
suffered greatly and gave their lives for Christ for the religious
freedom which came in 1883. Pope John Paul II canonized them on May 6,
1984, during his trip to Korea.
This novena can be prayed at any time throughout the year,
but is usually prayed from September 20 to September 28 - Feast of Our
Lady Undoer of Knots.
Dearest Holy Mother Mary, you undo the knots that cripple your
children. Extend your merciful hands to me. I entrust to you today this
knot and all the negative consequences that it imposes on my life.
Our Lady, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.
Virgin Mary, Mother of fair love, Mother who never refuses to come to
the aid of a child in need, Mother whose hands never cease to caress
your beloved children because they are moved by divine love and the
immense mercy that exist in your Immaculate Heart, cast your
compassionate eyes upon me and see the snarl of knots that exists in my
life. You know very well how weak I am, my pain, and how I am bound by
these knots. Mary, Mother to whom God entrusted the undoing of the knots
in the lives of his children, I place into your hands the ribbon of my
life. No one, not even the evil one himself, can take it away from your
precious care. In your hands there is no knot that cannot be undone.
Powerful Mother, by your grace and intercessory power with Your Son and
My Liberator, Jesus, take into your hands today this knot.
[Mention your request here]
I beg you to undo it for the glory of God, once for all. You are my
greatest hope. O my Lady, you are the only consolation God gives me, the
fortification of my feeble strength, the enrichment of my poverty, and,
with Christ, the freedom from my chains.
Hear my plea. Keep me, guide me, and protect me, o safe refuge!
Mary,
Beloved Mother, mediatrix of all grace, I give to you today my heart,
recognizing that I am a sinner in need of your help. I entrust into your
hands this knot which keeps me from reflecting the glory of God.
Our Lady, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.
Virgin Mary, Mother of fair love, Mother who never refuses to come to
the aid of a child in need, Mother whose hands never cease to caress
your beloved children because they are moved by divine love and the
immense mercy that exist in your Immaculate Heart, cast your
compassionate eyes upon me and see the snarl of knots that exists in my
life. You know very well how weak I am, my pain, and how I am bound by
these knots. Mary, Mother to whom God entrusted the undoing of the knots
in the lives of his children, I place into your hands the ribbon of my
life. No one, not even the evil one himself, can take it away from your
precious care. In your hands there is no knot that cannot be undone.
Powerful Mother, by your grace and intercessory power with Your Son and
My Liberator, Jesus, take into your hands today this knot.
[Mention your request here]
I beg you to undo it for the glory of God, once for all. You are my
greatest hope. O my Lady, you are the only consolation God gives me, the
fortification of my feeble strength, the enrichment of my poverty, and,
with Christ, the freedom from my chains.
Hear my plea. Keep me, guide me, and protect me, o safe refuge!
Meditating Mother, Queen of heaven, in
whose hands the treasures of the King are found, turn your merciful eyes
upon me today. I entrust into your holy hands this knot in my life and
the debilitating resentment it has caused in me.
Our Lady, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.
Virgin Mary, Mother of fair love, Mother
who never refuses to come to the aid of a child in need, Mother whose
hands never cease to caress your beloved children because they are moved
by divine love and the immense mercy that exist in your Immaculate
Heart, cast your compassionate eyes upon me and see the snarl of knots
that exists in my life. You know very well how weak I am, my pain, and
how I am bound by these knots. Mary, Mother to whom God entrusted the
undoing of the knots in the lives of his children, I place into your
hands the ribbon of my life. No one, not even the evil one himself, can
take it away from your precious care. In your hands there is no knot
that cannot be undone. Powerful Mother, by your grace and intercessory
power with Your Son and My Liberator, Jesus, take into your hands today
this knot.
[Mention your request here]
I beg you to undo it for the glory of God,
once for all. You are my greatest hope. O my Lady, you are the only
consolation God gives me, the fortification of my feeble strength, the
enrichment of my poverty, and, with Christ, the freedom from my chains.
Hear my plea. Keep me, guide me, and protect me, o safe refuge!
Dearest Holy Mother, you are generous with
all who seek you, have mercy on me. I entrust into your hands this knot
which robs the peace of my heart, paralyzes my soul and keeps me from
going to my Lord and serving Him with my life.
Our Lady, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.
Virgin Mary, Mother of fair love, Mother
who never refuses to come to the aid of a child in need, Mother whose
hands never cease to caress your beloved children because they are moved
by divine love and the immense mercy that exist in your Immaculate
Heart, cast your compassionate eyes upon me and see the snarl of knots
that exists in my life. You know very well how weak I am, my pain, and
how I am bound by these knots. Mary, Mother to whom God entrusted the
undoing of the knots in the lives of his children, I place into your
hands the ribbon of my life. No one, not even the evil one himself, can
take it away from your precious care. In your hands there is no knot
that cannot be undone. Powerful Mother, by your grace and intercessory
power with Your Son and My Liberator, Jesus, take into your hands today
this knot.
[Mention your request here]
I beg you to undo it for the glory of God,
once for all. You are my greatest hope. O my Lady, you are the only
consolation God gives me, the fortification of my feeble strength, the
enrichment of my poverty, and, with Christ, the freedom from my chains.
Hear my plea. Keep me, guide me, and protect me, o safe refuge!
Mother,
Undoer of Knots, so generous and compassionate, I come to You today to
once again entrust this knot in my life to you and to ask the divine
wisdom to undo, under the light of the Holy Spirit, this snarl of
problems.
Our Lady, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.
Virgin Mary, Mother of fair love, Mother
who never refuses to come to the aid of a child in need, Mother whose
hands never cease to caress your beloved children because they are moved
by divine love and the immense mercy that exist in your Immaculate
Heart, cast your compassionate eyes upon me and see the snarl of knots
that exists in my life. You know very well how weak I am, my pain, and
how I am bound by these knots. Mary, Mother to whom God entrusted the
undoing of the knots in the lives of his children, I place into your
hands the ribbon of my life. No one, not even the evil one himself, can
take it away from your precious care. In your hands there is no knot
that cannot be undone. Powerful Mother, by your grace and intercessory
power with Your Son and My Liberator, Jesus, take into your hands today
this knot.
[Mention your request here]
I beg you to undo it for the glory of God,
once for all. You are my greatest hope. O my Lady, you are the only
consolation God gives me, the fortification of my feeble strength, the
enrichment of my poverty, and, with Christ, the freedom from my chains.
Hear my plea. Keep me, guide me, and protect me, o safe refuge!
Queen of Mercy, I entrust to you this knot
in my life and I ask you to give me a heart that will patiently wait
until you undo it.
Our Lady, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.
Virgin Mary, Mother of fair love, Mother
who never refuses to come to the aid of a child in need, Mother whose
hands never cease to caress your beloved children because they are moved
by divine love and the immense mercy that exist in your Immaculate
Heart, cast your compassionate eyes upon me and see the snarl of knots
that exists in my life. You know very well how weak I am, my pain, and
how I am bound by these knots. Mary, Mother to whom God entrusted the
undoing of the knots in the lives of his children, I place into your
hands the ribbon of my life. No one, not even the evil one himself, can
take it away from your precious care. In your hands there is no knot
that cannot be undone. Powerful Mother, by your grace and intercessory
power with Your Son and My Liberator, Jesus, take into your hands today
this knot.
[Mention your request here]
I beg you to undo it for the glory of God,
once for all. You are my greatest hope. O my Lady, you are the only
consolation God gives me, the fortification of my feeble strength, the
enrichment of my poverty, and, with Christ, the freedom from my chains.
Hear my plea. Keep me, guide me, and protect me, o safe refuge!
Mother Most Pure, I come to you today to beg you to undo this knot in my life and free me from the snares of evil.
Our Lady, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.
Virgin Mary, Mother of fair love, Mother
who never refuses to come to the aid of a child in need, Mother whose
hands never cease to caress your beloved children because they are moved
by divine love and the immense mercy that exist in your Immaculate
Heart, cast your compassionate eyes upon me and see the snarl of knots
that exists in my life. You know very well how weak I am, my pain, and
how I am bound by these knots. Mary, Mother to whom God entrusted the
undoing of the knots in the lives of his children, I place into your
hands the ribbon of my life. No one, not even the evil one himself, can
take it away from your precious care. In your hands there is no knot
that cannot be undone. Powerful Mother, by your grace and intercessory
power with Your Son and My Liberator, Jesus, take into your hands today
this knot.
[Mention your request here]
I beg you to undo it for the glory of God,
once for all. You are my greatest hope. O my Lady, you are the only
consolation God gives me, the fortification of my feeble strength, the
enrichment of my poverty, and, with Christ, the freedom from my chains.
Hear my plea. Keep me, guide me, and protect me, o safe refuge!
Virgin Mother of God, overflowing with mercy, have mercy on your child and undo this knot in my life.
Our Lady, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.
Virgin Mary, Mother of fair love, Mother
who never refuses to come to the aid of a child in need, Mother whose
hands never cease to caress your beloved children because they are moved
by divine love and the immense mercy that exist in your Immaculate
Heart, cast your compassionate eyes upon me and see the snarl of knots
that exists in my life. You know very well how weak I am, my pain, and
how I am bound by these knots. Mary, Mother to whom God entrusted the
undoing of the knots in the lives of his children, I place into your
hands the ribbon of my life. No one, not even the evil one himself, can
take it away from your precious care. In your hands there is no knot
that cannot be undone. Powerful Mother, by your grace and intercessory
power with Your Son and My Liberator, Jesus, take into your hands today
this knot.
[Mention your request here]
I beg you to undo it for the glory of God,
once for all. You are my greatest hope. O my Lady, you are the only
consolation God gives me, the fortification of my feeble strength, the
enrichment of my poverty, and, with Christ, the freedom from my chains.
Hear my plea. Keep me, guide me, and protect me, o safe refuge!
Most Holy Mary, our Advocate, Undoer of Knots, I come today to thank you for undoing this knot in my life.
You know very well the suffering it has
caused me. Thank you for coming, Mother, with your long fingers of mercy
to undo this knot in my life; you receive me in your arms and make it
possible for me to receive once again the divine grace. Mary, Undoer of
Knots, dearest Mother, I thank you for undoing the knots in my life.
Wrap me in your mantle of love, keep me under your protection, and
enlighten me with your peace! Amen
Our Lady, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.
Virgin Mary, Mother of fair love, Mother
who never refuses to come to the aid of a child in need, Mother whose
hands never cease to caress your beloved children because they are moved
by divine love and the immense mercy that exist in your Immaculate
Heart, cast your compassionate eyes upon me and see the snarl of knots
that exists in my life. You know very well how weak I am, my pain, and
how I am bound by these knots. Mary, Mother to whom God entrusted the
undoing of the knots in the lives of his children, I place into your
hands the ribbon of my life. No one, not even the evil one himself, can
take it away from your precious care. In your hands there is no knot
that cannot be undone. Powerful Mother, by your grace and intercessory
power with Your Son and My Liberator, Jesus, take into your hands today
this knot.
[Mention your request here]
I beg you to undo it for the glory of God,
once for all. You are my greatest hope. O my Lady, you are the only
consolation God gives me, the fortification of my feeble strength, the
enrichment of my poverty, and, with Christ, the freedom from my chains.
Hear my plea. Keep me, guide me, and protect me, o safe refuge!
Have confidence in prayer. It is the unfailing power which God has given us. By means of it you will obtain the salvation of the dear souls whom God has given you and all your loved ones. “Ask and you shall receive,” Our Lord said. Be yourself with the good Lord.
Joseph
was born in 1603 in the small village of Cupertino, Italy, to very poor
parents. After his father died, his mother spared him no love and
considered him a burden. She would often abuse Joseph, which caused him
to become slow and absentminded. He was forgetful, and wandered around
the village with his mouth open, causing him to become nicknamed
“Boccaperta,” or “the gaper.”
When he was seventeen, Joseph went
out in search of a job. However, the abuse he suffered as a child caused
him to lack self discipline, and he never lasted long. The first two
times he tried to enter religious life, he was turned away, but the
third time, the Conventual Franciscans of Grottella accepted him as a
stable boy. Joseph came closer to Christ, and often did extreme fasting
and acts of mortification. He was ordained in 1628 after a five-year
struggle with his priestly studies.
During the seventeen years
Joseph remained at Grottella, God worked many amazing miracles through
him. Over seventy times, people saw him rise from the ground while
saying Mass or praying and he often went into ecstasy and would be
completely rapt up in talking with God. Joseph became so famous for
these miracles that he was often followed by large crowds of people and
had to be kept hidden.
From 1653 until his death, Joseph was
placed in complete seclusion from the outside world, restricted from
writing letters and receiving visitors. Though he was isolated from
humanity, he became even more loved of God: his supernatural
manifestations had begun to occur daily, and his seclusion left him free
of distraction to pray.
Joseph fell ill and died in 1663. He was canonized by Pope Clement XIII in 1776.
Roberto
Bellarmino was born into impoverished Tuscan nobility at Montepulciano
on October 4, 1542. He was the third of ten children born to Vincenzo
Bellarmino and Cinthia Cervini, a sister of Cardinal Marcello Cervini,
who later became Pope Marcellus II. Educated at the Jesuit College in
Montepulciano, he entered the Society of Jesus at the age of eighteen.
After studying philosophy at the Roman College, he taught first at
Florence and then at Mondovi. He began his theological studies in Padua
in 1567, but was sent to Louvain two years later in order that he might
obtain a fuller acquaintance with the heretical teachings of the time.
Bellarmine
was ordained a priest in Flanders and quickly obtained a reputation
both as a professor and a preacher, attracting Catholics and Protestants
alike by his sermons. In 1576 he was recalled to Italy, and entrusted
with the chair of Controversies recently founded at the Roman College.
He proved himself equal to the arduous task, and the lectures he
delivered were later compiled into his most renowned work, “De
Controversiis” - Disputations on the Controversies of the Christian Faith.
Bellarmine's monumental work was the earliest attempt to systematize
the various controversies of the time, and made an immense impression
throughout Europe. It dealt such a blow to Protestantism in Germany and
England that special university chairs were founded in order to provide
replies to it. Theodore of Blaise, an important Protestant leader who
succeeded Calvin, acknowledged that “This is the work that defeated us.”
So numerous were the conversions wrought by it that Queen Elizabeth I
of England decreed that anyone who was not a doctor in theology was
forbidden to read Bellarmine’s writings under penalty of death. To the
present day, it remains an uncontested standard of orthodoxy that has
yet to be superseded. In recognition of this, Benedict XV gave
Bellarmine the title of “Hammer of Heresies” in 1921.
In 1588
Bellarmine was made Spiritual Father to the Roman College, but in 1590
he went with Cardinal Gaetano as theologian to the embassy Sixtus V was
then sending into France to protect the interests of the Church amidst
the troubles of the civil wars. While in France news reached him that
Sixtus, who had warmly accepted the dedication of his “De
Controversiis”, was now proposing to put its first volume on the Index.
This was because he had discovered that it assigned to the Holy See not a
direct but only an indirect power over temporal authorities.
Bellarmine, whose loyalty to the Holy See was intense, took this greatly
to heart; it was, however, averted by the death of Sixtus, and the new
pope, Gregory XIV, even granted to Bellarmine’s work the distinction of a
special approbation. Gaetano’s mission now terminating, Bellarmine
resumed his work as Spiritual Father, and had the consolation of guiding
the last years of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, who died in the Roman College
in 1591. Many years later he had the further consolation of successfully
promoting the beatification of the saintly youth. It was also at this
time that he sat on the final commission for the revision of the Vulgate
translation of the Holy Scriptures. In
1592 Bellarmine was made Rector of the Roman College, and in 1595
Provincial of Naples. In 1597 Clement VIII recalled him to Rome and made
him his own theologian as well as Examiner of Bishops and Consultor of
the Holy Office. “The Church of God has not his equal in learning,” he
stated when making him a Cardinal in 1599. Bellarmine’s appointment as
Cardinal Inquisitor soon followed. In 1602 Bellarmine was appointed as
the Archbishop of Capua and consecrated by Pope Clement VIII himself, an
honor usually accorded as a mark of special regard.
Three years
later, Clement VIII died, and was succeeded by Leo XI who reigned only
twenty-six days, and then by Paul V. In both conclaves, especially that
latter, the name of Bellarmine was much before the electors, greatly to
his own distress. The new pope insisted on keeping him at Rome, and the
cardinal, obediently complying, demanded that at least he should be
released from an episcopal charge the duties of which he could no longer
fulfill. He was now made a member of the Holy Office and of other
congregations, and thenceforth was the chief advisor of the Holy See in
the theological department of its administration.
Bellarmine
became one of the most important figures of the Counter-Reformation and
the period will be forever marked by his method of confronting heresy:
he understood that one cannot do away with a heresy by only preaching
the truth; it was also necessary to attack and smash the error. By this
method he converted heretics, bringing them back into union with the
Church. The profound spiritual treatises that emanated from his pen
earned for him the title of Doctor of the Church. But while he was a
champion of orthodoxy and a brilliant polemicist, Bellarmine was also a
man of capable of dealing with the most sensitive souls guiding them to
sanctity as he did with St. Louis Gonzaga. This prodigious apostolate
could only spring from a great calmness of spirit and deep interior
life.
His death in the summer of 1621 was most edifying and a
fitting end to a life which had been no less remarkable for its virtues
than for its tremendous achievements. Accordingly, there was a general
expectation amongst those who knew him intimately that his cause would
be promptly introduced and swiftly concluded. However, reality proved to
be otherwise. Although he was declared Venerable in 1627, technical
obstacles arose in regards to the beatification process, delaying the
progress of his cause for 300 years. Bellarmine was canonized by Pope
Pius XI in 1930 and declared a Doctor of the Church and patron saint of
catechists the following year.
During
the 17th century the Christian faith was brought to Korea through the
zeal of lay persons. From the very beginning these Christians suffered
terrible persecutions and many suffered martyrdom.
Mary,
Beloved Mother, mediatrix of all grace, I give to you today my heart,
recognizing that I am a sinner in need of your help. I entrust into your
hands this knot which keeps me from reflecting the glory of God.
Mother,
Undoer of Knots, so generous and compassionate, I come to You today to
once again entrust this knot in my life to you and to ask the divine
wisdom to undo, under the light of the Holy Spirit, this snarl of
problems.
Virgin Mother of God, overflowing with mercy, have mercy on your child and undo this knot in my life.
Very little is known about these holy martyrs other than they were killed during the Diocletian persecution.
Joseph
was born in 1603 in the small village of Cupertino, Italy, to very poor
parents. After his father died, his mother spared him no love and
considered him a burden. She would often abuse Joseph, which caused him
to become slow and absentminded. He was forgetful, and wandered around
the village with his mouth open, causing him to become nicknamed
“Boccaperta,” or “the gaper.”
Roberto
Bellarmino was born into impoverished Tuscan nobility at Montepulciano
on October 4, 1542. He was the third of ten children born to Vincenzo
Bellarmino and Cinthia Cervini, a sister of Cardinal Marcello Cervini,
who later became Pope Marcellus II. Educated at the Jesuit College in
Montepulciano, he entered the Society of Jesus at the age of eighteen.
After studying philosophy at the Roman College, he taught first at
Florence and then at Mondovi. He began his theological studies in Padua
in 1567, but was sent to Louvain two years later in order that he might
obtain a fuller acquaintance with the heretical teachings of the time. 