SAINT MONICA OF HIPPO

HOPES FULFILLED

Son, nothing in this world now affords me delight. I do not know what there is now for me to do or why I am still here, all my hopes in this world being now fulfilled.  -- St. Monica about the conversion of Augustine

SAINT TORIBIO

CHRIST IS THE TRUTH
Christ said, 'I am the Truth'; he did not say 'I am the custom.'

Toribio Romo González

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

He was born April 16, 1900, in Santa Ana de Guadalupe, Jalostotitlán, Mexico. In 1912 he entered the Auxiliary Seminary in San Juan de los Lagos. He was a playful and happy seminarian who loved to joke. In 1922 he was ordained as a priest. A man of intense prayer, Fr. Toribio carried out his pious works in an exemplary manner with emphasis on examination of conscience, meditation, spiritual exercises and visits to the Holy Sacrament. He always demonstrated a great spirit of faith, a certainty in hope of reaching Heaven, and a compassion that moved him to suffer along with others (to the point of depriving himself of his own basic necessities). Obedience and desire shone in him, he was austere, quiet and sometimes troubled. He was ready to die for God, but he did feel fear and asked for God’s grace and strength.

Beatified: November 22, 1992 by Pope John Paul, Canonized: May 21, 2000 by Pope John Paul II


Published: 02/25/13-7:27AM

POPE SAINT CLEMENT

RID YOURSELF OF IMPURE DESIRES

Since all things lie open to His eyes and ears, let us hold Him in awe and rid ourselves of impure desires to do works of evil, so that we may be protected by His mercy from the judgement that is to come. Which of us can escape His mighty hand?

Pope Clement I

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Second or Third Bishop of Rome

Pope Clement I (fl. 96), also known as Saint Clement of Rome (in Latin, Clemens Romanus), is listed from an early date as a Bishop of Rome. He was the first Apostolic Father of the Church. According to Tertullian, Clement was consecrated by Saint Peter, and he is known to have been a leading member of the church in Rome in the late 1st century. Early church lists place him as the second or third bishop of Rome after Saint Peter.

Successor of Peter

The Liber Pontificalis presents a list that makes Pope Linus the second in the line of bishops of Rome, with Peter as first; but at the same time it states that Peter ordained two bishops, Linus and Pope Cletus, for the priestly service of the community, devoting himself instead to prayer and preaching, and that it was to Clement that he entrusted the Church as a whole, appointing him as his successor. Tertullian too makes Clement the immediate successor of Peter. And while in one of his works Jerome gives Clement as "the fourth bishop of Rome after Peter" (not in the sense of fourth successor of Peter, but fourth in a series that included Peter), he adds that "most of the Latins think that Clement was second after the apostle". Clement is put after Linus and Cletus/Anacletus in the earliest (c. 180) account, that of Irenaeus, who is followed by Eusebius of Caesarea. The meaning of these early reports is unclear, given the lack of evidence for monarchical episcopacy in Rome at so early a date.

Feast: November 24 or 25

Clement is recognized as a saint in many Christian churches. He is commemorated on 23 November in the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion, and the Lutheran Church.[9] In Eastern Orthodox Christianity his feast is kept on 24 or 25 November.


Laborer in Christ
Mentioned in Philippians 4:3

"Yes, and I ask you also, my true yokemate, to help them, for they have struggled at my side in promoting the gospel, along with Clement and my other co-workers, whose names are in the book of life."

Starting in the 3rd and 4th century, tradition has identified him as the Clement that Paul mentioned in Philippians 4:3 as a fellow laborer in Christ. While in the mid-19th century it was customary to identify him as a freedman of Titus Flavius Clemens, who was consul with his cousin, the Emperor Domitian, this identification, which no ancient sources suggest, then lost support. The 2nd-century Shepherd of Hermas mentions a Clement whose office it is to communicate with other churches; most likely, this is a reference to Clement I.

The Liber Pontificalis, which documents the reigns of popes, states that Clement had known Saint Peter. It also states that he wrote two letters (though the second letter, 2 Clement, is no longer ascribed to him) and that he died in Greece in the third year of Emperor Trajan's reign, or 101 AD.

A large congregation existed in Rome c. 58, when Paul wrote his Epistle to the Romans. Paul arrived in Rome c. 60 (Acts).[1] His Captivity Epistles, as well as Mark, Luke, Acts, and 1 Peter were written here, according to many scholars. Paul and Peter were said to have been martyred here. Nero persecuted Roman Christians after Rome burned in 64, and the congregation may have suffered further persecution under Domitian (81–96). Clement was the first of early Rome's most notable bishops.

Published: 02/23/13-7:31AM

BLESSED JOHN OF AVILA

Then Jesus said to his disciples,

"If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, 

and take up his cross and follow Me."

Matthew 16:24

WITHDRAW YOUR HEART FROM THE WORLD
Withdraw your heart from the world before God takes your body from it. (2/18/13-8:20 AM; 3/18/13-6:36AM; 4/18/13-7:41AM; 8/18/13-7:21AM)


DETACH YOURSELF FROM VISIBLE THINGS
Your life consists in drawing nearer to God. To do this you must endeavor to detach yourself from visible things and remember that in a short time they will be taken from you. (Entry:11/24/11-4:16AM ; 12/22/12-7:02AM)


TURN YOURSELF ROUND LIKE CLAY
Turn yourself round like a piece of clay and say to the Lord: I am clay, and you, Lord, the potter. Make of me what you will. (1/24/13-7:50AM)

John of Ávila
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Not to be confused with John Avila.

Saint John of Ávila, called the "Apostle of Andalusia" (Spanish: San Juan de Ávila; 6 January 1500 – 10 May 1569) was a Spanish priest, preacher, scholastic author, and religious mystic, who has been declared a saint and Doctor of the Church by the Catholic Church.

DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH

John of Avila is also remembered as a reformer of clerical life in Spain. He founded several colleges where his disciples dedicated themselves to the teaching of youths. Among the disciples attracted by his preaching and saintly reputation were St. Teresa of Ávila, St. John of God, St. Francis Borgia and the Venerable Louis of Granada. Of special importance was the University of Baeza established in 1538 by a papal bull of Pope Paul III. He served as its first rector, and it became a model for seminaries and for the schools of the Jesuits.

He is especially revered by the Jesuits.Their development in Spain is attributed to his friendship and support to the Society of Jesus.

Saint John of Ávila He was declared Venerable by Pope Clement XIII on 8 February 1759 and beatified by Pope Leo XIII on 12 November 1893. On 31 May 1970 he was canonized by Pope Paul VI. Pope Benedict XVI named him a Doctor of the Church on 7 October 2012, the Feast of the Holy Rosary.

SAINT AMBROSE

St. Ambrose, Bishop,
Doctor of the Church 

Bishop of Milan from 374 to 397; born probably 340, at Trier, Arles, or Lyons; died 4 April, 397. He was one of the most illustrious Fathers and Doctors of the Church, and fitly chosen, together with St. Augustine, St. John Chrysostom, and St. Athanasius, to uphold the venerable Chair of the Prince of the Apostles in the tribune of St. Peter's at Rome.



CREED
This Creed is the spiritual seal, our heart's meditation and an ever-present guardian; it is, unquestionably, the treasure of our soul. (2/17/13-7:49AM; 3/17/13-6:45AM; 4/17/13-6:49AM; 8/17/13-7:33AM)

NEGLIGENCE
Those who perish, perish by their own negligence. (12/10/10-4:59AM)

CHRIST
Even the heretics appear to have Christ, for none of them denies the name of Christ. Yet, anyone who does not confess all that pertains to Christ does in fact deny Christ.  (10/31/10-7:07AM)

SAINT NICOLAS OF FLUE

EVERYTHING
 
My Lord and my God, take from me everything that distances me from you. My Lord and my God, give me everything that brings me closer to you. My Lord and my God, detach me from myself to give my all to you.

Saint Nicholas of Flüe 

(21 March 1417 – 21 March 1487[1])

 A Swiss hermit and ascetic who is the patron saint of Switzerland. He is sometimes invoked as "Brother Klaus."

He was born in the canton of Unterwalden and made himself distinguished as a soldier. After serving in the military, he became a councillor and judge. He declined the opportunity to serve as Landamman (governor) of his canton.

EVERYTHING FOR GOD

After receiving a mystical vision of a lily eaten by a horse, which he recognized as indicating that the cares of his worldly life (the draft horse pulling a plough) was swallowing up his spiritual life (the lily, a symbol of purity) he decided to devote himself entirely to the contemplative life.

He left his wife and his ten children and set himself up as a hermit, establishing a chantry for a priest from his own funds so that he could assist at mass daily. According to legend, he survived for nineteen years with no food except for the eucharist. His reputation for wisdom and piety was such that figures from across Europe came to seek advice from him, and he was known to all as "Brother Klaus."

In 1470, Pope Paul II granted the first indulgence to the sanctuary at Ranft and it became a place of pilgrimage, since it lay on the Jakobsweg (English: Way of St. James), the road pilgrims travelled on to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. His counsel prevented a civil war between the cantons meeting at the Diet of Stans in 1481 when their antagonism grew. The advice he gave them remains a secret to this day. Despite being illiterate and having limited experience with the world, his is honored among both Protestants and Catholics with the permanent national unity of Switzerland. Letters of thanks to him from Berne and Soleure still survive. When he died, he was surrounded by his wife and children.

He was beatified in 1669. After his beatification, the municipality of Sachseln built a church in his honour where his body was interred. He was canonized in 1947 by Pope Pius XII. His feast day in the Roman Catholic Church is 21 March, except in Switzerland and Germany where it is 25 September.

Prayer citation

The new Catechism of the Catholic Church cites a brief personal prayer of St. Nicholas of Flue in paragraph #226[4] of Chapter 1 of Part 1, Section 2 "The Profession of the Christian Faith" under subheading IV "The implications of faith in one God" an aspect of which is making good use of created things.

    My Lord and my God, take from me everything that distances me from you.
    My Lord and my God, give me everything that brings me closer to you.
    My Lord and my God, detach me from myself to give my all to you.

As a layman with family responsibilities who took his civic duties as an ancestral landowner seriously, Brother Klaus is a model of heroic manhood for many concerned with the flourishing of local communities and sustainable use of open land. He is the patron saint of the German-language association KLB (Katholischen Landvolkbewegung), the Catholic Rural Communities Movement.

Published: Feb. 16, 2013-7:24AM; March 16, 2013-6:13AM; April 16, 2013-7:20AM

SAINT ANTHONY MARY CLARET

A LIVELY FAITH

When I am before the Blessed Sacrament I feel such a lively faith that I can't describe it. Christ in the Eucharist is almost tangible to me...When it is time for me to leave, I have to tear myself away from His sacred presence. (02/14/13-7:13AM; 03/14/13-6:39AM; 08/14/13-7:00AM)

FIRE OF GOD'S LOVE

The man who burns with the fire of divine love is a son of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and wherever he goes, he enkindles that flame; he desires and works with all his strength to inflame all men with the fire of God's love. Nothing deters him: he rejoices in poverty; he labours strenuously; he welcomes hardships; he laughs off false accusations; he rejoices in anguish. He thinks only of how he might follow Jesus Christ and imitate him by his prayers, his labours, his sufferings, and by caring always and only for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.  (01/13/13-6:08AM)


Anthony Mary Claret
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY

Anthony Mary Claret, C.M.F., (Catalan: Antoni Maria Claret I Clarà; Spanish: Antonio María Claret y Clarà) (December 23, 1807 – October 24, 1870) was a Catalan Spanish Roman Catholic archbishop and missionary, and was confessor of Isabella II of Spain. He founded the congregation of Missionary Sons of the Immacutate Heart of Mary, commonly called the Claretians on the feast of "Our Lady of Mount Carmel" (July 16, 1849), and founded the great religious library at Barcelona which was called "Librería Religiosa" (now "Llibreria Claret").

Among his great initiatives were: trade or vocational schools for disadvantaged children and credit unions for the use of the poor. He wrote books about rural spirituality and agricultural methods, which he himself tested first. He visited jails and hospitals, defended the oppressed and denounced racism. His work stirred up opposition and at Holguín his cheek was stabbed by a would-be assassin.

SAINT THOMAS AQUINAS

ACTS OF FAITH

The believer's act [of faith] does not terminate in the propositions, but in the realities [which they express]. (March 11, 2013-6:59AM ; April 11, 2013-6:55AM; August 11, 2013-8:23AM)

LIGHT
The certainty that the divine light gives is greater than that which the light of natural reason gives. (March 27, 2013-6:36AM, June 27, 2013 - 7:03 AM)

PRAYER PETITIONS

For prayer to be effective, our petitions should be for benefits worthily to be expected from God. -- St. Thomas Aquinas

Reflection:

It shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave; even as the Son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:26-28).

"It is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father." --Matthew 20:23

Thou hatest those who pay regard to vain idols; but I trust in the LORD (Psalm 31:6).

I trust in thee, O LORD, I say, "Thou art my God" (Psalm 31:14). Into thy hand I commit my spirit; thou hast redeemed me, O LORD, faithful God (Psalm 31:5).

Is evil a recompense for good? Yet they have dug a pit for my life. Remember how I stood before thee to speak good for them, to turn away thy wrath from them (Jeremiah 18:20).

Give heed to me, O LORD, and hearken to my plea (Jeremiah 18:19). My times are in thy hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors! (Psalm 31:15)

Let thy face shine on thy servant; save me in thy steadfast love! (Psalm 31:16)

SAINT THOMAS AQUINAS

DUMB OX

Saint Thomas Aquinas, O.P. (1225 – 7 March 1274), also Thomas of Aquin or Aquino, was an Italian Dominican priest, and an immensely influential philosopher and theologian in the tradition of scholasticism, within which he is also known as the "Dumb Ox", "Angelic Doctor", "Doctor Communis", and "Doctor Universalis". Aquinas" is the demonym of Aquino: Thomas came from one of the noblest families of the Kingdom of Naples, with the title of "counts of Aquino". He was the foremost classical proponent of natural theology, and the father of Thomism.

Thomas is held in the Roman Catholic Church to be the model teacher for those studying for the priesthood, and indeed the highest expression of both natural reason and speculative theology. The works for which he is best-known are the Summa theologiae and the Summa Contra Gentiles. One of the 35 Doctors of the Church, he is considered the Church's greatest theologian and philosopher. Pope Benedict XV declared: "This (Dominican) Order ... acquired new luster when the Church declared the teaching of Thomas to be her own and that Doctor, honored with the special praises of the Pontiffs, the master and patron of Catholic schools."[7] -- Wikipedia

Published: 3/23/11-6:06AM; 1/28/13-7:11AM; 6/27/13-7:04AM