Saint of the day and Feast days-Part 2

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Saint Elizabeth of Portugal
The Peacemaker.

She is also known by the following names:
Elizabeth of Aragon.
Isabella of Portugal.
Elizabeth was a Princess. She was born in 1271 at Aragon, Spain. The daughter of King Peter III and his Queen, Constance of Aragon. She was named after her great aunt, Saint Elizabeth of Hungary.
Elizabeth was brought up piously. At the age of just 12 years, she was married to the corrupt and immoral King Denis of Portugal.
It was a difficult marriage. The King, although he worked hard for his country, had no morals and for years, Elizabrth suffered from his abuses and adultery. Her only weapon against all these was prayer for her husband’s conversion. She was blessed with two children, Princess Constantia and Prince Affonso.
In time, Elizabeth was able to overcome the difficulties of her marriage. She earned the respect of many in the region for her abilities to negotiate ends to disputes and conflicts, especially disputes that arose between the monarchs of Castile, Aragon, and Portugal. For these efforts, Elizabeth was called the “Peacemaker”
Closer to home, Elizabeth was also adept at settling disputes between her husband and their son Alfonso. In 1323, Alfonso rebelled and took up arms against his own father because he was outraged by the favours being bestored on his illegitimate brothers. The Queen, then a woman of 52 years, rode out between the two armies drawn up for battle and was able to bring about a reconciliation.
Elizabeth gained reputation for her piety, charity and concern for the poor. She founded convents, hospitals, foundling homes as well as shelters for wayward girls.
When her husband died in 1325, Elizabeth, who had wanted to become a nun, entered the Poor Clares instead, as a Franciscan tertiary.
When Elizabeth was 65 years old, she left her convent to travel to Spain where her son, now Alfonso IV, was at war with his son in law King Alfonso XI of Castile, for having neglected and mistreated his daughter Maria.
Again Saint Elizabeth succeeded in stopping the fight and bringing about a peaceful settlement.
Soon afterwards, however, she came down with a fever to which she succumbed on 4 July 1336 at Estremoz, Portugal.
She was buried at Coimbra, Portugal and miracles were reported at her tomb.
She was canonized on 25 May 1625 by Pope Urban VIII.
She is patron saint against against jealousy, among others.

Saint Elizabeth of Portugal,
Pray for us!
 
“Mary, Mother of grace, Mother of mercy, defend us from the wicked enemy, and receive us at the hour of our death”

St Elizabeth of Portugal.
 
July 5

Today is the Feast day of
Saint Anthony Mary Zaccaria
Among many other saints.
 
**Saint Anthony Mary Zaccaria
Co-founder of the Barnabites.
**
Anthony was born in 1502 at Cremona, Lombardy, Italy. When he was two years old, his father, Lazzaro, died. His mother, Antonia Pescaroli, eighteen years old and already widowed, devoted herself completely to the education of her son. Not much is known about Anthony’s childhood but an incident is reported in which he was on his way home form school as a boy and gave his cape to a destitute man.
In 1520, Anthony went to Padua to study philosophy and medicine. Before he left, however, he bequeathed his whole inheritance to his mother. After graduation he returned to Cremona. It is not clear whether he ever practiced medicine or not. According to his “Biography at Barnabites”, he never did practice medicine. According to other sources, he practiced medicine for a short time.
While still a layman, and fresh the university, Anthony began to gather children on Sundays to teach them the catechism. Later, he included adults for Scripture reading and meditation. He was ordained to the priesthood in January 1529. Legend has it that
angels were seen around the altar at his first Mass.
Inspired by a zeal like that of Saint Paul’s, Anthony laboured unceasingly at overcoming the deplorable conditions prevailing at the time in northern Italy.
In 1530, Anthony founded the Society of the Sons of Saint Paul. How it came to pass was that Saint Anthony and his first two companions, Giacomo Antonio Morigia and Bartolomeo Ferrari, simply petitioned the Holy See for the authorization to profess the three vows of obedience, chastity, and poverty before the Archbishop of Milan or his Vicar and begin common life in the diocese “in order to devote themselves more vigorously and unrestrictedly to God’s gracious purposes and to probe more deeply into matters pertaining to God.”
**The Barnabites. **
The Society began to be called Barnabites by the people who visited the Church at Saint Barnabas Monastery in Milan Italy where the motherhouse was.
The Barnabites was the first Religious Order named after Saint Paul the Apostle. The aim of this Congregation founded by Saint Anthony, in addition to that mentioned above was also “to regenerate and revive the love of divine worship and a truly Christian way of life by means of the sacraments” Saint Companions for Each Day
By A.J.M. Mausolfe, And J.K. Mausolfe.
For his success in this regard, he has been called the “Apostle of Milan”
It is said that he used to go through the streets of Milan, Crucifix in hand, preaching on Our Lord’s Passion and Death, on the need for repentance and the need for doing penance for our sins.

The Barnabites consisted of :
Priests - The Clerics Regular of St. Paul
Uncloistered nuns - The Angelics of St. Paul
Married people - The Marrieds of St. Paul.
Saint Anthony also popularised the fourty hour prayer ceremony and introduced the ringing of church bells on Friday.

Anthony died on 5 July 1539 of natural causes at Cremona, Italy. He was buried at Saint Paul’s Convent of the Angelics at Milan, Italy. Twenty seven years after death, his body was found incorrupt in 1566.
He was beatified in 1849 by Pope Pius IX and canonized on 27 May 1897 by Pope Leo XIII.

Saint Anthony Mary Zaccaria

Saint Anthony Mary Zaccaria,
Pray for us!
 
“…true spiritual life consists in this:
that man keep his eyes on God all the time,
long for nothing but for God,
keep nothing in mind but God,
begin every single action in the Lord’s name, and direct it to Him: in short,
that he unify his whole being – mind, will, memory, senses, and actions – in God…”
Anthony Mary Zaccaria, Sermon II
 
“We should love and feel compassion for those who oppose us,
rather than abhor and despise them since they harm themselves and do us good,
and adorn us with crowns of everlasting glory,
while they incite God’s anger against themselves”

St Anthony Mary Saccaria.
 
odhiambo said:
“…true spiritual life consists in this:
that man keep his eyes on God all the time,
long for nothing but for God,
keep nothing in mind but God,
begin every single action in the Lord’s name, and direct it to Him: in short,
that he unify his whole being – mind, will, memory, senses, and actions – in God…”
Anthony Mary Zaccaria, Sermon II
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👍
 
odhiambo said:
Saint Thomas More

http://saints.sqpn.com/wp-content/gallery/saint-thomas-more/saint-thomas-more-00.jpg
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Prayer of Thomas More
Give us, Lord, a humble, quiet, peaceable, patient, tender and charitable mind, and in all our thoughts, words and deeds a taste of the Holy Spirt.
Give us, Lord, a lively faith, a firm hope, a fervent charity, and love of you. Take from us all lukewarmness in meditation and dullness in prayer.
Give us fervor and delight in thinking of you, your grace, and your tender compassion towards us. The things we pray for, good Lord, give us grace to labor for: through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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Amen.
 
odhiambo said:
“…true spiritual life consists in this:
that man keep his eyes on God all the time,
long for nothing but for God,
keep nothing in mind but God,
begin every single action in the Lord’s name, and direct it to Him: in short,
that he unify his whole being – mind, will, memory, senses, and actions – in God…”
Anthony Mary Zaccaria, Sermon II
Click to expand...
In other words, the natural state of man, how he is meant to be, and is in Heaven, no?
 
July 6

Today is the Feast day of
Saint Maria Goretti
Among many others

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
 
Maria Goretti
Virgin Martyr

Maria was born on October 16, 1890 at Corinaldo, near Ancona, Italy. She was the oldest girl in a family of six ( Another account is that she was the third of seven children). She was the daughter of a farmer named Luigi. Her mother was a devout woman named Assunta. Maria never attended any formal education but she received a thorough grounding in Christian virtue from her devout , albeit illiterate mother. Assunta, among other things, taught Marietta, as the little girl was fondly called, her catechism and prayers from memory. She taught Maria to love God wholeheartedly and to hate sin above all things. In fact , even at a tender age, “Rather to die than to commit sin” became Maria’s rule of life.
When Maria was nine years old, her family moved to Nettuno near Rome ( A nother account says the family moved to Ferriere di Conca, near Anzio), for reasons of employment. The year following this move, Luigi died. Maria, just ten years old, generously helped her mother on the farm, in the house and with the care of the younger brothers and sisters. She was like a second mother to them, teaching them their prayers, looking after them and urging them to be obedient and modest.
Maria received her First Holy Communion at the age of eleven years.
By the time she was twelve years old, Maria had blossomed into a pretty girl with a radiant smile. Danger, however was not far off.
A nineteen year old man, Alexander Serenelli, son of another man who worked with her father, lived in the same house with the Gorettis. She suffered martyrdom at the hands of this youth. On a number of occasions he attempted to seduce Maria, but she resolutely rejected all his advances.
On July 5 1902, he beconed her into an adjoining bedroom but she would not go in. He had a dagger in his hand and gave her a choice, surrender or die. Promptly and courageously, Maria cried: ’ It is a sin, God does not want it!" In murderous rage, Alexander seized her , pulled her in and shut the door. He stabbed her repeatedly, then fled from the scene.
Maria was taken to the hospital where it was obvious that she could not live. After 24 hours of agony and pain, Maria died in the presence of her mother, the parish priest of Nettuno and two nuns who had watched by her bed all night on 6 July 1902. She completely forgave her attacker before she died.
Alexander was sentenced to serve thirty years in Jail. For a long time, he was unrepentant, surly and brutal. One night , he had a vision in which Maria appeared gathering flowers and offering them to him. From then on , he was a changed man and such an exemplary prisoner that he was released after serving only twenty seven years( 29 years by other accounts). First thing he did as a free man was to visit Maria’s mother and ask for her forgiveness.
She was beatified in 1947, by Pope Pius XII and canonized on June 25, 1950 also by Pope Pius XII. Her mother was there to witness the canonization. Guess who else was there for the occasion? Yes, you guessed it, Alexander Serenelli.
Saint Maria Goretti has performed many miracles. The greatest one was the conversion of her defiant assailant.
For more, here is a relevant link.

Saint Maria Goretti

Saint Maria Goretti,
Pray for us!
 
Quote:

“ The message which emerges from the story of Maria Goretti is one concerning personal dignity at the simple human level, which must be defended against every ruse and every violence, and it is one which also concerns consecration of one’s energies, including physical energies, to the Lord and to the Church, in radical obedience to God’s law”

Pope John Paul II.
Taken from Feast of All Saints
 
odhiambo said:
July 6

Today is the Feast day of
Saint Maria Goretti
Among many others

http://www.mariagoretti.org/image/mariabio1.jpg
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A Prayer In Honor of Saint Maria Goretti
ST. MARIA GORETTI,
Strengthened by God’s grace,
You did not hesitate,
Even at the age of eleven,
To shed your blood
To sacrifice life itself
To defend your virginal purity.
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Deign to look graciously
On the unhappy human race,
Which has strayed far
From the path of eternal salvation.
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Teach us all,
And especially the youth,
With the courage and promptness
We should flee anything
That could offend Jesus.
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Obtain for me
From God a great horror of sin,
So that, keeping my soul undefiled,
I may live a holy life on earth
And win eternal glory in heaven.
Amen.
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kelvinf said:
A Prayer In Honor of Saint Maria Goretti
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Thanks Kelvin.
I am going to post this prayer at the Friends of Saint Maria Goretti’s Group so that more people may also have access to it. Hope it is ok with you.
God Bless!
 
odhiambo said:
Thanks Kelvin.
I am going to post this prayer at the Friends of Saint Maria Goretti’s Group so that more people may also have access to it. Hope it is ok with you.
God Bless!
Click to expand...
Sure. I copied it from the web. I also say it on the site you linked.

Good night!
 
July 7
Today is the Feast day of
** Saint Pantaenus**
Among many other saints
 
Saint Pantaenus of Alexandria.

We do not know very much about the early life of this saint. We do know , however, that he was from Sicily, Italy and that he was pagan by birth and a Philosopher by profession. Being of a keen mind and always searching for the truth, he found that truth in Christianity to which he converted.
He studied Holy Scriptures and his thirst for sacred learning took him to Alexandria in Egypt where he became a teacher at the celebrated school of Christian doctrine, said to have been instituted by the disciples of Saint Mark. This school was the earliest catechetical school, and became influential in the development of Christian theology.
Note that other accounts record that Pantaenus was the one who actually founded the Catechetical School of Alexandria.
Being a very humble man, he was reluctant to show that he was well read and gifted. Soon however, he was discovered and drawn out of the obscurity in which he humbly placed himself. He became a teacher at the school. Sometime before the year 179, due to his learning and skills in teaching, he became head of the Catechetical School and helped to built it into a leading center of learning. He is infact said to be the first known head of that famed school.
His most famous student, Clement of Alexandria, who was his successor as head of the Catechetical School, described Pantaenus thus:

“The true Sicilian Bee, gathering the flowers of the prophetic and apostolic meadow, engendered in the soul of his hearers an unfading element of knowledge”

You know what is said about scicilian bees? they are very productive!
The saint died in ? 190, 200, or 216. Not really known for sure.
His canonization was precongregation.
Saint Pantaenus,

Saint Pantaenus,
Pray for us!
 
July 8
Today is the Feast day of
Saint Hesperius and Saint Zoe
Among many other saints
 
Saint Hesperius and Saint Zoe
Martyrs.
Saint Hesperius and his wife Saint Zoe were both Christians. They were also slaves of a rich Roman Pagan named Catalus, who lived during the reign of the Emperor Hadrian, at Attalia, a town of Pamphylia in Asia Minor (Turkey). Both Hesperius and Zoe were not what one might call “practicing Christians” as they were said to be " negligent in their practice of the Faith". The couple , however did right by their two sons, Cyriacus and Theodulus, making sure that they were brought up as good Christians. It so happened that on the occasion of the delivery of their newborn son, their master, Catalus, sent them food which had been offered to the pagan gods. The family refused to accept this gift of food.
They were immediataly arrested and put on trial. They made a bold confession of their faith and refused to venerate the pagan gods.
Their sons were then tortured in their presence, in the hope that the agony witnessed would weaken their resolve and cause them to renounce their faith. But neither of the two would reject Christ.This so infuriated, Catalus that he had them roasted to death in a furnace, all four of them.
Saint Hersperius,
Pray for us!
Saint Zoe,
Pray for us!
 
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