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odhiambo
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22 March
Today is the Feast day of
Saint Nicholas Owen
Among many other saints
Today is the Feast day of
Saint Nicholas Owen
Among many other saints
- Status
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odhiambo
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Saint Nicholas Owen
Martyr.
Very little is known about the early life of Saint Nicholas but it is believed that he was born in Oxford, England around the year 1550 into a devoutly Catholic family. and grew up during the Penal Laws in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England. An explanation of Penal in English history :“In English history, penal law refers to a specific series of laws that sought to uphold the establishment of the Church of England against Protestant nonconformists and Roman Catholics, by imposing various forfeitures, civil penalties, and civil disabilities upon these dissenters”
Nicholas was a carpenter by trade and for about thirty years, he built hiding-places for priests being persued by English authorities, in the homes of Catholic families. He frequently travelled from one house to another, under the name of “Little John”, accepting only the necessities of life as payment. Constructing these hiding places often involved breaking through thick stonework. To minimize the likelihood of betrayal he often worked at night, and always alone. The number of hiding-places he constructed were never known and, to the ingenuity of his craftsmanship, some may still be undiscovered.
For many years, Owen worked in the service of the Jesuit priest Henry Garnet, and was admitted into the Society of Jesus as a lay brother in 1580. He was first arrested in 1582 or 1583, after the execution of Edmund Campion, for publicly proclaiming the latter’s innocence, but was later released. He was arrested again in 1594, and was tortured. He was released after a wealthy Catholic family paid a fine on his behalf.
Nicholas resumed his work, and it is believed that he masterminded the escape of Jesuit Father John Gerard from the Tower of London in 1597.
Early in 1606, Nicholas was arrested again with several priests at Hindlip Hall in Worcestershire. He gave himself up voluntarily in the hope of distracting attention from some other priests who were hiding nearby. Realizing just whom they had caught, and his value, Secretary of State, Robert Cecil exulted: “It is incredible, how great was the joy caused by his arrest… knowing the great skill of Owen in constructing hiding places, and the innumerable quantity of dark holes which he had schemed for hiding priests all throughout England.”
After being committed to the Marshalsea, a prison on the southern bank of the Thames, Nicholas was removed to the Tower. He was tried for supposed complicity in the “Gunpowder Plot” Under English law, he was exempt from torture, having been maimed a few years before when a horse had fallen on him. He was, however, submitted to terrible torture on the Topcliffe rack, dangling from a wall with both wrists held fast in iron gauntlets and his body hanging. When this proved insufficient to make him talk, heavy weights were added to his feet. This procedure was followed until "his bowels gushed out with his life. The saint died most horribly.
The exact date of his death in 1606 is not agreed. Most sources cite 2 March, while others place his death on 12 November. Father Gerard wrote of him:
“I verily think no man can be said to have done more good of all those who laboured in the English vineyard. He was the immediate occasion of saving the lives of many hundreds of persons, both ecclesiastical and secular.”
Saint Nicholas Owen was canonized as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales by Pope Paul VI on 25 October 1970.
Saint Nicholas.
Pray for us!
Martyr.
Very little is known about the early life of Saint Nicholas but it is believed that he was born in Oxford, England around the year 1550 into a devoutly Catholic family. and grew up during the Penal Laws in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England. An explanation of Penal in English history :“In English history, penal law refers to a specific series of laws that sought to uphold the establishment of the Church of England against Protestant nonconformists and Roman Catholics, by imposing various forfeitures, civil penalties, and civil disabilities upon these dissenters”
Nicholas was a carpenter by trade and for about thirty years, he built hiding-places for priests being persued by English authorities, in the homes of Catholic families. He frequently travelled from one house to another, under the name of “Little John”, accepting only the necessities of life as payment. Constructing these hiding places often involved breaking through thick stonework. To minimize the likelihood of betrayal he often worked at night, and always alone. The number of hiding-places he constructed were never known and, to the ingenuity of his craftsmanship, some may still be undiscovered.
For many years, Owen worked in the service of the Jesuit priest Henry Garnet, and was admitted into the Society of Jesus as a lay brother in 1580. He was first arrested in 1582 or 1583, after the execution of Edmund Campion, for publicly proclaiming the latter’s innocence, but was later released. He was arrested again in 1594, and was tortured. He was released after a wealthy Catholic family paid a fine on his behalf.
Nicholas resumed his work, and it is believed that he masterminded the escape of Jesuit Father John Gerard from the Tower of London in 1597.
Early in 1606, Nicholas was arrested again with several priests at Hindlip Hall in Worcestershire. He gave himself up voluntarily in the hope of distracting attention from some other priests who were hiding nearby. Realizing just whom they had caught, and his value, Secretary of State, Robert Cecil exulted: “It is incredible, how great was the joy caused by his arrest… knowing the great skill of Owen in constructing hiding places, and the innumerable quantity of dark holes which he had schemed for hiding priests all throughout England.”
After being committed to the Marshalsea, a prison on the southern bank of the Thames, Nicholas was removed to the Tower. He was tried for supposed complicity in the “Gunpowder Plot” Under English law, he was exempt from torture, having been maimed a few years before when a horse had fallen on him. He was, however, submitted to terrible torture on the Topcliffe rack, dangling from a wall with both wrists held fast in iron gauntlets and his body hanging. When this proved insufficient to make him talk, heavy weights were added to his feet. This procedure was followed until "his bowels gushed out with his life. The saint died most horribly.
The exact date of his death in 1606 is not agreed. Most sources cite 2 March, while others place his death on 12 November. Father Gerard wrote of him:
“I verily think no man can be said to have done more good of all those who laboured in the English vineyard. He was the immediate occasion of saving the lives of many hundreds of persons, both ecclesiastical and secular.”
Saint Nicholas Owen was canonized as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales by Pope Paul VI on 25 October 1970.
Saint Nicholas.
Pray for us!
O
odhiambo
Guest
23 March
Today is the Feast day of
Saint Turibius of Mongrovejo
Among many other saints.
Today is the Feast day of
Saint Turibius of Mongrovejo
Among many other saints.
O
odhiambo
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Turibius of Mongrovejo
Also known as
Toribio Alfonso de Mogrovejo.
Turibius was born on 16 November 1538 in Mayorga, Spain to a noble and wealthy family. He
was named after another Spanish saint, Turibius of Astorga. He was very highly educated. He studied law and became a lawyer, then a professor of law at the highly reputed University of Salamanca. His education and virtuous reputation led to his appointment as Grand Inquisitor of Spain by King Philip II on the Court of the Inquisition at Granada in February 1571, although he was a layman.
He was ordained priest in 1578 and sent to Peru, and in May 1579, he was named Archbishop of Lima, Peru.
He arrived at Paita, Peru, 600 miles (970 km) from Lima, on May 24, 1581. He began his mission work by travelling to Lima on foot, baptizing and teaching the natives. His favourite topic was: “Time is not our own, and we must give a strict account of it.” Three times he traversed the 450,000 square kilometers (180,000 square miles) of his diocese, generally on foot, frequently defenceless and often alone; exposed to tempests, torrents, deserts, wild beasts, tropical heat, fevers and sometimes threats from hostile tribes; baptizing and confirming nearly one half million people, among them St. Rose of Lima, and St. Martin de Porres.
He built roads, schoolhouses and chapels, many hospitals and convents, and at Lima, in 1591, founded the first seminary in the Western hemisphere. He inaugurated the first part of the third Lima Cathedral on February 2, 1604.
Turibius was seen as a champion of the rights of the natives against the Spanish masters. There was great opposition to him from the governors of Peru whose authority he challenged. He learned local dialects so that he could communicate with and convert the natives.
He is said to have predicted the day and hour of his death, years before he died.
Towards the end of his life, Turibius contracted fever at Pacasmayo, but continued to work to the last. He arrived at Sana (or Saña) when he was critically ill. Dragging himself to the sanctuary he received the Viaticum, dying shortly after on March 23, 1606
He was canonized in 1726.
Saint Turibius,
Pray for us!
Also known as
Toribio Alfonso de Mogrovejo.
Turibius was born on 16 November 1538 in Mayorga, Spain to a noble and wealthy family. He
was named after another Spanish saint, Turibius of Astorga. He was very highly educated. He studied law and became a lawyer, then a professor of law at the highly reputed University of Salamanca. His education and virtuous reputation led to his appointment as Grand Inquisitor of Spain by King Philip II on the Court of the Inquisition at Granada in February 1571, although he was a layman.
He was ordained priest in 1578 and sent to Peru, and in May 1579, he was named Archbishop of Lima, Peru.
He arrived at Paita, Peru, 600 miles (970 km) from Lima, on May 24, 1581. He began his mission work by travelling to Lima on foot, baptizing and teaching the natives. His favourite topic was: “Time is not our own, and we must give a strict account of it.” Three times he traversed the 450,000 square kilometers (180,000 square miles) of his diocese, generally on foot, frequently defenceless and often alone; exposed to tempests, torrents, deserts, wild beasts, tropical heat, fevers and sometimes threats from hostile tribes; baptizing and confirming nearly one half million people, among them St. Rose of Lima, and St. Martin de Porres.
He built roads, schoolhouses and chapels, many hospitals and convents, and at Lima, in 1591, founded the first seminary in the Western hemisphere. He inaugurated the first part of the third Lima Cathedral on February 2, 1604.
Turibius was seen as a champion of the rights of the natives against the Spanish masters. There was great opposition to him from the governors of Peru whose authority he challenged. He learned local dialects so that he could communicate with and convert the natives.
He is said to have predicted the day and hour of his death, years before he died.
Towards the end of his life, Turibius contracted fever at Pacasmayo, but continued to work to the last. He arrived at Sana (or Saña) when he was critically ill. Dragging himself to the sanctuary he received the Viaticum, dying shortly after on March 23, 1606
He was canonized in 1726.
Saint Turibius,
Pray for us!
The_Reginator
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Uh-oh.
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odhiambo
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O
odhiambo
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25 March
Today is the Feast day of
**Saint Catherine of Genoa **
Among many other saints.
Today is the Feast day of
**Saint Catherine of Genoa **
Among many other saints.
O
odhiambo
Guest
Saint Catherine of Genoa (Caterina Fieschi Adorno)
Mystic.
Catherine was born in Genoa in 1447 to an aristocratic family. She was the youngest of five children. Her parents were Jacopo Fieschi and Francesca di Negro, both of illustrious Italian birth. Her family had papal connections, and Jacopo became Viceroy of Naples.
When Catherine was 13 years old, she wanted to enter a convent, like her sister Limbania who was an Augustinian nun. She was however refused admission because of her youth. She accepted this decision and thought no more of it.
When she was 14 years old, her father died. Two years later at age 16, for political and financial reasons, her brother arranged her marriage to Giuliano Adorno, a member of a rival family. The marriage was not a happy one. Giuliano was unfaithful, vile-tempered, and a spendthrift, who made the life of his wife a misery. The marriage was not fruitful although her husband had at least one child by a mistress.
Ten years after her marriage, when she was now 26 years old, Catherine experienced a religious conversion.
She was converted by a mystical experience on 22 March 1473. Her conversion is described as an overpowering sense of God’s love for her. This marked the beginning of her life of close union with God in prayer.
She began to receive Communion almost daily, a practice noted as rare for lay people at the time. She also underwent remarkable mental experiences. At about the same time of her conversion, her husband became bankrupt. Catherine began a life of social work, going into Genoa’s slums to help the sick and poor.
By 1477, Catherine’s husband had begun to help with her work. He later became a Franciscan tertiary (a lay person affiliated with the order). Catherine herself never became associated with any religious order. In 1479 the couple moved into rooms near the large Pammatone Hospital for the poor of Genoa and worked there, without pay.
In 1490, Catherine became the director of the hospital, and worked successfully to improve the institution’s financial situation. Three years later in 1493, the plague came to Genoa. 80% of those who stayed in the city died from the disease. Catherine supervised those who were taking care of the dying. Her husband was one of these people. In 1496 her husband died and she resigned her position as director, although she continued working full time until 1499, when her own health began to fail.
During the ten years before her death, Catherine wrote Trattato del Purgatorio, describing her beliefs about Purgatory.She saw purgatory as a place of joy rather than a place of physical suffering. She also wrote what would become the first part of Dialogo Spirituale: a book embodying the internal conflict she had undergone between her spiritual goals and her bodily desires. It was also during this period that she accepted, for the first time, a spiritual director, her successor as head of the hospital, Father Marabotti.
Catherine died on 15 September 1510. In 1551, 41 years after her death, a book about her life and teaching was published, entitled Libro de la vita mirabile et dottrina santa de la Beata Caterinetta de Genoa.
Her writings were examined by the Holy Office and pronounced to contain doctrine that would be enough, in itself, to prove her sanctity.
She was beatified in 1675 by Pope Clement X, and canonized in 1737 by Pope Clement XII. Her writings also became sources of inspiration for other religious leaders such as Saints Robert Bellarmine and Francis de Sales and Cardinal Henry Edward Manning… Pope Pius XII declared her patroness of the hospitals in Italy.
Saint Catherine,
Pray for us!
Mystic.
Catherine was born in Genoa in 1447 to an aristocratic family. She was the youngest of five children. Her parents were Jacopo Fieschi and Francesca di Negro, both of illustrious Italian birth. Her family had papal connections, and Jacopo became Viceroy of Naples.
When Catherine was 13 years old, she wanted to enter a convent, like her sister Limbania who was an Augustinian nun. She was however refused admission because of her youth. She accepted this decision and thought no more of it.
When she was 14 years old, her father died. Two years later at age 16, for political and financial reasons, her brother arranged her marriage to Giuliano Adorno, a member of a rival family. The marriage was not a happy one. Giuliano was unfaithful, vile-tempered, and a spendthrift, who made the life of his wife a misery. The marriage was not fruitful although her husband had at least one child by a mistress.
Ten years after her marriage, when she was now 26 years old, Catherine experienced a religious conversion.
She was converted by a mystical experience on 22 March 1473. Her conversion is described as an overpowering sense of God’s love for her. This marked the beginning of her life of close union with God in prayer.
She began to receive Communion almost daily, a practice noted as rare for lay people at the time. She also underwent remarkable mental experiences. At about the same time of her conversion, her husband became bankrupt. Catherine began a life of social work, going into Genoa’s slums to help the sick and poor.
By 1477, Catherine’s husband had begun to help with her work. He later became a Franciscan tertiary (a lay person affiliated with the order). Catherine herself never became associated with any religious order. In 1479 the couple moved into rooms near the large Pammatone Hospital for the poor of Genoa and worked there, without pay.
In 1490, Catherine became the director of the hospital, and worked successfully to improve the institution’s financial situation. Three years later in 1493, the plague came to Genoa. 80% of those who stayed in the city died from the disease. Catherine supervised those who were taking care of the dying. Her husband was one of these people. In 1496 her husband died and she resigned her position as director, although she continued working full time until 1499, when her own health began to fail.
During the ten years before her death, Catherine wrote Trattato del Purgatorio, describing her beliefs about Purgatory.She saw purgatory as a place of joy rather than a place of physical suffering. She also wrote what would become the first part of Dialogo Spirituale: a book embodying the internal conflict she had undergone between her spiritual goals and her bodily desires. It was also during this period that she accepted, for the first time, a spiritual director, her successor as head of the hospital, Father Marabotti.
Catherine died on 15 September 1510. In 1551, 41 years after her death, a book about her life and teaching was published, entitled Libro de la vita mirabile et dottrina santa de la Beata Caterinetta de Genoa.
Her writings were examined by the Holy Office and pronounced to contain doctrine that would be enough, in itself, to prove her sanctity.
She was beatified in 1675 by Pope Clement X, and canonized in 1737 by Pope Clement XII. Her writings also became sources of inspiration for other religious leaders such as Saints Robert Bellarmine and Francis de Sales and Cardinal Henry Edward Manning… Pope Pius XII declared her patroness of the hospitals in Italy.
Saint Catherine,
Pray for us!
O
odhiambo
Guest
24 April
Today is also the Feast day of
Saint Gabriel the Archangel.
Today is also the Feast day of
Saint Gabriel the Archangel.
O
odhiambo
Guest
Gabriel, Archangel is the “Angel of the Annunciation”.
He announced the coming of Christ in the Old Testament.
He is the Angel sent to Zachariah (Lk 1:11-19).
He told Zachariah, “I am Gabriel, I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to convey to you this good news.”(Lk 1: 19).
The good news was the birth of Saint John the Baptist; Zachariah was to finally become a father.
In the Book of Daniel, he was sent to explain Daniel’s vision of a Ram and a Goat. (8:16, 9:21).
In traditional angelology, Gabriel is also believed to guard the Tree of Life and may have been the heavenly being who expelled Adam and Eve from Aden.
He is usually depicted as a hansome archangel, holding a scroll emblazoned with the Ave Maria.
Gabriel is patron of modern telecommunications and of postal services.
His emblem is a spear and a shield emblazoned with a lily.
Saint Gabriel,
Pray for us!
He announced the coming of Christ in the Old Testament.
He is the Angel sent to Zachariah (Lk 1:11-19).
He told Zachariah, “I am Gabriel, I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to convey to you this good news.”(Lk 1: 19).
The good news was the birth of Saint John the Baptist; Zachariah was to finally become a father.
In the Book of Daniel, he was sent to explain Daniel’s vision of a Ram and a Goat. (8:16, 9:21).
In traditional angelology, Gabriel is also believed to guard the Tree of Life and may have been the heavenly being who expelled Adam and Eve from Aden.
He is usually depicted as a hansome archangel, holding a scroll emblazoned with the Ave Maria.
Gabriel is patron of modern telecommunications and of postal services.
His emblem is a spear and a shield emblazoned with a lily.
Saint Gabriel,
Pray for us!
S
Shin
Guest
Some great quotes of the saint:
‘The great importance of purgatory, neither mind can conceive nor tongue describe. I see only that its pains are as great as those of hell; and yet I see that a soul, stained with the slightest fault, receiving this mercy, counts its pains as naught in comparison with this hindrance to her love. And I know that the greatest misery of the souls in purgatory is to behold in themselves aught that displeases God, and to discover that, in spite of his goodness, they had consented to it. And this is because, being in the state of grace, they see the reality and the importance of the impediments which hinder their approach to God.’
St. Catherine of Genoa
‘From this judgment there is no appeal, for after death the freedom of the will can never return, but the will is confirmed in that state in which it is found at death. The souls in hell, having been found at that hour with the will to sin, have the guilt and the punishment always with them, and although this punishment is not so great as they deserve, yet it is eternal.’
St. Catherine of Genoa
‘Oh, what peril attaches to sin willfully committed! For it is so difficult for man to bring himself to penance, and without penitence guilt remains and will ever remain, so long as man retains unchanged the will to sin, or is intent upon committing it.’
St. Catherine of Genoa
‘There is no doubt that, if man could perceive the many difficulties thrown by self-love in the way of his own good, he would no longer allow himself to be deceived by it; and its malignity is the more to be dreaded because it is so powerful that were but one grain of it in the world would be sufficient to corrupt all mankind. Wherefore I conclude that self-love is the root of all evils which exist in this world and in the other. Behold Lucifer, whose present state is the result of following the suggestions of his self-love; and in ourselves it seems to me even worse. Our father Adam has so contaminated us that to my eyes the evil appears almost incurable, for it so penetrates our veins, our nerves, our bones, that we can neither say nor think nor do anything which is not full of the poison of this love - not even those thoughts and deeds which are directed toward the purification of the spirit.’
St. Catherine of Genoa
‘I do not wish a love which may be described as for God, or in God. I cannot see those words, for and in, without their suggesting to me that something may intervene between God and me; and that is what pure and simple love, by reason of its purity and simplicity, is unable to endure. This purity and simplicity is as great as God is, for it is his own.’
St. Catherine of Genoa
‘. . . when I see man fix his affections on creatures, even, as he sometimes does, on a dog or a cat, or any other created thing, delighting greatly in it, doing all that he can to serve it, unable to admit into his heart any other love, and as it were, breathing by it, I long to exterminate these things which hold him thus employed and cause him to lose the great reward of the love of God which alone can satisfy and make him happy.’
St. Catherine of Genoa
‘If man clearly saw that by well-doing he could gain eternal life, and could imagine how great the happiness of heaven will be, he would always persevere in good; and even should he live until the end of the world, he would never occupy his memory, intellect, or will on any but celestial things. . . On the other hand, if man could know how greatly he must suffer hereafter for his sins, hold it for certain that for very fear he would not only abandon all things, but that he would not commit the smallest sin.’
St. Catherine of Genoa
‘When I see that God is ever ready to give us all the interior and exterior aids necessary for our salvation, and that he observes our deeds solely for our own good; when, on the other hand, I see man continually occupied in useless things, contrary to himself and of no value; and that at the hour of death God will say to him: “What is there, O man, that I could have done for thee which I have not done?” and that man will clearly know this to be true; I believe that he will have to render a stricter account for this than for all other sins, and I am amazed and cannot understand how man can be so mad as to neglect a thing of such vast and extreme importance.’
St. Catherine of Genoa
‘The great importance of purgatory, neither mind can conceive nor tongue describe. I see only that its pains are as great as those of hell; and yet I see that a soul, stained with the slightest fault, receiving this mercy, counts its pains as naught in comparison with this hindrance to her love. And I know that the greatest misery of the souls in purgatory is to behold in themselves aught that displeases God, and to discover that, in spite of his goodness, they had consented to it. And this is because, being in the state of grace, they see the reality and the importance of the impediments which hinder their approach to God.’
St. Catherine of Genoa
‘From this judgment there is no appeal, for after death the freedom of the will can never return, but the will is confirmed in that state in which it is found at death. The souls in hell, having been found at that hour with the will to sin, have the guilt and the punishment always with them, and although this punishment is not so great as they deserve, yet it is eternal.’
St. Catherine of Genoa
‘Oh, what peril attaches to sin willfully committed! For it is so difficult for man to bring himself to penance, and without penitence guilt remains and will ever remain, so long as man retains unchanged the will to sin, or is intent upon committing it.’
St. Catherine of Genoa
‘There is no doubt that, if man could perceive the many difficulties thrown by self-love in the way of his own good, he would no longer allow himself to be deceived by it; and its malignity is the more to be dreaded because it is so powerful that were but one grain of it in the world would be sufficient to corrupt all mankind. Wherefore I conclude that self-love is the root of all evils which exist in this world and in the other. Behold Lucifer, whose present state is the result of following the suggestions of his self-love; and in ourselves it seems to me even worse. Our father Adam has so contaminated us that to my eyes the evil appears almost incurable, for it so penetrates our veins, our nerves, our bones, that we can neither say nor think nor do anything which is not full of the poison of this love - not even those thoughts and deeds which are directed toward the purification of the spirit.’
St. Catherine of Genoa
‘I do not wish a love which may be described as for God, or in God. I cannot see those words, for and in, without their suggesting to me that something may intervene between God and me; and that is what pure and simple love, by reason of its purity and simplicity, is unable to endure. This purity and simplicity is as great as God is, for it is his own.’
St. Catherine of Genoa
‘. . . when I see man fix his affections on creatures, even, as he sometimes does, on a dog or a cat, or any other created thing, delighting greatly in it, doing all that he can to serve it, unable to admit into his heart any other love, and as it were, breathing by it, I long to exterminate these things which hold him thus employed and cause him to lose the great reward of the love of God which alone can satisfy and make him happy.’
St. Catherine of Genoa
‘If man clearly saw that by well-doing he could gain eternal life, and could imagine how great the happiness of heaven will be, he would always persevere in good; and even should he live until the end of the world, he would never occupy his memory, intellect, or will on any but celestial things. . . On the other hand, if man could know how greatly he must suffer hereafter for his sins, hold it for certain that for very fear he would not only abandon all things, but that he would not commit the smallest sin.’
St. Catherine of Genoa
‘When I see that God is ever ready to give us all the interior and exterior aids necessary for our salvation, and that he observes our deeds solely for our own good; when, on the other hand, I see man continually occupied in useless things, contrary to himself and of no value; and that at the hour of death God will say to him: “What is there, O man, that I could have done for thee which I have not done?” and that man will clearly know this to be true; I believe that he will have to render a stricter account for this than for all other sins, and I am amazed and cannot understand how man can be so mad as to neglect a thing of such vast and extreme importance.’
St. Catherine of Genoa
O
odhiambo
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25 March
Today is2 the The Solemnity of
The Annunciation of the Lord.
Today is2 the The Solemnity of
The Annunciation of the Lord.
O
odhiambo
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O
odhiambo
Guest
The Feast of the Annunciation
The Feast of the Annunciation commemorates the angel Gabriel’s announcement to Mary
that she would conceive Jesus, and the conception of Jesus by the Holy Spirit at that moment. The feast on this day, March 25th, is celebrated 9 months before Jesus’ birth at Christmas.
The story of the Annunciation, meaning the announcing, from the Latin annuntiare, is told in Luke’s gospel. At the Annunciation, the angel Gabriel announces to Mary that she will conceive a Son, and his name will be Jesus. His greeting, “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you” has echoed down through the ages in many prayers, and is known as the “Hail Mary.” Mary is initially confused as to how she will bear God’s Son, seeing as she is a virgin. The angel then explains that the Holy Spirit would come upon her. This is why when we recite the Nicene creed we say “by the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary and became man.” The Apostles Creed likewise affirms that Jesus was “conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Thus, the Feast of the Annunciation is the beginning of Jesus’ miraculous life, and it begins with the the Blessed Virgin conceiving Jesus by the Holy Spirit’s power
Mary’s response to the angel, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word,” (Latin: ecce ancilla Domini; fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum) is a statement of humble faith, and a model for how we are to respond when God calls us to do what seems impossible. This response is called Mary’s fiat, from the Latin word meaning “let it be done.” The Catechism addresses the significance of Mary’s faith in relation to her role as Christ’s mother:
By pronouncing her “fiat” at the Annunciation and giving her consent to the Incarnation, Mary was already collaborating with the whole work her Son was to accomplish. She is mother wherever he is Savior and head of the Mystical Body
The Feast of the Annunciation commemorates the angel Gabriel’s announcement to Mary
that she would conceive Jesus, and the conception of Jesus by the Holy Spirit at that moment. The feast on this day, March 25th, is celebrated 9 months before Jesus’ birth at Christmas.
The story of the Annunciation, meaning the announcing, from the Latin annuntiare, is told in Luke’s gospel. At the Annunciation, the angel Gabriel announces to Mary that she will conceive a Son, and his name will be Jesus. His greeting, “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you” has echoed down through the ages in many prayers, and is known as the “Hail Mary.” Mary is initially confused as to how she will bear God’s Son, seeing as she is a virgin. The angel then explains that the Holy Spirit would come upon her. This is why when we recite the Nicene creed we say “by the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary and became man.” The Apostles Creed likewise affirms that Jesus was “conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Thus, the Feast of the Annunciation is the beginning of Jesus’ miraculous life, and it begins with the the Blessed Virgin conceiving Jesus by the Holy Spirit’s power
Mary’s response to the angel, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word,” (Latin: ecce ancilla Domini; fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum) is a statement of humble faith, and a model for how we are to respond when God calls us to do what seems impossible. This response is called Mary’s fiat, from the Latin word meaning “let it be done.” The Catechism addresses the significance of Mary’s faith in relation to her role as Christ’s mother:
By pronouncing her “fiat” at the Annunciation and giving her consent to the Incarnation, Mary was already collaborating with the whole work her Son was to accomplish. She is mother wherever he is Savior and head of the Mystical Body
O
odhiambo
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Note:
The Feast of the Annunciation is one of the 4 “Quarter Days” in the Church. These are days which fall around the equinoxes or solstices, and mark the beginnings of the natural seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. These Quarter Days were Christian feast days used in medieval times to mark “quarters” for legal purposes. The other Quarter Days are the Nativity of St. John the Baptist (June 24), Michaelmas (September 29), and Christmas (December 25).
The Feast of the Annunciation is one of the 4 “Quarter Days” in the Church. These are days which fall around the equinoxes or solstices, and mark the beginnings of the natural seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. These Quarter Days were Christian feast days used in medieval times to mark “quarters” for legal purposes. The other Quarter Days are the Nativity of St. John the Baptist (June 24), Michaelmas (September 29), and Christmas (December 25).
K
kelvinf
Guest
“The Annunciation” by Henry Ossawa Tanner
S
Shin
Guest
‘This day (the Annunciation) is the beginning of our salvation. On this day the Son of God, who was anterior to all time, becomes the Son of Man. This day is the beginning of the restoration of human nature, and of the blotting out of the sin of creation. On this day our nature has been sanctified by the indwelling in it of its Creator. On this day it has been raised to the dignity of holding dominion over archangels. On this day the time predicted by the prophets is fully come. This is the day which saints have desired to see. On this day Adam has built a temple for his Creator in one of his own daughters, in which He might deign to dwell concealed, and thus become our Redeemer. This temple is Mary, the virgin; precious, blessed, and holy, the pure and stainless offshoot of Adam’s nature, the Queen of the whole family of men. So pure that none can be found purer in the whole human race; so holy that none among all intelligent creatures shall ever surpass her in holiness. She is the glory of the people of Israel, and the light of the house of David. This is she, the Beauty whose purity the Heavenly King desired, sending to her His ministering spirit Gabriel to salute her with a salutation of great joy, and to acquaint her that she has been chosen by her Creator, saying, “Hail full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women!”’
St. John Damascene
‘By the Angelic Salutation God became man, a virgin became the Mother of God, the souls of the just were delivered from Limbo, the empty thrones in heaven have been filled, sin has been pardoned, grace been given to us, the sick been made well, the dead brought back to life, exiles brought home, the Blessed Trinity has been appeased, and men obtained eternal life.’
‘Just as the Angelic Salutation gave glory to the Blessed Trinity, it is also the very highest praise that we can give to Mary.’
St. Louis Marie de Montfort
‘When you say to me, “Blessed art thou among women,” I praise the mercy of God who has raised me to this exalted degree of happiness.’
‘And at the words, “Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus,” the whole of heaven rejoices with me to see my Son Jesus adored and glorified for having saved mankind."’
Our Lady speaking of the Ave Maria to St. Mechtilde
St. John Damascene
‘By the Angelic Salutation God became man, a virgin became the Mother of God, the souls of the just were delivered from Limbo, the empty thrones in heaven have been filled, sin has been pardoned, grace been given to us, the sick been made well, the dead brought back to life, exiles brought home, the Blessed Trinity has been appeased, and men obtained eternal life.’
‘Just as the Angelic Salutation gave glory to the Blessed Trinity, it is also the very highest praise that we can give to Mary.’
St. Louis Marie de Montfort
‘When you say to me, “Blessed art thou among women,” I praise the mercy of God who has raised me to this exalted degree of happiness.’
‘And at the words, “Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus,” the whole of heaven rejoices with me to see my Son Jesus adored and glorified for having saved mankind."’
Our Lady speaking of the Ave Maria to St. Mechtilde
The_Reginator
Active member
Prayer to Our Lady of the Annunciation
Queen of heaven and earth,
daughter of the Father,
Mother of the divine Son,
spouse of the Holy Spirit,
I praise God for the unique grace given to you.
Mary, you became the great Mother of our divine Savior,
our Master, true Light of the world,
uncreated Wisdom, source of all truth and first Apostle of truth.
You gave the world the book to read, the eternal Word.
For this I bless the holy Trinity
and I ask you to obtain for me
the grace of heavenly wisdom,
to be a fervent disciple of Jesus
and to be lovingly devoted to the Church,
the pillar of truth.
Make the light of the Gospel
shine to the farthest bounds of the earth.
Queen of the Apostles, pray for us!
Prayer Source: Fr. James Alberione SSP
Queen of heaven and earth,
daughter of the Father,
Mother of the divine Son,
spouse of the Holy Spirit,
I praise God for the unique grace given to you.
Mary, you became the great Mother of our divine Savior,
our Master, true Light of the world,
uncreated Wisdom, source of all truth and first Apostle of truth.
You gave the world the book to read, the eternal Word.
For this I bless the holy Trinity
and I ask you to obtain for me
the grace of heavenly wisdom,
to be a fervent disciple of Jesus
and to be lovingly devoted to the Church,
the pillar of truth.
Make the light of the Gospel
shine to the farthest bounds of the earth.
Queen of the Apostles, pray for us!
Prayer Source: Fr. James Alberione SSP
O
odhiambo
Guest
26 March
Today is the Feast day of
Blessed Didacus of Cadiz
Among many other saints
Today is the Feast day of
Blessed Didacus of Cadiz
Among many other saints
O
odhiambo
Guest
**Didacus Joseph of Cadiz (Diego José)
**
Didicus was born on March 29, 1743, in Cadiz, Spain. He was baptized Joseph Francis. His lineage is said to date from the Visigoth kings. His parents were devout Christians and Didicus was brought up in the ways of the Lord, and remained thus throughout his life.
When he was old enough, Joseph learned how to serve Mass at the Franciscan church which was close by. He learned to love the Mass. He used to get up early so that he could be at the church each morning to wait for the doors to be unlocked. He never missed a day.
One of the priests or brothers gave Joseph a book about the lives of the Capuchin saints. He read it over and over. Joseph learned every story in that book. He grew to love the holy men who were poor and humble just like Jesus.
As a youth, Joseph was a bit of a slow learner at school, receiving the nickname of the “dunce of Cadiz”.
It was not surprising that Joseph decided to become a religious. Since he attended a Capuchin church and was an avid reader of the lives of the Capuchin Saints, his decision to become a Franciscan was also not surprising.
He was, however initially rejected by the Franciscan Order (Order of Friars Minor) due to his perceived limitation of intellect. He was, however, accepted by the Capuchin Friars and entered their novitiate in Seville, Spain, where he was given the name “Didacus”. Later he was ordained to the priesthood.
His first appointment was to the task of preaching. His biographers stated that the congregations marveled at the singular power of his words, which swayed his audiences and left an impression on their lives.
Joseph loved preaching, and as it soon became evident that he had wonderful gifts for preaching the Word of God, he was sent out to preach to the people the Good News of Jesus. He travelled throughout Spain teaching and preaching in remote villages and crowded towns. His homilies were so clear and kind that people listened.
Everyone marvelled at the singular power and sweetness of his words, which swayed his audiences and left marked impressions on their lives. They even brought friends to listen. Soon an ordinary church was too small for the crowds. When Father Didacus was preaching, the talks were held outdoors, usually in the town square or in the streets.
Father Didacus loved to preach about the Blessed Trinity. He was popularly called “The Apostle of the Holy Trinity”, because of his devotion to the mystery of the Divine Persons, three in one God, and the clever way he included the theological dogma of the Blessed Trinity as part of his edifying sermons.
Didacus also was capable of touching the heart of those who came to him for confession. He also found time to visit prisons and hospitals and engage in other works of charity, whilst a great part of the nights he spent in prayer.
Didacus died in 1801, in the 58th year of his highly blessed life, and was beatified by Pope Leo XIII in 1894.
He became known as the saviour of the faith in Spain, a second Paul, and as the apostle of his century.
Blessed Didacus,
Pray for us!
**
Didicus was born on March 29, 1743, in Cadiz, Spain. He was baptized Joseph Francis. His lineage is said to date from the Visigoth kings. His parents were devout Christians and Didicus was brought up in the ways of the Lord, and remained thus throughout his life.
When he was old enough, Joseph learned how to serve Mass at the Franciscan church which was close by. He learned to love the Mass. He used to get up early so that he could be at the church each morning to wait for the doors to be unlocked. He never missed a day.
One of the priests or brothers gave Joseph a book about the lives of the Capuchin saints. He read it over and over. Joseph learned every story in that book. He grew to love the holy men who were poor and humble just like Jesus.
As a youth, Joseph was a bit of a slow learner at school, receiving the nickname of the “dunce of Cadiz”.
It was not surprising that Joseph decided to become a religious. Since he attended a Capuchin church and was an avid reader of the lives of the Capuchin Saints, his decision to become a Franciscan was also not surprising.
He was, however initially rejected by the Franciscan Order (Order of Friars Minor) due to his perceived limitation of intellect. He was, however, accepted by the Capuchin Friars and entered their novitiate in Seville, Spain, where he was given the name “Didacus”. Later he was ordained to the priesthood.
His first appointment was to the task of preaching. His biographers stated that the congregations marveled at the singular power of his words, which swayed his audiences and left an impression on their lives.
Joseph loved preaching, and as it soon became evident that he had wonderful gifts for preaching the Word of God, he was sent out to preach to the people the Good News of Jesus. He travelled throughout Spain teaching and preaching in remote villages and crowded towns. His homilies were so clear and kind that people listened.
Everyone marvelled at the singular power and sweetness of his words, which swayed his audiences and left marked impressions on their lives. They even brought friends to listen. Soon an ordinary church was too small for the crowds. When Father Didacus was preaching, the talks were held outdoors, usually in the town square or in the streets.
Father Didacus loved to preach about the Blessed Trinity. He was popularly called “The Apostle of the Holy Trinity”, because of his devotion to the mystery of the Divine Persons, three in one God, and the clever way he included the theological dogma of the Blessed Trinity as part of his edifying sermons.
Didacus also was capable of touching the heart of those who came to him for confession. He also found time to visit prisons and hospitals and engage in other works of charity, whilst a great part of the nights he spent in prayer.
Didacus died in 1801, in the 58th year of his highly blessed life, and was beatified by Pope Leo XIII in 1894.
He became known as the saviour of the faith in Spain, a second Paul, and as the apostle of his century.
Blessed Didacus,
Pray for us!
- Status