Saint of the day and Feast days-Part 2

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Today is St. Matthias’ day. I feel like we all have a lot in common with St. Matthias, he was an apostle that was only mentioned once in the Scriptures in Acts 1:23-26. We know nothing about him other than he replaced Judas. This is why I feel I have a lot in common with him, because he was “insignificant” to history, at the same time significant to his time and significant to God.

So they put forward two men, Joseph called Barsabbas (who was also called Justus), and Matthias. And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two You have chosen to occupy this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” And they drew lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles.

wau.org/meditations/current/
 
Clarissa51 said:
Today is St. Matthias’ day. I feel like we all have a lot in common with St. Matthias, he was an apostle that was only mentioned once in the Scriptures in Acts 1:23-26. We know nothing about him other than he replaced Judas. This is why I feel I have a lot in common with him, because he was “insignificant” to history, at the same time significant to his time and significant to God.

So they put forward two men, Joseph called Barsabbas (who was also called Justus), and Matthias. And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two You have chosen to occupy this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” And they drew lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles.

wau.org/meditations/current/
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You are right!
May 14
Today is the Feast day of
Saint Matthias the Apostle
Among many other saints.
 
Saint Matthias.
Matthias was originally one of the 70 disciples of Jesus. Following the
Ascension of Jesus, Peter saw a need to replace Judas Iscariot , Our Lord’s
betrayer now dead. He proposed to the disciples who had gathered in Jerusalem at
this time, to choose one man from among themselves who would number among the
Apostles. . Two disciples, Joseph Barsabas, and Matthias were selected, and the
disciples voted in favour of Matthias who then joined the eleven Apostles.
Little is known of his missionary work other than that he preached the Gospel
for more than 30 years in Judea, Cappadocia, Egypt and Ethiopia.
Matthias was stoned to death in the year 80 (Place of stoning not clear to me. It
was either in Jerusalem or Ethiopia), and then beheaded.
Saint Hellen brought his relics back to Rome. A portion of the relics was
transferred to Trier,Germany, still
others in Saint Mary Major in Rome, Italy.
His canonization was Pre-Congregation.
He is invoked against alcoholism and smallpox( now eradicated), among others.
Saint Matthias,
Pray for us!

.
 
Saint Dymphna.
Martyr.

Saint Dymphna is known to us today because Pierre, a canon of the church of Saint Aubert at Cambrai, between 1238-47, decided to write her biography from the oral tradition that was present at the time.
According to the oral tradition as penned by Pierre, Dymphna was the daughter of a pagan King of Ireland named Damon and his beautiful and devoted wife. The wife was a Christian and so was Dymphna. Dymphna’s mother was of extraordinary beauty. She died when Dymphna was fourteen. Damon was devastated by his loss. He sent envoys throughout his own land and beyond, to find a woman of noble birth, resembling his late wife, who would be willing to marry him. None was found. He now turned his attention to his daughter who was a very beautiful girl and resembled her mother. Maddened by grief, Damon made improper advances to his daughter.This unfortunate occurrence resulted in Dymphna fleeing her home, in the company of her confessor, Saint Gerebernus, and two companions, to put distance between her and her father. They went to Antwerp, Belgium, to the village of Gheel. There, they settled near a Chapel, St. Martin’s Chapel and started a life like that of hermits.
Unfortunataly, they were hunted down by Damon. He commanded his servants to slay the priest and the other two companions. He commanded Dymphna to return to Ireland with him but when she refused, he drew his sword and struck off her head. She was just fifteen years old and the year was around 620.
The relics of the four martyrs were discovered at Gheel, near Amsterdam, in the thirteenth century , and many miracles were soon reported among those afflicted with epilepsy, insanity and possession. An asylum, built on the very spot of the discovery at Gheel, still stands and continues its work among the mentally ill.

Her canonization was Pre-Congregation
She is invoked against a host of problems including epilepsy and insanity.

Saint Dymphna,
Pray for us!
 
May 16

Today is the Feast day of
Saint John Nepomucene
Among many other saints.
 
**Saint John Nepomucene.
**
John was born in 1330 or 1340 at Nepomuc in Bohemia, now the Czech Republic. His given name was John Wolflin.
His parents were poor but pious people and the baby John was a blessing in answer to their prayers. To show their gratitude, his parents consecrated John to God. In his childhood too, he was sick and again his parents asked God to cure him, which He did.
John in time became a priest. He led a holy life as a priest and this led to his appointment as chaplain to the court of the Emperor Wenceslaus (King Wenceslaus IV.) where he converted many by his preaching and example.
Saint John was a confessor and counselor to the queen. King Wenceslaus IV was a very jealous man, no matter that his jealousy was completely unfounded. Saint John advised her to accept gladly this cross that the Lord had allowed.
The queen’s piety so inflamed the King‘s jealousy that he demanded to know the details of her confessions from the saint. When this yielded nothing, he threw John into a dungeon. That did not work either, so he promised him riches if he would yield, and threatened death if he refused. Saint John kept his peace, continuing to honor the seal of the confessional.

From .Lives of the Saints – May 16,
Saint John Nepomucene, we read:

***“ He was racked and burnt with torches; but no words except the holy names of Jesus and Mary fell from his lips. At last set free, he spent time in preaching and preparing for the death he knew to be near.

On Ascension Eve, May 16th, Wenceslaus, after a final and fruitless attempt to alter the constancy of the faithful priest, ordered him to be cast into the river. That night the martyr’s hands and feet were bound, and he was thrown from the bridge of Prague into the Moldau River. Heavenly lights shining on the water and from under it, revealed the whereabouts of the body, which was soon buried with the honors due to a Saint”
Thus the saint died from drowning on 20 March 1393.
on this night of his death, seven stars hovered over the place where he drowned as mentioned in the excerpt above.
He was beatified on 31 May 1721 by Pope Innocent XIII and canonized on 19 March 1729 by Pope Benedict XIII.
He is the patron saint of confessors.His image has been used in art as a symbol of the sacrament of Confession.

He is invoked against floods and in other calamities.

Saint John Nepomucene,
Pray for us!
 
May 17

Today is the Feast day of
Saint Paschal Baylon
Among many other saints.
 
Saint Paschal Baylon

http://saints.sqpn.com/saintp16.jpg

**Saint Paschal Baylon **

Paschal was born in a little village in Aragon, Spain. He was born on Pentecost Sunday and Christened Paschal in honor of the Feast. His parents, Martin and Elizabeth were poor peasants but pious and raised their son in accordance with the Catholic Faith. Keep in mind that this was a bad time for the Church; the time of the Protestant Reformation when many Catholics left the Church. They were too poor to send their son to school but Paschal learnt to read and write through his own effort.
Even as a child, Paschal showed a marked devotion to the Holy Eucharist.
He worked as a shepherd for his father, performed miracles and distinguished himself for his austerity.
When he was around 22 years old, Paschal received a vision that told him to enter a nearby Franciscan Community. In obedience to the vision, he became a Franciscan lay brother of the strict Alcantarine Reform in 1564 and served mostly in the capacity of door keeper at various friaries in Spain.
Paschal loved the Blessed Sacrament. While on a mission to France in 1570, he so ardently defended the doctrine of the Real Presence against a Calvinist Preacher that he was all but lynched by a hostile mob.

Paschal died on 15 May 1592 on the feast of Pentecost, at Villa Reale in Spain . He died of natural causes.
He was beatified on 29 October 1618 by Pope Paul V and canonized on 16 October 1690 by Pope Alexander VIII.
He is the patron of cooks
Eucharistic congresses and organizations and shepherds, and others.
In art, he is represented by a man in adoration before a vision of the Host.
For a more comprehensive account of this Saint, please refer to the given link. It is worth reading.

Saint Paschal Baylon

Saint Paschal Baylon,
Pray for Us.
 
**Saint Paschal had set himself the following code of conduct:
**

“1. I should think of myself as a rotting, smelling, dead person.
  1. If anyone hurts me, I deserve it, because I am a sinner. They can tear out my eyes, cut off my ears and tongue, and injure my whole body.
  2. I should not be angry if others think the same, about these two points. I should think it a favour, if I am told to do penance and make sacrifices.
  3. If I get discouraged when doing penance or making sacrifices, I should think of Jesus who was innocent and suffered because He loved me.”
 
May 18

Today is the Feast day of
Pope. Saint John I
Amomg many other saints.
 
Pope Saint John I

Pope John was born in Tuscany, Italy. His father was a man named Constantius. Not much is available of his life before the papacy. We do know that he became a priest while he was still a young man. He was soon appointed archdeacon and held this office for several years before his election to succeed Pope Saint Hormisdas in 523.
In 525, the Arian king, Theodoric, who had been ruling Italy for many years, sent the Pope to Constantinople to see the Emperor Justin and ask him to reverse his edict against the Arians which had been enacted two years previously. The edict required Arians to give back churches which they had taken from orthodox Catholics.
Much against his will, the Pope went to see the Emperor. He was the first pontiff to visit Constantinople. He was received as the Successor of Peter most of the bishops of the East affirmed their communion with him and his precedence as Bishop of Rome.
It was the Pope who presided over the Easter liturgy in Constantinople on April 19, 526. Even the Emperor Justin prostrated himself at the Pope’s feet.
As for the main purpose of his visit to Constantinople, Theodoric had wanted a reversal of Justin’s policy. What the Pope did, however, was to counsel the Emperor Justin to be gentler in his overzealous dealings with the Arians.
The mission was successful, but Theodoric mistrusted the friendly relations between the Pope and the emperor, thinking there was a conspiracy against him.
On his return home, no sooner had he reached Ravenna, than he was seized and cast into prison. He died in prison on18 May 526 of thirst and starvation
His body was taken to Rome where he now lies buried in the basilica of St. Peter
Pope Saint John’s canonication was Pre-Congregation .
In his short pontificate ( 523-526), Pope John I convoked the Council of Orange; he fixed the date of Easter and promoted Latin Chant in the liturgy.

Pope Saint John I,
Pray for us!

Ref:
Saints of the Liturgical Year
A Paulines Publication for Africa.
 
I come today with a question.

I finally opened an emailed newsletter containing a “novena of the week”. Being a novena I wanted to learn more before the feast day (May 24), even though it’s too late to pray once daily for nine days.
This is a feast I’ve never heard of: Our Lady of Sheshan. Are other people aware of Our Lady of Sheshan?
Here’s the prayer.
Here’s the link to the novena.

From the link to the novena:
In May 2008, Pope Benedict XVI released the text of a Prayer to Our Lady of Sheshan that he had composed. Our Lady of Sheshan is a Chinese title for Our Lady Help of Christians, whose most famous shrine in China is at Sheshan. Since the Feast of Our Lady Help of Christians is May 24, the Holy Father designated that date as a World Day of Prayer for the Church in China and asked that his newly composed prayer be recited every year on that day.
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The_Reginator said:
I come today with a question.

I finally opened an emailed newsletter containing a “novena of the week”. Being a novena I wanted to learn more before the feast day (May 24), even though it’s too late to pray once daily for nine days.
This is a feast I’ve never heard of: Our Lady of Sheshan. Are other people aware of Our Lady of Sheshan?
Here’s the prayer.
Here’s the link to the novena.
From the link to the novena:
Click to expand...
Hi Reginator.
I have never heard of this feast of Our Lady of Sheshan.
All I knew was that May 24 is the feast day of Our Lady Help of Christians.
Thanks to your given link, I now know a little more about this day.
Sorry I could not help you out.
Calling Shin to the rescue:D
 
The_Reginator said:
I come today with a question.

I finally opened an emailed newsletter containing a “novena of the week”. Being a novena I wanted to learn more before the feast day (May 24), even though it’s too late to pray once daily for nine days.
This is a feast I’ve never heard of: Our Lady of Sheshan. Are other people aware of Our Lady of Sheshan?
Here’s the prayer.
Here’s the link to the novena.

From the link to the novena:
Click to expand...
We will be sure to recite the Pope’s Prayer on that day.🙂
 
May 19
Today is the Feast day of
Pope Saint Celestine V
Among many other saints.
 
Pope Saint Celestine V
Also known as :
Peter Celestine.
Peter Morrone.
Pietro del Morrone.

Peter Celestine was born in 1215 in Isernia, in Italy. He
was born of humble parentage and into a very large family of twelve children. He
was the last but one to be born. His given name was Peter Celestine di Morone.
Father died when he was still young.
Peter knew about saints while still a child. It is said that when his mother
used to ask her children, “Which one of you is going to become a saint?” Little Peter
would answer "Me, Mama! I’ll become a saint!” To show that he meant it, Peter became a Benedictine at the age of seventeen, and was ordained priest at Rome.
Peter loved solitude and this love drove him at first into the wilderness of
Monte Morone. Later, he sought even wilder territory and found it in the region of
Mount Majella where he lived as John the Baptist did.
He wore a hair-cloth roughened with knots. He had a chain of iron encompassed
around his frame, emaciated from constant fasting. He fasted every day except
Sunday.
Most of his days and a great part of the night were consecrated to prayer and
labor.
As always happens with the saintly, they never get the solitude they crave. So
it was with Peter. Many hermits came to him for guidance, and a desire to
imitate his way of life; so much so that he was inspired to founded the Holy
Spirit Community of Majella or the Benedictine Celestines, or simply the Celestines.
Meanwhile, events were occurring in Rome that had a direct bearing on the future
of the Saint. Pope Nicholas IV died on April 4, 1292. Then followed a two year
period during which the cardinals could not decide on a pope. It seems that
Peter came to them with the message that God was not pleased with the long
delay, and guess what happened? Out of the blue, Peter Celestine was elected Pope.
Three cardinal from Rome, accompanied by huge multitude of monks and laymen, trudged their way up Monte Morone to informed the astonished Peter that he had been elevated to Pope by a unanimous vote of the Sacred College and humbly begged him to accept the honour. He did, albeit reluctantly.
He was installed as Pope on August 29, 1294. He was 84 years old at the time.
The primary objective of his pontificate was to reform clergy, many of whom were
using spiritual power to obtain worldly power. Celestine sought a way to bring
the faithful to the original Gospel spirit. He called for a year of forgiveness
of sins, and a return to evangelical austerity and fidelity.
There was a problem, however.
He was not familiar with the papal court; he had no knowledge of Latin and there
was a lot of politics and intrigues going on in the Italian states, all
unfamiliar territory to the humble pontiff. Members of the Vatican Curia took advantage of him. This led to much mismanagement, and great uproar in the Vatican. His reign lasted a mere five months. Convinced that his resignation was in the
best interest of the Church, Celestine asked forgiveness for his mistakes, and stepped down on December 13 of that year, the only pope to ever do so.
His successor, Boniface VIII, imprisoned Celestine in the castle of Fumone,
in order to prevent his being used by the unscrupulous, against the legitimate papacy.
Celestine reportedly declared as he entered his chamber:
“A cell I have desired, and a cell they have given to me.”
He died there on May 19, 1296. Some claim he was murdered. He was buried in the
church of Saint Agatha, Ferentino, Italy.
Some years following his canonization by Clement V in 1313, his remains were
transferred from Ferentino to the church of his order at Aquila, where they are
still the object of great veneration.

Pope St. Celestine is the patron saint of Aquila, Italy, and of bookbinders.

Pope St. Celestine,
Pray for us!

Ref: 1: Our Sunday Visitor Encyclopedia Of Saints.
By Matthew Bunson, Stephen Bunson, Margaret Bunson:
2: Catholic Encyclopedia
 
‘We, Celestine, Pope V, moved by legitimate reasons, that is to say, for the sake of humility, of a better life and an unspotted conscience, of weakness of body and of want of knowledge, the malignity of the people, and personal infirmity, to recover the tranquillity and consolation of our former life, do freely and voluntarily resign the pontificate, the place, the dignity, occupation, and honors of which we expressly renounce, and we give full and free faculty to the college of cardinals canonically to elect a pastor of the Universal Church.’

Pope St. Celestine V
 
May 20
Today is the Feast day of
Saint Bernardine of Siena.
Among many other Saints.
 
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