Music Monday--Anonymous 4 & Hildegard of Bingen

Yesterday, Pope Benedict declared St. Hildegard of Bingen to be a Doctor of the Church. This week I will feature her music and art. This is a exploration of Hildegard's work by Anonymous 4.

Saints Joachim and Anne, Grandparents of Jesus

Today is the Feast of Sts. Joachim and Anne, grandparents of Our Lord.  As I am about to become a grandmother, Sts. Joachim and Anne are especially important to me this year.

The Old Testament reading from Sirach speaks of the righteous ancestors, something all grandparents strive to be.

Let us now sing the praises of our ancestors in their generations. Some of them have left behind a name, so that others declare their praise. These were godly people, whose righteous deeds have not been forgotten; their wealth will remain with their descendants, and their inheritance with their children's children.

Their descendants stand by the covenants; their children also, for their sake. Their offspring will continue forever, and their glory will never be blotted out. Their bodies are buried in peace, but their name lives on generation after generation. The assembly declares their wisdom, and the congregation proclaims their praise."

~Sir. 44:1, 8, 10-5

Happy Feast of St. John Cassian

Years ago, I read that Saint John Cassian could be said to be the patron saint of transcribers because he is shown in this icon transcribing scripture.  Since this is what I do for a living, I purchased the icon and it has been hanging in my icon corner ever since.

Today I have discovered that Saint John Cassian is a Leap Day Saint in the Orthodox Church.

You can read The Conferences of Saint John Cassian in their entirety online.  In it, he gives us a window into early Christian monasticism--even earlier than St. Benedict, who took St. John Cassian's work as an inspiration for his rule.

You can also read The 12 Books of St. John Cassian at osb.org.

Saint of the Year Generator

Jennifer Fulwiler has a Saint of the Year Generator on her website.  Go here and click to get a saint chosen for you to accompany you throughout the year 2012.  They give you time to say a prayer before the final "click".

The saint I got is Saint John of God, patron of booksellers, which is appropriate for a book worm like myself. He also wanted to start a hospital for those unable to afford healthcare, an issue that has become close to my heart.

So, go to the St. of the Year Generator and get your saint for 2012!

Happy Feast of St. Rita

Today our priest gave out blessed roses--something I'd never seen before.

Today is the feast of St. Rita, our parish's patron and it is a tradition to bless roses on that day. The tradition comes from a story of Rita asking for a rose from her garden on her death bed.  It was winter and snow was on the ground.  Nevertheless, the attending sister went outside and found a single rose blooming in the garden.

Today, in honor of St. Rita, stop and smell the roses, and then, thank God for them!  

Two Responses to Suffering

In the 1920's 2 American women saw poverty and suffering.  Each took a different course to try to end it.

The first, Margaret Sanger, said that "The most merciful thing a family does to one of its infant members is to kill it."  She founded the American Birth Control League. Her solution to poverty and suffering was to separate out certain classes and races of people and to kill them.  Her organization later became Planned Parenthood.  In 2007, it killed more than 305,000 children in the name of women's "health".

Katharine Drexel was born to a wealthy banker who instilled in his daughter the idea that her privileged position was given to her by God.  She founded The Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for Black and Native American Peoples, giving both her wealth and her life to those who lived on the margins of society.

She was canonized in 1988 and is the second saint born in America.  Her feast is today, March 3.

 The inspiration for this post was an excellent article by Joshua Mercer.

Saint for 2011

Michele of Simply Michele has generously offered to give everyone a saint for the year 2011.  If you'd like to participate, leave her a comment at her blog.  

This is a great way to jump start your spirituality for the new year and learn about a new saint. 

9 

My saint for 2011 is St. Madeline Sophie Barat--someone I'd never heard of.  She founded the Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and was born in 1779 in France. 

St. Monica and the Virtue of Diligence

The virtue for August is diligence or perseverance. The saint who best exemplifies this trait is St. Monica.   Her son, Augustine was a troubled youth who lived an immoral life after accepting the Manichean heresy.  Perhaps its most enticing doctrine was, as Augustine later explained, that "it was not we who sin but some other nature that sins within us.  It flattered my pride to think that I incurred no guilt, and when I did wrong, not to confess it."  A perfect system of belief for the young man who had lost his father at the age of 17.

At first, Monica refused to let Augustine into her home.  Then, after a vision saying that Augustine would eventually return to the faith, and after encouragement by her bishops, Monica decided to take another tack and stay close to Augustine, praying and fasting for him.

Augustine converted after years of prayer and fasting on the part of Monica.

It is so difficult to be persistent in our prayers and in our faith, especially when the "answer" to our prayers seems to be so long in coming.  We need to be like the woman in Christ's parable who continues to pester the judge until her request is answered.

St. Monica, beg Our Lord to give us the strength to follow your example.

On Talkativeness

Talkativeness is the throne of vainglory, on which it loves to show itself and make a display.

Talkativeness is a sign of ignorance, a door to slander, an inducement to jesting, a servant to falsehood, the ruin of compunction, a creator and summoner of despondency, a precursor of  sleep, the dissipation of recollection, the abolition of watchfulness, the cooling of ardor, the darkening of prayer.

Saint John of Sinai, The Ladder of Divine Ascent, Step 11, # 2, p. 92.

I came across this quote from one of the Church Fathers on the byzcath.org forum and was amazed and intrigued at its wisdom. Thank God for these holy men and women who live lives of quiet striving towards God and can pass down their wisdom to us!

Who knew talkativeness could lead to despondency!? (I sure didn't!) I am definitely going to have to ponder that further. I think, also, that "talkativeness" can be taken to mean "inner talkativeness" as well as "technological talkativeness." Giving in to the temptation to "express" every thought and feeling that comes our way, can cause us to believe that our faulty assumptions are true, not to mention the affect our negative verbalizations may have on our listeners.

Instead, cultivating the discipline of silent reflection and prayer can do wonders for our relationship with God.

St. Joseph, Pray for Us!

Tomorrow is the feast of St. Joseph who is the patron saint of workers.  In this current economy, St. Joseph is one we can turn to in our difficulties finding employment and making ends meet.

This site has some beautiful prayers to St. Joseph.  A few are below. The second prayer, below, was written by Pope John XXIII.

Prayer to St. Joseph for Employment

Dear Saint Joseph, you were yourself once faced with the responsibility of providing the necessities of life for Jesus and Mary. Look down with fatherly compassion upon me in my anxiety over my present inability to support my family. Please help me to find gainful employment very soon, so that this heavy burden of concern will be lifted from my heart and that I am soon able to provide for those whom God has entrusted to my care. Help us to guard against bitterness and discouragement, so that we may emerge from this trial spiritually enriched and with even greater blessings from God. Amen.

Prayer to St. Joseph, as Patron of Workers

Blessed St. Joseph, patron of all working people, obtain for me the grace to labor in a spirit of penance for the atonement of my many sins. Help me to be conscientious in my work so that I may give as full a measure as I have received.

May I labor in a spirit of thankfulness and joy, ever mindful of all the gifts I have received from God that enable me to perform these tasks. Permit me to work in peace, patience, and moderation, keeping in mind the account I must one day give of time lost, talents unused, good omitted, and vanity of success, so fatal to the work of God. Glorious St. Joseph, may my labors be all for Jesus, all through Mary, and all after your holy example in life and in death. Amen.

St. Thomas Aquinas--Pange Lingua Gloriosi

Today is the Feast of Saint Thomas Aquinas.  I found out at Mass today that he wrote the beautiful Pange Lingua Gloriosi, sung on Holy Thursday.



Here are the lyrics in English.

Sing, my tongue, the Savior's glory,
of His flesh the mystery sing;
of the Blood, all price exceeding,
shed by our immortal King,
destined, for the world's redemption,
from a noble womb to spring.

Of a pure and spotless Virgin
born for us on earth below,
He, as Man, with man conversing,
stayed, the seeds of truth to sow;
then He closed in solemn order
wondrously His life of woe.

On the night of that Last Supper,
seated with His chosen band,
He the Pascal victim eating,
first fulfills the Law's command;
then as Food to His Apostles
gives Himself with His own hand.

Word-made-Flesh, the bread of nature
by His word to Flesh He turns;
wine into His Blood He changes;
what though sense no change discerns?
Only be the heart in earnest,
faith her lesson quickly learns.

Down in adoration falling,
Lo! the sacred Host we hail;
Lo! o'er ancient forms departing,
newer rites of grace prevail;
faith for all defects supplying,
where the feeble senses fail.

To the everlasting Father,
and the Son who reigns on high,
with the Holy Ghost proceeding
forth from Each eternally,
be salvation, honor, blessing,
might and endless majesty.

Amen. Alleluia.

St. Francis of Assisi

Today is the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi.  St. Francis is probably one of the most popular saints of all time and is embraced by many people both Catholic and non-Catholic.  He is best known for his love of animals and is a popular saint to have watching over a garden.

He lived at a time of great controversy and falling away in the Church.  Rather than leave, as so many were doing, God asked Francis to stay within the Church and reform it from within.  When Jesus spoke to him from the cross at San Damiano (pictured here) He said, "Francis, rebuild my church, for you see, it is falling into ruins."  Francis at once began collecting rocks to literally rebuild the church building at San Damiano, but he soon realized Christ was calling him to a radical lifestyle of poverty.

St. Francis speaks especially to us today who are going through world wide economic difficulties and asks us to re-prioritize our lives to be more in line with Christ's.

St. Francis, pray for us! 

Saint Padre Pio

Today is the feast of St. Padre Pio. He was born in 1887 in Pietrelcina, Italy. At the age of only 16, he entered the Franciscan Capuchin Friars, one of the strictest orders.

He was gifted with many charisms including bilocation, the reading of penitents' hearts and the stigmata. He loved the Blessed mother and spoke out in defense of Christian modesty in dress.

He was God's instrument in healing people, even before his death.

He was canonized by Pope John Paul II on June 16, 2002.

Saint Anthony of Padua

Saint Anthony of Padua, finder of lost things,
guide us on our journey through life. Show us
God's will when we loose our way among the
shadows of this world. Light our path when
all around us seems to be shrouded in darkness.

Help us to hear God's voice when we can not
see Him and to sense His presence when we
do not hear His voice.

Show us His way.

Saint Joseph, Pray for us!

I'm feeling led to pray for families lately. There are so many families under attack right now. Everyone is feeling strain of one sort or another.

Saint Joseph is the patron saint of families, workers, selling houses and a happy death. All, believe it or not, that touch me in one way or another right now, and many others besides.

Saint Joseph was the protector and head of the Holy Family, and as such, intercedes before God for all families on earth. He is the model of persistence, trust in the Lord, and hearing His voice. His legacy is not one of words, but one of deeds.

Let us pray that he protects us and our loved ones during these challenging times .

Saint Joseph, spouse of the Virgin Mary, protect all those families who are looking for a means to sustain themselves. Show those looking for work, God's will for them and give them patience in their search. Guide those looking for housing, as well as those looking to sell their home, so that they find each other. Watch over those close to death, their families and caregivers. Help them see God's Presence at the side of their loved ones.

My Saint for 2009

I am so happy!! My Saint of the Year for 2009 is Saint Rose of Lima, one of my favorite saints! For the rest of the year 2008, I will have her picture along with my saint for 2008, St. Julie Billiart, on my sidebar.

St. Rose was born in Lima, Peru on April 20, 1586. She refused to marry, preferring instead to enter a convent. When her parents would not agree to that, she stayed with them, living a life of penance and solitude as a third order of St. Dominic. She worked in the garden and sewed to help her parents earn the money they needed to survive.

Near the end of her short life, she began to care for the homeless, elderly and sick in a room she set up in her house. This was the start of social services in Peru.

Marilena of A Traditional Catholic, is giving out saints for the year, for anyone who wants one.

Saint Gemma

I wanted to highlight a new blog about St. Gemma Galgani. She was an early 20th century mystic who had the stigmata, endured attacks by the devil, and experienced visits from her guardian angel.

Stop by the St. Gemma Galgani blog and learn more about her.

By the way, this photo of Saint Gemma (from that blog) is completely new to me and really seems to illustrate the closeness with Jesus and inner peace that Gemma experienced.

So far, statues and illustrations of her don't come close to showing her real spiritual power.

Hat tip to Marilena at A Traditional Catholic.

Saint Anthony, Saint Anthony, please come around.

I've lost my keys

and they cannot be found!

St. Isadore the Farmer

In honor of today's feast of St. Isadore the Farmer, I give you this talented young man playing Schumann's "The Happy Farmer." Some of you may recognize this peice as being ingeniously used in the Kansas farm scenes of The Wizard of Oz.

Which saint will choose you in 2008?

Stop over at Angela's new blog, "Where Angels Go" and put a request in her comment box for a patron saint to be drawn for you for the year 2008. She is taking over for Seminarian Matthew at "A Catholic Life", who had to abandon blogging while in the seminary.

The tradition is that the saint chooses you. My saint this year is Saint Julie Billiart, who is French and was known for her cheerfulness--certainly something to ask her to intercede for on my behalf. Two of her most famous quotes are, "Oh, qu'il est bon, le bon Dieu" which means, "Oh, how good is the good God" and "Never let the peace of your heart be disturbed by anything in the world."




Also, Divine Mercy blog has a new name and an additional focus. While still promoting devotion to the Divine Mercy, the blog will now focus on Saint Therese of Lisieux, The Little Flower, and will be called, Saint Therese's Roses.


All the angels
and all the Saints,
pray for us!