This is the first year in my Catholicism that I’ve noticed how many saints are remembered this time of year, in Advent. What a powerful time to reflect and prepare for the coming of our Savior with the stories of all these saints. Today we celebrate Saint John the Cross (June 1542 – 14 December 1591). He was a major figure of the Counter-Reformation, a Spanish mystic, Catholic saint, Carmelite friar and priest. He is famous for having written “The Ascent of Mt. Carmel,” “The Dark Night of the Soul,” and “The Spiritual Canticle.” He and St. Teresa of Avila reformed the Carmelite order at a time when they had moved away from a life of fasting, prayer and penance. The order resented the reforms. At one point even tortured St John and kidnapped him. Painfully, this is when he wrote some of his most profound writings. When he moved beyond earthly interactions and mystically saw how the spirit existed and journeyed, you can imagine how that would have overshadowed any evil earthly events even with the severity of them.
Category: Saints
For Saint Lucy
Our Mother and Juan Diego
Today we celebrate Saint Juan Diego
Saints known and unknown, Pray for us
The following is from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Saints
The Western Christian holiday of All Saints’ Day falls on November 1, followed by All Souls’ Day on November 2, and is a Holy Day of Obligation in the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church.
In Mexico, Portugal and Spain, offerings are made on this day. In Spain the play Don Juan Tenorio is traditionally performed.
All Saints’ Day in Mexico, coincides with the first day of the Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) celebration. Known as “Día de los Inocentes” (Day of the Innocents), it honors deceased children and infants.
Portuguese children celebrate the Pão-por-Deus tradition, going door-to-door where they receive cakes, nuts and pomegranates. This only occurs in some areas around Lisbon.
Hallowmas in the Philippines is variously called “Undas” (based on the word for “[the] first”), “Todos los Santos” (literally “All Saints”), and sometimes “Araw ng mga Patay” (lit. “Day of the Dead”), which refers to the following day of All Souls’ Day but includes it. Filipinos traditionally keep the two days by visiting the graves of deceased relatives, offering prayers and flowers, light candles and clean and repair the graves. People typically spend the day, sometimes even the whole night, picnicking and holding reunions at the cemetery near their loved ones.
In Argentina, Austria, Belgium, France, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal, Spain, and American cities such as New Orleans, people take flowers to the graves of dead relatives.
In Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Finland, Catholic parts of Germany, Hungary, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden, the tradition is to light candles and visit the graves of deceased relatives.
In English-speaking countries, Catholics generally celebrate with a day of rest consisting of avoiding physical exertion and going to Mass.
Pray with the Saints by listening to “Litany of the Saints”, in English, recorded in the Franciscan Friary in North Wales.
St. Luke the Evangelist
Luke wrote one of the major portions of the New Testament, a two-volume work comprising the third Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles. In the two books he shows the parallel between the life of Christ and that of the Church. He is the only Gentile Christian among the Gospel writers. Luke wrote as a Gentile for Gentile Christians. The character of Luke may best be seen by the emphases of his Gospel, which has been given a number of subtitles:
(1) The Gospel of Mercy: Luke emphasizes Jesus’ compassion and patience with the sinners and the suffering. He has a broadminded openness to all, showing concern for Samaritans, lepers, publicans, soldiers, public sinners, unlettered shepherds, the poor. Luke alone records the stories of the sinful woman, the lost sheep and coin, the prodigal son, the good thief.
(2) The Gospel of Universal Salvation: Jesus died for all. He is the son of Adam, not just of David, and Gentiles are his friends too.
(3) The Gospel of the Poor: “Little people” are prominent—Zechariah and Elizabeth, Mary and Joseph, shepherds, Simeon and the elderly widow, Anna. He is also concerned with what we now call “evangelical poverty.”
(4) The Gospel of Absolute Renunciation: He stresses the need for total dedication to Christ.
(5) The Gospel of Prayer and the Holy Spirit: He shows Jesus at prayer before every important step of his ministry. The Spirit is bringing the Church to its final perfection.
(6) The Gospel of Joy: Luke succeeds in portraying the joy of salvation that permeated the primitive Church.
Patron Saint of:
Artists
Brewers
Butchers
Doctors
Notaries
Painters
Physicians
Surgeons
And to baby born in our family today….Susanna Marie! Welcome dear soul, its so great to have you join us!
The Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows
The seven sorrows of Mary:
1. The prophecy of Simeon (Luke 2:25-35)
2. The flight into Egypt (Matthew 2:13-15)
3. Loss of the Child Jesus for three days (Luke 2:41-50)
4. Mary meets Jesus on his way to Calvary (Luke 23:27-31; John 19:17)
5. Crucifixion and Death of Jesus (John 19:25-30)
6. The body of Jesus being taken from the Cross (Psalm 130; Luke 23:50-54; John 19:31-37)
7. The burial of Jesus (Isaiah 53:8; Luke 23:50-56; John 19:38-42; Mark 15:40-47)
St. Catherine of Sienna said
“If you are what you should be, you will set the whole world ablaze!”
The Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary
Our Lady’s Birthday
According to the visionaries in Medjugorje, today is the Virgin Mary’s Birthday. Thank you, Mother Mary for coming to us, for loving us, for calling us, and for interceding for us. We say ‘yes’ to you!
Link to Cathy Nolan’s ‘Happy Birthday, Dear Mother Mary!‘ at Marytv.tv