St. Romuald grew up in a wealthy and very comfortable environment, where he didn’t learn anything about religion. When St. Romuald was young, he wanted to be well behaved but he chose not to and did what pleased him. When St. Romuald was 20 years old, he saw his father kill one of his relatives in an argument over land. Ashamed by the crime he had experienced, he went to the Monastery of St. Apollinaris to do 40 days of penance for his father. These 40 days proved St. Romuald’s monastic calling, as they became the base for his life as a monk. Peter Urseolus, a political leader was convinced by St. Romuald and Marinus, his teacher, to become a monk. Peter was later canonized as a saint. When Peter joined a French Benedictine monastery, St. Romuald followed his lead and lived in a hermitage for five years. St. Romuald’s father Sergius had followed his son’s course, repenting of his sins and becoming a monk himself. Romuald returned to Italy to help his father, after learning that Sergius was struggling in his vocation. Through his son’s guidance, Sergius found the strength to persist in religious life. After a long life of merit, he died in the monastery of Castro, which he founded in the Marquisate of Ancona.
INTERCESSORY PRAYER O dearest St. Romuald, you prayed for those who did wrong things and still loved them. Help us also to forgive others, in Jesus name we pray amen.
0 Comments
Many people find it difficult to fight their addiction, and for 16 years, Matt Talbot’s life revolves around liquor. He was able to win the battle against his addiction, and spent the rest of his life making up for all those lost years, through Christ.
Venerable Matt Talbot was born on May 2, 1856, the second eldest out of twelve children. He began his first job at the age of 12, where he worked at a wine bottling shop. This led to his endless drinking as an early teen. At the age of 28, Matt sought a priest and took confession. He took a three month pledge, where he didn’t touch a drop of alcohol. This was a large struggle, seeing as Matt had been drinking excessively for the last 16 years of his life. The first years of his pledge were difficult, and Matt would begin to pray every time he walked past his former drinking spots. But Matt was able to overcome his addiction, and began to go to Mass daily, do penance, and pray regularly. Matt joined the Secular Franciscan Order, and even though he didn’t get a large salary, he gave large amounts to different missions. Venerable Matt Talbot died at the age of 63 in 1923, after spending a life of prayer to God. He dedicated his life to Jesus after overcoming his addiction, and is considered the patron of men and women struggling with alcohol. INTERCESSORY PRAYER May Matt Talbot’s triumph over addiction, bring hope to our lives and strength to our hearts. May he intercede for all who struggle with an addiction. We ask this in the name of Jesus the Christ, our Great Healer. Amen. St. Joseph Cafasso was born in 1811 on January 15th. He was born as the third of four kids. Cafasso was born with a deformed spine which made him shorter than other kids of his age. This also affected him to have a frail constitution. He had always wanted to become a priest so he made that dream come true and he became a priest. St. Joseph Cafasso died on June 23,1860. At that point he was 49 years old. On April 9, 1948 he was declared patron for all Italian prisoners
INTERCESSORY PRAYER Please intercede for me and mine. Help us to leave our prisons--mine of impatience as I wait for my loved one to return to the practice of the Catholic faith, and the prison of ignorance and unknowing that keeps us from the arms of Jesus and His Church. St John Francis Regis was not like any normal person. He grew up listening to his mother speak of them being eternally damned after the death of Regis’ eldest brother, which made a lasting impression at such a young age. He grew never enjoying any of the pleasures that a child his age would find amusing. He was known to keep to himself and give special regard to Sundays and holidays as special days of reading and devotions at home and at church. He was one of the first students to join the Jesuit founded public school at Beziers, at which he joined a brotherhood devoted in prayer named after the Blessed Virgin. Following his ordination, John Francis made himself readily available to the poor in various French towns. Seeing his great devotion to helping others and his great success in communicating with people, the bishop of Viviers recruited John to work for him, in a time where the people had been deprived of the sacraments for more than 20 years. He lived his years working as a missionary visiting all parts of the diocese, preparing them for a visit by the bishop. Father Regis continued his life as a missionary in the wildest and most desolate parts of France, encountering multiple harsh winters. The last four years of his life were spent preaching and organizing social services, dedicated for prisoners, the sick and the poor. After sensing that his days were coming to an end in the fall of 1640, Fr. Regis settled his affairs and started to prepare for the end. On New Years Eve, 1640, Regis spent most of his day in prayer, with his eyes on the crucifix. That evening, he passed away, at the age of 43. His feast day is celebrated on June 16 as the patron of lacemakers, medical social workers, and illegitimate children.
INTERCESSORY PRAYER O God, whose priest, Saint John Francis Regis, a friend of the poor, the sick, and the wayward, eagerly desired to evangelize the peoples of North America; grant, we ask, that we who serve You in his place may be filled with his same spirit of zeal. Amen. Marie-Marguerite d'Youville, the first native Canadian to be elevated to sainthood, was born October 15, 1701 at Varennes, Quebec. Her father died when she was a young girl, leaving her family of six children in extreme poverty. Marguerite grandfather provided her the means to study with the Ursuline sisters and she obtained good education. Upon her return home, she became an invaluable support to her mother and undertook the education of her brothers and sisters. At age 21, she got married to François You de la Découverte, who was a decadent and immoral man. She soon came to realize that her husband had no interest in making a home life. His frequent absences and illegal liquor trading with the Indians caused her great suffering. She was pregnant with her sixth child when François became seriously ill. She faithfully cared for him until his death in 1730. Four of her six children had died in infancy. She worked hard to support herself and her children, devoted much of her time to the Confraternity of the Holy Family in charitable activities. She provided the education of her two sons, who later became priests. Marguerite died on December 23, 1771 and will always be remembered as a loving mother who served Jesus Christ in the poor. Marguerite was one woman, but this daughter of the Church had a vision of caring for the poor that has spread far and wide. Today, her mission is courageously carried on in a spirit of hope by the Sisters of Charity of Montreal, "Grey Nuns" and their sister communities: the Sisters of Charity of St. Hyacinthe, the Sisters of Charity at Ottawa, the Sisters of Charity of Quebec, the Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart (Philadelphia) and the Grey Sisters of the Immaculate Conception (Pembroke).
INTERCESSORY PRAYER St Marguerite d”Youville, during your lifetime you opened your heart and home to every type of human in misery. Listen with compassion to my prayer petition. I count on you to plead with the God of Love to grant the favor I now seek with confidence and trust. Amen. Blessed Franz Jagerstatter was born in upper Austria on May 20, 1907. Franz lost his father to World War 1 and got adopted. When he was a young man, he was the leader of a gang and enjoyed riding motorcycles. After some time, he returned to upper Austria and became a farmer where he married a woman named Franziska. In 1939, Franz was drafted into the Austrian army and trained for 7 months, then got postponed. In 1940, he was called to the army but he was allowed to come back home at the request of the town’s mayor. His pastor, other priests, and bishop, told Franz to not refuse to serve for his own good. In February 1943, he was called, but refused to take the oath of Hitler. So, they imprisoned him in Linz. He was later transferred to another prison in May. On August 8, 1943, he wrote to Franziska and thanked her for everything and asked for forgiveness if he ever hurt or offended her. The following day, Blessed Franz Jagerstatter was beheaded and cremated. In 1946, his ashes were reburied in his hometown next to other military men who also perished.
INTERCESSORY PRAYER Blessed Franz, you prayed deeply and discerned the will of God for your life.. Pray that we will surrender ourselves completely to God and thus experience the same consolation of our burden shared by Christ Himself. Pray that we may have the strength of our convictions as Catholics to defy the world and its promises of immediate gratification and glorification of self. Blessed Franz, you were beatified as a martyr to the faith and an example to us all of Christ-like sacrifice. Pray that we will follow Him wherever He may lead us. Amen. Saint Norbert was born circa 1075 in Xanten, Germany, and was educated in the Electorate of Cologne in Xanten. He came from a family of high nobility and obtained financial subsidy due to his family's influence. He avoided ordination to priesthood and even declined an appointment as a Bishop of Cambrai in 1113. One day in the spring of 1115, as he rode his horse to Vreden, he was caught in a sudden storm and a thunderbolt struck at the horse's feet. He got thrown off and was unconscious for nearly an hour. The incident had deepened his faith, and soon after, he renounced his appointment at the Court and returned to Xanten to lead a life of penance. In gratitude, Norbert founded the Abbey of Furstenberg and handed it over to Cono. Eventually, he was appointed the archbishop of Magdeburg in central Germany by Pope Honorius II and continued to work for the church until his death on June 6, 1134. Norbert was canonized by Pope Gregory XIII in the year 1582, and his statue appears above the Piazza colonnade of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. He is the patron saint of Magdeberg and Kingdom of Bohemia.
INTERCESSORY PRAYER God, through the intercession of Saint Norbert, please help us lead a life of goodness and fidelity. Amen. St. Boniface was born as "Wynfrid" in Wessex, England during 672 AD. He was well educated and became a Benedictine monk, being ordained priest at age 30. His first attempt at a missionary career had failed, but for his second attempt, in 718, he succeeded. Gregory II changed Wynfrid's name to Boniface. In 719, Boniface returned to Frisia to assist Bishop Willibrod in his missionary activities. He built a monastery in Hesse in 722. His success was so great that he was called to Rome and consecrated as a missionary Bishop. For 10 years Boniface converted Pagans and renewed the faith of Christians who had been converted by Irish missionaries. He met opposition several times but would not get angered. He was great at handling missionaries whose methods he deplored, showing his calm temperament. St. Boniface was martyred when a group of Frisians attacked him while he was reading scriptures to the newly converted Christians on Pentecost Sunday, June 5th, 754 AD.
INTERCESSORY PRAYER St. Boniface, you taught the people about God and his grace. You were resilient to adversary. Through your intercession, help me to know and be strong in my faith, Guide me on the path that leads to God, and help me to stay strong even when scorned, Amen. Blessed Angeline was born to the Duke of Marsciano near Orvieto. When she was 12, her mother died. Three years later, the Blessed Angeline made a vow of perpetual chastity. However, that same year, she was forced to marry the Duke of Civitella. When her husband died two years later, Angeline joined the Secular Franciscans and dedicated herself to caring for the sick, the poor, widows and orphans. She gave away all her possessions to the poor and led a life of poverty. She eventually founded the first community of Franciscan women. Angeline died on July 14, 1435, and was beatified in 1825.
INTERCESSORY PRAYER Help us follow the example of Blessed Angeline and live a life of giving. Help us dedicate our lives to others, especially the poor, sick and neglected. Today’s commemorated Saint is St. Charles Lwanga. He was born on January 1st 1860 to the kingdom of Buganda and served as chief of the royal pages and later the major-domo in the Court of the King Mwanga ll. The King was unjust and ordered the beheading of many people such as bishop James Hannington after he has reproached the king for his killings. Lwanga and others sought baptism as Catholics by a missionary priest of the White Fathers. Lwanga often protected boys from the king’s sexual advances. One day Mwanga condemned two pages to death, the following mourning, Lwanga secretly baptized them. Later that the king then called a court assembly where he made them renounce Christianity. Led by Lwanga, he and the royal pages declared their faith towards Christianity. He and all the others were condemned to death. On June 3rd 1886, Charles Lwanga was burnt alive, while he was being prepped to be burnt alive, he told the executioner “It is as if you are pouring water on me. Please repent and become a Christian like me. Lwanga and the other Christians who accompanied him in death were canonized on October 1964 by Pope Paul the 6th. He a perfect patron of those striving for purity and resisting the myriad temptations and downright celebrations and sexual confusion.
INTERCESSORY PRAYER Dear Lord, we thank you for the virtue and example of your martyr St Charles Lwanga and his companions. Help us to imitate the deep love for your church that inspired them to spread the Catholic faith to others. Pray for me that I may have courage and devotion like yours. Amen. |