St. Gregory VII was born as Hildebrand of Sovana, in central Italy, in 1015 and he was the son of a blacksmith. His teachers were Lawrence, archbishop of Almalfi, Italy and Johannes Gratianus, the future pope. When Holy Roman Emperor Henry III deposed Johannes, Hildebrand followed him to Germany. Between 1058 and 1059, he was made archdeacon of the Roman church, becoming the most important figure in the papal administration. Pope Gregory was one of the only popes elected by the proclamation of the people. When the people proclaimed him pope, he ran away, scared and shocked, but soon, the people found him. He had many conflicts with Henry IV, son of Henry III because of Henry IV’s political power struggles. He did many good deeds and reforms as a pope and died on May 25, 1085.
Though many hated him and wanted to remove him from his position, Gregory held strong in faith. Likewise, we should be strong in our faith when times are rough. INTERCESSORY PRAYER I believe in my heart and openly profess that the bread and wine that are placed on the altar are, through the mystery of the sacred prayer and the words of the Redeemer, substantially changed into the true and proper and lifegiving flesh and blood of Jesus Christ our Lord, and that after the consecration they are the true body of Christ.
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St. Rita of Cascia was born in Roccaporena, Italy in the year of 1381. After her baptism, a swarm of white bees surrounded and went in and out of her mouth. Her parents believed this to be a sign from God that she would be devoted and righteous to God. Her dream was to become a nun, but following her parent’s wishes, was married to a man at a young age.
Her husband, Paolo Mancini, was a cruel and violent man who would mistreat St. Rita. Influenced by St. Rita of Cascia, he became a better man. Unfortunately, a family argument between the Mancini family and Chiquis family led to the murder of Paolo Mancini. St. Rita forgave her husband’s murderers, but this was not the case for her two sons. After becoming a widow and losing her two sons, St. Rita of Cascia tried to join the monastery of Saint Mary Magdalene on Cascia, but was not allowed to join because of the family feud. After praying to St. John the Baptist, St. Augustine, and St. Nicholas of Tolentino (her three patron saints), she was able to end the died between both families and, at the age of thirty six, joined the monastery. St. Rita of Cascia was able to receive the sacraments regularly, and lead a spiritual life. At the age of 66, she prayed to Jesus, and asked to suffer like our Savior. As if Christ’s Crown of Thorns had pierced her, she received a wound on her forehead, which was painful and gave a foul odor. St. Rita of Cascia prayed for her patience according to her wound, which lasted until the day she died, on May 22, 1457, at the age of 76. Her body was discovered to be in-corrupt, and can be found today in the Saint Rita shrine at Cascia. St. Rita of Cascia had a life full of hardships, but still retained her holiness. God heard her prayers, since she was a child and until her last hour. We can learn from the Saint of the Impossible that with God, anything is achievable, and that St. Rita of Cascia will listen to our prayers, no matter how impossible. Prayer to St. Rita of Cascia O glorious St. Rita, your pleadings before the divine crucifix have been known to grant favors that many would call the impossible. Lovely St. Rita, so humble, so pure, so devoted in your love for thy crucified Jesus, speak on my behalf for my petition which seems so impossible from my humbled position. ( Here mention your request ). Be propitious, O glorious St. Rita, to my petition, showing thy power with God on behalf of thy supplicant. Be lavish to me, as thou has been in so many wonderful cases for the greater glory of God. I promise, dear St. Rita, if my petition is granted, to glorify thee, by making known thy favor, to bless and sing thy praises forever. Relying then upon thy merits and power before the Sacred Heart of Jesus I pray. Amen. Saint Bernardine was born on September 8, 1380, and died May 20th 1444. Saint Bernardine was the greatest preacher of his time, journeying across Italy, calming strife-torn cities, attacking the paganism he found rampant, attracting crowds of 30,000, following Saint Francis of Assisi’s admonition to preach about “vice and virtue, punishment and glory.” At the point when he was 20, the plague was at its stature in his old neighborhood of Siena. Bernardine offered to run the medical clinic and, with the assistance of other youngsters, breast fed patients there for four months. He got away from the plague, yet was depleted to the point that a fever bound him for a while.
At 22, he entered the Franciscan Order and was appointed two years after the fact. For very nearly twelve years he lived in isolation and petition, yet his endowments eventually made him be sent to lecture. He generally went by walking, in some cases representing hours in a single spot, at that point doing likewise in another town. Saint Bernardine of Siena is the Patron Saint of: Advertising, Gambling, Italy, and Public relations. He took part in the Council of Florence in 1439, furthering the short-lived union of the Greek church with Rome. The centre of his movement was Il Gesù, a small chapel in Rome, which was later given to St. Ignatius of Loyola. Numerous miracles are said to have occurred at his tomb. INTERCESSORY PRAYER Saint Bernardine of Siena, you were healed of respiratory illness and preached the love and mercy of God everywhere you went. I come to you now seeking your prayers for all who suffer with respiratory illnesses. Plead their cases in unison with Mary, the Mother of God, and seek healing for them if that is God’s holy will. Pray, dear saint, that they suffer with joy, persevere with hope, and that they join their afflictions with Jesus for the salvation of souls. I ask your intercession on their behalf in Jesus’ holy name, Amen. Today’s saint of the day is Saint Bernardine of Siena. He had a weak and hoarse voice along with respiratory issues which eventually was miraculously improved later because of his great devotion to Mary. When he was 20, a plague was at its height in his hometown of Siena. Sometimes as many as 20 people died in one day at the hospital. Bernardine offered to run the hospital and with the help of other young men, nurses patients there for four months. He escaped the plague, but was so exhausted that a fever confined him for several months. At age 22, he angered the Franciscan Order and was ordained 2 years later. For almost a dozen years he lived in solitude and prayer, but his gifts ultimately caused him to be sent to preach. He always traveled on foot, sometimes speaking for hours in one place, then doing the same in another town. He died while traveling to his next place to preach.
INTERCESSORY PRAYER St. Bernardine of Siena, you were healed of respiratory illness and preached the love and mercy of God everywhere you went. I come to you now seeking your prayers for everyone in the world who suffer with respiratory illnesses. Help us stay faithful and safe during this time of caution and confinement. Amen Theophilus was born in Corsica of rich and noble parents. As a young man, he entered the Franciscans and soon showed his love for solitude and prayer. Over the years, he became famous for his preaching as well as his missionary efforts. Theophilus generously served the needs of God’s people in the confessional, in the sickroom, and at the graveside. Worn out by his labors, he died on June 17, 1740. He was canonized in 1930.
INTERCESSORY PRAYER Dear God, help us to be just like Saint Theophilus as he gave more and more singlehearted service to you and to your sons and daughters. Their holiness can never substitute for our own. There is a certain dynamism in all the saints that prompts them to find ever more selfless ways of responding to your grace. Amen Today’s saint of the day is St. Pope John l. He was Pope from August 13, 523 - May 18, 526. Saint Pope John l was born in year 470 in Tuscany, Italy. While he was a deacon in Rome, he was known to have been a strong supporter of the anti-pope Laurentius. He was the Deacon John that signed the “Acta” of the Roman Synod of 499 and 502. At this time, the Catholic Church has only seven Deacons, making it very easy to identify him. He also was the one that dictated secretly of the early religious documents written between 512 - 520. Saint John was very weak when he was elected to the Papacy. He was sent to Constantinople by the Arian King, Theodoric the Great, to secure a moderation of Emperor Justin’s decree of year 523 against the Arians. The King threatened Saint Pope John l that if he fail in his mission, there would be retaliation against the Catholics in the West. Even though the mission was a success, Saint John was arrested once he got back home because the King thought he was helping Emperor Justin. He was imprisoned in Ravenna, where he died of neglect and ill treatment. His body was buried in the Basilica of St. Peter.
INTERCESSORY PRAYER O dearest St. John, you were imprisoned and starved to death by a heretical Germanic King and still had faith in those difficulty moments. Help us also to have faith in times that are tough. We ask this through Christ out Lord, Amen Saint Paschal Baylon was born on May 24, 1540 at Torrehermosa, in the Kingdom of Aragon. He was also born on the Pentecost, which led to him being named Paschal. He lived with two older siblings and they were very poor and pious. Paschal was a shepherd between the ages of 7 to 24. He lived a humble life and was a very honest person. In 1564, at the age of 24, he joined the Friars Minor to live his life in penance. Although he was recommended to study to become a priest, Paschal stayed a brother and did many things for them. Baylon vowed to maintain a life of humbleness and poverty. He made sure that nothing was wasted and was put to good use. When he had free time, Paschal prayed in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Saint Paschal Baylon died on May 15, 1592 due to an illness. After his death, many miracles happened and people went to his tomb. He was canonized in 1690. Saint Paschal Baylon is the patron of Eucharistic congresses and societies. His feast day is May 15.
INTERCESSORY PRAYER O God, Who hast glorified blessed Paschal Thy Confessor by a wonderful love for the sacred mysteries of Thy Body and Blood: mercifully grant that we also, like him, may deserve to taste the spiritual sweetness of this Divine Supper:Who lives and reignest world without end. Amen Today's Saint of the Day is Saint Margaret of Cortona. Margaret was born to a farming family in Laviano, Tuscany, in the year 1247. Her mother died when she was seven, and life was very difficult with her stepmother. She moved out at the age of 17, and lived with a man named Arsenio, the son of a local noble, for 9 years, and bore him a son, though they were not married. One day, the favorite hound of Arsenio came back unaccompanied, and Margaret, concerned, followed the hound back into the forest to find his dead body. The crime shocked Margaret into a life of prayer and penance. She and her son joined the Franciscan Friars of Cortona, where her son became a friar. Margaret fasted for three years, avoiding meat and eating only bread and vegetables. In 1277, she joined the Third Order of Saint Francis and lived a life of poverty. Margaret participated in public affairs, and twice, claimed the divine command, she challenged the Bishop of Arezzo, Guglielmo Ubertini Pazzi, because he lived like a prince. She moved into the ruined church of Basil of Caesarea, and spent the rest of the life there, till her death on February 22, 1297. She is the patron saint of the falsely accused, homeless, insane, orphaned, mentally ill, midwives, single mothers, and step children.
INTERCESSORY PRAYER God, through the intercession of Saint Margaret of Cortona, please help us lead a life of prayer and penance. Amen. Saint Isadore the Farmer was a very religious man. Every morning he went to church and visited many others throughout the day. All day long, as he walked behind the plow, he communed with God. He married a young woman who also became a saint-Maria de la Cabeza. They had one son, who died as a child. He was known for his love of the poor, and there are accounts of Isadore’s supplying them miraculously with food. He had a great concern for the proper treatment of animals. He died on May 15, 1130 and was declared a saint in 1622 along with four others. Together, the group is known in Spain as “the five saints.” Saint Isidore is the patron saint of farmers.
INTERCESSORY PRAYER Oh Lord, grant that through the intercession or Blessed Isidore, we may follow his example of patience and humility. Help us walk faithfully in his footsteps that in the evening of life we may be able to present to You an abundant harvest of merit and good works. Amen The apostles were looking for someone to replace Judas Iscariot as a new apostle because of his betrayal of Jesus and his own death. The apostles decided that the new apostle had to have been with them since the beginning, from the baptism of John to the resurrection of Jesus. This narrowed their reach down to two people, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. The apostles prayed to the lord and gave lots to them. The lot fell upon Matthias and he became the twelfth apostle. Besides this, not much is known about Saint Matthais’s life. He is the patron of carpenters, tailors, those with smallpox, and in prayers for perseverance and for hope. He also preached in Jerusalem but eventually got stoned and beheaded which is why he is often portrayed holding an axe.
INTERCESSORY PRAYER O God, who assigned Saint Matthias a place in the college of Apostles, grant us, through his intercession, that, rejoicing at how your love has been allotted to us, we may merit to be numbered among the elect. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen. |