A reminder of holy folk

And how they're no different than us, really. The end on earth is still the end. It's what you do with your life that is important for what happens after it.

Heavenly Bodies: Relics of Catholic Saints - in pictures

If you're at all queasy about dead folk you may want to be careful. Just a warning.

---

A slow process

Father Michael McGivney’s Cause for Canonization Advances

"The Congregation for the Causes of Saints is investigating a possible miracle attributed to the intercession of the founder of the Knights of Columbus."

---

The Possible St. Gilbert Chesterton?

A move to make Chesterton a saint isn't a surprise of any sort. It's good news, as well, as far as I'm concerned...

---

Regarding God, St. Alphonsus said

"Not only is there no need of an intermediary through whom He would want you to speak to Him, but He finds His delight in having you treat with Him personally and in all confidence." - Alphonsus Liguori

Thursday this past week was the feast day of St. Alphonsus Ligouri, founder of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Congregatio Sanctissimi Redemptoris – C.Ss.R.), or Redemptorists. My parish is a Redemptorist parish so there was a special celebration. I thought I would quote St. Alphonsus today. Just because...

---

Wonderful!

Two Former Popes to Be Made Saints

I was certainly expecting a second miracle to be approved for Pope John Paul II, fulfilling the requirements for canonization, but I am truly happy to see that Pope Francis has skipped that requirement for Pope John XXIII. I've always considered him to be a saint, unofficially, but I'm certainly happy to see that Pope Francis believes so as well. He made such an impact on the Church and the world!

---

A newly recognized holy nun

whose cause is not helped by the horrible proof-reading of this newspaper!


Closer to sainthood: Bayonne native is elevated by Pope

The two most glaring:

The 'feast of Our Lady of Lourdes' becomes ' the Beast of Our Lady of Lourdes'

and what I assume should be

'she became a model for those wishing to live a life of contemplation' has become
'she became a model for those wishing to leave a life of contemplation'

Two glaring errors that make me think that, if they weren't intentional, they were at least unconcious reflections of the thoughts of the author. They are just too in line with the things anti-Catholic writers have said...

---

If any saints deserve it...

...these two do.

Regina Coeli: Jesus sends His Spirit to the Church

"...Pope Benedict announced that on October 7, at the beginning of the Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, he would proclaim St. John of Avila and St. Hildegard of Bingen as Doctors of the Church."

A rare honour, as both of these saints have had profound effects on the theology and life of the Church, this has been long in coming...

---

I wonder,

are there any extant images of her from the period?

Toronto pilgrims to take in canonization of Blessed Kateri

I wonder only because, as happy as I am about this event, probably as happy as most people in fact, the picture they're using to depict Blessed Kateri presents a pretty Anglo look, and I don't mean this in any racist manner. Even her colour seems to be a product of shade and surrounding colour and not her race. I'm only wondering because of what so many artists have done to our Lord in their art, making him as Caucasion as possible, leaving out any trace of his real heritage...

---

A special day!

Saint Patrick's Confessio: Read what St. Patrick actually wrote in his own words

And happy St. Patrick's day to all my Irish relatives, friends and everyone Irish!

---

Nice

Now if Russia wasn't run by the Russian Mafia everything would be great.

New Russian Submarine named after Russian Saint

(Of course, the West is run by the Corporate Mafia, so what's the difference, really?)

---

Christmastime

The Many Meanings of Christmas: Expert on St. Francis Considers the Crib and Other Elements of Jesus' Birthday

Did you know that St. Francis is supposed to have created the first crib or creche?

---

A bit dated in tone,

but very readable and every bit as important today, comes this description of the today's feast day, taken from Butler's Lives Of The Saints.

The Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Here's the Catholic Encyclopedia's article on the topic of The Immaculate Conception.

Mary, Mother of Grace and of our Lord, please pray for us that we may be given the desire and the strength to respond to God's grace to say 'yes' to God as you said yes, and to let the Holy Spirit direct our lives to follow Jesus on the path to the Father. Amen.

---

We need

many more examples of courage and selflessness such as that shown by Sr. Marianne Cope.

Vatican group confirms second miracle attributed to Marianne Cope

In most cases we'll have to look closely around us as so many of these examples will never be declared saints, but they are around us every day, working quietly and courageously. They just don't have religious orders to promote their causes...

---

Here's a good program

for us all to take note of:


Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola

Why am I recommending this?

I had a friend once, Lawrence, who went to Spokane to take a retreat from a Msgr. Rosage. It was a 30-day Ignatian retreat, and this was in the early years of Lawrence's faith life. He was truly, in his reserved way, on fire for God. (I'm sad to say that we had a bit of a falling out and, due mainly to my pride and selfishness, we 'made up' and continued our friendship. He died quite some years ago now, and I regret my intransigence.) Anyway, the point of this is that the Spiritual Exercises focus greatly on discernment and Lawrence displayed great discernment through his life from that point. He didn't fear death, and I'm sure he's singing in the choir of angels right now, so deep was his faith. I'm not saying that it started with his retreat, but I really do believe that the retreat helped him greatly along his path. I think it could help all of us...

---

He may well be a saint already

(and he is to his supporters) but he's just not officially proclaimed by the Church.

Supporters seek sainthood for murdered priest

I never know which way to hope in cases like this, where the Vatican is more sensitive to politics than one would think a church should be, but look at Archbishop Oscar Romero. His biggest roadblock is the existence of politics in the issue. I really believe that the Vatican likes safe saints...

---

A good, short article

by Fr. Dwight, on the rule of St. Benedict.

From the Monastery

---

A short sermon

The Prayer of St. Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
Amen.

Here's the Wikipedia article about it...

---

It sounds so simple

"Think well. Speak well. Do well. These three things, through the mercy of God, will make a man go to Heaven." - St. Camillus de Lellis

---

How wonderful!

Sheen intercession cited in area boy's alleged miraculous healing

It really doesn't matter if it is ever declared a miracle, the fact is that something miraculous happened. With modern medicine it is really often very hard to say when something is impossible or not. God bless them!

I'm quite happy, too, about the attribution of the event to Archbishop Sheen. For someone who was in the public eye so much he was a humble and gentle man apparently, and certainly an intelligent man with great communication gifts, particularly about our faith...

---

A saint and a nun

The Sister and the Saint?

I need to do more research on Maria Esperanza. Saints of the 20th Century are rare as the process generally takes so very long (other than in the case of a few special people)...

---