Getting to know St. Augustine of Hippo

Patron of Brewers.  An African.  St. Augustine was a convert.  From living a life of party and entertainment, he did a complete turnaround with the help of his mom, St. Monica's devotion and patience in prayers.  An intelligent man.

This famous son of St. Monica was born in Africa and spent many years of his life in wicked living and in false beliefs. Though he was one of the most intelligent men who ever lived and though he had been brought up a Christian, his sins of impurity and his pride darkened his mind so much, that he could not see or understand the Divine Truth anymore. Through the prayers of his holy mother and the marvelous preaching of St. Ambrose, Augustine finally became convinced that Christianity was the one true religion. Yet he did not become a Christian then, because he thought he could never live a pure life. One day, however, he heard about two men who had suddenly been converted on reading the life of St. Antony, and he felt terrible ashamed of himself. "What are we doing?" he cried to his friend Alipius. "Unlearned people are taking Heaven by force, while we, with all our knowledge, are so cowardly that we keep rolling around in the mud of our sins!"

Full of bitter sorrow, Augustine flung himself out into the garden and cried out to God, "How long more, O Lord? Why does not this hour put an end to my sins?" Just then he heard a child singing, "Take up and read!" Thinking that God intended him to hear those words, he picked up the book of the Letters of St. Paul, and read the first passage his gaze fell on. It was just what Augustine needed, for in it, St. Paul says to put away all impurity and to live in imitation of Jesus. That did it! From then on, Augustine began a new life.

He was baptized, became a priest, a bishop, a famous Catholic writer, Founder of religious priests, and one of the greatest saints that ever lived. He became very devout and charitable, too. On the wall of his room he had the following sentence written in large letters: "Here we do not speak evil of anyone." St. Augustine overcame strong heresies, practiced great poverty and supported the poor, preached very often and prayed with great fervor right up until his death. "Too late have I loved You!" he once cried to God, but with his holy life he certainly made up for the sins he committed before his conversion. (catholic.org)

St. Augustine wrote the famous "The Confessions."  His feast day is August 28.

St. Augustine of Hippo, pray for us.

Getting to know St. Teresa of Jesus Jornet Ibars

Love for the poor.  Born in Catalonia, Spain.  St. Teresa of Jesus Jornet is the foundress of the Little Sisters of the Poor congregation (there's also a congregation named like this in France that is founded by St. Jeanne Jugan).

From a young age, Teresa demonstrated a strong concern for the poor, often bringing them to the home of an aunt, where they were sure to receive assistance. She later moved to the nearby city of Lérida, living with another aunt, as she pursued her education. She grew up to become a teacher in the suburbs of Barcelona.

During this time, she felt drawn to the monastic life and applied for admission to the Poor Clares near Burgos. She was prevented from doing so, however, by anti-clerical laws then in effect. Due to this turn of events, she devoted herself to her teaching, and became a Carmelite tertiary to help in the development of her spiritual life. The death of her father was followed by a severe illness which kept her homebound for a prolonged period.

At that time, she was encouraged by her spiritual director, the Reverend Saturnino López y Novoa, to undertake the care of the many elderly people of the region who were living in solitude and poverty. This answered a strong sense of futility Teresa had been feeling in her life, and she accepted the challenge.

In 1872, she opened the first house to this end in the city of Barbastro. Among the small group of helpers who enabled this was her own sister, María. On January 27th of the following year, this small group took the habit and became a religious congregation, with Teresa taking the name of the great foundress of the Carmelite Order to which she had previously belonged, Teresa of Jesus. She was elected the first superior of the new community.

The members of the community were totally dedicated to the care of their aged charges. Mother Teresa of Jesus taught her Sisters to sacrifice their own personal comforts for that of the men and women for whom they cared, to the point of denying themselves even coats in the winter, which could be given to them. In addition to her intense commitment, she was noted for a strong air of serenity all her life, all of which drew many young women to join in her work.

An outbreak of cholera hit Spain in 1897. She joined the other members of the congregation in their non-stop care of the victims of this plague. By the time it had ended, twenty-four Little Sisters and seventy of their patients had succumbed to the disease. Worn out by this effort, she was physically overwhelmed and retired to the house in Liria, south of Valencia. It was there that she died, on August 26th. At the time of her death, there were fifty houses of the congregation she had started. (wiki.org)

Her feast  day is August 26.

St. Teresa of Jesus Jornet Ibars, pray for us.

Getting to know St. Louis King of France

King.  Louis IX was the son of Louis VIII and Blanche of Castile.  Was born in Poissy, just near Paris.  He is the only canonised King of France.  He is a member of the House of Carpet.  Louis was only 12 years old when his father died.  Crowned king within the month at Reims Cathedral and because of his youth, his mother ruled France until he was old enough.

In 1234, he married Margaret, the virtuous daughter of Raymond Berenger, Count of Provence, and two years later he took the reigns of government into his own hands. In 1238, he headed a crusade, in which he fell a prisoner among the Mohammedans, but a truce was concluded and he was set free and he returned to France. In 1267, he again set out for the East at the head of a crusade but he never again beheld his native land. In 1270, he was stricken by the pestilence at the siege of Tunis, and after receiving the Last Sacraments, he died. (catholic.org)

Saint Louis ruled during the so-called "golden century of Saint Louis", when the kingdom of France was at its height in Europe, both politically and economically. The king of France was regarded as a primus inter pares among the kings and rulers of the continent. He commanded the largest army, and ruled the largest and most wealthy kingdom of Europe, a kingdom which was the European centre of arts and intellectual thought (La Sorbonne) at the time. The prestige and respect felt in Europe for King Louis IX was due more to the attraction that his benevolent personality created rather than to military domination. For his contemporaries, he was the quintessential example of the Christian prince, and embodied the whole of Christendom in his person. His reputation of saintliness and fairness was already well established while he was alive, and on many occasions he was chosen as an arbiter in the quarrels opposing the rulers of Europe. (wiki.org)

His feastday is August 25.

St. Louis King of France, Pray for us.

Getting to know St. Philip Benizi

Cardinal.  St. Philip Benizi was born on August 15 in Florence, Italy.  He became the propagator of the Order of the Servants of Mary (Servites).  He also earned a doctorate in Medicine and Philosophy.

He practiced medicine for some time, but in 1253 he joined the Servite Order in Florence. He served as a lay brother until 1259, when his superiors directed him to be ordained. Philip soon became known as one of the foremost preachers of his era, becoming master of novices at Siena in 1262 and then superior of several friaries and prior general of the Servites against his own wishes. in 1267. Reforming the order with zeal and patience, he was named as a possible candidate to become pope by the influential Cardinal Ottobuoni just before the election to choose a successor to Pope Clement IV. This possibility was so distressing to Philip that he fled and hid in a cave until the election was finally over. He attended the Council of Lyons which brought about a brief reunion with the Orthodox, worked to bring peace between the Guelphs and the Ghibellines in 1279, assisted St. Juliana in founding the third order of the Servites, and in 1284, dispatched the first Servite missionaries to the Far East. He retired to a small Servite house in Todi, where he died on August 22. He was canonized in 1671. (catholic.org)

His feastday is August 23.

St. Philip Benizi, pray for us.

Getting to know St. Bernard of Clairvaux

French Abbot and Doctor of the Church.  St. Bernard was born in Burgundy, France.  At a young age, he was sent to a college in Chatillon were he was regarded for his piety and spirit of recollection.  He also began to study theology and scriptures at that same place.

After the death of his mother, Bernard sought admission into the Cistercian order. Three years later, he was sent to found a new abbey at an isolated clearing in a glen known as the Val d'Absinthe, about 15 km southeast of Bar-sur-Aube. According to tradition, Bernard founded the monastery on 25 June 1115, naming it Claire Vallée, which evolved into Clairvaux. There Bernard would preach an immediate faith, in which the intercessor was the Virgin Mary. In the year 1128, Bernard assisted at the Council of Troyes, at which he traced the outlines of the Rule of the Knights Templar, who soon became the ideal of Christian nobility.

On the death of Pope Honorius II, which occurred on February 14, 1130, a schism broke out in the Church. King Louis VI convened a national council of the French bishops at Étampes, and Bernard was chosen to judge between the rival popes. In 1139, Bernard assisted at the Second Council of the Lateran. Bernard denounced the teachings of Peter Abelard to the Pope, who called a council at Sens in 1141 to settle the matter. Bernard soon saw one of his disciples, Bernard of Pisa, elected Pope. Having previously helped end the schism within the Church, Bernard was now called upon to combat heresy. In June 1145, Bernard traveled in Southern France and his preaching there helped strengthen support against heresy.

Following the Christian defeat at the Siege of Edessa, the Pope commissioned Bernard to preach the Second Crusade. The last years of Bernard's life were saddened by the failure of the crusaders, the entire responsibility for which was thrown upon him. Bernard died at age 63, after 40 years spent in the cloister. He was the first Cistercian monk placed on the calendar of saints, and was canonized by Pope Alexander III on 18 January 1174. Pope Pius VIII bestowed upon him the title of "Doctor of the Church". (wiki.org)

St. Bernard's feast day is August 20.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux, pray for us.

Getting to know St. John Eudes

A French missionary.  Founder of the Congregation of Jesus and Mary (Eudists) and the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity of the Refuge.  He studied with the Jesuits at Caen.  St. John Eudes' parents wanted him to marry but because of his love for the church entered the Congregation of the Oratory of France.

He studied at Paris and at Aubervilliers, was ordained in 1625, and worked as a volunteer, caring for the victims of the plagues that struck Normandy in 1625 and 1631, and spent the next decade giving Missions, building a reputation as an outstanding preacher and confessor and for his opposition to Jansenism. He became interested in helping fallen women, and in 1641, with Madeleine Lamy, founded a refuge for them in Caen under the direction of the Visitandines. He resigned from the Oratorians in 1643 and founded the Congregation of Jesus and Mary (the Eudists) at Caen, composed of secular priests not bound by vows but dedicated to upgrading the clergy by establishing effective seminaries and to preaching missions. His foundation was opposed by the Oratorians and the Jansenists, and he was unable to obtain Papal approval for it, but in 1650, the Bishop of Coutances invited him to establish a seminary in that diocese. The same year the sisters at his refuge in Caen left the Visitandines and were recognized by the Bishop of Bayeux as a new congregation under the name of Sisters of Our Lady of Charity of the Refuge. (catholic.org)

With the approbation of Cardinal de Richelieu and a great number of others, Father Eudes severed his connection with the Oratory to establish the Society of Jesus and Mary (Eudists) for the education of priests and for missionary work. This congregation was founded at Caen on 25 March 1643, and was considered a most important and urgent work.

Father Eudes, during his long life, preached not less than 110 missions, three at Paris, one at Versailles, one at St-Germaine-en-Laye, and the others in different parts of France. Normandy was the principal theatre of his apostolic labours. In 1674 he obtained from Pope Clement X six bulls of indulgences for the Confraternities of the Sacred Heart already erected or to be erected in the seminaries.

He also established the Society of the Heart of the Mother Most Admirable -- which resembles the Third Orders of St. Francis and St. Dominic. This society now numbers from 20,000 to 25,000 members. Father Eudes dedicated the seminary chapels of Caen and Coutances to the Sacred Hearts. The feast of the Holy Heart of Mary was celebrated for the first time in 1648, and that of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in 1672, each as a double of the first class with an octave.

The Mass and Office proper to these feasts were composed by Father Eudes, who thus he briefly preceded his contemporary the Saint Marguerite Marie Alacoque in establishing the devotion to the Sacred Hearts. For this reason, Pope Leo XIII, in proclaiming his virtues heroic in 1903, gave him the title of "Author of the Liturgical Worship of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Holy Heart of Mary". (wiki.org)

His feast day is August 19.

St. John Eudes, pray for us.

Getting to know St. Helena of Constantinople

Empress.  Helena was traditionally credited for finding the relics of the true cross.  The picture on your left is her Shrine at the Vatican Museum.  She is the Empress Mother of Constantine the Great. Although her birthplace remained uncertain, she is believed to be a native of Bithynia.  She married the Roman General Constantius I Chlorus and soon after their son Constantine was born.

....in 293, Constantius was made Caesar, or junior emperor. He divorced Helena to marry co Emperor Maximian’s stepdaughter. Constantine became emperor in 312 after the fateful victory at Milvian Bridge, and Helena was named Augusta, or empress. She converted to Christianity and performed many acts of charity, including building churches in Rome and in the Holy Land. On a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, Helena discovered the True Cross. She is believed to have died in Nicomedia. Her porphyry sarcophagus is in the Vatican Museum. Geoffrey of Monmouth, England, started the legend that Helena was the daughter of the king of Colchester, a tradition no longer upheld. In liturgical art Helena is depicted as an empress, holding a cross. (catholic.org)

She also found the nails of the crucifixion. To use their miraculous power to aid her son, Helena allegedly had one placed in Constantine's helmet, and another in the bridle of his horse. Helena left Jerusalem and the eastern provinces in 327 to return to Rome, bringing with her large parts of the True Cross and other relics, which were then stored in her palace's private chapel, where they can be still seen today. Her palace was later converted into the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem. This has been maintained by Cistercian monks in the monastery which has been attached to the church for centuries. According to one tradition, Helena acquired the Holy Tunic on her trip to Jerusalem and sent it to Trier. Several of Saint Helena's treasures are now in Cyprus, where she spent some time. Some of them are a part of Jesus Christ's tunic, pieces of the holy cross and the world's only pieces of the rope to which Jesus was tied with on the Cross. The latter has been held at the Stavrovouni Monastery, which was also founded by Saint Helena. (wiki.org)

In the Catholic Church, her feast day is August 18.

St. Helena, Pray for us.

Getting to know St. Clare of Montefalco

Cross imprinted in her heart.  Born in Montefalco, Italy, in a well-to-do family.  She entered the convent of the Third Order of St. Francis at a very young age where she joined her sister Joan.  In there she had experience a very monastic life and also a very prayerful life with God.

1294 was a decisive year in Clare's spiritual life. In the celebration of the Epiphany, after making a general confession in front of all her fellow nuns, she fell into ecstacy and remained in that state for several weeks. Unable to eat, the nuns maintained Clare's life by giving her sugar water. During this time, Clare reported having a vision in which she saw herself being judged in front of God.  Clare also reported having a vision of Jesus dressed as a poor traveler. She described his countenance as being overwhelmed by the weight of the cross and his body as showing the signs of a hard way loading the cross. During the vision, Clare kneeled in front of him trying to stop him and asked him, "My Lord, where are thy going?" Jesus answered her: ”I have looked all over the world for a strong place where to plant this Cross firmly, and I have not found any". After she reached for the cross, making known her desire to help Jesus carry it, He said to her: "Clare, I have found a place for my cross here. I have finally found someone to whom I can trust my cross", and it was implanted in her heart. The intense pain that she felt in all her being when receiving the Cross of Jesus in her heart remained with her. The rest of her years were spent in pain and suffering, and yet she continued to serve her nuns joyfully as their abbess. (wiki.org)

She led an austere life, being particularly devoted to the Passion of Christ and His Cross. When Clare died in 1308, an image of the Cross was found imprinted on her heart, and her body remained incorrupt. Whe was canonized in 1881 by Pope Leo XIII. Her feast day is August 17th. The life of St. Clare reminds us that we are all called to a life of prayer and dedication. Still, we must not expect or anticipate special favors. We are to be satisfied with the simple relationship we establish with God. (catholic.org)

Getting to know St. Stephen the Great

The Ideal Christian King.  He was the grand prince of Hungarians and then he became the first King of Hungary. He was raised as a Christian and so during his reign he promoted Christianity all over his region.  An ideal king.  A Christian.  A Great Saint.

St. Stephen the Great (977-1038), was the son of the Magyar chieftain Geza, Stephen succeeded him as leader in 997. Already raised a Christian, in 996 he wed the daughter of Duke Henry II of Bavaria and devoted much of his reign to the promotion of the Christian faith. He gave his patronage to Church leaders, helped build churches, and was a proponent of the rights of the Holy See. Stephen also crushed the pagan counterreaction to Christianity, forcibly converting the so-called Black Hungarians after their failed rebellion. In recognition of his efforts, Stephen was anoited king of Hungary in 1000, receiving the cross and crown from Pope Sylvester II. The remainder of his reign was taken up with the consolidation of the Christian hold on the region. His crown and regalia became beloved symbols of the Hungarian nation, and Stephen was venerated as the ideal Christian king. Canonized in 1083 by Pope St. Gregory VII, he became the patron saint of Hungary. (catholic.org)

Getting to know St. Maximilian Kolbe

Immaculata Movement.  This was the movement that was founded by this Franciscan Priest called Maximillian Kolbe.  He was born in Poland.  In his life he contacted Tuberculosis that made him weak and frail.  Although he recovered from the sickness but he remained really weak.  He formed a community of 800 men, the largest in the world through spreading this movement by a magazine called "The Knight of Immaculata."  He then went on to Japan and India to spread on the movement.

Maximilian went to Japan where he built a comparable monastery and then on to India where he furthered the Movement. In 1936 he returned home because of ill health. After the Nazi invasion in 1939, he was imprisoned and released for a time. But in 1941 he was arrested again and sent to the concentration camp at Auschwitz. On July 31, 1941, in reprisal for one prisoner's escape, ten men were chosen to die. Father Kolbe offered himself in place of a young husband and father. And he was the last to die, enduring two weeks of starvation, thirst, and neglect. He was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1982. His feast day is August 14th.  (catholic.org)

Getting to Know St. Hippolytus of Rome

Considered to be the first Antipope.  He was considered one of the most prolific writers of his time.  Hippolytus was distinguished for his learnings and eloquence. (wiki.org)

Martyr of Rome, with Concordia and other companions, he is a controversial figure who censured Pope St. Callistus I. Hippolytus was slain in Sardinia where he had been exiled for being elected as an antipope, the first in the history of the Church. He was reconciled to the Church before his martyrdom. His writings were important, including A Refutation of All Heresies, Song of Songs, and The Apostolic Tradition. (catholic.org)

St. Hippolytus, pray for us.

Getting to know St. Michael My

Vietnam and Politics.  That's what came to mind in getting to know St. Michael My.  He is not one of the popular saints.  It's my first time even to get to hear his name.  I haven't even found a single photo of him on the internet... but anyway, today is his feast day (August 12).

Let's know a little about him.

Martyr of Vietnam. He was the mayor of a town in Vietnam when the persecution of Christians started. Michael was martyred with Blessed Anthony Dich, his son-in-law, and with St. James Nam. He was canonized in 1988 by Pope John Paul II. (catholic.org)

St. Michael My, pray for us.

Getting to know St. Clare of Assisi

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Poor Ladies.  These were how people at their time knew about the ladies/order of St. Clare of Assisi.  Because of their love and passion for God, they don't see any need for material things anymore.

St. Clare was so inspired when she first heard St. Francis of Assisi preached.  She then longed for his way of life.  When Clare's parents arranged a marriage for her to a wealthy young man, one evening, Clare ran away from home and gave herself to God in a little chapel outside Assisi.  There, St. Francis gave her a brown habit to wear and cut off her hair.  Her parents Favorino Scifi, count of Sasso-Rosso, and Ortolana tried everything they could do to make her come home but Clare would not.  This was how great her desire and passion to dedicate her life to God.  Giving up everything.

Her sister Agnes joined her as well as the other ladies who want to serve God and also imitate St. Francis.  They joined the Church of San Damiano (which is known to be the Order of San Damiano).  Clare become its leader/prioress.  The sisters lived in enclosure which they also lived a life of enclosure and prayer.  Ten years after her death, the order was known to be the Order of St. Clare.  They were commonly known as Poor Clares.

St. Clare and her sisters wore no shoes, ate no meat, lived in a poor house, and kept silent most of the time. Yet they were very happy, because Our Lord was close to them all the time. Once, He saved them from a great danger in answer to St. Clare's prayer. An army of rough soldiers came to attack Assisi and they planned to raid the convent first. Although very sick, St. Clare had herself carried to the wall and right there, where the enemies could see it, she had the Blessed Sacrament placed. Then on her knees, she begged God to save the Sisters. "O Lord, protect these Sisters whom I cannot protect now," she prayed. A voice seemed to answer: "I will keep them always in My care." At the same time a sudden fright struck the attackers and they fled as fast as they could. St. Clare was sick and suffered great pains for many years, but she said that no pain could trouble her. So great was her joy in serving the Lord that she once exclaimed: "They say that we are too poor, but can a heart which possesses the infinite God be truly called poor?" We should remember this miracle of the Blessed Sacrament when in Church. Then we will pray with great Faith to Jesus in the Holy Eucharist: "Save me, O Lord, from every evil - of soul and body." (catholic.org)

St. Clare is the patron of sore eyes.  Her feast day is August 11.

Getting to know St. Lawrence of Rome

Grilling.  The thought comes to mind when thinking of St. Lawrence of Rome.  As I get to know this patron saint of comedians, butchers and roasters, in a way, i have found at that this saint's love for God is overflowing with passion that even when he was grilled to his death, he could even utter a joke.

St. Lawrence was one of the seven deacons of Pope St. Sixtus who were in charge to administer the poor and the needy.  When the persecution of the Valerian broke out, Pope St. Sixtus was led to his execution.  This poor lawrence met the Pope on his way to execution asking him "Where are you going father, without your son?  The pope then said "I am not leaving you my son, in three days you will follow me."  That prophecy made St. lawrence very happy that he gave all his belongings to the poor.  The way St. lawrence believed in the prophecy of the Pope made me in awe of his faith.

After the execution, the greedy prefect of Rome demanded that Lawrence should turn over the treasures of the Church.  What St. Lawrence did was went out, assembled all the poor and the needy, brought them to the prefect and he said 'These are the treasures of the Church!"  In anger, St. Lawrence was ordered to have a slow and cruel death.

By tradition, Lawrence was sentenced at San Lorenzo in Miranda, martyred at San Lorenzo in Panisperna, and buried in the Via Tiburtina in the Catacomb of Cyriaca by Hippolytus and Justinus, a presbyter. Tradition holds that Lawrence was burned or "grilled" to death, hence his association with the gridiron. Tradition also holds that Lawrence joked about their cooking him enough to eat while he was burning on the gridiron, hence his patronage of cooks and chefs, stating something along the lines of, "turn me over...I'm done on this side". (wiki.com)

Making a joke out of his grilling made me realize his fire and passion for the love of God.  Even his excitement in joining the heavenly Father.  This made me think that he even enjoyed his own grilling/martyrdom when He said before he died, "It is cooked now."  This saint love serving God and he even love to die for the Lord.

Wonderful isn't he?

St. Lawrence, pray for us.

Getting to know St. Edith Stein

Gas Chambers.  All I could think about how tortured she might have felt as she lost her last breath inside those awful gas chambers.  As I get to read a snippet of this saint's life, I have come to admire her courage and her strength.

Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, her religion name, was born in Breslau, Poland in 1891.  Now Poland gets to interest me a lot that I want to go and live there for a while. Born Jewish and an atheist, it was said that St. Edith was an outstanding student who is so into Philosophy and has a major interest in phenomenology.  Now what the heck is phenomenology?  Remind me to take a look of that subject later.  Because of her reading on the life of St. Teresa of Avila, she became interested in the Catholic Faith. Her interest in the faith really became so serious that it caused her conversion.  She was then  baptized on the year of 1922 at the Cathedral of Cologne in Germany.

Because of her love for God, she entered the Carmel Convent in Cologne Germany.  And because of the ramifications at that time, she was transferred to Holland.  But then, these Nazis conquered Holland.  And together with her sister, which is named Rose, they were arrested and placed in a concentration camp.  In there, I believe, St. Edith placed her life in the hands of God through prayer, fasting and dedication.  1942 marks the end of St. Edith's life as she was placed in the gas chambers in Auschwitz.  She was 51.  She was later canonized as Saint by Pope John Paul II on October 11, 1998.

From wiki, it was said that "The miracle which was the basis for her canonization was the cure of Teresa Benedicta McCarthy, a little girl who had swallowed a large amount of paracetamol which causes hepatic necrosis in small children. Her father, Rev. Emmanuel Charles McCarthy, a Melkite Catholic, immediately rounded up relatives and prayed for Edith Stein's intercession. Shortly thereafter the nurses in the intensive care unit saw her sit up completely healthy."

"As a child of the Jewish people who, by the grace of God, for the past eleven years has also been a child of the Catholic Church, I dare to speak to the Father of Christianity about that which oppresses millions of Germans. For weeks we have seen deeds perpetrated in Germany which mock any sense of justice and humanity, not to mention love of neighbor. For years the leaders of National Socialism have been preaching hatred of the Jews. But the responsibility must fall, after all, on those who brought them to this point and it also falls on those who keep silent in the face of such happenings."

Everything that happened and continues to happen on a daily basis originates with a government that calls itself "Christian." For weeks not only Jews but also thousands of faithful Catholics in Germany, and, I believe, all over the world, have been waiting and hoping for the Church of Christ to raise its voice to put a stop to this abuse of Christ’s name." —Edith Stein, Letter to Pope Pius XI.

It was great knowing you St. Edith Stein.   Pray for us.  

Today, I start with the Saints

Lately, I have been so engrossed with the lives of the Saints.  Their ways and their lifestyle.  And even their so-called cool antics and tricks. haha.

Being in different centers here around the Philippines.  I have noticed that most of the schools, conference venues, retreat houses are named after saints.. St. Andrew, St. Mary, St. Teresa, St. Benedict, etc etc.  And noticing that, I have come to realize that I don't know these people! I only know their names.  And me, with the ultimate goal of wanting to be holy like these saints wonder on how could i challenge myself to get-to-know these people.  How did they come to know God in the coolest way possible?  How is their relationship with Almighty?  What are there challenges and even failures?  How did they cling on to the all-power glory of God.  

So here I am.. A little I know of them.  My favorites are St. Ignatius and St. Augustine.. since I came from the schools named after them.  And now, I challenge myself to know the other ones.. Know their stories and their lives, how they followed Christ.

Here you go.. the challenge for me... know these saints.  A day to day reflection as I get to know them.  If you want, it can be yours too.. if you follow this blog, of course. :)

It's a start of making these Saints our friends.. There are a lot of them. You might be one someday.