Commemoration of Saints (February 28)

Solemnities, Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials, and Traditional Dates of Commemoration

• Proterius, bishop
• Romanus and Lupicinus, abbots
• Hilarus, pope
• Oswald of Worcester, bishop

St. Hilarus or Hilary (d. ca. 468 A.D.) was an archdeacon when he was elected Pope on November 19, 461 A.D. His pontificate:

• improved ecclesiastical discipline,
• strengthened church organization in Gaul and Spain,
• adjucated disputes between contending bishops,
• held councils,
• rebuilt many Roman churches,
• publicly rebuked Emperor Anthemius in connection to the Macedonian heresy,
• confirmed the decisons of the General Councils (Nicaea, Ephesus, Chalcedon)

St. Hilarius died in Rome on February 28 [1]

Saints in the Byzantine Calendar [February 28]

• Basil, confessor and co-faster of St. Procopius
• Marina, Cyra, and Domnicia, Venerable Women

Sts. Marina, Cyra or Kyra, and Domnicia were ascetics during the 5th century in the East, in the area of Syria. Marina and Cyra were sisters, and Domnicia may have been one of their servants. The two sisters were from an illustrious and rich family.

When they reached maturity, Marina and Cyra left their parents and went off to a deserted place to practice an ascetical way of life. Some of their servants came to them and wanted to join their ascetical way of life, so the two sisters put them in a separate dwelling next to their enclosure.

Bishop Theodore of Cyrrhus knew of these holy women and wanted to visit them. (He also described them in his Religiosa Historica.) Out of respect for his office, they allowed him to enter their dwelling, so that they may converse. The Bishop advised them to moderate their penance. However, as soon as he left, the women resumed their very ascetical practice of wearing chains on their bodies, fasting and prayer.

Sts. Marina and Cyra died in about the year 450 A.D. Their ascetical life equaled the male ascetics of their time and as such, were rewarded as well with the crown of victory from Christ. [2]

References: Books and Websites

• [1] Dictionary of Saints, John J. Delaney
• [2] Venerable Marina and Kyra of Syria, Oca.org

Commemoration of Saints (February 27)

Solemnities, Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials, and Traditional Dates of Commemoration

• Leander of Seville, bishop
• Gabriel Possenti, confessor
• Alnoth
• John of Gorze, abbot
• Besas, Cronion and Julian, martyrs
• Thalelaeus the Hermit
• Baldomerus
• Anne Line, martyr

John of Gorze (d. ca. 974 A.D.) was born at Vandieres, Lorraine, was educated at Metz, and inherited a wealthy estate at the death of his father. He was interested in religious life and made a pilgrimage to Rome. In 933 A.D., he was about to go on a second piligrimage to Rome with Einhold of Toul, an archdeacon, when the bishop of Metz sent them to a run-down abbey of Gorze. They revitalized this abbey with John as prior. He was then sent as head of a delegration to a Caliph of Cordova by Emperor Otto I. Upon his return to Gorze in 960 A.D., he was elected abbot. The reforms he applied to the Gorze abbey were later adopted by other Benedictine monasteries in the area. [1]

More on Saints for February 27 in the Catholic Church

Saints in the Byzantine Calendar [February 27]

• Procopius, venerable confessor and monk

St. Procopius left the vanity of the world and was tonsured in a monastery. At that time the heresy of iconaclasm appeared and threatened the orthodoxy of the Christian faith. Procopius fought against this heresy and the policies of Emperor Leo the Isaurian that supported the heresy. His battle against the heresy led to his arrest, torture and imprisonment in a dank dungeon. Together with St. Basil, they languished in this environment until the death of Emperor Leo the Isaurian. St. Procopius spent the remainder of his life in peace and died around the year 750 A.D. [2]

References: Books & Websites

• [1] Dictionary of Saints, John J. Delaney
• [2] Venerable Prokopius the Confessor of Decapolis, Oca.org

Commemoration of Saints (February 26)

Solemnities, Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials, and Traditional Dates of Commemoration

• Nestor, bishop and martyr
• Alexander of Alexandria, bishop
• Porphyry, bishop
• Victor or Vittre the Hermit

St. Porphyry or Porphyrius of Gaza (ca. 353-412 A.D.) was a bishop of Gaza known for his generosity to the poor. He was born in Thessalonika and at twenty-five went to live as a monk for five years in the desert of Skete. He spent the next five years as a hermit in Palestine in a cave near the river Jordan. He became crippled by illness and used a walking stick to visit the holy places. It was while in Jerusalem that he first Mark, who would become his deacon and biographer.

Porphyry sent Mark back to Thessalonika to sell his property for distribution to the poor. When Mark returned to Jerusalem, he found Porphyry restored to full health. In 393 A.D., the bishop of Jerusalem ordained Porphyry a priest. Three years later, at 43 years of age, he was elected bishop of Gaza without his knowledge. Porphyry had difficulties in working at his see because it was comprised of both pagans and Christians. Eventually, Porphyry received permission from the Emperor to destroy the remaining pagan temples so he could build a cruciform church on the site once occupied by a pagan temple. Porphyry spent the remaining thirteen years of his life in active pastoral service of his people. [1]

St. Porphyry's is commemorated today, February 26, by the Catholic Church, and also commemorated as a feast in both the Greek and Russian Orthodox Churches. [2]

Saints in the Byzantine Calendar [February 26]

• Porphyrius, Archbishop of Gaza
• St. Sebastian, Martyr
• St. Photina of Samaria, Martyr

St. Photina was the name attributed to the Samaritan woman of Sychar whom Jesus conversed with at a well (John 4). Stories handed down from generation to generation say that she preached the gospel, was imprisoned for three years, and died for the Christian faith at Carthage. She is commemorated today, February 26, in the Byzantine Calendar. In the Catholic Church, she is commemorated on March 20. [2]

References: Books
[1] Lives of the Saints, by Richard P. McBrien
[2] Dictionary of Saints, by John J. Delaney

Commemoration of Saints (February 25)

Solemnities, Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials, and Traditional Dates of Commemoration

• Victorinus and Companions, martyrs
• Caesarius Nazianzen
• Ethelbert of Kent
• Walburga, virgin
• Tarasius, bishop
• Gerland, bishop

St. Ethelbert of Kent (d. ca. 616 A.D.) was the first Christian Anglo-Saxon king. His wife, Bertha, was the daughter of the king of Paris and was already a Christian when they got married. Since Ethelbert was not Christian, Bertha agreed to the marriage as long as she was permitted to practice her Christian faith. It was St. Augustine of Canterbury and his monks who, in 597 A.D., was instrumental in the conversion to the Christian faith of Ethelbert and the whole of Britain through Pope Gregory the Great. Although King Ethelbert did not accept Christianity at first, he allowed the missionaries to preach and make converts. But in ca. 601 A.D., Ethelbert himself was eventually baptized. His conversion was decisive for the Christianization of Kent and the whole of England.

Saints in the Byzantine Calendar [February 25]

• St. Tharasius, Archbishop of Constantinople

St. Tharasius or Tarasius of Constantinople (d. ca. 806 A.D.) was a layman serving as secretary to Emperor Constantine VI. He was named Patriarch of Constantinople by Empress Irene and was consecrated bishop in 784 A.D. He was able to restore the statues and images to the churches of his see after the decrees of the General Council of Nicaea. In his term of office in the see of Constantinople, there was political strife in the royal family. However, even with this turmoil, St. Tharasius was able to complete and finish his twenty-one year service under the next Emperor, Nicephorus.

St. Tarasius is commemorated today, February 25, in both the Catholic Church and in the Byzantine Calendar.

Commemoration of Saints (February 24)

Solemnities, Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials, and Traditional Dates of Commemoration

• Montanus, Lucius and Companions, martyrs
• Praetextatus, bishop and martyr

Saints in the Byzantine Calendar [February 24]

• First and Second Finding of the Venerable Head of St. John, the Precursor

The First and Second Finding of the Venerable Head of St. John, the Precursor refers to the Christian tradition that the head of St. John the Baptist was discovered twice after his beheading.

• First finding: Found and hidden on the Mount of Olives by Joanna, wife of Herod's steward.
• Second finding: Found again in a cave near Emesa, Syria, following a vision from St. John himself to two monks.

There are many versions and details connected with these two "Findings" online. But there is more certainty to the truth that both discoveries are commemorated on February 24th in the Orthodox Church.

Commemoration of Saints (February 23)

Solemnities, Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials, and Traditional Dates of Commemoration

• Polycarp, bishop and martyr
• Sereneus the Gardener, martyr
• Alexander Akimetes
• Dositheus
• Boisil, abbot
• Milburga, virgin
• Willigis, bishop

Saints in the Byzantine Calendar [February 23]

• St. Polycarp, Priest-Martyr

7th Sunday of the Year (C)

Liturgical readings

1 Sam 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23
Psalm 103
1 Corinthians 15:45-49
Luke 6:27-38

"For the measure you measure with will be measured back to you."

God's commandment of love is at the heart of Jesus' teaching in Luke 6:27-38. In this passage, we get to know who God is and who we are as human beings. God is kind (Lk 6:38) and He's a compassionate father (Lk 6:36). Those who accept the message of Jesus are called to reflect that same mercy in their lives. All the faithful are called to "love their enemies" (Lk 6:27-35), for Jesus Himself taught by His example on the Cross that to love one's enemies is "to forgive them for they did not know what they did". On our part, we too must seek forgiveness for the times we also "did not know what we did" to our own enemies. It is a great grace to forgive; and it comes from Christ in the Sacraments.

The whole history of the Christian faith shows many that some have really followed Christ to the Cross. From apostolic times and through the years when persecution of Christians was at its height in the 3rd to the early years of the 4th century, and even now at present, many martyrs of the faith have given their lives to attest to the great ethic of God's Kingdom. Names like: St. Stephen the deacon, St. Sebastian, the virgin-martyrs Cecilia, Agnes, Lucy, Agatha, the WWII martyrs St. Edith Stein and St. Maximilian Kolbe and many others. These martyrs have inspired the entire Church to see that the love of Christ continues throughout many centuries. "The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church" (Tertullian). The faith of the Church grows strong because of the the witness of Christ and the martyrs.

Martyrdom is not a call nor a vocation to all in the Church. It is only for those who have been chosen by Christ to follow Him in His love to the very height of the Cross. But all the faithful are called to "love their enemies" by sanctifying their daily work with the patience and endurance required of their Christian state of life, and the painstaking need to complete all their tasks to meet all obligations. And this everyone does even in an environment where it is difficult to get along with co-workers who are completely opposite to one's temperament or work ethic. However, Christ's ethic of love is a solution: to make Christ and His ethic central to all in one's work and life. If this discipline is practiced daily with plain common sense, then one can learn to turn all the circumstances and events of one's work and life into opportunities to love God and serve Him. With the measure of mercy we received should we also be merciful to others with that same mercy.

Commemoration of Saints (February 22)

Solemnities, Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials, and Traditional Dates of Commemoration

• Chair of Peter, Apostle
• Thalassius and Limnaeus
• Baradates
• Margaret of Cortona

The Chair of Peter celebrates the triumph of Christ's grace in the heart and soul of St. Peter and in his status as the primary pastor and teacher of the Church. Why do we say "triumph"? Biblical texts show that even if Peter was chosen to lead the Catholic Church by Jesus, he is presented at certain New Testament texts as a weak and sinful man at first:

• He misunderstands Jesus (Mk 9:5-6)
• He weakens in faith after beginning to walk on water (Mt 18:10-11)
• He is rebuked by Jesus (Mk 8:33)
• He boasts (John 13:37-38)
• He denied Christ (Mark 14:66-72)

But, in spite of all these, the Risen Lord appears to Peter and he becomes once again a source of strength to the Church (Luke 22:32).

The Chair of Peter is celebrated as a Feast in the liturgy of the Catholic Church since the 4th century A.D. This Feast is celebrated in Rome as a sign of the unity of the Church founded upon the apostle Peter.

What is a feast? A feast is a liturgical day dedicated to celebrating a significant event in the life of Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, or a major saint, considered to be of high importance but not as high as a "solemnity". A feast is marked by special prayers and readings during Mass to commemorate the person or event being honored, such as the Chair of Peter. Essentially, it's a day of heightened celebration within the liturgical year for Catholics in the universal Church.

Saints in the Byzantine Calendar [February 22]

• Finding of the venerable Relics of Sts. Martyrs at Eugenia
• Venerable Peter, Monk, and Athanasius, Martyrs

The "Finding of the venerable Relics of Sts. Martyrs at Eugenia" refers to a historical event where the relics of Christian martyrs, specifically believed to be associated with Saint Eugenia, were discovered at a location called "Eugenia," often near Constantinople, according to Byzantine tradition. This discovery is typically commemorated every February 22nd.

Commemoration of Saints (February 21)

Solemnities, Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials, and Traditional Dates of Commemoration

• Peter Damian, bishop and doctor
• Severian, bishop and martyr
• Germanus of Granfel, martyr
• George of Amastris, bishop
• Robert Southwell, priest and martyr

St. Peter Damian (1007-1072 A.D.) was a major reformer of the papacy, episcopate, clergy and monasteries. He entered at first the Camaldolese Benedictine monastery at Fonte Avellana which was founded by St. Romuald. He soon rose to a position in the Church - appointed bishop of Ostia, and then the cardinalate. However, Peter remained a monk at heart and persuaded Pope Alexander II to relieve him of his episcopal duties to return to Fonte Avellana. He died on February 22, 1072 A.D.

The feast for St. Peter Damian today, February 21, is an Optional Memorial.

Related blog posts:

• Learn more on the life, work, and writings of St. Peter Damian
• St. Romuald, founder of the monastery at Fonte Avellana, and refounded by St. Peter Damian, Learn more
• Monastic Reform in the 10th Century, Learn more

St. Robert Southwell (ca. 1561-1595 A.D.) was a Jesuit priest, poet and martyr. According to writer Phyllis McGinley, of the inspiring book Saint-Watching, she observed that the Jesuit Order produced two literary geniuses: St. Robert Southwell in the late 16th century A.D., and Gerard Manley Hopkins in the 19th century A.D.

St. Robert, like Edmund Campion, SJ, was one of the Jesuits canonized among the "Forty Martyrs of England and Wales" by Pope Paul VI in 1970 A.D.

You can read his poem The Burning Babe, an example of sacred poetry, Learn more

Saints in the Byzantine Calendar [February 21]

• Timothy, Hermit
• Eustacius, Archbishop of Antioch

St. Timothy of Symbola became a monk at a young age in the monastery called Symbola in Asia Minor near Mount Olympus. At Symbola he was the disciple of Theoctistus, and then the disciple of St. Platon at the Studion Monastery. He then spent many years as a hermit, offering prayers to the Lord God in the wilderness, the mountains, and the forests. He died in the year 795 A.D. Learn more from Byzantinela.com

Commemoration of Saints (February 20)

Solemnities, Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials, and Traditional Dates of Commemoration

• Sadoth, bishop
• Tyrannio, Cenobius and Companions, martyrs
• Eleutherius of Tournai, bishop
• Eucherius of Orleans, bishop
• Wulfric, also Ulfric or Ulric
• Elizabeth of Mantua

Elisabetta Picenardi, also known as St. Elizabeth of Mantua, (ca. 1428 – 19 February 1468 A.D.) was an Italian tertiary of the Servite Order. Elisabetta Picenardi was born in Mantua into a noble family and, despite pressure to wed a nobleman, insisted instead on pursuing the religious path alongside her sister. Elizabeth and that sister entered the Third Order of the Servites after their mother's death. Elizabeth was known to have the gift of making predictions - with one prediction accurately made about her death, before it happened a year after. Many miracles were reported to have happened at her tomb (died ca. 1468 A.D.).

Her beatification received formal confirmation on 20 November 1804 A.D. when Pope Pius VII affirmed her popular devotion in the Servite Order and the dioceseses of Mantua and Cremona. Learn more from Wikipedia.org

More on Saints for February 20

Saints in the Byzantine Calendar [February 20]

• Leo, bishop of Catania
• St. Sadok, Priest-Martyr
• St. Agatho, Venerable, Pope of Rome

Commemoration of Saints (February 19)

Solemnities, Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials, and Traditional Dates of Commemoration

• Mesrop, bishop
• Barbatus, bishop
• Beatus of Liebana
• Boniface of Lausanne, bishop
• Conrad of Piacenza

St. Conrad of Piacenza (1290-1351 A.D.) was born of a noble family, got married, and took up residence in Piacenza. He got into a bind because of a hunting venture and had to sell all his possessions to pay for the damages. The event caused his conversion and made him decide to be a Franciscan tertiary while his wife became a Poor Clare nun. Because large crowds were attracted by his reputation, he moved to Noto in Sicily, where he lived for thirty more years. When he died, numerous miracles were reported at his tomb. Learn more

Saints in the Byzantine Calendar [February 19]

• St. Archippus, Apostle & co-worker with St. Paul the Apostle
• Sts. Maxim, Theodot, Isychus and Asklepiodotus, Martyrs

Commemoration of Saints (February 18)

Solemnities, Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials, and Traditional Dates of Commemoration

• Simeon, bishop and martyr
• Leo and Paregorius, martyrs
• Flavian, bishop and martyr
• Helladius, bishop
• Colman of Lindisfarne, bishop
• Angilbert, abbot
• Theotonius, abbot
• John of Fiesole

St. Colman of Lindisfarne (d. ca. 676 A.D.) was bishop-abbot of the great monastery of Lindisfarne. He played a key role in 664 A.D. to resolve the differences between the Roman and Celtic practices regarding the dating of Easter and other observances, and the relationship of local churches to the see of Rome. He defended the Celtic ecclesiastical practices against St. Wilfrid and St. Agilbert. When the King ruled in favor of St. Wilfrid, St. Colman resigned from his episcopate and returned to a monastery he founded on the Isle of Inishbofin off the coast of Connacht, where they continued their practice of the Celtic rites. When dissension broke out between the Irish and the English monks, he founded another monastery at Mayo and was abbot of both monasteries.

St. Theotonius (1086-1166 A.D.) was the abbot of the Monastery of the Holy Cross in Portugal. Born in Spain, he was the nephew of a Bishop of Coimbra in Portugal and was ordained a priest. He was diligent in his duties and gained a reputation for his sanctity. When repeatedly urged to accept a position as bishop, he refused to do so. After two pilgrimages to the Holy Land, Theotonius decided to enter a monastery, becoming one of the original members of the Canons Regular of St. Augustine. St. Theotonius lived the last thirty years of his life in the Monastery of the Holy Cross before dying at the age of eighty.

Saints in the Byzantine Calendar [February 18]

• Leo the Great, Pope of Rome

Commemoration of Saints (February 17)

Solemnities, Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials, and Traditional Dates of Commemoration

• Seven Founders of the Order of Servites
• Theodulus and Julian, martyrs
• Loman, bishop
• Fintan of Cloneenagh, abbot
• Finan, bishop
• Evermod, bishop
• Silvin, bishop

St. Buonfiglio Monaldo (d. 1261 A.D.) was one of the the Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order. Bonfiglio, Alexis, Manettus, Amadeus, Hugh, Sostene and John Buonagiunta were seven men of the town of Florence who became bound to each other in a spiritual friendship. They eventually felt called by Mary, mother of Jesus, towards whom they practised an intense devotion. All of them were ordained (except for Alexis Falconieri) and Bonfiglio was elected as their first superior general with their first foundation just outside of Florence, Italy.

The Servite community soon spread to other Italian cities. At the invitation of King St. Louis, Manettus, whose real name was Benedict Dell' Antell, introduced the Order to France, and Sostenes, whose real name was Gerardino Sostegni, brought their charism to Germany. In time their charism spread all over Europe. When Manettus became the fourth superior general, he sent missionaries to Asia.

The Servite Order and its charism was papally approved in 1304 A.D. by Pope Benedict XI, at which only St. Alexis Falconieri, one of the original seven, was still alive. He was 110 years old when he died on February 17, 1310 A.D., on which date the Servite Order is commemorated. The seven founders were co-jointly canonized by Pope Leo XIII in 1888 A.D. as the "Seven Holy Founders". Their feast appears on the General Roman Calendar. It was made a feast of the Universal Church by Pope Pius VII in 1814 A.D.

The feast of the Servites today, February 17, is commemorated as an Optional memorial. An optional memorial is a feast day that can be observed at the discretion of the priest or those reciting the Liturgy of the Hours.

Optional Memorials

• Optional memorials are feast days of saints that the Church encourages the faithful to celebrate.
• The rules for celebrating optional memorials are the same as those for obligatory memorials.
• The only difference is that optional memorials are not required to be observed.
• The whole Church observes the memorials of saints who are of "universal significance".
• These memorials are marked in the general liturgical calendar.
• The memorial of the Servite Order is an example of an optional memorial.

Related blog posts:

• St. Alexis Falconieri, Servite and centenerian, Learn more
• Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order, Learn more at Wikipedia.org

Saints in the Byzantine Calendar [February 17]

• St. Theodore of Tyre, the Great Martyr
• Memory of St. Mariamna, sister of Philip, the Apostle

Because the Saints whose lives were really way back in the history of the Christian faith, many are based on pious stories which are handed down from generation to generation. Thus, inaccuracy and identification with other Saints' names are possible. One example is St. Theodore of Tyre (d. ca. 306 A.D.) whose feast is celebrated in the Byzantine Calendar today, February 17. Some sources reveal that he may be the same as St. Theodore of Heraclea, a general in the army of Emperor Licinius.

St. Theodore of Tyre or Theodore Tiro was a (tiro) recruit in the Roman army. He was brought before his officer-in-charge because he refused to participate in the pagan rites of his comrades in arms. When he was temporarily freed, he set fire to one of the pagan temples. He was therefore brought before judges again, and tortured. After a third examination, he was sentenced to death and burned to death in a furnace.

Theodore of Tire is considered one of the "warrior saints", but much of the story of his life is not recorded. His name is associated with other names: Theodore of Stratelates and Theodore of Heraclea. One thing may be more certain. Since he is known to have died in ca. 306 A.D., then his death as a martyr has some certainty since 306 A.D. was really the period of the early Christian martyrs. A lot still has to be verified and made more certain.

Commemoration of Saints (February 16)

Solemnities, Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials, and Traditional Dates of Commemoration

• Onesimus, martyr
• Juliana, virgin and martyr
• Elias, Jeremy and Companions, martyrs
• Gilbert of Sempringham

Saints in the Byzantine Calendar [February 16]

• Sts. Pamphylius, Valentine, Paul, Seleucus, Porphyrus, Julian, Theoulus, and the five Martyrs of Egypt, Elias, Jeremias, Isaias, Samuel and Daniel
• Flavianus, Archbishop of Constantinople

6th Sunday of the Year (C)

Liturgical readings

Jeremiah 17:5-8
Psalm 1
1 Corinthians 15:12, 16-20
Luke 6:17, 20-26

"Rejoice and exult, for your reward shall be great in heaven."

The gospel passage for this Sunday can greatly help in one's spiritual preparation for the coming Lenten Season. For the Lenten Season is a stark reminder of the realities of life today - how it is full of contrasts, both lack and fullness, in every part of the world. Jesus was sent into our human condition to show us the wisdom of living a life according to His Father's will, whether it be in lack or fullness. Thus, the gospel passage presents Him preaching a set of blessings and woes: blessings for the poor, the hungry, the weeping, and the ostracized; and woes for the rich, the well-fed, those who are in celebration, and the honored. In contrast to Matthew's set of Beatitudes, Luke gives a strong contrast between those who will be blessed and on those who will experience a reversal of fortune (from good to bad).

If one reads the beginning of chapter 6 of Luke (Lk 1:1-5), you will find the Pharisees questioning Jesus about why His disciples are doing what is unlawful during the Sabbath (They were picking up ears of corn and eating them, Lk 1:1). And in Lk 6: 6-11, when Jesus heals a man with a paralyzed hand on a Sabbath (which is also unlawful), the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees were enraged. It is within this context that Jesus preaches the four "blessings" and the four "woes". After this "blessings and woes", Jesus continues to preach about loving our enemies (Lk 6:27-35) and not to be hasty in judging others (Lk 6:36-38). This sixth chapter of Luke then ends with Jesus teaching about a good tree bearing good fruit and the wisdom of building a house solidly on His Word (Lk 6:46-49).

Many are aware that in their state of life at present and looking at the situation of others that there is pressure for social comparison: one may think oneself and members of his family either among those who are blessed, or among those whom Jesus pronounces His woes (which also applies with others). But experiences in life teaches that nobody really knows what will happen next. Everything is all in the hands of God. That is why God calls all to have faith in Him and to firmly decide everyday to respond in faith. A verse in one of the Bible's wisdom books counsels to "remember prosperity in the time of adversity" and to "remember adversity in the time of prosperity". As the Lord calls all to greater faith in Him, one realizes that the wisdom of His "blessings and woes" is a wisdom to hold onto. It is a valuable system of ethics in life that leads to what is more important: never to lose one's trust in God - whether in lack or fullness, in "blessing" or "woe". For faith, confidence and trust in God is an attitude that will help any believer continue to bear good fruit whether one is in "blessing" or "woe". And this degree of faith will make one "Rejoice and exult, for [your] reward shall be great in heaven."

Commemoration of Saints (February 15)

Solemnities, Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials, and Traditional Dates of Commemoration

• Agpae, virgin and martyr
• Walfrid, abbot
• Tanco or Tatto, bishop and martyr
• Sigfrid, bishop
• Claude La Colombiere, priest

St. Sigfrid (d. ca. 1045 A.D.) was consecrated as a missionary bishop and became the "apostle of Sweden". With two other bishops, Grimkel and John, he was sent by King Ethelred to Christianize the Swedes and the Norwegians. Sigfrid went to Sweden in 1008 A.D. and was able to baptize Olaf, the king of the Swedes. He also went to work as a missionary in Denmark. However, during a missionary trip to the more remote areas of Scandinavia, Sigfrid's three nephews (who were his main helpers in the mission) were murdered. On his return to King Ethelred, Sigfrid persuaded the king not to execute the killers. The king therefore commuted the punishment to a heavy fine. However, Sigfrid refused to accept the money even when he was in need of funds for rebuilding his cathedral.

There is uncertainty on his canonization. One source says he was canonized in 1158 A.D. by the only English pope, Adrian IV, who had been himself a missionary in Scandinavia. A second source has more clarity: his cult has been established in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark by the 13th century A.D. St. Sigfrid was widely venerated in Sweden before the Protestant Reformation entered the country.

St. Claude La Colombière (1641-1682 A.D.) was a Jesuit priest who has been canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1992 A.D.; he was previously beatified by Pope Pius XI in 1929 A.D. He is particularly known as the spiritual director of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, who received revelations about the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Even before his ordination, Claude already displayed a remarkable talent for preaching. It was this talent that was instrumental for his appeal to the new and growing devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which was a spiritual weapon against Jansenism, a French movement that incorporated elements of Calvinism and Lutheranism. During his retreat before making final profession as a Jesuit, Claude de la Colombière consecrated himself to the Sacred Heart.

Claude met Margaret Mary at his first priestly assignment when he paid a call to the Visitation convent at Burgundy, France. It was not long before he was reassigned to London, where Protestant England still had laws against Catholic priests. For preaching in the context of the Catholic faith, Claude was arrested for traitorous speech. While in prison, King Louis XIV requested that Claude be saved from execution. With his health already deteriorating, Claude was released from prison, and banished to France. Claude did not recover from his ailment and died on February 15, 1682 A.D. in his early 40s.

After his death, devotion to the Sacred Heart continued to grow, eventually leading to the inclusion of the feast of the Sacred Heart on the universal liturgical calendar in 1856 A.D. and celebrated on the Friday after Corpus Christi. Learn more at Jesuits.global

Related blog posts:

• Classic Consecration of the Family to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Learn more

Saints in the Byzantine Calendar [February 15]

• St. Onesimus, Apostle
• Paphnutius, Venerable-Hermit in Egypt and his daughter Euphrosyne

Commemoration of Saints (February 14)

Solemnities, Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials, and Traditional Dates of Commemoration

• Cyril, monk, and Methodius, bishop
• John Baptist of the Conception, priest
• Valentine, priest and martyr
• Abraham, bishop
• Maro, abbot
• Auxentius
• Conran, bishop
• Antonius of Sorrento, abbot
• Adolf, bishop

St. Cyril and St. Methodius, are known as the "apostles of the Slavs". Their principal missions were to territories encompassed by modern-day Czech Republic, Croatia, Serbia, and Slovenia. Cyril and Methodius are brothers, in a family of seven children in Thessalonica, with Cyril being the youngest.

Cyril began as a professor of philosophy while his brother Methodius entered a monastery in Bithynia after a brief government career. Both were commissioned by the Emperor Michael III ca. 862 A.D. to become missionaries in Moravia at the request of the local ruler. The local ruler, Rotislav, wanted the brothers to teach the Christian faith in the vernacular, as an alternative to the German missionaries who were already there. Both Cyril and Methodius spoke Slavonic since childhood. But to put Slavonic in written form, Cyril invented a Slavonic alphabet (Glagolithic, from which the term Cyrillic was derived) which was based on the Greek alphabet. From this Cyrillic alphabet, both Cyril and Methodius translated together major portions of the Bible and the liturgy.

For probably political reasons, the German bishops opposed Cyril and Methodius' missionary efforts and refused to ordain them and their followers. So the two brothers left Moravia and headed back to seek help in Constantinople. While enroute, they stopped at Venice, and attended to the invitation of Pope Nicholas I to visit Rome. However, it was the successor of Nicholas I, Hadrian II, who received the brothers with great honor because Cyril and Methodius were also carrying with them the relics of St. Clement.

Pope Hadrian II approved the Slavonic liturgy and ordained Methodius and three of their disciples as priests. The newly ordained celebrated the Slavonic liturgy at St. Peter's Basilica and in other Roman churches. By this time Cyril decided to become a monk. Afflicted with serious health problems, he died at 42 years of age on February 14, 869 A.D. Methodius, on the other hand, continued using the Slavonic liturgy and in 870 A.D. was consecrated to the episcopate. But the German bishops and the Hungarian clergy opposed him, had him removed from his see and exiled him to Swabia. The new pope, John VIII, recalled Methodius and restored him to his see in 873 A.D., with the order that he should not use the Slavonic liturgy. In 879 A.D., Methodius was called to Rome to answer charges of his not using the "Filioque" in the creed and for continuing to use Slavonic in the liturgy. When the charges proved without basis, Methodius went back to Moravia in 880 A.D. with his appointment to archbishop confirmed and with papal permission to use the Slavonic language in the liturgy restored. St. Methodius died on April 6, 885 A.D. in Velehrad in modern-day Czech Republic.

Related blog post:

• Sts. Cyril and Methodius and the Patron Saints of Europe, Learn more
• The Growth of Christianity in Europe, Learn more

Saints in the Byzantine Calendar [February 14]

• Auxentius, Hegumen
• Cyril, Bishop of Catania

Commemoration of Saints (February 13)

Solemnities, Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials, and Traditional Dates of Commemoration

Blessed Jordan of Saxony entered the Dominicans, the Order of Preachers. He was the one who succeeded St. Dominic de Guzman (founder of the Dominicans) as master general of their religious Order in 1222 A.D. He died in ca. 1237 A.D. and was beatified by Pope Leo XII in 1825 A.D. Learn more at Wikipedia.org

St. Catherine de' Ricci was a Dominican nun known for her wisdom and concern for the sick. Over a 12-year period, she had deep spiritual experiences that led to her reception of the stigmata - the physical wounds of Christ crucified manifested in the body (died ca. 1590 A.D.).

St. Ermengild was of English nobility in 7th-8th century Kent, England. By her holy life, she converted her pagan husband and influenced him to lead their people to God. After her husband's death, Ermengild entered a convent founded by her mother. And after her mother's death, she became the third abbess of that convent (died ca. 703 A.D.).

St. Polyeuctus was a pagan Roman officer at first. Converted to Christianity by his friend Nearchus, he was imprisoned and tortured when ordered to renounce his faith in Christ. Zealous of his faith, he was eventually beheaded and died as a martyr for Christ (died ca. 259 A.D.).

St. Stephen of Rieti was abbot of a monastery near Rieti, Italy. There are not many sources about his life except for a mention of him by St. Gregory the Great. Gregory, who died in 604 A.D. and was an Italian who became pope in 590 A.D., praised St. Stephen of Rieti in one of his homilies (died ca. 560 A.D.).

St. Modomnoc became a monk and went to Wales to study under St. David. Catholic tradition tells the story of how Modomnoc introduced bees to his native Ireland. When Modomnoc returned to Ireland from Wales, the bees accompanied him. Back home in Ireland, Modomnoc settled at Kilkenney and became bishop of Ossory (died ca. 6th century).

St. Licinius became a courtier at the court of his cousin King Clotaire I. He was then named count of Anjou by King Chilperic. After his intended marriage was affected because his bride got sick with leprosy, he decided rather to enter religious life. He entered a monastery but was soon elected as bishop of Anjou in 586 A.D. (died ca. 616 A.D.).

St. Martinian became a hermit when he was about eighteen years old. He lived a solitary life for about twenty-five years. Catholic tradition tells many stories about Martinian: his resistance to the flattery of Zoe, a wealthy woman; his rescue of a girl from drowning because of a shipwreck; and his final years at Athens (died ca. 4th century A.D.).

Saints in the Byzantine Calendar [February 13]

• Martinian, Hegumen
• St. Zoe and St. Photina, Venerable Women

Commemoration of Saints (February 12)

Solemnities, Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials, and Traditional Dates of Commemoration

• Marina, virgin
• Julian the Hospitaler
• Meletius, bishop
• Ethelwald, bishop
• Antony Kauleas, bishop
• Ludan
• Benedict of Aniane

Two days commemorate the holy life and work of St. Benedict of Aniane: one on February 11 and the other on February 12. One reason is based on St. Benedict of Aniane's death at Kornelimünster Abbey on February 11, 821 A.D., in the monastery Louis had built for him to serve as the base for Benedict's supervisory work. Then he was buried the next day on February 12, hence why some list his feast day as the 11th and some the 12th. Learn more at Wikipedia.org

Saints for February 12 in the Roman Catholic Church, Learn more

Saints in the Byzantine Calendar [February 12]

• Meletius, Archbishop of Great Antioch
• St. Marina, Virgin

St. Meletius and St. Marina are both commemorated in the Catholic Church and in the Byzantine Calendar on this day, February 12.

St. Meletius of Antioch (d. ca. 381 A.D.) was born at Melitene, Lower Armenia. He was appointed bishop of Sebastea in the year 358 A.D. but had to flee to the desert because the appointment caused great dissension. The dissension was due to the Arian controversy. Meletius initially seemed to favor Arian positions, but later became a strong defender of orthodoxy. This ambiguity led him to being accepted by both Arian and Catholic factions, making him a central figure in the ongoing conflicts.

In 361 A.D., he was elected archbishop among dissenting groups as a compromise candidate. Despite this compromise, conflicts continue to ensue. The pro-Arian Emperor was persuaded by the Arian Bishop Eudoxus to exile Meletius to Lower Armenia. When the Emperor passed away, Julian became Emperor and recalled Meletius. However, a faction of the Catholic bishops had elected Paulinus as Archbishop causing the beginning of the Melitian schism. This schism was to rend the Church of Antioch for many years. The Council of Alexandria in 362 A.D. was unable to heal the breach, and an unfortunate rift between St. Athanasius and St. Meletius exacerbated the matter.

Gradually, Meletius influence in the East grew as more and more bishops supported him. St. Basil the Great was untiring in his efforts to help Meletius in resolving the breach. In 374 A.D., the breach has become more complicated when Pope Damasus recognized Paulinus as the Archbishop, appointed him papal legate in the East, and then St. Jerome allowed himself to be ordained priest by Archbishop Paulinus.

In 378 A.D., the death of pro-Arian Valens led to the restoration of the banished bishops by Emperor Gratian, and Meletius was reinstated.

"Saintly" Summary of the conflict, with Saints on Both Sides

• St. Basil the Great: A key figure in opposing Arianism. Basil initially opposed Meletius but later reconciled with him.
• St. Jerome: A prominent theologian. Jerome initially supported Paulinus, a rival bishop of Antioch, but later acknowledged St. Meletius.
• St. Athanasius: A leading opponent of Arianism. Athanasius initially hesitated to accept St. Meletius but eventually did so.

This complex web of alliances and shifting positions reflects the turbulent nature of the Arian controversy at the time and the difficulty of the Saints in navigating those theological and political waters. It involved other Saints in the conflict like Pope St. Damasus I, St. John Chrysostom, and St. Gregory Nazianzen (who preached the eulogy for St. Meletius in 381 A.D.).

So what happens when Saints fight against one another? It is just an opportunity for them to make the light of their haloes shine more brilliantly before God and man! They make the truth of God brighter and clearer!

Fortunately, the Meletian schism was resolved between 415-418 A.D. Learn more at Encyclopedia.com

Commemoration of Saints (February 11)

Solemnities, Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials, and Traditional Dates of Commemoration

• Our Lady of Lourdes
• Saturninus, Dativus and Companions, martyrs
• Lucius, bishop and martyr
• Lazarus, bishop
• Severinus, abbot
• Caedmon
• Gregory II, pope
• Benedict of Aniane, abbot
• Paschal I, pope

In 1858 A.D., from February 11 to July 16, Marie Bernarde, a.k.a. St. Bernadette Soubirous, witnessed an apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the grotto of Massabielle, near her hometown of Lourdes on the northern slopes of the Pyrenees mountains in France. At first, nobody believed Bernadette, not even her family members and residents of her village. However, by March, 20,000 people wanted to witness what Bernadette already see. Bernadette was instructed by the Blessed Virgin to dig in the soil near the apparition site. When Bernadette was able to discover a spring, it began to flow and soon became the site for many miraculous healings. The local bishop of Lourdes eventually authorized the cult of Our Lady of Lourdes in 1862 A.D.

The site of the apparition attracts about 3 million pilgrims a year. Of some 5,000 reported healings, only 58 have been declared miraculous by Church officials. In 1907 A.D., Pope Pius X made the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes a feast of the Universal Church.

Our Lady of Lourdes and Other Marian Apparitions, Learn more

St. Saturninus and Companions were martyrs from Abitina in Africa. Saturninus was a priest who gathered 48 other men, women and children for a Sunday religious assembly. The soldiers of the empire asked for the surrender of the Sacred Scriptures. When Saturninus and the assembly refused, they were arrested and sent to Carthage. Some were executed the following day while the rest were allowed to die of hunger in prison. This was during the persecution of Christians under the Emperor Diocletian (died ca. 304 A.D.).

St. Benedict of Aniane (ca. 750-821 A.D.) was born of a noble family in Languedoc and served in the court of Pepin III and Charlemagne. He then became a monk for about three years before he decided for a more eremitical life in his own estate along the river Aniane. Later joined by others, this budding community devoted themselves to working in the fields, other manual labor, and copying books. This community soon outgrew their surroundings so they moved to another location where they built a monastery and a church.

Supported by Emperor the Pious, Benedict of Aniane soon became a director of all monasteries in the Empire and instituted widespread reforms. In 817 A.D., he systematized the Benedictine rule and composed two important works:

• his Capitulare monasticum, a systematization of the Benedictine rule that was approved by the Council of Aachen as the rule for all monastic regulations,
• and Concordia regularum, which shows the resemblance of Benedict's rule to those of other monastic leaders.

St. Benedict of Aniane is considered the restorer of Western monasticism and is often called the "second Benedict".

Saints in the Byzantine Calendar [February 11]

• St. Blase, Bishop-Martyr

St. Blase or Blaise (d. ca. 316 A.D.) was a bishop of Sebastea in Armenia. He became a hermit when the persecutions of Christians began. He was brought to Agricolaus by hunters who observed him curing the sick and wounded animals. The blessing of throats done on his feast day is attributed to his healing of a young boy who was choking to death from a fish bone in his throat. The two candles used in the ceremony are derived from the candles brought to Blase in prison by the boy's mother.

St. Blase is commemorated both in the General Roman Calendar and in the Byzantine Calendar. In the Catholic Church, he is honored on the 3rd of February. In the Byzantine Calendar, he is honored today, February 11.

Although there was a schism between the Western Church and the Eastern Church in 1054 A.D., this is not the reason for the difference in the observance of the feast day of St. Blaise. The difference in dates for Saint Blaise's feast is a result of the independent development of liturgical calendars within the Eastern and Western sides of Christianity. Both the Western side and the Eastern side of the Church have their own ways of calculating and observing feast days, which have evolved independently over centuries. The shift in the date in the West likely arose from a combination of factors:

• Including local customs. Some regions may have adopted slightly different dates for local reasons.
• It can also be due to calendar reforms. Adjustments to the liturgical calendar over time could have influenced the date.

These are some of the main reasons for the difference in dates of commemoration, but these information needs further extended verification.

Commemoration of Saints (February 10)

Solemnities, Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials, and Traditional Dates of Commemoration

• Scholastica, virgin
• Soteris, virgin and martyr
• Trumwin, bishop
• Austreberta, virgin
• William of Maleval

St. Scholastica (d. ca. 543 A.D.) was the sister of St. Benedict of Nursia. She may have also been his twin. Like her brother, she founded an abbey and became its abbess under St. Benedict's spiritual direction. That convent was located in Plombariola, near Monte Cassino, which was the location of the first Benedictine monastery.

Pope St. Gregory the Great wrote a story about St. Benedict and St. Scholastica in his Dialogues. Gregory wrote that St. Scholastica paid a visit to her brother for the last time, since she had an intuition of her day of death. Since women are not allowed in Monte Cassino, both of them met at a nearby farmhouse. They were discussing about spiritual matters when Benedict had to return to the monastery to obey the Rule required of him. Scholastica begged that her brother stay with her a little longer because she knew her time was near. When Benedict refused because of the Rule, Scholastica bowed her head in prayer, and a violent thunderstorm prevented Benedict from returning to the monastery. Benedict accused Scholastica of the storm to which she replied: "I asked a favor of you and you refused it. I asked it of God, and He has granted it." So both of them continued in their discussion about the joys of heaven.

Three days later, Scholastica died. While praying in his monastery cell, Benedict is said to have seen the soul of his twin sister rising to heaven in the form of a dove. St. Scholastica was buried in the tomb Benedict had prepared for himself.

St. William of Maleval (d. ca. 1157 A.D.) may have been a Frenchman who followed a military career at first and led a dissolute life. He however reformed from this former way of life and made a pilgrimage to Rome where he was attended by Pope Eugene III in 1145 A.D. The Pope sent him on a penitential pilgrimage to Jerusalem as a form of penance for his sins.

About 1153 A.D., he went to Tuscany to live as a hermit and at times with a religious community. He was asked to undertake the government of a monastery in the area, but was unsuccessful in attempting to reform the monks. He left that monastery and retired to Monte Pruno. In 1155 A.D. he went to the desert valley of Stabulum Rodis, later known as Maleval, in the territory of Castiglione della Pescaia, where he was joined by Albert, one of his disciples. Together with a doctor named Renaldo, their community developed into the Hermits of St. William (the Williamites) - an early branch of the Hermits of St. Augustine.

St. William of Maleval died at the age of 57 on February 10, 1157 A.D. and was canonized in 1202 A.D. He is honored by the Augustinians who founded a lot of parishes in the Philippines in his name. Most of these parishes are in the northern part of Luzon island in the Philippines. There is also one in the National Capital Region in Buting, Pasig City, and two outside of Luzon island (one in Iloilo and another in Cagayan de Oro) Learn more at Wikipedia.org

Saints in the Byzantine Calendar [February 10]

• Charalampias, Martyr

Commemoration of Saints (February 9)

Solemnities, Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials, and Traditional Dates of Commemoration

• Apollonia, virgin and martyr
• Nicephorus, martyr
• Sabinus of Canosa, bishop
• Teilo, bishop
• Alto, abbot

St. Alto (d. ca. 760 A.D.) was probably an Irishman who became a hermit at Augsburg, Germany, in ca. 743 A.D. He so impressed King Pepin by his way of holiness and missionary work that the King gave him a parcel of land near Bavaria, Germany, to build a monastery. He is the founder of Altomünster Abbey, around which a market town grew up, also called Altomünster. Learn more Wikipedia.org

As with the date of commemoration of St. John of Matha, the dates of commemoration of St. Alto are two: one of February 9, today, and the other one on February 7. February 9th seems the more widely recognized feast day for St. Alto for the universal Catholic Church. The February 7th date might be a local commemoration observed particularly in Bavaria, Germany, where he was active as abbot of a monastery. This still needs more verification. What's important to remember is that both dates are valid ways to commemorate St. Alto. To commemorate his life and spiritual legacy, regardless of the specific day, whether locally connected or universally recognized, is essential.

Saints in the Byzantine Calendar [February 9]

• St. Nicephorus, Martyr

5th Sunday of the Year (C)

(Edited) Sunday Reflections (from) Liturgical Years 2011 (A), 2012 (B), and 2013 (C)

5th Sunday of the Year (C), February 10, 2013
Liturgical readings
Isaiah 6:1-2, 3-8
Psalm 138
1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Luke 5:1-11

"They caught such a great number of fish that their nets were at the breaking point."

The three men whom Jesus first called to be His followers were fishermen. He needed laborers for His vineyard. He saw three fishermen (Simon Peter, James and John) working all night with their fish nets thrown alongside their boats, but were unable to catch fish. When Jesus witnessed this, He directed them to put out into the deep and lower their nets again. They did as they were told, and it did not take long for them to catch a great number of fish. It was such a big catch that their nets were almost at breaking point. Amazed at such a miraculous catch, all of them were seized with fear, especially Simon Peter. But the Lord reassured them, and told them not to be afraid. He had a vocation and a mission prepared for each of them.

What the Lord wanted Simon Peter, James, and John to do, is to be part of His mission - a mission to build God's kingdom. This kingdom seeks to teach all to place more importance to what is above; to raise minds and hearts to Heaven. It includes all states of life in the Church: not just clergy and religious, but all the lay faithful. It is the lay faithful who bring the gospel to marriage and family life, and to political, business and professional organizations. And in all these, like the clergy and the religious, they too work with perseverance and endurance in the demands of the Christian vocation - "to raise their minds and hearts to heaven". In this spiritual direction, everyone knows by faith that God does not abandon. For the Church in her Word and Sacrament always provide the encouragement needed in that mission: "...that they [all] may be fully mature and lacking in nothing" (James 1:3-4).

The universal call to holiness and mission is a call to all. It begins at baptism. God reassures each one (as He did with Simon Peter, James and John), that there is no need to fear. As long as each of the faithful continue each day to be faithful to his baptismal vows, then he obtains a better knowledge of God and becomes more faithful to Him. He contributes daily to the building of God's kingdom. That contribution is like a clear, life-giving stream that flows and adds to the river of life. Just as three fishermen turned back from their former way of life, and followed Christ, each of the faithful are also called to follow Christ. All are to adjust their sights from just secular concerns and to raise their "hearts and minds to heaven". For in this new spiritual direction do they discover and obtain the fullness they seek: in God's Word and Sacrament as the Source of all life and plenty.

Commemoration of Saints (February 8)

Solemnities, Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials, and Traditional Dates of Commemoration

• Jerome Emiliani
• John of Matha, confessor
• Nicetius or Nizier of Besancon, bishop
• Elfleda, virgin
• Meingold, martyr
• Cuthman
• Stephen of Muret, abbot

St. Jerome Emiliani (1483-1537 A.D.) was the founder of the Somoscan Fathers. This is a religious order that runs schools and orphanages in Italy.

Born in Venice, Italy, he became an officer of the Venetian army. In 1518 A.D., while a captive of enemy forces, he had a conversion experience. This led him to decide to be a priest and devote his life to the care of suffering people in a time of widespread famine and plague. In 1531 A.D., after he himself got sick from the plague, he recovered and accomplished many things:

• he founded orphanages,
• hospitals,
• houses for former prostitutes,
• and a small congregation of priests

The congregation was named after their place of origin, Somasca, which was between Bergamo and Milan. He died from an illness he contracted while caring for the sick.

St. Jerome Emiliani was canonized in 1768 A.D. and declared patron saint of orphans and abandoned children in 1928 A.D.

St. John of Matha was co-founder with Felix of Valois of the Trinitarians - the Order of the Most Holy Trinity. His feast is commemorated on December 17, his day of death or "dies natalis" (day of birth into eternal life). But he is also commemorated today, February 8.

In reading about the Lives of the Saints, one is bound to encounter this discrepancy in some of the Saints' feasts. One reason is with the most recent Vatican Council II teaching which emphasize the "dies natalis" as the primary day for commemorating saints. This was in line with the ancient tradition and highlighted the saint's entrance into heavenly life.

But as one studies the lives of the Saints, there are many existing sources that are pre-Vatican II, where they record the saints' feasts on other significant dates, such as the anniversary of the dedication of a church in their honor or the translation of their relics. These feast days had historical or local significance. So, even if the universal calendar of Saints' feasts days was revised by Vatican II, there was still room for local calendars and traditions to honor saints who were particularly venerated in specific regions or communities.

The feast commemorating St. John of Matha is an instance of this liturgical reality. His feast today on February 8 is most likely based on traditions or commemorations within the Trinitarian Order.

Saints in the Byzantine Calendar [February 8]

• St. Theodore, the great Martyr
• St. Zacharias, the Prophet

St. Theodore Heraclea or Theodore Stratelates, was mentioned yesterday, February 7, as the traditional date to commemorate him in the Catholic calendar. In the Byzantine calendar, he is commemorated today, February 8. In the Byzantine tradition, he is known a great Martyr or megalomartyr. Learn more at Wikipedia.org

Memorial of Saints (February 7)

Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials of Saints

• Colette, virgin
• Adaucus, martyr
• Theodore of Heraclea, martyr
• Moses, bishop
• Richard, "King"
• Luke the Younger

St. Colette (1381-1447 A.D.) was a daughter of a carpenter at Corbie Abbey in Picardy, France. She began as a Franciscan tertiary who lived at Corbie as a solitary. In 1406 A.D., in response to a dream, she saw her calling to reform the Poor Clares. Receiving the Poor Clare habit from Peter Luna, with orders to reform the Order and appointing her superior, she began her work in reforming all the convents of the Poor Clares. Despite great opposition, she was successful in her reformation of the Order and founded seventeen more convents with the reformed rule. She was canonized in 1807 A.D. and a branch of the Poor Clares known as the Colettines was named in her honor.

St. Theodore of Heraclea (date of death unknown) was a resident of Heraclea in Pontus. He became a general in the army of Emperor Licinius and also a governor of Pontus. When it was discovered that he was a Christian, he was tortured and then beheaded by order of Licinius. Theodore is often surnamed Stratelates (general) and is one of the four honored by the Greeks as "a great martyr".

Saints in the Byzantine Calendar [February 7]

• Parthenius, Bishop of Lampsachia
• Luke

Memorial of Saints (February 6)

Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials of Saints

• Paul Miki and Companion Martyrs
• Mel and Melchu, bishop
• Vedast or Vaast, bishop
• Amand, bishop
• Guarinus, bishop
• Hildegund, widow
• Dorothy, martyr

Saints for February 6, Learn more

Saints in the Byzantine Calendar [February 6]

• Bukolus, Bishop of Smyrna

St. Bukolus or Bucolus, was a disciple of the St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, and became the first bishop of Smyrna. He peacefully died in the years between 100-105 A.D. His flock was entrusted to St. Polycarp, who was also a disciple of St. John the Apostle and Evangelist. Learn more from OCA.org

Memorials of Saints (February 5)

Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials of Saints

• Agatha, virgin and martyr
• Avitus of Vienne, bishop
• Bertoul or Bertulf
• Indractus and Dominica, martyrs
• Vodalus or Voel
• Adelaide of Bellich, virgin
• The Martyrs of Japan
• Peter Baptist
• Martin de Aguirre
• Francis Blanco
• Francis-of-St.-Michael
• Philip de las Casas
• Gonsalo Garcia
• Paul Miki
• John Goto
• James Kisai
• Caius Francis
• Francis of Miako
• Leo Karasuma
• Louis Ibarki
• Antony Deynan
• Thomas Kasaki

Christian missionaries arrived with St. Francis Xavier and the Jesuits in the 1540s A.D. and briefly flourished, with over 100,000 converts, including many daimyōs in Kyushu. At first, the Shogunate of Japan was amenable to their presence as they believed that this would reduce the power of the Buddhist monks over the people. However, when the Shogunate saw how colonialism took hold on the Philippines because of the conversion of the Filipinos to Catholicism, they became wary. Christianity eventually became a threat to the higher powers in the Japanese Shogunate and so was banned beginning in 1587 A.D. The repression took the lives of many Christian martyrs.

The Martyrs of Japan, Learn more at Wikipedia.org

Saints in the Roman Calendar - February 5 [Learn more]

Saints in the Byzantine Calendar [February 5]

• St. Agatha, Martyr

St. Agatha (d. ca. 251 A.D.) is commemorated today, February 5, in both the Roman Calendar and the Byzantine Calendar. Although facts about her life and death are uncertain, devotion to her developed early in the history of the Church. Her name is included in the Martyrology of Jerome and on the liturgical calendar of Carthage (ca. 530 A.D.). St. Agatha is also mentioned in the Canon of the Roman Mass. Pope Damasus I composed a hymn in her honor, and two churches were dedicated to her in Rome during the sixth century A.D.

One story says that Agatha made a vow of virginity which a Roman consul attempted to violate. Upon her refusal, she was subjected to torture, including the cutting off of her breasts. However, her vision of the Apostle Peter healed her miraculously. Having suffered so much because of all the torture inflicted upon her, she died in prison. St. Agatha is invoked against diseases of the breast as well as against volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. She is also patron saints of nurses and firefighters. Her feast remains on the General Roman Calendar even after the revisions of Vatican II in the Church's liturgy in 1969 A.D. The Russian Orthodox Church also celebrates her feast on this day.

A Prayer to St. Agatha, @DivineMercyPrayer YouTube.com

Memorial of Saints (February 4)

Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials of Saints

• Andrew Corsini, bishop and confessor
• Theophilus the Penitent
• Phileas, bishop and martyr
• Isidore of Pelusium, abbot
• Modan, abbot
• Nicholas Studites, abbot
• Rembert, bishop
• Joan of Valois, matron
• Joseph of Leonessa
• John de Britto, martyr
• Rabanus Maurus, abbot and bishop

St. Rabanus Maurus or Raban Maur (780-856 A.D.) is credited with composing the hymn "Veni, Creator Spiritus" (Latin for Come, Creator Spirit), and laying the foundation for another hymn, "King of Kings and Lord of Lords", both of which are still sung today.

Said to be born at Mainz, Germany, (or Ireland or probably Scotland), he was educated at the monastery at Fulda under Abbot Bangulf and at Tours under Alcuin. Under Alcuin, Rabanus became a part of the Carolingian renewal of biblical studies and liturgy.

Rabanus returned to Fulda and became master of its school in about 799 A.D. He was ordained in 815 A.D. and became abbot in 822 A.D. He resigned from this position to retire in 842 A.D. but then five years later, in 847 A.D., at the age of 71, he was elected archbishop of Mainz. He imposed strict discipline on his clergy which almost led to a conspiracy against him. But he is more known as the one who helped alleviate a famine by feeding the poor at his episcopal residence. Aside from the Veni Creator Spiritus, he also composed and wrote a martyrology, poetry, and about 64 extant homilies. He died at Winkel, near Mainz.

Veni, Creator Spiritus
by Rabanus Maurus

Come, Holy Spirit, Creator come,
From thy bright heavenly throne!
Come, take possession of our souls,
And make them all thine own!

Thou who art called the Paraclete,
Best gift of God above,
The living spring, the living fire,
Sweet unction, and true love!

Thou who are sevenfold in thy grace,
Finger of God's right hand,
His promise, teaching little ones
To speak and understand!

O guide our minds with thy blest light,
With love our hearts inflame,
And with thy strength which ne'er decays
Confirm our mortal frame.

Far from us drive our hellish foe,
True peace unto us bring,
And through all perils guide us safe
Beneath thy sacred wing.

Through thee may we the Father know,
Through thee the eternal Son,
And thee the Spirit of them both
Thrice-blessed three in one.

All glory to the Father be,
And to the risen Son;
The same to thee, O Paraclete,
While endless ages run. Amen.

Veni, Creator Spiritus, in Gregorian chant, YouTube.com (2:50 minutes)

Saints in the Byzantine Calendar [February 4]

• Isidore of Pelusium
• St. Jador, Martyr

Memorial of Saints (February 3)

Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials of Saints

• Blase, bishop and martyr
• Ansgar, bishop
• Laurence of Spoleto, bishop
• Ia, virgin
• Laurence of Canterbury, bishop
• Werburga, virgin
• Margaret of England, virgin
• Aelred of Rievaulx, abbot

St. Aelred of Rievaulx (1110-1167 A.D.) was born in Hexham, England. He became master of the household in the court of King David of Scotland where he was loved for his piety, gentleness and spirituality.

Desiring a more austere life, he left Scotland at 24 years of age to become a Cistercian monk at Rievaulx, Yorkshire, England. He became abbot, first at a new Cistercian monastery in Revesby in 1142 A.D., and then at Rievaulx five years later in 1147 A.D. Considered a saint in his own lifetime, he wrote on the spiritual life in "On Spiritual Friendship".

Saints in the Byzantine Calendar [February 3]

• St. Simeon the Venerable-Senex and Theofer

Memorial of Saints (February 2)

Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials of Saints

• Presentation of the Lord
• Adalbald of Ostrevant, martyr
• Joan of Lestonnac, widow
• Cornelius

The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord is commemorated every February 2 on these calendars:

• General Roman Calendar
• Greek and Russian Orthodox Churches
• the Church of England
• the Episcopal Church in the USA
• the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

St. Joan of Lestonnac or Jeanne de Lestonnac (1556-1640 A.D.) was married and had children. When her husband died and her children were all grown-up, she entered the Cistercian monastery at Toulouse. However, she became very ill and had to leave the monastery. She returned to her birthplace at Bordeaux and lived a devout life. When a plague broke out at Bordeaux, she helped care for the sick and the victims of the plague.

Joan of Lestonnac's brother was a Jesuit in the college of Bordeaux. Together with two other Jesuit confreres, they encouraged Joan to establish a new community to teach formal education to girls. Thus was formed the Congregation of the Religious of Notre Dame of Bordeaux. In 1608 A.D., Joan and her companions received the religious habit from the Archbishop of Bordeaux. Joan was elected superior in 1610 A.D., and when she died many miracles occurred at her tomb. She was canonized in 1949 A.D. by Pope Pius XII. St. Joan of Lestonnac is the patron saint of abuse victims, people rejected by religious orders, and widows.

• Prayer to St. Joan of Lestonnac, patron saint of abuse victims, YouTube.com
• Jeanne de Lestonnac, Wikipedia.org
• St. Joan de Lestonnac, Catholic.org

Saints in the Byzantine Calendar [February 2]

• Presentation of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Temple (Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary or Candlemas Day)

This day, February 2, in the history of Christianity

February 2, 1945 A.D. was the day Fr. Alfred Delp, a Jesuit priest, was hanged by the Nazis for his opposition to Adolph Hitler. In Fr. Delp's final message to his friends, he wrote:

"If through one man's life there is a little more love and kindness, a little more light and truth in the whole world, then he will not have lived in vain."

Beatification process
Fr. Alfred Delp's final parish in Munich sent documentation supporting the start of his official beatification process to the Archbishop of Berlin, Cardinal Georg Sterzinsky, in January 1990 A.D. Learn more at Wikipedia.org

Presentation of the Lord (C)

Author's note: The readings for the Presentation of the Lord are the same for all the liturgical years, Year A, Year B, and Year C.

(Edited) Sunday reflections (from) liturgical years 2014 (A), 2015 (B), and 2016 (C)

February 2, 2013
Liturgical readings
Malachi 3:1-4
Psalm 24
Hebrews 2:14-18
Luke 2:22-40

"A revealing Light to the Gentiles, the glory of your people Israel."

The Feast of the Lord's Presentation in the Temple of Jerusalem.
It was the custom of Jewish parents to present their first-born son to Yahweh in the Temple of Jerusalem. Following this custom of the Jewish religion at that time, Joseph and Mary brought their son Jesus to the Temple - where prophet Simeon and the prophetess Anna were also present. As both Simeon and Anna saw the child Jesus presented by His parents, inspired by the Holy Spirit, both of them took turns at speaking marvelous things about the child Jesus - who according to their prophetic intuition, represents the fulfillment of Israel's redemption and salvation as promised by Yahweh.

This story described in the gospel of Luke presents not only the child Jesus to Yahweh, but in some way, can be said as presentating also God's salvific will to all humanity (and to all the faithful in the present times). Jesus our Savior was presented this way in the gospel of Luke:

• first, to His foster father Joseph and to the Blessed Virgin (Lk 2:6-7);
• second, He was made known to the shepherds (Lk 2:16);
• third, to a just and pious man named Simeon (Lk 2:27);
• fourth, to the prophetess Anna (Lk 2:38);
• and fifth, to the people of the town of Nazareth - where Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and in favor before God and man (Lk 2:51-52).

Jesus our Saviour was presented in the Temple of Jerusalem to both God and man - as represented by all present in that event. In the same manner, throughout Christian history and spirituality, each baptism is a reflection of that event, where each one to be baptized is presented also to God and man through the Church and her sacrament. Each one's baptism washes away the sin that has been inherited from the disobedience of Adam and Eve. And by the obedience of our Savior Christ Jesus, (the new Adam), we inherit the life of grace that the Lord has purchased for us on the Cross in our own baptism. Through baptism, the Lord elevates all the baptized to a life of grace and makes him share in the divine life of the Trinity. That sinless Light of the world, gives His Light to us. It is a Light that is never dimmed but eternally bright in every baptism.

Memorial of Saints (February 1)

Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials of Saints

• Pionius, martyr
• Brigid or Bride of Kildare, virgin and abbess
• Sigebert III of Austrasia
• John of the Grating, bishop
• Henry Morse, priest and martyr

St. Brigid of Kildare (ca. 450-525 A.D.) was born near Kildare and was said to have been baptized by St. Patrick himself. She established a monastery at Kildare which became a double monastery (one for men and one for women) that help spread the Christian faith throughout Ireland. This monastery developed into a great centre of learning and spirituality, and around it grew the cathedral city of Kildare. However, the original monastery was destroyed in the 12th century A.D. It is uncertain whether there were efforts to rebuild it because in the 16th century A.D., all monasteries were suppressed in Ireland. But now St. Brigid’s Cathedral, rebuilt in the 19th century, stands on the original site of the nunnery or double monastery founded by St. Brigid in the 5th century. Learn more from Intokildare.ie

The Dictionary of the Saints tells us that St. Brigid was one of the most remarkable women of her times. Stories of the miracles which she performed grew in incredibility because each hagiographical account of those miracles tended towards more and more of expressions of piety.

St. Brigid of Kildare is called "Mary of the Gael". She is buried at Downpatrick with St. Columba and St. Patrick. She is honoured as well in parts of Scotland, Wales, and Australia, and made patron of scholars and dairy workers. Along with St. Patrick, she is a patron of Ireland.

St. Henry Morse (1595-1645 A.D.) was born at Suffolk, England, and was raised as a Protestant. He studied at Cambridge and in 1614 A.D. became a Catholic at Douai, northern France.

Henry returned to England to settle an inheritance, but he was arrested and imprisoned for four years in Southwark for his Catholic faith. He was released in 1618 A.D. and decided to return to Douai to study for the priesthood. It was in Rome where he continued his studies and where he was also ordained in 1623 A.D.

Henry Morse was then sent for the English mission the following year and was immediately arrested and imprisoned. While in prison, he became a Jesuit. Three years after, he was exiled to Flanders, where he served as chaplain to English soldiers in the army of King Philip of Spain. After a series of trips, to and fro, from England and back again, he was captured and brought to trial. Convicted of being a Catholic priest, St. Henry Morse was hanged, drawn, and quartered at Tyburn on February 1.

Saints in the Byzantine Calendar [February 1]

• St. Tryphon, Martyr

St. Tryphon or Trypho (3rd century A.D.) was from Lampsakos, in Phrygia (now an area in west-central part of Anatolia, Asian Turkey, near the Sangarios River). He herded geese as a boy. This work, however, did not deprive him of his spiritual growth in the Christian faith. His spiritual knowledge of Christ increased and as a young man he was able to perform miracles, such as casting out an evil spirit that tormented the daughter of the Emperor Gordian. He suffered martyrdom during the persecution of Christians under the Emperor Decius. Known very much in the Greek Church, he is the patron saint of gardeners and farmers. Learn more from Stsophiadc.org