Memorial of Saints (November 27)

St. Maximus of Riez became a monk at Lérins (off the coast of Cannes, France) under St. Honoratus. When Honoratus was named bishop of Arles, Maximus was named abbot. St. Maximus attracted many to the monastery because of its reputation for holiness. When he was offered the see of Fréjus (in modern southeastern France), he refused; but he reluctantly had to accede to be bishop of Riez. Maximus was a good and holy administrator who worked in his see till his last years (died ca. 460 A.D.).

St. Virgil was an Irish monk who went on pilgrimage to the Holy Land in ca. 743 A.D. He spent two years in France, went to Bavaria, and then was appointed bishop of Salzburg, Austria, in ca. 765 A.D. Virgil rebuilt the cathedral at Salzburg and sent missionaries to Carinthia - the southern state of Austria which borders Italy and Slovenia. Because of his good missionary works, St. Virgil is venerated to this day as the apostle of the Slovenes (died ca. 784 A.D.).

St. James the Persian was the friend of the pagan king of Persia. Tradition says that he wanted to abandon his Christian faith when the local bishop provoked the anger of the King against his Christian community. James' apostasy distressed his wife and his mother. But when his friend the king died, the entreaties of his wife and mother moved James to return to the faith. The new king however who replaced James' friend summoned James, and condemned him to death. St. James suffered a most gruesome martyrdom; but, witnesses say he miraculously remained calm and cheerful throughout the execution (died ca. 421 A.D.).

St. Secundinus was sent to assist St. Patrick in the mission at Ireland. He became the first bishop of Dunslaughlin in Meath, and then auxiliary bishop of Armagh. Secundinus wrote several hymns - composing one in honor of St. Patrick (Audites, omnes amantes) and Sancti, venite, Christi corpus sumite (died ca. 447 A.D.).

St. Cungar became a monk and then founded a monastery near Yatton, Somerset. When the Saxons invaded his land, he fled to South Wales and founded a church near Cardiff. Cungar then accompanied St. Cybi to Ireland, and later to Anglesey (an island off the northwestern tip of Wales) where he founded a church at Llangefni (died ca. 6th century A.D.).

St. Fergus went to Scotland as a missionary and settled at Strathearn, Perthshire. Founding several churches there, he became a bishop of the Scots and attended a synod in Rome in 721 A.D. (died ca. 8th century A.D.).

Memorial of Saints (November 26)

St. Silvester studied law at first but then switched to theology. He was ordained, and became a canon at Osimo, northeast of Rome in central Italy. He resigned in 1227 A.D., and lived an eremitical life near Osimo and then at Grotta Fucile. When he began to have followers, he organized them into a monastery at Monte Fano, thus founding the Silvestrine Benedictines. The congregation was approved by Pope Innocent IV in 1247 A.D. and grew to eleven monasteries before Silvester's death (died ca. 1267 A.D.).

St. Peter of Alexandria was named head of the catechetical school in Alexandria because of his learning and knowledge of Scripture. In 300 A.D., he was named Patriarch of Alexandria. Peter had to contend with Bishop Meletius, who was causing a schism in Alexandria. He also had to contend with the Christian persecutions under Emperor Diocletian and then continued by Emperor Maximin. It was under Maximin that Peter was arrested and then executed (died ca. 311 A.D.).

St. Siricius was elected Pope in 384 A.D., succeeding Pope Damasus. Siricius upheld the truth on the perpetual virginity of Mary against the monk Jovinian, and insisted much on clerical celibacy. He supported St. Martin of Tours and excommunicated Felix of Trier for causing the execution of Priscillian (died ca. 399 A.D.).

St. Basolus was a soldier who left the military to become a monk at the monastery of Verzy. He then became a solitary on a hill overlooking Rheims and remained there the last forty years of his life. Also known by the name of Basle, he is reported to have performed numerous miracles (died ca. 520 A.D.).

St. Conrad of Constance was educated at the cathedral of Constance and was ordained. He was made provost of the cathedral and was elected bishop in 934 A.D. Coming from the noble Guelph family, he gave his share of inheritance to the Church and to the poor, and built many churches in the diocese of Constance. During the forty-two years that he was bishop, he avoided secular affairs to concentrate on his ecclesiastical duties and responsibilities (died ca. 975 A.D.).

St. Nikon "Metanoeite" became a monk at Khrysopetro. After 12 years, he was sent as a missionary to the island of Crete. Nikon was successful in reconverting many of the Cretans from Islam back to the Christian faith. He earned the surname "Metanoeite" because of his practice of beginning every sermon with the word "metaoneite" which means, repent. Nikon then preached to various parts of Greece and was known for his miracles (died ca. 998 A.D.).

St. John Berchmans as a youth wanted to be a priest and so became a servant in the household of John Froymont - a cathedral canon at Malines. In 1615 A.D., John entered the Jesuit college at Malines, and the following year he became a Jesuit novice. He was sent to Rome in 1618 A.D. for further studies. John was known for his diligence and piety, impressing many with his holiness and emphasis on perfection in little things. He had a short life and passed away in Rome (died ca. 1621 A.D.).

St. Leonard of Port Maurice entered the Jesuit Roman College at thirteen years of age. His uncle Augustine wanted him to become a physician. Leonard refused and instead joined the Franciscans of the Strict Observance at Pontcelli, Italy in 1697 A.D. After his ordination, he preached all over Tuscany with tremendous success. In his missions, he started to attract huge crowds. He was an ardent promoter of the Stations of the Cross, devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, the Sacred Heart, and Mary. He was sent to Corsica for a mission but was unsuccessful there. Suffering from exhaustion, he returned to Rome were he passed away (died ca. 1751 A.D.).

Solemnity of Christ the King (A)

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

November 23, 2014
Liturgical readings
Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17
Psalm 23
1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 28
Matthew 25:31-46

The Lord said: "Come, you have my Father's blessing."

It is easy to make Jesus the King of one's heart when there is already a resolve to offer every prayer and work for Him. And there are some who are even fortunate to have the time to assist at daily or Sunday Mass. But whether one is involved in an apostolate at this time or not, what is important in both is the discipline to see the one thing necessary in life: to make the Lord as the King of one's heart, and to make an effort to make others see Him in their life. Not all give the Lord importance. One must be careful not to occupy himself with too much temporal concerns; otherwise, it will blur the vision of seeing God and the needs of others. Having a "contemplative view" of life can help see the hand of God as the source of all blessings.

To have a contemplative view of life, a good practice is the daily examination of conscience: to see all the blessings God has given during the day; to be sorry for the vices of thought & sins committed; and to make a resolve to do better the next day. Daily examination of conscience can help anyone see his faults better in the light of prayer. And it will help all who practice the discipline to see Christ not only in everyone, but also in one's soul. When there is a discipline to make God the center and King of all things in life and work, then one can do works of charity in all social settings: in the home, the workplace, and even in social media - which is in dire need of the spirit of the gospel. If this prayer routine becomes a good habit, then even in the hardest of times, one will not fear the Lord say to one's soul: "Out of my sight, you condemned, into that everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels!". Rather, one's soul would rejoice in the knowledge that Christ will say, "Come, you have my Father's blessing".


Scripture quote:
"The lost I will seek out, the strayed I will bring back, the injured I will bind up, the sick I will heal, shepherding them rightly, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy." (Ezekiel 34)