Today, August 10, is the feast of Saint Lawrence. Patron saint of cooks and comedians. Lawrence was a deacon born in AD 225 in modern-day Spain. The pagan prefect of Rome thought the Church had a great fortune hidden away. So he ordered Lawrence to bring the Church’s treasure to him. The saint gathered all …
Today, August 9, is the memorial of Saint Edith Stein (Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross). Carmelite martyr. Born in 1891, Edith was the youngest of seven children in a Jewish family. She lost interest and faith in Judaism by age 13. She was a brilliant student and philosopher with an interest in phenomenology. She …
Today, August 8, is the memorial of Saint Dominic. Founder of the Order of Preachers. Dominic was born in 1170 in Caleruega, Spain and named after St. Dominic of Silos. He worked for clerical reform and made it his mission to combat heretics, especially the Albigensians. He got to work with Blessed Peter of Castelnau. …
Today, August 4, is the memorial of Saint Jean-Marie-Baptiste Vianney. Patron saint of parish priests. Jean-Marie-Baptiste was born in 1786 to a farm family. He was ordained in 1815, after much difficulty. He had a hard time with his studies, which in those days were entirely in Latin. He failed his pre-ordination exams twice. As …
Today, August 3, is the memorial of Saint Nicodemus. Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin, who, according to the Gospel of John, showed favor to Jesus. He appears three times in John. Nicodemus visits Jesus one night to discuss his teachings with him. The second time Nicodemus is mentioned, is when …
Today, August 2, is the memorial of Saint Peter Julian Eymard. Founder of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament and the Servants of the Blessed Sacrament. Born in 1811, Peter grew up in a poor family during the anti-Catholic aftermath of the French Revolution. His family opposed his entrance to the priesthood and then illness …
Today, August 1, is the memorial of Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori. Doctor of the Church. Founder of the Redemptorists. Alphonsus was born in 1696 in Marianella, Italy, to Giuseppe, a naval officer, and Anna Maria. In life he became a lawyer, but a case he lost proved pivotal in his decision to leave the …
Today, July 27, is the feast of Saint Titus Brandsma. Titular patron saint of the Philippine Carmelite Province of St. Titus Brandsma. Born in the Netherlands in 1881, Titus was a Carmelite priest, philosophy professor, journalist, educator, and orator. In 1935 he wrote against anti-Jewish marriage laws, which brought him to the attention of the …
Today, July 26, is the memorial of Saint Anne and Saint Joaquim. Protectors of the Order of Carmelites. Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Throughout its long history, the Carmelite Order has promoted devotion to Christ’s family as a means of drawing closer to him. Since the official title of the Order (“The Brothers and …
Today, July 25, is the feast of Saint James the Greater. He was one of the 12 Apostles, the son of Zebedee and Salome, and brother of Saint John the Apostle. He left everything when Christ called him to be a fisher of men. The Synoptic Gospels say that James and John were with their …