Either we must speak as we dress,
or dress as we speak.
Why do we profess one thing and display another?
The tongue talks of chastity, but the whole body reveals impurity.
St. Jerome
Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Louder than words
St. Jerome
St.
Jerome is a Father and Doctor of the Church who is best known for his
compiling of the Vulgate version of the Catholic Bible, now the standard
edition in use.
He was born about the year 347 at Stidon, near
Dalmatia, to wealthy Christian parents. Initially educated at home, his
parents soon sent him to Rome to further his intense desire for
intellectual learning. There he studied and excelled at grammar, Latin
and Greek, rhetoric, and philosophy, and lived a deeply materialistic
life alongside his fellow students. Jerome was baptized in his late teen
years, as was the custom at the time, around the time he finished his
schooling.
After spending many years in travel and, notably,
discovering and investigating his extreme interest in monasticism,
Jerome’s life took a sudden turn. In the spring of 375, he became
seriously ill and had a dream that profoundly impacted him, because in
it he was accused of being a follower of Cicero – an early Roman
philosopher – and not a Christian. Afterwards, Jerome vowed never to
read any pagan literature again – not even the classics for pleasure. He
separated himself from society and left to become a hermit in the
desert so as to atone for his sins and dedicate himself to God. Having
no experience of monasticism and no guide to direct him, Jerome suffered
greatly and was often quite ill. He was plagued terribly with
temptations of the flesh and would impose harsh penances on himself to
repress them. While there, he undertook the learning of Hebrew, as an
added penance, and was tutored by a Jewish convert. When controversy
arose among his fellow monks in the desert concerning the bishopric of
Antioch, Jerome left to avoid the tension of the position he found
himself in.
Having developed a reputation as a great scholar and
ascetic, Jerome was ordained to the priesthood by the persuasion of
Bishop Paulinus, on the condition that he be allowed to continue his
monastic lifestyle and not be obliged to assume pastoral duties.
In
382, he was appointed as secretary to Pope Damascus, who urged him to
undertake a Latin translation of the Bible from its original Greek and
Hebrew origins.
After the death of the Holy Pontiff, Jerome left
Rome for the Holy Land with a small group of virgins who were led by his
close friend, Paula. Under his direction, Paula established a monastery
for men in Bethlehem and three cloisters for women. Jerome remained at
this monastery until his death around A.D. 420, only leaving
occasionally for brief trips. He is the patron saint of librarians and
translators.
Tuesday, September 29, 2020
Why the wicked exist
The wicked exist in this world
either to be converted
or that through them
the good may exercise patience.
St. Augustine of Hippo
St. Michael the Archangel (Feast: September 29)
St. Michael is the model of the Christian warrior because of the fortitude which he showed by casting into hell the legions of damned spirits.
He is the warrior of God who will not tolerate the divine Majesty to be challenged or offended in his presence, and who is ready to wield the sword at any time in order to crush the enemies of the Most High.
He
teaches us that it is not enough for a Catholic to behave well: it is
also his duty to fight evil. And not just an abstract evil, but evil as
it exists in the ungodly and in sinners.
For St. Michael did not cast evil into hell as a principle, a mere conception of the intellect, nor are principles and concepts susceptible to be burned by eternal fire.
It was Lucifer and his minions that the Champion of the Almighty cast into hell, as he hated the evil that existed in them and which they loved.
We live at a time of profound religious liberalism. Few Christians have an inkling that they belong to a Church militant, as militant on earth as St. Michael and the faithful Angels were militant in heaven.
We also should know how to crush the insolence of wickedness. We too must tenaciously counter the adversary by attacking him and rendering him powerless.
In this struggle, St. Michael should not just be our model but our help. The fight between St. Michael and Lucifer has not ceased but continues throughout the ages.
He helps all Christians in the battles they wage against the power of darkness.
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More:
St. Gabriel the Archangel (Feast: September 29)
“And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
Who having heard, was troubled at his saying, and thought with herself what manner of salutation this should be.
And the angel said to her: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God. Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the most High; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father; and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever. And of his kingdom there shall be no end.”
The
message that St. Gabriel – which means “the strength of God” – took to
Our Lady is a message that affirms the Incarnation of the Word and
therefore the greatest act of power and domination that God could
exercise upon the world.
With the Incarnation of the Word, God was preparing to rescue the world. In doing this, He, who is king of the world by right, also became king by conquest. Thus, He – the second Person of the Blessed Trinity – entered the earth to conquer on the cross.
In this special way, He established His kingship upon the world. From this, we can draw some applications for the prayers we can still address to him today. St. Gabriel announced the coming and triumph of the Messiah to Our Lady and thus to all men.
We should ask that he now announce the recovery of God’s effective kingship upon the earth through the coming of the fulfillment of the Fatima message.
Today we are in a situation that is even worse than that of the ancient world before Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, we can ask that Our Lord Jesus Christ reign once again, that He establish His reign on earth in Mary and through Mary, and that this period of darkness in which we find ourselves come to an end. He has done one thing, let Him do the other. He had the key to do it to close the era of antiquity, and thus opened a new epoch. Let Him close this era and open the Reign of Mary.
Second: we should ask St. Gabriel for an enormous, superabundant devotion to Our Lady and that this devotion grow every instant until the end of our lives.
Third: we should ask him for a most ardent, intransigent, vigilant and therefore most militant love of purity; and to have every form of revulsion and disdain for impurity in every way and degree.
This is what we should ask him. May he thus protect us and bring us closer to Our Lady.
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Monday, September 28, 2020
St. Raphael the Archangel (Feast: September 29)
St. Raphael is first mentioned in the Book of Tobit, where he appeared disguised in human form to Tobias, son of the blind man Tobit, and traveled with him from Nineveh to Media.
While
they were in Media, the Archangel told Tobias of Sarah, daughter of
Raguel. Sarah had been married seven previous times, but each time, on
the night of the wedding, her husband was abducted and slain by a demon.
St. Raphael convinced Tobias to present himself as a husband to Sarah,
who accepted him.
Sarah despaired that yet another of her husbands would be taken from her, and she prayed for her own death. Raphael banished the demon from her, and she and Tobias had a happy marriage. After the wedding feast, Tobias and Sarah return to Nineveh. There, Raphael cured Tobit’s blindness, revealed his true identity and returned to heaven.
Raphael's name means "God heals." This identity came about because of the biblical story which claims that he "healed" the earth when it was defiled by the sins of the fallen angels.
He is also the patron of the blind, happy meetings, nurses, physicians and of travelers.
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When to practice modesty?
We must practice modesty,
not only in our looks, but also in our whole deportment,
and particularly
in our dress, our walk, our conversation, and all similar actions.
St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori
St. Wenceslaus
Wenceslaus
was born near Prague in the year 907. His father was Duke Wratislaw, a
Christian, and his mother, Dragomir, a pretended Christian, but a secret
favorer of paganism. One of twins, Wenceslaus was raised by his
grandmother, St. Ludmilla, while his brother, known as Boleslaus the
Cruel, was raised by their mother. Jealous of the great influence which
Ludmilla wielded over Wenceslaus, Dragomir instigated two noblemen to
murder her. She is said to have been strangled by them with her own
veil. Wratislaw died in 916, also at the hand of assassins, leaving the
eight-year-old Wenceslaus as his successor. Acting as regent for her
son, Dragomir actively opposed Christianity and promoted pagan
practices.
Urged by the people, Wenceslaus took over the reins of
government and placed his duchy under the protection of Charlemagne’s
successor, the German Henry I. Emperor Otto I subsequently conferred on
him the dignity and title of king. However, his German suzerainty and
his support of Catholicism within Bohemia were vehemently opposed by
some of his subjects and a rebellion ensued.
After the virtuous
monarch married and had a son, the king’s brother Boleslaus, seeing
himself displaced from the direct succession to the throne by his
nephew, joined the rebellion. At the instigation of their mother,
Dragomir, Boleslaus conspired with the rebels to murder his royal
brother. In September of 929, Boleslaus invited Wenceslaus to celebrate
the feast of Sts. Cosmas and Damian with him. The king accepted, and on
the night of the feast, said his prayers and went to bed. The next
morning, as Wenceslaus walked to Mass, he met Boleslaus and stopped to
thank him for his hospitality. Instead, the jealous brother stabbed the
king and held him down as other traitors killed him. King Wenceslaus’s
last words were addressed to his brother. “Brother, may God forgive
you!” His body, hacked to pieces, was buried at the place of the murder.
Three
years later, having repented of his deed, Boleslaw ordered the
translation of his brother’s remains to the Church of St. Vitus in
Prague where they may be venerated to this day. The martyr-king is the
patron of Bohemia, Hungary and Poland.
Photo by: Ales Tosovsky
Sunday, September 27, 2020
Do not worry
Do not worry yourself overmuch …
Grace has its moments.
Let us abandon ourselves to the providence of God
and be very careful not to run ahead of it.
St. Vincent de Paul
St. Vincent de Paul
Born
in 1576, ordained to the priesthood in 1600, he suffered many trials
and setbacks and did not become a pastor for a number of years after his
ordination. He was captured by Muslim pirates and held in captivity for
two years after which he escaped with an apostate Italian, whom he
succeeded in converting back to Catholicism. It was only in 1617 that he
became a pastor and also the chaplain to Queen Marguerite, the
separated wife of King Henry IV.
During
this period, he founded many hospitals and orphanages, and frequently
visited prisons. Through all of these arduous works, he remained calm
and pleasant with everyone despite the tremendous amount of work he had
undertaken, because as Father de Laurent states, Vincent possessed
treasures of goodness. His bright eyes reflected his burning charity and
his copious undertakings were the fruit of his pure goodness for “no
one exerts a serious influence upon his surroundings if he is not
fundamentally good.” He welcomed all with a beaming smile and charm, and
firmly believed that the hours that he sacrificed to charity were never
lost.
He
saw the wealthy as a reflection of the Divine nobility of Our Lord, and
in the poor, His voluntary and sublime poverty. While Vincent received
many considerably large donations along with notable recognition from on
high, none of this affected his profound humility. He also led an
intense spiritual life. His contemplation of God gave him the graces and
strength to accomplish what ordinary men could never do. He was a man
of action, but he also was a man of continual prayer. His actions were a
mere overflowing of his interior life, which was well nourished. He
would often say “There is not much to hope for from a man who does not
like to converse with God.” Rising at four in the morning, he would go
directly to the chapel to spend an hour in meditation, celebrate daily
Mass and afterward, recite his breviary.
Visitors would come by
seeking consultations in grave matters during which he would remain
silent for a few minutes, praying to God for good counsel and then
dispense advice. He would bless himself each time that the clock struck
the hour or quarter-hour. Vincent said that he saw the soul of Jane
Frances de Chantal rise to Heaven in the form of a fiery globe during
one of his Masses. He was a humble man who never divulged his prayer
life, often recommended communal prayer and would frequently say,
“Perfection in love does not consist of ecstasies, but in doing the will
of God.”
Most importantly, he had a special devotion to Our
Lady. He began this devotion in his youth and increased it throughout
his life. Ultimately, he went forward in life after contemplation and
prayer, not relying on human support, and by doing the Will of God.
Vincent was taken ill and died in 1660. He was canonized by Pope Clement XII in 1737.
Saturday, September 26, 2020
The power of the rosary is beyond description
The rosary is the book of the blind,
where souls see and there enact
the greatest drama of love the world has ever known;
it is the book of the simple,
which initiates them into mysteries and knowledge more satisfying
than the education of other men; it is the book of the aged,
whose eyes close upon the shadow of this world, and
open on the substance of the next.
The power of the rosary is beyond description.
Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen
Sts. Cosmas and Damian
Very
little is known about Sts. Cosmas and Damian. It is said that they were
twin brothers from Arabia some time in the early 200s. They were
Christians, and students of medicine. They dedicated their lives to God
and offered medical services for free – a charitable act that made them
renowned among the people and was often the cause of conversions to the
Faith, a fact which did not go unnoticed by officials.
Cosmas
and Damian, who had lovingly become known in the East as the “moneyless
ones” because of their kindness, were killed around the year 283. When
the persecution under Emperor Diocletian began, their reputation as
do-gooders marked them as objects of ruthless cruelty and they were both
savagely tortured and beheaded.
Many churches have been erected in their honor. They are the patron saints of pharmacists.
Friday, September 25, 2020
When tempted
When tempted, invoke your Angel.
He is more eager to help you than you are to be helped!
Ignore the devil and do not be afraid of him:
he trembles and flees at the sight of your Guardian Angel.
St. John Bosco
St. Albert of Jerusalem
Albert
was born in Parma, Italy, about 1149 to a prominent family. He became a
canon of Holy Cross Abbey in Mortoba and, in 1184, was appointed as the
Bishop of Bobbio, Italy. Soon after, he was named to the see of
Vercelli.
Albert served as a mediator in the dispute between Pope
Clement III and Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, who fought against
Clement’s papacy. In gratitude, Clement appointed Albert as Patriarch of
Jerusalem in 1205, a post established in 1099 when Jerusalem became a
Latin kingdom in the control of Christian crusaders. Jerusalem, however,
was no longer in Christian hands as the Saracens recaptured the city in
1187. The Christians needed a patriarch, but the position was a
dangerous one, open to persecution and martyrdom at the hands of the
Muslims.
Though his predecessors had failed, Albert accepted and
in time, proved himself not only to the local Christians, but also to
the Muslims who respected him for his sanctity and his intelligence.
Because of the heavy Muslim presence in Jerusalem, Albert took up
residence in Acre, a northern port. Near the city is the holy Mount
Carmel, where a group of hermits lived. In 1209, they sought Albert out
and requested that he devise a rule of life that they may follow (this
rule was the beginning of the Carmelite Order.). Pope Honorius III
confirmed the rule in 1226, and it was mitigated twenty years later in
1254 by Pope Innocent IV.
Albert was called to the general
council of the Lateran to lend his wisdom and diplomacy, but was
assassinated before leaving Palestine. Albert had disposed a doctor of
his post at a local hospital and in revenge the doctor stabbed the holy
man to death. The year was 1214, and Albert had been presiding over a
procession on the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
Thursday, September 24, 2020
Powerful over the devil
God made Mary so powerful over the devils that
not only can she instantly terrify them with a single glance,
but also that the devils prefer
to have their pains redoubled
rather than to see themselves subject to her power.
St. Bridget of Sweden
St. Gerard of Csanad
Gerard
was a Venetian, born in the beginning of the eleventh century. At a
young age, he consecrated himself to God and dedicated his life to
fighting for Christ. He joined the Benedictine monastery of San Giorgio
Maggiore at Venice. Not long after, he began a pilgrimage to Jerusalem,
and was passing through Hungary when King Stephen – the future St.
Stephen – asked him to remain and tutor his son. Finding the people of
Hungary likewise in need of evangelization, Gerard decided to stay and
preach.
On the death of King Stephen, Hungary was thrown into
anarchy by competing claims to the throne, and a revolt against
Christianity and Gerard ensued. On September 24, 1046, he was attacked
and beaten, but still forgave his assailants. As a spear was thrust into
his body he prayed, “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge, they know
not what they do.” His dead body was thrown into a river below.
Gerard and King Stephen were canonized in 1083. St. Gerard is considered one of the patrons of Hungary.
Wednesday, September 23, 2020
When things get hard
In all the events of life, you must recognize the Divine will.
Adore and bless it,
especially in the things which are the hardest for you.
St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina
St. Pio of Pietrelcina
Francesco
was born in the small Italian village of Pietrelcina on May 25, 1887.
His parents, Grazio Forgione and Maria Giuseppa Di Nunzio, were peasant
farmers, but they recognized their son was close to God. When he was
only five years old, he solemnly consecrated himself to Jesus. It is
said he often spoke with Our Lord, Our Lady and his guardian angel, who
defended him against attacks by the devil. He joined the Capuchin
Franciscans at the age of fifteen, and took the name Pio with his
religious vows. After seven years of study he was ordained to the
priesthood in 1910.
During the same month he was ordained, Padre
Pio was praying in the chapel when Our Lord and His Blessed Mother
appeared and gave him the Stigmata. 
However,
the wounds soon faded and then disappeared. “I do want to suffer, even
to die of suffering,” Padre Pio told Our Lady, “but all in secret." Soon
after, he experienced the first of his spiritual ecstasies.
Pio
was in the military for a short time, but was discharged due to poor
health. Upon his return to the monastery, he became a spiritual
director. He had five rules for spiritual growth: weekly confession,
daily Communion, spiritual reading, meditation, and examination of
conscience. He often advised, "Pray, Hope and Don’t Worry."
In
July of 1918, Padre Pio received the visible Stigmata, the five wounds
of Christ (hands, feet and side), after offering himself as a victim for
the end of the war. By 1933, the holy priest was recognized by the
Church and by 1934 had attracted thousands of pilgrims that attended his
masses and frequented his confessional.
On September 23, 1968,
Padre Pio said his final Mass, renewed his vows of poverty, chastity,
and obedience and died in his cell after suffering from grave physical
decline. Before his death, Padre Pio orchestrated and oversaw the
building of the “House for the Alleviation of Suffering,” a 350-bed
medical and religious center.
He was canonized on June 16, 2002. An estimated 300,000 people attended the canonization ceremony.
Tuesday, September 22, 2020
Novena to St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus (Feast: October 1)
September 23rd to October 1st
Click here for your FREE St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus downloadable Book!
Start Novena with this prayer each day:
Dearest St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, you said that you would spend your time in heaven doing good on earth.
Your trust in God was complete. Pray that He may increase my trust in His goodness and mercy as I ask for the following petitions…
(mention your intentions)
Pray for me that I, like you, may have great and innocent confidence in the loving promises of our God. Pray that I may live my life in union with God’s plan for me, and one day see the Face of God whom you loved so deeply.
St. Thérèse, you were faithful to God up until the moment of your death. Pray for me that I may be faithful to our loving God. May my life bring peace and love to the world through faithful endurance of love for God our savior.
Amen
| DAY ONE | DAY TWO | DAY THREE |
| DAY FOUR | DAY FIVE | DAY SIX |
| DAY SEVEN | DAY EIGHT | DAY NINE |
Loving
God, you blessed St. Thérèse with a capacity for a great love. Help me
to believe in your unconditional love for each of your children,
especially for me.
St. Thérèse, privileged Little Flower of Jesus and Mary, I approach you with childlike confidence and deep humility.
I lay before you my desires, and beg that through your intercession they may be realized.
Did you not promise to spend your heaven doing good upon earth? Grant me according to this promise the favors I am asking from you.
Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory Be…
DAY TWOLoving God, you loved St. Thérèse’s complete trust in your care. Help me to rely on your providential care in each circumstance of my life, especially the most difficult and stressful.
O dear little St. Thérèse, as I am one of those children for whom Christ died, obtain for me all the graces I need in order to profit by that Precious Blood.
Use your great power with our divine Lord and pray for me.
Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory Be…
Loving
God, you gave St. Thérèse the ability to see You in the ordinary
routine of each day. Help me to be aware of your presence in the
everyday events of my life.
Dear Little Flower, make all things lead me to heaven and God. Whether I look at the sun, the moon, the stars and the vast expanse in which they float, or whether I look at the flowers of the field, the trees of the forest, the beauties of the earth so full of color and so glorious, may they speak to me of the love and power of God; may they all sing His praises in my ear.
Like you may I daily love Him more and more in return for His gifts. Teach me often to deny myself in my dealings with others, that I may offer to Jesus many little sacrifices.
Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory Be…
Loving
God, You taught St. Thérèse how to find You through the “little way”
of humility and simplicity. Grant that I may never miss the grace hidden
in humble service to others.
Dear Little Flower of Carmel, bearing so patiently the disappointments and delays allowed by God, and preserving in the depths of your soul an unchanging peace because you sought only God’s will, obtain for me a complete conformity to that adorable Will in all the trials and disappointments of life.
If the favors I am asking during this Novena are pleasing to God, obtain them for me. If not, it is true I shall feel the refusal keenly, but I wish only God’s Will as you did. I pray that Jesus will be the perfect fulfillment of all my wishes as He was for you.
Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory Be…
Loving
God, You gave St. Thérèse the gift of forgiving others even when she
felt hurt and betrayed. Help me to be able to forgive others who have
wounded me, especially…
Little Flower of Jesus, from the very first moment of your religious life you thought only of denying yourself in all things so as to follow Jesus more perfectly; help me to bear patiently the trials of my daily life.
Teach me to make use of the trials, the sufferings, the humiliations, that come my way, to learn to know myself better and to love God more.
Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory Be…
Loving
God, St. Thérèse experienced every day as a gift from You. She saw it
as a time to love You through other people. May I, too, see every day as
an opportunity to say yes to You.
St. Thérèse, Patroness of the Missions, be a great missionary throughout the world to the end of time. Remind our Master of His own words, "The harvest is great, but the laborers are few."
Your zeal for souls was so great, obtain a like zeal for those now working for souls, and beg God to multiply their numbers, that the millions to whom Jesus is yet unknown may be brought to know, love and follow Him.
Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory Be…
Loving God, St. Thérèse offered to You her weakness. Help me to see in my weakness an opportunity to rely completely on you.
O little martyr of Love, you know now even better than in the days of your pilgrimage that Love embraces all vocations; that it is Love alone which counts, which unites us perfectly to God and conforms our will with His. All you sought on earth was love; to love Jesus as He had never yet been loved.
Use your power in heaven to make us love Him. If only we love Him we shall desire to make Him loved by others; we shall pray much for souls. We shall no longer fear death, for it will unite us to Him forever.
Obtain for us the grace to do all for the love of God, to give Him pleasure, to love Him so well that He may be pleased with us as He was with you.
Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory Be…
Loving God, You loved St. Thérèse with a powerful love and made her a source of strength to those who had lost faith in You.
Help me to pray with confidence for those in my life who do not believe they can be loved.
Dear St. Thérèse, like you I have to die one day. I beseech you, obtain from God, by reminding Him of your own precious death, that I may have a holy death, strengthened by the Sacraments of the Church, entirely resigned to the most holy Will of God, and burning with love for Him.
May my last words on earth be, "My God. I love You."
Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory Be…
Loving
God, St. Thérèse never doubted that her life had meaning. Help me to
see how I can bless and love everyone in my life. Especially…
Dear Little St. Thérèse, by love and suffering while you were on earth, you won the power with God which you now enjoy in heaven. Since your life there began, you have showered down countless blessings on this poor world; you have been an instrument made use of by your divine Spouse to work countless miracles.
I beg of you to remember all my wants. Sufferings must come to me also, may I use them to love God more, and follow my Jesus better. You are especially the little missionary of love.
Make me love Jesus more, and all others for His sake. With all my heart I thank the most Holy Trinity for the wonderful blessings conferred on you, and upon the world through you.
Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory Be…
Read:
Click here for your FREE St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus downloadable Book!
When angry, remember this
Dismiss all anger and look into yourself a little.
Remember that he of whom you are speaking
is your brother, and as he is in the way of salvation,
God can make him a saint,
in spite of his present weakness.
St. Thomas of Villanova
St. Thomas of Villanova
Thomas
was born in Castile, Spain in 1488. His family was not wealthy, but his
father’s work as a miller allowed the family to be charitable and
generous towards the poor. He was sent to school at the University of
Alcala at the age of sixteen, where he threw himself enthusiastically
into his studies and, ten years later, became professor of philosophy.
In
1516 he joined the Augustinian Friars at Salamanca and was ordained a
priest two years later. He eventually became prior in several houses of
the Augustinian Order, notably Salamanca, Burgos, and Valladolid. When
Don Jorge, the Archbishop of Valencia, resigned, the emperor did not
offer Thomas the see because he knew the high position would be a
grievous trial for the humble friar-priest. Instead, the emperor
nominated a religious of the Order of St. Jerome. However, when the
emperor discovered his secretary had written the name of Brother Thomas
of Villanova on the letter of nomination, he took it as a sign from God
and appointed Thomas bishop. The year was 1545.
Thomas
immediately began to restore the spiritual and material life of the
archdiocese. He was deeply committed to the poor, established care for
orphans and convinced the emperor to provide funds to organize priests
for service among the converted Moors who had lapsed back into their old
religion for lack of a shepherd.
Renowned for his personal
charity, sanctity and austerities, Thomas was eventually consecrated
archbishop. While he did not attend the sessions of the Council of
Trent, he was an ardent supporter of the Reformation against the
Lutheran heresy.
Thomas of Villanova died in 1555 of angina at
the age of sixty-seven. He was canonized by Pope Alexander VII on
November 1, 1658.
Monday, September 21, 2020
The effect of Holy Communion
The effect of our sharing in
the body and blood of Christ
is to change us
into what we receive.
Pope St. Leo the Great
St. Matthew the Evangelist
Before
his conversion, Matthew was a Jew who worked as a tax collector for the
Romans. It was while Matthew was working at a tax collector’s bench in
the custom house of Capernaum that Jesus passing by called him saying,
“Follow me.” In his own account of himself, the Evangelist writes, “And
he rose up and followed him.”
Jewish
tax collectors were generally hated by their fellow Jews, and were
considered sinners by the Pharisees. When they discovered Jesus’ choice
of followers, they were scandalized, and questioned Him. “I did not come
to call the righteous, but sinners” (Matt. 9:12b-13), Jesus said to
them.
After the death and resurrection of Our Lord, Matthew went
on to evangelize and authored the first Gospel. It is uncertain whether
he died a natural death or as a martyr.
Sunday, September 20, 2020
St. Michael Novena and Exorcism
- St. Michael Novena
- Short Exorcism Prayer to Saint Michael
- Consecration to Saint Michael
- Saint Michael Chaplet
To print a PDF of these St. Michael prayers, click here (2 sheets with two pages on each)
Saint Michael Novena (Say for nine consecutive days)
Saint Michael the Archangel, loyal champion of God and His Catholic
people, I turn to thee with confidence and seek thy powerful
intercession. For the love of God, Who hast made thee so glorious in
grace and power, and for the love of the Mother of Jesus, the Queen of
the Angels, be pleased to hear my prayer.
Thou
knowest the value of my soul in the eyes of God. May no stain of evil
ever disfigure its beauty. Help me to conquer the evil spirit who tempts
me. I desire to imitate thy loyalty to God and Holy Mother Church and
thy great love for God and men. And since thou art God’s messenger for
the care of His people, I entrust to thee this special request: here mention your request.
Saint
Michael, since thou art, by the will of the Creator, the powerful
intercessor of Christians, I have great confidence in thy prayers. I
earnestly trust that if it is God’s holy will, my petition will be
granted.
Pray for me,
Saint Michael, and also for those I love. Protect us in all dangers of
body and soul. Help us in our daily needs. Through thy powerful
intercession, may we live a holy life, die a happy death and reach
Heaven where we may praise and love God with thee forever. Amen.
Short Exorcism Prayer to Saint Michael - by Pope Leo XIII
Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into Hell Satan and all evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
Saint Michael the Archangel, invincible Prince of the Angelic hosts
and glorious protector of the universal Church, I greet thee and praise
thee for that splendor with which God has adorned thee so richly. I
thank God for the great graces He hast bestowed upon thee, especially to
remain faithful when Lucifer and his followers rebelled, and to battle
victoriously for the honor of God and the Divinity of the Son of Man.
Saint
Michael, I consecrate to thee my soul and body. I choose thee as my
patron and protector and entrust the salvation of my soul to thy care.
Be the guardian of my obligation as a child of God and of the Catholic
Church as again I renounce Satan, his works and pomps.
Assist
me by thy powerful intercession in the fulfillment of these sacred
promises, so that imitating thy courage and loyalty to God, and trusting
in thy kind help and protection, I may be victorious over the enemies
of my soul and be united with God in Heaven forever. Amen.
This chaplet was given by Saint Michael to the Portuguese Carmelite nun Antonia d’Astonac. It was approved by Pope Pius IX and it starts with an act of contrition. Then there are nine salutations, one for each choir of angels. Each one is followed by an Our Father and three Hail Marys. Then four Our Fathers are said, one honoring Saints Michael, Gabriel, Raphael and the Guardian Angel. The chaplet concludes with a prayer to Saint Michael.
Act of contrition:
O my God, I am heartily
sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins, because I
dread the loss of heaven, and the pains of hell; but most of all because
they offend Thee, my God, Who are all good and deserving of all my
love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace to confess my sins,
to do penance and to amend my life. Amen.
The prayer starts:
O God, come to my assistance. O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father.... etc.
Then pray one ‘Our Father’ and three ‘Hail Marys’ after each of the following nine salutations:
- By the intercession of Saint Michael and the celestial Choir of
Seraphim may the Lord make us worthy to burn with the fire of perfect
charity. Amen.
- By the intercession of Saint Michael and the celestial Choir of
Cherubim may the Lord grant us the grace to leave the ways of sin and
run in the paths of Christian perfection. Amen.
- By the intercession of Saint Michael and the celestial Choir of
Thrones may the Lord infuse into our hearts a true and sincere spirit of
humility. Amen.
- By the intercession of Saint Michael and the celestial Choir of
Dominions may the Lord give us grace to govern our senses and overcome
any unruly passions. Amen.
- By the intercession of Saint Michael and the celestial Choir of
Powers may the Lord protect our souls against the snares and temptations
of the devil. Amen.
- By the intercession of Saint Michael and the celestial Choir of
Virtues may the Lord preserve us from evil and falling into temptation.
Amen.
- By the intercession of Saint Michael and the celestial Choir of
Principalities may God fill our souls with a true spirit of obedience.
Amen.
- By the intercession of Saint Michael and the celestial Choir of
Archangels may the Lord give us perseverance in faith and in all good
works in order that we may attain the glory of Heaven. Amen.
- By the intercession of Saint Michael and the celestial Choir of
Angels may the Lord grant us to be protected by them in this mortal life
and conducted in the life to come to Heaven. Amen.
Next, one Our Father is to be said in honor of each of the following leading Angels: Saint Michael, Saint Gabriel, Saint Raphael and our Guardian Angel.
Concluding prayer:
O glorious prince Saint
Michael, chief and commander of the heavenly hosts, guardian of souls,
vanquisher of rebel spirits, servant in the house of the Divine King and
our admirable conductor, you who shine with excellence and superhuman
virtue deliver us from all evil, who turn to you with confidence and
enable us by your gracious protection to serve God more and more
faithfully every day.
Pray for us, O glorious Saint Michael, Prince of the Church of Jesus Christ, that we may be made worthy of His promises.
Almighty
and Everlasting God, Who, by a prodigy of goodness and a merciful
desire for the salvation of all men, has appointed the most glorious
Archangel Saint Michael Prince of Your Church, make us worthy, we ask
You, to be delivered from all our enemies, that none of them may harass
us at the hour of death, but that we may be conducted by him into Your
Presence. This we ask through the merits of Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.
To print a PDF of these prayers, click here (2 sheets with two pages on each)
God is doctor; suffering is medicine
Let us understand that God is a physician,
and that suffering is a medicine for salvation,
not a punishment for damnation.
St. Augustine of Hippo
Sts. Andrew Kim Tae-gon, Paul Chong Ha-sang and Companions
During
the 17th century the Christian faith was brought to Korea through the
zeal of lay persons. From the very beginning these Christians suffered
terrible persecutions and many suffered martyrdom.
Son of Korean
converts who were martyred during the persecution of 1839 (and beatified
in 1925), Andrew Kim Tae-gon was baptized at fifteen. He traveled
thirteen hundred miles to the seminary in Macao, China, and was ordained
to the priesthood six years later. He traveled back to his home and
became involved in smuggling missionaries into the country to spread
Christianity.
During the year 1846, he was arrested with Paul
Chong Ha-sang and their companions, and they were all tortured prior to
being beheaded for his beliefs. Among them were a few bishops and
priests, but for the most part lay people, men and women, married and
unmarried, children, young people, and the elderly.
These martyrs
suffered greatly and gave their lives for Christ for the religious
freedom which came in 1883. Pope John Paul II canonized them on May 6,
1984, during his trip to Korea.
Saturday, September 19, 2020
Novena to Our Lady Undoer of Knots
This novena can be prayed at any time throughout the year, but is usually prayed from September 20 to September 28 - Feast of Our Lady Under of Knots.
Click here and become a Rosary Rally Captain for Our Lady in October!
| Day 2 | Day 3 | |
| Day 5 | Day 6 | |
| Day 8 | Day 9 |
Click here to read more about Our Lady Undoer of Knots
Dearest Holy Mother Mary, you undo the knots that cripple your children. Extend your merciful hands to me. I entrust to you today this knot and all the negative consequences that it imposes on my life.
Our Lady, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.
Virgin Mary, Mother of fair love, Mother who never refuses to come to the aid of a child in need, Mother whose hands never cease to caress your beloved children because they are moved by divine love and the immense mercy that exist in your Immaculate Heart, cast your compassionate eyes upon me and see the snarl of knots that exists in my life. You know very well how weak I am, my pain, and how I am bound by these knots. Mary, Mother to whom God entrusted the undoing of the knots in the lives of his children, I place into your hands the ribbon of my life. No one, not even the evil one himself, can take it away from your precious care. In your hands there is no knot that cannot be undone. Powerful Mother, by your grace and intercessory power with Your Son and My Liberator, Jesus, take into your hands today this knot.
[Mention your request here]
I beg you to undo it for the glory of God, once for all. You are my greatest hope. O my Lady, you are the only consolation God gives me, the fortification of my feeble strength, the enrichment of my poverty, and, with Christ, the freedom from my chains.
Hear my plea.
Keep me, guide me, and protect me, o safe refuge!
Our Lady, Undoer of Knots, pray for me. Amen
Mary,
Beloved Mother, mediatrix of all grace, I give to you today my heart,
recognizing that I am a sinner in need of your help. I entrust into your
hands this knot which keeps me from reflecting the glory of God.
Our Lady, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.
Virgin Mary, Mother of fair love, Mother who never refuses to come to the aid of a child in need, Mother whose hands never cease to caress your beloved children because they are moved by divine love and the immense mercy that exist in your Immaculate Heart, cast your compassionate eyes upon me and see the snarl of knots that exists in my life. You know very well how weak I am, my pain, and how I am bound by these knots. Mary, Mother to whom God entrusted the undoing of the knots in the lives of his children, I place into your hands the ribbon of my life. No one, not even the evil one himself, can take it away from your precious care. In your hands there is no knot that cannot be undone. Powerful Mother, by your grace and intercessory power with Your Son and My Liberator, Jesus, take into your hands today this knot.
[Mention your request here]
I beg you to undo it for the glory of God, once for all. You are my greatest hope. O my Lady, you are the only consolation God gives me, the fortification of my feeble strength, the enrichment of my poverty, and, with Christ, the freedom from my chains.
Hear my plea.
Keep me, guide me, and protect me, o safe refuge!
Our Lady, Undoer of Knots, pray for me. Amen
Meditating Mother, Queen of heaven, in whose hands the treasures of the King are found, turn your merciful eyes upon me today. I entrust into your holy hands this knot in my life and the debilitating resentment it has caused in me.
Our Lady, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.
Virgin Mary, Mother of fair love, Mother who never refuses to come to the aid of a child in need, Mother whose hands never cease to caress your beloved children because they are moved by divine love and the immense mercy that exist in your Immaculate Heart, cast your compassionate eyes upon me and see the snarl of knots that exists in my life. You know very well how weak I am, my pain, and how I am bound by these knots. Mary, Mother to whom God entrusted the undoing of the knots in the lives of his children, I place into your hands the ribbon of my life. No one, not even the evil one himself, can take it away from your precious care. In your hands there is no knot that cannot be undone. Powerful Mother, by your grace and intercessory power with Your Son and My Liberator, Jesus, take into your hands today this knot.
[Mention your request here]
I beg you to undo it for the glory of God, once for all. You are my greatest hope. O my Lady, you are the only consolation God gives me, the fortification of my feeble strength, the enrichment of my poverty, and, with Christ, the freedom from my chains.
Hear my plea.
Keep me, guide me, and protect me, o safe refuge!
Our Lady, Undoer of Knots, pray for me. Amen
Dearest Holy Mother, you are generous with all who seek you, have mercy on me. I entrust into your hands this knot which robs the peace of my heart, paralyzes my soul and keeps me from going to my Lord and serving Him with my life.
Our Lady, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.
Virgin Mary, Mother of fair love, Mother who never refuses to come to the aid of a child in need, Mother whose hands never cease to caress your beloved children because they are moved by divine love and the immense mercy that exist in your Immaculate Heart, cast your compassionate eyes upon me and see the snarl of knots that exists in my life. You know very well how weak I am, my pain, and how I am bound by these knots. Mary, Mother to whom God entrusted the undoing of the knots in the lives of his children, I place into your hands the ribbon of my life. No one, not even the evil one himself, can take it away from your precious care. In your hands there is no knot that cannot be undone. Powerful Mother, by your grace and intercessory power with Your Son and My Liberator, Jesus, take into your hands today this knot.
[Mention your request here]
I beg you to undo it for the glory of God, once for all. You are my greatest hope. O my Lady, you are the only consolation God gives me, the fortification of my feeble strength, the enrichment of my poverty, and, with Christ, the freedom from my chains.
Hear my plea.
Keep me, guide me, and protect me, o safe refuge!
Our Lady, Undoer of Knots, pray for me. Amen
Mother,
Undoer of Knots, so generous and compassionate, I come to You today to
once again entrust this knot in my life to you and to ask the divine
wisdom to undo, under the light of the Holy Spirit, this snarl of
problems.
Our Lady, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.
Virgin Mary, Mother of fair love, Mother who never refuses to come to the aid of a child in need, Mother whose hands never cease to caress your beloved children because they are moved by divine love and the immense mercy that exist in your Immaculate Heart, cast your compassionate eyes upon me and see the snarl of knots that exists in my life. You know very well how weak I am, my pain, and how I am bound by these knots. Mary, Mother to whom God entrusted the undoing of the knots in the lives of his children, I place into your hands the ribbon of my life. No one, not even the evil one himself, can take it away from your precious care. In your hands there is no knot that cannot be undone. Powerful Mother, by your grace and intercessory power with Your Son and My Liberator, Jesus, take into your hands today this knot.
[Mention your request here]
I beg you to undo it for the glory of God, once for all. You are my greatest hope. O my Lady, you are the only consolation God gives me, the fortification of my feeble strength, the enrichment of my poverty, and, with Christ, the freedom from my chains.
Hear my plea.
Keep me, guide me, and protect me, o safe refuge!
Our Lady, Undoer of Knots, pray for me. Amen
Queen of Mercy, I entrust to you this knot in my life and I ask you to give me a heart that will patiently wait until you undo it.
Our Lady, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.
Virgin Mary, Mother of fair love, Mother who never refuses to come to the aid of a child in need, Mother whose hands never cease to caress your beloved children because they are moved by divine love and the immense mercy that exist in your Immaculate Heart, cast your compassionate eyes upon me and see the snarl of knots that exists in my life. You know very well how weak I am, my pain, and how I am bound by these knots. Mary, Mother to whom God entrusted the undoing of the knots in the lives of his children, I place into your hands the ribbon of my life. No one, not even the evil one himself, can take it away from your precious care. In your hands there is no knot that cannot be undone. Powerful Mother, by your grace and intercessory power with Your Son and My Liberator, Jesus, take into your hands today this knot.
[Mention your request here]
I beg you to undo it for the glory of God, once for all. You are my greatest hope. O my Lady, you are the only consolation God gives me, the fortification of my feeble strength, the enrichment of my poverty, and, with Christ, the freedom from my chains.
Hear my plea.
Keep me, guide me, and protect me, o safe refuge!
Our Lady, Undoer of Knots, pray for me. Amen
Mother Most Pure, I come to you today to beg you to undo this knot in my life and free me from the snares of evil.
Our Lady, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.
Virgin Mary, Mother of fair love, Mother who never refuses to come to the aid of a child in need, Mother whose hands never cease to caress your beloved children because they are moved by divine love and the immense mercy that exist in your Immaculate Heart, cast your compassionate eyes upon me and see the snarl of knots that exists in my life. You know very well how weak I am, my pain, and how I am bound by these knots. Mary, Mother to whom God entrusted the undoing of the knots in the lives of his children, I place into your hands the ribbon of my life. No one, not even the evil one himself, can take it away from your precious care. In your hands there is no knot that cannot be undone. Powerful Mother, by your grace and intercessory power with Your Son and My Liberator, Jesus, take into your hands today this knot.
[Mention your request here]
I beg you to undo it for the glory of God, once for all. You are my greatest hope. O my Lady, you are the only consolation God gives me, the fortification of my feeble strength, the enrichment of my poverty, and, with Christ, the freedom from my chains.
Hear my plea.
Keep me, guide me, and protect me, o safe refuge!
Our Lady, Undoer of Knots, pray for me. Amen
Virgin Mother of God, overflowing with mercy, have mercy on your child and undo this knot in my life.
Our Lady, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.
Virgin Mary, Mother of fair love, Mother who never refuses to come to the aid of a child in need, Mother whose hands never cease to caress your beloved children because they are moved by divine love and the immense mercy that exist in your Immaculate Heart, cast your compassionate eyes upon me and see the snarl of knots that exists in my life. You know very well how weak I am, my pain, and how I am bound by these knots. Mary, Mother to whom God entrusted the undoing of the knots in the lives of his children, I place into your hands the ribbon of my life. No one, not even the evil one himself, can take it away from your precious care. In your hands there is no knot that cannot be undone. Powerful Mother, by your grace and intercessory power with Your Son and My Liberator, Jesus, take into your hands today this knot.
[Mention your request here]
I beg you to undo it for the glory of God, once for all. You are my greatest hope. O my Lady, you are the only consolation God gives me, the fortification of my feeble strength, the enrichment of my poverty, and, with Christ, the freedom from my chains.
Hear my plea.
Keep me, guide me, and protect me, o safe refuge!
Our Lady, Undoer of Knots, pray for me. Amen
Most Holy Mary, our Advocate, Undoer of Knots, I come today to thank you for undoing this knot in my life.
You know very well the suffering it has caused me. Thank you for coming, Mother, with your long fingers of mercy to undo this knot in my life; you receive me in your arms and make it possible for me to receive once again the divine grace. Mary, Undoer of Knots, dearest Mother, I thank you for undoing the knots in my life. Wrap me in your mantle of love, keep me under your protection, and enlighten me with your peace! Amen
Our Lady, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.
Virgin Mary, Mother of fair love, Mother who never refuses to come to the aid of a child in need, Mother whose hands never cease to caress your beloved children because they are moved by divine love and the immense mercy that exist in your Immaculate Heart, cast your compassionate eyes upon me and see the snarl of knots that exists in my life. You know very well how weak I am, my pain, and how I am bound by these knots. Mary, Mother to whom God entrusted the undoing of the knots in the lives of his children, I place into your hands the ribbon of my life. No one, not even the evil one himself, can take it away from your precious care. In your hands there is no knot that cannot be undone. Powerful Mother, by your grace and intercessory power with Your Son and My Liberator, Jesus, take into your hands today this knot.
[Mention your request here]
I beg you to undo it for the glory of God, once for all. You are my greatest hope. O my Lady, you are the only consolation God gives me, the fortification of my feeble strength, the enrichment of my poverty, and, with Christ, the freedom from my chains.
Hear my plea.
Keep me, guide me, and protect me, o safe refuge!
Our Lady, Undoer of Knots, pray for me. Amen
Read: Our Lady Undoer of Knots
The unfailing power which God has given us
Have confidence in prayer.
It is the unfailing power which God has given us.
By means of it you will obtain the salvation of
the dear souls whom God has given you and all your loved ones.
“Ask and you shall receive,” Our Lord said.
Be yourself with the good Lord.
St. Peter Julian Eymard
St. Januarius of Benevento
Very little is known about these holy martyrs other than they were killed during the Diocletian persecution.
Legend has it they threw Januarius onto a flaming furnace, but he was unscathed.
Instead, they stretched him on a bench and beat him until his bones were exposed.
When the saint still lived, they threw him and his companions to starving wild animals in the amphitheatre, but the animals would not touch them.
Finally, the martyrs were beheaded and died around the yFriday, September 18, 2020
How to make the angels jealous
If angels could be jealous of men,
they would be so for one reason:
Holy Communion.
St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe
St. Joseph of Cupertino
Joseph
was born in 1603 in the small village of Cupertino, Italy, to very poor
parents. After his father died, his mother spared him no love and
considered him a burden. She would often abuse Joseph, which caused him
to become slow and absentminded. He was forgetful, and wandered around
the village with his mouth open, causing him to become nicknamed
“Boccaperta,” or “the gaper.”
When he was seventeen, Joseph went
out in search of a job. However, the abuse he suffered as a child caused
him to lack self discipline, and he never lasted long. The first two
times he tried to enter religious life, he was turned away, but the
third time, the Conventual Franciscans of Grottella accepted him as a
stable boy. Joseph came closer to Christ, and often did extreme fasting
and acts of mortification. He was ordained in 1628 after a five-year
struggle with his priestly studies.
During the seventeen years
Joseph remained at Grottella, God worked many amazing miracles through
him. Over seventy times, people saw him rise from the ground while
saying Mass or praying and he often went into ecstasy and would be
completely rapt up in talking with God. Joseph became so famous for
these miracles that he was often followed by large crowds of people and
had to be kept hidden.
From 1653 until his death, Joseph was
placed in complete seclusion from the outside world, restricted from
writing letters and receiving visitors. Though he was isolated from
humanity, he became even more loved of God: his supernatural
manifestations had begun to occur daily, and his seclusion left him free
of distraction to pray.
Joseph fell ill and died in 1663. He was canonized by Pope Clement XIII in 1776.
Thursday, September 17, 2020
No man is saved without this
Charity is that with which
no man is lost, and
without which
no man is saved.
St. Robert Bellarmine
St. Robert Bellarmine
Roberto
Bellarmino was born into impoverished Tuscan nobility at Montepulciano
on October 4, 1542. He was the third of ten children born to Vincenzo
Bellarmino and Cinthia Cervini, a sister of Cardinal Marcello Cervini,
who later became Pope Marcellus II. Educated at the Jesuit College in
Montepulciano, he entered the Society of Jesus at the age of eighteen.
After studying philosophy at the Roman College, he taught first at
Florence and then at Mondovi. He began his theological studies in Padua
in 1567, but was sent to Louvain two years later in order that he might
obtain a fuller acquaintance with the heretical teachings of the time.
Bellarmine
was ordained a priest in Flanders and quickly obtained a reputation
both as a professor and a preacher, attracting Catholics and Protestants
alike by his sermons. In 1576 he was recalled to Italy, and entrusted
with the chair of Controversies recently founded at the Roman College.
He proved himself equal to the arduous task, and the lectures he
delivered were later compiled into his most renowned work, “De
Controversiis” - Disputations on the Controversies of the Christian Faith.
Bellarmine's monumental work was the earliest attempt to systematize
the various controversies of the time, and made an immense impression
throughout Europe. It dealt such a blow to Protestantism in Germany and
England that special university chairs were founded in order to provide
replies to it. Theodore of Blaise, an important Protestant leader who
succeeded Calvin, acknowledged that “This is the work that defeated us.”
So numerous were the conversions wrought by it that Queen Elizabeth I
of England decreed that anyone who was not a doctor in theology was
forbidden to read Bellarmine’s writings under penalty of death. To the
present day, it remains an uncontested standard of orthodoxy that has
yet to be superseded. In recognition of this, Benedict XV gave
Bellarmine the title of “Hammer of Heresies” in 1921.
In 1588
Bellarmine was made Spiritual Father to the Roman College, but in 1590
he went with Cardinal Gaetano as theologian to the embassy Sixtus V was
then sending into France to protect the interests of the Church amidst
the troubles of the civil wars. While in France news reached him that
Sixtus, who had warmly accepted the dedication of his “De
Controversiis”, was now proposing to put its first volume on the Index.
This was because he had discovered that it assigned to the Holy See not a
direct but only an indirect power over temporal authorities.
Bellarmine, whose loyalty to the Holy See was intense, took this greatly
to heart; it was, however, averted by the death of Sixtus, and the new
pope, Gregory XIV, even granted to Bellarmine’s work the distinction of a
special approbation. Gaetano’s mission now terminating, Bellarmine
resumed his work as Spiritual Father, and had the consolation of guiding
the last years of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, who died in the Roman College
in 1591. Many years later he had the further consolation of successfully
promoting the beatification of the saintly youth. It was also at this
time that he sat on the final commission for the revision of the Vulgate
translation of the Holy Scriptures.
In
1592 Bellarmine was made Rector of the Roman College, and in 1595
Provincial of Naples. In 1597 Clement VIII recalled him to Rome and made
him his own theologian as well as Examiner of Bishops and Consultor of
the Holy Office. “The Church of God has not his equal in learning,” he
stated when making him a Cardinal in 1599. Bellarmine’s appointment as
Cardinal Inquisitor soon followed. In 1602 Bellarmine was appointed as
the Archbishop of Capua and consecrated by Pope Clement VIII himself, an
honor usually accorded as a mark of special regard.
Three years
later, Clement VIII died, and was succeeded by Leo XI who reigned only
twenty-six days, and then by Paul V. In both conclaves, especially that
latter, the name of Bellarmine was much before the electors, greatly to
his own distress. The new pope insisted on keeping him at Rome, and the
cardinal, obediently complying, demanded that at least he should be
released from an episcopal charge the duties of which he could no longer
fulfill. He was now made a member of the Holy Office and of other
congregations, and thenceforth was the chief advisor of the Holy See in
the theological department of its administration.
Bellarmine
became one of the most important figures of the Counter-Reformation and
the period will be forever marked by his method of confronting heresy:
he understood that one cannot do away with a heresy by only preaching
the truth; it was also necessary to attack and smash the error. By this
method he converted heretics, bringing them back into union with the
Church. The profound spiritual treatises that emanated from his pen
earned for him the title of Doctor of the Church. But while he was a
champion of orthodoxy and a brilliant polemicist, Bellarmine was also a
man of capable of dealing with the most sensitive souls guiding them to
sanctity as he did with St. Louis Gonzaga. This prodigious apostolate
could only spring from a great calmness of spirit and deep interior
life.
His death in the summer of 1621 was most edifying and a
fitting end to a life which had been no less remarkable for its virtues
than for its tremendous achievements. Accordingly, there was a general
expectation amongst those who knew him intimately that his cause would
be promptly introduced and swiftly concluded. However, reality proved to
be otherwise. Although he was declared Venerable in 1627, technical
obstacles arose in regards to the beatification process, delaying the
progress of his cause for 300 years. Bellarmine was canonized by Pope
Pius XI in 1930 and declared a Doctor of the Church and patron saint of
catechists the following year.
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