Catholic Saints & Feasts
This podcast offers a dramatic reflection on each saint and feast day of the General Calendar of the Catholic Church. The reflections are drawn from the four-volume book series 'Saints & Feasts of the Catholic Calendar' by Fr. Michael Black. Each episode profiles figures from the liturgical calendar, described vividly as theological bone breakers, verbal flame throwers, ocean crossers, heart-melters, and sweet-chanting virgin-martyrs. It presents the lives and significance of Catholic saints throughout the year.
Episodes
August 24: Saint Bartholomew, Apostle
August 24: Saint Bartholomew, ApostleFirst CenturyFeast; Liturgical Color: RedPatron Saint of bookbinders, butchers, and leather workersThe Church conquered an imperfect world due to the heroic witness of the ApostlesLittle is known with certainty about today’s Apostle, and perhaps Saint Bartholomew is just fine with that. If he were like Saint John the Baptist, he would want Christ to increase an
August 23: Saint Rose of Lima, Virgin
August 23: Saint Rose of Lima, Virgin1586–1617Optional Memorial; Liturgical Color: WhitePatron Saint of Peru, florists, and gardenersAmerica’s first saint, she conquered herself by direct attackToday’s saint was born Isabel Flores de Oliva in colonial Spain, today’s Peru, to a middle-class Catholic family. She took the name “Rose” when she was confirmed by Lima’s bishop, the future Saint Turibius
August 22: Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary
August 22: Queenship of the Blessed Virgin MaryMemorial; Liturgical Color: WhiteThe mother of a king is a queen who receives honor in her son’s realmMary is both a queen and a mother, but she is more mother than queen. Mary’s Queenship and “mothership,” or motherhood, spark to life simultaneously. In the very moment Mary becomes a mother at the Annunciation, she also becomes a queen. The Archangel
August 21: Saint Pius X, Pope
August 21: Saint Pius X, Pope1835–1914Memorial; Liturgical Color: WhitePatron Saint of First Communicants and pilgrimsBorn humble and poor, he never forgot his origins while in the Chair of St. PeterIn the long span of three hundred and forty years between the death of Pope Saint Pius V in 1572 and today’s pope-saint, who died in 1914, not one pope is a canonized saint. It is a sign of the Church’
August 20: Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Abbot and Doctor
August 20: Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Abbot and Doctor1090–1153Memorial; Liturgical Color: WhitePatron Saint of the Cistercian Order, beekeepers, and candlemakersA reformer par excellence, he saved the Benedictine Order and rejuvenated monasticismToday’s saint was like a medieval rock star who never stopped touring Europe. He traveled with an entourage, drew enormous crowds, was wildly popular, a
August 19: Saint John Eudes, Priest
August 19: Saint John Eudes, Priest1601–1680Optional Memorial; Liturgical Color: WhitePatron Saint of the Diocese of Baie-Comeau, QuébecHis fine education led to a life of deep prayer and identity with JesusMany educated Catholics are familiar with the great Spanish saints of the 1500s: Saints Ignatius Loyola, Francis Xavier, John of the Cross, Teresa of Ávila, and many more. They are saints of th
August 16: Saint Stephen of Hungary
August 16: Saint Stephen of Hungaryc. 975–1038Optional Memorial; Liturgical Color: WhitePatron Saint of Hungary and of kingsBaptized by his pagan father, made King by the Pope, his heirs demolished his legacySaint Stephen of Hungary was a warrior king whose silhouette stands proud on a far distant horizon as the sun rises behind him at the dawn of the medieval age. His year of birth can only be gu
August 15: The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
August 15: The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin MaryFirst CenturySolemnity; Liturgical Color: WhitePatron Saint of France and LebanonGod wants Mary for HimselfToday’s Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary body and soul into heaven commemorates, liturgically, a dogma. Catholicism celebrates her dogmas like a country celebrates its independence day or its military victories. The Church processes up an
August 14: Saint Maximilian Mary Kolbe, Priest and Martyr
August 14: Saint Maximilian Mary Kolbe, Priest and Martyr1894–1941Memorial; Liturgical Color: RedPatron Saint of prisoners, drug addicts, journalists, and the pro-life movementPrisoner 16670 was tough, immersed in God, and ready when the moment cameSaints are made, not born. Even more so martyrs. Maximilian Kolbe was so impressive a man that he may have been canonized even if that oh-so-brief, oh-
August 13: Saints Pontian, Pope; & Hippolytus, Priest: Martyrs
August 13: Saints Pontian, Pope; & Hippolytus, Priest: MartyrsLate Second Century–c. 235Optional Memorial; Liturgical Color: RedPatron Saint of Montaldo Scarampi, Italy (Pontian) and prison guards (Hippolytus)An exiled Pope dies along with a learned priestToday’s martyrs died on the island of Sardinia, perhaps from overwork in the mines or perhaps from starvation or neglect rather than executi
August 12: Saint Jane Frances de Chantal, Religious
August 12: Saint Jane Frances de Chantal, Religious1572–1641Optional Memorial; Liturgical Color: WhitePatron Saint of widows and parents separated from their childrenAn aristocratic widow’s grief is transformed into love of GodToday’s saint was well born and acted like it. She was educated, refined, beautiful, witty, and wealthy. She married a baron, lived in his castle, and together they raised f
August 11: Saint Clare, Virgin
August 11: Saint Clare, Virginc. 1193–1253Memorial; Liturgical Color: WhitePatron Saint of embroiderers, goldsmiths, and laundry workersShe heard Francis, left comfort, and slept on the floor for forty-one yearsSilicon Valley is not, topographically, a valley. The name is a contrivance dating from the 1970s and 80s. The actual valley is named after today’s saint. Santa Clara Valley, running southe
August 10: Saint Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr
August 10: Saint Lawrence, Deacon and Martyrc. Early Third Century–258Feast; Liturgical Color: RedPatron Saint of deacons, comics, and cooksA Deacon heads the Church for four days, then perishes like his fellow deaconsThe Church’s liturgy, like all public rituals whether sacred or secular, is inherently conservative. Its form is not easily altered. Its content shapes, more than is shaped by, the C
August 8: Saint Dominic, Priest
August 8: Saint Dominic, Priestc. 1170–1221Memorial; Liturgical Color: WhitePatron Saint of the Dominican Republic, astronomers, and the falsely accusedA one-man army for God; long practice taught him how to preach the TruthToday’s saint and Saint Francis of Assisi were close contemporaries. They both founded influential religious orders, collaborated with the same popes and cardinals, and were ca
August 7: Saint Cajetan, Priest
August 7: Saint Cajetan, Priest1480–1547Optional Memorial; Liturgical Color: WhitePatron Saint of Argentina, the unemployed, and gamblersA reformer before his timeGaetano di Conte di Thiene, today’s saint, was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but he spit it out. His father was a count, his family noblemen, and his status and wealth secure. Gaetano studied theology and law and became a senato
August 7: Saint Sixtus II, Pope; and Companions, Martyrs
August 7: Saint Sixtus II, Pope; and Companions, MartyrsEarly Third Century–258Optional Memorial; Liturgical Color: RedPatron Saint of Bellegra, ItalyThe Pope is murdered in cold bloodThe sixth pope was named the “Sixth” or, in Latin, “Sixtus.” He reigned from 115–125 A.D. The next Sixtus was today’s martyr, who reigned from one August to the next in 257–258. Sixtus II (or Sixth, the Second) is li
August 6: The Transfiguration of the Lord
August 6: The Transfiguration of the LordFirst CenturyFeast; Liturgical Color: WhiteA preview of coming attractions, our destination is a person more than a placeIt was not a miracle that Jesus Christ transfigured Himself on Mount Tabor before the Apostles. It was a miracle that He maintained His common, earthly appearance for the whole of His life. It was a miracle that His face was not glowing l
August 5: Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major
August 5: Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary MajorFifth centuryOptional Memorial; Liturgical Color: WhiteA venerable basilica preserves its ancient auraA house is more than a building. When it personifies the family within, it is a home. Or at least it should be. That an office building contains businesses; a house—a family; a barracks—soldiers; and a hotel—guests, is merely to cite particul
August 4: Saint John Vianney, Priest
August 4: Saint John Vianney, Priest1786–1859Memorial; Liturgical Color: WhitePatron Saint of parish priestsA farmer knows God through prayer, not books, and becomes a holy priest“Is Mr. Vianney good?” the Vicar General asked. “He is a model of goodness,” the seminary official responded. “Very well. Then let him be ordained.” And thus the last obstacle was removed from the long and winding path to
August 2: Saint Peter Julian Eymard, Priest
August 2: Saint Peter Julian Eymard, Priest1811–1868Optional Memorial; Liturgical Color: WhiteApostle of the Holy EucharistThe Eucharist was the pearl that shone in his eyesThe great artist Auguste Rodin, who sculpted “The Thinker” and other world-famous pieces, met today’s saint in 1862 and joined his Congregation as a lay brother. Rodin was despondent over the death of his sister and wanted to a
August 2: Saint Eusebius of Vercelli, Bishop
August 2: Saint Eusebius of Vercelli, BishopEarly Fourth Century–371Optional Memorial; Liturgical Color: WhitePatron Saint of Piedmont, ItalyA bishop suffers exile and abuse for his defense of orthodoxyEusebius was chosen Bishop of the Northern Italian city of Vercelli by popular acclaim in the 340s, even though he was an immigrant from the island of Sardinia. Twenty years after Eusebius’ death, t
August 1: Saint Alphonsus Ligouri, Bishop and Doctor
August 1: Saint Alphonsus Ligouri, Bishop and Doctor1696–1787Memorial; Liturgical Color: WhitePatron Saint of moral theologians and confessorsA lawyer becomes holyToday’s saint was given the gift of a comprehensive education by his parents from a young age. He finished his university studies with degrees in civil and canon law when he was just sixteen years old. After practicing law for eight year
July 31: Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Priest
July 31: Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Priest1491–1556Memorial; Liturgical Color: WhitePatron Saint of soldiers, retreats, and the Basque countryA soldier reads, becomes holy, and founds a mighty companyLike so many other male saints, today’s saint began his adult life as a knight and soldier. In the service of a local noble, he learned the male sins that armies and royal courts excel in teaching: gam
July 30: Saint Peter Chrysologus, Bishop and Doctor
July 30: Saint Peter Chrysologus, Bishop and Doctorc. 380–c. 450Optional Memorial; Liturgical Color: WhitePatron Saint of Imola, Italy, invoked against fever and mad dogsA golden tongued bishop preaches to a golden cityIn 330 A.D., the Emperor Constantine transferred his capital from Rome to a newly constructed city he named after himself in present day Turkey. The Roman Empire and its ancient tra
July 29: Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus
July 29: Saints Martha, Mary, and LazarusFirst CenturyMemorial: Liturgical Color: WhitePatron Saints of siblingsJesus, an only child, is attracted to family lifeJesus goes to the home of Zacchaeus to encourage his conversion. He goes to the home of Matthew after the tax collector becomes a disciple. And he goes to other homes to challenge religious elites or to speak strong words of censure. Jesus
July 26: Saints Joachim and Anne
July 26: Saints Joachim and AnneLate First Century B.C.–Early First Century A.D.Memorial; Liturgical Color: WhitePatron Saints of grandparents and of Canada (Anne)God has a family tree, just like all menMany parents think their child is perfect. Only two sets of parents were ever right. Saint Mary and Saint Joseph had a child through grace and raised that perfect God-son to adulthood. The parents
July 25: Saint James, Apostle
July 25: Saint James, ApostleFirst CenturyFeast; Liturgical Color: WhitePatron Saint of Spain, equestrians, and pilgrimsHerod strikes againThe primary legacy of the Twelve Apostles is silence. Yes, their voices are sometimes heard in the Gospels, briefly. Yes, they traveled, evangelized, and built up the Church, discreetly. And yes, they were martyred, save John, though obliquely. Who went exactly
July 24: Saint Sharbel (Charbel) Makhluf, Priest and Hermit
July 24: Saint Sharbel (Charbel) Makhluf, Priest and Hermit1828–1898Optional Memorial; Liturgical Color: WhitePatron Saint of LebanonThe purest cedar of LebanonToday’s memorial was first inserted into the liturgical calendar in the United States in 2004. Prior to that, today’s saint was known primarily among the Christians of Lebanon, either in their homeland or in Lebanese diaspora communities ou
July 23: Saint Bridget of Sweden, Religious
July 23: Saint Bridget of Sweden, Religious1303–1373Optional Memorial; Liturgical Color: WhitePatron Saint of Europe, Sweden, and widowsA royal widow’s visions awe the massesUpon entering the baroque Basilica of Saint John Lateran in Rome, on the first pillar to the right, is a fragment of a medieval fresco by the master Giotto. It is incongruous with the style of the rest of the often restored Ba
July 22: Saint Mary Magdalene
July 22: Saint Mary MagdaleneFirst CenturyFeast; Liturgical Color: WhitePatron Saint of perfumers, converts, and hairdressersAn Apostle to the Apostles first spreads the Good News“Cherchez la femme“ is a French phrase meaning “Look for the woman.” It is used as a convenient shortcut in movie or literary criticism to discover what is driving a plot, especially in a detective story. Why did the man
July 20: Saint Apollinaris, Bishop and Martyr
July 20: Saint Apollinaris, Bishop and MartyrFirst or Second CenturyOptional Memorial; Liturgical Color: RedPatron Saint of Ravenna, Italy, and invoked against gout and epilepsyAn elusive early bishop’s memory is preserved in artRavenna, a city on Italy’s eastern Adriatic Coast, is a miniature Istanbul. It has perhaps the most impressive groupings of Byzantine churches and mosaics outside of the f
July 18 (U.S.A.): Saint Camillus de Lellis, Priest
July 18 (U.S.A.): Saint Camillus de Lellis, Priest1550–1614In the U.S.A. this Optional Memorial is transferred to July 18Optional Memorial; Liturgical Color: WhitePatron Saint of hospitals, nurses, and the sickA one-man Red Cross who burned with love for the sickLike so many saints, Camillus de Lellis ran hard in whatever direction he was heading. When he was a soldier, he ran hard toward the nois
July 16: Our Lady of Mount Carmel
July 16: Our Lady of Mount CarmelOptional Memorial; Liturgical Color: WhitePatroness of the Carmelites, and for deliverance from PurgatoryA Crusader legacy enriches the Church’s inner lifeA few miles from Lebanon near Haifa, a large city in the north of present-day Israel, is the Holy Land’s Masada of Catholic prayer and spirituality. Mount Carmel rises high into the sky, dominating the landscape
July 15: Saint Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor
July 15: Saint Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor1221–1274Memorial; Liturgical Color: WhitePatron Saint of those with intestinal problemsHe seemed to have escaped the curse of Adam’s sinThe scholarly heft of Saint Bonaventure legitimized the eccentric Saint Francis of Assisi. Saint Bonaventure was to the Franciscans what Thomas Aquinas was to the Dominicans. These contemporaries form twin summits of s
July 14: Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, Virgin (U.S.A.)
July 14: Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, Virgin (U.S.A.)1656–1680Memorial; Liturgical Color: WhitePatron Saint of Canada and orphansTough as a hide, pure as a fawn Kateri (Iroquois for “Catherine”) Tekakwitha lived a short life of twenty-four years, the same age attained by Saint Thérèse of Lisieux at her death. Kateri’s father was a pagan Mohawk Chief and her mother a Christian Algonquin. The Mohawk peo
July 13: Saint Henry
July 13: Saint Henry973–1024Optional Memorial; Liturgical Color: WhitePatron Saint of the childless and Benedictine OblatesA king walks the tight path of virtuePassing through the heroic-sized doors of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, the pilgrim walks into a vast interior space, his gaze slowly rising to silently absorb the sublime vaults, criss-crossed by ethereal beams of sunlight. Yet as the pilg
July 11: Saint Benedict, Abbot
July 11: Saint Benedict, Abbotc. 480–c. 550Memorial; Liturgical Color: WhitePatron Saint of Europe and monksHis Rule helped create Europe, one monastery at a timeBefore the time of today’s saint, to be a monk meant to wander into the Syrian desert and never come back, to climb a rocky summit in the Sinai and never descend, to sit cross-legged atop a pillar, to fast to emaciation, or to remain word
July 9: Saint Augustine Zhao Rong and Companions, Martyrs
July 9: Saint Augustine Zhao Rong and Companions, Martyrs1746–1815Optional Memorial; Liturgical Color: RedNew saints for an ancient land start the Third MillenniumToday’s feast commemorates one hundred and twenty martyrs, eighty-seven native Chinese and thirty-three Western missionaries, killed in a long trail of blood from 1648 to 1930. This roll call of heroes includes lay women, catechists, sem
July 6: Saint Maria Goretti, Virgin and Martyr
July 6: Saint Maria Goretti, Virgin and Martyr1890–1902Optional Memorial; Liturgical Color: RedPatron Saint of rape victims and teenage girlsA country girl suffers death for knowing right from wrongThe family of today’s saint was so poor that they farmed other people’s fields. They lost their own land and became migrant laborers who ate what they grew and harvested, their rough fingers rarely touc
July 5: Saint Anthony Zaccaria, Priest
July 5: Saint Anthony Zaccaria, Priest1502–1539Optional Memorial; Liturgical Color: WhitePatron Saint of physiciansThe man of the hour for his time and placeIn thirty-nine niches in the nave and transepts of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome are thirty-nine statues of saints who founded religious congregations. Some of these saints are very well known, like Saints Benedict, Ignatius of Loyola, and Tere
July 4: Saint Elizabeth of Portugal
July 4: Saint Elizabeth of Portugal1271–1336(Celebrated July 5 in the U.S.A.)Optional Memorial; Liturgical Color: WhitePatron Saint of widows and victims of adulteryA widowed queen embraces Sister PovertyBeautifully placed in the center of a graceful arch, behind the high altar in the Franciscan convent of Saint Clare in Coimbra, Portugal, is an impressive silver and glass sarcophagus. Circular wi
July 4: Independence Day—USA
July 4: Independence Day—USAOptional Memorial; Liturgical Color: White“...nobis donet en patria.”Father hunger—the primordial longing to impress, to emulate, or just to find dad—moves us more fundamentally than any thirst for mom. Mom’s warm love and constant presence is typically assumed. She is always near. We spend the first nine months of life sheltered inside her sanctuary, a memory of closen
July 3: Saint Thomas the Apostle
July 3: Saint Thomas the ApostleFirst CenturyFeast; Liturgical Color: RedPatron Saint of doubters and architects‘Perhaps’ - the crack in the unbeliever’s wall of certaintyAll unbelievers have a type of faith. They firmly believe in God’s non-existence and in the weakness, not wisdom, of trusting in a reality greater than oneself. Atheism is a belief system, though its object of faith is obviously
July 1: Saint Junipero Serra, Priest
July 1: Saint Junipero Serra, Priest 1713–1784Memorial; Liturgical Color: WhitePatron Saint of California and vocations“Always forward!” was his motto and his lifeThe United States of America’s impressive Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., includes the majestic, semicircular Statuary Hall. Each of the fifty states chooses two citizens of historic importance to represent it in the Hall. Statues
June 30: First Martyrs of the Church of Rome
June 30: First Martyrs of the Church of Rome 64 Optional Memorial; Liturgical Color: Red or White A madman burns Christians like human torches Wave after wave of huge British and American bombers, pregnant with ordnance, opened their bays over Dresden, Germany, on February 13 and 14, 1945. Fire joined fire until the city itself was a raging, screaming bonfire. A tornado of flames hungered for oxyg
June 29: Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles
June 29: Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles First Century Solemnity; Liturgical Color: Red Patron Saints of the city of Rome Like the sun, Peter and Paul rose in the East but set in the West Jesus Christ is the head of the Church. The Pope is the head of the churches. The invisible, heavenly Church, mystically depicted by the Book of Revelation and described by Saint Paul as “our mother,” is the “Je
June 28: Saint Irenaeus, Bishop and Martyr
June 28: Saint Irenaeus, Bishop and Martyr c. 125–c. 200 Memorial; Liturgical Color: Red Patron Saint of apologists and catechists The Church was explicitly Catholic from the start The iconic opening words of Julius Caesar’s Gallic War are “All Gaul is divided into three parts.” The chieftains of these three regions of Roman Gaul (France) met yearly in the southern city of Lugdunum, known today as
June 27: Saint Cyril of Alexandria, Bishop and Doctor
June 27: Saint Cyril of Alexandria, Bishop and Doctor 376–444 Optional Memorial; Liturgical Color: White Patron Saint of Alexandria, Egypt He was the ultimate adversary What appears from a modern perspective to be theological hairsplitting and intellectual contortionism was, in the fourth and fifth centuries, the stuff of intense, erudite, and sometimes violent debate. Today’s saint was of that he
June 26: Saint Josemaria Escriva, Priest
June 26: Saint Josemaria Escriva, Priest 1902–1975 Optional Memorial; Liturgical Color: White (Saint Josemaria is not on the Church’s universal calendar but is included here) Patron Saint of diabetics Work is our sacrifice and the earth is our altar When today’s saint was a young priest, he was a rather well-known speaker in Madrid, Spain. Besides being an excellent homilist, he also preached retr
June 24: Birth of Saint John the Baptist
June 24: Birth of Saint John the Baptist First Century Solemnity; Liturgical Color: White or Gold Patron Saint of converts and epileptics A rugged forerunner cuts a path for his cousin “Dies natalis” means “birthday” or “anniversary” in Latin. But for early Christians, “dies natalis” referred to a martyr’s date of death and its subsequent commemoration in the Church’s liturgy, most typically throu
June 22: Saint Paulinus of Nola, Bishop
June 22: Saint Paulinus of Nola, Bishop c. 354–431 Optional Memorial; Liturgical Color: White Patron Saint of bell makers The best of Rome—the best of the Church Saint Paulinus was to the manor born. And it was a very nice manor. He was raised on an aristocratic estate near Bordeaux, France, in an elite Roman family replete with senators and other high officials of empire. Paulinus received a supe
June 22: Saints John Fisher, Bishop and Martyr, and Thomas More, Martyr
June 22: Saints John Fisher, Bishop and Martyr, and Thomas More, Martyr John Fisher: 1469–1535; Thomas More: 1478–1535 Optional Memorial; Liturgical Color: Red Patron Saint of the Diocese of Rochester (Fisher) and of lawyers and politicians (More) They would not bend to the marriage In 1526 a German painter named Hans Holbein could not find work in Basel, Switzerland. The Reformation had come to
June 21: Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, Religious
June 21: Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, Religious 1568–1591 Memorial; Liturgical Color: White Patron Saint of Catholic youth and plague victims Though he had many possessions, he did not go away sad The Jesuit Order, from its very founding, had a sharp sense of its educational superiority, its fidelity to the Holy Father, and its mission to educate and spiritually guide the elites among the courts and ar
June 19: Saint Romuald, Abbot
June 19: Saint Romuald, Abbot 951–c. 1025 Optional Memorial; Liturgical Color: White Founder of the Camaldolese Benedictine Order To be alone with God is not to be alone It is easy today to slip down a technological hole into a cave piled high with televisions, video games, and the toys of virtual reality. Many technological “hermits” disappear from meaningful contact with society, and instead mar
Immaculate Heart of Mary
Immaculate Heart of Mary Saturday following the Second Sunday after Pentecost Memorial; Liturgical Color: White Wing to wing, oar to oar, heart to heart The images by which the Church describes Herself are primarily feminine—Bride, Mother, Virgin, Spouse—while masculine terms are used for the Church’s ministry— the Office of Saint Peter, Office of Bishop, Holy Orders, etc. The fatherly labor and p
June 13: Saint Anthony of Padua
June 13: Saint Anthony of Padua 1195–1231 Memorial; Liturgical Color: White Patron Saint of lost articles He mastered the Word of God Saint Anthony of Padua is a famous Franciscan saint especially honored at an impressive shrine in Padua, in Northern Italy. But he was not born as Anthony, was an Augustinian priest before he became a Franciscan, and was from Lisbon, Portugal, not Italy. Saint Antho
Sacred Heart of Jesus
Sacred Heart of Jesus Friday following the Second Sunday after Pentecost Solemnity; Liturgical Color: White Behold the heart which drips red for love of man It’s always the tissue of male heart muscle when the molecular structure of a Eucharistic miracle is examined under a microscope. Jesus had “heart” but, more importantly, He had a heart. The word “heart” is synonymous with grit, soul, intuitio
June 11: St. Barnabas, Apostle
June 11: Saint Barnabas, Apostle Early First Century–c. 62 Memorial; Liturgical Color: Red Patron Saint of Cyprus A multi-talented disciple recruits Saint Paul Today’s saint was an Apostle in the exact same sense in which St. Paul was an Apostle. Saint Barnabas was not one of the Twelve original followers of Christ nor a replacement for one of the Twelve, like Saint Matthias. But the term “The Twe
June 9: Saint Ephrem, Deacon and Doctor
June 9: Saint Ephrem, Deacon and Doctor Early Fourth Century–373 Optional Memorial; Liturgical Color: White Patron Saint of spiritual directors The Harp of the Holy Spirit The Councils of Ephesus in 431 and Chalcedon in 451 ended a centuries-long scorpion dance. Bishops, theologians, and scholars from Egypt to Syria had long circled one another with suspicion, stinging their enemies with sharp wor
The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi)
The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) Thursday after Holy Trinity unless otherwise indicated. In the U.S, the solemnity is transferred to the Sunday after the Holy Trinity Solemnity; Liturgical Color: White The gift of all gifts Standing at the crowded table in the dim candle light of the Upper Room during the Last Supper, Jesus Christ did not hand out Bibles to the Twelve Apostl
June 6: Saint Norbert, Bishop
June 6: Saint Norbert, Bishop c. 1080–1134 Optional Memorial; Liturgical Color: White Patron Saint of Bohemia and of expectant mothers Thrown down like Saint Paul, he stood up a changed man Today’s saint was born into an elite Central European family with connections to imperial dynasties and the nobility of his time. He received an excellent sacred and secular education in keeping with his high s
June 5: Saint Boniface, Bishop & Martyr
June 5: Saint Boniface, Bishop and Martyr c. 675–754 Memorial; Liturgical Color: Red Patron Saint of Germany Pagans cut down a man of action in his grey hairs In the treasury of the Cathedral of Fulda, Germany, there is a medieval Codex, a large, bound book of prayers and theological documents, which very likely belonged to Saint Boniface. The rough cover of the Codex is deeply sliced with cuts fr
June 3: Saint Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs
June 3: Saint Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs 1860–1886 Memorial; Liturgical Color: Red Patron Saint of African youth Young African Christians die like the martyrs of old Many of the faces of the saints in heaven that shine with the light of God are dark faces. North Africa was one of the first regions to be evangelized and was home to a vibrant, diverse, and orthodox Church for over six hu
June 2: Saints Marcellinus and Peter, Martyrs
June 2: Saints Marcellinus and Peter, Martyrs Mid-third Century–c. 304 Optional Memorial; Liturgical Color: Red Their memory was preserved by their very executioner Saint Helen went to the Holy Land and returned to Rome with remnants of the true cross of Christ. This same Helen was the mother of Constantine, the Roman Emperor who legalized Christianity in 313 and who called the Council of Nicea in
June 1: Saint Justin Martyr
June 1: Saint Justin Martyr c. 100–c. 165 Memorial; Liturgical Color: Red Patron Saint of philosophers The cut and thrust of philosophical debate led him to Truth On one of his first missionary journeys, Saint Paul found himself in Syria. He was at a crossroads and needed to decide where he would travel to preach the Gospel. Do I head east and bring the Gospel to the gentiles of Mesopotamia, Persi
The Most Holy Trinity
First Sunday after Pentecost: The Most Holy Trinity Solemnity; Liturgical Color: White God is more like a family than a monk We pray in the “name” of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, not in their “names.” God must logically be only one. To hold that there is a vast government of gods is to hold that two mountains are the tallest in the world, that three oceans are the deepest, and that on
May 31: Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
May 31: Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Feast; Liturgical Color: White Two young mothers and their treasures meet Only in the Catholic Church would a Feast Day first celebrated in the thirteenth century be considered “new.” But that is when the Visitation first appeared in some liturgical calendars. Our oldest liturgical feasts date from the apostolic period. That is, they were likely celebr
May 29: Saint Paul VI, Pope
May 29: Saint Paul VI, Pope 1897–1978 Optional Memorial; Liturgical Color: White An erudite introvert helms the Church in stormy waters Over the two millennia of its storied existence, the papacy has piled prestige upon power upon privilege like so many bricks in a high, impregnable, theological fortress. The Bishop of Rome is without doubt the world’s greatest institutional defender of tradition.
May 27: Saint Augustine of Canterbury, Bishop
May 27: Saint Augustine of Canterbury, Bishop Early Sixth Century–604 Optional Memorial; Liturgical Color: White Patron Saint of England The Church’s Augustus conquered by example Gaius Octavius Thurinus was a noble Roman. Julius Caesar became his stepfather when he adopted Octavius, posthumously, in his will. Octavius then added his dead stepfather’s name to his own, becoming Gaius Julius Caesar
May 26: Saint Philip Neri, Priest
May 26: Saint Philip Neri, Priest 1515–1595 Memorial; Liturgical Color: White Patron Saint of Rome, humor and joy Everyone saw the halo Saint Philip Neri often begged alms from his wealthy friends and acquaintances to redistribute to needy children. On one occasion, he approached a friend, held out his hand, and asked him, once again, for a few coins: “How about some help for the children.” The ma
May 25: Saint Bede the Venerable, Priest and Doctor
May 25: Saint Bede the Venerable, Priest and Doctor c. 672–735 Optional Memorial; Liturgical Color: White Patron Saint of scholars Life’s drama is found in going deeper, not wider There is no world bigger than a monk’s cell. Those four, high walls shape thought like hard, steep banks contain the flow of a river. Rock curtains hanging on both sides force the raging river to carve a path through the
The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church
Monday after Pentecost: The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church Memorial; Liturgical Color: White One Mother, two motherhoods Mary mothered Jesus, Jesus then gave life to the Church with water and blood from His side, and the Church then mothers us into existence through baptism. Devotion to Mary goes hand in hand with devotion to the Church because both are mothers. Mother Mary gives the wo
Pentecost Sunday
Pentecost Sunday c. 33 A.D. Sunday after the Seventh Sunday of Easter Solemnity; Liturgical Color: Red Happy Birthday, Church! All living things have a birthday. The Church is a living organism and Pentecost is her birthday. Pentecost was a Jewish Feast Day. The author of the Acts of the Apostles identifies the day before the Holy Spirit ever descended. But Semitic Pentecost immediately acquired a
May 25: Saint Gregory VII, Pope, Religious
May 25: Saint Gregory VII, Pope, Religious c. 1015–1085 Optional Memorial; Liturgical Color: White A pope dies on the run The last words spoken by Pope Saint Gregory VII were “I have loved justice and hated iniquity, that is why I die in exile.” His enemies would have claimed that they loved justice equally as much but understood it differently, which is why the pope had to die on the run. No one
May 25: Saint Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi, Virgin
May 25: Saint Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi, Virgin 1566-1607 Optional Memorial; Liturgical Color: White Patron Saint of the sick Life’s true drama is on the inside Today’s Carmelite saint was the Italian counterpart to Spain’s famous Carmelite, Teresa of Ávila, although Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi is less well known than her Spanish contemporary. Teresa was a well-traveled and extroverted reformer and fo
May 22: Saint Rita of Cascia, Religious
May 22: Saint Rita of Cascia, Religious c. 1386–1457 Optional Memorial; Liturgical Color: White Patron Saint of abuse victims, sterility, and difficult marriages She suffered for two spouses Rita Lotti gave birth to her first son at the age of twelve. Fortunately the child was not born out of wedlock. Rita’s husband had been chosen for her by her parents, and they married when she was twelve. Thro
May 21: Saint Christopher Magallanes, Priest & Martyr, & Companions, Martyrs
May 21: Saint Christopher Magallanes, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs Fr. Magallanes: 1869–1927; 22 priests and 3 laymen: 1915-1937, the majority killed between 1926-1929 Optional Memorial; Liturgical Color: Red A Mexican bloodletting The governor of Mexico’s Tabasco state in the 1920s, Garrido Canabal, was so insanely anti-Catholic that he named his three sons Lenin, Satan, and Lucifer
May 20: Saint Bernardine of Siena, Priest
May 20: Saint Bernardine of Siena, Priest 1380–1444 Optional Memorial; Liturgical Color: White Patron Saint of advertising and gambling A sensational preacher popularizes the Holy Name devotion Saint Bernardine of Siena was the Billy Graham of his day. Graham was a well-known American evangelist who traveled ceaselessly from city to city preaching the good news of the Gospel over many decades. Yet
May 18: Saint John I, Pope and Martyr
May 18: Saint John I, Pope and Martyr c. Late Fifth Century–526 Optional Memorial; Liturgical Color: Red The pope is crushed in a secular vice by two worldly masters The early Popes were Roman citizens who retained their birth or baptismal names upon being elected to the See of Peter. Their names perfectly reflect a flourishing Roman culture rather than the Christian subculture which was gradually
Ascension Of The Lord
The Ascension of the Lord c. 33 A.D. Depending on ecclesiastical jurisdiction, the Thursday which falls forty days after Easter, or the Seventh Sunday of Easter Solemnity; Liturgical Color: White Ecce Homo...in all His glory The heart-piercing flash of a second when the wife’s eyes lock with her husband’s as she steps into the lifeboat, but he stays on board the listing ship. The wailing and cryin
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