St. Paul Miki and Companions were 26 Christians martyred for the Christian faith in the sixteenth century in a wave of Japanese isolationism and just before expulsion of all Christian missionaries.
They were a group of all ages, including elderly and children. Their courage in witnessing to the faith and their mutual support of each other on the way to martyrdom are examples for all time.
St. Bridget wove a cross from some straw on the floor of hut where where she had been summoned by a Pagan chieftain for healing. His curiosity about her crafting led to his conversion to the faith.
May we be equally cunning and inventive in the presence of pagan power. May St. Brigid's intercession help protect us from the power of evil and flames of destruction in the world.
St. Thomas Aquinas struggled to synthesize reason and faith and believed there was no intrinsic conflict between the two. His lifelong effort led to a mystical experience which ushered him into the presence of God.
This is an interesting fresco interpretation of the Conversion of Saul. While it emphasizes his Roman citizenship, it doesn't depict his Jewish origins. It also omits the artistic interpretation that he was stricken from a beast of burden.
Nothing Paul has ever written explains the human origins of his conversion. Unlike Augustine, there were no prodromal symptoms of the sudden metanoia. He hadn't experienced remorse, he hadn't been moved by anything the apostles preached, not even apparently Stephen's heroic death. His conversion came from God.
Such conversions are needed in the world today and our prayers for them profess our belief that they are not only miraculous events in the gospel, but can accompany us in our efforts to evangelize in the modern world.
St. Francis de Sales reminded us that we are all called to holiness. He remarked that small deeds done with great love are more estimable than greater deeds done with less love. An interesting meditation on what confers value in this world.
An admiral at age 20, married with child, selected Doge of Venice. Served for two years during which he used substantial funds of his own to help rebuild and restore the Kingdom of Venice from fire and destruction. Built orphanages, hospitals and showed care for the poor while helping rebuild St. Mark's Cathedral. Abdicated his throne and left his wife (with her consent) to become a monk and later a hermit. He became known for his sanctity and miracle working. He certainly led an interesting and varied life.
St. Adrian of Canterbury, having declined the papal offer to become Archbishop of Canterbury (twice), nevertheless traveled to England and became abbot of the St. Augustine's Abbey, a place which he developed into a center of classical learning and Catholic identity in England. He was noted for his preaching, teaching and sanctity, even among a population that was sometimes inimical to the Catholic faith.
IHS stands for the name of JESUS, with various explanations having been given over the years for the amalgam. It was used by early preachers on icons, banners and insignias who promoted devotion to the feast and to the name of Jesus, Himself. Today you will see he insignia in church art of all kinds. In some churches, one could spend a great deal of time counting the number of times the insignia appears on pews, windows, altars and more. While counting, reverently holding the name of Jesus in prayer would be a good pious practice.
St. Basil The Great, a doctor of the Church and founder of Eastern Monasticism wrote and preached in defense of the Divinity of Christ and the truths of the Catholic faith.
He wrote that our jealousy of those who have more than us isn't so much born of a resentment of them for what they have, but a belief that our unhappiness springs from our lack of the things we covet. It is our envious discontent that causes our suffering.
In Dante's Purgatorio , the envious are gathered together clothed in sackcloth and have their eyes sutured closed with metal wires. They all have little or nothing and cannot envy what they cannot see.