John is beloved because he is a disciple who himself loves much - so much that he alone of the Apostles follows Christ all the way to Calvary and stands with the Blessed Mother and Mary Magdalene at the foot of the Cross. He is our model in loving discipleship.
A Prayer for Sufferers of Mental Illness on the Feast of St. Dymphna
During the summer when school is not in session I used to work in the garden center of a local retail store, which was a pleasant break from the rigors and stresses of the academic year. One afternoon I cashed out a very friendly older woman, but when I wished her a "good evening" she shook … Continue reading A Prayer for Sufferers of Mental Illness on the Feast of St. Dymphna
We Are More Than What We Do: St. Joseph the Worker
They say that necessity is the mother of invention but, as today's feast of St. Joseph the Worker shows us, sometimes measures taken for practical purposes can point to deeper truths. Pope Pius XII The memorial of St. Joseph the Worker is a very recent addition to the liturgical calendar. Pope Pius XII, who wanted … Continue reading We Are More Than What We Do: St. Joseph the Worker
Catching Flies With Honey: St. Mellitus of Canterbury
There's an old saying that you catch more flies with a spoonful of honey than you do with a vat of vinegar. That old saw is well illustrated when considering the life of a Saint whom we remember this weekend, St. Mellitus of Canterbury (died April 24th, A.D. 624). His name, in fact, means "honeyed". In his … Continue reading Catching Flies With Honey: St. Mellitus of Canterbury
The Crisis of Fatherhood and the Litany of St. Joseph
How odd St. Joseph, the human father of Jesus, must look to so many of us today. We live in an age that distrusts the traditional features of fatherhood, and even denigrates them as "toxic masculinity." Small wonder that fatherhood itself is in steep decline. According to the National Fatherhood Initiative, "19.7 million children in America—more than one … Continue reading The Crisis of Fatherhood and the Litany of St. Joseph
St. Patrick, Julius Caesar, and Slavery to Sin
St. Patrick is, of course, the Patron Saint of Ireland, but he wasn’t originally Irish. He was Romano-British, probably born in what is now southern Scotland, or possibly Wales. His first introduction to the Emerald Isle was as a slave, after he had been kidnapped as a youth by Irish raiders . . .
St. Philemon the Actor: Martyr and Anti-Hypocrite
In the ancient world actors such as Philemon used to wear masks . . . but the Lord can see through any act: there are no masks before the throne of God.
St. Agnes of Bohemia – Bride of The King
One of the things that the lives of the saints show us is how important each one of us is to God, however insignificant we may seem in the eyes of the world: there are no insignificant saints. In fact, the lives of the saints often show us in various ways that "the wisdom of this world is folly with God." (1 Corinthians 3:19) One of today's saints, St. Agnes of Bohemia (also known as St. Agnes of Prague) provides a good example of just how foolish the "wisdom" of the world can be.
St. Valentine, Patron of Agape
Here is a saint who gave his life to bring men and women together in the loving bond of Christian marriage, and whose last thought as he faced his own death was directed toward comforting another. What better image to offer in response to the self-indulgent, dehumanizing sexuality that is so prevalent today?