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29th July - Memorial of St. Martha of Bethany. Born - probably Iudaea Province (modern-day Israel or West Bank) Died - traditionally Larnaca, Cyprus or Tarascon, Gaul (modern-day France) Canonized - Pre-congregation Attributes - broom; keys; Tarasque Patronage - butlers; cooks; dietitians; domestic servants; homemakers; hotel-keepers; housemaids; housewives; innkeepers; laundry workers; maids; manservants; servants; servers; single laywomen; travellers; Tarascon; Villajoyosa, Spain; Pateros, Philippines; Malagasang Segundo, Imus, Cavite, Philippines "Jesus loved Martha and Mary and Lazarus." This unique statement in John's gospel tells us of the special relationship Jesus had with Martha, her sister, and her brother. Apparently, Jesus was a frequent guest at Martha's home in Bethany, a small village two miles from Jerusalem. We read of three visits in Luke 10:38-42, John 11:1-53, and John 12:1-9. Many of us find it easy to identify with Martha in the story Luke tells. Martha welcomes Jesus and his disciples into her home and immediately goes to work to serve them. Hospitality is paramount in the Middle East and Martha believed in its importance. Imagine her frustration when her sister Mary ignores the rule of hospitality and Martha's work in order to sit and listen to Jesus. Instead of speaking to her sister, she asks Jesus to intervene. Jesus' response is not unkind, which gives us an idea of his affection for her. He observes that Martha is worried about many things that distract her from really being present to him. He reminds her that there is only one thing that is truly important -- listening to him. And that is what Mary has done. In Martha we see ourselves -- worried and distracted by all we have to do in the world and forgetting to spend time with Jesus. It is, however, comforting to note that Jesus loved her just the same.
“In the course of their journey he came to a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. She has a sister called Mary, who sat down at the Lord’s feet and listened to him speaking. Now Martha, who was distracted with all the serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister is leaving me to do all the serving by myself? Please tell her to help me.” But the Lord answered, “Martha, Martha,” he said, “you worry and fret about so many things, and yet few are needed, indeed only one. It is Mary who has chosen the better part, and it is not to be taken from her.” See also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09721b.htm https://catholicsaints.info/saint-martha/ https://www.bartleby.com/210/7/291.html https://www.christianiconography.info/goldenLegend/martha.htm https://saintscatholic.blogspot.com/2018/07/saint-martha-of-bethany-virgin.html https://www.vaticannews.va/en/saints/07/29/st--martha--disciple-of-the-lord.html |
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30th July - Memorial at choice of St. Peter Chrysologus, Bishop and Doctor. Born c. 380, Imola, Province of Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, North-Central Italy Died 31 July 450 Imola, Province of Bologna, Emilia-Romagna region, North-Central Italy Venerated in Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church Canonized Pre-Congregation Peter Chrysologus. Greek: Ἅγιος Πέτρος ὁ Χρυσολόγος, Petros Chrysologos, "Peter the Golden-worded". A native of Imola, Peter was a deacon when he was chosen by Pope Sixtus III to be bishop of Ravenna. He also enjoyed the confidence of Pope Leo the Great whose teaching on the Incarnation he strongly supported. His reputation as a preacher was high and many of his sermons, but unfortunately few other works, survive. He died in 450 and was declared a Doctor of he Church in 1729 by Pope Benedict XIII. See also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Chrysologus https://catholicsaints.info/saint-peter-chrysologus/ https://www.bartleby.com/210/12/041.html https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11762c.htm https://saintscatholic.blogspot.com/2018/07/saint-peter-chrysologus-bishop.html |
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31st July - Memorial of St. Ignatius of Loyola, Priest Born - Iñigo López de Oñaz y Loyola, 23 October 1491, Azpeitia, Gipuzkoa, Crown of Castile Died - 31 July 1556 (aged 64), Rome, Papal States Venerated in - Catholic Church, Anglican Communion Beatified - 27 July 1609, Rome, Papal States by Pope Paul V Canonized - 12 March 1622, Rome, Papal States by Pope Gregory XV Attributes - Sacerdotal vestments, cassock, ferraiolo, biretta, holding a book with "Ad maiorem Dei gloriam" inscription, trampling on a heretic, IHS Christogram, crucifix, and a rosary Patronage - Society of Jesus; Diocese of San Sebastián; Bilbao, Biscay and Gipuzkoa; Basque Country; Sulat, Eastern Samar, Philippines; Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines; Dampas, Tagbilaran City; Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil; Junín, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Archdiocese of Baltimore, United States; Antwerp, Belgium; Bruges, Belgium and Loyola University Maryland, United States The founder of the Jesuits, Ignatius was born in 1491, the youngest of the eleven children of a Basque nobleman. Brought up to be a soldier, he was wounded at the siege of Pamplona in 1521 which left him with a permanent limp. It was during his convalescence that his conversion came about after reading the lives of Christ and the saints. While in Paris he gathered around himself a group of six disciples to whom he gave his ‘Spiritual Exercises’; together they took vows of chastity, poverty and promised to serve the Church either by preaching in Palestine or in other ways that the pope thought fit. In 1537, unable to reach the Holy Land, they resolved to become a new religious order. This was given papal approval in 1540 which Ignatius continued inspire, counsel and direct until his death in 1556. He was canonized in 1622. Lord God, you raised up Saint Ignatius Loyola in your Church to give greater glory to your name. Grant that, aided by his prayers, we may fight against all that is evil on earth, and with him receive the crown of victory in heaven. See also: https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07639c.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignatius_of_Loyola https://sacred-texts.com/chr/seil/index.htm https://catholicsaints.info/saint-ignatius-of-loyola/ https://www.bartleby.com/210/7/311.html https://saintscatholic.blogspot.com/2018/07/saint-ignatius-of-loyola.html |
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1st August - Memorial at choice of St. Alphonsus Mary de Ligouri, Bishop and Doctor of the Church. Born - 27 September 1696, Marianella, Campania, Kingdom of Naples Died - 1 August 1787 (aged 90), Pagani, Campania, Kingdom of Naples Feast day - 1 August, 2 August (General Roman Calendar 1839–1969) Venerated in - Catholic Church Title as Saint - Bishop, Moral Theologian, Confessor and Doctor of the Church Beatified - 15 September 1816, Rome, Papal States, by Pope Pius VII Canonized - 26 May 1839, Rome, Papal States, by Pope Gregory XVI Patronage - Pagani, Cancello, Naples (co-patron); arthritis, lawyers, confessors, moralists, vocations The founder of the Redemptorist Congregation, Alphonsus was born in 1696. The son of a Neapolitan noble he studied law and practiced jurisprudence, apparently with some success. His conversion to the clerical life is said to have come about through him losing a case. He studied theology privately and was ordained in 1726 becoming famous as a preacher in and near Naples. In 1731, in accordance with a revelation declared to be genuine, he refounded a community of nuns and in the following year founded the Congregation of the Holy Redeemer for priests dedicated to preaching to the rural poor. Sadly, this was handicapped by internal divisions and later by rivalry between Church and state. After his death this flourished especially in Central Europe and later in England, Ireland and the United States. In 1745 he published the first of his theological and devotional works. Although these were criticised for being either too legalistic or too exuberant the influence of both was considerable his most important work being his Moral Theology which counteracted both rigorism and laxism advocating that it is lawful to follow the milder of the two options. As in his spiritual direction, so in his preaching he aimed at simplicity, gentleness and intelligibility making considerable use of rhetoric. He was consecrated bishop of Sant’ Agatha dei Goti (Beneventum) in 1762 but resigned his see in 1775 through ill health. He died in 1787, was canonised in 1839 by Pope Gregory XVI and was declared a Doctor of the Church in 1871 by Pope Pius IX. O God, who constantly raise up in your Church new examples of virtue, grant that we may follow so closely in the footsteps of the Bishop Saint Alphonsus in his zeal for souls and attain the same rewards that are his in heaven. See also: https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01334a.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alphonsus_Liguori https://catholicsaints.info/saint-alphonsus-maria-de-liguori/ https://saintscatholic.blogspot.com/2018/08/saint-alphonsus-maria-de-liguori-bishop.html |