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24th August - Feast of St. Bartholomew, Apostle and Martyr. Born - 1st century AD, Cana, Galilee, Roman Empire Died - 1st century AD, Albanopolis Venerated in - All Christian denominations which venerate saints Major shrine - Saint Bartholomew Monastery in historical Armenia, Relics at Basilica of San Bartolomeo in Benevento, Italy, Saint Bartholomew-on-the-Tiber Church, Rome, Canterbury Cathedral, the Cathedrals in Frankfurt and Plzeň, and San Bartolomeo Cathedral in Lipari Feast - August 24 (Western Christianity), June 11 (Eastern Christianity) Attributes - Knife and his flayed skin, Red Martyrdom Patronage - Armenia; bookbinders; butchers; Florentine cheese and salt merchants; Gambatesa, Italy; Catbalogan, Samar; Magalang, Pampanga; Malabon, Metro Manila; Nagcarlan, Laguna; San Leonardo, Nueva Ecija, Philippines; Għargħur, Malta; leather workers; neurological diseases; skin diseases; dermatology; plasterers; shoemakers; curriers; tanners; trappers; twitching; whiteners; Los Cerricos (Spain); Barva, Costa Rica
Philip found Nathaniel and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth.” Nathaniel said to him, “From Nazareth? Can anything good come from that place?” Philip replied. “Come and see.” When Jesus saw Nathaniel coming he said of him, “There, truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deception.” Nathaniel asked, “How do you know me?” Jesus replied, “Before Philip came to call you, I saw you under the fig tree.” Nathaniel answered, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the king of Israel.” Little is known about his ministry. He is supposed to have travelled in India and Armenia and, according to St. Theodore, to have been flayed alive before being beheaded although an alternative tradition related by St. Dorotheus states that he was crucified upside down. Strengthen in us, O Lord, the faith by which the blessed Apostle Bartholomew clung wholeheartedly to your Son, and grant us that through the help of his prayers your Church may become for all nations the sacrament of salvation. See also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartholomew_the_Apostle https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02313c.htm https://catholicsaints.info/saint-bartholomew-the-apostle/ https://www.christianiconography.info/goldenLegend/bartholomew.htm https://www.bartleby.com/210/8/241.html https://saintscatholic.blogspot.com/2013/08/st-bartholomew-apostle.html |
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25th August - Memorial at choice of St. Louis of France, King. Born - 25 April 1214, Poissy, Kingdom of France Died - 25 August 1270, near Tunis, North Africa Venerated in - Catholic Church Burial - Basilica of St Denis Spouse - Margaret of Provence, (m. 1234) Canonized - 11 July 1297, Rome, Papal States by Pope Boniface VIII Feast - 25 August Attributes - The Crown of Thorns, crown, sceptre, globus cruciger, sword, fleur-de-lis, mantle, and the other parts of the French regalia Patronage – France, Third Order of Saint Francis, The French Monarchy, Archdiocese of New Orleans, Diocese of Port-Louis, barbers, grooms Born in 1214 and king of France 1226 to 1270, son and successor of Louis VIII. His mother, Blanche of Castile, was regent during his minority (1226–34), and her regency probably lasted even after Louis reached his majority; she was his chief adviser until her death. Louis took the cross in 1244, but did not leave on the crusade to Egypt until 1248. Defeated and captured (1250) at al-Mansurah, he was ransomed but remained in the Holy Land until 1254, helping to strengthen the fortifications of the Christian colonies. After his return he attempted to bring about a peaceful settlement of territorial claims with Henry III. Agreement was reached in the Treaty of Paris, ratified in 1259. By its terms Louis ceded Limoges, Cahors, and Périgueux to Henry in exchange for Henry's renunciation of Normandy, Anjou, Maine, Touraine, and Poitou and his recognition of the king of France as suzerain for the reduced duchy of Aquitaine. Louis made a favourable treaty with King James I of Aragón by yielding the French claim to Roussillon and Barcelona in return for James's abandonment of his claim to Provence and Languedoc. A respected arbitrator, Louis settled succession disputes in Flanders and Hainaut and in Navarre; he attempted unsuccessfully to settle the bitter controversy between Henry III and the English barons by judging in favour of the king. Under Louis IX, France enjoyed unprecedented prosperity and peace. Louis continued the reforms of his grandfather, Philip II. He curbed private feudal warfare, simplified administration, improved the distribution of taxes, encouraged the use of Roman law, and extended the appellate jurisdiction of the crown to all cases. Louis was pious and ascetic, yet a good administrator and diplomat. He died of plague on the Second Crusade in Tunis and was canonized in 1297. O God, who brought Saint Louis from the cares of earthly rule to the glories of a heavenly realm, grant, we pray, through his intercession, that, by fulfilling our duties on earth, we may seek out your heavenly Kingdom. See also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_IX_of_France https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09368a.htm https://catholicsaints.info/saint-louis-ix/ https://www.christianiconography.info/goldenLegend/louisKing.htm https://www.bartleby.com/210/8/251.html https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/source/makrisi.asp http://www.medievalist.globalfolio.net/eng/j/joinville-memoirs-of-sent-lois/index.php |
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25th August - Memorial at choice of St. Joseph Calasanz, Priest. Born - 11 September 1557, Peralta de la Sal, Kingdom of Aragon, Crown of Aragon Died - 15 August 1648 (Aged 90), Rome, Papal States Venerated in - Catholic Church Beatified - 7 August 1748, Rome, Papal States by Pope Benedict XIV Canonized - 16 July 1767, Rome, Papal States by Pope Clement XIII Major shrine - San Pantaleo, Rome Feast - August 25, August 27, (Pre-1969 General Roman Calendar) Attributes - Cassock, biretta, and ferraiolo Patronage - Christian schools The founder of the Clerks Regular of the Christian Schools, Joseph was born in 1557 into a noble family at Peralta de la Sal in Aragon. After an education in Lerida and Valencia he was ordained in 1583 and rose to become Vicar-General to the bishop of Urgel in the Andorra district. However, he believed that he had been called to other work. He resigned his benefices, gave away much of his fortune and made his way to Rome, where, under the patronage of Cardinal Colonna and working alongside his friend, Camillus of Lellis he tended the sick of the plague of 1595. Tow years later he founded his first school which within five years numbered 700 pupils. The teachers led a communal life and were recognized as a religious congregation in 1617. Also known as the Piarists, they could be considered and the direct forerunner of the more famous foundations of John-Baptist de la Salle. Joseph died in Rome in 1648 and was canonized in 1767 remembered particularly for his heroic patience in the face of adversity. O God, who adorned the Priest Saint Joseph Calasanz with such charity and patience that he laboured tirelessly to educate children and endow them with every virtue, grant, we pray, that we, who venerate him as a teacher of wisdom, may constantly imitate him, for he was a co-worker of your truth. See also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Calasanz https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13588a.htm https://catholicsaints.info/saint-joseph-calasanz/ |
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26th August - Feast of Blessed Dominic of the Mother of God, Priest. Born - 22 June 1792, Viterbo, Italy Died - 27 August 1849 (aged 57), Reading, Berkshire, England Venerated in - Roman Catholic Church Beatified - 27 October 1963, Rome, Italy by Pope Paul VI Major shrine - Church of Saint Anne and Blessed Dominic, St Helens, Merseyside, England Feast - 27 August Attributes - Passionist Habit and Sign Patronage – England Born Domenico Giovanni Barberi in 1792 to a poor farm family he was orphaned by age eight and raised by an aunt and uncle on a farm in Merlano. An uneducated shepherd boy, he spent his time with the flocks in prayer. He met many Passionist priests exiled from France during the repressions of Napoleon which would have a significant influence on his later life. During prayers with them he received a divine message that he would work in northern Europe and England. One day in 1814, just before he entered into an arranged marriage, he slipped away from his family and joined the Passionists, taking the name Dominic of the Mother of God. Though he had no education, Dominic proved to be an excellent student, quick to grasp philosophy and theology. Ordained in Rome on 1st March 1821. Teacher and spiritual director, writer on theology and homiletics. One of his works was based on the idea of bringing modern science to philosophical studies; condemned in its day, it is now seen as preparing the way for some of the reforms of Pope Leo XIII. Feeling always drawn to England, he worked to learn English, and met with any English visitors to Rome that he could find. With Father Peter Magagnotto, Father Seraphim Giammaria, and Brother Crispin Cotta, he established the first Passionist presence at Ere, Belgium in 1840, the first Passionist monastery outside Italy. Dominic, however, continued to press the need for work in England, and he was finally assigned to work there, establishing the first residence during Holy Week of 1842. A tireless preacher and home missioner he worked for the return of anti-Catholic England to unity with Rome. Received many to the faith and was responsible for Saint John Henry Cardinal Newman's reception into the Catholic Church. He died in Reading in 1849 and was beatified by Pope Paul VI on 27th October 1963. O God, who chose the Priest Blessed Dominic Barberi to be a minster of your salvation, so that by his teaching and example many might find peace and reconciliation in your Church, mercifully guide our steps, we humbly pray, along that same way of love and truth until by your grace we gain an eternal reward. See also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominic_Barberi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passionists http://catholicsaints.info/catholic-truth-society-blessed-dominic-barberi-an-apostle-of-england/ https://catholicsaints.info/blessed-dominic-barberi/ https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05113a.htm |
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27th August - Memorial of St. Monica. Born - c. 332, Thagaste, Numidia Cirtensis, Western Roman Empire (present day Souk Ahras, Algeria) Died – 387, Ostia, Western Roman Empire Venerated in - Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion, Oriental Orthodox Church, and Lutheranism Canonized - Pre-Congregation Major shrine - Basilica of Sant'Agostino, Rome, Italy Feast - 27 August (Latin Church, Church of England, Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod), 4 May (pre-1969 General Roman Calendar, Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Catholic Churches, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Episcopal Church in the United States of America) Patronage - Married women; Difficult marriages; disappointing children; victims of adultery or unfaithfulness; victims of (verbal) abuse; and conversion of relatives; Manaoag, Pangasinan; Philippines; Don Galo, Parañaque, Philippines; Santa Monica, California, United States; Saint Monica University, Buea, Cameroon; Pinamungajan, Cebu, Philippines; St. Monique Valais, Binangonan, Rizal; Santa Monica Parish Church (Angat), Bulacan; Mexico, Pampanga; Minalin, Pampanga; Sta. Monica Parish Church, Pavia, Iloilo; Sta. Monica Parish Church, Hamtic, Antique; Sta. Monica Parish Church, Panay, Capiz Born in 332, probably at Tagaste in North Africa, Monica as the mother of St. Augustine of Hippo who was reputedly converted through her prayers, and she is seen as the model of Christian mothers. Just before her final illness she is reputed to have commented about her son’s conversion that, “Nothing in this world now gives me pleasure. I do not know what there is for me to do or why I am still here, all my hopes in this world are now fulfilled. All I wished to live for was to see you a Catholic and a child of Heaven. God has granted me more than this in making you despise earthly happiness and consecrate yourself to his service.” Her patience also resulted in the conversion of her husband Patricus, who had frequently been unfaithful, and also her mother-in –law both of whom became baptised Christians. Most of what we know of her life comes from Augustine’s Confessions which record that at her death in 387 people were astonished to see such courage in a woman and when asked if she was frightened by the thought of leaving her body so far from her own country, replied that, “Nothing is far from God and I need have no fear that he will know where to find me when he comes to raise me to life at the end of the world.” O God, who console the sorrowful and who mercifully accepted the motherly tears of Saint Monica for the conversion of her son Augustine, grant us, through the intercession of them both, that we may bitterly regret our sins and find the grace of your pardon. See also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Monica https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10482a.htm https://catholicsaints.info/saint-monica/ https://www.bartleby.com/210/5/041.html https://saintscatholic.blogspot.com/2013/08/today-is-feast-of-st-monica.html |
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28th August - Memorial of St. Augustine, Bishop and Doctor. Born - Aurelius Augustinus, 13 November 354, Thagaste, Numidia Cirtensis, Western Roman Empire, (modern-day Souk Ahras, Algeria) Died - 28 August 430 (aged 75), Hippo Regius, Numidia Cirtensis, Western Roman Empire, (modern-day Annaba, Algeria) Resting place - Pavia, Italy Venerated in - All Christian denominations which venerate saints Canonized - Pre-Congregation Major shrine - San Pietro in Ciel d'Oro, Pavia, Italy Feast - 28 August (Latin Church, Western Christianity), 15 June (Eastern Christianity), 4 November (Assyrian) Attributes - Child, dove, pen, shell, pierced heart, holding book with a small church, pectoral cross, crozier, mitre Patronage - Brewers; printers; theologians; sore eyes; Bridgeport, Connecticut; Cagayan de Oro; San Agustin, Isabela; Mendez, Cavite; Tanza, Cavite, Baliuag, Bulacan Best known for his Confessions and the City of God, Augustine was born in 354 in Tagaste in Algeria, the son of a pagan father Patricius, and a Christian mother, Monica. Although raised a Christian he was never baptised. A brilliant mind, his study of philosophy and later of Manichaeism led him to renounce the Christian faith for a number of years. A move to Rome to teach rhetoric brought him under the influence of Ambrose and after a long internal conflict, recorded in his Confessions he was converted and baptised in 388 and ordained a priest in 391. Four years later he became coadjutor-bishop of Hippo and from 396 until his death was the sole authority in the diocese. A prolific author, most of his work dates from his episcopate, his writings have probably proved more influential on the history of thought than any Christian writer since St. Paul. He died in 430 and is counted as one of the four Latin Doctors of the Church. See also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustine_of_Hippo https://catholicsaints.info/saint-augustine-of-hippo/ https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02084a.htm https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/1101.htm https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/1201.htm https://www.christianiconography.info/goldenLegend/augustine.htm https://www.bartleby.com/210/8/281.html Buy St Augustine’s best known books here: https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Confessions-by-Augustine-R-S-Pine-Coffin/9780140441147 https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Concerning-the-City-of-God-Against-the-Pagans-by-Augustine-Henry-Bettenson-G-R-Evans/9780140448948 |
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29th August - Memorial of the Passion of St. John the Baptist. . . . she delighted Herod and his guests; so the king said to the girl, “Ask me anything you like and I will give it to you.” And he swore an oath, “I will give you anything you ask, even half my kingdom.” The girl went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” She replied, “The head of John the Baptist.” The girl at once rushed back to the king and made her request, “I want you to give me John the Baptist’s head, immediately, on a dish.” The king was deeply distressed but, thinking of the oaths he had sworn and of his guests, he was reluctant to break his word to her. At once the king sent one of his bodyguard with orders to bring John’s head. The man went off and beheaded him in prison; them he brought the head on a dish and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. When John’s disciples heard about this, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb. Mark 6: 24-29 O God, who willed that Saint John the Baptist should go ahead of your Son both in his birth and in his death, grant that, as he died a Martyr for truth and justice, we, too, may fight hard for the confession of what you teach. See also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beheading_of_John_the_Baptist https://catholicsaints.info/saint-john-the-baptist/ https://www.christianiconography.info/goldenLegend/decollationjohnBaptist.htm |