For God so loved the world, as to give His only begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in Him, may not perish, but may have life everlasting. – Saint John the Apostle

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Saturday, March 31, 2018

Saint Quote of the Day: Saint John Chrysostom On the Resurrection


Saint John Chrysostom Fresco



O Death, where is your sting? O Hell, where is your victory? Christ is risen, and you are overthrown. Christ is risen, and the demons are fallen. Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice. Christ is risen, and life reigns. Christ is risen, and not one dead remains in the grave. For Christ, being risen from the dead, is become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. To Him be glory and dominion unto ages of ages.

Saint John Chrysostom



Saint John Chrysostom's patronage: Constantinople; epilepsy; Istanbul, Turkey; lecturers; orators; preachers; speakers.



Friday, March 30, 2018

Saint Quote of the Day: Saint Irenaeus of Lyons on Christ the First-fruits of the Resurrection


Saint Irenaeus of Lyons Icon



The Word of God became man, the Son of God became the Son of Man, in order to unite man with himself and make him, by adoption, a son of God.

Only by being united to one who is himself immune could we be preserved from corruption and death, and how else could this union have been achieved if he had not first become what we are? How else could what is corruptible and mortal in us have been swallowed up in his incorruptibility and immortality, to enable us to receive adoptive sonship? Therefore, the Son of God, our Lord, the Word of the Father, is also the son of man; he became the son of man by a human birth from Mary, a member of the human race.

The Lord himself has given us a sign here below and in the heights of heaven, a sign that man did not ask for because he never dreamt that such a thing would be possible. A virgin was with a child and she bore a son who is called Emmanuel, which means “God with us.”

He came down to the earth here below in search of the sheep that was lost, the sheep that was in fact his own creature, and then ascended into the heights of heaven to offer to the Father and entrust to his care the human race that he had found again.

The Lord himself became the first-fruits of the resurrection of mankind, and when its time of punishment for disobedience is over the rest of the body, to which the whole human race belongs, will rise from the grave as the head has done. By God’s aid it will grow and be strengthened in all its joints and ligaments, each member having its own proper place in the body. There are many rooms in the Father’s house because the body has many members.

God bore with man patiently when he fell because he foresaw the victory that would be his through the Word. Weakness allowed strength its full play, and so revealed God’s kindness and great power.

Saint Irenaeus of Lyons from his monumental workAgainst Heresies



Saint Irenaeus of Lyons' patronage: Archdiocese of Mobile, Alabama.



Thursday, March 29, 2018

Saint Quote of the Day: Saint Augustine of Hippo


Saint Augustine of Hippo



Dear brethren, the Lord has marked out for us the fullness of love that we ought to have for each other. He tells us: No one has greater love than the man who lays down his life for his friends. In these words, the Lord tells us what the perfect love we should have for one another involves. John, the evangelist who recorded them, draws the conclusion in one of his letters: As Christ laid down his life for us, so we too ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. We should indeed love one another as he loved us, he who laid down his life for us.

Saint Augustine of Hippo from his Treatise on the Gospel of John


Saint Augustine of Hippo's patronage: Brewers; diocese of Bridgeport, Connecticut; Cagayan de Oro, Philippines; diocese of Kalamazoo, Michigan; printers; city of Saint Augustine, Florida; diocese of Saint Augustine, Florida; sore eyes; diocese of Superior, Wisconsin; theologians; diocese of Tucson, Arizona.



Wednesday, March 28, 2018

Saint Quote of the Day: Saint Justin Martyr


Saint Justin Martyr Icon



As by the Word of God, Jesus our Savior was made Flesh and had both Flesh and Blood for our salvation, so also the food which has been blessed by the word of prayer instituted by Him is both the Flesh and Blood of Jesus Incarnate.

Saint Justin Martyr



Saint Justin Martyr's patronage: Apologists; lecturers; orators; philopsophers; speakers.



Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Saint Quote of the Day: Saint Augustine of Hippo


Saint Augustine of Hippo


Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.

Saint Augustine of Hippo



Saint Augustine of Hippo's patronage: Brewers; diocese of Bridgeport, Connecticut; Cagayan de Oro, Philippines; diocese of Kalamazoo, Michigan; printers; city of Saint Augustine, Florida; diocese of Saint Augustine, Florida; sore eyes; diocese of Superior, Wisconsin; theologians; diocese of Tucson, Arizona.



Monday, March 26, 2018

Saint Quote of the Day: Saint Gregory Nazianzen


Saint Gregory Nazianzen



So let us take our part in the Passover prescribed by the law, not in a literal way, but according to the teaching of the Gospel; not in an imperfect way, but perfectly; not only for a time, but eternally. Let us regard as our home the heavenly Jerusalem, not the earthly one; the city glorified by angels, not the one laid waste by armies.

Saint Gregory Nazianzen from a homily on Christ’s Passion



Saint Gregory Nazianzen's patronage: For harvests; poets.



Sunday, March 25, 2018

Saint Quote of the Day: Saint Thérèse of Lisieux


Saint Thérèse of Lisieux


For a long time my place at meditation was near a Sister who fidgeted continually, either with her Rosary, or something else; possibly, as I am very quick of hearing, I alone heard her, but I cannot tell you how much it tried me. I should have liked to turn round, and by looking at the offender, make her stop the noise; but in my heart I knew that I ought to bear it tranquilly, both for the love of God and to avoid giving pain. So I kept quiet, but the effort cost me so much that sometimes I was bathed in perspiration, and my meditation consisted merely in suffering with patience. After a time I tried to endure it in peace and joy, at least deep down in my soul, and I strove to take actual pleasure in the disagreeable little noise. Instead of trying not to hear it, which was impossible, I set myself to listen, as though it had been some delightful music, and my meditation—which was not the "prayer of quiet"—was passed in offering this music to Our Lord.

Saint Thérèse of Lisieux



Saint Thérèse of Lisieux's patronage: Missionaries; France; Russia; HIV/AIDS sufferers; radio care-a-thons; florists and gardeners; loss of parents; tuberculosis; the Russicum; Alaska



Saturday, March 24, 2018

Saint Quote of the Day: Saint Andrew of Crete


Saint Andrew of Crete



Let us go together to meet Christ on the Mount of Olives. Today He returns from Bethany and proceeds of His own free will toward His holy and blessed passion, to consummate the mystery of our salvation. He who came down from Heaven to raise us from the depths of sin, to raise us with Himself, we are told in Scripture, above every sovereignty, authority and power, and every other name that can be named, now comes of His own free will to make His journey to Jerusalem. He comes without pomp or ostentation. As the psalmist says: He will not dispute or raise His voice to make it heard in the streets. He will be meek and humble, and He will make His entry in simplicity.

Saint Andrew of Crete


Click here for the Mass Readings on Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion

Friday, March 23, 2018

Saint Quote of the Day: Saint Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer


Saint Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer


When you approach the tabernacle remember that He has been waiting for you for twenty centuries.

Saint Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer



Saint Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer's patronage: Opus Dei.



Thursday, March 22, 2018

Saint Quote of the Day: Saint Isidore of Seville


Saint Isidore of Seville



Confession heals, confession justifies, confession grants pardon of sin, all hope consists in confession; in confession there is a chance for mercy.

Saint Isidore of Seville



Saint Isidore of Seville's patronage: The Internet; computer users; computer technicians; programmers; students



Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Saint Quote of the Day: Saint John of the Cross


Saint John of the Cross


At the end of your life, you will be judged by your love.

Saint John of the Cross



Saint John of the Cross’ patronage: Contemplative life; contemplatives; mystical theology; mystics; Spanish poets.


Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Saint Quote of the Day: Saint Robert Bellarmine


Saint Robert Bellarmine


There is no one who is without faults, and who is not in some way a burden to others, whether he is a superior or a subject, an old man or a young one, a scholar or a dunce.

Saint Robert Bellarmine



Saint Robert Bellarmine's patronage: Canon lawyers; canonists; catechists; catechumens; archdiocese of Cincinnati, Ohio.



Monday, March 19, 2018

Saint Quote of the Day: Saint Francis de Sales


Saint Francis de Sales


When God the Creator made all things, He commanded the plants to bring forth fruit each according to its own kind; He has likewise commanded Christians, who are the living plants of His Church, to bring forth the fruits of devotion, each one in accord with his character, his station and his calling.

Saint Francis de Sales from his work "The Introduction to the Devout Life"



Saint Francis de Sales’ patronage: Authors; Diocese of Baker, Oregon; Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Ohio; Catholic press; Diocese of Columbus, Ohio; confessors; deaf people; deafness; Diocese of Wilmington, Delaware; educators; journalists; teachers; writers.



Sunday, March 18, 2018

Saint Quote of the Day: Pope Saint John Paul II


Pope Saint John Paul II



What emanates from the figure of Saint Joseph is faith. Joseph of Nazareth is a "just man" because he totally "lives by faith." He is holy because his faith is truly heroic. Sacred Scripture says little of him. It does not record even one word spoken by Joseph, the carpenter of Nazareth. And yet, even without words, he shows the depth of his faith, his greatness. Saint Joseph is a man of great spirit. He is great in faith, not because he speaks his own words, but above all because he listens to the words of the Living God. He listens in silence. And his heart ceaselessly perseveres in the readiness to accept the Truth contained in the word of the Living God. We see how the word of the Living God penetrates deeply into the soul of that man, that just man. And we, do we know how to listen to the word of God? Do we know how to absorb it into the depths of our human personalities? Do we open our conscience in the presence of this word?

Pope Saint John Paul II from Daily Meditations



Pope Saint John Paul II's patronage: Archdiocese of Kraków; World Youth Day (Co-Patron); World Meeting of Families 2015 (Co-Patron); Young Catholics; Families; Świdnica



Saturday, March 17, 2018

Saint Quote of the Day: Saint Cyril of Jerusalem


Saint Cyril of Jerusalem Icon



Children of justice, follow John’s exhortation: “Make straight the way of the Lord.” Remove all obstacles and stumbling blocks so that you will be able to go straight along the road to eternal life. Through a sincere faith prepare yourselves so that you may be free to receive the Holy Spirit. My brothers, this is truly a great occasion. Approach it with caution. You are standing in front of God and in the presence of the hosts of angels. The Holy Spirit is about to impress his seal on each of your souls. You are about to be pressed into the service of a great king. And so prepare yourselves to receive the sacrament. The gleaming white garments you are about to put on are not the preparation I am speaking of, but rather the devotion of a clean conscience.

Saint Cyril of Jerusalem


Friday, March 16, 2018

Saint Quote of the Day: Saint Patrick of Ireland


Saint Patrick of Ireland Icon



I came to the Irish people to preach the Gospel and endure the taunts of unbelievers, putting up with reproaches about my earthly pilgrimage, suffering many persecutions, even bondage, and losing my birthright of freedom for the benefit of others. If I am worthy, I am ready also to give up my life, without hesitation and most willingly, for Christ’s name. I want to spend myself for that country, even in death, if the Lord should grant me this favor. It is among that people that I want to wait for the promise made by him, who assuredly never tells a lie. He makes this promise in the Gospel: “They shall come from the east and west and sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” This is our faith: believers are to come from the whole world.

Saint Patrick of Ireland from "The Confessions of Saint Patrick"



Saint Patrick of Ireland's patronage: Ireland; against snakes; against ophidiophobia; archdiocese of Boston, Massachusetts; diocese of Burlington, Vermont; engineers; excluded people; fear of snakes; diocese of Fort Worth, Texas; diocese of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; archdiocese of New York; Nigeria; diocese of Norwich, Connecticut; ophidiophobics; diocese of Portland, Maine; diocese of Sacramento, California; snake bites.



Thursday, March 15, 2018

Saint Quote of the Day: Saint John Vianney


Saint John Mary Vianney



God commands you to pray, but forbids you to worry.

Saint John Vianney



Saint John Vianney's patronage: Parish priests; Personal Apostolic Administration of Saint John Mary Vianney; Archdiocese of Dubuque; confessors; Archdiocese of Kansas City



Wednesday, March 14, 2018

Saint Quote of the Day: Saint Louise de Marillac


Saint Louise de Marillac portrait



I felt a great attraction for the holy humanity of Our Lord and I desired to honor and imitate it insofar as I was able in the person of the poor and of all my neighbors.

Saint Louise de Marillac



Saint Louise de Marillac's patronage: Disappointing children; widows; loss of parents; sick people; social workers; Vincentian Service Corps; people rejected by religious orders.



Tuesday, March 13, 2018

Saint Quote of the Day: Pope Saint Gregory the Great


Pope St. Gregory the Great



If we are, in fact, now occupied in good deeds, we should not attribute the strength with which we are doing them to ourselves. We must not count on ourselves, because even if we know what kind of person we are today, we do not know what we will be tomorrow. Nobody must rejoice in the security of their own good deeds. As long as we are still experiencing the uncertainties of this life, we do not know what end may follow…we must not trust in our own virtues.

Pope Saint Gregory the Great


Pope Saint Gregory the Great's patronage: Choir boys; educators; gout; masons; music; musicians; choirs; singers; stonecutters; teachers; popes; students; scholars; against plague; against gout; against fever; England; West Indies.



Monday, March 12, 2018

Saint Quote of the Day: Saint John Chrysostom


Saint John Chrysostom



Reflect then how great an evil it is for us, who ought to live so purely as not even to need written words, but to yield up our hearts, as books, to the Spirit; now that we have lost that honor, and are come to have need of these, to fail again in duly employing even this second remedy. For if it be a blame to stand in need of written words, and not to have brought down on ourselves the grace of the Spirit; consider how heavy the charge of not choosing to profit even after this assistance, but rather treating what is written with neglect, as if it were cast forth without purpose, and at random, and so bringing down upon ourselves our punishment with increase.

Saint John Chrysostom from a homily on the Gospel of Matthew


Saint John Chrysostom's patronage: Constantinople; epilepsy; Istanbul, Turkey; lecturers; orators; preachers; speakers.



Sunday, March 11, 2018

Saint Quote of the Day: Saint Luigi Orione


Saint Luigi Orione



Without Prayer nothing good is done. God's works are done with our hands joined, and on our knees. Even when we run, we must remain spiritually kneeling before Him.

Saint Luigi Orione


Saint Luigi Orione's patronage: Sons of Divine Providence.



Saturday, March 10, 2018

Saint Quote of the Day: Saint Columbanus


Saint Columbanus


If you are thirsty, drink from the fountain of life; if you are hungry, eat the bread of life. Blessed are they who hunger for that bread and thirst for that fountain; they eat and drink forever and still they desire to eat and drink. For it is lovely above all things, that which is always eaten and drunk, always hungered and thirsted for. Thus David, king and prophet, was moved to say: taste and see that the Lord is good.

Saint Columbanus


Saint Columbanus’ patronage: Motorcyclists; against floods.



Friday, March 9, 2018

Saint Quote of the Day: Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina


Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina


A thousand years of enjoying human glory is not worth even an hour spent sweetly communing with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina


Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina's patronage: Pietrelcina, Italy; civil defense volunteers; adolescents; stress relief; January blues; Italy; Malta.



Thursday, March 8, 2018

Saint Quote of the Day: Saint Catherine of Bologna


Saint Catherine of Bologna



Sometimes the devil inspires souls with an inordinate zeal for a certain virtue or some special pious exercise, so that they will be motivated by their passion to practice it more and more. This temptation is more to pride rather than virtue....Sometimes, on the other hand, the devil coaches souls to do less than they can really do. This temptation is more to false humility...In both cases, the devil's goal is to make the soul discouraged when the virtue is found to be unattainable; and to be wearied and disgusted if his efforts are below his abilities. The soul ends up neglecting everything. It is necessary to overcome the one snare as the other.

Saint Catherine of Bologna


Saint Catherine of Bologna's patronage: Bologna; Against temptations; Artists; Liberal arts.