by popadmin | Feb 4, 2021 | CIC Saint Writeups
8 February: Feast of Saint Bakhita. Saint Josephine Margaret Bakhita was born around 1869 in Sudan. She was one of the Daju people; her uncle was a tribal chief. At age 7 or 8, Josephine was kidnapped by Arab slave traders. She was forced to walk barefoot over 600 miles to a slave market. For the next 12 years she would be bought, sold and beaten. She spent so much time in captivity that she forgot her name. The slavers called her “Bakhita” which is Arabic for “fortunate”. Her first owner beat her so severely she was incapacitated for a month (because of accidentally breaking a vase). She was sold to a Turkish general whose wife and mother-in-law beat her daily. As soon as one wound would heal, they would inflict another. The wife ordered her to be scarred. They drew patterns on Bakhita’s skin with flour, then cut into her flesh with a blade. Bakhita’s wounds were rubbed with salt to make the 114 scars permanent. In 1883, Bakhita was sold to the Italian Vice Consul; he was a kind master and took her to Italy. She was then given to another family as a nanny. When traveling, the family placed her in the custody of the Canossian Sisters in Venice. While Bakhita was with the sisters, she learned about God. She was deeply moved and discerned a call to follow Christ. When her mistress returned, Josephine refused to leave the Sisters. The Mother Superior went to Italian authorities on Josephine’s behalf. The case went to court, and the court found that slavery had been outlawed in Sudan before her birth, so she could not be lawfully made slave. Josephine was declared free and stayed with the Sisters. She received the sacraments of baptism, Holy Communion and confirmation in 1890. The Archbishop who administered the sacraments was Giusseppe Sarto, who later became Pope Pius X. Josephine took her final vows with the Canossian Order in 1896. She worked as cook and doorkeeper at the convent. She was known for her gentle voice, smile, and forgiveness. She said: “If I were to meet those who kidnapped me, or even those who tortured me, I would kneel down and kiss their hands. Because, if those things had not happened, I would not have been a Christian.” In her later years, Bakhita suffered illness and was forced to use a wheelchair. She always remained cheerful. If anyone asked how she was, she would reply, “As the master desires.” On February 8, 1947, Josephine spoke her last words, “Our Lady, Our Lady!” In 1978, Pope John Paul II declared her venerable; he beautified her in 1992; and canonized her in 2000. Saint Josephine Bakhita is the patron saint of Sudan and of victims of slavery and human trafficking.
Ideas for celebrating in your home:
- The Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace designated February 8 as an annual day of prayer against human trafficking. Pray for an end to this evil!
- For dinner, make an African-inspired meal: African peanut chicken, roasted cinnamon squash, and Sudani rice. Click here for recipes. For dessert, baked flan is a tasty traditional treat. Try this recipe, or simply use a box mix. Enjoy a cup of cinnamon infused tea.
- A traditional Sudanese meal would be eaten on pillows around a low table (like a coffee table!). The main course is usually eaten with flat bread. No utensils are offered as the entree should be sopped up with the bread.
- An fun snack idea is orange slices for sun, moon-shaped apple slices, and star cheese cutouts in reference to this quote: “Seeing the sun, the moon and the stars, the beauties of nature, I asked myself, ‘Who is the owner of all these beautiful things?’ and I felt a great desire to see him, to know him and to pay him homage.” – St. Josephine Bakhita
- Use your parishioner FORMED subscription to watch the movie “Bakhita: From Slave to Saint” Link here. (Note: caution when watching with children; it does show Bakhita’s abuse)
- Read a book on the life of this amazing saint: Bakhita, From Slave to Saint by Robert Zanini. Saint Bakhita of Sudan by Susan Wallace is a good version for kids.
(sources: catholic.org; usccb.org; catholiccuisine.blogspot.com)
by popadmin | Jan 31, 2021 | CIC Saint Writeups
3 February: Feast of Saint Blaise. Saint Blaise was an early-fourth-century physician from Armenia. He was also the bishop of Sebastea. Most stories of his life were written 400 years after his martyrdom in the Acts of St. Blaise. Blaise was known to be a good bishop, working hard to encourage the spiritual and physical health of his people. He fulfilled his duties from a humble hermitage in a cave. He was known for many miraculous cures. Stories say that Blaise even healed injured wild animals who would show up at his cave seeking help. In the year 316, the governor arrested Blaise for being a Christian. While being escorted to prison, a distraught woman ran up to Blaise. She was carrying her young son who was choking on a fishbone. She laid the boy at the bishop’s feet. The boy was immediately healed. Another tale tells of a woman whose pig had been carried off by a wolf. The woman begged Blaise to help her. He promised that her request would be granted. Shortly afterwards, the wolf appeared at the woman’s door depositing the uninjured pig at her feet. Despite the miracles, the governor insisted that Blaise renounce his faith and sacrifice to pagan idols. The first time Blaise refused, he was beaten. The next time he was put on a stone table used for combing out wool and his flesh was flayed with the prickly metal combs that are used to remove tiny stones from wool. Finally, Blaise was beheaded. Saint Blaise is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers (popular saints of the Middle Ages). Saint Blaise’s intercession is now invoked against choking and other ailments of the throat. He is the patron saint of throat illnesses, animals, wool combers, and wool trading.
The traditional Catholic practice for this feast day is the blessing of throats. The priest uses two of the newly blessed candles from the Feast of Candlemas (Candlemas, which occurs 40 days after Christmas on February 2nd, celebrates the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple. When holy Simeon saw the baby, he said: “For my eyes have seen your salvation which you prepared in sight of all the peoples, a LIGHT for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.” From these words comes the traditional Catholic practice of the blessing of candles.). The two candles are tied together in the middle to form a cross. The priest holds the candles over the throat of each person and prays the blessing: Through the intercession of Saint Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you from all ailments of the throat and from every other illness: in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. If you are not able to attend Mass and receive this blessing, it may be done at home by the head of the household.
Ideas for celebrating in your home:
- According to a Milanese tradition, eating panettone first thing on February 3 will safeguard the throat against illness. Here is a recipe for Panettone French Toast.
- Fish should definitely be on tonight’s dinner menu in honor of Saint Blaise. If you’re feeling ambitious, try making a whole fish. Here is a recipe for fried whole tilapia fish.
- Saint Blaise bread sticks: In Europe, there is a tradition of giving blessed bread to others on the feast of St. Blaise. Homemade or store-bough dough is shaped into breadsticks (that look like a bishop’s staff) called St. Blaise Sticks or Pan bendito. Serve these with your fish dinner. Idea here.
- Make Saint Blaise cookies for dessert (this is a fun edible craft activity for kids!)
- Be sure to light candles on your table today; preferably ones that were blessed on Candlemas!
- Another way to remember Saint Blaise and his gift for healing: use this day to restock the medicine cabinet and pantry with health essentials/remedies like bone broth, elderberry syrup, Vitamin C, and homemade soup.
- Have a bonfire tonight: in England, bonfires are lit as part of Blaise’s feast day celebration – probably inspired by the sound of the English word blaze.
(sources: catholic.org; saintsfeastfamily.com; catholicallyear.com; catholiccuisine.blogspot.com; catholicculture.org)
by popadmin | Jan 22, 2021 | CIC Saint Writeups
27 January: Saint Angela Merici. Born in 1474 in northern Italy, Angela Merici dedicated herself to God early in life. Her parents died when she was only ten years old. She and her elder sister went to live with an uncle. When her sister also tragically died, without being able to receive the last sacraments, Angela was inconsolable. She joined the Third Order of St. Frances and increased her prayers and mortifications for the repose of her sister’s soul. She asked God to reveal to her the condition of her deceased sister. It is said that by a vision she was shown that her sister was in the company of the saints in heaven. When Angela was twenty years old, her uncle died, and she returned to her paternal hometown. Convinced that the great need of her times was a better Christian instruction of young girls, she converted her home into a school where she daily gathered little girls and taught them the Faith. The school she had first established soon bore abundant fruit, and she was invited to the neighboring city, Brescia, to establish a similar school at that place. Angela gladly accepted. In 1524, while making a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, she became suddenly blind while on the island of Crete, but continued her journey to the Holy Places and was cured on her return while praying before a crucifix. One day, Angela had a vision that revealed she was to establish an association of virgins who were to devote their lives to the religious training of young girls. In November of 1535, Angela and 28 young women formed the Order of Ursulines in honor of St. Ursula in a small house near the Church of St. Afra in Brescia. Angela and her companions consecrated themselves to God by a vow of virginity. Angela drew up the rules in 1536, which provided for the Christian education of girls in order to restore the family and, through the family, the whole of Christian society. She was unanimously elected superior of the company in 1537. Before her death she dictated her spiritual testament and her counsels to her nuns; they insist on interest in the individual, gentleness, and persuasion over force. Angela died in 1540 at Brescia and was buried in the ancient church of Saint Afra (now Saint Angela’s sanctuary), where she still rests. Her body was discovered to be incorrupt in 1930. After Angela’s death, the Company of Saint Ursula spread rapidly. In 1580, Charles Borromeo, Bishop of Milan, encouraged the foundation of Ursuline houses in all the dioceses of Northern Italy. Charles also encouraged the Ursulines to live together in community rather than in their own homes. Ursuline communities were established in France, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Switzerland, Canada and the United States. Today, thousands of Ursuline Sisters work to spread the Faith on six continents. The Ursuline order is the oldest religious order of women in the Roman Catholic Church dedicated to the education of girls. Saint Angela Merici was beatified in 1768 by Pope Clement XIII and canonized in 1807 by Pope Pius VII.
St. Angela Merici is the patron saint of: loss of parents, bodily ills or sickness, disabled people and handicapped people.
Ideas for celebrating in your home:
- Verona, Italy, where St. Angela was born, is known for its plentiful fresh fish. For St. Angela’s feast day dinner, here is a recipe for Salmon Primavera with Lemon Butter Sauce. Every feast day deserves a delicious dessert! Purchase or bake an Italian-inspired one for tonight (tiramisu, gelato, cannoli, panna cotta, mascarpone cheesecake, etc!)
- Decorate with lilies, a symbol of purity, in honor of this virgin-saint. Lily craft idea here.
- Enjoy some Caffe Verona or other good Italian coffee with biscotti for breakfast!
- Pray the litany of St. Angela Merici: link here.
by popadmin | Jan 17, 2021 | CIC Saint Writeups
20 January: Feast of Saint Sebastian. Born into a noble family in Gaul (present-day France), Sebastian was educated in Milan. He was an undercover Christian most of his life. He joined the Roman Imperial army to keep his cover as a typical noble pagan so that he could minister to persecuted Christians. He moved quickly through the ranks of the army. Known for his valor, determination and strength, he soon became an officer and then the dearest soldier of the Roman Emperor Diocletian. Sebastian spent much of his time converting fellow soldiers, as well as prisoners, to Christianity. During the period of prosecution of Christians, he is believed to have visited a soldier’s wife in prison and cured her of her illness by drawing the sign of the cross on her forehead. He was known to be a gifted healer. Sebastian was discovered to be a Christian when he converted the Roman governor, Chromatius, to Christianity. Upon his conversion Chromatius resigned from his post and freed sixteen fellow converts from prison. Because of this, the Emperor Diocletian came to the conclusion that Sebastian was a Christian and ordered him to be tied to a stake in a field and shot to death by arrows. Archers riddled his body with arrows. His body was described as “full of arrows as an urchin.” Believed to be dead, the archers left his body for burial. He was recovered by Saint Irene of Rome, whose Christian husband was a servant to Diocletian and also martyred. Irene discovered that Sebastian was still alive and she hid him and nursed him back to health. As soon as his strength returned, Sebastian went off to confront Diocletian. He found the emperor on the steps of the imperial palace. Furious that Sebastian was still alive, Diocletian demanded of his entourage, “Did I not sentence this man to be shot to death with arrows?” But Sebastian responded “the Lord kept me alive so I could return and rebuke you for treating the servants of Christ so cruelly.” This time, the emperor took no chances. He ordered his guard to use clubs to brutally beat Sebastian to death, right there on the palace steps, while he watched. Once he was certain that Sebastian was truly dead, Diocletian had the martyr’s body dumped into the Cloaca Maxima, Rome’s main sewer. Christians recovered his body and secretly buried Sebastian in a catacomb known ever since as San Sebastiano. Nearly 80 years after his death, his remains were moved and one of the seven principal churches of Rome was built over his relics and burial site. Saint Sebastian is the patron of archers, athletes, and dying people.
Saint Sebastian is also invoked as a patron against plagues. Once, a plague was afflicting the Lombards. When they built an altar to Saint Sebastian in the Church, the plague ended.
Saint Sebastian, incredible healer, evangelist, and model Christian, Pray for Us!
Ideas for celebrating in your home:
Or, try this Sicilian recipe for Gaddina Catanisi – Catania-Style Chicken in honor of St. Sebastian. This would go well with Risotto Formaggi, a rice dish.
- For dessert, enjoying a red velvet cake is always a fitting way to remember a martyr. A red tablecloth, napkins, or candles also remind us of the liturgical color for martyrs.
- If you have an athlete in your family, teach them the athlete’s prayer to Saint Sebastian.
- Click here for a free St. Sebastian coloring page!
(sources: CatholicCompany.com and Catholic.org)
by popadmin | Jan 4, 2021 | CIC Saint Writeups
10 January: The Baptism of the Lord. Today, we celebrate the baptism of Christ in the Jordan by John the Baptist: a milestone event in the life of Jesus, in the Christmas story and in our Christian life. This feast day is usually celebrated on the Sunday after the Feast of the Epiphany. It brings to an end the liturgical season of Christmas. {Christmas is the feast of God’s self-revelation to the Jews, and Epiphany celebrates God’s self-revelation to the Gentiles.} At his Baptism, Christ reveals himself again, this time to repentant sinners. The Baptism of Jesus also marks the first public revelation of all Three Persons in the Holy Trinity, and the official revelation of Jesus as the Son of God to the world by God the Father. Jesus’s baptism is described in all four Gospels and it marks the beginning of his public ministry. “After Jesus was baptized, he came from the water and behold, the heavens were opened [for him], and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove [and] coming upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, saying, ‘This is my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased’ ” (Mt 3:16-17).
We know that Jesus, holy and sinless, did not need to be baptized. Yet he humbled himself and submitted to his Father’s will. Jesus’s baptism sanctified the waters and instituted the Sacrament of Baptism. Fr. Antony Kadavil explains: Neither John nor Jesus invented baptism. It had been practiced for centuries among the Jews as a ritual equivalent to our Confession. Until the fall of the Temple in 70 A.D., it was common for Jewish people to use a special pool called a Mikveh – literally a “collection of water” – as a means of spiritual cleansing. Men took this bath weekly on the eve of the Sabbath; women, monthly. Converts were also expected to take this bath before entering Judaism. The Orthodox Jews still retain the rite. John preached that such a bath was a necessary preparation for the cataclysm that would be wrought by the coming Messiah. Jesus transformed this continuing ritual into the one single, definitive act by which we begin our life of Faith. In effect, He fused His Divine Essence with the water and the ceremony. In this humble submission, we see a foreshadowing of the “baptism” of his bloody death upon the cross. Jesus’ baptism by John was the acceptance and the beginning of his mission as God’s suffering Servant. He allowed himself to be numbered among sinners. Jesus submitted himself entirely to his Father’s will. Out of love, He consented to His baptism of death for the remission of our sins.
‘Looking at the events in light of the Cross and Resurrection, the Christian people realised what happened: Jesus loaded the burden of all mankind’s guilt upon His shoulders; he bore it down into the depths of the Jordan. He inaugurated his public activity by stepping into the place of sinners’ (Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI), Jesus of Nazareth).
Ideas for celebrating in your home:
- The Christian symbol for Baptism is the shell, which you can easily turn into a dinner theme by making pasta shells. Here is a recipe for Nacho Stuffed Shells. Or, try making these Italian stuffed shells. Decorate the table with sea shells (children can color or craft some if you don’t have any real ones).
- Pull out your family’s Baptismal candles and light them at dinner. Tell children about the Baptism of Our Lord and their own special Baptismal days! (Share stories from family baptisms around the dinner table: Talk about who was there, how godparents were chosen, celebration afterwards, etc.)
- This is a wonderful day to renew our baptismal vows: click here for instructions.
- Start a family tradition of celebrating baptism anniversaries: Here are ideas!
Finally, if you have access to a pool, pond, river or stream: we dare you to take a winter plunge in celebration of Jesus’s baptism in the Jordan!
by popadmin | Jan 3, 2021 | CIC Saint Writeups
6 January: The Epiphany of the Lord. The Solemnity of the Epiphany is celebrated either on January 6 or on the Sunday between January 2 and 8. This feast day marks the twelfth day of Christmas and celebrates the young Messiah being revealed as the light of the nations. In the Latin Rite of the Church, Epiphany (comes from the Greek, meaning “revelation from above”) celebrates the revelation that Jesus is the Son of God. It focuses primarily on this revelation to the Magi; but also in the baptism in the Jordan and the wedding at Cana. The Early Church celebrated the advent of Christ by commemorating the Nativity, Visitation of the Magi, Baptism of Christ and the Wedding of Cana all in one feast of the Epiphany. At the Council of Tours in 567, the Church set Christmas day and Epiphany as separate feasts, and named the twelve days between them as the Christmas season. The traditions surrounding the Feast of the Epiphany point to the Magi, the first gentiles to meet Christ. The Bible does not list the names or the number of the wise men, but we do know they were intelligent, wealthy, and brave. The gifts they brought to the Christ-child (gold, frankincense and myrrh) were gifts that point not only to Christ’s divinity and his revelation to the Magi as the King of Kings, but also to his crucifixion. Giving herbs traditionally used for burial was a foreshadowing of what is to come.
There are many Epiphany traditions around the world. In Italy, La Befana brings sweets and presents to children not on Christmas, but on Epiphany. Children in many parts of Latin America, the Philippines, Portugal, and Spain also receive their presents on “Three Kings Day” (children leave shoes out on the eve of Epiphany to receive treats and money from the Kings, similar to St. Nick’s Day). In Ireland, Catholics celebrate “Women’s Christmas” – women rest from housework and cleaning and celebrate with a special meal. In Germany, groups of young people called Sternsinger (Star Singers) travel door to door dressed as the three Wiseman, with the leader carrying a star. Germans eat a golden pastry ring filled with orange and spice representing gold, frankincense and myrrh. They decorate Christmas trees with cookies and sweets that are to be enjoyed on Epiphany. In England, the night before Epiphany is known as Twelfth Night. It is a time for plays, practical jokes, Twelfth Night Cake, and wassailing. The Yule Log was lit on Christmas day and remained burning until Epiphany. For Christians, the symbolism of the Yule log is that it represented keeping the stable warm for baby Jesus. These days, log shaped chocolate cakes are often eaten in place of the Yule logs.
Ideas for celebrating in your home:
- It is traditional to celebrate Epiphany with a Kings Cake: a sweet cake that contains an object like a plastic figure, bean or nut. If you get the bean, you are King or Queen for the day! Recipe here.
- Nativity scene: the infant Jesus could be given a small gold crown or regal robe. The figures of the wise men should have reached the manger by now!
- It is traditional to bless your home on Epiphany using blessed chalk (given out at church). Over the door is inscribed: 20 + C + M + B + 21. The initials CMB stand for the names of the Wisemen or for “Christus Mansionem Benedicat” which means “May Christ bless this house”
- Put on a play: celebrate the three kings by asking children to act out the story of the Magi coming to visit the newborn king. Bedsheets and tablecloths make great robes and crowns can be homemade (tip: Burger King is happy to give out crowns to customers!). Children can carry the three gifts to the Christ-child in the manger: click here for how to make edible “gifts” that are symbolic of the gold, frankincense and myrrh. Be sure to sing “We Three Kings”!
- Visit the Catholic Icing website here for more Epiphany feast day ideas.
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