All Hallow’s Eve

by popadmin | Oct 26, 2021 | CIC Saint Writeups

In England, saints or holy people are called “hallowed” (deriving from the Old English word meaning holy or sanctified). Hence the name “All Hallows’ Day” for the Feast of All Saints. The evening before the feast became popularly known as “All Hallows’ Eve” or even shorter, “Hallowe’en”.

Many recipes and traditions have come down for this evening, such as pancakes, boxty bread, barmbrack (Irish fruit bread), colcannon (cabbage and boiled potatoes). This was also known as “Nutcrack Night” in England, where family gathered around the hearth to enjoy cider, nuts, and apples. “Soul cakes” are another traditional food. People would go begging for a “soul cake” and in exchange would promise to pray for the donor’s departed friends and family: an early version of today’s “Trick or Treat.”

Catholic Halloween Facts…..Did you know???

• The true substance of Halloween belongs to the Catholic Church.
• Halloween is a derivative of All Hallow’s Eve. It is the vigil of All Saints (All Hallows) Day. All Saints Day is a Holy Day of Obligation, and thus a major feast on the Church’s liturgical calendar.
• Halloween is indeed connected with All Saints Day (Nov. 1) and All Souls Day (Nov. 2). These three days together are the “Days of the Dead,” a triduum of feasts also called Allhallowtide, Hallowtide, or Hallowmas (“Hallow” means to honor as holy).
• Halloween is, therefore, the first day of Allhallowtide, the time of year when the living (i.e. the Church Militant) honor all the dead in Christ: the saints in heaven (i.e. the Church Triumphant) as well as all the holy souls detained in purgatory on their way to heaven (i.e. the Church Suffering). It is a beautiful celebration of the Communion of Saints!
• Catholics historically believed that on these “Days of the Dead,” the veil between heaven, hell, and purgatory is the thinnest.
• Halloween begins the celebration of these Christian holy days to remind the Faithful of the reality of heaven and hell; the saints and the damned; demons and angels; and the holy souls suffering in purgatory.
• In the year 844 A.D. Pope Gregory III transferred the Feast of All Saints (which particularly honors the unknown martyrs and “hidden” saints whom we do not know by name) from its former day of May 13th to November 1st to coincide with the foundation of a chapel in St. Peter’s Basilica which he dedicated to all the saints in heaven. His successor, Pope Gregory IV, extended the feast of the dedication to the universal Church.
• In medieval times, churches often displayed the bones and relics of their saints on Halloween (i.e. the vigil of All Saints Day) for public veneration.
• Halloween is a Catholic holiday and does not have origins in paganism, Samhain, Celtic/Druidic festivals, the occult, or Satanism. This common misconception is modern anti-Catholic propaganda, with roots going back to the Protestant Reformation, and has no basis in historical fact.
• To avoid superstition and negative evil influences, Halloween should notbe honored or celebrated apart from Catholic truth. (In the same way, we should keep the birth of Christ at the center of Christmas, and the Resurrection of Christ at the center of Easter).
• Halloween is a day to reflect on Christ’s triumph over sin, death, and Satan; to meditate on our own mortality and duties to God; to shun sin and the devil; to give honor to the saints in heaven; and to pray for the souls of the faithful departed in purgatory. And, of course, to have fun with joyful feasting and merriment.

(Sourced/Cited from theCatholicCompany.com)

1 November: Solemnity of All Saints

by popadmin | Oct 26, 2021 | CIC Saint Writeups

1 November: Solemnity of All Saints. Today, the Church celebrates ALL the saints, canonized or beatified, plus the multitude in heaven enjoying the beatific vision that are only known to God. This history of this feast goes back to when the Church of Antioch kept a commemoration of all holy martyrs on the first Sunday after Pentecost. Saint John Chrysostom delivered annual sermons on this day entitled “Praise of All the Holy Martyrs of the Entire World.” In the centuries that followed, the feast spread through the Eastern Church and, by the 7th century, was as a widespread public holyday. In the West, the Feast of “All Holy Martyrs” was introduced when Pope Boniface IV was given the ancient Roman temple of the Pantheon and dedicated it as a church to the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the martyrs. The dedication date was May 13, and on this date the feast was then annually held in Rome. 200 years later, Pope Gregory IV transferred the celebration to November 1, mainly so that the many pilgrims who came to Rome for the “Feast of the Pantheon” could be fed more easily after the harvest than in the spring. Meanwhile, the practice had spread of including in this memorial not only all martyrs but all the other saints as well. Finally, Pope Sixtus IV established it as a holyday of obligation for the entire Latin Church, giving it a liturgical vigil and octave. The purpose of the feast is twofold. As the prayer of the Mass states, “the merits of all the saints are venerated in common by this one celebration,” because a very large number of martyrs and other saints could not be accorded the honor of a special festival since the days of the year would not suffice for all these individual celebrations. The second purpose was given by Pope Urban IV: Any negligence, omission, and irreverence committed in the celebration of the saints’ feasts throughout the year is to be atoned for by the faithful, and thus due honor may still be offered to these saints. This Feast of All Saints should inspire us with tremendous hope. As followers of Christ, we all have this universal call to holiness. “DO NOT BE AFRAID TO BE SAINTS. Follow Jesus Christ who is the source of freedom and light. Be open to the Lord so that He may lighten all your ways.” – Pope St. John Paul II

Ideas for celebrating this Solemnity at home:

• Visiting a cemetery and praying for the dead during the Octave of All Saints’ (November 1-8) will gain a plenary indulgence that can be applied only to souls in Purgatory. Click here for requirements. Tomorrow is the Feast of All Souls: set up pictures of deceased loved ones on your home altar and pray for them. You can see how to do that here.
• Have a special meal and if you have young children, have them dress up like saints. Costume ideas at this link! Decorate your table with candles, holy cards, medals, and saint statues.
• Make (or buy!) donuts: a donut has a holein the middle of an eternal circle that could remind us of our call to holiness. They also look like little “halos” – a perfect feast day treat!
• Enjoy saint-themed snacks today: tons of ideas here at Catholic Icing.
• Craft idea: make a paper doll chain of saints!
• Make All Saints’ Day symbolic goody bagsto hand out to friends, family, neighbors: Click Here for a recipe for symbolic Saint ‘trail mix’ and labels that explain each edible Saint symbol.
• Make a home altar: click here for ideas.
• Read a saint’s story- or two! Stories of the Saints is a beautiful book to read with children. Click here for more recommendations. Or, watch a movie about the life of a saint. Many are available for free on FORMED using your parishioner account!
• Pray the Litany of the Saints— you could make it really special by chanting it and you could read an explanation of this litany, which is considered the model of all other litanies.
• Go to mass on this Holy Day of Obligation and say a rosary together as a family

30 October: Feast of Saint Alphonsus Rodriguez

by popadmin | Oct 24, 2021 | CIC Saint Writeups

30 October: Feast of Saint Alphonsus Rodriguez. Born in Spain in 1531, he was the third of eleven children. He began studies to be a Jesuit at an early age, but his father died and Alphonsus was obligated to take over the family business. He accepted this lot and in 1557 married a virtuous wife; they had three children. Within five years, his wife, two children and mother had all died. The business was also going poorly. Alphonsus sold the business and moved to his sister’s home. It was there that he learned the art of prayer and meditation in the midst of tragedy and failure. After the sad death of his last son, Alphonsus, almost 40 years old, sought to enter the Society of Jesus. They refused: he lacked a good education; was too old to start studying the priesthood; and was too weak to do a brother’s work. He tried again. Finally, they admitted him, remarking they were receiving him for his holiness. Alphonsus was appointed door-keeper of the Jesuit college at Majorca. For forty years, he remained at the same post. It was patient, humble work. Alphonsus’ holiness attracted many to seek him out. He always greeted everyone as if they were Christ. Alphonsus not only held the door key, he also had the key that helped others unlock their inner life: he understood the art of spiritual conversation. Alphonsus faced many personal battles against failure, loss, disease and temptation. He learned not to focus on himself but to see failure as a grace. He humbled himself and let failure shape him, handing himself over to the Lord in the simple service of others. He had a great horror of sin – he asked God to let him bear the torments of hell here below, rather than fall into a single mortal sin. He lived a life of severe penances. Demons would not leave this holy man alone. Twice he was thrown down a cement staircase. He was afflicted with many illnesses. When he was 60 years old, he was ordered to sleep in a bed (up until this, he slept only a few hours on a table or chair). He was told to write the story of his life, which he began with hesitation in 1604. He was misunderstood by a new Superior, but he found only joy and consolation in the public reproaches he received. He wrote in his book of maxims: “In the difficulties which are placed before me, why should I not act like a donkey? When one speaks ill of him — the donkey says nothing. When he is mistreated — he says nothing. When he is forgotten — he says nothing. When no food is given him — he says nothing. When he is made to advance — he says nothing. When he is despised — he says nothing. When he is overburdened — he says nothing… The true servant of God must do likewise, and say with David: Before You I have become like a beast of burden.”  At the end of his life, Alphonsus lost even his memory and could only say, “Jesus, Mary.” On October 31, 1617, surrounded by his Jesuit brothers, Alphonsus died. He was already known and loved as a Saint by the population. In 1825 he was beatified, and was canonized in 1888 by Pope Leo XIII. He is the patron saint of Jesuit lay brothers.

Ideas for celebrating this feast day at home:

• Read Saint Alphonsus Rodriguez by Fr. John Hardon and 10 Things to knowabout St. Alphonsus
• Alphonsus wrote some excellent books on the spiritual life called the Practice of Perfection and Christian Virtuesin 3 Volumes. The set is available from the Carmelite Sisters.
• Striving for the humility of St. Alphonsus, put this verse somewhere visible as a daily reminder: “I will boast all the more gladly of my weakness, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me” (2 Cor 12:9)
• Feast day meal: a Spanish supper! Click here for several ideas; perhaps most fitting for this saint’s day would be Sopa de Lentejas (“Spanish lentil soup”) served with crusty bread.

(sources: Biography of Saint Alphonsus Rodriguez, by Abbé L. Tabourier; catholicculture.org; jcapsj.org)

22 October: Feast of Pope Saint John Paul II

by popadmin | Oct 19, 2021 | CIC Saint Writeups

22 October: Feast of Pope Saint John Paul II. Also known as Saint John Paul the Great, he was born Karol Jozef Wojtyla in Wadowice, Poland on May 18, 1920. His early life was marked by loss. His sister, brother and mother all died before he was 12. Growing under loving guidance of his father, he was a vibrant youth, athletic and studious. He attended Jagiellonian University, performed in local theatrical productions and co-founded the Rhapsodic Theater of Kraków. He was introduced to the mysticism of St. John of the Cross and felt called to the priesthood. His plans were interrupted when Nazis invaded Poland in 1939. To avoid deportation, Karol worked in a stone quarry and a chemical plant. He then joined a clandestine seminary and was ordained priest in 1946. He pastored a parish in Niegowic, where he began to work with young people; taking them on many camping and hiking trips. After teaching at University, he was named auxiliary bishop of Kraków in 1958 – the youngest in Poland’s history. Bishop Wojtyla made significant contributions in the Second Vatican Council. He was soon elevated to the College of Cardinals. Cardinal Wojtyła was elected Pope on October 16, 1978, and took the name John Paul II. He would have one of the longest pontificates in history, nearly 27 years. His motto was “Totus Tuus – I am totally yours.” His papacy was an embodiment of that motto. John Paul II was a vigorous missionary: he took 104 trips to 129 different countries. He loved young people and established World Youth Day. He established the World Meeting of Families and the Pontifical Institute for Marriage and Family. He aided in the gradual removal of Communism from Eastern Europe and encouraged healing between Jews, Muslims and other religions. In 1981, he was the victim of an attempted assassination. Shocking the world, he showed only love and forgiveness when he visited his attacker in prison. JP II continued his missionary work, meeting with more than 17,600,000 pilgrims during General Audiences and countless millions more in visits around the world. John Paul II’s doctrinal legacy is vast. He was a prolific writer: authoring 14 encyclicals, 15 apostolic exhortations, 11 apostolic constitutions, 45 apostolic letters, and 5 books. With emphasis on the universal call to holiness, he beatified 1,338 and canonized 482, more than all popes in the last 500 years combined. Suffering from debilitating Parkinson’s disease, Pope JP II breathed his last on April 2, 2005, the vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday, which he had instituted. His final words were “Let me go to my Father’s house.” On April 28, 2005, Pope Benedict XVI announced that the normal waiting period before beginning the cause of beatification would be waived for JP II. He was beautified in 2011 by Pope Benedict XVI and canonized by Pope Francis in 2014.    “Do not be afraid! Open wide the doors for Christ!” — Pope St. John Paul II

Ideas for celebrating this feast day at home:

• FORMED has lots on JP II for children and adults! Click here.
• Feast day meal should be Polish: stuffed cabbage rolls, kielbasa and sauerkraut, Polish pierogis, OR, eat fish! JP II was an avid outdoorsman who loved to fish!
• Bake a “Pope Cake” (aka “Papal Cream Cake”): it was JPII’s favorite dessert. Recipe here.
• Decorate your table with white candles for the papacy and white roses. (Did you know there is a Pope JP II rose? It is a fragrant, pure white hybrid tea rose!)
• Read JPII’s writings here and watch the Ignatius Press movie Pope John Paul II
• Watch The Jeweler’s Shop:years before he was pope, Karol Wojtyla wrote a play on marriage. It is available as a book and a movie.
• Get outside! JP II is well-known for his love of the outdoors. In his honor, take a walk or hike, garden, go fishing, or play with your children outdoors.
• Pray the Rosary:JP II encouraged devotion to Mary. In fact, he added a set of mysteries – the Luminous mysteries, or “mysteries of light” – to the Rosary in 2002. He describes them in his apostolic letter, Rosarium Virginis Mariae
• Listen to this beautiful recording of Saint John Paul II singing the “Ave Maria” in 1976.

15 October: Feast of Saint Teresa of Jesus

by popadmin | Oct 10, 2021 | CIC Saint Writeups

15 October: Feast of Saint Teresa of Jesus. Also known as St. Teresa of Avila, she was born in the Spanish city of Avila in 1515. Her father was an ardent Catholic, with a collection of spiritual books of the type his daughter would later compose herself. As a child, Teresa felt captivated by the vision of God granted to the saints in heaven. She and her brother once ran away from home for the sake of dying as martyrs in a Muslim country, though a relative found them and promptly sent them back home. When Teresa was 14, her mother died, causing profound grief and prompting Teresa to embrace the Virgin Mary as her spiritual mother. After this, she struggled with a loss of her childhood zeal for God. Her father sent her to be educated in a convent of Augustinian nuns. Illness forced her to leave the convent. But the influence of a devout uncle, along with reading St. Jerome’s writings, convinced Teresa to then join the Carmelite Order at age 20. She again became seriously ill. She had severe pain and physical paralysis for two years, and afterwards remained in a painful debilitated state. For the next 20 years, she was an obedient Carmelite but struggled with physical pain and spiritual dryness. When she was nearly 40, Teresa was dramatically called to contemplative prayer. She experienced profound changes in her soul and received visions from God. During prayer, Teresa heard God speak and often became totally enraptured and even levitated. These graces reached a climax when her heart received a “transverberation” (piercing) – a mystical grace where a saint’s heart is pierced with a “dart of love” by an angel. Teresa played a significant role in the renewal of the Church that followed the Council of Trent. She proposed a return of the Carmelites to their original rule of life, a simple and austere form of monasticism (founded on silence and solitude) believed to date back to the prophet Elijah. Together with Saint John of the Cross, she founded the Order of Discalced Carmelites – “discalced,” meaning barefoot. She went on to found 30 monasteries. In 1582, Teresa’s health failed her for the last time and she died on October 15th. She was canonized in 1622. In 1970, Pope St. Paul VI proclaimed St. Teresa the first woman Doctor of the Church. She is called doctrix mystica, doctor of mystical theology. {Nine months after Teresa died, her body was exhumed and found incorrupt. Later, her heart was removed, enclosed in a crystal vessel and placed in a silver reliquary. While this was being done they beheld a glorious sight: a visible wound from the angel’s dart! It can still be seen today at the Carmelite Monastery of Alba de Tormes in Spain. Miraculously, her heart has kept its color and three sharp thorns in the heart are still visible today.}

“Let nothing affright thee, Nothing dismay thee. All is passing, God ever remains. Patience obtains all. Whoever possesses God Cannot lack anything. God alone suffices.” –St. Teresa of Avila

Ideas for celebrating this feast day at home:

• FORMED has several books and videos about St. Teresa of Avila: click here.
• Feast day food: make a Spanish recipe, such as Paella, Gazpacho, or Spanish omelet. Also, make Teresa’s Bread and St. Teresa’s Egg Yolks (Called yemas, candied egg yolks are a popular dessert in Avila.)
• Bake Carmel Apple Cookies: feasts of Teresa of Avila and Therese of Lisieux, Carmelite nuns, are in October (apple season). This cookie combines the seasonal harvest with caramel — a play on words with “Carmel”
• Read the Autobiography of St. Teresa. Her other books Interior Castleand Way of Perfection are more difficult and lofty to read, but are spiritual classics.
• For kids – Learn about “Who is St. Teresa of Avila?” using this activity from Loyola Press
• Read what Pope Benedict XVI writes about Saint Teresa of Avila, here.
• Study S Teresa’s Teaching on the Grades of Prayer and Read Demons According to St. Teresa and St. John of the Cross by Fr. Antonio Moreno.
• Pray the Litany of Saint Teresa of Jesus, The Glory of Spain

7 October: Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary

by popadmin | Oct 3, 2021 | CIC Saint Writeups

7 October: Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. Known for centuries as the Feast of “Our Lady of Victory,” this day takes place in honor of a naval victory which secured European Christendom against Turkish invasion in 1571. Pope St. Pius V attributed the victory at Lepanto — one of the most decisive in all of naval history according to historians — to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary through a campaign to pray the Rosary. The Muslim Ottoman Empire had been expanding into Europe for 900 years. By 1453, they took over Christian lands in the Byzantine Empire, and continued into the Mediterranean, threatening Rome.  Pope Pius V called for prayer and action. He pleaded with every man, woman, and child to pray the Rosary. He also put together the Holy League: a coalition of Catholic powers which included Genoa, Spain, and the Papal States. Its fleets sailed to confront the Turks near the west coast of Greece on October 7, 1571. They were vastly outnumbered. The Pope, Christians throughout Europe, and crew members armed themselves with the Rosary in preparation for battle. Mass was said on all 200 ships. People prayed from dawn to dusk. Christians in Europe, encouraged by the Pope, gathered to invoke the Virgin Mary against the daunting Turkish forces. They kept churches open day and night so everyone could pray and ask for Mary’s help. The wind was against the Christians and the heavy iron rams (which ordinarily were used to ram and sink enemies) had been removed because over 18,000 Christian slaves were oarsmen in the galleys. The Holy Alliance chose to handicap themselves rather than sacrifice the slaves. As the battle commenced, everyone prayed. Some accounts say that Pope Pius V was granted a miraculous vision of the Holy League’s stunning victory at 4pm that day. The Pope understood the significance of the day’s events, when he was eventually informed that all but 13 of the nearly 300 Turkish ships had been captured or sunk. The victory was decisive and crushing. It marked a turning point in the history of Christianity and of Europe. Pope Pius V dedicated the day as one of thanksgiving to Our Lady of Victory. Pope Gregory XIII later changed the name to the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.

“It has always been the habit of Catholics in danger and in troublous times to fly for refuge to Mary. This devotion, so great and so confident, to the august Queen of Heaven, has never shone forth with such brilliancy as when the militant Church of God has seemed to be endangered by the violence of heresy … or by an intolerable moral corruption, or by the attacks of powerful enemies.”  – Pope Leo XIII

Ideas for celebrating this feast day at home:

• Our Lady at Fatima said: “I am the Lady of the Rosary. Continue always to pray the Rosary every day.” Today, Pray the Rosary with your family. Keep it up throughout October, the month dedicated to the Rosary.
• Learn and memorize prayers to Mary, such as: Litany of Loreto, the Memorare, and Hail Holy Queen.
• Pope Leo XIII was devoted to Our Lady of the Rosary, producing 11 encyclicals on the subject of this feast and its importance. Read his and other papal encyclicals on the rosary at this link.
• Craft idea: Learn to make a rosary at home! Ideas here and here and here.
• Feast day treat: Since the origin of this feast came from the Christian fleet defeating the Turks at sea, why not make a cake in the shape of a ship? Look at this Pirate Ship Cake for ideas. Decorate your table in blue, in honor of the Blessed Mother. Another idea: Make a cupcake rosary (a “rosary” made out of cupcakes, mini cupcakes, or cookies). Idea here.
• Pius V was a holy Dominican, who wore his scratchy habit underneath his papal robes, and walked around Rome barefoot. He ate just to sustain himself, and fasted often. Follow his example and fast and pray the Rosary for the conversion of sinners and end to religious persecution around the world.