St. Jerome Emiliani

Here is quick read about St. Jerome Emiliani, whose feast day is this Wednesday, February 8. The source is catholic.org.

Jerome Emiliani lay chained in the dark dirty dungeon. Only a short time before he had been a military commander for Venice in charge of a fortress. He didn’t care much about God because he didn’t need him — he had his own strength and the strength of his soldiers and weapons. When Venice’s enemies, the League of Cambrai, captured the fortress, he was dragged off and imprisoned. There in the dungeon, Jerome decided to get rid of the chains that bound him. He let go of his worldly attachments and embraced God.

When he finally was able to escape, he hung his metal chains in the nearby church of Treviso – in gratitude not only for being freed from physical prison but from his spiritual dungeon as well.

 

Feast of St. Francis de Sales

The following is a short biography of St. Francis de Sales from www.edocere.org.

Born at Thorens, in the Duchy of Savoy, August 21, 1567; died at Lyons December 28, 1622. His father, François de Sales de Boisy, and his mother, Françoise de Sionnaz, belonged to old Savoyard aristocratic families. The future saint was the eldest of six brothers. His father intended him for the magistracy and sent him at an early age to the colleges of La Roche and Annecy.

From 1583 till 1588 he studied rhetoric and humanities at the college of Clermont, Paris, under the care of the Jesuits. While there he began a course of theology. After a terrible and prolonged temptation to despair, caused by the discussions of the theologians of the day on the question of predestination, from which he was suddenly freed as he knelt before a miraculous image of Our Lady at St. Etienne-des-Grès, he made a vow of chastity and consecrated himself to the Blessed Virgin Mary. In 1588 he studied law at Padua, where the Jesuit Father Possevin was his spiritual director. He received his diploma of doctorate from the famous Pancirola in 1592. Having been admitted as a lawyer before the senate of Chambéry, he was about to be appointed senator. His father had selected one of the noblest heiresses of Savoy to be the partner of his future life, but Francis declared his intention of embracing the ecclesiastical life. A sharp struggle ensued. His father would not consent to see his expectations thwarted. Then Claude de Granier, Bishop of Geneva, obtained for Francis, on his own initiative, the position of Provost of the Chapter of Geneva, a post in the patronage of the pope. It was the highest office in the diocese, M. de Boisy yielded and Francis received Holy Orders (1593).
From the time of the Reformation the seat of the Bishopric of Geneva had been fixed at Annecy. There with apostolic zeal, the new provost devoted himself to preaching, hearing confessions, and the other work of his ministry. In the following year (1594) he volunteered to evangelize Le Chablais, where the Genevans had imposed the Reformed Faith, and which had just been restored to the Duchy of Savoy. He made his headquarters in the fortress of Allinges. Risking his life, he journeyed through the entire district, preaching constantly; by dint of zeal, learning, kindness and holiness he at last obtained a hearing. He then settled in Thonon, the chief town. He confuted the preachers sent by Geneva to oppose him; he converted the syndic and several prominent Calvinists. At the request of the pope, Clement VIII, he went to Geneva to interview Theodore Beza, who was called the Patriarch of the Reformation. The latter received him kindly and seemed for a while shaken, but had not the courage to take the final steps. A large part of the inhabitants of Le Chablais returned to the true fold (1597 and 1598). Claude de Granier then chose Francis as his coadjutor, in spite of his refusal, and sent him to Rome (1599).

 

“He Who Trusts God Can Do All Things”

On August 1, we celebrate the feast day of one of the Doctors of the Church, St. Alphonsus Liguori.  Here is an entry about his life from Catholic.org.

St. Alphonsus Liguori: Bishop, Doctor of the Church, and the founder of the Redemptorist Congregation.  He was born Alphonsus Marie Antony John Cosmos Damien Michael Gaspard de Liguori on September 27,1696, at Marianella, near Naples, Italy.  Raised in a pious home, Alphonsus went on retreats with his father, Don Joseph, who was a naval officer and a captain of the Royal Galleys.  Alphonsus was the oldest of seven children, raised by a devout mother of Spanish descent.

 

Cardinal Zen and the Church in China

Here is a great article from Zenit on the state of the Catholic Church in China.  We must continue to pray that the Church in China, which has been in serious danger of dying, will survive through the grace of God.  Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!

 

Feast of St. Bonaventure

Today the Church celebrates the feast of St. Bonaventure.  Here is a short biography of him from Catholic Online:

St. Bonaventure, known as “the seraphic doctor,” was born at Bagnorea in Tuscany in 1221.  He received the name of Bonaventure in consequence of an exclamation of St. Francis of Assisi, when, in response to the pleading of the child’s mother, the saint prayed for John’s recovery from a dangerous illness, and, foreseeing the future greatness of the little John, cried out “O Buona ventura”-O good fortune!

 

“Speak the Truth in Love”

Here is a great mini-biography of St. Paul from Catholic Online.

“St. Paul, the indefatigable Apostle of the Gentiles, was converted from Judaism on the road to Damascus. He remained some days in Damascus after his Baptism, and then went to Arabia, possibly for a year or two to prepare himself for his future missionary activity. Having returned to Damascus, he stayed there for a time, preaching in the synagogues that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. For this he incurred the hatred of the Jews and had to flee from the city. He then went to Jerusalem to see Peter and pay his homage to the head of the Church.

 

The King’s Good Servant, But God’s First

Today (June 22), the Church celebrates the feast of one of its most famous martyrs, St. Thomas More.  Born to an English lawyer in a devout Catholic household in 1478, Thomas demonstrated his superior intellect from an early age.  After attending Oxford and Lincoln’s Inn as a law student, in 1501 he was admitted to the bar.  Within a few years, he had become a member of Parliament and and a close personal friend of Erasmus of Rotterdam, the famous scholar and theologian.  In 1516, Thomas finished the brilliant satire Utopia, his most famous literary work.  Despite his rising status in the eyes of the world, he was known by those close to him to practice rigorous acts of penance, fasting, and mortification.

 

The Holy Father on Sacred Music

Here is a really wonderful article from ZENIT about a recent interview with the Pope concerning his views on sacred music.  The one of the most beautiful things the Church has given to the world throughout the centuries is a plenitude of beautiful music, and the Pope’s commitment to keeping that rich tradition alive is very encouraging.  To read the full article from ZENIT.org, click the link above.

 

Pope John Paul II Statue Controversy

Hey guys!  Here is an interesting story about a new statue of Pope John Paul II in Rome.  Apparently, to some Italians, its face bears enough of a resemblance to Benito Mussolini that it has sparked a bit of controversy.  To read the full story from the Associated Press, click here.