Saint Anthony, Abbot
When Saint Anthony – and this is not the Saint Anthony who helps us find lost things – was about eighteen years old, his parents died, and left him to care for his young sister and the family home. They … Continued
Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist
Today’s readings “He saw and believed.” The “other” disciple, often called the “beloved” disciple or the disciple “whom Jesus loved,” is Saint John the Apostle and Evangelist, the one we celebrate today. Saint John had a very special relationship with … Continued
Saint Lucy, Virgin Martyr
Today’s readings In every age, young people have the difficult task of remaining pure. Some ignore the task, but some take it up at great personal cost. This was true of Saint Lucy, who desired to remain pure because of … Continued
Saint Francis Xavier, priest, patron of the Diocese of Joliet
Today’s readings: 1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-23; Mark 16:15-20 We celebrate the memorial of St. Francis Xavier as a feast today, because he is the patron saint of the Diocese of Joliet. Francis Xavier was a sixteenth century man who had … Continued
Saint Elizabeth of Hungary
Today’s readings St. Elizabeth was the daughter of the king of Hungary, and she married Louis IV of Thuringia when she was fourteen years old. They were happily married and had three children together. Together, they tried to live the … Continued
Pope Saint Leo the Great, Doctor of the Church
Today’s readings Pope St. Leo the Great was known to be a wonderful administrator of the Church. But far from being caught up in purely administrative matters, he was also a very spiritual and prayerful man, many of whose great … Continued
Saint Charles Borromeo, Bishop
Today’s readings Eleven years ago today, I was ordained a transitional deacon, on my way to becoming a priest. For me it was a very significant day: it was the feast of Saint Charles Borromeo, and I was being ordained … Continued
The Solemnity of All Saints (Evening Masses)
Today’s readings I think we all bristle, mistakenly, at the idea of being a saint. Saints are those super-holy folks who are depicted in artwork and glorified in amazing stories. We are just ordinary people who struggle with our holiness, … Continued
The Solemnity of All Saints (Morning Mass)
Today’s readings Today, the Church militant – which is all of us – rejoice with the Church triumphant – which is all the Saints in heaven – because of the great glory of God. This glory they can already see; … Continued
Saint Ignatius of Antioch
Saint Ignatius was a convert to Christianity who eventually became the bishop of Antioch. During his time in Antioch, the Emperor Trajan began persecuting the Church there and forced people to choose between death and denying the faith. Ignatius would … Continued
You must be logged in to post a comment.