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Saints Alive! | St. Juliana of Nicomedia

According to Saint Bede the Venerable, Juliana was born in Nicomedia and was the daughter a pagan nobleman named Africanus. As a child, she was betrothed to a senator named Eleusius. Saint Juliana is honored as a miracle-worker and is a patron saint of the sick. Later legends about this saint tell of her struggles with the devil and she is often depicted in art leading a devil by a chain. For more about this saint, please click on the image. Peace be with you!

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The Rosary | The Luminous Mysteries

The Rosary is one of the most beautiful prayers in the Catholic tradition. It's also one of the most commonly misunderstood, which is often the case for many of our Protestant brothers and sisters. Yet, it doesn't have to be. Put simply, the Rosary is a prayerful meditation on the life of Jesus Christ through the eyes of his mother. I invite you, whether you are Catholic, Protestant, or other, to watch this beautiful video by our friends at Word on Fire.  Today we pray the Luminous Mysteries.  We meditate on five key events in the life of Jesus Christ through the eyes of his mother, the Virgin Mary. For more, please click on the image. Peace be with you!

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Divine Office | Open your lips, and let God’s word be heard

In today's Office of Readings we encounter a reading from the Explanations of the Psalms by Saint Ambrose: Psalm 36 (d. 397 A.D.). St. Ambrose was assiduous in carrying out his office, acting with charity to all: a true shepherd and teacher of the faithful. He was unimpressed by status and when the Emperor Theodosius ordered the massacre of 7,000 people in Thessalonica, Ambrose forced him to do public penance. He defended the rights of the Church and attacked the Arian heresy* with learning, firmness and gentleness. He also wrote a number of hymns which are still in use today. Ambrose was a key figure in the conversion of Saint Augustine of Hippo to Catholicism, impressing Augustine (hitherto unimpressed by the Catholics he had met) by his intelligence and scholarship. *The Arian theology held that the Son of God is not co-eternal with God the Father, and was distinct. The Arian concept of Christ is based on the belief that the Son of God did not always exist but was begotten within time by God the Father, therefore Jesus was not co-eternal with God the Father. As such, all mainstream branches of Christianity now consider Arianism to be heterodox and heretical.   For a reflection, "Open your lips, and let God's word be heard," please click on the image. Peace be with you!

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Saints Alive! | St. Claude de la Colombière

Claude la Colmbière (1641-1682) was born in France, joined the Society of Jesus in 1659, and was ordained a priest ten years later. In 1675, he was appointed superior of the Jesuit residence in Paray-le-Moniel. There he also became the spiritual director of Margaret Mary Alacoque, a Visitation nun, who was missioned by Christ to promote devotion to his Sacred Heart, in collaboration with Colombière. On learning about this mission, Saint Claude, after prayerful discernment, authenticated the supernatural experiences of Margaret Mary, and became both her supporter and a zealous apostle of the devotion. His preaching and writing helped propagate widespread devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In 1676 he was missioned to be the personal preacher of the Duchess of York.

For more about this saint, please click on the image.

Peace be with you!

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The Rosary | The Glorious Mysteries

The Rosary is one of the most beautiful prayers in the Catholic tradition. It's also one of the most commonly misunderstood, which is often the case for many of our Protestant brothers and sisters. Yet, it doesn't have to be. Put simply, the Rosary is a prayerful meditation on the life of Jesus Christ through the eyes of his mother. I invite you, whether you are Catholic, Protestant, or other, to watch this beautiful video by our friends at Word on Fire.  Today we pray the Glorious Mysteries.  We meditate on five key events in the life of Jesus Christ through the eyes of his mother, the Virgin Mary. For more, please click on the image. Peace be with you!