SAINT BASIL-Intrepid
BENEDICT JOSEPH LABRE
SAINT BERNADETTE
SAINT BERNARDINE
SAINT BONAVENTURE
SAINT BRIGID
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SAINT BASIL-

Intrepid Pastor and Doctor of the Church/330-379/Feast:Jan.2-#24

fr:Dear Saint,you were born at Caesarea in Cappadocia into a family of 
Saints.
You are rightly called "the Great," not because of worldly greatness but 
because 
you were an outstanding theologian,a learned Doctor of the Church,
and a wonderful orator.
*Most of all,you were a faithful follower of Christ and a most prayerful 
man.
It is recorded that sometimes you spent the whole night in prayer!

St:It is well to reflect that worldly honors are fleeting and futile.
Only true spiritual honors follow us beyond the grave.
What a contrast there is between the "achievement" of one whose corpse 
is artificially preserved in a majestic tomb and the solid achievement of 
millions of Saints,some of whom have had their bodies completely burned 
and possess no tomb of any kind.*Prompted by the Holy Spirit,
I realized the vanity of worldliness and human-centeredness.
Becoming a monk,I founded several menasteries and wrote a monastic 
Rule,which I hoped would help any Religious to lead a holy Christian life.

fr:How greatly we need your example and your teaching,dear Saint,
We know you did not seek to become a priest nor were you ambitious 
to become a Bishop.
*You were a man of vast learning but it was surpassed by your 
knowledge of 
Holy Scripture,which culminated in a burning love for the Divine Savior.
You shine as a great light in the Eastern World.

pr:Lord,our God ...,open our lips although we are sinners,
and teach us how to pray and what to ask for in prayer.
You are the peaceful haven for those who are buffeted by storms; 
govern our lives and show us the route to follow....
Let us not be deceived by the charms of corruption in this world.
Give us the strength to aspire to and attain the enjoyment of future goods.
For You are blessed and praised in all the Saints forever and ever.

fr:Dear Saint,many today proudly praise the achievements of scientists 
whose inventions sometimes serve to destroy human beings and 
encourage the mistaken belief that there is no Divine Creator.
*Intercede for all Christians,that we may inspire unbelievers to accept 
the teaching of Jesus Christ transmitted by the Magisterium of the 
Church and by holy Doctors like you.

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BENEDICT JOSEPH LABRE-
Mendicant Pilgrim and "Fool of Christ"/1748-1783/
Feast:Apr.16-#69

fr:Dear Saint,you possessed a rather unique vocation -- to be a wandering 
holy man of God,a "fool" of Christ.And as such,you bear eloquent witness 
that if need be we must sacrifice everything for God.
*Born of a middle-class French Catholic family,you realized early in life 
that 
God was calling you to follow Christ in His poverty.There was no trace of 
pride in you nor of contempt for any person.

St:I always tried to remember:"By the grace of God I am what I am." 
I came to realize ever better that the Sole true evil is sin,
for it offends an infinitely good God to Whom we owe all that we are 
and have.So I did penance for my sins and those of others.
*At first I applied myself to studies,and did well in Latin.
But when I reached the age of sixteen,I developed a distaste for the 
"natural sciences"; 
I then meditatively read the Bible,the inspired Word of God.

fr:You desired to become a Religious in a strict Order.
You visited Trappists,but they refused to accept you.You then turned to 
the Carthusians,
but after a few weeks you realized that yours was a different vocation.

St:I saw clearly that mine was an unusual vocation.
I realized also that not only worldlings but good Christians would 
consider it improper to become what is variously called a tramp,
a hobo,a bum.
But I knew that the Lord wanted me to live in extreme poverty in a 
world in which many are money-mad.

fr:Many no doubt did ridicule you,perhaps even slammed doors on you,
and kicked you out.

St:I must confess that as I constantly recalled what our Lord suffered from 
His own people,I came to enjoy insults.I had the pleasure of visiting Roale 
and praying in various sanctuaries which brought to my mind the lives and 
deaths of Martyrs.I was thus encouraged to bear witness to my 
Crucified Master by what I sometimes had to suffer.I must say many 
were kind to me,and I was accepted into a certain family where I was 
permitted to live a penitential life.

pr:My Lord jesus,
may I mortify myself and live for You alone.
May I accept all that hagpens as coming from Your hand.
May I always follow You,and 
may I desire more and more to follow You.

fr:Dear Saint,you died at the age of thirty-five,just before the 
French Revolution,some of whose leaders tried to destroy the Church.
This belied their cry of freedom,equality,and fraternity.
*Though we are unable to follow you in your vocation,help us to follow 
you in preaching freedom from sin and the devil,equality among the 
children of God as created in His image,and fraternity based on His 
overwhelming love for us.

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SAINT BERNADETTE-
Visionary of Lourdes/1844-1879/Feast:Feb.18-#79

fr:Dear Saint,you had the privilege of seeing the Blessed Virgin Mary 
eighteen times when you were only fourteen years old.When you asked 
Mary to reveal her name,you heard her say:"
I am the Immaculate Conception."
*Your pastor found this a strange proclamation.Why did Mary not say:"
I was immaculately conceived"? But you insisted on repeating what 
Mary had actually said.And in time,you found many who believed in 
your visions and your words.
The world-famous shrine of Lourdes was the result.

St:I was an uneducated person.It came to my mind afterward that 
Plus XI had proclaimed on December 8,1854,that we must believe as an 
Article of Faith that the Mother of Jesus Christ was conceived immaculate,
without original sin.So Mary seemed to want to strengthen the faith of 
Christians in that truth through an ignorant girl.

fr:Christians who insist on basing themselves on the Bible alone and on
 the Bible as interpreted by each individual find it difficult to accept 
both the Immaculate Conception of Mary and her glorious Assumption 
into heaven,body and soul.The latter,we recall,was proclaimed by 
Pope Plus XII.
*Catholics on the contrary accept the guidance of the 
Church Magisterium with respect to the interpretation of the Bible and 
they also accept the truths found in Tradition.

St:Our Lady also informed me about the "healing power" of the waters 
of Lourdes.This is what,as you know,is most in the minds of the sick 
who journey to Lourdes.
*Countless miraculous cures have taken place there,but many sick 
who sought a cure did not obtain that favor.They often learned to accept 
their cross,which made them better followers of the Crucified Savior.

fr:Our Lord also let you suffer from illness.In 1866 you joined the 
Sisters of Charity of Nevers and there you manifested great patience 
and forebearance.
Why did you not go to Lourdes to obtain a cure?

St:I realized that the "waters of Lourdes" were not for me.
The Blessed Virgin used me as a broom to get rid of dust.
When the work is finished we put the broom back out of sight,
and there it is left.

pr:0 My God,I beg You,by Your holiness,not that You may spare me 
affliction,but that You may not abandon me in it.When I encounter 
affliction,teach me to see You in it as my sole comforter.Let affliction 
strengthen my faith,fortify my hope,and Purify my love.
Grant me the grace to see Your hand in my affliction,and to desire no 
other comforter but You.

fr:Dear Saint,teach us Christian patience.Make Catholics realize once 
more the great value of the devout meditative recitation of the Rosary.
*In the Rosary we learn to be grateful and joyful for what is revealed in 
the Joyful Mysteries.In the Sorrowful Mysteries we recall how 
unbelievably good and self-sacrificing Jesus has been for us.
And the Glorious Mysteries make us think of the blessedness of those 
who go to heaven.

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SAINT BERNARDINE-
Promoter of Devotion to the Holy Name/1380-1444/
Feast:May 20-#45

fr:Dear Saint,you are best remembered for your powerful preaching 
and for your unwearying promotion of devotion to the 
Holy Name of Jesus.
While preaching you used to hold a board upon which were inscribed
 the first three letters of "Jesus" in its Creek form -- IHS -- surrounded 
by rays.
And you continually urged the people to have devotion to that 
Holy Name.

St:I came to this form of ministry by a rather circuitous path.
Born at Capri into a noble family,I was raised in a truly Christian home 
and given a good Christian education..
*Yet as is true of many youths,
I was undecided about what my work on 
earth should be.In accord with the times,
I chose the career of a lay person and studied medicine.
Then I switched to law and graduated as a Doctor of Laws from the 
University of Bologna.

fr:You acquired quite a reputation as a lawyer,and in 1564 you were 
offered and accepted the position of an auditor and of a lieutenant-general.
One thing you had learned,
however:to love Christ and to try to lead a Christian life.

St:I came to realize that I had a Religious vocation and I was granted a 
vision of our Blessed Mother.This led to my joining the Jesuits 
and I was later ordained a Priest -- at thirty-seven years of age.

fr:For three years you worked at Naples,devoting yourself to the service 
of the poor 
and the youth.Then you were sent to Lecce where because of your talents 
and saintlinesss you were appointed Rector of the Jesuit College 
and Superior of the Community.*You remained in Lecce for forty-two years 
and continued to exercise charity to the poor and the sick.
You became famous for your preaching as well as for bringing about 
the reconciliation of enemies and the conversion of public sinners.

St:I loved my Religious work.I liked to help penitents in confession..
And I always prepared my sermons in advance.As a son of Saint Ignatius,
I tried to walk close to Jesus Christ,the self-sacrificing Savior of all.
*As I lay dying,the city magistrates begged me to take the city under 
my protection.
Unable to speak,I bowed my head in assent and silently asked 
God to help them.
Then I breathed my last with the names of 
Jesus and Mary silently on my lips.

pr:0 Triumphant Name,0 joy of angels and of the just,O fear of hell:
in You lies all hope of garden,grace,and glory.O most sweet Name,
You give pardon to sinners.You renaw us,fill our hearts with Divine 
delight,and cast out our fears.O Name full of grace,
through You Your faithful gain insight into great mysteries,
become aflame with Divine grace,receive strength in their combats,
and are delivered from all evil.

fr:Dear Saint,we live in an age that accords little respect for any 
time-honored institution or custom.As a result,the respect once shown 
to the glorious 
Name of Jesus is in danger of being lost.That Name is constantly 
taken in vain.
*Teach us to love and honor the Name of Jesus.Help us to realize that 
it is in that 
Name alone that we can be saved.Inspire us to invoke it religiously 
and promote devotion to it among our contemporaries.

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SAINT BONAVENTURE-
Seraphic Doctor:Master of the Spiritual Life/1218-1274/
Feast:July 15-#41

fr:Dear Saint,like Thomas Aquinas you were one of the outstanding lights 
of the Thirteenth Century (termed the "Greatest of Christian Centuries").
You were called the "Seraphic Doctor" because of your ardent love for 
God.
In your writings you made profuse and proficient use of the Scriptures 
and are rightly regarded as a Master of the Spiritual Life
 (the Science of the Saints).
*Christened as "John," you received the name "Bonaventure" as a result 
of a remark of Saint Francis of Assisi when he was asked by your 
mother to pray for you who were very ill.Concerning your future,
he exclaimed:"
0 buona ventura--O good fortune." This proved to be prophetic regarding 
what you were going to accomplish.

St:My cure must have been a great consolation to my mother who was a 
good Christian,for I had the privilege of being reared in a truly 
Catholic family.
*Moved by God's grace,I joined the Franciscan Order when I was 
twenty-two years old.
After making my Religious vows,I was sent to Paris to complete 
my studies under the renowned English Franciscan Alexander of Hales.

fr:After the death of that teacher you studied under John of La Rochelle.
In Paris you became acquainted with Saint Thomas Aquinas,and both of 
you struck up a close friendship and also befriended Saint Louis of France.
What a wonderful and saintly trio you thus formed.

St:Against my inclinations,at the age of thirty-five I was chosen 
Master General of the Franciscan Order (Friars Minor).
I took office surrounded by dissension in the ranks.

fr:Yet,because of your gentleness and evident charity you were 
successful in restoring calm.
You had great devotion to Saint Anthony of Padua whose relies you 
returned to where they more truly deserved to be.

St:Pope Clement named me Bishop of York,but I begged him not to force 
me to accept that dignity.Pope Gregory X later obliged me to become a 
Cardinal and Bishop of Albano.One of my major sorrows in life was the 
death of Thomas Aquinas as he was traveling to take 
part in the Second Council of Lyons.

fr:You reached Lyons and directed affairs at the Council.You worked 
hard to make Oriental members of the clergy reunite with the Holy See.
You were temporarily successful but you died from exhaustion,
following Thomas into eternity by four short months.

pr:Lord Jesus Christ,...may my soul always revolve around You,
seek You,and find You.HelP it to turn to You,and reach You.
Let its every thought and word be centered on You.
Grant that my soul may sing Your Praise and the glory of Your 
holy Name with humility and reserve,with love and joy,
with ease and gentleness,with patience and tranquility,
with success and persistence to the very end.

fr:Dear Saint,what a reunion you must have had with Saint Thomas 
when you were received by our Lord,whom you both had served 
with such deep devotion and fidelity.What a contrast between such 
holy deaths and the deaths of some political rulers who have served not 
God but their own insane ambitions.*Pray that we may have 
spiritually-minded leaders and that the Science of the Saints will 
become known to and practiced by countless Christians.

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SAINT BRIGID-
Pioneer of Irish Feminine Monasticism/453-523/Feast:Feb.1-#30

fr:Dear Saint,though you lived at a time when women had few rights,
you overcame your status and became the pioneer of Irish feminine 
monasticism.You initiated community life for women.
*So great is the esteem held for you that you are called 
"the Mary of the Gael" and are known as the second Patron of Ireland
 (afte Saint Patrick).

St:Indeed,my parents were baptized by the same Saint Patrick.
Like other women,
I was ticketed for marriage by my parents,but I felt called to the 
Religious Life.
I wanted to become a Nun.
*In God's good time,my desire was fufilled and I received the veil from 
Saint Mel.

fr:But you did not stop there.You decided to bring together Nuns who 
before this lived alone.So you founded the very first convent in 
Ireland -- at Kildare,
"the Church of the Oak." *You were a prayerful,joyful person,
most generous,and ever eager to help the poor.
You once received a basket of excellent apples from a friend,
and immediately gave them all away to the people around you.

St:Yes,I did.And my poor friend said to me with a kind of sadness in 
his eyes:
"But those apples were for you." 
I did not want to hurt my friend but could not 
help telling him:"Whatever is mine is also theirs."

fr:You were not afraid to take your place with the reapers in the 
cornfields.
You also made butter,and you were renowned for your homebrewed ale--
which accounts for part of the following prayer.

pr:I wish I had a great lake of ale for the King of kings,and the family 
of heaven to drink it through time eternal.
I wish I had the meats of belief and genuine piety,the flails of penance,
and the men of heaven in my house.
I would like keeves of peace to be at their disposal,vessels of charity for 
distribution,caves of mercy for their company,and cheerfulness to be in 
their drinking.
I would want Jesus also to be in their midst,together with the three Marys 
of illustrious renown,and the people of heaven from all parts.
I would like to be a rent-payer to the Lord,so that if I should suffer distress 
He would confer on me a good blessing.

fr:Dear Saint,the Lord must have given you a great welcome at your 
death.Perhaps He even welcomed you in Caelic.
For it was He Who gave you your distinctively Gaelic character and 
virtues.Pray that the Irish may continue to spread Christianity 
throughout the world.May they give the Church Priests and 
Religious who will be animated by the spirit of Saint Patrick--
which was also your spirit!

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