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sklippstein

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AUSTREBERTHA
Also known as
Austreberta; Eustreberta; Austreberta of Pavilly
Memorial
10 February
Profile
Daughter of Saint Framechildis and the Count Palatine Badefrid. Was scheduled for an arranged marriage for political reasons, but wished a religious life. Received the veil from Saint Omer at Abbeville. Benedictine. Abbess at Jumieges, and at Pavilly. Miracle worker and visionary, she got a forshadow of her life - she looked at her reflection in a river and saw a veil over her head.
Born
630 at Therouanne, Artois, France
Died
704 at Pavilly, Normandy, France
Name Meaning
wheat of God
 
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sklippstein

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ETHELWALD of Lindisfarne
Also known as
Aethelweald; Aedilauld; Ethilwald; Ethelwold
Memorial
12 February; 21 April (translation of relics)
Profile
Leather worker and bookbinder. Monk. Assistant to Saint Cuthbert. Prior and abbot of Old Melrose monastery in Scotland. Bishop at Lindisfarne in 721. Commissioned the famous Lindisfarne Book of Gospels, now in the British Museum, and made its jewel-encrusted leather cover, now lost. Wrote the Hymnal of Ethelwald.
Born
at Northumbria
Died
c.740; buried in the cathedural at Lindisfarne; relics taken to Durham in the hope they would prevent Danish invasion
Canonized
Pre-Congregation
Additional Information
Lindisfarne Gospels
Lindisfarne Gospels

Reading
How Ethelwald, successor to Cuthbert, leading a hermit’s life, calmed a tempest by his prayers when the brethren were in danger at sea. [687-699 A.D.]

The venerable Ethewald succeeded the man of God, Cuthbert, in the exercise of a solitary life, which he spent in the isle of Fame before he became a bishop. After he had received the priesthood, he consecrated his office by deeds worthy of that degree for many years in the monastery which is called Inhrypum. To the end that his merit and manner of life may be the more certainly made known, I will relate one miracle of his, which was told me by one of the brothers for and on whom the same was wrought; to wit, Guthfrid, the venerable servant and priest of Christ, who also, afterwards, as abbot, presided over the brethren of the same church of Lindisfarne, in which he was educated.

"I came," says he, "to the island of Fame, with two others of the brethren, desiring to speak with the most reverend father, Ethelwald. Having been refreshed with his discourse, and asked for his blessing, as we were returning home, behold on a sudden, when we were in the midst of the sea, the fair weather in which we were sailing, was broken, and there arose so great and terrible a tempest, that neither sails nor oars were of any use to us, nor had we anything to expect but death. After long struggling with the wind and waves to no effect, at last we looked back to see whether it was possible by any means at least to return to the island whence we came, but we found that we were on all sides alike cut off by the storm, and that there was no hope of escape by our own efforts. But looking further, we perceived, on the island of Fame, our father Ethelwald, beloved of God, come out of his retreat to watch our course; for, hearing the noise of the tempest and raging sea, he had come forth to see what would become of us. When he beheld us in distress and despair, he bowed his knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, in prayer for our life and safety; and as he finished his prayer, he calmed the swelling water, in such sort that the fierceness of the storm ceased on all sides, and fair winds attended us over a smooth sea to the very shore. When we had landed, and had pulled up our small vessel from the waves, the storm, which had ceased a short time for our sake, presently returned, and raged furiously during the whole day; so that it plainly appeared that the brief interval of calm had been granted by Heaven in answer to the prayers of the man of God, to the end that we might escape."

The man of God remained in the isle of Fame twelve years, and died there; but was buried in the church of the blessed Apostle Peter, in the isle of Lindisfarne, beside the bodies of the aforesaid bishops.’ These things happened in the days of King Aldfrid, who, after his brother Egfrid, ruled the nation of the Northumbrians for nineteen years.

-from Bede's Ecclesiastical History of England, by The Venerable Bede
 
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sklippstein

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STEPHEN of Rieti
Memorial
13 February
Profile
Abbot at Rieti, Italy. Saint Gregory the Great describes him as "rude of speech, but cultured of life". He devoted himself almost wholly to prayer, and was known for his concern with the spiritual lives even of those who wronged him.
Died
c.590 of natural causes
Canonized
Pre-Congregation
 
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VALENTINE of Rome

Memorial
14 February
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Priest in Rome, possibly a bishop. Physician. Imprisoned for giving aid to martyrs in prison, and while there converted the jailer by restoring sight to the jailer's daughter. While Valentine of Terni and Valentine of Rome sometimes have separate entries in martyrologies and biographies, most scholars believe they are the same person.

There are several theories about the origin of Valentine's Day celebrations. Some believe the Romans had a mid-February custom where boys drew girls' names in honor of the sex and fertility goddess, Februata Juno; pastors "baptised" this holiday, like some others, by substituting the names of saints such as Valentine to suppress the practice. Others maintain that the custom of sending Valentines on 14 February stems from the belief that birds begin to pair on that date. By 1477 the English associated lovers with the feast of Valentine because on that day "every bird chooses him a mate." The custom started of men and women writing love letters to their Valentine on this day. Other "romance" traditions have become attached to this feast, including pinning bay leaves to your pillow on Valentine's Eve so that you will see your future mate that night in your dreams.
Died
beaten and beheaded c.269 at Rome; buried on the Flaminian Way; relics later translated to the Church of Saint Praxedes
Patronage
affianced couples, bee keepers, betrothed couples, engaged couples, epilepsy, fainting, greetings, happy marriages, love, lovers, plague, travellers, young people
Representation
birds; roses; bishop with a crippled or epileptic child at his feet; bishop with a rooster nearby; bishop refusing to adore an idol; bishop being beheaded; priest bearing a sword; priest holding a sun; priest giving sight to a blind girl
Images
Gallery of images of Saint Valentine [3 images]
Storefront
Commercial Links related to Saint Valentine
Additional Information
Saint Valentine remembered at BBC News
Bella Umbria
Brief History of Valentine's Day at Intelligent Marketing
Lone Keep Internet
Catholic Encyclopedia
Travel Italy, about his final resting place
Travel Italy, brief biography
Golden Legend, by Jacobus de Voragine
 
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sklippstein

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VALENTINE of Terni

Memorial
14 February
Profile
Ordained by Saint Felician of Foligno. Consecrated bishop of Terni by Pope Victor I c.197. Noted evangelist, miracle worker and healer, he was much loved by his flock. Imprisoned, tortured, and beheaded by order of the prefect Placid Furius during the persecution of Aurelius. He was murdered in secret and at night to avoid riots and revenge by the people of Terni. Some scholars believe that he and Saint Valentine of Rome are the same person.
Born
c.175 at Terni, Italy
Died
on the Via Flaminia between Rome and Terni, Italy; exhumed and re-interred outside the walls of Terni by his spiritual students
Canonized
Pre-Congregation
 
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sklippstein

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JULIANA of Nicomedia
Also known as
Juliana of Cumae
Memorial
16 February
Profile
Daughter of a pagan named Africanus who promised the girl to a young noble named Evilase. She wanted to put him off, and first insisted that he become prefect of Nicomedia. When he became prefect, she insisted he become a Christian before they could marry, a condition he could never meet. Her father, who hated Christians himself, abused fearfully to get her to change her mind, but she held fast; ancients manuscripts describing these horrors put them in terms of her fighting a dragon, and she is often depicted that way in art. Evilase called her before the tribunal during the persecutions of Maximianus, denounced her as a Christian, and she was martyred. Hers was a favorite story, for telling and creation of stained glass and other art objects, during the Middle Ages.
Died
burned, boiled in oil, and beheaded c.305; relics at Cumae, Naples, Italy
Canonized
Pre-Congregation
Patronage
bodily ills, sick people, sickness
Representation
maiden battling a winged devil; maiden being boiled; maiden chaining up a dragon; maiden chaining up and/or scourging the Devil; maiden in a cauldron; maiden leading a chained devil; maiden standing or sitting on a dragon; maiden wearing a crown on her head and a cross on her breast; naked and hanging by her hair
Additional Information
Google Directory
For All The Saints, by Katherine Rabenstein
Cathlic Online
Catholic Encyclopedia, by J P Kirsch
 
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FEBRUARY 17

Alexis Falconieri
Bartholomew degli Amidei
Benedict dell'Antella
Benedict of Cagliari
Buonfiglio Monaldi
Constabilis of Cava
Donatus the Martyr
Evermod of Ratzeburg
Faustinus and Companions
Finan of Iona
Fintan of Clonenagh
Fortchern of Trim
Gherardino Sostegni
Guevrock
Habet-Deus
Hugh dei Lippi-Uguccioni
John Buonagiunta Monetti
Julian of Caesarea
Loman
Polychronius
Romulus the Martyr
Secundian the Martyr
Seven Founders of Servants of Mary
Silvinus
Theodulus

FINTAN of Clonenagh

Memorial
17 February

Profile
Disciple and student of Saint Columba. Austere hermit at Clonenagh. Many disciples gathered around him, and he became their abbot. He set such an austere example, neighboring monasteries complained they could not keep up. While he was very severe on himself, Fintan was known to be gentle and forgiving with others.

Legend says that Fintan's mother received an angelic visit to explain what a holy son she would have. Fintan was reputed to have the gifts of prophecy and knowledge of distant events. Witnesses say that when he prayed by himself, he was surrounded by light.

Born
at Leinster, Ireland

Died
603 of natural causes

Canonized
Pre-Congregation
 
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HUGH DEI LIPPI-UGUCCIONI

Also known as
Ricovero dei Lippi-Ugoccioni
Memorial
17 February
Profile
One of the Seven Founders of Servants of Mary. Worked with Saint Philip Benizi in France and Germany. Vicar-general of the Servites in Germany for eight years.
Born
at Florence, Italy
Died
3 May 1282 at Mount Senario, Italy of natural causes
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Aaron-Aggie

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The following is thanks to: http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/SaintofDay/default.asp


[font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]December 7, 2003 [/font]
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[font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]St. Ambrose [/font]
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One of Ambrose’s biographers observed that at the Last Judgment people would still be divided between those who admired Ambrose and those who heartily disliked him. He emerges as the man of action who cut a furrow through the lives of his contemporaries. Even royal personages were numbered among those who were to suffer crushing divine punishments for standing in Ambrose’s way.

When the Empress Justina attempted to wrest two basilicas from Ambrose’s Catholics and give them to the Arians, he dared the eunuchs of the court to execute him. His own people rallied behind him in the face of imperial troops. In the midst of riots he both spurred and calmed his people with bewitching new hymns set to exciting Eastern melodies.

In his disputes with the Emperor Auxentius, he coined the principle: “The emperor is in the Church, not above the Church.” He publicly admonished Emperor Theodosius for the massacre of 7,000 innocent people. The emperor did public penance for his crime. This was Ambrose, the fighter, sent to Milan as Roman governor and chosen while yet a catechumen to be the people’s bishop.

There is yet another side of Ambrose—one which influenced Augustine, whom Ambrose converted. Ambrose was a passionate little man with a high forehead, a long melancholy face and great eyes. We can picture him as a frail figure clasping the codex of sacred Scripture. This was the Ambrose of aristocratic heritage and learning.

Augustine found the oratory of Ambrose less soothing and entertaining but far more learned than that of other contemporaries. Ambrose’s sermons were often modeled on Cicero and his ideas betrayed the influence of contemporary thinkers and philosophers. He had no scruples in borrowing at length from pagan authors. He gloried in the pulpit in his ability to parade his spoils—“gold of the Egyptians”—taken over from the pagan philosophers.

His sermons, his writings and his personal life reveal him as an otherworldly man involved in the great issues of his day. Humanity, for Ambrose, was, above all, spirit. In order to think rightly of God and the human soul, the closest thing to God, no material reality at all was to be dwelt upon. He was an enthusiastic champion of consecrated virginity.

The influence of Ambrose on Augustine will always be open for discussion. The Confessions reveal some manly, brusque encounters between Ambrose and Augustine, but there can be no doubt of Augustine’s profound esteem for the learned bishop. Neither is there any doubt that Monica loved Ambrose as an angel of God who uprooted her son from his former ways and led him to his convictions about Christ. It was Ambrose, after all, who placed his hands on the shoulders of the naked Augustine as he descended into the baptismal fountain to put on Christ.

Comment:
Ambrose exemplifies for us the truly catholic character of Christianity. He is a man steeped in the learning, law and culture of the ancients and of his contemporaries. Yet, in the midst of active involvement in this world, this thought runs through Ambrose’s life and preaching: The hidden meaning of the Scriptures calls our spirit to rise to another world.

Quote:
“Women and men are not mistaken when they regard themselves as superior to mere bodily creatures and as more than mere particles of nature or nameless units in modern society. For by their power to know themselves in the depths of their being they rise above the entire universe of mere objects.... Endowed with wisdom, women and men are led through visible realities to those which are invisible” (Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, 14–15, Austin Flannery translation).

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(This entry appears in the print edition of Saint of the Day.)
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Swoosh

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From AmericanCatholic.org:

[font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]December 8, 2003 [/font]
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[font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Feast of the Immaculate Conception[/font]



[font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]A feast called the Conception of Mary arose in the Eastern Church in the seventh century. It came to the West in the eighth century. In the eleventh century it received its present name, the Immaculate Conception. In the eighteenth century it became a feast of the universal Church.

In 1854 Pius IX gave the infallible statement: “The most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instant of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin.”

It took a long time for this doctrine to develop. While many Fathers and Doctors of the Church considered Mary the greatest and holiest of the saints, they often had difficulty in seeing Mary as sinless—either at her conception or throughout her life. This is one of the Church teachings that arose more from the piety of the faithful than from the insights of brilliant theologians. Even such champions of Mary as Bernard and Thomas Aquinas could not see theological justification for this teaching.

Two Franciscans, William of Ware and Blessed John Duns Scotus, helped develop the theology. They point out that Mary’s Immaculate Conception enhances Jesus’ redemptive work. Other members of the human race are cleansed from original sin after birth. In Mary, Jesus’ work was so powerful as to prevent original sin at the outset.

Comment:
In Luke 1:28 the angel Gabriel, speaking on God’s behalf, addresses Mary as “full of grace” (or “highly favored”). In that context this phrase means that Mary is receiving all the special divine help necessary for the task ahead. However, the Church grows in understanding with the help of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit led the Church, especially non-theologians, to the insight that Mary had to be the most perfect work of God next to the Incarnation. Or rather, Mary’s intimate association with the Incarnation called for the special involvement of God in Mary’s whole life. The logic of piety helped God’s people to believe that Mary was full of grace and free of sin from the first moment of her existence. Moreover, this great privilege of Mary is the highlight of all that God has done in Jesus. Rightly understood, the incomparable holiness of Mary shows forth the incomparable goodness of God.

Quote:
“[Mary] gave to the world the Life that renews all things, and she was enriched by God with gifts appropriate to such a role. “It is no wonder, then, that the usage prevailed among the holy Fathers whereby they called the mother of God entirely holy and free from all stain of sin, fashioned by the Holy Spirit into a kind of new substance and new creature. Adorned from the first instant of her conception with the splendors of an entirely unique holiness, the Virgin of Nazareth is, on God’s command, greeted by an angel messenger as ‘full of grace’ (cf. Luke 1:28). To the heavenly messenger she replies: ‘Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to thy word’ (Luke 1:38)” (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, 56).

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Today, my patron saint:



[font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]January 28, 2004 [/font]
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[font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]St. Thomas Aquinas [/font]
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[font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif](1225-1274) [/font]

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[font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]By universal consent Thomas Aquinas is the preeminent spokesman of the Catholic tradition of reason and of divine revelation. He is one of the great teachers of the medieval Catholic Church, honored with the titles Doctor of the Church and Angelic Doctor.

At five he was given to the Benedictine monastery at Monte Cassino in his parents’ hopes that he would choose that way of life and later become abbot. In 1239 he was sent to Naples to complete his studies. It was here that he was first attracted to Aristotle’s philosophy.

By 1243, Thomas abandoned his family’s plans for him and joined the Dominicans, much to his mother’s dismay. On her order, Thomas was captured by his brother and kept at home for over a year.

Once free, he went to Paris and then to Cologne, where he finished his studies with Albert the Great. He held two professorships at Paris, lived at the court of Pope Urban IV, directed the Dominican schools at Rome and Viterbo, combated adversaries of the mendicants, as well as the Averroists, and argued with some Franciscans about Aristotelianism.

His greatest contribution to the Catholic Church is his writings. The unity, harmony and continuity of faith and reason, of revealed and natural human knowledge, pervades his writings. One might expect Thomas, as a man of the gospel, to be an ardent defender of revealed truth. But he was broad enough, deep enough, to see the whole natural order as coming from God the Creator, and to see reason as a divine gift to be highly cherished. The Summa Theologiae, his last and, unfortunately, uncompleted work, deals with the whole of Catholic theology. He stopped work on it after celebrating Mass on December 6, 1273. When asked why he stopped writing, he replied, “I cannot go on.... All that I have written seems to me like so much straw compared to what I have seen and what has been revealed to me.” He died March 7, 1274.

Comment:
We can look to Thomas Aquinas as a towering example of Catholicism in the sense of broadness, universality and inclusiveness. We should be determined anew to exercise the divine gift of reason in us, our power to know, learn and understand. At the same time we should thank God for the gift of his revelation, especially in Jesus Christ.

Quote:
“Hence we must say that for the knowledge of any truth whatsoever man needs divine help, that the intellect may be moved by God to its act. But he does not need a new light added to his natural light, in order to know the truth in all things, but only in some that surpasses his natural knowledge” (Summa Theologiae, I-II, 109, 1).

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