Catholic Fire

September 30 is the feast of St. Jerome, a Father and Doctor of the Church. Translator of the Bible into its official Latin version (the Vulgate), brilliant scholar, monk, traveler, teacher, letter writer, and consultant to Popes and Bishops, St.Jerome is one of the most important figures in the history of the Church. St. Jerome was born in Dalmatia (near Aquileia, north of Rome) around 340 to a wealthy Christian family. At the age of 20, Jerome was sent to study in Rome, where he became fluent in Latin and Greek and developed a love for the classical writers. Here he acquired many worldly ideas, made little effort to control his pleasure-loving instincts, and lost much of the piety that had been instilled in him at home. He travelled throughout western Europe with a friend but that ceased when he had a conversion experience in Trier and decided to become a monk. He joined a community in Aquileia in 370, where he met some who would become his close friends and others his enemies....

July 11 is the feast of St. Benedict of Nursia, the twin brother of St. Scholastica, the patron of Europe, and the founder of Western monasticism. In 1964, Pope Paul VI declared him patron of Europe and in 2005, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger chose Benedict as patron of his papacy. Biography Tradition teaches that St. Benedict lived from 480 to 547, though we cannot be sure that these dates are historically accurate. His biographer, St. Gregory the Great, pope from 590 to 604, does not record the dates of his birth and death, though he refers to a Rule written by Benedict. Scholars debate the dating of the Rule though they seem to agree that it was written in the second third of the sixth century. Saint Gregory wrote about St. Benedict in his Second Book of Dialogues, but his account of the life and miracles of Benedict cannot be regarded as a biography in the modern sense of the term. Gregory's purpose in writing Benedict's life was to edify and to inspire, not to seek ou...

On March 1, the Church celebrates the feast of Saint David of Wales, the patron of the Welsh people and one of the most prominent British saints. He is commemorated as a sixth century missionary bishop and the founder of numerous monasteries, including his main abbey in southwestern Wales. David was a popular namesake for churches in Wales prior to the Anglican schism. More than fifty churches in Wales were named after him. His feast day continues to be an important religious and civic observance today. Although Pope Benedict XVI did not visit Wales during his 2010 trip to the U.K., he blessed a mosaic icon of its patron, and praised St. David as “one of the great saints of the sixth century, that golden age of saints and missionaries in these isles, and...thus a founder of the Christian culture which lies at the root of modern Europe.” Little is known of David’s life. However, we do know that he was born to Sant, a prince of Cardigan, and St. Non, the daughter of a chieft...

The saint of the day for May 19 is Saint Celestine V, Pope, a holy hermit and the founder of the Celestine Order. He is also known as Peter Celestine, Peter Morrone, and Pietro del Morrone. Born in Isernia, Italy, in 1215, Peter was the eleventh of twelve children of humble, pious parents. His father died when he was very young. When his mother would ask, "Which one of you is going to become a saint?" little Peter would answer "Me, Mama! I'll become a saint!". He became a Benedictine at the age of 17 and at the age of 20, he became a hermit and spent his days praying and reading the Holy Bible. He left his hermitage to study for the priesthood and was ordained in Rome. He then became a Benedictine monk and founded the Celestine order in 1274. After the death of Nicholas IV, a conclave which lasted more than two years elected him pope on July 5, 1294. He became known as Celestine V. On December 13, 1294, feeling overwhelmed by the position and his limit...

The saint of the day for January 29th is St. Gildas the Wise, a sixth century British monk. Gildas was born in Scotland around the year 516 to a noble British family. He was educated in Wales under St. Iltut, and was a companion of St. Samson and St. Peter of Léon. Sometimes he is called "Badonicus" because his birth took place the year the Britons gained a famous victory over the Saxons at Mount Badon, near Bath, Somersetshire. Noted for his piety, Gildas was well-educated, and was not afraid of publicly rebuking contemporary monarchs, at a time when libel was answered by a sword, rather than a Court order. He lived for many years as a hermit on Flatholm Island in the Bristol Channel. Here he established his reputation for holiness through acts of self-denial. He also preached to Nemata, the mother of St David, while she was pregnant with the Saint. Around 547 he wrote De Excidio Britanniae ( The Ruin of Britain ). In this, he writes a brief tale of the island ...

The saint of the day for January 17 is St. Anthony of the Desert (c. 251–356), a religious hermit and monk, who is known as the founder of monasticism. His rule of order was one of the first to create guidelines for monastic living. He became a monk at age 20 and withdrew into total solitude on a desert mountain near the Nile River. His only food was bread and water, which he never tasted before sunset, and sometimes only once in two, three, or four days. He wore sackcloth and sheepskin, and often knelt in prayer from sunset to sunrise. Here, in the desert, he overcame extreme temptations of the devil, and emerged about 20 years later from total seclusion to instruct nearby hermits in the ways of monasticism. He demonstrated the power of Christ to touch lives by healing the sick, providing spiritual guidance, casting out demons, and preaching. Many were attracted to monasticism by his example. Athanasius's Life of St. Antony [Anthony] perpetuated his story. Anthony inspired m...

By Jean M. Heimann On Wednesday, November 12, the Church celebrates the memorial of St. Josaphat, a Ukrainian Basilian monk. The saint’s birth occurred during a grim period for the Ruthenian Church. At the beginning of the sixteenth century the Ruthenian Church, suffered greatly following its severance from Rome, and the entire body of its clergy became notorious for their ignorance and brutality. After the Union of Berest in 1596, the Ruthenian Church was divided into two opposing parties – the Uniates and those who persisted in schism – each with its own hierarchy. Josaphat is known for being one of the victims of this schism. St. Josaphat was born in the Ukraine of Ruthenian Orthodox parents about the year 1580 and was given the name John at baptism. His parents raised him to live a holy life. He applied himself with great zeal to his religious studies and to his prayer life – learning the breviary and reciting it from a young age. He also developed relationships with men of...

Today is the feast of St. Anthony Mary Claret -- a favorite saint that my husband introduced me to about twenty years ago when he gave a teaching on this incredible man of God. I don't think I have ever heard of any saint who was filled with so much zeal for his apostolate. He was a monk and a mystic who exerted an unusual amount of influence over the laity by obeying the call of God. Born on Christmas eve, 1807, in the village of Sallent, in Catalonia, Spain, Anthony was a very pious child. When he was eleven years old, the bishop visited his school and asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up. Without the least bit of hesitation, he replied: "A priest." As a young adult, Anthony Claret excelled as a maker of cloth and as a weaver in his father's textile factory. He then studied for the priesthood, desiring to be a Jesuit. Ill health prevented him from entering the Order, so he served as a diocesan priest. He was ordained at age 27 and busied himself ...

Today, July 24, is the feast day of Saint Sharbel (Charbel) Makhlouf, a Maronite Catholic monk from Lebanon. Sharbel is known for his great devotion to contemplative prayer and has been called "the hermit of Lebanon" and "the Wonder Worker of the East." Saint Sharbel was born in 1828 in the small mountain village of Beqa-Kafra, Lebanon. His family was poor, but pious and had a great devotion to the Blessed Mother. As a child, Sharbel tended the sheep in the fields, where he built an outdoor shrine to Our Lady, spending hours in prayer. As he matured, he also spent time reading Scriptures and  Thomas a Kempis's “The Imitation of Christ,”which was was his favorite book. At the age of twenty-three, he left his family to enter the Lebanese-Maronite Monastery, Notre-Dame de Mayfouk, later transferring to the Monastery of St. Maron monastery in Annaya. He received his religious habit and  took the name Sharbel in honor of a second-century martyr. Sharbel was o...

The saint of the day for March 28 is St.Tutilo . When St. Gall, the companion of St. Columbanus, died in Switzerland in 640, a monastery was built over the place of his burial. This became the famous monastery of St. Gall, one of the most influential monasteries of the Middle Ages and the center of music, art, and learning throughout that period. About the middle of the ninth century, returning from a visit to Rome, an Irishman named Moengul stopped off at the abbey and decided to stay, along with a number of Irish companions, among them Tuathal, or Tutilo. Moengul was given charge of the abbey schools and he became the teacher of Tutilo, Notker, and Radpert, who were distinguished for their reaming and their artistic skills. Tutilo, in particular, was a universal genius: musician, poet, painter, sculptor, builder, goldsmith, head of the monastic school, and composer. He was part of the abbey at its greatest, and the influence of Gall spread throughout Europe. The Gregorian chan...

The Saint of the day for January 17 is St. Anthony of the Desert. St. Anthony of the Desert (c. 251–356), a religious hermit and monk, is known as the founder of monasticism. His rule of order was one of the first to create guidelines for monastic living. He became a monk at age 20 and withdrew into total solitude on a desert mountain near the Nile River. Saint Anthony’s only food was bread and water, which he never tasted before sunset, and sometimes only once in two, three, or four days. He wore sackcloth and sheepskin, and he often knelt in prayer from sunset to sunrise. Here, in the desert, he overcame extreme temptations of the devil, and emerged about 20 years later from total seclusion to instruct nearby hermits in the ways of monasticism. He demonstrated the power of Christ to touch lives by healing the sick, providing spiritual guidance, casting out demons, and preaching. Many were attracted to monasticism by his example. Athanasius's Life of St. Anthony perpetuate...

Today the Church celebrates the memorial of St. Josaphat, a Ukrainian Basilian monk. Saint Josaphat was born in the Ukraine of Orthodox parents about the year 1580 and given the name John at baptism. He entered the Basilian monastery of the Trinity at Vilna in 1604, taking the name Josaphat. He was ordained priest in 1609 and was chosen bishop of Polock in 1614. Josaphat was a famous preacher who worked to bring unity among the faithful, and bring strayed Christians back to the Church. In a sermon, he himself spoke of his death as imminent. When he visited Vitebsk (now in Russia) on November 12, 1623, his enemies attacked his lodging and murdered a number of his companions. Meekly the man of God hastened toward the mob and, full of love, cried, "My children, what are you doing? If you have something against me, see, here I am." With furious cries of "Kill the papist!", they rushed upon him with gun and sword. Josaphat's body was thrown into the river b...

  John Michael Talbot is on his way here and I can hardly wait! In this video clip, he speaks about the change in ministry models he'll be trying out in the coming months.

Today we commemorate St. Macarius, who was a monk in Eygpt in the 4th century. St. Macarius aided St. Helena in identifying the True Cross. He became the bishop of Jerusalem in 314 and was was known for his defense against the heresy of Arianism (denial of the divinity of Christ). He was also one of the signers at the Council of Nicaea and played a large roll in drafting the Creed. Tradition has it that Macarius was with Saint Helena when she discovered three crosses in Jerusalem. It was Macarius who suggested that a dying woman be touched with each of the crosses. When one of them instantly cured her, they determined that it was the true cross – the one on which our Lord was crucified.The Emperor Constantine placed him in charge of the excavations for discovering the sites of the Passion and Resurrection. Under his supervision, the church of the Holy Sepulcher was built. Macarius died soon afterwards, around the year 335. Prayer Father, we thank You for the early fathers in the Chu...

Saint Agricola (Agricol, Agricolus) of Avignon (c. 630-c. 700) was a bishop of Avignon. Agricola was the son of Saint Magnus, a senator who became a monk and then a bishop as a widower. Agricola went to Lérins, his father's episcopal see, when he was fourteen and at the age of sixteen, he was professed a monk. However, at the age of thirty, he was summoned by his father Magnus to Avignon, where he was appointed coadjutor. When his father died in 660, he succeeded him as bishop. He built a church in the city that was staffed by the monks of Lérins. He built a convent for Benedictine nuns. He was a well-known preacher, and famous for his charity and defense of the poor and sick against civil authorities. He died of natural causes. Fifteenth-century documents record that he prevented an invasion of storks by his blessing. He is thus patron of storks and is depicted with them as his emblem. In 1647, St. Agricola was named the patron saint of Avignon. He is also invoked against gambling...

Only in complete silence, one starts to hear. Only when language resigns, one starts to see.

St. John of Beverely was born in the seventh century at Harpman in Yorkshire and studied at the famous school in Canterbury established by St. Theodore, where he was taught by St. Adrian of Canterbury. From there he returned to Yorkshire and became a monk in the double monastery of Whitby, ruled by St. Hilda. He was consecrated Bishop of Hexham and later Archbishop of York. He was well-known for his eloquent preaching and his teaching skills, specifically, his ability to help others understand the scriptures. He would continue to teach throughout his life. His most famous pupil was the Venerable Bede, whom John ordained to both the diaconate and the priesthood. John was known for his holiness, his love of the contemplative life, his love for the poor, and his miracles. Due to ill health, John resigned as archbishop of York in 717 and retired to Beverly Abbey, which he had founded, and remained there until his death on May 7, 721. His shrine was for centuries one of the most popular pi...