In 1791, Benedetta Cambiagio was born in Italy to devout parents. Benedetta wanted to enter consecrated religious life, but her parents wanted her to get married, so at 20 she wed Giovanni Frassinello. He was so amazed at Benedetta's piety that after two years of marriage they agreed to live chastely, as "brother and sister." Giovanni entered the Somaschi Fathers, and Benedetta became an Ursuline nun and devoted herself to the education of young girls. The school was so successful that she needed help, and the bishop asked Giovanni to assist her. The two consecrated religious working so closely was the cause of a lot of gossip, and they had to be relocated. She founded a congregation that focused on the education of girls, which she served until her death in 1858.
CHALLENGE
St. Benedetta Cambiagio Frassinello had a goal to transform her students into models of Christian life, because she knew that in order to assure the proper formation of families, the work must begin when the children are young. Every diocese has an office of family life. Contact yours today and see what you can do to help form young adults into models of Christian life.
Born on Pentecost Sunday in Spain in 1540, Pascal Baylon's parents were perfect models of faith, virtue, and hard work. By the time he was seven he was praying while herding sheep, and spending his spare hours in Eucharistic adoration. When he was 24 he entered the Franciscan order as a lay brother and served as a gardener, cook, and doorkeeper. Once while traveling through France with another brother Franciscan, he narrowly escaped being stoned to death for defending the dogma of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist against a blasphemous Calvinist preacher. Pascal was known for his devotion to the poor and his self-sacrifice, and despite being poorly educated, people sought him out for his wise spiritual direction.
CHALLENGE
Before he became a Franciscan, St. Pascal Baylon served God in another way: The shepherds of his day were unruly and wild, but St. Pascal Baylon served as positive influence and role model to his friends. When we are around other people who are wild and ...
Born in England in 1165, St. Simon Stock joined the Carmelites soon after it was established in England, then studied and preached in Rome and Mount Carmel. When he was about 82 he was elected the sixth superior general of the Carmelite order, revised its Rule, and helped it spread in England, Paris, and Italy. Despite the growing popularity of the Order, the Carmelites were oppressed by other orders and clergy, and in 1251 while St. Simon Stock was praying for the intercession of its patron, the Blessed Virgin Mary, she appeared to him, holding a brown scapular. Six months later, Pope Innocent IV issued a letter of protection for the Order, which has grown ever since.
CHALLENGE
The Blessed Mother told St. Simon Stock that the brown scapular, "is a sign of salvation, a safeguard in danger, and a special pledge of peace and protection till the end of time. Whosoever dies wearing this shall be preserved from eternal flames." Many miracles are attributed to those devoted to the brown ...
Born in Spain in 1070, St. Isidore started farming as soon as he was able to hold a hoe, and he continued to farm for the same landowner the rest of his life. A man of strong faith, after attending daily Mass every morning he would spend all day behind his plow in contemplation. Isidore married Maria de la Cabeza, and together they had one son who died as a child. The pair had a deep love for the poor, and they would bring the poor food and pray with them. Reportedly, there were times where Isidore would feed hungry people with food that would multiply miraculously. After a life of humble labor and love of God and neighbor, Isidore died of natural causes at the age of 60.
CHALLENGE
Sometimes St. Isidore would arrive late to work because he stayed a little late after Mass to pray, and there were reports of angels seen plowing the field for him. St. Isidor put God first in everything, and trusted God to take care of the rest. What comes first in your life: God, or work? Today, start ...
If you are coming to the Columbus Catholic Men's Conference tomorrow, February 25th, be sure to stop by our table and say hi. We'd love to meet you!
Hi everyone,
Apparently I forgot to check the "notify subscribers" checkbox for the past three days when scheduling the posts here on locals, which means the emails didn't get sent out. Apologies for the inconvenience. Here are the direct links to each episode:
Day 76 - St. John Calabytes
https://catholictreehouse.locals.com/post/3318405/the-saint-challenge-day-76-st-john-calabytes-january-15
Day 77 - St. Berardes of Carbio and Companions
https://catholictreehouse.locals.com/post/3318424/the-saint-challenge-day-77-st-berardes-of-carbio-and-companions-january-16
Day 78 - St. Anthony the Abbot
https://catholictreehouse.locals.com/post/3322502/the-saint-challenge-day-78-st-anthony-the-abbot-january-17
I've double-checked the upcoming episodes and made sure that the appropriate checkbox is checked.
Also, if you have a smartphone I recommend the Locals app. It makes it easy to stay up to date on everything that's posted, listen to the audio podcast version of The Saint Challenge, as ...
With the passing of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, we have lost an incredible theologian who's many works brought illumination and clarity to our faith. Personally, I loved the logical precision of his writing, and how each thought naturally progressed to the next. If you have never read anything from Pope Benedict, there are two that I strongly suggest.
First is his encyclical "Caritas in Veritate" (Charity in Truth) which can be found here: http://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20090629_caritas-in-veritate.html Especially in today's day and age, it is essential to understand that sometimes the most charitable and loving thing you can do is to speak the truth, and this encyclical addresses this topic in a clear and loving way.
Second is the short book "In the Beginning…: A Catholic Understanding of the Story of Creation and the Fall" which is a collection of four exquisite homilies by then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. It's just under 100 pages, but ...
St. Gemma Galgani's life story is an inspiring tale of unwavering faith through adversity, and an example of how to not just carry your cross with grace... but how to desire another cross if it means your own sanctification.
Every year during the season of Lent, there are many opportunities for us to enter deeper into Christ’s Passion. Of course there is Ash Wednesday and with it the reminder of our own mortality. There are also the customary reminders for increased penance, fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. If, during Lent, we take the opportunity to attend the Stations of the Cross, or at least read The Way of the Cross by St. Alphonses di Liguori, it gives us the opportunity to draw a little closer to Jesus as we admit that it was not Pilate but our sins that condemned Him to die. We accompany Him on the Via Dolorosa to Calvary, and ask for His mercy just as the penitent thief did, hanging on a cross next to our Lord.
The liturgical readings also bring us through a condensed account of Jesus’ public ministry, leading to the crescendo of Passion Sunday. We wear red, carry palms, and during the Gospel we join our voices with the Jews who shouted “Crucify him! Crucify him!” As we progress through Holy Week, the Church offers us a seat at the Last Supper on Holy Thursday, calls us to remember the death of our Lord with the silence of Good Friday, and then we join together for the triumph of Easter Sunday.
But there’s another day in there that is probably the most under-appreciated day of the Easter Triduum: Holy Saturday. Christ had died. He had not yet risen. And aside from the evening Easter Vigil Mass that welcomes the new catechumens into the Church, there’s usually not a lot going on. We’re kind of like the disciples, left to wander around, not sure what we should be doing. But it does offer us another opportunity, though an overlooked one, to grow closer to our Lord.
Even Hitler was afraid of "The Lion of Münster", and his story has important lessons for us, lessons that we need to learn, and lessons that we need to put into action today.
As we are bombarded with headlines about "abortion", "trans", and "medically assisted suicide", in 1941 Blessed von Galen shows us how we, as Catholic Christians, must proceed forward today.
It's a powerful story and lesson to learn that you don't want to miss. Be sure to give it a listen. (And if you're not already using the Locals app on your smartphone, it's a very convenient way of listening to the audio.)
