St. Frances Xavier Cabrini ~ The Rev. Lady Sherwood, OPI

St.-Francis-CabriniSt. Frances Xavier Cabrini was born Maria Francesca Cabrini on July 15th, 1850 at Sant’Angelo Lodigiano.  The young girl with was drawn to a life of religious service at an early age. She was influenced by her older sister, her uncle, a priest who captured her imagination with stories of missionary work, and also by the Daughters of the Sacred Heart,  who prepared her for a normal school diploma in 1870.

Francesca who had already vowed herself to virginity at the age of 12, attempted to enter the Daughters of the Sacred Heart in 1872, but she was declined due to health reasons as had contracted smallpox whilst caring for the sick during an epidemic, and although she was healed from such, she still did not seem to be strong physically.

She found employment briefly as a teacher in Virdardo and then she was persuaded to do charity work at an orphanage at Codogno, and it was here that she took her vows in 1877.

In thissame year she was appointed to be Prioress of her new foundation, The Institute of Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart, which at the onset consisted of seven orphaned girls whom she had trained.

Mother Cabrini had much to do in Italy but very soon craved fulfillment ofa lifelong wish to do missionary work in China but Pope Leo XIII and Bishop Scalabrini of Piacenza instead urged her to carry her talents to Italian immigrants in the slums of the United States, and dutifully, but with reluctance, she sailed in 1889 with six sisters.

From modest beginnings in the New York City area,  Mother Cabrini and her followers gradually built a national and international network of some 70 institutions.

In 1909 she became an American citizen. Her journeys on behalf of her mission, which included 30 crossings of the Atlantic, occupied much of her time and energy, although she remained frail physically throughout her life.

At the breakout of World War I in Europe, she dedicated her hospitals, and nuns in Italy to the war effort there.

On December 22nd, 1917, she after a brief illness, died of malaria in her own columbus Hospital in Chicago.

Cardinal George Mundelein of Chicago and others launched the process of her canonization in 1928. She was pronounced Venerable in 1933, was beatified in 1938, and was canonized in 1946.

Her remains originally at West Park in New York, are now enshrined in the Chapel of the Blessed Mother Cabrini High school in New York City.

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, though declared to have effected the two miracles needed for canonization, is best remembered for her energetic labours among immigrants and the poor in the United States and for establishing and the staffing of orphanages, schools, hospitals, convents and other facilities throughout the world.

SAINT MARTIN OF TOURS ~ The Rev. Dn. Joshua Hatten, OPI

StMartinTours

St. Martin of Tours was born in what is modern day Northern Yugoslavia and western Hungary. In about 316 A.D., when St. Martin was born, it was then known as Sabaria of Upper Pannonia.  Saint Martin was born to pagan parents – his father being an officer of the Army of Rome.  Due to a military transfer, Martin and his family relocated to Pavia in the north of Italy.  It was here, at Pavia, that Martin first encountered Christianity.  Being so drawn to the the faith, he soon became a catechumen, that is, one actively studying the faith before baptism into the Church. 

During this time of study, Martin reached the age of 15 and, as his father was a Roman  Officer, Martin was required to enter Roman Military service at this point.  History and tradition are quick to point out that Martin never attempted to get around the requirement and did sign on as an officer, but lived “more like a monk than a soldier.” 

Saint Martin was stationed to a place then called Amiens, in Gaul (modern day France).  Tradition hold that it was here that Martin had an experience that changed his life forever.  The story goes that one day, whilst riding toward town one cold winter day, Martin noticed a beggar at the entrance gates.  The man was dressed in threadbare rags, freezing and shivering from the elements and begging for alms.  Martin also noticed that EVERYONE else passed the beggar by without any notice, neverminding any charity or love toward the man. 

Martin’s heart was touched and the legend continue that he removed his heavy military issued cloak, and with his sword, cut the cloak in half.  Keeping half for himself and giving the other half to  the poor beggar.  Later the following night, Martin, while sleeping, saw Christ surrounded by throngs of angels.  And in this vision, Our Lord was wearing half of the cloak that Martin had given the beggar.  Martin was then asked, in the vision, whether or not he recognized the piece of the cloak – which he did.  Then Christ was heard to say to the surrounding angels:  “Martin, not even yet baptized, has covered ME with his cloak.”  Upon waking from the vision, Martin immediately looked to be baptized into the faith fully. 

Closer to the age of twenty, Martin, with a few soldier-comrades, was summoned by the Emperor Julian and given orders to go and take care of the Teutonic invasions happening in Gaul.  Martin’s conversion of heart kicked in and he was compelled to tell the emperor that he must refuse the order.  Saying to Emperor Julian: “Up to now, I have served you as a soldier, allow me henceforth to serve Christ.  Give the bounty and orders to others who are going out to battle.  I am a soldier of Christ and it is not lawful for me to fight.”   You might say that Saint Martin is one of our earliest Christian examples of a “conscientious objectors.” 

However, Emperor Julian, not being accustomed to being refused ANYTHING, had Martin hauled off to prison.  Fortunately his incarceration ended rather quickly with truces being put into place.  Martin, now free and on the go, then travailed to Poitiers, and under the Bishop and friend, Hilary, was ordained a deacon into the church. 

Other travels took Martin back toward his homeleand.  There he converted his mother and many others to the Christian faith.  To his dismay, Martin could not convince his father to give up his pagan beliefs.  Martin later felt a religious calling to a life of solitude.  His friend, the Bishop Hilary, gave him a small tract of land in what is now central France.  There, in this place called Liguge, Martin was joined by hermits and other holy men and then established a monastery, said to be the fist established in Gaul. It survived until the early 17th Century.

For the next 10 years of his life, Martin lived as the Prior of the monastery – directing the other brothers lives and preaching in nearby areas.  Around 371, the Bishop of Tours died, and so popular was Saint Martin with the locals, it was urged that he take up the vacant post.  Reluctantly, and actually with a bit of trickery from the locals, Martin did accept the post as Bishop of Tours.  But, even in this high post, Martin continued to live a strict and austere and simple life.  Martin soon grew tired of the rigorous life as a bishop and longed to return to a simple monastic life.   He retired from his post as Bishop and went Marmoutier, where he founded another simple monastery that later became a famous abbey of the region.  In fact, later Bishops of Tours were often selected from among the brothers and priests of Saint Martin’s monastery.  

During his life, Saint Martin was a true soldier for Christ.  He stood up to Emperors and fought heretics.  He won many souls for Christ and to him are attributed many, many other legends and miracles. 

Closing in on the year 400, St. Martin began to have premonitions of his death and eventually sickness fell upon him.  Ton the 8th of November, in the year 400, Saint Martin fell asleep in the Lord.  He was buried 3 days later, at Tours.  It is said that over two-thousand monks, nuns and religious attended his funeral.  Soon after his burial, a chapel, then basilica where built upon Saint Martin’s grave.  Both, long since destroyed, currently a modern church is built upon the site – which, still, annually has thousands of faithful pilgrims visit it.

Paying Attention ~ Br. Chip Noon, Novice

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Though today’s Gospel is from Mark, let me refer us to Matthew’s beautiful passage of Jesus speaking about God’s care for us:

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

And as God foretold through Elijah, the jar of flour did not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry in the widow’s house.

So in the Gospel, Jesus admonishes those who are ostentatious in their wealth and commends the widow who gives all she had.

Is Jesus talking about money? Wealth? Poverty? Station in life? In an off-hand way, yes. All throughout the Gospels there are comparisons between the rich and the poor, the powerful and the powerless, the haves and the have-nots.

Luke, in the first two of the four Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Plain, quotes Jesus as saying:

Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.

Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled.

And the first two woes that follow:

Woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort.

Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry.

And also from Luke: You cannot serve both God and Money.

This teaching, then, seems to me to be what is behind today’s readings. And the question is, what are we to pay attention to?

Years ago, when I was working as a management consultant, we used to advise our clients that they could not improve their business if they were not paying attention to the things that were important. Pretty basic, huh? But you would be surprised how many companies paid very little attention to the things that would improve their bottom line. They measured hours worked, the number of products made, precisely how much each employee should receive as a wage…almost everything but how their customers thought they were doing, how satisfied they were, and whether they would buy from the company again.

How many of us are like the scribes in long robes seeking places of honor at banquets? And even if we are not manipulating the law to expropriate the houses of widows, are we not daily concerned with our livelihood, our income, our shelter?

But at this point we hear those persistent voices in our head saying we must plan for the future, take heed of our finances, and care for our families. And then this verse comes to mind: “I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

So what is a person to do?

What do we pay attention to? Well, his yoke may be easy and his burden light…but taking them up is pretty tough, wouldn’t you say? No really, what do we pay attention to? Maybe in the case of money, security, shelter we should actually be thinking of Jesus’ words as exercises, just as we exercise to keep our strength. Maybe the answer is to work every day at paying attention to the things of heaven, and not of this earth.

No matter how good we are at multi-tasking, we can only pay attention to a few things at a time. So let’s resolve to exercise our love of God by paying attention to him throughout the day. We have St. Paul urging us on: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Let’s resolve to pay attention the things that really matter, those things that we know, deep in our souls, that bring us peace and comfort.

Sure, the stresses of the day will intrude. But we can only experience the easy yoke and the light burden if we take them up. It’s that taking up that we must give some effort to.

One last quote, from Jeremiah:

“Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understand and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise loving kindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.”

Lord, help us to take up our cross and focus ahead on knowing and loving you. Let our thoughts and actions be in your direction and let us have faith that your yoke will be easy and your burden light. Amen.

Feast Day of the Domican Saints of our Order

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Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Mt. 5:8)

 Why do we celebrate our Saints?

We come together as one Domican Family today to celebrate not only Our Saints, but also our many Blesseds, Holy Friars, Nuns, sisters and Laity who have lived over the past 800 years.

We are so priviledged to celebrate them as they provide us with an example by which we follow in our religious lives, by their wondorous fellowship in their communion and in their much needed aid to us by their intercessions to God on our behalf.

We include in our celebrations also all the “forgotten” saints because according to the General Chapter of Valencia in 1337, there were 13,370 martyrs between 1234 and 1335. There were another 26,000 in the 16th century alone. Martyrs, confessors, virgins, and holy men and women all have their place of honour in the Order. Friars, worn down through constant contemplation, study, and preaching; nuns who lived lives of great prayer, silence, and penance; sisters who educated 1000s of souls; and third order members who sanctified the world.

We celebrate our thanks to God on this Important feast day for our Order and turn to the examples of our Saints, their lives and their intercessions for us so that they may guide us on our spiritual Dominican lifes journey.

Our Order Father, Saint Dominic left us a wonderous legacy of teaching and preaching by word and example of how we should live our lives.It is, then, joyous and encouraging that so many of our Dominican brothers and sisters have been beatified and canonized.

 

Let us pray then in the example we have been taught to ask our dear saints to intercede for us, and to thank our God for all the saints of our Dominican Order and for the fruits of our order to be pleasing in his sight…..

God, the heavenly Father

have mercy on us.

God, the Son, Redeemer of the world

have mercy on us.

God, the Holy Spirit

have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, one God

have mercy on us.

Holy Mary

pray for us.

Holy Mother of God

pray for us.

Holy Virgin of Virgins

pray for us.

All you holy angels and archangels

pray for us.

All you holy Patriarchs and Prophets

pray for us.

All you holy Apostles and Evangelists

pray for us.

All you holy martyrs

pray for us.

All you holy virgins and widows

pray for us.

All you holy men and women

pray for us.

Saint Michael

pray for us.

Saint Gabriel

pray for us.

Saint Raphael

pray for us.

Saint Joseph

pray for us.

Saint John the Baptist

pray for us.

Saint Mary Magdalen

pray for us.

Holy Father Augustine

pray for us.

Holy Father Francis

pray for us.

Blessed Jane of Aza

pray for us.

Blessed Reginald

pray for us.

Holy Father Dominic

pray for us.

Holy Father Dominic

pray for us.

Blessed Bertrand

pray for us.

Blessed Mannes

pray for us.

Blessed Diana

pray for us.

Blessed Jordan of Saxony

pray for us.

Blessed John of Salerno

pray for us.

Blessed William and Companions

pray for us.

Blessed Ceslaus

pray for us.

Blessed Isnard

pray for us.

Blessed Guala

pray for us.

Blessed Peter Gonzalez

pray for us.

Saint Zdislava

pray for us.

Saint Peter of Verona

pray for us.

Blessed Nicholas

pray for us.

Saint Hyacinth

pray for us.

Blessed Gonsalvo

pray for us.

Blessed Sadoc and Companions

pray for us.

Blessed Giles

pray for us.

Saint Margaret of Hungary

pray for us.

Blessed Batholomew of Vincenza

pray for us.

Saint Thomas Aquinas

pray for us.

Saint Raymond of Penyafort

pray for us.

Blessed Innocent V

pray for us.

Blessed Albert of Bergamo

pray for us.

Saint Albert the Great

pray for us.

Blessed John of Vercelli

pray for us.

Blessed Ambrose

pray for us.

Blessed Cecilia

pray for us.

Blessed Benvenuta

pray for us.

Blessed James of Varazze

pray for us.

Blessed James of Bevagna

pray for us.

lessed Jane of Orvieto

pray for us.

Blessed Jordan of Pisa

pray for us.

Saint Emily

pray for us.

Blessed James Salomonio

pray for us.

Saint Agnes of Montepulciano

pray for us.

Blessed Simon

pray for us.

Blessed Margaret of Castello

pray for us.

Blessed Augustine Kazotic

pray for us.

Blessed James Benefatti

pray for us.

Blessed Imelda

pray for us.

Blessed Dalmatius

pray for us.

Blessed Margaret Ebner

pray for us.

Blessed Villana

pray for us.

Blessed Peter Ruffia

pray for us.

Blessed Henry

pray for us.

Blessed Sibyllina

pray for us.

Blessed Anthony of Pavonio

pray for us.

Saint Catherine of Siena

pray for us.

Blessed Marcolino

pray for us.

Blessed Raymond of Capua

pray for us.

Blessed Andrew Franchi

pray for us.

Saint Vincent Ferrer

pray for us.

Blessed Clara

pray for us.

Blessed John Dominic

pray for us.

Blessed Alvarez

pray for us.

Blessed Maria

pray for us.

Blessed Peter of Castello

pray for us.

Blessed Andrew Abellon

pray for us.

Blessed Stephen

pray for us.

Blessed Peter Geremia

pray for us.

Blessed John of Fiesole

pray for us.

Blessed Lawrence of Ripafratta

pray for us.

Blessed Anthony della Chiesa

pray for us.

Saint Antoninus

pray for us.

Blessed Anthony Neyrot

pray for us.

Blessed Margaret of Savoy

pray for us.

Blessed Bartholomew of Cerverio

pray for us.

Blessed Matthew

pray for us.

Blessed Constantius

pray for us.

Blessed Christopher

pray for us.

Blessed Damian

pray for us.

Blessed Andrew of Peschiera

pray for us.

Blessed Bernard

pray for us.

Blessed Jane of Portugal

pray for us.

Blessed James of Ulm

pray for us.

Blessed Augustine of Biella

pray for us.

Blessed Aimo

pray for us.

Blessed Sebastian

pray for us.

Blessed Mark

pray for us.

Blessed Columba

pray for us.

Blessed Magdalen

pray for us.

Blessed Osanna of Mantua

pray for us.

Blessed John Liccio

pray for us.

Blessed Dominic Spadafora

pray for us.

Blessed Stephana

pray for us.

Saint Adrian

pray for us.

Blessed Lucy

pray for us.

Blessed Catherine Racconigi

pray for us.

Blessed Osanna of Kotor

pray for us.

Saint Pius V

pray for us.

Saint John of Cologne

pray for us.

Blessed Maria Bartholomew

pray for us.

Saint Louis Bertrand

pray for us.

Saint Catherine de Ricci

pray for us.

Blessed Robert

pray for us.

Blessed Alphonsus and Companions

pray for us.

Saint Rose

pray for us.

Saint Dominic Ibanez and Companions

pray for us.

Blessed Agnes of Jesus

pray for us.

Saint Lawrence Ruiz and Companions

pray for us.

Saint Martin de Porres

pray for us.

Blessed Peter Higgins

pray for us.

Blessed Francis de Capillas

pray for us.

Saint Juan Macias

pray for us.

Blessed Terence

pray for us.

Blessed Ann of the Angels

pray for us.

Blessed Francis de Posadas

pray for us.

Saint Louis de Montfort

pray for us.

Blessed Francis Gil

pray for us.

Saint Matteo

pray for us.

Blessed Peter Sanz and Companions

pray for us.

Saint Vincent Liem

pray for us.

Saint Hyacinth Castaneda

pray for us.

Blessed Marie

pray for us.

Blessed George

pray for us.

Blessed Catherine Jarrige

pray for us.

Saint Ignatius and Companions

pray for us.

Saint Dominic An-Kham and Companions

pray for us.

Saint Joseph Khang and Companions

pray for us.

Saint Francis Coll

pray for us.

Blessed Hyacinthe Cormier

pray for us.

Blessed Pier Giorgio

pray for us.

Blessed Bartolo

pray for us.

Blessed Michael Czartoryski

pray for us.

Blessed Julia Rodzinska

pray for us.

All holy Dominican brothers and sisters

pray for us.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,

spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,

graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,

have mercy on us.

Let us pray.–

God, source of all holiness, you have enriched your Church

with many gifts in the saints of the Order of Preachers.

By following the example of our brothers and sisters,

may we come to enjoy their company

for ever in the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Your Son, who lives and reigns with You

and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

Blessed Jerome, Valentine, Francis, Hyacinth & Companions (Martyrs of Tonkin)

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Between the arrival of the first Portuguese missionary in 1533, through the Dominicans and then the Jesuit missions of the 17th century, the politically inspired persecutions of the 19th century, and the Communist-led terrors of the twentieth, there have been many thousands upon thousands murdered for their faith in Vietnam. Some were priests, some nuns or brothers, some lay people; some were foreign missionaries, but most were native Vietnamese killed by their own government and people.

Jerome Hermosilla, a Dominican missionary to Manila, Philippines, and a priest, he went as a missionary to Vietnam in 1828 where he was the Vicar Apostolic of Eastern Tonking, Vietnam and titular bishop of Miletopolis. H was martyred with Saint Valentin Faustino Berri Ochoa.

Valentin Faustinao Berri Ochoa. Born in the Basque country, and ordained on June 14, 1851, Valentin was a missionary to the Philippines and then to Vietnam.   He was appointed coadjutor vicar apostolic of Central Tonking, (the modern diocese of Bùi Chu) Vietnam and titular bishop of Centuria on December 25, 1857. He was martyred with Saint Jerome Hermosilla.

Francis Gil de Frederich was educated in Barcelona, Spain where he joined the Dominicans. He was a missionary to the Philippines first and then a missionary to Vietnam in 1732. He spent nine years in prison for his faith during which time he converted fellow prisoners and supervised evangelists on the outside.

Hyacinth Castaneda was a Dominican Priest and missionary to China.  He then was sent as a missionary to Vietnam. He was beheaded for his faith in 1773 in Vietnam

Blessed Simon Ballachi

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Blessed Simon Ballachi was born to the nobility in 1240, the son of Count Ballachi. His family had a close association with the Church clergy; two of his uncles became archbishops of Rimini, Italy, and a younger brother was a priest. Trained as a soldier and in administration, he was expected to take over the family estates. Against his family wishes, he joined the Dominicans as a lay brother at age 27.

Assigned to work in the garden of his friary, something he knew nothing about but which he loved instantly. He saw God in everything, and prayed constantly as he worked. Noted for his simple life, his strict adherence to the Dominican Rule, and his excellent work as a catechist to children. A visionary, Simon was visited by the devil, by Saint Catherine of Alexandria, Saint Dominic de Guzman, Saint Peter Martyr, and the Blessed Virgin Mary; other brothers saw his cell glowing, and heard angelic voices. Blinded at age 57, he was nearly helpless during the last years of his life; he never despaired, and used the extra free time for prayer.  He died on 5 November in 1391.

Saint Charles Borromeo ~ The Rev. Dn. Joshua Hatten, OPI

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Saint Charles Borromeo was born on October 2, 1538, into a noble family of Milan and was also related to the powerful Medici family.  But Charles desired to devote himself to the Church. His uncle, Cardinal de Medici, was elected pope in 1559( he took the name Pius IV).  Pope Pius IV placed Charles in the office of cardinal deacon and made Charles the  administrator of the Archdiocese of Milan – and all while  he was still a layman and a student. But it is because of his intellectual gifts that he was entrusted with several important offices connected with the Vatican. Later in life, he was appointed secretary of state, which carries the responsibility for the papal states.

In the midst of all this, Charles’ older brother passed away.  The death was untimely, but it is what brought Charles  to his definite decision to become an ordained priest.  His relative objected – they wished to see Charles marry and have children.  But Charles was adamant about his calling, and, at the age of 25, he was ordained to the priesthood.  Very soon after his ordination, he was consecrated as the Bishop of Milan.

St. Charles Borromeo lived during the tumultuous times of the Protestant Reformation and was also involved in the final years of the Council of Trent.  Charles had encouraged the pope to renew the Council in 1562 after it had been suspended for 10 years. Using his mind and persuasion, much credit is due to St. Charles for keeping the Council of Trent going, when at many times it was on the verge of breaking up. For the Council, St Charles himself, took up the task of correspondence during the final phase – NOT AN EASY JOB!!

After the Council of Trent drew to a close, Saint Charles was allowed to devote his time to the Archdiocese of Milan, where religious and moral reform was needed from within. Saint Charles initiated a provincial council, made up of all the bishops under his leadership.  This Council focused on every phase of Catholic life from among the laity to the clergy and the specific changes and reforms needed therein.  Saint Charles new that the changes had to start with the clergy, if the laity were to change then they must first be given a good example of the desired reforms by the bishops and other clergy.  The people needed a reformed Catholic example, and Saint Charles knew this.

Saint Charles took the initiative in being a Christ-like example. Most of his income went to various charities. He gave up all luxuries and imposed harsh penances on himself. He denounced honors, esteem and influence to become poor. During the plague and famine of 1576, he tried to feed 60,000 to 70,000 people DAILY!!  This he accomplished by getting loans of large sums that required years to repay. Charles saw Christ in his neighbor and knew that charity done for the least of his flock was charity done for Christ.  Whilst the civil authorities and powers fled during the height of the plague, Saint Charles Borromeo stayed in the city and he ministered to the sick and the dying and continued to help those in need.

By the age of 46, the overwhelming work and burdens of his office began to affect his health and Saint Charles gave up his ghost.  The Church that he had worked so hard to make more human, recognized him as a saint in 1610. His feast day is celebrated on November 4th.
 

Blessed Martin de Porres

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Blessed Martin de Porres was born in the city of Lima, in the Viceroyalty of Peru, on December 9, 1579, the illegitimate son of a Spanish nobleman and a black former slave. He grew up in poverty; when his mother could not support him and his sister, Martin was confided to a primary school for two years, and then placed with a barber/surgeon to learn the medical arts. This caused him great joy, though he was only ten years old, for he could exercise charity to his neighbor while earning his living. Already he was spending hours of the night in prayer, a practice that increased rather than diminished as he grew older.

At the age of 15, he asked for admission to the Dominican Convent of the Rosary in Lima and was received first as a servant boy; as his duties grew, he was promoted to almoner. Eventually he felt the call to enter the Dominican Order, and was received as a tertiary. Years later, his piety and miraculous cures led his superiors to drop the racial limits on admission to the friars, and he was made a full Dominican. It is said that when his convent was in debt, he implored them: “I am only a poor mulatto, sell me.” Martin was deeply attached to the Blessed Sacrament, and he was praying in front of it one night when the step of the altar he was kneeling on caught fire. Throughout all the confusion and chaos that followed, he remained where he was, unaware of what was happening around him.

When he was 34, after he had been given the habit of a Coadjutor Brother, Martin was assigned to the infirmary, where he was placed in charge and would remain in service until his death at the age of sixty. His superiors saw in him the virtues necessary to exercise unfailing patience in this difficult role, and he never disappointed them. It was not long before miracles were attributed to him. Saint Martin also cared for the sick outside his convent, often bringing them healing with only a simple glass of water. He begged for alms to procure necessities the Convent could not provide, and Providence always supplied.

One day an aged beggar, covered with ulcers and almost naked, stretched out his hand, and Saint Martin, seeing the Divine Mendicant in him, took him to his own bed. One of his brethren reproved him. Saint Martin replied: “Compassion, my dear Brother, is preferable to cleanliness.”

When an epidemic struck Lima, there were in this single Convent of the Rosary sixty friars who were sick, many of them novices in a distant and locked section of the convent, separated from the professed. Saint Martin is said to have passed through the locked doors to care for them, a phenomenon which was reported in the residence more than once. The professed, too, saw him suddenly beside them without the doors having been opened. Martin continued to transport the sick to the convent until the provincial superior, alarmed by the contagion threatening the religious, forbade him to continue to do so. His sister, who lived in the country, offered her house to lodge those whom the residence of the religious could not hold. One day he found on the street a poor Indian, bleeding to death from a dagger wound, and took him to his own room until he could transport him to his sister’s hospice. The superior, when he heard of this, reprimanded his subject for disobedience. He was extremely edified by his reply: “Forgive my error, and please instruct me, for I did not know that the precept of obedience took precedence over that of charity.” The superior gave him liberty thereafter to follow his inspirations in the exercise of mercy.

Martin would not use any animal as food—he was a vegetarian.

In normal times, Saint Martin succeeded with his alms to feed 160 poor persons every day, and distributed a remarkable sum of money every week to the indigent. To Saint Martin the city of Lima owed a famous residence founded for orphans and abandoned children, where they were formed in piety for a creative Christian life. This lay brother had always wanted to be a missionary, but never left his native city; yet even during his lifetime he was seen elsewhere, in regions as far distant as Africa, China, Algeria and Japan. An African slave who had been in irons said he had known Martin when he came to relieve and console many like himself, telling them of heaven. When later the same slave saw him in Peru, he was very happy to meet him again and asked him if he had had a good voyage; only later did he learn that Saint Martin had never left Lima. A merchant from Lima was in Mexico and fell ill; he said aloud: “Oh, Brother Martin, if only you were here to care for me!” and immediately saw him enter his room. And again, this man did not know until later that he had never been in Mexico.

Martin was a friend of both Saint John de Massias and Saint Rose of Lima. When he died in Lima on November 3, 1639, Martin was known to the entire city. Word of his miracles had made him known as a saint throughout the region. As his body was displayed to allow the people of the city to pay their respects, each person snipped a tiny piece of his habit to keep as a relic. It is said that three habits were taken from the body. His body was then interred in the grounds of the monastery.

Pope Gregory XVI beatified Martin de Porres in 1837. Nearly one hundred and twenty-five years later, Blessed Martin was canonized in Rome by Pope John XXIII on May 6, 1962. His feast day is November 3. He is the Patron Saint of people of mixed race, innkeepers, barbers, public health and more besides.

In iconography, Martin de Porres is often depicted as a young mulatto friar (he was a Dominican brother, not a priest, as evidenced by the black scapular and capuce he wears, while priests of the Dominican order wear all white) with a broom, since he considered all work to be sacred no matter how menial. He is sometimes shown with a dog, a cat and a mouse eating in peace from the same dish.

 

 

Feast of All Souls ~ The Rev. Dn., Sister Dollie Wilkinson

all-souls-day featured image

Is death the last sleep? No–it is the last and final awakening.
-Sir Walter Scott

“As (Saint) Dominic lay on his deathbed surrounded by his sorrowful brethren, he consoled them saying, “Do not weep. I will be of more use to you in Heaven.” Dominic’s words offered deep hope, extending beyond his death to the death of each member of the Order. “

     We all have lost loved ones, some so early in their life, others who had been with us for a good long while. But for those left behind, the sense of loss can be almost too much to bear. Yet we know in our hearts that we shall see our loved ones again, that we will all be reunited with each other—in our heavenly Father’s kingdom. So until that time, we remember them with love, and offer up prayers for their soul.

     Today, November 2nd, we celebrate the Feast of All Souls. On the day after All Saints, the Church reminds us of those who have not yet achieved the goal of their pilgrimage, the Kingdom of Heaven. As part of the communion of saints, they need our prayers. Today’s feast is an opportunity for us to pray in unity for our relatives and friends and for those who have no one to pray for them. All Soul’s Day (sometimes called the “Day of the Dead”) is always November 2 (November 3rd if the 2nd falls on a Sunday).
All Soul’s Day is a Roman Catholic day of remembrance for friends and loved ones who have passed away. This comes from the ancient Pagan Festival of the Dead, which celebrated the Pagan belief that the souls of the dead would return for a meal with the family. Candles in the window would guide the souls back home, and another place was set at the table. Children would come through the village, asking for food to be offered symbolically to the dead, then donated to feed the hungry.
The day purposely follows All Saint’s Day in order to shift the focus from those in heaven to those in purgatory. It is celebrated with Masses and festivities in honor of the dead. While the Feast of All Saints is a day to remember the glories of Heaven and those there, the Feast of All Souls reminds us of our obligations to live holy lives and that there will be purification of the souls of those destined for Heaven.

     Upon death, it is believed that souls have not yet been cleansed of sin. Praying for souls of loved ones helps to remove the stain of sin, and allow the souls to enter the pearly gates of heaven. Through prayer and good works, living members of the church may help their departed friends and family. There are three Requiem Masses that are said by the clergy to assist the souls from Purgatory to Heaven: one for the celebrant, one for the departed, and one for the pope. One such reading for the Mass is included in the Book of Wisdom:

“The souls of the just are in the hand of God
and no torment shall touch them.
They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead;
and their passing away was thought an affliction
and their going forth from us, utter destruction.
But they are in peace.
For if before men, indeed, they be punished,
yet is their hope full of immortality;
chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed,
because God tried them
and found them worthy of himself.
As gold in the furnace, he proved them,
and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself.
In the time of their visitation they shall shine,
and shall dart about as sparks through stubble;
they shall judge nations and rule over peoples,
and the Lord shall be their King forever.
Those who trust in him shall understand truth,
and the faithful shall abide with him in love:
because grace and mercy are with his holy ones,
and his care is with his elect.”


The traditions of the Feast of All Souls began independently of the Feast of All Saints. The Feast of All Souls owes its beginning to seventh century monks who decided to offer the mass on the day after Pentecost for their deceased community members. In the late tenth century, the Benedictine monastery in Cluny chose to move their Mass for their dead to November 2, the day after the Feast of all Saints. This custom spread and in the thirteenth century, Rome put the feast on the calendar of the entire Church. The date remained November 2 so that all in the Communion of the Saints might be celebrated together.

     Other customs have arisen over time in the celebration of All Souls Day. The Dominicans in the 15th century instituted a custom of each priest offering three Masses on the Feast of All Souls. Pope Benedict XIV in 1748 approved this practice, and it rapidly spread throughout Spain, Portugal and Latin America. During World War I, Pope Benedict XV, recognizing the number of war dead and the numerous Masses that could not be fulfilled because of destroyed Churches, granted all priests the privilege of offering three Masses on All Souls Day: one for the particular intention, one for all of the faithful departed, and one for the intentions of the Holy Father.
Many more customs are associated with The Days of the Dead celebration. In the home an altar is made with an offering of food upon it. It is believed that the dead partake of the food in spirit and the living eat it later. The offerings are beautifully arranged with flowers such as marigolds, which are the traditional flower of the dead. There is a candle placed for each dead soul, and they are adorned in some manner. Incense is also often used, and mementos, photos, and other remembrances of the dead also adorn the offerings. Traditional Catholics still honor customs related to the relief of the souls suffering in purgatory. One custom is for persons to pray six Our Fathers, Hail Mary’s and Glory Be’s for the intentions of the Pope in a church, and thereby, receive a plenary indulgence for a soul in purgatory. This action may be repeated for another soul, by leaving the church and re-entering it to repeat the prayers.
All Soul’s Day lives on today, particularly in Mexico, where All Hallows’ Eve, All Saint’s Day and All Soul’s Day are collectively observed as “Los Dias de los Muertos” (The Days of the Dead). First and foremost, the Days of the Dead is a time when families fondly remember the deceased. But it is also a time marked by festivities, including spectacular parades of skeletons and ghouls. In one notable tradition, revelers lead a mock funeral procession with a live person inside a coffin.

     As we all know, death is never final. We will be reunited with our loved ones. And for those in purgatory, let us pray for their souls to be cleansed, so we shall all live again in our Father’s house.

A prayer for all our departed brothers and sisters:


Merciful Father,
hear our prayer
and console us.
As we renew
our faith in Your Son,
whom You raised from the dead,
strengthen our hope
that all our departed brothers and sisters
will share in His resurrection,
who lives and reigns
with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

Amen

Invocation for the Souls in Purgatory:

My God,
bestow Thy blessings and Thy mercies
on all persons
and on those souls in Purgatory,

for whom I am in charity, gratitude, or friendship bound
and have the desire to pray.

Amen