St. Stephen was born sometime during 975 AD, in Esztergom, Hungary. Much of his childhood is unknown, but we know he was baptized at the age of 10 with his father. Even though both of his parents were baptized, he was the only one who became a devoted Christian. His father was in fact leader of the Magyars, a group who lived in the Danube area. When he was 20 years old, he married Gisela, who was the sister of the future emperor, St. Henry.
After his father’s death, he fought for the throne against a cousin, and won. He was crowned King of Hungary by Pope Sylvester II between 1000 AD and 1001 AD. St. Stephen United Hungary and protected it against invaders. He supported the expansion of Christianity, with punishments for ignoring it. St. Stephen founded one archbishop, thee Benedictine monasteries, and six bishoprics. His reign gave Hungary a period of peace. St. Stephen died on August 15, 1038, and was buried in Székesfehérvár. He was canonized by Pope Gregory VII, and is the patron saint of Hungary. He had a large impact on Christianity in Hungary, and his feast day, Augusta 20, is a public holiday in Hungary, celebrating the foundation of the state. INTERCESSORY PRAYER Saint Stephen, whom I have chosen as my special patron, pray for me that I, too, may one day glorify the Blessed Trinity in heaven. Obtain for me your lively faith, that I may consider all persons, things, and events in the light of almighty God. Set me on fire with a love for Jesus, that I may thirst for His sacraments and burn with zeal for the spread of His kingdom. By your powerful intercession, help me in the performance of my duties to God, myself and all the world. Win for me the virtue of purity and a great confidence in the Blessed Virgin. Protect me this day, and every day of my life. Keep me from mortal sin. Obtain for me the grace of a happy death. Amen.
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Saint Tarcisius was a young boy who lived in an age when Christians were persecuted and imprisoned. Bishops and priests would secretly send the Holy Eucharist to the prisoners even though it was so dangerous. One day, a Bishop received a letter after mass. It came from Christian prisoners, asking for the Holy Eucharist so that they may find strength and gladly accept a martyr’s death in prison. The Bishop asked people to gather around to find someone who would send the Holy Communion to the prisoners. Tarcisius volunteered and convinced the Bishop that nobody would suspect him since he was just a boy. He was given some hosts carefully wrapped in a linen cloth and he placed it in his tunic by his heart. As Tarcisius was delivering the hosts, he passed by his classmates who were looking for another member to play a game. They called him over and asked what he was holding by his chest. Tarcisius refused to tell them, making them more curious. They grabbed him and tried pulling at his chest. Tarcisius quietly asked the Lord for strength and one of the boys heard him. Realizing that he must be carrying some Christian mystery, the school boys began to strike and stone him. Tarcisius never loosened his grip. A soldier walked by and pulled him away from the others, telling them to stop. Taricisius looked at the soldier's face and recognized him from the gathering that the Bishop had called for.
“I am dying,” Tarcisius said as he passed the hosts over to the soldier. He asked the soldier to give them to the prisoners for him, and passed away in the soldier’s arms. Saint Tarcisius died to share Jesus with his fellow brothers and sisters who were being persecuted in the Lord’s name. He is the patron saint of altar servers and first communicants. INTERCESSORY PRAYER Lord, Saint Tarcisius gave his life for you, give us strength to follow his example. Help us stay faithful and strong through hardships and struggles. We ask this through Christ, Our Lord, Amen. St. Maximilian Kolbe was born on January 8, 1894 in Poland. St. Maximilian Kolbe was very active promoting the Immaculate Virgin Mary and is known as the Apostle of Consecration to Mary. When he was 13, Kolbe and his elder brother, Francis joined the Conventual Franciscans. In 1918, he was ordained a priest and continued his work of promoting Mary throughout Poland. Kolbe also founded monasteries in both Japan and India. In 1936, Kolbe's poor health forced him to return home to Poland just as WWII invasion by Germany began. He opened up a temporary hospital to aid those in need. When his town was captured, Kolbe continued to work in his monastery and provided shelter for refugees, including 2,000 Jews. On February 17, 1941, the monastery was shut down and Kolbe was arrested. Three months later, he was transferred to a concentration camp. Toward the end of his second month in Auschwitz, 12 men were chosen to face death by starvation as a message against escapes. Kolbe was not chosen but volunteered to take the place of a man with a family. It is said during the last days of his life Kolbe led prayers to Our Lady with the prisoners and remained calm. He was the last of the group to remain alive, after two weeks of dehydration and starvation. The guards eventually gave him a lethal injection of carbolic acid. In 1982, St. Pope John Paul II canonized him as a “martyr of charity,” and called him the “patron of our difficult century.” He is the patron saint of drug addicts, prisoners, families, and the pro-life movement.
INTERCESSORY PRAYER Lord, help us to follow the example of Saint Maximilian Kolbe to remain faithful to you even during difficult times and put others' needs before our own. Amen As a priest in Rome, Hippolytus—the name means “a horse turned loose”—was at first “holier than the Church.” He felt that the Church must be composed of pure souls uncompromisingly separated from the world: Hippolytus evidently thought that his group fitted the description. He remained in schism through the reigns of three popes. In 235, he also was banished to the island of Sardinia. Shortly before or after this event, he was reconciled to the Church, and died in exile. He is, nevertheless, the most important theologian and prolific religious writer before the age of Constantine. His writings are the fullest source of our knowledge of the Roman liturgy and the structure of the Church in the second and third centuries. His works include many Scripture commentaries, polemics against heresies, and a history of the world.
INTERCESSORY PRAYER Lord,may the loyal suffering of your saint, Hippolytus, fill us with your love and make our hearts steadfast in faith. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Bl. Isidore Bakanja, a member of the Boangi tribe, was born in Bokendela (Congo) between 1880 and 1890. In order to survive, even as a boy, he had to work as a bricklayer or in farms. He was converted to Christianity in 1906. He was working in a plantation run by a colonialist in Ikili and was forbidden by the owner to spread Christianity among his fellow-workers.
On 22 April 1909, the superintendent of the business tore off the Carmelite Scapular, which Isidore was wearing as an expression of his Christian faith, and had him severely beaten even while drawing blood. He died on August 15 of the same year as a result of the wounds inflicted in "punishment" for his faith and which he bore patiently while forgiving his aggressor. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II on 24 April 1994. INTERCESSORY PRAYER Lord, help us work for a world where all may speak their creeds and pray their prayers like Isidore Bakanja, without fear of violence. Hear the prayers of those who abide with you in dangerous times and in dark valleys, and who die with your name on their lips. Draw them quickly to your side where they might know eternal peace. Amen. Clare was born in Assisi, Italy, in 1193 to wealthy parents, and was taught how to read and write as well as spinning yarn and needlework. She had little to no interest in her wealth and was influenced by her mother’s religious devotion to dedicate her life to God at an early age. She showed early on that her calling would involve helping the poor, as she set aside food from her family table to give to the needy on the streets. When Clare was 18, Francis of Assisi came to preach at a nearby church. After his preaching, Francis vowed to assist Clare in dedicating her life to God. Clare’s parents wanted her to marry a wealthy young man but she refused and fled to the Porziuncola Chapel where Francis received her. Clare made the vows to dedicate her life to God on March 20, 1212 which marked the beginning of the Second order of Saint Francis. Clare’s sister Agnes soon joined her along with other women and became known as the ‘Poor Ladies’. Clare became the abbess of Saint Damiano in 1216 and while doing manual labor and praying, she also began to dedicate much of her time to change the governing rule ( the rule was changed two days after she died by Pope Innocent lV). The order would become known for its life of abject poverty and committed life of prayer, prayer that Clare would use to attain worldly victories that are credited with saving Assisi on two occasions. The first time was when Clare was raising the Host up in a window, thereby causing Frederick ll’s invading troops to fall back and the second time was when Assisi was under attack, Clare and her nuns prayed and a strong storm came and scattered the attackers. Clare continued to take care of Francis till the end of his life and was with him when he died. Despite being very ill, Clare continued to promote the growth of the church until she died in 1253. In August 1255, Pope Alexander lV canonized Clare, and today the order of Saint Clare numbers more than 20,000 sisters worldwide, with more than 70 countries represented.
INTERCESSORY PRAYER O glorious Saint Clare! God has given you the power of working miracles continually, and the favor of answering the prayers of those who invoke your assistance in misfortune, anxiety, and distress; we beseech you, obtain for us from Jesus, through Mary, His blessed Mother, what we beg of you so fervently and hopefully, if it be for the greater honor and glory of God and for the good of our souls. Amen. Lawrence was one of the first appointed among the seven deacons who served in the cathedral church. He is therefore called "archdeacon of Rome", a position of great trust that included the care of the treasury and riches of the Church and the distribution of alms to the indigent. Emperor Valerian issued an edict that all bishops, priests, and deacons should immediately be put to death. Pope Sixtus II was captured on 6 August 258, at the cemetery of St Callixtus while celebrating the liturgy and executed forthwith. After the death of Sixtus, the prefect of Rome demanded that Lawrence turnover the riches of the Church. Lawrence asked for three days to gather the wealth. Lawrence worked to distribute as much Church property to the poor as possible, to prevent it being seized by the prefect. On the third day, at the head of a small delegation, he presented himself to the prefect, and when ordered to deliver the treasures of the Church he presented the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the suffering, and declared that these were the true treasures of the Church. The prefect was so angry that he had a great gridiron prepared with hot coals beneath it, and had Lawrence placed on it. After the martyr had suffered pain for a long time he cheerfully declared: "I'm well done on this side. Turn me over!". He was buried under the Basilica of Saint Lawrence 'Fuori le Mura' Rome, Italy. Saint Lawrence is the patron saint of school children, poor people, cooks, comedians, Rome, miners, tanners, chefs, and firefighters.
INTERCESSORY PRAYER O Generous patron of the Church’s poor, St. Lawrence, pray to the One God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit that all the poor of the Church in need in every corner of the world may feel the effect of the love of their brothers and sisters who seek to help them. May we come some day with all those whom we helped on earth to the bright mansions of heaven where we will enjoy the riches of God’s house and the company of the Savior who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross was born on October 12, 1891 to a Jewish family. Her real name was Edith Stein before she became a Carmelite nun. Because of World War 1, she became an atheist and worked as a nursing assistant in an infectious diseases hospital. When St. Teresa Benedicta read the works of St. Teresa of Avila, she was led to the Catholic Faith and was baptized on January 1 1922. In October 1922, she was admitted into the Carmelite monastery in Cologne, Germany. She received the religious habit of the Carmelites as a novice in 1934, obtaining the name Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. During World War 2, she and her sister Rosa were sent to a Carmelite monastery in the Netherlands for safety. In 1940, German Nazis invaded the country and arrested St. Teresa Benedicta, her sister, and other nuns and put them in a concentration camp, where they died on August 9 1942.
INTERCESSORY PRAYER O St. Teresa of Benedicta, teach us to have faith and read the Word of God just like how you read the works of St. Teresa of Avila and believed. Teach us to pray well so that we can get our daily needs. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen. |