DEC 8: The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Photo: The Immaculate Conception by Pieter Pauwel Rubens c. 1628

DEC 3: Memorial of St. Francis Xavier

Saint Francis Xavier was born on April 7, 1506 in Spanish Navarre. He attended the University of Paris. While in Paris Xavier met St. Ignatius Loyola. They, along with 5 other men took the famous vow of Montmartre on Aug. 15, 1534 and became the founding members of the Society of Jesus.

After his studies Xavier and his companions left Paris and went to Venice where he spent time attending to the sick in hospitals. Xavier was ordained a priest in 1537.

When the Society was recognized by the Pope in 1538 Xavier was sent to Goa, Indoa where he Evangelized and aided the sick. Over the next ten years Xavier traveled the area converting tens of thousands to Christianity. He visited the Paravas at the tip of India, Comorin, Tuticorin , Malacca, the Moluccas near New Guinea Morotai near the Philippines, and Japan.

In 1551 Inda was set up as a province by St. Ignatius and Xavier became its provincial.

In 1552 Xavier took ill and died on the Island of Sancian near the coast of China December 2, 1552. He was canonized in 1622 and proclaimed patron of all foreign missions by Pope Pius X.

Great Saint Francis, well beloved and full of charity, in union with you I reverently adore the Divine Majesty. I give thanks to God for the singular gifts of grace bestowed on you in life and of glory after death, and I beg of you, with all the affection of my heart, by your powerful intercession, obtain for me the grace to live a holy life and die a holy death. I beg you to obtain for me {mention your petition}. But if what I ask is not for the glory of God and for my well-being, obtain for me, I beseech you, what will more certainly attain these ends. Amen.

_______
Sources:
Saints & Angels Catholic.org
Catholic Encyclopedia
SQPN Saints

NOV 30: Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle

Saint Andrew is the first apostle. He was the brother of Saint Peter. Born in Bethsaida, he and Simon Peter were fisherman on the Sea of Galilee. Initially, Andrew was a follower of John the Baptist, but then became a follower of Jesus. Andrew is credited with introducing his brother Simon Peter to Jesus where they both became one of the twelve.

According to his entry in Wikipedia Andrew preached in Asia Minor and in Scythia, along the Black Sea as far as the Volga and Kiev. Hence he became a patron saint of Ukraine, Romania and Russia. According to tradition, he founded the See of Byzantium (Constantinople)in AD 38, installing Stachys as bishop.


Saint Andrrew was martyred in Patras in Achaea on Nov 30 60 AD at the order of Roman Governor, Aegeates. It is said that he was crucified on an X shaped cross called a saltire. He was bound to the cross, not nailed to it to prolong his suffering. His feast day is Nov 30 in both the Latin and Greek churches.

St. Andrew's relics were initially kept in Patras, but were eventually moved to Constantinople. When the French took Constantinople in the 13th century his relics were moved to the cathedral of Amalfi in Italy, where most of them remain today.

O Glorious Saint Andrew, you were the first to recognize and follow the Lamb of God. With your friend Saint John you remained with Jesus for that first day, for your entire life, and now throughout eternity.

As you led your brother Saint Peter to Christ and many others after him, draw us also to him. Teach us to lead others to Christ solely out of love for him and dedication in his service. Help us to learn the lesson of the Cross and to carry our daily crosses without complaint so that they may carry us to Jesus.

________
Sources:
The Catholic Encyclopedia
Wikipedia - Saint Andrew
SQPN Saints

Advent First Vespers

Fr. Gonzales at Overheard in the Sacristy posted this picture of the Holy Father at Advent First Vespers. It is a beautiful photo of the Holy Father with his new ferula (Pastoral Staff).



Description:

On the front side of the new ferula is depicted in the centre the Lamb of God, and on the four points of the cross, the symbols of the four Evangelists. The arms of the cross are decorated in a net-like pattern which evokes the fisherman whose successor Pope Benedict is. On the backside there is in the centre the Chi-Rho, the monogram of Christ, and on the four points of the cross, four Fathers of Occident and Orient, Augustine and Ambrose, Athanasius and John Chrysostom, the same who also carry Bernini's cathedra. On the top of the shaft is the coat of arms of Pope Benedict XVI. Source: http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/



Also the mitre that the Holy Father is wearing is form Pope Pius IX. This mitre is referred to as the Immaculate conception mitre.On the front is an image of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and on the back is a image of Jesus the Good Shepherd. For those wondering, on December 8th, 1854 Blessed Pope Pius IX wrote the Apostolic Constitution INEFFABILIS DEUS which defined for us the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception.

Congratulations Deacon Zachary Peterson

On Saturday November 7, 2009 Zachary Peterson was ordained to the Order of Deacon in an incredibly moving Christ-filled ceremony.

Congratulations Deacon Zachary. You can be assured of my family's daily prayers as you continue your journey toward priesthood.

A Catholic Marching Band Shows Their Faith

Last night I was lucky enough to attend the 2009 Festival of Bands in Sioux Falls, SD. Prior to the beginning of the finals competition O'Gorman Catholic High School took to the field to perform their program in exhibition. They put on a great show using the Pirates of the Caribbean as their theme, but one of the things that inspired me the most happened before their show even began. While their color guard and pit is setting up their equipment some marching bands will play a warm up tune prior to doing their show (kind of a pre-show). Some bands do this, some bands do not. O'Gorman played a beautiful rendition of the Our Father. I am not sure how many of the people in the stadium knew it, but those around me who were Catholic recognized it.

So I would like to offer a gigantic tip of the hat to the O'Gorman Catholic High School Marching Knights for putting their faith front and center on the marching band field. Well done Knights!

A Priest on the Field of Battle

Touched By GraceA Priest on the Field of Battle
August 19th, 2009 by Russell Shaw

On Thursday, September 3 at 7 p.m. a dedicated band of people will gather in the crypt church of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington to honor a man who may some day be declared a saint. Archbishop Timothy M. Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services will be main celebrant of the Mass — an annual event — which this year falls on the eve of the 42nd anniversary of the death of Father Vincent R. Capodanno, M.M., the "Grunt Padre."

Information that could conceivably lead to his beatification and canonization is now being collected. Input from family, friends, and former military personnel will go to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in Rome. Meanwhile Father Capodanno enjoys the designation "servant of God." The postulator of his cause is Father Daniel L. Mode, an Arlington priest and Navy chaplain who authored his biography, The Grunt Padre (CMJ Marian Publishers, 2000).

Vice-postulator Mary E. Preece says among those facing their own special "field of battle" who believe Father Capodanno has helped them are soldiers recovering from amputations and life-threatening injuries, a Vietnam war veteran’s widow coping with his unexpected death, a young priest suffering from a blood disease, and others.

Vincent Capodanno was born February 13, 1929, youngest of ten children of an Italian immigrant couple. He grew up on Staten Island, joined the Maryknoll order to become a missionary, and was ordained in 1958. September 4, 1967 found him, a Navy chaplain in Vietnam, with elements of the 1st Battalion 5th Marines near the village of Dong Son in the Que-Son Valley. A Navy medic, Lt. Joseph E. Pilon, described the day’s events.

"If you get three Purple Hearts you go home within 48 hours. On Labor Day our battalion ran into a world of trouble… 500 Marines against 2500 North Vietnamese Army regulars. We were constantly on the verge of [being] completely overrun and the Marines on several occasions had to ‘advance in a retrograde movement.’ This left the dead and wounded outside the perimeter….

"Casualties were running high and Fr. C. had his work cut out for him. Early in the day, he was shot through the right hand which all but shattered his hand — one corpsman patched him up and tried to med evac him but Fr. C. declined. A few hours later a mortar landed near him and left his right arm in shreds hanging from his side. Once again he was patched up and once attain he refused evacuation.

"There he was, moving slowly from wounded to dead to wounded using his left arm to support his right as he gave absolution or last rites, when suddenly he spied a corpsman get knocked down by the burst of an automatic weapon. Fr. C. ran out to him and positioned himself between the injured boy and the automatic weapon. Suddenly the weapon opened up again and this time riddled Fr. C. from the back of his head to the base of his spine—and with his third Purple Heart of the day Fr. C. went Home."

Vietnam remains a controversial affair. Father Capodanno believed what America was trying to do there was morally right, but in serving his beloved grunts he wasn’t making a political statement but ministering to men who needed him. He received the Medal of Honor posthumously. Other awards and honors have come his way. I don’t know if he will ever be declared a saint, but a brave and dedicated priest he unquestionably was.
From Catholic Exchange


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