Today, on the 5th Day of Christmas, we find ourselves celebrating yet another martyr, St. Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, murdered by knights in the service of King Henry II of England on December 29th, 1170.
Only in The Lord: St. Nicasius and Advent
St. Nicasius understood that human righteousness would overawe neither Huns nor Vandals. He himself put his trust in the Lord.
Lover or Fighter? St. Nicholas of Myra
Hang out your stockings: today, December 6th, is the feast day of St. Nicholas of Myra: lover, fighter, and disciple of Jesus Christ.
Greater Love: St. Maximilian Kolbe
Even more than his eloquence, however, or his ability to communicate the beauty of the Catholic Faith, St. Maximilian witnessed with his own life.
The Church Militant, Spiritual Warfare, and St. Equitius
Here the bishops and priests are the officers, who train us lay people and lead us into battle. We are the common soldiers who apply our “training” to the fight on the front lines, i.e., in the world. If instead we try to knock our general off his horse and hop up in his place, we are really fighting for the enemy.
St. Ignatius and The Cosmic War
St. Ignatius never lost his “fighting spirit”, even if he expressed it in a new way. Instead of directing his fire at human enemies, he was now concerned with “the principalities, . . .the powers, . . . the world rulers of this present darkness, . . . the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12)
What is a Successful Failure? (St. Bridget of Sweden)
St. Bridget is in fact an excellent example of the quote attributed to St. Theresa of Calcutta: “God hasn’t called me to be successful, he has called me to be faithful”.
A Sin is a Sin: St. Thomas and Conscience
In other words, a sin is a sin is a sin, and whatever we may think, it’s still a sin. As Catholics, we have ample means of knowing the Moral Law, and therefore have no excuse for disobeying it.
Human Trafficking, Love & St. Vitalis
Human Trafficking, Love & St. Vitalis 11 Jan 2023 1st century Roman mosaic; Kunsthistorisches Museum / Public Domain When a man dies, his life is revealed. Call no man happy before his death, for by how he ends a man is known. (Sirach 11:27-28) Human Trafficking Prostitution sometimes hides under the phrase "the world's oldest profession." … Continue reading Human Trafficking, Love & St. Vitalis
St. Catherine of Alexandria, Patroness of Modern Women
St. Catherine of Alexandria has a lot to say to such a world as ours. She puts her trust completely in Jesus Christ, and so she trusts in the gifts he has given her, including her femininity. Therefore, she can be as strong as any man, without surrendering her womanhood.