SAINTS OF THE DAY FOR APRIL 23

 SAINTS OF THE DAY FOR APRIL 23

ST. ADALBERT, BISHOP OF PRAGUE AND MARTYR

Adalbert was the first Slavic Bishop of Prague. After studying at Magdeburg, he attempted to evangelize the city, but with little success; so he went to Rome and became a Benedictine monk. Later he went as a missionary to northern Europe, and in 997 he was martyred along the Baltic coast.  April 23

 

St. George, Martyr, Patron of England & Catalonia. Pictures of St. George usually show him killing a dragon to rescue a beautiful lady. The dragon stands for wickedness. The lady stands for God's holy truth. St. George was a brave martyr who was victorious over the devil.  He was a soldier in the army of the Roman Emperor Diocletian, and he was one of the Emperor's favorite soldiers. Now Diocletian was a pagan and a bitter enemy to the Christians. He put to death every Christian he could find. George was a brave Christian, a real soldier of Christ. Without fear, he went to the Emperor and sternly scolded him for being so cruel. Then he gave up his position in the Roman army. For this he was tortured in many terrible ways and finally beheaded.  

So boldly daring and so cheerful was St. George in declaring his Faith and in dying for it that Christians felt courage when they heard about it. Many songs and poems were written about this martyr. Soldiers, especially, have always been devoted to him. We all have some "dragon" we have to conquer. It might be pride, or anger, or laziness, or greediness, or something else. Let us make sure we fight against these "dragons", with God's help. Then we can call ourselves real soldiers of Christ. .  

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/saints/04/23/st--george--martyr.html 

Bl. Maria Gabriella Sagheddu, Roman Catholic Trappist Nun. Patron of Ecumenism.Feastday April 22

Blessed Maria Gabriella Sagheddu

“We can think, for example, of Blessed Maria Gabriella Sagheddu, who offered her life for the unity of Christians.” #5 Rejoice and Be Glad

Blessed Maria (March 17, 1914 – April 23, 1929) was an Italian Roman Catholic professed religious and a professed member from the Trappists. Maria had an intense spiritual devotion to ecumenism – something for which she had offered her life – since she desired that all would become one in Jesus Christ.

http://www.propheties.it/mystics/gabriella.htm

https://catholicsaints.info/blessed-maria-gabriella-sagheddu/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Gabriella_Sagheddu

Pope John Paul II referred to her in his papal encyclical Ut Unum Sint in which he said: Praying for unity is not a matter reserved only to those who actually experience the lack of unity among Christians. In the deep personal dialogue which each of us must carry on with the Lord in prayer, concern for unity cannot be absent. ...It was in order to reaffirm this duty that I set before the faithful of the Catholic Church a model which I consider exemplary, the model of a Trappistine Sister, Blessed Maria Gabriella of Unity, whom I beatified on 25 January 1983. Sister Maria Gabriella, called by her vocation to be apart from the world, devoted her life to meditation and prayer centered on chapter seventeen of Saint John's Gospel, and offered her life for Christian unity. ...The example of Sister Maria Gabriella is instructive; it helps us to understand that there are no special times, situations or places of prayer for unity. Christ's prayer to the Father is offered as a model for everyone, always and everywhere.[4]