Christian Today

The Year of the Philosopher? - Crisis Magazine : Three notable Catholic thinkers drew considerable attention in the year of 2019: Saint John Henry Newman for his canonization, Bishop Fulton Sheen for the approval of his beatification, and G.K. Chesterton for his cause for sainthood being stalled. Although Newman is best identified as a theologian, Sheen as a preacher, and Chesterton as a journalist, …

ST. SYLVESTER I, POPE Sylvester,  Pope in the Age of Christian Liberty St. Sylvester was the first Pope of Rome to reign entirely under the liberty of the Church, guaranteed by the Edict of Milan in 313. Sylvester - a priest of Rome and the son of one Rufinus, according to the  Liber pontificalis  - was elected to the See of Peter in 314. During Sylvester’s reign, the city began its transition into its Christian era, with the construction of the great Constantinian basilicas - including the Basilica of St. Peter on the Vatican Hill, which was erected above a temple dedicated to Apollo, to mark the burial place of the first Bishop of Rome. St. Sylvester and Emperor Constantine also collaborated on the the Lateran Basilica and  Baptistery, which were built adjacent to the former imperial palace where the Pontiff lived, as well as  the (Roman) Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem, and the Basilica of St. Paul outside the walls. Sylvester’s memory, howev...

Holy Family dec 30

The Martyr Saints of China, or Augustine Zhao Rong and his 119 companions, are saints of the Roman Catholic Church. The 87 Chinese Catholics and 33 Western missionaries, from the mid-17th century to 1930, were martyred because of their ministry and, in some cases, for their refusal to apostatize. Many died in the Boxer Rebellion, in which xenophobic peasants slaughtered 30,000 Chinese converts to Christianity along with missionaries and other foreigners. Dec. 30

Bl. John Alcober, Roman Catholic Dominican Priest and Martyr in China. He was held in prison until strangled to death. He died with Blessed Peter Sanz and other Dominicans. Dec. 30

St. Anysia, Roman Catholic Martyr of Greece. She was a wealthy woman of Salonika, in Thessaly, who used her personal funds to aid the poor. A soldier accosted her in the street and tried to drag her to a pagan sacrifice. Anysia resisted and was killed when the soldier attacked her with his sword. Dec. 30

ST. FELIX I, POPE Dec. 30 A Roman priest, Felix reigned as Pope from 269 to 274. He celebrated Masses over the tombs that guarded the relics of the Christian martyrs, and strongly defended the doctrines of the Trinity of God and the Incarnation of the Word.  Dec.30

ST. THOMAS BECKET, BISHOP OF CANTERBURY, MARTYR Dec. 29 “For the name of Jesus and the protection of the Church, I am ready to embrace death.” These were the words St. Thomas is reported to have uttered before his murder. He had been a man of power, accustomed to command. He died as a servant of Christ and a martyr: keeping the  faith and to preserving the freedom of the Catholic Church. Statesman Born in London in 1118, Thomas was of Norman stock. He was initiated into an ecclesiastical career at a young age. Trained in the abbey of Merton, he later studied in France and at the University of Bologna and soon distinguished himself for his intellectual qualities. In 1154 he became archdeacon of the diocese of Canterbury and the following year, the new king of England, Henry II, appointed him chancellor of the realm. Thomas was the king’s most trusted man. He lived a comfortable life, and did not disdain the symbols and privileges of power. However, the future Saint did no...

Sts. Eutychius & Domitian, Roman Catholic Martyrs of Ancyra, in Galatia. Eutychius was a priest and Domitian a deacon, and they died for defending the faith. Feastday Dec.28

STS. INNOCENTS, MARTYRS Dec.28 The Holy Innocents are the children of Bethlehem, put to death by order of King Herod, as part of his efforts to eliminate the child Jesus, whom prophecies announced as the Messiah and new King of Israel. They have been honored as martyrs since the early centuries.  Dec.28

ST. FABIOLA, ROMAN WIDOW, DISCIPLE OF ST. JEROME St. Fabiola was twice married. Being widowed the second time, she converted to Christianity, and gave up her possessions to build a hospice for the needy sick. She Became a disciple of St. Jerome in Palestine. Then she returned to Rome, to live as a hermit and help the poorest of the poor.   Dec.27 ST. JOHN, APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST

St. Vincentia Maria Lopez Y Vicuna, Roman Catholic Nun and foundress of Daughters of Mary Immaculate for Domestic Service, a religious congregation dedicated to the ministering to working girls.Dec.26

ST. STEPHEN, FIRST MARTYR Dec. 26 And him I saw, who bow’d Heavy with death unto the ground, yet made His eyes, unfolded upward, gates to Heaven,     Praying forgiveness of the Almighty Sire,             Amidst that cruel conflict, on his foes, With looks that win compassion to their aim. In the Divine Comedy, Dante looks upon a touching scene: the death, by stoning, of a young man who, as he is dying, asks for forgiveness for his persecutors. The great Christian poet was struck by the meekness of St Stephen, whose martyrdom is related in all its glory in the Acts of the Apostles. As he was being stoned, St Stephen cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” A young man filled with the Holy Spirit Stephen was one of the first to follow the Apostles. It is believed that he was either Greek, or a Jew educated in Greek culture. What is certain is that he was greatly appreciated by the community in Jerusalem that his na...

Bl. Michael Nakashima, Roman Catholic Jesuit martyr of Japan. A native Japanese, Michael was admitted to the Society of Jesus because of his holiness and courage. He hid priests and was placed under arrest for many months for harboring missionaries. Michael was then taken to Shimabara and was scalded to death in the hot springs at Mount Ungen. Feastday Dec.25 St. Eugenia, Roman Catholic Martyr, Eugenia converted many others, including her mother, Claudia, and suffered martyrdom by sword for her faith in Rome, where she had gone with her mother. Her feast day is December 25th.

ST. ANASTASIA, MARTYR OF SIRMIUM St. Anastasia lived during the time of the Emperor Diocletian, and helped the Christians persecuted by the emperor. Arrested in Sirmium, she refused to deny the faith. Embarked on a leaking ship, she escaped and reached safety, at least temporarily. Captured again, she was burned alive.  Dec.25 B. MARY OF THE APOSTLES, VIRGIN, FOUNDRESS OF THE SALVATORIAN SISTERS She established the Sisters of the Divine Savior – also referred to as the Salvatorian Sisters – with the assistance of the  priest  Venerable  Francis Mary of the Cross Jordan , founder of the  Salvatorians . She later assumed the name of " Maria of the Apostles " following her solemn profession as a nun. Dec.25

St. Lucian, Roman Catholic African martyr with Drusus Metrobius, Paul, Theotirnus, and Zenobius. They were martyred at Tripoli, Libya. Feastday Dec.24

ST. TARSILLA, ROMAN VIRGIN, AUNT OF ST. GREGORY THE GREAT A Roman nun and paternal aunt of Pope St. Gregory I the Great, who reigned from 590 to 604, St. Tarsilla was praised by her nephew for her faith and charity. She dedicated her life to prayer and to assisting others in difficulty. Dec. 24 ST. IRMA, ABBESS  Saint Irma lived between the seventh and eighth centuries, and was abbess of the Benedictine Monastery at Trier. Tradition says she was the daughter of St. Dagobert, King of Austrasia. She helped San Willibrord, the English monk who evangelised Frisia.    Dec. 24

Viktor Orbán, Defender of the Faith - Crisis Magazine : Just a day after the second World Conference on Persecuted Christians ended this November in Budapest, Hungary, a “reformed” jihadi terrorist stabbed two innocent people to death in London, before being shot by police. The inability of the liberal secularists, who are at the center of most Western governmental policies and who control most of …

St. Victoria, Roman Catholic Martyr, with her sister Anatolia, she refused importunate suitors. Both were imprisoned and starved by their suitors but persisted in refusing marriage. Anatolia was converted to Christianity and converted many in Picenum before being denounced for her faith, for which she was tortured and executed at Thora on Lake Velino in Italy. When Victoria refused to sacrifice to pagan gods, she too was executed, perhaps at Tribulano. The guard was converted by their example and was also martyred. Feastday Dec.23rd.

Martyrs of Crete, Ten Roman Catholic martyrs of the island of Crete who suffered during the persecution of Emperor Trajanus Decius. They are named Agathopus, Basilides, Eunician, Euporus, Evaristus, Cleomenes, Gelasius, Saturninus, Theodulus, and Zoticus. Feastday: December 23

ST. JOHN OF KANTY, PRIEST Born in Kęty, Poland, in 1390, John was a priest and professor of philosophy at the University of Krakow. He was chosen as tutor to Polish princes. With his pay he fed the poor, whom he sought in the city streets. Esteemed by all for his charity, he died during the Christmas Eve Mass of 1473.   -Dec. 23

St. Chaeromon, Roman Catholic Bishop of Nilopolis, in Egypt. When the persecution was instituted by Emperor Trajanus Decius, Chaeromon Was quite elderly. He and several companions fled into the Arabian desert and were never seen again. The bishop and his companions are listed as martyrs. Feastday Dec. 22

ST. FRANCESCA SAVERIO CABRINI, VIRGIN, FOUNDRESS OF THE MISSIONARIES OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS Dec.22 Born Maria Francesca Cabrini in Sant'Angelo Lodigiano, Lombardy, Italy, on 15 July 1850, she was soon left an orphan. She wanted to enter a convent, but was refused because of her poor health. So she dedicated herself to running an orphanage instead. Soon she graduated as a teacher and, together with some companions, formed the first nucleus of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart, under the protection of Saint Francis Xavier. When she eventually pronounced her religious vows, she also took his name. Her Missionary Vocation She understood that the modern world would be marked by huge migratory flows and by men, women, and children fleeing their homes to find peace and a better future. This is one of the characteristics of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini that emerges from the reflections of Pope Francis. In a Letter to the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesu...

Bl. Adrian, Roman Catholic Dominican martyr in Dalmatia. Adrian and twenty-seven others were executed by Muslims for confessing Christ. Feastday Dec.21

St. Andrew Dung Lac. Roman Catholic Martyr companion of St. Peter Thi. Andrew, born in 1785, was a priest in Vietnam, his homeland. He was arrested and beheaded on December 21 with Peter Thi. Feastday Dec. 21

"See, Peter sleeps, Judas is awake".  Pope Benedict XVI quoted these words of St Peter Canisius at the beginning of Lent 2011. He called them "a cry of anguish in his historical moment", words that were destined to shake "the drowsiness of the good". Peter Kanijs was born in 1521 in Nijmegen, a Dutch village that was then in the German duchy of Gelderland and, therefore, within the Holy Roman Empire. "You know, Lord, in how many ways and how many times in the same day you entrusted me with Germany for which I would later continue to be solicitous, and for which I would have liked to live and die". He entered the Society of Jesus in 1543, after doing the Spiritual Exercises under the direction of St Peter Favre. He participated in the Council of Trent in 1547 and in 1562, expressly called by the Bishop of Augsburg, Cardinal Otto Truchsess von Waldburg. It was at this time that Peter Kanijs began to use the Latin form of his name, “Canis...

Bl. Peter de la Cadireta, Roman Catholic Dominican Martyr. A Spaniard, he entered the Dominicans and devoted his time to preaching to the heretics, including the Albigensians, in the area around Urgell, Spain. A group of heretics stoned him to death.Feastday Dec 20

ST PHILOGONIUS, BISHOP OF ANTIOCH A Syrian lawyer, Philogonius was a great orator, highly esteemed for his wisdom and fairness. Married, he had a daughter. He was elected bishop of Antioch in 314. He combatted Arianism, a heresy that denied the divinity of Jesus. He died in prison in 324, a courageous witness to the faith.  Dec.20

St. Nemesius, Roman Catholic Martyr of Egypt. He was burned alive in Alexandria, Egypt, during the persecutions under Emperor Trajanus Decius. Nemesius was arrested and scourged and then burned to death. Like Christ, he was executed between two criminals. Feastday Dec.19

St Thomas De & Companions Roman Catholic Vietnamese martyrs. Thomas was a Vietnamese tailor who entered the Dominicans as a tertiary. Arrested on the charge of giving aid and shelter to foreign missionaries, he was strangled. Four other Catholic Vietnamese died with Thomas. Feastday Dec 19

B. URBAN V, POPE  Guillaume de Grimoard, later Urban V, was a French Benedictine monk, elected Pope in Avignon (1362-1370). He tried in vain to bring the Apostolic See back to Rome and to heal the rift that had developed between West and East. An austere man, he helped the poor and fought corruption in the clergy.  Dec.19 ST. ANASTASIUS, POPE Anastasius of the noble Roman Maximi family was elected Pope in 399. He had a profound spirituality and lived a lifestyle of poverty. He courageously defended the Catholic faith, opposing the heresy of Donatism. He died in 401.   Dec.19

The Fight for Traditional Marriage Isn't Over - Crisis Magazine : During the Season of Advent, as we approach the celebration of the Nativity of Our Savior, we should stop to consider that “the first witnesses of Christ’s birth, the shepherds, found themselves not only before the Infant Jesus but also before a small family: mother, father and newborn Son. God had chosen to reveal himself …

Quo Vadis, Europa? - Crisis Magazine : Now that we have Brexit, Catalonian separatism, the yellow vests in France and elsewhere, as well as ongoing clashes between pro- and anti-immigration forces, one may well wonder where the dear old Mother Continent is headed. One should bear in mind that these events are taking place against a backdrop provided by the European Union, …

St. Rufus, Roman Catholic Martyr, with Zosimus, citizens of Antioch (or perhaps Philippi) who were brought to Rome with St. Ignatius of Antioch during the reign of Emperor Trajan. They were condemned to death for their Christianity and thrown to wild beasts in the arena two days before the martyrdom of Ignatius. FeastDay Dec. 18.

St. Paul My, Roman Catholic Vietnamese Martyr, Paul entered into Paris Foreign Missions and thus helped to spread the Catholic faith in Vietnam. He was seized by enemies of the Church and was martyred by strangulation. Feastday Dec.18

ST. MALACHY, PROPHET,  Lived between the 6th and 5th centuries B.C. on returning from the Babylonian exile, he denounced the external religiosity of his countrymen, far from God and justice. He exhorts us to prepare for the meeting with the Lord and foretells the coming of the messenger of God, John the Baptist.   Dec. 18 ST. GATIANUS, BISHOP OF TOURS Sent in the 3rd century to evangelize the Roman province of Gaul, he was the first bishop of the city of Tours, where he met with great hostility, so much that he had to celebrate in the catacombs. There, with courage and perseverance, he preached the Gospel for 50 years.  Dec. 18

St. Olympias, Roman Catholic formed a religious community doing charitable works. She spent the last years of her life beset by illness and persecution but comforted by Chrysostom from his place of exile. She died in exile. Feastday Dec.17

ST. DANIEL, PROPHET,  A Jew of a noble family, he was deported to Babylon (VII century BC). He became an official of the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel prophesied the fall of the Babylonian Empire. Because of his fidelity to the tradition of his fathers, Daniel was given to lions, but God saved him.   STS. HANANIAH, MISHAEL AND AZARIAH,  Young Jews in exile in Babylon (VII century BC), the youths became officials at court. Refusing to worship the statue of the king, they were thrown into a furnace: accompanied by an angel of the Lord, they sang a hymn proclaiming the lordship of the true God over all creation, and emerged unscathed.   ST. JOHN OF MATHA, PRIEST, FOUNDER OF THE TRINITARIANS Born in 1154 in France, St. John was a professor of theology in Paris, before leaving everything to become a priest at the age of 40. He founded the Order of the Most Holy Trinity. He left for Africa, with a mission to free Christian s...

St. Albina, Roman Catholic Martyr and a young witness for Christ. Albina was born in Caesarea and was martyred there. Feastday Dec.16

ST. DAVID, KING AND PROPHET God chose him as king of Israel, despite his being the youngest of the sons of Jesse: God does not look at the appearance but at the heart of man. A warrior and poet, David was also a great sinner, but recognized his faults and asked forgiveness. Our Lord Jesus Christ is born of David’s line.   ST. ADELAIDE, EMPRESS Born in 931, Adelaide was the daughter of King Rudolph of Burgundy. She married the Holy Roman Emperor, Otto the Great. Attentive to the poor, she also built churches and monasteries. She retired to a Benedictine monastery, and died in 999.