Saint of the Day – February 9 – Saint Apollonia of Alexandria
Saint of the Day – February 8 – Saint Josephine Bakhita
Saints of the Day – February 8
Saint of the Day – February 7 – King Saint Richard of England
Saints Whose Feast Day is February 7
Saint of the Day – February 6 – Saint Dorothy in Caesarea
The Holy Martyr Dorothy and the Martyrs Christina, Callista and Theophilus lived in Caesarea of Cappadocia and suffered under Emperor Diocletian in either the year 288 or 300.
St. Dorothy was a pious Christian maiden, distinguished by her great beauty, humility, prudence, and God-given wisdom, which astonished many. Arrested upon orders of Governor Sapricius, she steadfastly confessed her faith in Christ and was subjected to tortures.
Failing to break the will of the saint, the governor sent to her two women, the sisters Christina and Callista, who once were Christians, but fearing torture, they renounced Christ and began to lead impious lives. He ordered them to get St. Dorothy to offer sacrifice to the pagan gods, but just the reverse happened. St. Dorothy convinced them that the mercy of God is granted to all who repent, so they corrected themselves and returned to Christ. The tormentors tied them back to back and burned them in a vat of tar. Through martyrdom, Christina and Callista atoned for their sin of apostasy, receiving from God not only forgiveness, but crowns of victory.
St. Dorothy was again subjected to tortures, but she gladly endured them and accepted the death sentence. She cried out with joy, thanking Christ for calling her to Paradise and to the heavenly bridal chamber. As they led the saint to execution, Theophilus, one of the governor’s counselors, laughed and said to her, “Bride of Christ, send me an apple and some roses from the Paradise of your Bridegroom.” The martyr nodded and said, “I shall do that.”
At the place of execution, the saint requested a little time to pray. When she finished the prayer, an angel appeared before her in the form of a handsome child presenting her three apples and three roses on a pure linen cloth. The saint requested that these be given to Theophilus, after which she was beheaded by the sword.
Having received the gracious gift, Theophilus was shaken, and he confessed Christ as the true God. His friends were astonished, and wondered whether he were joking, or perhaps mad. He assured them he was not. They then asked the reason for this sudden change. He asked what month it was. “February,” they replied. “In the winter, Cappadocia is covered with ice and frost, and the trees are bare of leaves. What do you think? From where do these apples and flowers come?” After being subjected to cruel tortures, St. Theophilus was beheaded with a sword.
The relics of St. Dorothy are in Rome in the church dedicated to her, and her head is also at Rome, in a church of the Mother of God at Trastevero.
Saints Whose Feast Day is February 6
Saint of the Day – February 5 – Saint Agatha, Virgin and Martyr
Saint Agatha – Born: 231
Died: 251
Canonized:
Pre-congregation by tradition confirmed by Pope Gregory I
Patronage:
Bellfounders, breast cancer patients, bakers, nurses/wet nurses, jewelers, martyrs, rape victims, single laywomen, sufferers of sterility, Victims of torture, natural disasters, fire, earthquakes, eruptions of Mount Etna, and volcanic eruptions, Catania (Sicily), Gallipoli (Apulia), Molise, Malta, San Marino, Zamarramala (Segovia, Spain), Escatrón, (Zaragoza, Spain)
Sermon Notes – February 4, 2024 – “Stop Rearranging the Deck Chairs on the Titanic!”
“Stop Rearranging the Deck Chairs on the Titanic!”
Father Peter Fitzgibbons
February 3 – 4, 2024
Gospel: Mark 1:29-39
Today, I want to talk about “change.” When I’m making my rounds at the VA hospital, I see veterans who have a problem with the bottle. They are hooked to a banana bag which means they are being weaned off alcohol. I ask them how they’re doing, they usually say “Good.” Uh-Huh . . . you look it. Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired? “Yes sir.” Okay, do you want to be happy? “Yes sir.” Well, there’s only one thing you have to change. “What’s that sir?” Everything. “Oh.” And that’s true. “Well, maybe things would be better if I moved.” No, because wherever you live, you’ll be there. Things are not going to be better unless you change.
That’s what our Lord asks of us. “Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired? Do you want to experience the fullness of My love and joy in this world instead?” Yeah! I’m in. “Then leave everything behind, forsake everything, and come follow Me.” Now that’s hyperbole and doesn’t mean leaving your parents on their deathbed. It means a full renunciation of the will and following Him. We might think that some of the things our Lord asks us to do are stupid. So being the bright people we think we are, we always try to renegotiate the contract. “What do you mean I can be married only once?” That’s what Christ said. “Marriage is between a male and a female. I wrote that down for you a long time ago. Apparently, you skipped school that day. You need to learn it.” “What do you mean I have to eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Eucharist?” “Yes, that’s what I said.” “What do you mean I have to go to Confession?” “That’s what I said. The Apostles were given the power to forgive sins, and they can only forgive what they hear.” “What do you mean I have to suffer? Come down from the Cross, and we will believe You. We don’t want any suffering.” No, no, no. We are always trying to renegotiate the deal. Renounce yourself instead of trying to change everything. “I’ve given you the means to change through the Sacraments. I’ve given you my teachings to watch over and to reassure you that I am with you always.”
When I had my physical last week, I sensed the presence of my guardian angel. Know how that happened? When I got on the scale [groan], I could see with my peripheral vision that his foot was on the scale. Got a sense of humor that one! Nothing personal; it’s just business with him. So, we have to change, and it’s a long, prolonged process. But He offers His grace through the Sacraments, prayer, and mortification so that we can change ourselves and not be disheartened by our failures. In addition to giving us the power to change, the Sacraments also give us the power to bear the weight of the cross and to bear the damage done by our sins and the sins of others that have caused disillusionment and sadness. He gives us that power that we may have the fullness of joy.
There has been a lot of change in the Church. However, we always try to change the wrong things. If you’ve been around the Church as long as I have, you remember when the Mass was changed from Latin to English. Instead of the Mass being said in one language, we have it in five or six languages every Sunday. Well, that’s not working out. We moved the confessionals to reconciliation rooms. That also didn’t work out well. It’s like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. We’ll change things and make them better. Remember the guitar Masses? They were great, huh? It was terrible music! My goodness, I’m not Father Hippie!
We change the wrong things. Do not change the Sacraments. Instead, let the Sacraments change us. Christ calls us to change, but He doesn’t need to. When we begin the process of changing, is it always joyful? No. However, it is a progression in love. Lasting joy will only come when we are in Heaven. But He gives us joy and the power to change. He also gives us the power to pick up our cross every day and to follow Him. Change is not as frightening as you think. The devil tries to scare us: “Oh, my goodness! Change is terrible! You’re going to hate it!” That’s just him trying to frighten us. People who have addictions are afraid of change because misery is all they have known, but when they change and leave the misery behind, they praise God.
When we begin to change, we want immediate results like turning on a light switch. It’s like me when I got out of bed this morning and just stared at the coffee pot. I was tempted to put my mouth under the coffee filter and drink it that way. It would save me from having to wash a coffee cup. Change is a slow process. Doctors tell their patients that they didn’t get sick overnight, so they aren’t going to get better overnight. But don’t be afraid of the process. It always works.
Father’s Reflections . . . I worked at the VA hospital on Friday for a few hours, and it was very interesting. Two veterans received their celestial discharge which I had expected. Then we had another veteran who was there for rehab, and he also received his discharge . . . into the custody of the VA police. He was arrested on three felony charges. Bye-Bye! After that, I looked at the roster and saw a good Catholic name. So, I went to see him in the Memory Loss Unit. As I was talking to him, he said he was 98 years old. I asked him where he was from, and he said New Jersey. I was pretty sure he was Italian because his name ended with an “i”. Now I wasn’t racial profiling, but it was a good guess. I asked him, “You know a guy?” And he said, “Yeah, I know a guy.” I know a guy too!
I try to swing by the Emergency Room while I’m at the VA. Sometimes I see people there whose faces are black and blue. So, I’ll start talking to them and ask, “Didn’t the military teach you how to fight? Which branch were you in?” If they say the Navy or Air Force, I’ll say, “Well, that explains it!” Sissy boys. I swear, I have way too much fun there!
How will you apply this message to your life?________________________________________
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