As in the case of Agnes, another virgin-martyr of the early Church, almost nothing is historically certain about this saint except that she was martyred in Sicily during the persecution of Emperor Decius in 251.
Legend has it that Agatha, like Agnes, was arrested as a Christian, tortured, and sent to a house of prostitution to be mistreated. She was preserved from being violated, and was later put to death.
She is claimed as the patroness of both Palermo and Catania. The year after her death, the stilling of an eruption of Mt. Etna was attributed to her intercession. As a result, apparently, people continued to ask her prayers for protection against fire.
Reflection
The scientific modern mind winces at the thought of a volcano’s might being contained by God because of the prayers of a Sicilian girl. Still less welcome, probably, is the notion of that saint being the patroness of such varied professions as those of foundry workers, nurses, miners and Alpine guides. Yet, in our historical precision, have we lost an essential human quality of wonder and poetry, and even our belief that we come to God by helping each other, both in action and prayer?
Saint Joseph of Leonissa’s Story (January 8, 1556 –February 4, 1612)
Joseph was born at Leonissa in the Kingdom of Naples. As a boy and as a student in early adulthood, Joseph drew attention for his energy and virtue. Offered a nobleman’s daughter in marriage, Joseph refused and joined the Capuchins in his hometown in 1573 instead. Avoiding the safe compromises by which people sometimes undercut the gospel, Joseph denied himself hearty meals and comfortable quarters as he prepared for ordination and a life of preaching.
In 1587, he went to Constantinople to take care of the Christian galley slaves working under Turkish masters. Imprisoned for this work, he was warned not to resume it on his release. He did and was again imprisoned and then condemned to death. Miraculously freed, he returned to Italy where he preached to the poor and reconciled feuding families as well as warring cities which had been at odds for years. He was canonized in 1745.
Reflection
Saints often jar us because they challenge our ideas about what we need for “the good life.” “I’ll be happy when. . . ,” we may say, wasting an incredible amount of time on the periphery of life. People like Joseph of Leonissa challenge us to face life courageously and get to the heart of it: life with God. Joseph was a compelling preacher because his life was as convincing as his words.
We know more about the devotion to Saint Blaise by Christians around the world than we know about the saint himself. His feast is observed as a holy day in some Eastern Churches. In 1222, the Council of Oxford prohibited servile labor in England on Blaise’s feast day. The Germans and Slavs hold him in special honor, and for decades many United States Catholics have sought the annual Saint Blaise blessing for their throats.
We know that Bishop Blaise was martyred in his episcopal city of Sebastea, Armenia, in 316. The legendary Acts of St. Blaise were written 400 years later. According to them Blaise was a good bishop, working hard to encourage the spiritual and physical health of his people. Although the Edict of Toleration (311), granting freedom of worship in the Roman Empire, was already five years old, persecution still raged in Armenia. Blaise was apparently forced to flee to the back country. There he lived as a hermit in solitude and prayer, but he made friends with the wild animals. One day a group of hunters seeking wild animals for the amphitheater stumbled upon Blaise’s cave. They were first surprised and then frightened. The bishop was kneeling in prayer surrounded by patiently waiting wolves, lions and bears.
Franciscan School of Theology The legend has it that as the hunters hauled Blaise off to prison, a mother came with her young son who had a fish bone lodged in his throat. At Blaise’s command the child was able to cough up the bone.
Agricolaus, governor of Cappadocia, tried to persuade Blaise to sacrifice to pagan idols. The first time Blaise refused, he was beaten. The next time he was suspended from a tree and his flesh torn with iron combs or rakes. Finally, he was beheaded.
Reflection
Four centuries give ample opportunity for fiction to creep in with fact. Who can be sure how accurate Blaise’s biographer was? But biographical details are not essential. Blaise is seen as one more example of the power those have who give themselves entirely to Jesus. As Jesus told his apostles at the Last Supper, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you” (John 15:7). With faith we can follow the lead of the Church in asking for Blaise’s protection.
The Catechism describes the various ways that God has revealed himself to us as Father over the ages, and gives us insight into God the Father “in relation to his only Son,” Jesus. Fr. Mike entreats us to examine our relationships with our earthly fathers and how they might be impacting our vision of God as Father. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 238-242.
Christians are baptized “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” not the “names” of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Catechism explains this distinction by introducing us to the “central mystery of Christian faith and life”: the Trinity. Fr. Mike slows us down to meditate on what God reveals to us concerning his inner life, the very thing that “many prophets and righteous people longed to see… [and] hear.” Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 232-237.
At the end of the fourth century, a woman named Etheria made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Her journal, discovered in 1887, gives an unprecedented glimpse of liturgical life there. Among the celebrations she describes is the Epiphany, the observance of Christ’s birth, and the gala procession in honor of his Presentation in the Temple 40 days later. Under the Mosaic Law, a woman was ritually “unclean” for 40 days after childbirth, when she was to present herself to the priests and offer sacrifice—her “purification.” Contact with anyone who had brushed against mystery—birth or death—excluded a person from Jewish worship. This feast emphasizes Jesus’ first appearance in the Temple more than Mary’s purification.
The observance spread throughout the Western Church in the fifth and sixth centuries. Because the Church in the West celebrated Jesus’ birth on December 25, the Presentation was moved to February 2, 40 days after Christmas.
At the beginning of the eighth century, Pope Sergius inaugurated a candlelight procession; at the end of the same century the blessing and distribution of candles which continues to this day became part of the celebration, giving the feast its popular name: Candlemas.
Reflection
In Luke’s account, Jesus was welcomed in the temple by two elderly people, Simeon and the widow Anna. They embody Israel in their patient expectation; they acknowledge the infant Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah. Early references to the Roman feast dub it the feast of Saint Simeon, the old man who burst into a song of joy which the Church still sings at day’s end.
The “apostle of the north” (Scandinavia) had enough frustrations to become a saint—and he did. He became a Benedictine at Corbie, France, where he had been educated. Three years later, when the king of Denmark became a convert, Ansgar went to that country for three years of missionary work, without noticeable success. Sweden asked for Christian missionaries, and he went there, suffering capture by pirates and other hardships on the way. Fewer than two years later, he was recalled, to become abbot of New Corbie (Corvey) and bishop of Hamburg. The pope made him legate for the Scandinavian missions. Funds for the northern apostolate stopped with Emperor Louis’s death. After 13 years’ work in Hamburg, Ansgar saw it burned to the ground by invading Northmen; Sweden and Denmark returned to paganism.
He directed new apostolic activities in the North, traveling to Denmark and being instrumental in the conversion of another king. By the strange device of casting lots, the king of Sweden allowed the Christian missionaries to return.
Ansgar’s biographers remark that he was an extraordinary preacher, a humble and ascetical priest. He was devoted to the poor and the sick, imitating the Lord in washing their feet and waiting on them at table. He died peacefully at Bremen, Germany, without achieving his wish to be a martyr.
Sweden became pagan again after his death, and remained so until the coming of missionaries two centuries later. St. Ansgar shares the celebration of his liturgical feast with St. Blase on February 3.
Reflection
History records what people do, rather than what they are. Yet the courage and perseverance of men and women like Ansgar can only come from a solid base of union with the original courageous and persevering Missionary. Ansgar’s life is another reminder that God writes straight with crooked lines. Christ takes care of the effects of the apostolate in his own way; he is first concerned about the purity of the apostles themselves.
1 Seeing the crowds, He went onto the mountain. And when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He began to speak. This is what He taught them: 3 How blessed are the poor in spirit: the kingdom of Heaven is theirs. 4 Blessed are the gentle: they shall have the earth as inheritance. 5 Blessed are those who mourn: they shall be comforted. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for uprightness: they shall have their fill. 7 Blessed are the merciful: they shall have mercy shown them. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart: they shall see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers: they shall be recognised as children of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted in the cause of uprightness: the kingdom of Heaven is theirs. 11 ‘Blessed are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven; this is how they persecuted the prophets before you.
I love our good Lord’s Sermon on the Mount. The interesting part for priests is that our Lord spoke eight sentences and only seven from the Cross. Multitudes heard Him from the mountain side. He didn’t have a microphone, but He sat down and talked to them in eight sentences. It’s a textbook for preaching. Our Lord gave the fruits of holiness. If you live a holy life, you will be blessed, and the Kingdom of Heaven will be yours.
Our Lord spoke about virtues, and if you have these virtues, you are blessed. There are two kinds of virtues: acquired or habitual and infused virtues. Acquired virtues you receive by doing. There are three types of infused virtues: faith, hope, and charity. They are infused because you receive them in the Sacraments. Infused virtues become operative when you cooperate with them. It’s just like some of the medicine we take. I have a pill that I take 30 minutes before I eat. But if I don’t wait 30 minutes and eat right after taking the pill, the medicine doesn’t work and does me no good. I have to cooperate with the medicine in order to benefit from its good effects. It’s the same thing with the grace in your soul. You have to cooperate by doing the right thing, staying away from sin, and doing acts of virtue. When you do acts of virtue by prayer, mortification, and corporal/spiritual works of mercy, you acquire these virtues as long as you don’t lose them by sinning. The virtues come with a blessing. . .a promise of divine favor. And that’s pretty wonderful. “Hey, this is cool. . . I’ve got a road map, and I’m going to make it.” Well, yes and no. Yes, you will make it. But one of the blessings we receive is not really one that we want. What is one of the blessings we will receive? We will be crucified with Him because this world does not accept a life of virtue. As much as the world doesn’t want to hear His message, they don’t want to hear ours.
We are in a gradual degradation of Christianity, and it’s called the “woke” culture. “How do you identify, Mr. Fitzgibbons?” Really? My father isn’t here, but you can call me “Father.” That’s how I identify. My personal pronouns are “Father,” but “Monsignor” is my personal favorite. If the “woke” culture doesn’t like you, they will try to cancel you. It’s all threats. It’s all evil. And they aren’t very good at it. They will try to intimidate you. The people I used to work with went to places where we almost had our birth certificates canceled. That’s very different from getting your feelings hurt. Do you know why the woke culture is evil? “Oh, it’s justice!” No, it’s not. . .it’s evil because of the belligerence. It’s like a drunk: “I only drink because you treat me terribly!” No, you drink because you want to; don’t give me that line. They put the blame on somebody else because they know deep down inside that they are living against moral law. That’s why they are so belligerent, evil, and mean to everyone. “You all have to conform. If everybody would just conform, they would be happy.” That’s not true. They will crucify you in the name of goodness, righteousness, and justice. It has been the same since the beginning. Look at our Lord’s cousin, John the Baptist. What happened to him? He was beheaded because he told Herod, “You cannot live with your brother’s wife.”
The world does not like truth. What is truth? Truth is not a “what.” Truth is a “Who.” Truth is Jesus. Pilot looked at our good Lord and asked, “What is truth?” He got it wrong. “Who is truth” would have been a better question. The Truth was right in front of him. The Truth resides in the Most Blessed Sacrament and in our souls when we partake of the Sacraments and as long as we don’t commit mortal sin or repeated venial sin.
We try to live a life of holiness because of God’s promised rewards. One of the rewards is to suffer with Him. He cried over Jerusalem because they did not accept Him. Remember Saint Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa)? Everybody loved her because she took care of the sick. So what? Bad people are good to the sick. The Nazis took care of their own sick during World War II. But Saint Teresa did it with Christ’s love, and she taught the Catholic message. You cannot call it “Christian Ministries” anymore, because with 50,000 branches of Christianity, they all have different moral standards. I still remember that day on television when Mother Teresa came to the United States and met with the most powerful man in the world, President Bill Clinton, his wife, and Vice-President Al Gore and his wife. What a nice, cute photo op with Mother Teresa wearing her habit. But this 4-foot-nothing woman started lecturing them about abortion and wagging her finger. Now, every man knows when that finger starts wagging, nothing good happens after that. Mother Teresa said, “If you don’t want your babies, give them to me.” You never hear that incident talked about anymore, do you? The “woke” culture canceled her. She was a cute little woman, and that’s all the world remembers.
When you try to live a life of virtue in your ordinary vocations, it will be obvious to others. And you will be persecuted just like Christ was. “They don’t like me on Facebook!” You know what? I’m not on Facebook, and I sleep very well at night. Social media is a disease. If you are so dependent on electronics to make you feel good, you need to see someone professionally. The one Person you need to make feel good is the One who resides in the Blessed Sacrament. That’s the only Person who needs to feel good. With Him, we can stand anything. So be stout-hearted. Do not be afraid of a life of virtue. It’s far easier than you think. The devil always tempts us by saying that the virtuous life is hard and no fun; both of which are lies. Remember when you are suffering by following a virtuous life, your suffering is with Christ. Be glad and rejoice. Your reward in Heaven is kept safe with Him.
How will you apply this message to your life? ________________________________________ You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to annunciationcatholicalbemarle.com and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” then “Sermon Notes.” On a cell phone: click on “Blog” then “Menu” and then “Categories.” Sermon Notes are also available on the church Facebook page at facebook.com/ola.catholic.church. Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.”
The Catechism wraps up our “I Believe in God” paragraphs with an In Brief and “The Implications of Faith in One God”—or, what God’s being means for us and our lives. Faith in our God means knowing his greatness, living in thanksgiving, knowing the dignity of all men, making good use of creation, and trusting God in every circumstance. Fr. Mike reminds us that “in every circumstance,” meaning even in adversity, God uses all things for the good. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 222-231.
Saint John Bosco’s Story (August 16, 1815 – January 31, 1888)
John Bosco’s theory of education could well be used in today’s schools. It was a preventive system, rejecting corporal punishment and placing students in surroundings removed from the likelihood of committing sin. He advocated frequent reception of the sacraments of Penance and Holy Communion. He combined catechetical training and fatherly guidance, seeking to unite the spiritual life with one’s work, study and play.
Encouraged during his youth in Turin to become a priest so he could work with young boys, John was ordained in 1841. His service to young people started when he met a poor orphan in Turin, and instructed him in preparation for receiving Holy Communion. He then gathered young apprentices and taught them catechism.
After serving as chaplain in a hospice for working girls, Don Bosco opened the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales for boys. Several wealthy and powerful patrons contributed money, enabling him to provide two workshops for the boys, shoemaking and tailoring.
By 1856, the institution had grown to 150 boys and had added a printing press for publication of religious and catechetical pamphlets. John’s interest in vocational education and publishing justify him as patron of young apprentices and Catholic publishers.
John’s preaching fame spread and by 1850 he had trained his own helpers because of difficulties in retaining young priests. In 1854, he and his followers informally banded together, inspired by Saint Francis de Sales.
With Pope Pius IX’s encouragement, John gathered 17 men and founded the Salesians in 1859. Their activity concentrated on education and mission work. Later, he organized a group of Salesian Sisters to assist girls.
Reflection
John Bosco educated the whole person—body and soul united. He believed that Christ’s love and our faith in that love should pervade everything we do—work, study, play. For John Bosco, being a Christian was a full-time effort, not a once-a-week, Mass-on-Sunday experience. It is searching and finding God and Jesus in everything we do, letting their love lead us. Yet, because John realized the importance of job-training and the self-worth and pride that come with talent and ability, he trained his students in the trade crafts, too.
