Tag: martyr

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Saint of the Day – December 13 – Saint Lucy, Virgin and Martyr

St Lucy was an early Christian martyr who lived in the 200s-300s. She died during the persecution of Christians under Emperor Diocletian. She is one of eight female saints mentioned in the Canon of the Mass.

St Lucy suffered a brutal martyrdom with great courage. You can use this novena to seek intercession from this courageous martyr in your life!

St Lucy was probably born around the year 283. Her parents were members of the nobility and were wealthy.

Lucy’s father died when she was five years old. Her mother, who suffered from a bleeding ailment, feared that Lucy would soon have no one to care for her. Lucy’s mother quickly arranged a marriage for Lucy.

But Lucy had no desire to marry. Instead, she consecrated her virginity to God. She also hoped to have her dowry given away to the poor.

When Lucy learned about the arranged marriage, she began praying for a way to change her mother’s mind on the matter. She prayed frequently at the tomb of St Agatha, asking for assistance in this situation.

Lucy had a dream in which St Agatha appeared to her and told her that Lucy’s mother would be cured of her condition through faith.

Lucy’s mother was soon cured, and her mother agreed to allow Lucy to consecrate her virginity to God rather than marry. But the man to whom Lucy had been promised in marriage was very angry to hear that the match had been called off. He was even more angry when he learned that the dowry that had been promised to him had actually been given to the poor.

Lucy’s rejected bridegroom took revenge on her by betraying her Christian Faith to the governor, who was accustomed to persecuting Christians for their Faith.

The governor commanded Lucy to offer a sacrifice before an image of the emperor, but she refused. The governor then ordered her to be sent to a brothel as punishment. One tradition holds that the guards who attempted to bring Lucy to the brothel were unable to move her, because she had miraculously become too heavy to lift. Even a team of oxen was unable to move her.

Another tradition says that Lucy told the governor he would be punished for what he was doing. This made the governor so angry that he ordered her eyes to be gouged out.

When she was sentenced to death, the guards attempted to burn her by setting fire to wood that was stacked around her. But this did not work because the wood wouldn’t burn. Lucy was finally killed by a wound to the throat from a sword.

According to tradition, Lucy’s eyes were found to have been miraculously restored to her body when her body was being prepared for burial in her family’s mausoleum.

St Lucy is the patron saint of the blind. You can seek her intercession if you are blind or having problems with your eyesight. You can also ask her to pray for someone you know who is blind or is having problems with their eyesight.

You can also ask St Lucy for prayers if you are being persecuted for your Faith, since she suffered a lot for her Faith and eventually gave up her life in martyrdom. Or you can ask St Lucy to pray for someone you know who is being persecuted for their Faith.

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Saint of the Day – November 6 – Saint Nicholas Tavelic and Companions

Saint Nicholas Tavelic and Companions’ Story (1340 – November 14, 1391)

Nicholas and his three companions are among the 158 Franciscans who have been martyred in the Holy Land since the friars became custodians of the shrines in 1335.

Nicholas was born in 1340 to a wealthy and noble family in Croatia. He joined the Franciscans, and was sent with Deodat of Rodez to preach in Bosnia. In 1384, they volunteered for the Holy Land missions and were sent there. They looked after the holy places, cared for the Christian pilgrims, and studied Arabic.

In 1391, Nicholas, Deodat, Peter of Narbonne, and Stephen of Cuneo decided to take a direct approach to converting the Muslims. On November 11, they went to the huge Mosque of Omar in Jerusalem and asked to see the Qadix—Muslim official. Reading from a prepared statement, they said that all people must accept the gospel of Jesus. When they were ordered to retract their statement, they refused. After beatings and imprisonment, they were beheaded before a large crowd.

Nicholas and his companions were canonized in 1970. They are the only Franciscans martyred in the Holy Land to be canonized. Their liturgical feast is celebrated on November 14.

Reflection

Francis presented two missionary approaches for his friars. Nicholas and his companions followed the first approach—live quietly and give witness to Christ—for several years. Then they felt called to take the second approach of preaching openly. Their Franciscan confrères in the Holy Land are still working by example to make Jesus better known.

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Saint of the Day – October 18 – Saint Luke

Saint Luke’s Story (d. c. 84)

Luke wrote one of the major portions of the New Testament, a two-volume work comprising the third Gospel and Acts of the Apostles. In the two books he shows the parallel between the life of Christ and that of the Church. He is the only Gentile Christian among the Gospel writers. Tradition holds him to be a native of Antioch, and Paul calls him “our beloved physician.” His Gospel was probably written between 70 and 85 A.D.

Luke appears in Acts during Paul’s second journey, remains at Philippi for several years until Paul returns from his third journey, accompanies Paul to Jerusalem, and remains near him when he is imprisoned in Caesarea. During these two years, Luke had time to seek information and interview persons who had known Jesus. He accompanied Paul on the dangerous journey to Rome where he was a faithful companion.

Luke’s unique character may best be seen by the emphases of his Gospel, which has been given a number of subtitles:
1) The Gospel of Mercy
2) The Gospel of Universal Salvation
3) The Gospel of the Poor
4) The Gospel of Absolute Renunciation
5) The Gospel of Prayer and the Holy Spirit
6) The Gospel of Joy

Reflection

Luke wrote as a Gentile for Gentile Christians. His Gospel and Acts of the Apostles reveal his expertise in classic Greek style as well as his knowledge of Jewish sources. There is a warmth to Luke’s writing that sets it apart from that of the other synoptic Gospels, and yet it beautifully complements those works. The treasure of the Scriptures is a true gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church.

Saint Luke is the Patron Saint of:

Artists/Painters
Brewers
Butchers
Notaries
Physicians/Surgeons

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Saint of the Day – October 17 – Saint Ignatius of Antioch

Saint Ignatius of Antioch’s Story (d. c. 107)

Born in Syria, Ignatius converted to Christianity and eventually became bishop of Antioch. In the year 107, Emperor Trajan visited Antioch and forced the Christians there to choose between death and apostasy. Ignatius would not deny Christ and thus was condemned to be put to death in Rome.

Ignatius is well known for the seven letters he wrote on the long journey from Antioch to Rome. Five of these letters are to churches in Asia Minor; they urge the Christians there to remain faithful to God and to obey their superiors. He warns them against heretical doctrines, providing them with the solid truths of the Christian faith.

The sixth letter was to Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, who was later martyred for the faith. The final letter begs the Christians in Rome not to try to stop his martyrdom. “The only thing I ask of you is to allow me to offer the libation of my blood to God. I am the wheat of the Lord; may I be ground by the teeth of the beasts to become the immaculate bread of Christ.”

Ignatius bravely met the lions in the Circus Maximus.

Reflection

Ignatius’ great concern was for the unity and order of the Church. Even greater was his willingness to suffer martyrdom rather than deny Christ. He did not draw attention to his own suffering, but to the love of God which strengthened him. He knew the price of commitment and would not deny Christ, even to save his own life.

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Saint of the Day – October 9 – Saint Denis and Companions

Saint Denis and Companions’ Story (d. 258?)

This martyr and patron of France is regarded as the first bishop of Paris. His popularity is due to a series of legends, especially those connecting him with the great abbey church of St. Denis in Paris. He was for a time confused with the writer now called Pseudo-Dionysius.

The best hypothesis contends that Denis was sent to Gaul from Rome in the third century and beheaded in the persecution under Emperor Valerius in 258.

According to one of the legends, after he was martyred on Montmartre—literally, “mountain of martyrs”—in Paris, he carried his head to a village northeast of the city. Saint Genevieve built a basilica over his tomb at the beginning of the sixth century.

Reflection

Again, we have the case of a saint about whom almost nothing is known, yet one whose cult has been a vigorous part of the Church’s history for centuries. We can only conclude that the deep impression the saint made on the people of his day reflected a life of unusual holiness. In all such cases, there are two fundamental facts: A great man gave his life for Christ, and the Church has never forgotten him—a human symbol of God’s eternal mindfulness.

Saint Denis is the Patron Saint of:

France