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The following remarkable incident will serve to illustrate what has just been said and to kindle in the reader greater devotion toward Holy Mass.

We read in the life of St. John of Facundo, a noted member of the Augustinian Order, that he never on any account omitted saying Mass, and in fact, urged by his great longing to offer the Holy Sacrifice and receive Our Lord, he said it every morning at the earliest hour possible. He was, however, so slow in celebrating that the server used to go away and leave him at the altar, and at last no one could be found to serve his Mass.

The Saint then went to the prior, and entreated him to order the brothers to do so. But the prior spoke sharply to him, saying, “Why do you give the brothers so much trouble by being so long over your Mass? I shall rather enjoin upon you henceforth to say Mass like other priests.” John did as he was commanded, but obedience cost him so much that he went again to the prior and, throwing himself at his feet, begged him to withdraw his command.

The prior would not consent to do this until John had confided to him in Confession the reasons which made it impossible for him to say Mass more quickly. Having heard them, he no longer hesitated to tell the brothers that they must serve Father John’s Mass, even though their patience was somewhat taxed.

It is certain that Christ frequently manifests Himself visibly to this father, speaking with him as one speaks to a friend, and showing him His five sacred wounds, from which proceeds a light of exceeding brightness, which, shed upon the Saint, quickens both body and soul, so that he experiences no need of earthly nourishment.

He also beholds the Body of Christ shining like the sun at noonday and perceives its infinite beauty and glory. Such are the lofty and divine things he is privileged to know, mysteries which it is not given to man to fathom, much less to utter.

Since I have thus been made aware of the immense benefits accruing to mankind by the celebrating or assisting at Mass, I have made a firm resolution never to omit saying or hearing Mass and to do my utmost to induce others to do the same.” From these noteworthy words which the prior uttered we see clearly that solemn mysteries are contained in the Holy Mass and we ought to reverence it most profoundly.

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Music by Kevin Macleod ; Photography by Rok Vehar

Created by Sabrina Babic - http://www.slideshare.net/smcatholic

Today on  September 27, we celebrate the feast of St. Vincent de Paul, the patron saint of charitable societies and the apostle of Charities.

St. Vincent de Paul (1576 – 1660) was born in Gascony, France, and died in Paris. He studied theology at Toulouse and was ordained a priest in 1600. As a young priest he fell into the hands of Mohammedan pirates who carried him off to Africa. After his return to France he became successively parish priest, grand almoner of the galley slaves, and spiritual director of the Visitation nuns. He founded the Congregation of the Priests of the Mission or Lazarists to preach especially to country people. With the help of Louise de Marillac he established the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity to care for young girls, for the needy, sick, and foundlings. He died at St. Lazarus’s which was the center of his Congregation. Leo XIII proclaimed him special patron of charitable institutions.

St. Vincent de Paul was a great apostle of charity, and brought a great revival of the priesthood in the 17th century. He was born near Dax in the Landes (France) in 1581. As a young priest he was captured by Moorish pirates who carried him to Africa. He was sold into slavery, but freed in 1607 when he converted his owner.

Having returned to France, he became successively a parish priest and chaplain to the galley-slaves. He founded a religious Congregation under the title of Priests of the Mission or Lazarists (now known as Vincentians), and he bound them by a special way to undertake the apostolic work of charity; he sent them to preach missions, especially to the ignorant peasants of that time, and to establish seminaries.

In order to help poor girls, invalids, and the insane, sick and unemployed, he and St. Louise de Marillac founded the Congregation of the Daughters of Charity, now better known as the Sisters of St. Vincent.

St. Vincent worked tirelessly to help those in need: the impoverished, the sick, the enslaved, the abandoned, the ignored. He died in 1660 at St. Lazarus’s house, Paris.

His Motto:

“God sees you.”

“Let us love God; but at the price of our hands and sweat of our face.”

St. Vincent de Paul - Patron Saint

Charitable societies; horses; hospitals; leprosy; lost articles; prisoners; volunteers; spiritual help; Saint Vincent de Paul Societies; Vincentian Service Corps; Madagascar; diocese of Richmond, Virginia.

16th century cleric performing act of charity; priest surrounded by the Sisters of Charity; book with heart; model of an orphanage or hospital; model of a hospice; priest with child in his arms.

Society of Saint Vincent de Paul

Founded in 1833 by six university students in Paris under the patronage of St. Vincent de Paul, today the Society includes almost 900,000 members spread among 46,000 confraternities in 130 countries of five continents.

The Society’s purpose is to provide direct aid to those who suffer, and to help individuals reduce and even eliminate the causes of their suffering, themselves. Society members use their own resources, sharing not only possessions but the valuable gift of their presence.

Prayer:-

God our Father, you gave Vincent de Paul the courage and holiness of an apostle for the well-being of the poor and the formation of the clergy. Help us to be zealous in continuing his work. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

What is stigmata? Is stigmata real or fake? Read on to know all about stigmata.

Stigmata are bodily marks, sores, or sensations of pain in locations corresponding to the crucifixion wounds of Jesus, such as the hands & feet. Saint Paul says in his letter to Galatians, “I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.” Stigma means a mark or brand mainly used for identification. An individual bearing stigmata is referred to as a stigmatic.

Stigmata are wounds or skin markings that match the wounds suffered by Jesus during his trial and crucifixion. They are often regarded as a supernatural sign from God. Jesus Christ supposedly bore five wounds after his crucifixion. Padre Pio , St Gemma Galgani , St Catherine of Siena and St Francis of Assisi received the same marks miraculously.

Stigmata : Visible and Invisible

Visible stigmata are frequently located in both hands and both feet, and on the right side of the chest, replicating the sites of Christ’s wounds, which he showed to the disciples in his post-resurrection appearances (Luke 24: 36-40 and John 20: 19-29). The most famous of the stigmatics, St Francis of Assisi, received the stigmata in these places. Occasionally wounds on the head, in the shape of a crown (copying the crown of thorns), and marks on either shoulder (representing the carrying of the cross and scourging) are evidence of stigmata too.

Stigmata might also be invisible, marked by the pain of wounds in the classic places, or alternately invisible and visible. St Catherine of Sienna received the stigmata of the five wounds in a vision but asked God to make them disappear, after which she experienced only the pain of the wounds.

Stigmata : Different Forms

The appearance of stigmata varies greatly. Stigmata have ranged from the nail imprints of St Francis’ wounds to cuts of varying length and depth, blisters, and scabs of dried blood. Since they match the wounds suffered by Jesus, they are normally found on the hands and ankles, on one side of the chest, and on the head, shoulders, and back. But they aren’t always real wounds, because many of them occur in the form of purplish skin blotches or tattoo-like markings. Actually, in some cases what looks like a blotch may be a real wound, because small amounts of blood will sometimes seep from it, even though no breaks are visible in the skin.

Many show some or all of the five Holy Wounds that were, according to the Bible, inflicted on Jesus during his crucifixion: wounds in the hands and feet, from nails, and in the side, from a lance. Some stigmatics display wounds to the forehead similar to those caused by the Crown of Thorns. Other reported forms include tears of blood or sweating blood, and wounds to the back as from scourging.

In several cases, stigmata have appeared on Good Friday and vanished on Easter morning. Some occurrences of stigmata persist for many years, but others only last a few days.

Stigmata : Word Meaning

The word “stigmata” is the plural of the Greek word “stigma”. This was an ancient name for marks that were pricked or branded onto the bodies of slaves and soldiers for identification purposes. The first known use of the word with regard to the wounds of Christ occurs in Galatians 6:17, where the Apostle Paul says “I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.” It was said that Saint Francis of Assisi’s stigmata became present two years before his death, and that his hands actually appeared to have nails in them.

Stigmatics of Modern Times

The best-known stigmatics of modern times include Padre Pio, Therese Neumann, Heather Woods, and Lilian Bernas, but there have been many others. In some modern cases, people have reported that they went into a trance in which they seemed to be nailed to a cross, and when they awoke they found the wounds or markings on their bodies.

Stigmata is Real

The sudden appearance of stigmata is a divine sign that a person is very close to God. The miraculous nature of the wounds is verified by the fact that they don’t respond to medical treatment, but can suddenly heal without treatment and without leaving any scars.

Stigmata are sometimes accompanied by other unusual phenomena such as powers of prophecy and the ability to live with very little food or water. Saint Catherine of Siena (1347-1381) reportedly went without water for an entire month while her wounds were present. And Angela of Foligno (1250-1309) didn’t eat anything for twelve years except for what was offered at the Eucharist. Other associated phenomena include visions, trance-like states, and tears of blood.

Stigmatics say that they gladly suffer from the pain because their sacrifice helps pay for the sins of other people.