Sharing the Blessing of Lent - 11) St. Bernadette

St.Bernadette of Lourdes was born on 7^th January 1844 to a poor miller. She was the first among nine children. She was baptized on January 9^th at the local Parish church. When she was a toddler, she caught cholera and also suffered Asthma. She lived in a very poor health all her life.

She used to help a lot in the household by doing the chores. Once when she was 14, on February 11, 1858, Bernadette had gone to the woods to gather firewood with her younger sister Toinette. There she saw a very beautiful lady appearing to her above a rose bush in a cavern. According to Bernadette the woman wore blue and white and made the sign of the cross with her rosary made of Ivory and gold.

Bernadette immediately took her own rosary out and started to pray. When later asked to describe the lady she just said it was a small young lady. Three days later she returned back to the cavern with her other sister Marie where Bernadette knelt immediately again and said she could see her again.

On February 18, Bernadette received a vision to return to the cavern each night for a fortnight which she obliged. Her parents tried their best to stop her but couldn’t. On February 25, she had another vision. It told her to drink of the spring, to wash in it and eat the herb that grow there. She initially thought it must be an act of penance to drink from the muddy waters of the cavern but when she returned there she saw the waters have been cleaned.

On March 2^nd , she had a vision that asked her to build a chapel and to form a procession. She had her 16^th Vision on March 25 where she asked who the young lady was. The lady merely smiled. When Bernadette was persistent to know the answer she replied, “I am the immaculate conception.”

Not many believed that she had an encounter with the Holy Mother and she was put through various examinations and interrogations. Both the Government and the Parish tested her and finally realized she was telling the truth. The muddy water that she cleaned was so rich of minerals that it had the cure for 69 diseases. Bernadette believed it was her faith and prayer that cured people.

Bernadette now worked upon her vision that directed to build a chapel and built the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes. Now, it is one of the major Catholic Pilgrimage sites in the World. She was getting so much attention but she never liked all those. She was ever so humble. When asked how she was being so humble she replied, “Mother Mary used me as a broom to clean the dirt. Once cleaned, the broom should be at the back of the door.”

She joined a hospice run by the Sisters of Charity at Nevers and she learned to read and write. On July 29, 1866 she became a nun. Her health deterred day by day and she died of tuberculosis at the age of 35 on April 16, 1879. She was praying the Holy rosary when she dying. Her last words were, “Blessed Mary, Mother of God, pray for me. A poor sinner.”

When she was exhumed thrice at various time intervals to support her canonization,  it was found that her body was not corrupted.

Feast – April 16

Patron of – Illness, Poverty, Lourdes

St. Bernadette Prayer

Prayer of Saint Bernadette

“Let the crucifix be not only in my eyes and on my breast, but in my heart.O Jesus! Release all my affections and draw them upwards. Let my crucified heart sink forever into Thine and bury itself in the mysterious wound made by the entry of the lance.”

Prayer to St. Bernadette

O Saint Bernadette, who, as a meek and pure child, did eighteen times at Lourdes contemplate the beauty of the Immaculate Mother of God and received her messages, and who afterwards wished to hide yourself from the world in the convent of Nevers, and to offer thyself there as a victim for the conversion of sinners, obtain for us the grace of purity, simplicity and mortification that we also may attain to the vision of God and of Mary in Heaven. Amen.

Sharing the Blessing of Lent - 10) St. Rose of Lima

St.Rose of Lima is the first person born in America to be canonized. She is known for her life of severe asceticism and also famed for her beauty.

She was born in Lima, the Viceroyalty of Peru to Gasper Flores and Maria de Oliva y Herrera on April 20,1586. She was named Isabel Flores de Oliva. She was so pretty and a great sight to behold from the time she was born. When she was so small, one of the servants in her household saw her face transform into a rose for a second. From that day, she was nicknamed Rose and the name stuck on.

She was an ardent devotee from the time when she was small and practiced several penances. When she was not allowed to do so much severe sacrifices, she did it in seclusion. She badly wanted to be a nun but was not allowed by her parents. She took the oath of celibacy and swore never to marry.

She was so beautiful that she attracted many suitors. To mar her appearance she would rub pepper on her face to blacken it and cut her hair very short. Her parents tried their best to convince her to come out of her vows to God but she wouldn’t budge. She used to fast daily and gave a permanent abstainment to meat. She loved gardening and grew many flower plants. She used to sell the flowers in the market and give it to the needy. She did fine needlework and she sold off those too to feed the poor.

Seeing her sincerity, her parents finally gave in to her vow of celibacy but did not want her to become a nun and go away from them. So she joined the Third Order of St.Dominic and continued to serve the Lord while staying with her parents. She prayed and prayed all times of the day and night and allowed herself to sleep for only two hours a day. She made a heavy crown of silver with thorns that is a replica to the Jesus’ crown of thorns and wore it all day. The crown got so much into her skull that it was with much difficulty it was taken out of her head.

After leading a severe life of austerity, she breathed her last at the age of 31 on August 25, 1617. When she died the entire city of Lima smelled like roses and some say roses fell from the sky at the time of her death. St.Rose’s skull was exhumed and reconstructed and adorned with a skull of roses and is kept at the Basilica at Lima.

Feast – August 23

Patron of – Latin America, Philippines, Gardeners, Sewing, embroiders.

St. Rose of Lima Prayers

Prayer to God through St.Rose

God our Father, for love of You,

St. Rose gave up everything

to devote herself to a life of penance.

By the help of her prayers may we imitate

her selfless way of life on earth and enjoy

the fullness of Your blessings in heaven.

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

Prayer to St.Rose

Admirable Saint Rose, you were truly a sweet flower blooming on a rugged soil; you were indeed a rose among thorns, bearing with meekness and patience the stings of envious tongues, and preserving perfect purity and modesty amid the alluring blandishments of a deceitful world. To the sufferings inflicted on you by others you added the voluntary tortures of fasting and watching, of the discipline, of the crown of thorns and of the hair shirt, to subdue the flesh and to make yourself like to your heavenly Spouse. By the merits which you have thus gained with your divine Bridegroom, obtain for me the grace to bear my afflictions with patience, to remain pure and modest, to be meek and humble, to be faithful to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit, and so to mortify my passions that I may be ever more pleasing and acceptable in the sight of my dear Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, Who liveth and reigneth world without end. Amen.

Sharing the Blessing of Lent - 9) St. Sebastin

St.Sebastin is one of the famous saints of the catholic church. He is believed to have lived in the third century. Not much is known to us about his parents and childhood but history pops about his youth. He may have come from southern France and he was educated in Milan. He joined the roman Army in 283 AD to secretly help out the Christians who were being persecuted by the romans in great numbers.

He was helping the Christians but gave an excellent service otherwise to the royals in protecting them that he was made a Praetorian Guard to protect Emperor Diocletian. During that time, twin brothers Marcus and Marcellian, were imprisoned not to offer sacrifices to the Roman God.

Their parents came and tried to persuade them to come out of Christian faith when st.Sebastin spoke to them and converted them to Christians. He was then exposed and the emperor was furious. He ordered St.Sebastin to be tied and used as a target practice for arrows. He was shot at various places and was left to die.

But he did not die and was saved by Irene, a catholic woman whose husband was also martyred. She nursed him back to health. Once recovered, st. Sebastin went back to the emperor to confront him. He was shocked but regained his senses and caught the saint once again. He was now clubbed to death and thrown in the gutter.

His body was recovered by Lucina, who gave him a befitting burial. His body, or parts of his body were then exhumed and taken as relics and kept at various parts of the World. A special silver case was made and his cranium alone was taken and kept in a German Monastry.

In the early days, St.Sebastin was considered a Patron of protection against plague. That was the deadliest disease back then. Since the Saint survived so many arrows eventually shot to kill him but survived , people belived he had the powers to endure all and come back alive. Once the concept of plague went underground, St.Sebastin is called out for all atheletes, soldiers and those who wish for a saintly death.

Feast – January 20

Patron of – Athletes, Soldiers

St.Sebastin’s Prayer

Dear Commander at the  Roman Emperor's court, 

you chose to be also a soldier  of Christ and dared to spread 

faith in the King's of King's, for which you were condemned to die. 

Your body, however proved athletically strong and the 

executing arrows extremely weak, so another means to 

kill you was chosen and you gave your life to the Lord. 

May athletes be always as strong in 

their faith as you so clearly have been.

Amen.

St.Sebastin’s Guidance Prayer

O Lord, grant us the spirit of fortitude, so that guided by the example of the martyr St. Sebastian, we may learn to bear witness to the Christian Faith and patiently support the sufferings of life. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Sharing the Blessing of Lent - 8) St.Lucy

St.Lucy is one of the eight woman of which Blessed Virgin Mary is also a part who are all commemorated in the Canon of the Mass by name. She is believed to have born in 283 but much of her history is lost. It has come to us in the form of a legendary tale. St.Lucy is born to a rich parents and she had a pampered childhood. Her father died when she was 5 years old but her mother Eutychia made sure she left no stone unturned to bring her up well. She was also suffering from a bleeding disorder and feared much for st.Lucy’s future.

Even when she was young, she was so devoted to God and always thought of ways to convince her mom to give a large part of their wealth in charity. She made a vow of celibacy to God and no matter what she tried she could not convince her mom to leave her single and not get married. Eutychia even arranged for her wedding to a pagan.

St.Lucy prayed so hard at the tomb of Agatha for enlightment and to find a way to come out of this situation, that she received a vision of St.Agatha giving her an idea. She told Eutychia that her illness will be recovered when she donates a part of their wealth to the needy. Eutychia abided for St.Lucy’s sake. She recovered quickly. Her mother was so grateful to the Lord and so moved by St.Lucy’s faith, thet she too turned faithful to God and accepted St.Lucy’s request to remain celibate.

But the turned down bridegroom wanted to have his revenge for putting down his proposal. He went to the then Governor Paschasius and betrayed her. He even tried to pull her into a brothel to defile her. But no matter how many people tried to move her away, they could not even move her an inch.

They tried to burn her but the wood wouldn’t burn. Then they killed her with a sword in 304. 

When she was condemned to death by Paschasius , St. Lucy said that he would be punished by the Lord. The Governor on hearing this was enraged and ordered to pull her eyes out. In another version of the story, it is said that she herself pulled out her eyes as a suitor of her admired them so much and wanted to marry her for them.

But it so happened when they embalmed her body and prepared it for burial, the eyes were restored. That is the reason she was considered a patron of eyes and eye related illness.

Feast day – December 13

Patron of – Eyes, Blindness, Eye related illness

St. Lucy’s Prayer

Saint Lucy,

Whose beautiful name signifies LIGHT,

By the light of faith which God bestowed upon you

Increase and preserve His light in my soul,

So that I may avoid evil,

Be Zealous in the performance of good works,

And abhor nothing so much as the blindness

And the darkness of evil and sin.

Obtain for me, by your intercession with God

Perfect vision for my bodily eyes

And the grace to use them for God’s greater Honor and glory

And the salvation of the souls.

St.Lucy, virgin and Martyr,

Hear my prayers and obtain my petitions.

Amen.

Sharing the Blessing of Lent - 7) St.Teresa of Avila

St.Teresa was an influential Spanish Saint who brought about the reformation of the Carmelite order.

She was born in Avila on 28^th March, 1515. Her mother and father were devout catholics and they wanted her to follow their lead. Her father was so strict that even the slightest mistake would mean a sin to him. Her mother though was different. She was religious too but she gave way to fun and frolic without compromising her faith. So St.Teresa always looked on to her and she was happy with her life.

When she was seven years old, she asked her elder brother to accompany her to go off to the monastery , serve God and beg there for food and spend the rest of their lives there. They had almost gone there when one of their uncles saw them and brought them back. Things were going on fine till her mother expired. She was not able to cope up with a very strict father and she eventually gave in to temptation. She started spending time with friends and all that a teenage fantasize and stopped praying. At the age of 16, her father sent her off to a convent to become a nun so that she would reform her ways.

The convent was way too lenient on her than her father and she started to actually enjoy her stay. They did not have stringent rules to follow and the prayer too was not satisfying to her. So she started practicing mental prayer and she was complete in harmony with the Lord. The people who saw her changes grew surprised and asked her to teach the mental prayer to them. She started to teach them to concentrate and spend time alone with God, the one you know who always loves you.

But things took a bad turn when she was asked to teach the prayer to the only people who can afford to give complements to the convent. She gave up teaching and spent time in solitude prayer. She was inflicted with malaria and she was almost knocked out for 4 days and people thought she actually died. When she woke up, she felt better and she claimed she saw visions and and spiritual experiences that made her feel better. But no one believed her and convinced her that these were delusions of the demon.

She refused to believe it but accepted for the sake of others. She convinced herself that she was too big a sinner now to ask for favours from God. This went on and she thought of praying and asking for something from God would be improper. When she was 41, she was convinced again by a monk to pray and she started praying with much vigor. She wanted to form her own order and to reform the convent. She met with so many dejections and humility all along the way till she formed her own order.

When she used to practice mental prayer she would sometimes levitate. Far from being happy, she used to feel embarrassed and plead god not to give on a show in front of others. Once she formed her order, she effectively led the way and went on being the light for so many people. She went about the whole of Spain setting up her order and spreading the word of God and finally breathed her last on October 4 at the age of 67.

Feast – October 15

Patron of – Body illness especially headache.

Prayer to St.Teresa

This is a simple poem written by St.Teresa herself and used as a prayer.

Let nothing disturb you,

Let nothing frighten you,

All things are passing away:

God never changes.

Patience obtains all things

Whoever had God lacks nothing;

God alone suffices.

Sharing the Blessing of Lent - 6) St.Cecilia

St. Cecilia is one of the famous martyrs of the Roman Catholic Church but there are not much of historical evidence about her life. She is believed to have born in the 2^nd century into a wealthy family. She was very beautiful but always wore sack clothes to avoid attention. She always fasted and prayed to the saints and angels to protect her virginity.

She was a virgin and a great devotee of the Lord and she was given in marriage to a young man named Valerian. As the ceremony was going on, she sang a song in her heart to the Lord. After she was wedded, she told her husband that she has taken a vow of celibacy and an angel was near her to protect her. He asked to see the angel himself to believe. She told him that he will able to see the angel only when he gets baptized.

He loved her so much that he developed faith for her sake and got baptized. Once he came back, he saw the angel near her and he got even more faith. Valerian’s brother saw these and he too wanted to serve the Lord and he got baptized. Both the brothers wanted to serve the Lord in their won way. They decided to give a decent and fitting burial to all the Priests and patrons preaching Christianity  who were killed by the then ruler, Turcius Almachius.

He came to know about this and called the brothers to his court. Once they refused to serve him, he beheaded them. After this, Cecilia grew even more close to God out of fear and remorse and was able to convert about four hundred people to the Lord. Cecilia was later arrested and was condemned to be suffocated. But after a day of suffocation too , St.Cecilia did not even sweat and was praying.

She was then ordered to be beheaded. The executioners did their job but she did not die immediately. Till 3 days she preached and prayed as she bled slowly to death. People came and collected her blood and preserved it. She is believed to have died in the 3^rd century. When she was exhumed in the year 1599, she was found in a silk satin cloth not decayed and a mysterious sweet odour was filled in her coffin box.

Feast Day – November 22

Patron of Music. As she was singing to the Lord when she was married and many of her prayers are in the form of song lyrics, the Parish have considered her to be the patron of music and musicians.

St.Cecilia’s Prayer

O glorious St. Cecilia, virgin and 
martyr, you won the martyr's crown
without renouncing your love for
Jesus, the delight of your soul. We 
ask that you help us to be faithful in
our love for Jesus, that, in the
communion of the saints, we may 
praise Him twice in our song of
rejoicing for the Blood that He shed
which gave us the grace to accomplish
His will on earth.
Amen.

Sharing the Blessing of Lent - 5) St. Anthony of Padua

St. Anthony was born in Lisbon, Portugal in the year 1195. When he was born he was christened Fernando Martins. He was born into a healthy family. He was sent to the Abbey of Santa Cruz to learn Theology. Thus started his ordination as a priest. There he learnt Latin too. At the abbey he was fully responsible for the hospitality.

When he saw the Franciscan priests settle a hermit for St.Anthony of Egypt, he felt tempted to join them. He asked permission and left the abbey. It was by then he converted his name to Anthony. He then started travelling to spread the word of God. Once when he was travelling to Morocco he fell ill and he was supposed to return to Portugal to recover.

But the party with him went off course and landed at sicily and reached the hermitage of San Paolo to care for his health. It was there once the Dominican priests came to visit. There was a small confusion on who should preach between the Dominican priests and the Franciscan priests and St.Anthony was asked to give the shermon at the end.

Though he initially hesitated he gave a inspiring speech and everyone was both awe struck and pleased.  And he grew close to St.Francis of Assisi through his work. The latter then made St.Anthony responsible for the pursuit of studies of the priests. St.Anthony started proving his worth as a great teacher. He had a book of Psalms in which he writes notes , comments and everything for teaching. Once a student stole the book and ran away from the order.

St.Anthony got sad but did not lose hope. He started praying and behold, the student returned the book back and also came back to the order with a renewed hope and faith. It was because of this incident, St.Anthony was termed the Patron for lost things. His teachings were very simple that even the illiterate could easily apprehend and came close to God.

Once St. Anthony was to teach to a set of non believers and they left the hall before he could even start the sermon. He then went to the pond nearby and started preaching. He was so gentle in his words and so easy to understand that even the fishes started to listen and they began to gather in numbers. The people were astonished to see this and they were ashamed to have treated him that way.

His constant travel and odd teaching hours without food and rest led to his death at the age of 36 in 1231. When he was exhumed after 336 years of his death, it was found that all organs were decayed but his tongue remained the same. The tongue was so powerful in helping people find their way to the Lord that maybe the tongue remained untouched. People were so overwhelmed and celebrated the miracle.

Feast Day – June 13

Patron – Lost things.

St. Anthony of Padua – Prayer

Holy Saint Anthony, gentle and powerful in your help, your love for God and charity for His creatures, made you worthy, when on earth, to possess miraculous powers. Miracles waited on your word, which you were always ready to request for those in trouble or anxiety. Encouraged by this thought, I implore you to obtain for me [request]. The answer to my prayer may require a miracle. Even so, you are the Saint of miracles. Gentle and loving Saint Anthony, whose heart is ever full of human sympathy, take my petition to the Infant Savior for whom you have such a great love, and the gratitude of my heart will ever be yours. Amen.