SAINT MARY MAGDALENE 

Apostle to the Apostles 

First Century

Feast Day: July 22

Patronage: Provence, contemplatives, converts, druggists, gardeners, glove makers, hairdressers, penitents, perfumers, pharmacists, prisoners, reformed prostitutes

Invoked against: sexual temptation

Symbols: alabaster jar, long hair, skull

 “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to my brethren and say to them, “I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.”“

            Christ to Mary Magdalenee according to John 20:17

             The subject of much debate about her true identity, there is one aspect of Mary Magdalene that all ecclesiastical writers agree upon: she never left Christ during His crucifixion and she was the first person to see Him after His resurrection. Because He chose her as His first witness and because He told her to go and tell the others what she saw, she is known as the “Apostle to the Apostles.” But it the example she sets as a penitent and reformed sinner that she is most well known and honored.

            According to ancient Jewish texts, the seaside town of Magdala was known as a place of loose morals. Mary had the surname of this town instead of a  man’s, signifying her unmarried state. It was said that Mary had wealth and took great pride in her appearance enjoying luxuries and lapsing into promiscuity. Many shunned her because of her reputation for lewdness and it is as this sinner that we are first introduced to her. After Jesus had raised the son of a widow from the dead, a man named Simon invited him to be guest of honor at a dinner.  While they were at the table a notorious woman walked into the room carrying an alabaster box. Weeping, she threw herself down and wiped Jesus’ feet with her hair then anointed them with the oil. Simon was outraged that Jesus would accept such tribute from someone so disgraceful.  Instead of judging the woman Jesus rebuked Simon, “Does thou see this woman? I entered into thy house – thou gave me no water for my feet. But she with tears has washed my feet,, and with her hair has wiped them. Thou gave me no kiss. But she, since she came in, has not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou did not anoint but she with ointment has anointed my feet. Wherefore I say to thee: Many sins are forgiven her, because she has loved much. But to whom less is forgiven, he loves less.” He then told the penitent woman to go in peace, all her sins were forgiven.

            In the next chapter of Luke he mentions the travels of Christ and his followers in Galiliee, among them is “Mary Magdalene, out of whom seven devils had gone forth.” Though other Christian sects disagree, Catholics believe the penitent woman is Mary Magdalene, who after being exorcized by Christ became one of his greatest and most loyal followers. The day before Christ’s entry into Jerusalem he dined with Lazarus and his sisters Martha and Mary. Because she too wipes his feet with her hair and anoints them with oil in the same manner as the penitent woman, it is thought that Lazarus’ sister is Mary Magdalene. When Judas objects to the use of such expensive oil he is rebuked by Christ for being so self-righteous. “…For the poor you have always with you….but me you have not always…”

            When Christ was crucified, Mary Magdalene followed His passion on Calvary. Unlike His other disciples, she never renounced Him or ran from Him. She stood with His mother until He was dead, helped take Him down from the cross  and wept outside of His tomb. On Easter morning it is Mary Magdalene who returns at dawn to keep a vigil. When she found the great stone covering the tomb rolled away, she ran back to tell Peter and the others that someone had taken Jesus’ body. They ran a head of her, saw that this was true, and not knowing what to do about it, they left. It was Mary Magdalene who stayed behind, searching the tomb and weeping. Two angels dressed in white appeared and ask why she was weeping. “They have taken my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.” Another man, a gardener asked her the same question and she begged the man to tell her where he might have put Christ’s body.  “Mary,” said the man and she knew who this was. When she went to embrace him he told her “Touch me not!” ( The phrase Noli me tangere in the Latin bible). After she went off to tell the others the good news, the gospels have nothing more to say about Mary Magdalene.

            The rest of her life story was written in the early Middle Ages.  It says that after the resurrection of Christ, political leaders in Israel tried to quash the cult that was rapidly growing around belief in Him. In hopes that they would perish at sea, Mary Magdalene, her sister Martha, their brother Lazarus and other followers  were set out in a rudderless boat. Divine Providence brought them to the coast of Marseilles, France.  There they had much success converting the local people to Christianity. Mary took her apostolic mission to Provence and was greeted with equal enthusiasm. After converting the king and helping to install a bishop, she retired to a cave to live out the last thirty years of her life as a penitent. Existing without food or clothing, her hair grew long to cover her body and she repented for her previous deeds as a sinner. Once a day angels would carry her to heaven where she received her “daily sustenance”. Knowing her death was at hand, she sent for Maximinus, the bishop she had installed, received the eucharist and died in tears.

              Since each of the 12 original apostles of Christ had areas of the world where they evangelized, and Mary Magdalene and her family were favorites of Christ, early French ecclesiastical writers claimed them as their evangelists. This divine favoritism then extended to France and the French people. Miraculous discoveries of her relics abounded from Provence to Burgundy. The Cathedral at Vezely was dedicated to her in the 12^th century and became the center of her cult and an important stop on the pilgrimage to Campostela. Her feast, falling in the heart of summer was happily celebrated throughout France. 

            To the people of the Middle Ages, Mary Magdalene was a wildly glamorous figure, a beautiful woman with long, red hair. As towns grew into cities, they began to face an onslaught of urban problems such as prostitution. Though there is no mention in the bible of Mary Magdalene ever being a prostitute, preachers invented lurid tales of her youthful sexual indiscretions. The fact that God could extend forgiveness to such a willful, wayward creature gave hope to everyone for their own forgiveness. Homes for reformed prostitutes took her as their patron and the word “magdalene” became a description for a fallen woman. It was not until the 20^th century that Mary Magadelene’s role as a penitent and devoted follower of Christ was stressed.

             Always a popular subject for artists, Mary Magdalene is  depicted as a beautiful, sorrowful woman with long hair. In some images she carries the alabaster unguent jar and in others a skull is present, the symbol of the penitent to remind us of how we are all going to end up. The English word “maudlin” is a derivative of Magdalene. Oxford University has a famous college named for her.  Because she loved luxury before her conversion, and bought expensive unguents after it, she is the patron of such trades as glove makers, hairdressers and perfumers. Since devils were cast out of her she is the patron of prisoners who cast off their chains.  Because Christ appeared to her as a gardener she is the patron of that profession. Her knowledge and use of unguents makes her the patron of pharmicists.

                                                     Prayer to Saint Mary Magdalene

                                            Saint Mary Magdalene, woman of many sins,

                                         Who by conversion became the beloved of Jesus,

                                            Thank you for your witness that Jesus forgives

                                                          through the miracle of love.

                                              You, who already possess eternal happiness

                                                            in His glorious presence,

                                               please intercede for me, so that someday

                                                 I may share in the same everlasting joy.

                                                                           Amen

From the  book “Saints: Ancient and Modern” , Viking Studio, by Barbara Calamari and Sandra DiPasqua                       

SAINT CHRISTOPHER

 One of the Fourteen Holy Helpers

 Third Century

Feast Day: July 25

Patron of: athletes, couriers, gardeners, ferrymen, fruit growers, fruit venders, motorists, pilgrims, porters, postal workers, railway workers, taxi drivers, travelers,

Invoked against: sudden death, plague, floods, hurricanes, hail

Symbols: carrying the Child Jesus, flowering staff

“You were not only carrying the whole world, you had Him who created the world on your shoulders!”

            The Christ Child to Christopher

             A standard image in automobiles and taxi cabs, Saint Christopher is an unavoidable presence in modern society. He is the first saint that many nonCatholics come in contact with and his cult has faded and been resurrected over a span of 2,000 years. The stories of Saint Christopher are unique and fantastic. In the West, the story begins with a fearsome giant named Rebrobus.

            Born to a tribe in North Africa, Reprobus  was so proud of his great physical prowess that he vowed to serve only the greatest king in the world. He put himself in service to a ruler whom he believed to be supreme, but soon noticed that this king trembled and crossed himself at the mention of the devil. Witnessing the king’s fear  he realized that a more powerful leader yet reigned. He left the king’s court, found the devil and put himself in his service. One day, while traveling with the devil and his army they saw a cross on the road. The devil abruptly left this path and led them through the desert. When Reprobus saw that the devil was frightened, he demanded to know the reason. “There was a man named Christ who was nailed to a cross,” he was told. “And when I see the sign of his cross, I am filled with terror and I run away!”             Reprobus left  in disgust and set out to find this Jesus Christ who could make the devil quake in fear. In his travels he came across a hermit who lived besides a dangerous river. This hermit was a known Christian who spent his days guiding travelers over the rushing water. When Reprobus asked the hermit how he could join Christ’s service, the hermit  suggested that the mighty giant take on the task of carrying travelers across the dangerous river currents.  Reprobus gladly accepted this simple solution. He set up camp near the river and found a long pole to act as his steadying staff in the raging water.

          For a few days he carried travelers on his back through the currents. It came to pass that one day he heard the voice of a small child requesting to be carried across the river. He left his shelter but found no one there. He heard the voice a second time and still saw no one. The third time the child called, Reprobus again stepped outside and to his surprise saw a child standing on the riverbank. When the boy again requested to be carried over, the giant easily picked the child up, put him on his shoulders and began walking across the river. To his astonishment, as he neared the heavy current, the child’s weight seemed to increase. As the water grew rougher, the child grew heavy as lead. Engulfed in rapids and struggling to remain upright, Reprobus was sure they would both drown. When he finally reached the other shore, Reprobus put the boy down and admonished him, “My boy, you put me in great danger, and you weighed so much that if I had the whole world on my back I could not have felt it a heavier burden!” To his amazement, the child replied, “You were not only carrying the whole world, you had him who created the world upon your shoulders! I am Christ your king, to whom you render service by doing the work you do here.” The child then baptized him with the water from the river and told him that when Reprobus returned home, he was to plant his staff in the earth. “The next day you will find it bearing fruit as a form of proof of my identity.”  The child then vanished. Reprobus returned home and did what he was told. As promised, the next day he found his staff bearing the leaves and fruit of a palm tree. From that day on he took the name Christopher, which means “Christ bearer”.  

            The story continues, and the powerful message that Christopher’s flowering staff represented converted many to Christianity. The king, threatened by Christopher’s powers to relate to the common people had the humble servant brought before him. The king said that Christopher was a fool to take the name of a crucified man as his leader. If he would denounce Christ, Christopher would be granted entrance into the king’s service, and his life would be spared.. When Christopher refused, the king ordered him tortured and shot with arrows. As four hundred archers aimed at the giant, one stray arrows turned in midair and went through the king’s eye. Christopher told him not to worry. He said that upon his death, the king should rub some of the shed blood into his eye. Vision would be restored. Upon these words, Christopher was beheaded and the tyrant took some of the blood, rubbing it into the injured eye, saying, “In the name of God and Saint Christopher.” When his vision was restored, the king immediately converted to Christinaity, along with those who had witnessed these events.

            In the West the story of Saint Christopher is taken as a fable for Christians to teach them to figuratively  “bear Christ” in every aspect of their lives.  In the East, however, the story differs. There, Christopher was known as a member of a warrior tribe of dog- headed cannibals and traditional Orthodox iconography depicts him as a man with a dog’s head. This is thought to be a literal interpretation of the Greco/Roman tradition of describing all foreigners from outside f the empire as “cannibals” or “dog-headed.”  In truth, the historic Christopher was most likely from Berber tribes that resided in Libya. Many speculate he is the same person as the Saint known as Menas who always carried a picture of Christ near his heart. This holy man was martyred in Antioch and then taken to Alexandria to be honored by the Coptic Christians.

            Despite the different tales of his origin, Saint Christopher is best-known for his Western roots. His act of healing toward the king, his murderer, and his protection of travelers, led to his adoption both as an intercessor for the sick and for those who are responsible for the safety of others.

            Saint Christoper is often grouped with other saints thought to offer intercession of healing Collectively known as the Fourteen Holy Helpers, each of these saints specializes in curing different parts of the body. He was added to this group during the Middle Ages when the Black Plague raged through Europe. At this time paintings of Saint Christopher appeared on the outside of many churches and village public walls because it was thought that anyone who saw his image would be safe from death that day. After the plague had run its course these images became welcome sights to religious pilgrims who found assurance in his protection of them along the road.

            In the twentieth century, the cult of Saint Christopher saw great resurgence. As the patron saint of travelers and those who transport people, medallions bearing his image became prevalen, especially with the advent of the automobile.. In the United States this tradition was introduced by European immigrants and became so popular that even manynonCatholics have a Saint Christopher medallion in their vehicle for protection.

             Because of his flowering staff Saint Christopher is also the patron saint of gardeners and those who buy and sell fruit. Since he carried and delivered many to safety he is the patron of ferrymen and postal workers. Because he worked in such violent currents, he is invoked against the violence of water such as floods and hail. Being endowed with great strength and physical perfection he is also the patron of athletes. In art, Saint Christopher is always depicted carrying the Christ Child, his staff at his side.

                                                  Traveler’s Prayer to Saint Christopher

                         O Saint Christopher, hear our prayer,

                        Keep me in your loving care.

                        Whatever the perils of the way,

                        Let me not add to them this day.

                        So to our caution and attention,

                        We add a prayer for your protection,

                        And beg God’s blessing on this journey,

                        That we may travel safely near and far.

 From the book “Saints: Ancient and Modern”, Viking Studio, by Barbara Calamari and Sandra DiPasqua

SAINT ANTHONY OF PADUA

Doctor of the Church

1195 – 1231

Feast Day: June 13

Patronage: Portugal, Padua, Lisbon, amputees, barren women, domestic animals, draftees, oppressed people, orphans, paupers, the poor, pregnant women, prisoners, sailors, strawberry sellers

Invoked: to find lost articles, to find a husband, against shipwreck, against debt, against starvation

 “But the apostles “spoke as the Spirit gave them the gift of speech.” Happy the man whose words issue from the Holy Spirit and not from himself.”

            It is hard to find a Catholic Church that does not have a statue of Saint Anthony of Padua.   Also known as “The Wonder Worker”, he is the most popular saint in the world.  It was said that Saint Anthony was so infused with the holy spirit that he could stop the rain, raise the dead, reattach severed limbs and have fish lift themselves from the water to listen to him By repeating the words, “Tony, Tony, look around, something’s lost that must be found,” any lost article will resurface. Like other saints known for their ability to control nature, he would be seen preaching in two different places at the same time. Greatly beloved in his own lifetime, he was canonized within a year of his death, the second quickest canonization in Church history. Though he has been dead for over 750 years, his cathedral in Padua attracts millions of pilgrims every year who feel such an affinity for him that they invoke him for help in both ordinary and extraordinary matters.

            A contemporary of Saint Francis of Assisi, Anthony was born Ferdinando de Bulhes in Lisbon, Portugal to a noble family. Raised in the heart of Lisbon, he was educated at the Cathedral school. Against his family’s wishes he joined the Augustinian religious order where he immersed himself in intensive study. Finding life at the Abbey in Lisbon too social and luxurious, he requested a transfer to the city of Coimbra, then the capitol of the newly found country of Portugal. For the next eight years he read every book in the monastery’s library and devoted himself to contemplative prayer.

            While serving as the doorkeeper in his monastery he befriended a group of monks who used to beg at his door. Fascinated with their dedication to simplicity and poverty, he learned that they were from the newly formed Order of Franciscans.  When the remains of five Franciscan martyrs were brought back from Morocco and installed in his monastery to great public acclaim, he was inspired to become a missionary and possible martyr himself. He got permission to join the little band of Franciscans and changed his name from Ferdinando to Anthony in honor of the great fourth century monastic, Saint Anthony of the Desert, the patron of the little church where the friars lived.  Intent on preaching the gospel in Morocco, Anthony arrived there with one other friar. His plans were dashed when he was stricken with malaria.           

            After spending the winter in bed, he attempted to return home to Portugal but his ship was blown off course and he found himself in Messina, Sicily. While there, Anthony met a group of Franciscan friars who were heading north for a gathering of all Franciscans with their founder, Francis. Anthony accompanied them to Assisi where he attended the famous 1221 gathering of over 2,000 Franciscans to celebrate Pentecost. This brand new religious order was fast sweeping Europe by inspiring Catholics to return to the original words of Christ. When the meeting ended and the friars were disbursing, Anthony was assigned to the hermitage of Montepaolo in Forli, Italy. Many Franciscans came from the ranks of the uneducated and Anthony never mentioned his noble background or his years of learning, he only requested to study more.

            While at Forli, Anthony attended an ordination along with other Franciscans and several Dominican friars. It was discovered that no one had been appointed to preach. As his Superior’s

polite request for a speaker were repeatedly turned down, he turned to Anthony and ordered him to say whatever the Holy Spirit infused into him. At first shaky and shy, Anthony’s speech became strong and intense. In simple words he was able to explain the most complicated scriptural matters. His audience was astonished not only at his incredible speaking ability but also at the depth of his knowledge. This began his public career as one of the most charismatic preachers of all time.

            He was sent throughout northern Italy and southern France on spiritual preaching missions. Vast crowds soon gathered to hear him. He was known as “The Hammer of the Heretics” for his success in winning over converts. In 1224 he received a letter from Saint Francis himself requesting that he teach theology to his fellow friars. His tenure in the college of Bologna in 1225 was followed by a move to Padua. Anthony is credited with realizing the Franciscan school of theology.

            At Padua, he did much to work on alleviating the debt that the common people were getting into due to the change in the social economy from an agrarian one to a cash based one. At Anthony’s insistence, the Municipality of Padua passed a law which still stand today, in favor of debtors who could not pay their debts. Debt relief and the plight of the poor in the face of increasing wealth were major topics of Anthony’s speeches. It was difficult for the city of Padua to control the crowds of over 30,000 who would come to hear him and he would frequently preach out in the piazzas and open fields. Luxury, avarice and tyranny were the three vices that most troubled him. When he was asked to speak at the funeral of a moneylender he quoted the words of the Gospel, “Where thy treasure is, there is also thy heart.” He then told the mourners, “That rich man is dead and buried in hell; but go to his treasures and you will find his heart.”  When his friends and relatives did as they were told, they found the man’s still warm heart among his coins.

            Though only 36 years old,  Anthony’s health was faltering. An asthmatic, he found great relief in rural settings among nature and he made frequent trips to meditate at Francis’s hermitage at La Verna. A local count donated a woodland retreat for his use. One morning the count heard a child giggling and looked out to find Anthony surrounded in light playing with the baby Jesus. That Christ would choose this most vulnerable state to visit one of His saints is considered further proof of the goodness and kindness of Saint Anthony.

            His death was the cause of intense public mourning and his swift canonization is a testament to the fact he reached the very top church hierarchy as well as the common people with his great gifts. He was declared a Doctor of the Church because of his deep knowledge and ability to share it with others. The construction of his cathedral began immediately after death, the people of Padua insisting that it be in the combined styles of Romanesque, Byzantine and Arabic because Anthony is “everybody’s saint.” When his relics were translated 32 years later, his tongue was found in perfect condition, not decomposed at all. It is currently on display in a reliquery at his cathedral in Padua.

            Though there are many older paintings depicting the many miracles of Saint Anthony, since the 17^th Century he has traditionally been depicted holding a lily and the baby Jesus. Usually there is a psalter, or book of psalms in the picture that the baby’s foot rests on. This is to show that Christ comes directly out of these writings. It is also the root of Anthony’s patronage of finding lost things. While at Bologna, when a departing novice borrowed this psalter and attempted to leave the monastery with it, he was confronted by a terrifying devil brandishing an axe who chased him back to the saint. Draftees invoke him for a good number on the list and since he did so much for the poor and those in debt he is their patron. Because he holds the baby Jesus, women having trouble conceiving request his aid. In Portugal and Brazil, his feast day is auspicious for marriages and women seeking husbands will bury a statue of Saint Anthony until he finds one for them. They later free the saint when this is accomplished.

                                                      Novena Prayer to Saint Anthony of Padua

                                       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 be ever yours.

                                                                          Amen

To be said nine times in a row for nine days in a row.

(Excerpted from the book “Saints:Ancient and Modern” by Barbara Calamari and Sandra DiPasqua

OUR LADY OF FATIMA

The twentieth century has been the bloodiest and most violent in the history . During Mary’s visits to Fatima, Portugal, in 1917, she foretold not only the terrors of the Russian Revolution and World War II, but also made a third prediction, never released, as it was judged far too terrifying.  In her visits she stressed the recitation of the rosary and taking fifteen minutes to meditate on her Immaculate Heart each week. Expressing the feeling that humanity had drifted away from God, she wanted the world to offer up reparations for the disastrous state of the earth. Our Lady of Fatima is an angry and pained mother, demanding that the world come to its senses and honor its Creator. Her rules are strict. This novena is said to honor Mary and to atone for the blasphemies and ingratitude that are heaped upon God and his creations. Coming in the midst of the first World War, her warnings were pointedly political. She predicted the suffering imposed by the Communist states as well as the incredible carnage of the next world war. She strongly commanded all of humanity to pray the rosary, insisting this is the only road to peace.

Novena Prayer to Our Lady of Fatima

Most holy Virgin, who came to Fatima to reveal to the

Three shepherd children the treasures of graces hidden

in the recitation of the rosary, inspire our hearts with

a sincere love of this devotion, so that by meditating

on the mysteries of our redemption that are recalled in it,

we may gather their fruits and obtain the conversion

of sinners, the conversion of Russia, and

(Mention your requests)

Which we ask of you in this novena,

for the greater glory of God, for your own honor,

and for the good of people. Amen

(Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, one Glory Be).

Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima, pray for us!

Recite this novena nine times in a row for nine days in a row.

Pray to Our Lady of Fatima for Forgiveness and Reparations

 Feast Day: May 13

SAINT DYMPHNA

605-620

Because of her personal knowledge of the terror and misery caused by madness, Saint Dymphna offers great comfort and consolation to those afflicted with mental disorders and also to their families. Her burial site continues to be a place of miraculous healing, and Gheel, in Belgium, the town where it is located, leads the world as a center for the treatment of the mentally ill. Saint Dymphna lived for such a short time, so long ago, there is little to prove that she ever really existed.  Born the daughter of an Irish pagan King and Christian mother, Dymphna fled her home after her mother died to avoid the sexual advances of her grief mad father.

Novena Prayer to Saint Dymphna

O God, we humbly beseech you through your servant Saint Dymphna,

Who sealed with her blood the love she bore you, to grant relief to those who suffer from mental afflictions and nervous disorders, especially

(Name the afflicted person)

Saint Dymphna, helper of the mentally afflicted, pray for us.

Saint Dymphna, comforter of the despondent, pray for us.

Saint Dymphna, renowned for many miracles, please hear my plea. Amen.

(Recite one Glory Be).

Say this novena nine times in a row for nine days in a row.

Saint Dymphna is the Patron Saint of Victims of Mental Illness, Victims of Epilepsy,

Victims of Incest and because she had to flee her insane and abusive father, she is the Patron of Runaways

Feast Day: May 15