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December 14th is the feast day of St. John of the Cross, a doctor of the Church and a saint I feel particularly drawn to. Saint John of the Cross has much to teach us about getting closer to God through sacrifice and suffering. His book “Dark Night of the Soul” is a profound insight into experiencing God’s love through pain and sacrificing your own desires. He experienced this love particularly while he was locked in a windowless cell for nine months by his own religious order, the Carmelites, because he remained in the outlawed “Discalced” Carmelite sect which focused on poverty. Three times a week after his daily meal of bread and water, he was whipped for his continuing obstinacy.

In light of the feast day of this master of spiritual growth through sacrifice, I will offer some thoughts on the subject.

Offering sacrifice is arguably as old as the human race itself. Humans have been offering sacrifices to what they believe to be divine for as long as history is able to record the fact.

Sacrifice is the highest act of religion. It withdraws something from man's personal use and makes it sacred. Possible motives to offer sacrifice include giving thanks, attempting to win good will, or making up for an offense. The object sacrificed is the external, tangible sign of these inner motives. When humans make sacrifices to God, they acknowledge themselves as finite and God as infinite. The favor humans ask for through sacrifice is ultimately for life, something only God can give. In sacrifice, one acknowledges God as the source and lord of one's life.

Yet as finite creatures, we cannot offer God a sacrifice worthy of Him. Since God is infinite, humans cannot love, praise, and give thanks to God as He deserves to be loved, praised, and thanked. This is why original sin was such a grave act. Once humans decided to break the relationship with God, there was nothing they could do in their power to repair it. The relationship could be restored only by God's merciful initiative. Also, because of Original Sin, humans are inclined to prefer themselves to God. Because of concupiscence, our lower faculties often weaken or oppose the decisions of the will. This all makes our human situation seem evermore hopeless.

Thanks to God's mercy, He sent his Son, fully God and fully man. As God, and as man who is not affected by original sin, Jesus offers God the Father a perfect sacrifice for all of humanity.

I can’t wait to celebrate His birthday soon!

Have a blessed Advent,
Daniel

At a celebration honoring Pope John Paul II in Poland, an image has emerged that has some saying "Miracle." Did the late Pope drop in on the party through fire? Here's the image (along with the image it is being compared to):

What do you think? Whether you believe or not, I think there is a point here. And the point is that Catholics believe in the miraculous much more than other Christian groups. We see a miracle every Sunday in Mass when bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, so we're more likely to accept the potential of Pope John Paul II (or God) giving the celebrants this image of the late Pope. It the articles and interviews I've seen, it strengthened their faith, so even if you don't believe, it is a miracle of sorts.

May it strengthen the faith of each of us.

God bless,
Jay

PS - you can read the news article on this here.

September 27th is St. Vincent de Paul’s feast day. Vincent was a great priest in a difficult time. France was torn apart by incessant war in the 17th century and he spent much of his time helping those affected by those wars. Today he’s known throughout the world for his help to those in material need mainly thanks to the society that was named after him, the St. Vincent de Paul Society. The Society was established by Blessed Frederic Ozanam (feast day: September 9th) who, like Vincent, sought to help the destitute of Paris in the 19th century. In this day and age where Social Justice is so fashionable, these facts make these men heroes. But would they be so popular if they were alive today?

Facts that are less known about these men, but are as true as their commitment to helping those in material need, is that they were men of great faith and zeal for Catholicism. Blessed Frederic Ozanam did much apologetic work for the faith as a professor throughout his whole life, and starting the St. Vincent de Paul Society was part of that apologetic work. He wanted to show the secular atheists that it really did matter whether or not one believed in the Church. Our faith will have an affect on society.

St. Vincent de Paul was the same way. The Church in France during his times was in need of much reform, so he began a new order, the Congregation of the Mission (CM). He formed this order for the proper formation of priests, so they could evangelize especially to the poor. It was never in his mind to help the poor only to meet their temporal needs. Meeting their temporal needs was a necessary step to meet their spiritual needs. These men were able to do their good works because of their adherence to orthodoxy in the faith. They didn’t see a separation between orthopraxis and orthodoxy like many do today in the field of Social Justice.

I’m not so sure these men in heaven are too happy with the direction the St. Vincent de Paul Society is heading in the U.S. It is looking more and more like a collection of Goodwill Thrift Stores with a vague notion of “spirituality” rather than a Catholic organization founded by devoutly Catholic men who had evangelization as their main focus in life. While meeting the material needs of the poor is a good thing, it is cruel to see that as an end in itself. True mercy is doing what these men worked endlessly for: allowing Grace to work in us so we can meet the material and spiritual needs of our neighbor, with the spiritual need (as understood by the Church) as the greatest and final end.
St. Vincent de Paul and Blessed Frederic Ozanam, pray for us.

Peace,
Daniel

September 21st is the feast day of St. Matthew the Apostle, who is traditionally regarded as the author of one of the four Gospels in the New Testament. Though the probability that the Apostle wrote the Gospel is doubtful because for the most part it is based on the Gospel according to Mark. It isn’t likely that a companion of Jesus would have followed so closely an account that came from one who admittedly never had such an association, rather than rely on his own memories. But to follow ancient tradition and for the sake of simplicity, we attribute the authorship of the first Gospel to St. Matthew, the Apostle.

The main aim of this Gospel is apologetic, specifically towards the Jews; he doesn’t explain Jewish customs, like the other Gospels do for their Greek and Latin audiences, and he assumes the readers are acquainted with the geographical area of Palestine. He wanted to show them, whether they were converts or still unbelieving Jews, that in Jesus the ancient prophecies had been realized in their entirety.
As a side note, this is why there are some differences in the four Gospels. The reality was that when the authors wrote them, they had a particular audience in mind, so they emphasized different things, depending on the particular problems their audiences were experiencing. This can be confusing to a modern reader who compares them to each other but does not know this. (I know it was for me).

Finally, the place of the Gospel of Matthew as the first of the four Gospels in the New Testament reflects the early Church view that it was the first to be written. Also, it was highly esteemed in the Church; no other was so frequently quoted in the noncanonical literature of early Christianity. As the New American Bible introduction to this Gospel states: “The reason for [this high esteem] becomes clear upon study of the way in which Matthew presents the story of Jesus, the demands of Christian discipleship, and the breaking-in of the new and final age through the ministry, but particularly through the death and resurrection of Jesus.”

St. Matthew pray for us, and may your writings continue to be ever greater channels of Grace for us.

God bless,
Daniel

I find a lot of scepticism about the miraculous these days - most people would try a scientific explanation for anything first. However miracles still happen and they happen quite often. For example, take a look at the miraculous healing of this nun, which is being attributed to the intercession of the late Pope John Paul the Great. She went to sleep after asking for Pope John Paul II's intercession and woke up healed. The Catholic Church requires that scientists assert that this was a miracle before proceeding with it.

A couple of years ago, Mother Angelica who runs EWTN in Alabama was also miraculously healed. These things still happen in our world, we just are so jaded by science that we don't see them. Reporters often overlook reporting these types of miracles, so it's nice to see this one getting some press.

For those who aren't aware, Catholics believe that death was overcome by Jesus Christ. So those in heaven (the Saints) can see and intercede (through prayer) for those of us on earth. We know that the prayers of the holy are the most powerful, so we ask the Saints to pray for us on a regular basis. This in no way lessens Jesus, since He is the One the Saints pray to. It simply adds some help on our side, just as asking friends to pray for you helps.

God bless,
Jay

Most of us realize that Santa Claus is based upon Saint Nicholas of Myra. But I think most miss the point that Saint Nicholas was a Roman Catholic priest who became the Bishop of Myra (now in Turkey) while still relatively young. The Bishop was persecuted ruthlessly during his life (Diocletian was emperor and didn’t approve of Christians) and spent lots of time in prison. However, he did attend the Council of Nicaea in 343 AD in which the Nicene Creed was defined to counter the claims of Aryanism.

So, Santa Claus should really be depicted with a Roman Collar bringing the good news of Christ Jesus to us. It’s fascinating to me that in recent years we’ve even seen the addition of a “Mrs. Claus” in many interpretations of the fable.

The History of Santa Claus
To give you a short history of how we arrived at this point, we can start with the myth that began the story. Good Old Saint Nick was an extremely generous priest who gave away a sizable portion of his inheritance to the poor. In addition, he was revered as a “protector of children”. The classic story of Saint Nicholas can be read at the St. Nicholas Center website:

One story tells of a poor man with three daughters. In those days a young woman's father had to offer prospective husbands something of value—a. The larger the dowry, the better the chance that a young woman would find a good husband. Without a dowry, a woman was unlikely to marry. This poor man's daughters, without dowries, were therefore destined to be sold into slavery. Mysteriously, on three different occasions, a bag of gold appeared in their home-providing the needed dowries. The bags of gold, tossed through an open window, are said to have landed in stockings or shoes left before the fire to dry. This led to the custom of children hanging stockings or putting out shoes, eagerly awaiting gifts from Saint Nicholas. Sometimes the story is told with gold balls instead of bags of gold. That is why three gold balls, sometimes represented as oranges, are one of the symbols for St. Nicholas. And so St. Nicholas is a gift-giver.

St. Nicholas’ feast day (when we celebrate the life of the Saint) is December 6th. And early traditions surrounding him involved placing fruits and nuts in shoes or on the hearth in honor of Saint Nicholas’ generosity. But during the protestant reformation, the reformers attempted to stamp out any practices favoring a Saint – Nicholas was one that suffered. In fact, the first Americans were protestants who largely left the Saint Nicholas traditions out of their new lives.

But the author Washington Irving got things started again with Knickerbocker’s History of New York in 1809:

In January 1809, joined the society and on that year he published the satirical fiction, Knickerbocker's History of New York, which made numerous references to a jolly St. Nicholas character. This was not a saintly bishop, rather an elfin Dutch burgher with a clay pipe. These delightful flights of imagination are the origin of the New Amsterdam St. Nicholas legends: that the first Dutch emigrant ship had a figurehead of St. Nicholas; that St. Nicholas Day was observed in the colony; that the first church was dedicated to him: and that St. Nicholas comes down chimneys to bring gifts. Irving's work was regarded as the "first notable work of imagination in the New World." (source)

From there, artists and writers across the new America got in on the act. Over time, each slight change in Saint Nicholas’ identity seemed to stick and alter the myth from a priestly Saint to a fat gift giver.

Saint Nicholas is Lost
The tragedy lies in the real Saint Nicholas and the good he did being lost to our children and their lives. One of the most powerful aspects of Catholic Saints is in the example they have set for our children. Through Mother Theresa we know that it is possible to give up the world of money in order to serve God. Through Saint Peter we know that even a fallen man can be used by God in powerful ways. And Saint Nicholas shows us the power of generosity – a man can give up the wealth of the world and gain the kingdom of heaven.

Personally, I do not teach my children the fable of Santa Claus, rather I explain the life of Saint Nicholas. They are still small, but they have a different perspective on the fat, jolly man who has become the secular symbol of Christmas (maybe I should say the materialistic symbol . . . ). I believe the gain so much in knowing the Truth than in believing a fable.

The next time you see Santa Claus, remember that he was a faithful Catholic priest who loved children, God, and the Church very much.

God bless,
Jay

The following comes from the Vatican website. It explains the canonization process. Definitely worth reading...

"1. Canon norms regarding the procedure to be followed for causes of saints are contained in the Apostolic Constitution 'Divinus Perfectionis Magister,' promulgated by John Paul II on January 25, 1983.

"2. To begin a cause it is necessary for at least 5 years to have passed since the death of the candidate. This is to allow greater balance and objectivity in evaluating the case and to let the emotions of the moment dissipate.

"3. The bishop of the diocese in which the person whose beatification is being requested died is responsible for beginning the investigation. The promoter group ('Actor Causae'): diocese, parish, religious congregation, association, asks the bishop through the postulator for the opening of the investigation. The bishop, once the 'nulla osta' of the Holy See is obtained, forms a diocesan tribunal for this purpose. Witnesses are called before the tribunal to recount concrete facts on the exercise of Christian virtues considered heroic, that is, the theological virtues: faith, hope and charity, and the cardinal virtues: prudence, justice, temperance and fortitude, and others specific to his state in life. In addition, all documents regarding the candidate must be gathered. At this point he is entitled to the title of Servant of God.

"4. Once the diocesan investigation is finished, the acts and documentation are passed on to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. The public copy used for further work is put together here. The postulator, resident in Rome, follows the preparation of the 'Positio', or summary of the documentation that proves the heroic exercise of virtue, under the direction of a relator of the Congregation. The 'Positio' undergoes an examination (theological) by nine theologians who give their vote. If the majority of the theologians are in favour, the cause is passed on for examination by cardinals and bishops who are members of the congregation. They hold meetings twice a month. If their judgment is favourable, the prefect of the congregation presents the results of the entire course of the cause to the Holy Father, who gives his approval and authorizes the congregation to draft the relative decree. The public reading and promulgation of the decree follows.

"5. For the beatification of a confessor a miracle attributed to the Servant of God, verified after his death, is necessary. The required miracle must be proven through the appropriate canonical investigation, following a procedure analogous to that for heroic virtues. This one too is concluded with the relative decree. Once the two decrees are promulgated (regarding the heroic virtues and the miracle) the Holy Father decides on beatification, which is the concession of public worship, limited to a particular sphere. With beatification the candidate receives the title of Blessed.

"6. For canonization another miracle is needed, attributed to the intercession of the Blessed and having occurred after his beatification. The methods for ascertainment of the affirmed miracle are the same as those followed for beatification. Canonization is understood as the concession of public worship in the Universal Church. Pontifical infallibility is involved. With canonization, the Blessed acquires the title of Saint."

In Christ,
Joe

Prompted by the continual insistance by one of our "separated" brothers in Christ that it is wrong to ask the saints to pray for us, I have decided it worthwhile to post an explanation of why we, as Catholics, pray to the saints. This explanation is taken from Catholic Answers, an outstanding apologetics organization.

Praying to the Saints

The historic Christian practice of asking our departed brothers and sisters in Christ—the saints—for their intercession has come under attack in the last few hundred years. Though the practice dates to the earliest days of Christianity and is shared by Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, the other Eastern Christians, and even some Anglicans—meaning that all-told it is shared by more than three quarters of the Christians on earth—it still comes under heavy attack from many within the Protestant movement that started in the sixteenth century.

Can They Hear Us?

One charge made against it is that the saints in heaven cannot even hear our prayers, making it useless to ask for their intercession. However, this is not true. As Scripture indicates, those in heaven are aware of the prayers of those on earth. This can be seen, for example, in Revelation 5:8, where John depicts the saints in heaven offering our prayers to God under the form of "golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints." But if the saints in heaven are offering our prayers to God, then they must be aware of our prayers. They are aware of our petitions and present them to God by interceding for us.

Some might try to argue that in this passage the prayers being offered were not addressed to the saints in heaven, but directly to God. Yet this argument would only strengthen the fact that those in heaven can hear our prayers, for then the saints would be aware of our prayers even when they are not directed to them!

In any event, it is clear from Revelation 5:8 that the saints in heaven do actively intercede for us. We are explicitly told by John that the incense they offer to God are the prayers of the saints. Prayers are not physical things and cannot be physically offered to God. Thus the saints in heaven are offering our prayers to God mentally. In other words, they are interceding.

First, the Catholic Church uses the term Saint to refer to those we know are already in heaven. The Church uses saints (lowercase) to refer to the faithful on earth. The Saints, as we’ve attempted to show on this blog, are a wonderful resource for Christians that we can ask to pray for us - just like we would ask a friend to pray for us, but we know Saints are especially holy, since they are already in heaven.

So what is a Patron Saint? Certain Saints are very well known for specific characteristics for various reasons. For example, St. Jerome is well-known for being a pre-eminent Scriptural Scholar. So St. Jerome was named the Patron Saint of Scripture Scholars, which is fitting since Scriptural Scholars are most likely to be asking for his help! It’s that simple and straightforward. Since we do a significant amount of talking about Scripture, I thought I would post the traditional prayer to St. Jerome here.

Master of unworldliness and founder of monasteries, you had a deep love for God’s inspired Word and were a most careful translator of the Sacred Scriptures.

Your single-mindedness in seeking God’s glory is a perfect model for all exegetes. Inspire them with respect for the sacred text as well as for Tradition and the Church’s Magesterium.

Help them to impart to all the true meaning of the Word of God.

God bless,
Jay

I just wanted to point out a fascinating Wall Street Journal center column article today on the growth in popularity of St. Expeditus in Brazil. Basically he’s seen as a saint of “urgent needs” – similar to a St. Jude – but people typically ask for his help in finding work. In Brazil today, consumer credit rates are around 150% and the unemployment rate is around 20%, so times are tight. In the article, a religious studies professor notes, “He’s the saint for real-time solutions.” Interesting.

I always find it fascinating when devotion to an obscure saint takes hold in an area. St. Expeditus was a Roman soldier around 300 A.D. who was martyred for his faith. I would love to know how this devotion took such hold over Brazilian Catholics. The Wall Street Journal even has his holy card on the cover page – perhaps unemployed Americans will take up the devotion now?

God bless,
Jay

PS - an interesting note in the article is that an Evangelical church was growing quickly by preaching a "health and wealth" version of the Gospel, but now the previously Catholic parishioners are returning to the Catholic church.

I found a great area at Catholic.com today that has the most complete list of saints that I've seen. It includes background information on all of them as well. Take a look when you get a chance - it's especially great for those of us expecting a new child!

God bless,
Jay

The man who taught the Carpenter how to be, well . . . a carpenter. And the man who humbly accepted God's will and married a pregnant virgin. St. Joseph was the head of the Holy Family and the most sinful of the three! (I think many fathers probably feel this way). He is also our guide to being the perfect worker:

Prayer to Saint Joseph for the Spirit of Work
Glorious Saint Joseph, model of all who pass their life in labor, obtain for me the grace to work in a spirit of penance to atone for my many sins; to work conscientiously, putting the call of duty above my own inclinations; to work with gratitude and joy, considering it an honor to use and develop by my labor the gifts I have received from God; to work with order, peace, moderation and patience, without ever recoiling before weariness or difficulties.

Help me to work, above all, with purity of intention and with detachment from self, having always before my eyes the hour of death and the accounting which I must render of time lost, talents wasted, good omitted, and vain complacency in success, which is so fatal to the work of God. All for Jesus, all for Mary, all after your example, O Patriarch Joseph! This shall be my watchword in life and in death. Amen

Remember also, no abstinence or fasting on a feast day - eat all the meat you want. ;-)

As a recent convert, one of the questions that has really bothered me about praying to the saints is the question of how they can hear us. If we pray out loud, do they hear us audibly? If we pray silently, do they know our thoughts? Perhaps most problematic, with so many people praying to Mary, Joseph, and Peter, how can they hear all of the prayers at once? In short, the idea of praying to saints seemed to assume that they were omnipresent and omniscient--God-like! After some consideration and research, the answer was provided to me.

The first thing to think about is the relationship between we the living, God, and the saints. I began with the basic Christian position that the Church is the Body of Christ, and that Christ is the Head of the Church. This is clear from Scripture and there is no need to explain. Next, I recognize that I, as a Christian, am part of that mystical Body of Christ. (As a Catholic, I am also a part of the visible Body). Thus, I am united to Christ. That leaves the saints. What is their relationship to me and to Christ? To start, saints are those who have died in the grace of God. Thus, they were a part of His Body on earth. Once they have died, does this relationship end? Certainly by the end of all time, the saints are part of the Body, as demonstrated by the wedding between Christ and the Church. (Rev. 21:9-27.) And it is unreasonable to suggest that the saints cease to be a part of the Body between their death and the end of time. In fact, Rev. 6:9-11 and 7:9-10 shows that they continue on in consciousness and activity before the Lord even before the end of time. Thus, the relationship can be summed up as follows: Christ is the Head of the Body (Church); the faithful departed make up part of the Body; the faithful on earth make up part of the Body; and together, all the saints in heaven and on earth make up the whole Body of Christ.

The second question is whether these different parts of the Body have access to one another. The Transfiguration (Matt. 17:1-3) is a prime example of contact between the saints on earth and in heaven. However, many point out that this was Christ who contacted the saints, and was thus a unique circumstance. So what other examples are there in Scripture? Consider the innumerable examples of angels having contact with people on earth (I assume our readers will be familiar with many such examples). Why is this important? Christ Himself likens the saints in heaven to angels. (Matt. 22:30, Mark 12:25, Luke 20:36.) In fact, in heaven the saints are placed above the angels! (I Cor. 6:3.) So, if the saints in heaven are like angels and will in fact judge the angels, it is not unreasonable to believe that like the angels they could have contact with us. Finally, notice that in Rev. 6:9-11, the saints are acutely aware of what is happening on earth, and cry out for the day of judgment to come. Thus, while Scripture may not by itself prove beyond any doubt that the saints have contact with the living, the likening of the saints to angels, the visit by two saints to Christ, and the calling for judgment day by the saints certainly demonstrates that Scripture is not opposed to the concept.

We don’t do enough on this blog to emphasize the value canonized Saints provide to the faithful, so I’m going to try and convince my other blog writers to write some articles on specific saints for the site. Why? Let’s go over that.

Before we start, understand that Catholics do not teach that you must go through the Saints to God or that you must ask the Saints to pray for you. This is not a requirement for salvation, so please don’t suggest that in the comments. Also, “prayer” is not “worship” by any means. We use the term “pray” to refer to conversation between a living and a deceased person, not a form of worship. We do not worship the Saints.

Now, onto the meat. First, is faith important to holiness? I would suggest clearly the answer is “Yes.” The Bible has numerous examples of the amount of faith a person has directly addressing the situation. For example, if we had the faith of a mustard seed (which is tiny), we could move mountains. That statement suggests that if you had the faith of a pumpkin you could do much more. I go through this to get to a point: when you ask a friend to pray for you, the friend who has the most faith is the most valuable to you. Really think about that sentence. You want as many prayers as possible, but the prayers of those with the most faith are more valuable. This is why we ask the Saints to pray for us. The Saints are those already in heaven; I think it’s safe to say they have more faith than those of us on earth. Their prayers are more valuable than the prayers of someone on earth. Period. This is why it helps to take advantage of the Saints.

But what if you don’t believe in “speaking with dead”? The Saints still provide a goldmine of examples on how to live a holy life. By reading their stories, we understand how to face obstacles, tragedy, loneliness, and persecution. You can learn much just by learning a little about their lives. Also, I think you should reconsider your position on prayer. The new blog Cor ad cor liquitur has some interesting points on prayer and the dead. Unfortunately, Martin Luther removed the book of Maccabees from the protestant Bibles – this book clearly depicts the faithful praying for the souls of the dead.

It also helps that the stories of Saints are not dry, boring reading. These men and women did phenomenal things with their lives, following God at all costs. And in the end, they finished the race and stayed the course. We should be thankful to have such examples. Even protestants should consider choosing a Saint that they admire and studying him/her indepth – it’s a worthy pursuit.

God bless,
Jay

Canonization or the canonizing of certain individuals as saints is an old tradition in the Catholic Church. But when exactly did the process of canonization first appear in the Church?

In the first centuries the popular fame or the represented in practice the only criterion by which a person's holiness was ascertained. A new element was gradually introduced, namely, the intervention of the ecclesiastical authority, i.e., of the competent bishop. However, the fame of sanctity, as a result of which the faithful piously visited the person's tomb, invoked his intercession, and proclaimed the thaumaturgic [miraculous] effects of it, remained the starting point of those inquiries that culminated with a definite pronouncement on the part of the bishop. A biography of the deceased person and a history of his alleged miracles were presented to the bishop. Following a judgment of approval, the body was exhumed and transferred to an altar. Finally, a day was assigned for the celebration of the liturgical feast within the diocese or province.

The transition from episcopal to papal canonization came about somewhat casually. The custom was gradually introduced of having recourse to the pope in order to receive a formal approval of canonization. This practice was prompted obviously because a canonization decreed by the pope would necessarily have greater prestige, owing to his supreme authority. The first papal canonization of which there are positive documents was that of St. Udalricus in 973 . . . . Through the gradual multiplications of the Roman pontiffs, papal canonization received a more definite structure and juridical value. Procedural norms were formulated, and such canonical processes became the main source of investigation into the saint's life and miracles. Under Gregory IX, this practice became the only legitimate form of inquiry (1234) . . . .
- This Rock Magazine, April 1994

I’m reading through some of the writings of the Early Church Fathers and I came across this passage by Saint Cyprian, the Bishop of Carthage from 246 to 258 A.D. when he was martyred. I thought it was an excellent explanation:

It is not persecution alone that we ought to fear, nor those forces that in open warfare range abroad to overthrow and defeat the servants of God. It is easy enough to be on one’s guard when the danger is obvious; one can stir up one’s courage for the fight when the Enemy shows himself in his true colours [sic]. There is more need to fear and beware of the Enemy when he creeps up secretly, when he beguiles us by a show of peace and steals forward by those hidden approaches which have earned him the name of ‘Serpent.’ Such is ever his craft: lurking in the dark, he ensnares men by trickery. That was how at the very beginning of the world he deceived and by lying words of flattery beguiled the unguarded credulity of a simple soul; that was how he tried to tempt Our Lord Himself, approaching Him in disguise, as though the could once more creep upon his victim and deceive Him. But he was recognized and beaten back, and he was defeated precisely through being detected and unmasked.

May we all be able to recognize and unmask the devil when he tries to beguile us.

God bless,
Jay

Rather than coming up with my own scriptural narrative of the significance of Peter, I have decided to begin this lengthy article with the introductory section of his epistles in the Navarre Bible. The Navarre Bible is excellent, it uses the English translation of the Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition and then the Latin translation from the New Vulgate. What makes it unique is that each book of the New Testament is accompanied by commentary by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre (Spain). This university is one of the leading universities in Biblical Theology. So let us review their narrative of Peter's apostolic life.

Everyone understands that All Saint’s Day is November 1st. But how many Catholics really understand the point of All Saint’s Day? Do you know why it’s a holiday for us?

There are few main reasons for the celebration of All Saint’s Day:

1. To give thanks to God.
   
2. To consider the holy example of the Saints.
   
3. To ask for intercession by the Saints.
   
4. To make up for any remiss in honoring the Saints on their particular feast days.
   

Ultimately, All Saints Day is a celebration of the men and women of God who have preceded us and are now enjoying heaven. Make a special point tomorrow to recognize, honor, and meditate on the Saints and the examples they leave for us as a roadmap to heaven.

Click here to read an excellent article on All Saint’s Day at EWTN.com. In the U.S., this has become a largely ignored holiday, which is a shame. Personally, I’ll be taking time tomorrow reading about Saints that I don’t already know and teaching my children the value of imitating those who are already in heaven.

What is the one thing not many people are aware of about your patron saint? My patron saint is St. Thomas More who was martyred by King Henry. A couple of interesting things: (1) he wore an undershirt made of hair virtually all the time as penance (wow); (2) he was very interested in the priesthood, but ultimately did not become a priest, why? "The one thing that prevented him from giving himself to that kind of life was that he could not shake off the desire of the married state. He chose, therefore, to be a chaste husband rather than an impure priest." according to his close friend Eurasmus.

In the comments section below, let us know something interesting about your patron saint in honor of All Saint's Day. I know I'm always interested in learning more about those who are already in heaven!

God bless,
Jay