catholicprayer

*** *** *** These two Apostles are celebrated on the same date as their relics were brought to Rome together and kept in the Church of the Twelve Holy Apostles.

— St. Philip was born in the town of Bethsaida in Galilee, and according to tradition he was martyred at Hierapolis, the Greek city where he had been preaching. St. Philip was one of the first apostles called by Christ himself and then Philip brought Nathaniel to the Lord: “Philip found Nathanael and told him, […]

*** *** *** St. Louis (1673-1716) was born in Montfort, France, and is remembered for encouraging devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and also his love and ministry to the poor.

~ The influential saint composed several books, including his notable classics, “The Secret of the Rosary” and “True Devotion to Mary”. St. Louis founded the Missionaries of the Company of Mary and the Daughters of Wisdom, a religious institute of women devoted to the poor and the sick.

*** *** *** As a Roman soldier under Diocletian, St. George (d. 303) refused to follow the Emperor’s edict against Christians, nor would he renounce his own faith.

~ The story of St. George is quite similar to that of his fellow Christians martyred under Diocletian’s notorious rule, but for one famous tale… that of St. George courageously slaying a dragon to protect the village people and a princess from being sacrificed. ‘The dragon’ would not appear though until many centuries after his […]

– Born near Todi, Umbria, and elected Pope in 649, Saint Martin I suffered persecution for his condemnation of “Monothelitism,” a heresy promoted during the seventh century by authorities within the Byzantine Church and empire. This teaching, strongly supported in the East, acknowledged that Christ had two natures – human and divine – but only one will: the divine. Pope Martin disputed this belief, insisting that to refuse to acknowledge that Christ had both a divine and human will, was to deny biblical teaching that Christ was like humanity in everything other than sin.

~ “Grant, almighty God, that we may withstand the trials of this world with invincible firmness of purpose, just as you did not allow your Martyr Pope Saint Martin the First to be daunted by threats or broken by suffering. Through our Lord Jesus Christ.” ~ from the Proper of Saints, Daily Roman Missal