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— Tradition holds that the Blessed Virgin Mary, as a child, was presented by her parents into the Temple. This feast commemorates the total gift that Mary made of herself: total dedication to God’s service and obedience to God’s will. In the Eastern Orthodox Church it’s known as The Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos […]

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— Born into Hungarian nobility, St. Elizabeth (1207-1231) is remembered for her charitable works and tireless devotion in caring for the poor and the sick. After her husband’s death, she became one of the first Franciscan tertiaries of Germany. (art: “St. Elizabeth spinning wool for the poor” by Marianne Stokes)

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— During St. Leo’s pontificate, the Council of Chalcedon (451) defined Jesus Christ as one divine Person having two natures (divine and human), combating the Monophysitism heresy. St. Leo had written his Epistola Dogmatica (the “Tome” of Leo) to Patriarch Flavian of Constantinople, which was read and assented to by the Council Fathers.

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— Today’s great feast honors all the saints now in Heaven… those who have been recognized by the Church as well as those who have not been canonized.

*** *** *** “Open wide the doors for Christ.” (St. John Paul II)

— A strong defender of the family, St. John Paul II began the tradition of World Youth Day and the World Meeting of Families. He developed many themes during his papacy including, “The Culture of Life,” “The Universal Call to Holiness,” “Christian Marriage and Family Life as the domestic church,” and “Theology of the Body.”

*** *** *** “Let fire and the cross; let the crowds of wild beasts; let tearings, breakings, and dislocations of bones; let cutting off of members; let shatterings of the whole body; and let all the dreadful torments of the devil come upon me: only let me attain to Jesus Christ.” (St. Ignatius to the Romans, Ch. 5)

— St. Ignatius (d. 107) was consecrated Bishop of Antioch and later martyred in Rome under Trajan. Considered one of the great Apostolic Fathers, he wrote a series of letters pertaining to Christology, ecclesiology, and the Sacraments. His name is mentioned in the Roman Canon.

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— Born in Avila, St. Teresa (1515-1582) was one of the great Spanish mystics and a major figure in the Counter-Reformation. She reformed the Carmelite Order with the help of her friend, St. John of the Cross. Her popular works include The Interior Castle and The Way of Perfection.