Lives of Saints 
Stories and biographies of the Saints and Blessed.
Feast of St. Scholastica
Scholastica is, according to tradition, the twin sister of Benedict. She is a shadowy figure whom we know from a single charming story in the Dialogues. She led some form of consecrated life with a group of Christian women. Gregory tells us that yearly she journeyed to meet her brother at a small house midway… Read More ›
All Souls: Our hope is founded on Christ’s sacrifice
1. This year, when we are celebrating the millennium of the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, established by St Odilo, fifth Abbot of Cluny, . . ., when the Church joyfully celebrates the communion of saints and human salvation, St Odilo urged his monks to say special prayers for all the dead, thus mysteriously… Read More ›
We need St Francis now
NCR, by Joan Chittister on Sep. 27, 2010. Some things never go way. The best ones, in fact, come back to us in whole new ways. Saints are like that. The church calendar that formed me, for instance, provided the Catholic community one feast day after another designed to remind us of the heroes of… Read More ›
Padre Pio’s Angelic Helper
Once a person was accepted as Padre Pio’s spiritual child, he would never abandon them, no matter what danger they were in. Even if he did not visit them personally, they would receive his help through his Guardian Angel. Cecil Humphrey-Smith, a well known gentleman from England, is Padre Pio’s spiritual child. Whilst in Italy,… Read More ›
Healing the blindness through the message of faith and the witness of love
St Raphael is presented to us, above all in the Book of Tobit, as the Angel to whom is entrusted the task of healing. When Jesus sends his disciples out on a mission, the task of proclaiming the Gospel is always linked with that of healing. The Good Samaritan, in accepting and healing the injured… Read More ›
The Lord knocks at the door of the human heart
We meet the Archangel Gabriel especially in the precious account of the annunciation to Mary of the Incarnation of God, as Luke tells it to us (1: 26-38). Gabriel is the messenger of God’s Incarnation. He knocks at Mary’s door and, through him, God himself asks Mary for her “yes” to the proposal to become… Read More ›
God’s brightness shines on every individual
. . . we now look at the figures of the three Archangels whose Feast the Church is celebrating today. First of all there is Michael. We find him in Sacred Scripture above all in the Book of Daniel, in the Letter of the Apostle St Jude Thaddeus and in the Book of Revelation. Two… Read More ›
Mother Theresa of Calcutta
3. Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant” (Mk 10: 43). With particular emotion we remember today Mother Teresa, a great servant of the poor, of the Church and of the whole world. Her life is a testimony to the dignity and the privilege of humble service. She had chosen to be… Read More ›
St. Gregory the Great: How Christianity Came to Great Britain
I must here relate a story which shows Gregory’s deep desire for the salvation of our nation. We are told that one day some merchants who had recently arrived in Rome displayed their many wares in the crowded market-place. Among other merchandise Gregory saw some boys exposed for sale. These had fair complexions, fine-cut features,… Read More ›
St. Louis, King of France: Sound Advice to a Son
A Spiritual Testament to his son My dearest son, my first instruction is that you should love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your strength. Without this there is no salvation. Keep yourself, my son, from everything that you know displeases God, that is to say, from every mortal sin. You… Read More ›