¤ Saint Of The Day ¤

The Christians in Persia had been blessed with twelve years of peace during the reign of Isdegerd, son of Sapor III, when in 420 it was disturbed by the zeal of Abdas, a Christian Bishop who burned the Temple of Fire, the great sanctuary of the Persians. King Isdegerd threatened to destroy all the churches of the Christians unless the Bishop would rebuild it.

As Abdas refused to comply, the threat was executed; the churches were demolished. Abdas himself was put to death, and a general persecution began which lasted forty years. Isdegerd died in 421, but his son and successor, Varanes, carried on the persecution with great fury. The Christians were submitted to the most cruel tortures.

Among those who suffered was St. Benjamin, a Deacon, who had been imprisoned a year for his Faith. At the end of this period, an ambassador of the Emperor of Constantinople obtained his release on condition that he would never speak to any of the courtiers about religion.

St. Benjamin, however, declared it was his duty to preach Christ and that he could not be silent. Although he had been liberated on the agreement made with the ambassador and the Persian authorities, he would not acquiesce in it, and neglected no opportunity of preaching. He was again apprehended and brought before the king. 
The Saintlymartyr died from the tortures applied to him in the year 424.

Alimighty, ever-living God, You enabled St. Benjamin to fight for justice even uno deah. Trough his help, grant that we may tolerate all adversity and hasten with all our might to You Who adversity and hasten with all our might to You Who alone are life.
Amen.

Links:
http://www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/BENJAMIN.HTM
http://saints.sqpn.com/saintb81.htm

St. John Climacus was born around the year 525, most probably around Mount Sinai. Although not attracted to the LORD in his early childhood, at the age of 16 he renounced all of his wordly goods to dedicate himself to God in  a religious state.
For nearly forty years he lived as a solitary in hermitage at the foot of the Mount Sinai. In 600, when he was about seventy-five years of age, he was chosen as the Abbot of the Mount, and superior-general of all the monks and hermits in that country.
He was so widely known, that the Pope at that time (St. Gregory the Great 0 but that’s another feast day! ) wrote to him, and sent gifts for the hospital near Mount Sinai.
Four years later, in the year 604, he resigned his charge and returned to his hermitage to prepare for death.

St. John never sought glory, nor fame. Instead, he hid the gifts with which he had been endowed, in order to better practice his humility.

One of the things that we know St. John best for is his famous work, “The Climax”, which means “The ladder”. He composed this work at the request of John, Abbot of Raithu, a monastery situated on the shores of the Red Sea.
The Ladderdescribes how to raise one’s soul and body to the LORD, as if on a ladder.  Because of the title “Climax”, St. John had the term “Climacus” added to the end of his name.

A painting called by the same name, Ladder of Divine Ascent, depicts a ladder extending from earth to heaven. Several monks are depicted climbing a ladder; at the top is Jesus, prepared to receive them into Heaven. Also shown are angels helping the climbers, and demons attempting to shoot with arrows or drag the climbers down, no matter how high up the ladder they may be.

On March 30th, 605, at the age of 80, Our Heavenly Father called His servant to eternal rest. From the age of 16, St. John had devoted himself to the LORD, and made it a rule to never dispute with or contradict anyone. He appeared to have no will of his own, so great was his submission.

A prayer for today:
LORD, amid the things of this world, let us be wholeheartedly committed to heavenly things in imitation of the example of evangelical perfection You have given us in St. John the Abbot.
Amen.

Links:
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08457a.htm
http://www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/CLIMACUS.HTM
http://www.catholic.org/encyclopedia/view.php?id=6391
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Catholic_Encyclopedia_(1913)/St._John_Climacus

St. Joseph of Arimathea played a very important part in Jesus’ burial, even though you may not be able to remember exactly who he is.

Here’s a hint…he is the patron of Burial Directors.

Joseph of Arimathea was a diciple of Christ, but for fear of death, a secret one.
After the crucifixtion, he bravely requested from Pilate the Body of Jesus, and was successful in his request.

Once in possession the body, he (together with Nicodemus) wrapped up Christ’s Body in fine linen , laid it in Joseph’s own tomb, new and unused, hewn out of a rock in a nearby garden, leaving only after rolling a great stone to the opening of the cavern.
 To give your tomb to someone else – in ancent times, this was almost like giving your ticket to heaven away. What a wonderfully devoted man!

God, You alone are holy and without You no one is good. Through the intercession of St. Joseph, grant that we may so live as not to be deprived of Your glory.
Amen.

St. Joseph links:
http://www.allaboutjesuschrist.org/joseph-of-arimathea-faq.htm
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08520a.htm
http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=4081

St. Guntramnus was the fourth son of the king Clovis. Clovis was the first king to unite all of the Frankish tribes under one king.

St. Guntramnus is the patron saint of divorced couples, and murderers.
This is most likly because he gave in to many earthly temptations, including divorcing his first wife and having an unsuccessful doctor of his second wife killed.
 During St. Guntramnus’s reign, his kingdom was ravanged by a disease called known as “Saint Anthony’s Fire”, which we now know as Ergotism.
Instead of shuting himself up in his castle, as others may have done, he worked among his people, making sure that the lowliest were cared for.

St. Guntramnus was a just ruler, and a supporter of religious works. He died in the year 592, and was buried in the basement of the church of Saint Marcellus, which he founded.

Sadly, there is not a lot of information about St. Guntramnus on the internet. He is definetly a lesser known saint. I was, however, able to dig up this site, totally devoted to him – enjoy!
St. Guntramnus’ “Profile”

Today’s Saint is one that most people have probably never heard of – I know I never had before I started today’s research!

Saint Rupert was Bishop of Worms unwil that last few years of the 7th century (as close as theolgists can guess, 697 AD), when he became a missionary in Bavaria.
He converted and baptitzed Duke Theodo, and then converted many more of the noblefolk in Bavaria, encountering no opposition to his work among the people.

Not only did this man convert a large number of the people in Bavaria, he also civilized them, and helped build the salt mines in Salzburg, a town which he rebuilt.
He greatly contributed to the bodies and souls of his LORD’s flock.
St. Rupert died Easter Sunday, in the year 710.

Although in the United States we celebrate this Saint today, in Austria it is on the 24th of September.

A prayer to remember this Saint on his special day;

God, You built up Your church by means of the religious zeal and apostolic care of St, Rupert.
Grant by his intercession that she may ever experience a new increase of Faith and holiness.
Amen.

 

Links you may like:
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13229a.htm
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/austria/salzburg-cathedral.htm
http://www2.salzburg.info/

Saint Margaret Clitherow (patron of businesswomen, converts, and martyrs) was born in Middleton, England in the year 1555. Both of her parents, Thomas and Jane Middleton, were Protestants.
She was a beautiful, joyful child, with a charming personality.
When she was only 16, she married a wealthy butcer named John Clitherow, and a few years later, after she was a mother of two, entered the Catholic Church.

She was so impassioned by her faith, she begain harboring fugitive priests, including her brother in law. She was arrested, and held in prison.

Her captors tried everything to make her renounce her faith, but St. Margaret stood firm, holding fast to her love of Jesus Christ.
She was condemed to death on March 25th, 1586, at the age of 31. She was stoned to death, dying within 15 minutes.
Her strength is obvious in the numerous quotes we have;

“The sheriffs have said that I am going to die this coming Friday; and I feel the weakness of my flesh which is troubled at this news, but my spirit rejoices greatly. For the love of God, pray for me and ask all good people to do likewise.”

“God be thanked, I am not worthy of so good a death as this”

“I die for the love of my Lord Jesu.”

She was canonized in 1970, by Pope Paul VI.
Here is a prayer to help us remember this holy woman;

God, by Your gift virtue is perfected in weakness. Grant to all who recall the glory of St. Margaret that she who obtained strength from You to triumph may also ever obtain from You the grace to enable us to triumph.
Amen.

A few good links:
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04059b.htm
http://www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/CLITHER.htm
http://www.catholictradition.org/Saints/clitherow.htm
Enjoy!

Welcome to Saint of the Day, where we will examine the lives of the Saints, and discover how we can follow them in our everyday lives.

Along the way, we’ll look at a few holy days, and talk about our faith.

Enjoy your stay!