2 Hours of Saints stories- St. Faustina & many more | Stories of Saints

[Music] [Applause] [Music] st. Maria Faust inna kowalska of the Blessed Sacrament was born as Helena kowalska in Glogau ik lecture county northwest of loads in Poland on August 25th 1905 she was the third of ten children to a poor and religious family after her baptism in the nearby parish church of swanee Sparky she was given the name Helena during her childhood she distinguished herself by acts of devotion her love for prayer hard work obedience and a tremendous sensitivity to human misery Faust inna first felt a calling to the religious life when she was just seven years old despite completing only three years of schooling in her diary she clearly described what she wanted to achieve in a simple precise manner without any ambiguity it was in the seventh year of my life for the first time I heard God's voice in my soul that is an invitation to a more perfect life but I was not always obedient to the call to grace I came across to no one who would have explained these things to me after finishing her schooling Faust inna went immediately to join a convent instead at 16 years old Faustina became a housekeeper to help her parents and support herself at the age of 16 she left her family home for the nearby city of Alexandra and then moved to loads where she worked as a servant to support herself and to help her parents during this period the desire to join a convent was gradually growing inside her since her parents were against it young helena tried to postpone god's call years later she wrote about this in her book once i was at a dance with one of my sisters and while everybody was having a good time my soul was experiencing internal torments as I began to dance I suddenly saw Jesus at my side Jesus wracked with pain stripped of his clothing covered with wounds who spoke these words to me how long shall I suffer and how long will you keep deceiving me at that moment the charming music stopped and any company vanished from my sight there remained Jesus and I I took a seat by my dear sister pretending to have a headache to hide what I had taken place in my soul after a while I slipped out unnoticed leaving my sister and all my companions behind and made my way to the cathedral of st. Stanislaus cost it was almost Twilight there was only a few people in the cathedral paying no attention to what had happened around me I fell prostrate before the Blessed Sacrament and begged the Lord to be good enough to allow me to understand what I should do next then I heard these words go at once to Warsaw you will enter a convent there I rose from prayer came home and took care of things that needed to be settled as best I could I confided to my sister what took place within my soul I told her to say goodbye to our parents and thus in one dress with no other belongings I arrived in Warsaw when she arrived in Warsaw she entered st. James Church in Warsaw the first church she came across and attended mass while in Warsaw Faustina approached many different convents but was turned away every time she was judged on her appearances and sometimes rejected for poverty finally the Mother Superior for the congregation of the sisters of Our Lady of Mercy decided to take in Faustina on the condition that she could pay for her own religious habit working as a housekeeper Faust inna began to save her money and make deposits to the convent on April 30th 1926 at 20 years old she finally received her habit and took the religious name of sister Maria Faustina of the Blessed Sacrament and in 1928 she took her first religious vows as a nun in her diary she described her feelings when joining the convent it seemed to me that I had stepped into the life of paradise a single prayer was bursting forth from my heart one of Thanksgiving she was assigned to work in various houses of the congregation spending the longest periods of time in Krakow clock and Vilnius working as a cook Gardner and doorkeeper her rigorous lifestyle and exhausting fasting which she was undertaking even before joining the congregation weakened her body to a great extent soon after she began to show the first signs of her illness and was sent away to rest several months later in Faust inna returned to the convent in 1931 Faustina was visited again by Lord Jesus he presented himself as the king of divine mercy wearing a white garment with red and pale rays coming from his heart in her diary Faustina wrote in the evening when I was in my cell I became aware of the Lord Jesus clothed in a white garment one hand was raised in blessing the other was touching the garment at the breast from the opening of the garment at the breast there came forth two large rays one red and the other pale in silence I gazed intently at the Lord my soul was overwhelmed with fear but also with great joy after a while jesus said to me paint an image according to the pattern you see with the inscription Jesus I trust in you even though she didn't know how to paint Saint Faustina attempted to sketch the vision of Christ with charcoal and canvas but she didn't have much success she turned to our Lord for help and he told her that he would send her visible help with the task of creating the image shortly afterward she was sent to a convent in Vilnius to work as a gardener while at Vilnius she met father Michael zapato who had been recently appointed as a confessor for the nuns in the convent he listened to Foust Tina's story about the vision of divine mercy and her desire to create an image of Christ [Music] father so Paco was concerned about Faustina father seppuku insisted she be evaluated by a psychiatrist vows Tina passed all of the required tests and was determined sane leading seppuku to support her religious efforts seppuku encouraged her to start keeping a diary and to record all of her conversations with Jesus he then contacted the artist Eugene Casimir Oskie who painted the first image of divine mercy for Saint Faustina in the painting Christ is shown raising his hand in blessing while also pointing to the two rays that flow from his chest one of the Rays is red which symbolizes the blood of Jesus the white ray symbolizes the water that saved Souls the entire image brings to mind charity forgiveness and God's incredible love for his children during the following year Faustina attempted to set up a new Congregation for divine mercy but was reminded that she was perpetually vowed to her current order and sent back to Warsaw her entire life in imitation of Christ's was to be a sacrifice a life lived for others at the Divine Lord's request she willingly offered her personal sufferings in union with him to atone for the sins of others in her daily life she was to become a doer of mercy bringing joy and peace to others and by writing about God's mercy she was to encourage others to trust in him and thus prepare the world for his coming again in 1936 vows Tina fell ill again she moved to the sanatorium in pranic Cracow and continued to spend most of her life in prayer her special devotion to Mary Immaculate and to the sacraments of Eucharist and Reconciliation gave her the strength to bear all her sufferings as an offering to God on behalf of the church and those in special need especially great sinners and the dying in 1937 the first holy cards with the divine mercy image were created and Faustina provided instructions for the novena of divine mercy which she reported as a message from Jesus throughout the rest of 1937 the divine mercy image continued to be promoting and grow in popularity during the final years of her life her health deteriorated significantly she developed tuberculosis which attacked her lungs and gastrointestinal tract as a result she underwent two periods of hospital treatment each lasting a few months physically ravaged but spiritually entirely mature being mystically United with God she died in Krakow Lodge Waunakee on October 5th 1938 in the odour of sanctity having lived for only 33 years including 13 years of monastic life the message of Mercy that Sister Faustina received is now being spread throughout the world her diary divine mercy in my soul has become the handbook for devotion to the divine mercy after st. Faustina's death the divine mercy devotion spread quickly by 1951 over 150 religious centers dedicated to divine mercy could be found in Poland let me tell you the story of a unique and mysterious eucharist miracle the Saint experienced in a passage dated in the late 1920s she shares a number of fascinating stories about her personal encounters with Jesus Christ both in apparitions and in the Eucharist one amazing story stands out that took place while she was praying in her covenants Chapel one day Jesus said to me I am going to leave this house because there are things here which displease me then something strange happened the Eucharist left the tabernacle on its own and flew to her and the host came out of the tabernacle and came to rest in my hand the Blessed Eucharist which is Christ's body blood soul and divinity had miraculously started moving around the room and landed in her hand was she scared confused well here is how the Saint responded I with joy placed it back in the tabernacle but the Eucharist kept moving this was repeated a second time and I did the same thing despite this it happened a third time after the third time though something new happened the host was transformed into the living Lord Jesus who said to me I will stay here no longer now Jesus had told her twice that he wanted to leave and she has prevented him multiple times after this second declaration wouldn't you think a saint would relent not this st. she confidently told our Lord that she just wouldn't let him leave the convent she explains at this a powerful love for Jesus rose up in my soul I answered an eye I will not let you leave this house Jesus and again Jesus disappeared while the host remained in my hands once again I put it back in the chalice and closed it up in the tabernacle this time it was Jesus who relented and Jesus stayed with us but the Polish nun didn't leave it at that Jesus had said he wanted to leave do two things here which displeased me so in a very saintly manner she took it on herself to try to atone for the problems and that's all she says about the encounter what an incredible story of a wonderfully personal and intimate encounter with our Lord st. Faustina Kowalska was beatified on April 18th 1993 and canonized on April 30th mm both by Pope Saint John Paul the second her feast day is celebrated on October 5th and she is the patron saint of mercy [Music] [Applause] [Music] a long time ago there lived a well-respected couple in raqqa Purina named Antonio and a model OD they were the village peacemakers who helped everyone in the town of Rocca Purina get along when there was a disagreement Rita's parents helped people discuss the problem to reach agreements and forgive one another Rita was born in the Year 1381 her parents Antonio and Amato Lodi considered her birth a very special gift from gum for rita was born to them as they were already advancing in age she was named margarita in the local dialect her name meant pearl but she was simply known as Rita Rita's parents were very wise and Rita learned the importance of pardon and reconciliation from them as a young girl Rita frequently visited the Covenant of the Augustinian nuns in Castilla and dreamed of one day joining their community hello friend how are you doing today one of her favorite places to go was the Church of st. Augustine where she would pray to God and to all the saints that she called her friends Rita's three favorite Saints were Saint Augustine of Hippo Saint John the Baptist and Saint Nicholas of Tolentino but her parents had different plans her parents however had promised her in marriage according to the custom of the day to Paolo Mancini a good man of strong and impetuous character Rita being an obedient daughter agreed to her parents decision and married Paolo together Paolo and Rita had two sons Rita was a good wife and a loving mother and together the family lived a simple life of faith and love in the troubling political climate of the times there was often open conflict between families Paolo was the victim of one such conflict and he was murdered when their sons were still young rita was very sad and knew what had happened Paolo's family had been fighting with another family for a long time and every once in a while someone would get hurt or even killed the families refused to forgive one another instead they kept hurting one another and then would seek revenge you should never let them sleep peacefully boy you must avenge your father's death the society at the time expected that the boys should avenge the murder of their father to defend family honor Reeta however influenced by the peacemaking example of her parents pledged to forgive her husband's killers you have to forgive them you must let it go otherwise there will be no peace but Rita's two teenage sons did not feel very forgiving they wanted to get even now at the same time all this was happening there was a severe illness sweeping through that area of Italy making many people sick and died before Rita's sons could seek revenge on their fathers murderers both of them got very ill and died despite her great burden she could still thank God thank you God for they have died in peace free of the poison of murder they were getting drawn to hatred and revenge which would have soon consumed them now alone in the world and without family responsibilities Rita once more turned her thoughts to the desired vocation of her youth that of joining the Augustinian nuns of st. Mary Magdalen monastery she went to the convent in Castilla and asked to join the nuns there sister it has been my wish since I was a child to join this convent please let me in but the sisters at st. Mary Magdalene monastery were hesitant and refused her request although the nuns liked Rita and knew how faithful and forgiving she was they also knew about Paulo's death they knew that Paolo's family and the family responsible for his death had not forgiven each other and they were still fighting the nuns feared that if Rita entered their convent these families will somehow follow her and hurt the convent disheartened she implored her three patron saints John the Baptist Augustine and Nicholas of Tolentino to assist her and that's when she realized what she must do I have to make peace she went to her husband's family and exhorted them to put aside their hostility and stubbornness they were convinced by her courage and agreed rita went to the family who had murdered her husband and told them the same thing it is time for peace the rival family astounded by this overture of peace and by the suffering she had endured the family agreed Rita was successful in establishing peace between two hostile families for tens of generations she had achieved the impossible she was finally allowed entry into the monastery at the age of 36 Rita pledged to follow the ancient rule of st. Augustine thank you Jesus thank you for giving me the chance to serve you even while staying in the Covenant she put her peacemaking skills to good use she was frequently visited by people from town who needed help forgiving one another for the next 40 years she gave herself wholeheartedly to prayer and works of charity the poor and needy often visited her and she would never turn them away for 40 years she lived a regular life of Prayer contemplation and spiritual reading according to the rule of st. Augustine one good friday Rita was deep in prayer she was thinking about Jesus's suffering on the cross because she was such a kind and generous person Rita told Jesus of her greatest wish oh Jesus how I wish I could ease some of the pain you experience on the cross she prayed this with such pure love and she wanted more and more to intimately join the suffering of Jesus this desire of hers was satisfied in an extraordinary way suddenly a small wound appeared on her forehead as though a thorn from the crown that encircled Christ's head had loosed itself and penetrated her own flesh the stigmata remained on Rita's head for the rest of her life a sign that Jesus had recognized her great love for him and accepted her offer by allowing her to carry one of the signs of his passion for the next 15 years she bore this external sign of stigmatization and union with the Lord in spite of the pain she constantly experienced she offered herself courageously for the physical and spiritual well-being of others rita was confined to bed during the last four years of her life she was able to eat so little that she was practically sustained on the Eucharist alone the nuns in the monastery were greatly moved by her faith in Jesus and they looked up to her toward the end of her life Rita progressively weakened physically several months before her death she was visited by a relative from Rocco Purina who asked if there was anything she could do for the ailing woman Rita at first declined but then made a simple request bring me a rose from my garden but that was impossible it was January in Castilla and snow covered the hills for miles around no roses could bloom in that snow nevertheless on returning home the woman discovered to her amazement a single brightly coloured blossom on the bush were the nun said it would exactly be she picked the flower and ran back to the convent Rita knew this Rose was a sign from God that her many years of Prayer for her sons and her husband had been answered and that she would see them in heaven again soon she breathed her last Rita's final words to the sisters who gathered around her were remain in the holy love of Jesus remain in obedience to the holy roman church remain in peace and fraternal charity Rita died peacefully on May 22nd 14:57 the bells of the convent immediately began to ring untouched by human hands calling the people of Castilla to the doors of the convent and to announce the triumphant completion of a life faithfully left as the nuns prepared her for the final burial a carpenter paralyzed by a stroke wished if only I were well I would have prepared a coffin worthy of you it was then that the first miracle happened the carpenter was healed completely as soon as he said those words he was overjoyed and ran to the convent the people who knew him were shocked to see him running toward them it's a miracle I am healed he then made an elaborate and richly decorated coffin that would preserve Rita's remains for centuries it is still incorrupt today now in a glass-enclosed coffin in the Basilica of Castilla her feast is observed on the anniversary of her death 22 May brain Horus Oh Holy Saint Rita that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ amen [Music] [Applause] [Music] Cecelia lived during the early part of the third century in Rome there she lived with her noble family who in the past were known for their bravery and intelligence they named their daughter Cecilia which means lily of Heaven her father and mother were both pagans but they respected the Catholic faith and allowed their daughter to be raised a Catholic Cecilia never missed a Mass and she always kept God close to her heart she grew especially in the beautiful virtues of faith hope charity humility and purity when she was still young she made the vow of virginity she wanted to be a spouse of Christ and belong totally to Jesus but she could not join any convent as the convents started only two hundred years later she loved the poor and they looked upon her as a dear friend who could always be trusted to help them in their needs when she turned 18 her parents decided to get her married to a pagan they chose a man named valerian as her husband valerian was a good and upright man and from the first sight of Cecilia he knew he loved her cecilia was afraid she had to do what her parents asked her to do but how could she marry since she had made a vow of virginity she offered her heart and her sufferings to Jesus she prayed and fasted eating very little food and the nearer her wedding day approached the more she stormed heaven with her prayers and penances she trusted that Jesus would somehow come to her aid and answer her prayers one night Jesus appeared to her in her vision and accepted her generous vow he also told her that he will send her an angel to help her keep her vow at last the wedding day arrived and Cecilia in her finest dress of silk and gold became a bride against the dearest wishes of her heart when the wedding party was over Cecilia found herself alone with her husband valerian she then spoke in the loving gentle words to him valerian there's a secret that I wish to tell you I have a lover an angel of God who watches over me with jealous care if you will allow me to keep my vow of virginity this angel will love you as he loves me and he will grant you many favors I am very surprised at what you're telling me I wish to see this angel that only can be if you will believe in one God and be baptized how shall I become so she sent him to Pope s Urban who baptized him after the baptism when he returned he couldn't believe his eyes he saw Cecilia praying in her chamber and there was an angel by her with flaming wings the angel was holding two crowns of roses and lilies and the whole room had a distinct fragrance the angel placed the first crown on Cecilia's head and then he slowly approached valerian and placed the second crown on his head valerian was spellbound at this miracle and he couldn't say a word Thank You Cecilia you have opened my eyes to the one true God thank you so much they lived together happily as faithful Christians valerian had a brother named Tiber Dias when Tiber Dias heard the news of his brother's conversion to Christianity he was furious he rushed to his brother's house and as soon as he entered the house he wondered at the fragrance inside when he heard the story of how they had obtained the crowns he was curious and he too consented to be baptized after he was baptized Tiber Dias too was able to see her special angel Cecilia along with two brothers started preaching to people about Christianity being a Christian was really dangerous during those days as you could get killed those who got killed for professing their faith were considered as martyrs the two brothers devoted themselves to burying the martyrs slain daily by the prefect of the city her sheís all monkeys in the meantime st. Cecilia by preaching had converted 400 persons whom Pope Urban baptized before long the governor of Rome ordered arrest of valerian and Tiber dias and they were brought before him your brother has become crazy with all those Christian ideas I hope that you have not become this way - and that we'll be able to answer me sensibly my brother is not crazy we are only serving one true God don't speak to me about these foolish things speak with wisdom to me you don't understand what I'm saying because you don't want to hear the truth the prefect was really angry and he ordered the brothers to be beheaded the two new Christians were soon executed for burying the bodies of those who had been martyred cecilia was heartbroken she buried their bodies alone with no one to help her she realized her time on earth was ending soon so she set about arranging her Affairs she started giving away all her possessions to the poor and needy soon Cecilia was arrested and brought before the prefect but she was not afraid she was longing for martyrdom I too am a Christian and I believe in the one and only true God the prefect was furious Cecilia you walk condemned to die when the sentence was passed there was no sign of suffering nor fear on her face they doomed her to be confined in her own baths the splendid marble baths of the old Roman palaces there to be burned by the most intense heat kept up by the stoves below just as we read in Scripture of the three youths who walked in the midst of the flaming furnace praising God Cecilia walked through her Beth's unhurt by the fierce heat her hands extended in prayer her voice rising in clear soft hymns to heaven fresh fuel was added to the fires out by our no man dared brave an entrance into those heated baths and yet the words of praise came fresh and strong till evening faded into night a whole day went by still Cecilia's sang and prayed and everyone gathered their heard and marveled that she did not die when the prefect heard of this he was very angry she will have a head cut off with a sward after the flames died an executioner entered the house carrying the sword when he saw Cecilia sitting there and singing praises amongst the fire he was surprised her cheeks were cool and fresh as if the fire could do her no harm the executioner had orders to carry out so he lifted the sword and struck her thrice it was a miracle Cecilia still lived trembling with fright the executioner ran away Cecelia managed to live for three more days during which she prayed and said goodbyes to everyone who came on the third day Pope Urban came and gave her his last blessing and Cecilia was amongst the company of virgin martyrs in heaven Saint Cecilia is the patroness of musicians and church music because as she was dying she sang to God she is one of seven women excluding the Blessed Virgin commemorated by name in the Canon of the mass o glorious Saint Cecilia virgin and martyr you won the martyrs crown without renouncing your love for Jesus the delight of your soul we ask that you help us to be faithful and our love to Jesus that in the communion of the saints we may praise him twice in our song of rejoicing for the blood that He shed which gave us the grace to accomplish his will on earth amen [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Monica is a model of patience her long years of Prayer coupled with a strong well disciplined character finally led to the conversion of her hot-tempered husband her cantankerous mother-in-law and her brilliant but wayward son Augustine Monica was born in North Africa she was the eldest of three children of Christian parents and was raised in a strict disciplined home as a child she lived with her family but she and her sisters were raised by an elderly servant this wise woman had also raised Monica's father as a young girl Monica had a shocking experience according to the custom of the time her parents would ask her to bring up wine from the cellar for them once Monica took a sip of the wine before she brought it up after that she gradually began to drink just a little more each day she thought no one knew about it but the elderly servant soon figured this out then one day Monica quarrels with the servant and the servant accused her of drinking too much Monica realized that the maid was right this helped her to face this temptation she decided then and there to stop drinking and she did when she grew up she got married to Patricia's a pagan who had a violent temper her mother-in-law also a pagan usually cited with Patricia's and told lies to the servants about Monica who met all their insults with silence Monica remained patient in the meantime other wives with marriage problems came to her for advice don't worry trust God and everything will be alright over time her meekness humility and prayers transformed Patricia's who became a kotecha me a year before Patricia's died he got baptized the marriage produced three children that lived Augustine navee GEOSS and perpetuate her eldest st. Augustine was born in 354 ad he was inscribed as a kotecha man in infancy but was not baptized he was gifted with a mother who spoke often of God's love and her faith Monica was widowed at the age of 40 after which she vowed to be long holy to God she renounced all worldly pleasures and ministered to the poor and orphaned while still fulfilling her maternal duties her biggest source of worry was her son Augustine this brilliant and gifted young man rejected the faith his mother had taught him Augustine had become and Aegean and was living a dissolute life so Monica refused to allow him to live in her home Augustine started living with another woman and had a son although he was not married Monica was ready to disown Augustine but in a dream it was revealed to her that eventually he would come back to the faith Augustine tells us that Monica shed more tears for my spiritual death than other mothers shed for the bodily death of a son Monica prayed for her son's conversion for 17 years to add power to her prayers she fasted making holy communion her daily food at the age of 29 Augustine finally tired of the frivolity of Carthage and moved to Rome to teach rhetoric [Music] Monica was determined to accompany him but he tricked her and sailed alone Monica followed him after selling her few remaining possessions [Music] Augustine in the meantime had left for Milan where he was offered a chair in the wreck when Monica arrived in Rome Augustine had already left when she learned that he had gone to Milan she decided to follow him upon arrival in Milan Augustine had paid a courtesy visit to Bishop st. Ambrose Augustine came to love the bishop as a father and went every Sunday to hear Ambrose as he preached when Monica arrived in Milan her first visit was also to Ambrose and they understood one another at once she became his faithful disciple and Ambrose's heart warmed to Monica because of her truly pious way of life her zeal and good works and her faithfulness in worship Monica and Augustine began to attend Mass together and to discuss the bishops sermons afterward Monica deeply studied philosophy and theology so that she might be able to deal intelligently with Augustine Augustine in the meantime was going through a very confusing period in his life he began to realize how many things he believed that he could not prove but accepted on the testimony of others one day Augustine was really frustrating he pleaded with God to fully convert his heart he wanted to fully embrace the Church's teachings but he felt in impossible to detach himself from sins of the flesh augustine retreated to a garden for deep contemplation of his soul he heard a child's voice implore him to pick up and read the copy of Sacred Scripture he had brought into the garden with him immediately Augustine opened the book to Saint Paul's letter to the Romans which states that one must make no provision for the desires of the flesh it was after reading those words Augustine knew it was time to change his life Augustine went at once to Monica and told her what had happened thank you thank you lord Augustine attributed his conversion primarily to her when his instruction was over he was baptized by Ambrose on Holy Saturday 387 together Augustine Monica Ambrose and some other devoted people moved to the country to pray and write for years after their arrival in Milan during a stop at Ostia and route back to to gust Monica told her son what I am still to do or why I still linger in this world I do not know there was one reason one alone for which I wish to tarry a little longer but I might see you a Catholic Christian before I die God has granted me this boon and more for ICU his servants during all earthly happiness what is left for me to do in this life in her final hours Augustine asked if he should transport her body too to gust for burial next to her husband I am happy to be buried where ever I Dyson for nothing is far from God st. Monica died about two weeks later at the age of 56 Augustine was then 33 the feast of st. Monica occurs the day before the feast of her son st. Augustine on August 27th her tears prayers and sacrifices over many years helped bring about his conversion it is only proper that their feasts are celebrated close together [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] st. Catherine of Siena is one of the most well known Catholic saints this is largely due to the amount she accomplished during her short time on earth as well as her contributions to the Catholic faith that are still being recognized to this day her story is one of true sacrifice devotion and bravery Siena in the 14th century was a thriving city in northern Italy situated on the summit's of three hills Catherine and her twin sister Giovanna were born on Annunciation day in 1347 their parents were Jacopo and lapa benning casa she was the twenty-fifth child born to her mother although half of her brothers and sisters did not survive childhood the black death was sweeping through Italy creating very dangerous conditions for newborn children Catherines twin sister too did not survive infancy catherine was raised by her mother and father who earned a living drying cloth growing up Catherine was a happy child so happy in fact that her family nicknamed her you frozen which is greek for joy there is something special about her she's not like her brothers and sister from her earliest years she possessed a wisdom well beyond her age and cultivated a number of devotional practices that she talked to her friends when she was only 5 the saint used to climb the stairs inside her house on her knees reciting an Ave Maria on each step Hey look does it look like she's floating in air one evening when she was six years old she had her first vision of our Lord as she and her brother were on their way home from visiting a church Catherine looked up into the sky and saw an astounding sight her brother looked up and couldn't see anything he thought his sister was imagining things Catherine though was having a spectacular vision before her was the savior of the world sitting upon a royal throne he was magnificently clad in bishops robes with the papal tiara on his head beside him stood three apostles st. Peter st. Paul and st. John our Lord then smiled lovingly at his little friend below lifted his hand and blessed her with the sign of the Cross as a bishop does Catherine stood motionless her brother who did not see anything but the brightness tugged and tugged to try to awaken her from this trance finally she came to and looking again up to heaven she wept bitterly upon seeing that the vision had vanished after this experience Catherine though only a child began her never-ending union with God she started an intense schedule of prayer combined with astounding acts of mortification in one so young her parents were convinced of her devotion and one day Catherine since you love praying so much we have decided to give you the room in her basement you can pray without anyone disturbing you there Catherine spent the next few years at home where she was extremely devoted to serving her family when asked how she served them so fully well I consider my father to be Christ my mother to be Mary and my siblings to be apostles Catherine found perpetual virginity to Jesus her chosen spouse and asked her bridegroom and his holy mother to keep her free from every stain of sin Catherine lived like this for years until her parents tried to arrange her marriage when she was 13 years old her family began to arrange for suitors to call at the Benin casa home lapa especially was very eager to find a suitable husband for her charming young daughter in the hope of bringing honor and perhaps some social advantage to her family Catherine put on some makeup and dressed properly for a woman he must look as attractive as possible for the sake of the visiting young men but mother don't say anything just do as I say Catherine took no interest in adorning herself and even went out of her way to avoid being available when such visitors arrived it was during this time that Catherine's sister Bona Ventura died during childbirth this death made the question of Catherine's marriage all the more urgent and the parents forced her to marry her brother completely opposed to the marriage Katherine did everything she could to dissuade her parents this included entering into a heavy fast and even cutting her hair to make herself less attractive Katherine what did you do I hope he would leave me in peace now no matter how much her parents forced her they could not destroy her peace of soul her habit of turning her own heart into a cloistered cell and her resolve to belong to Jesus alone meanwhile Katherine's attachment to the Dominicans continued to grow she was especially interested in the sisters of penitence of st. Dominic's third-order who had given their lives to the service of God while remaining in the world at home they were called the menthe alotta Siena had many of them and Catherine longed to share their life Catherine was not satisfied living a contemplative life she wanted to help the poor and sick through the influence of her cousin a Dominican priest and her first confessor catherine joined the dominican third-order in 1363 this third way was an organization of religiously people who lived at home wore distinctive dress and directed their own activities in sacrificial service to the poor and from ages 16 to 19 Katherine continued living a secluded life at home and attracted many followers who were drawn by her feisty personality and exemplary sanctity during this time she learned to read and became familiar with the Church Fathers like Gregory the Great and Augustine as well as popular preachers of the day at the end of this three-year seclusion Catherine experienced what she later described as spiritual marriage to Christ it was the last day of the carnival in Siena the mystic alone in her cell prayed and scourge herself vigorously it was at that time that our Lord rewarded his spouse with a most unusual favour a mystical marriage feast there appeared to her with Jesus his Blessed Mother Saint John the Evangelist Saint Paul and David the poet King baring his heart our lady took Catherines right hand and held it up to her son Jesus put a ring on her finger it was adorned with a brilliant diamond and studded with four pearls the vision disappear but the ring remained always on Catherine's finger though it was invisible to everyone but her Catherine began an active ministry to the poor the sick and the imprisoned of Siena when a wave of the plague struck her hometown in 1374 most people fled but she and her followers stayed to nurse the ill and bury the dead she was said to be tireless by day and night healing all of whom the physicians despaired when the crisis abated she embarked on a letter-writing ministry to convert sinners and reform the church and society like many reformers of the day she was disturbed by the rampant corruption of the church and believed the source of the problem was the so called Babylonian captivity because of early 14th century political intrigue but papacy had moved to oven Yan France this scandalized people for two reasons first the papacy was divorced from the special sanctity of Rome second the Pope's became increasingly captive to French politics and lifestyle which were decadent and corrupt in a series of letters Catherine exhorted the Pope to address the problems of the church and charged him to return to Rome respond to the Holy Spirit who has calling you I tell you come come come don't wait for time because time isn't waiting for you one year later in 1377 after Catherine had visited him in Avignon Gregory the eleventh finally returned to Rome it was the great moment of her public life while the sister of penitence was spreading herself in helping others she would herself many times be stricken with strange preternatural illnesses that no physician could even diagnose let alone remedy this little mystic of SIA was responsible for the return of thousands of souls to the Catholic faith hardened sinners and many wretched and vile Souls left her company with a firm purpose of amendment hundreds of people including many persons of prominence came to Katherine regularly for advice bishops Cardinals and even Pope's as we shall soon see consulted her many of the be otters converts both men and women remained among Katherine's growing circle of friends who had taken her for their spiritual mother these kateri naughty as they were called accompany their beloved mama wherever she went eagerly garnering from her the secrets of spiritual perfection Katherine's frail body slowly began to enter into her death agony years with no food other than the Holy Eucharist little sleep and constant pain amidst remarkable Labor's had made the very life of the saint a visible and continuous miracle one day Katherine had collapsed to the floor her skin all black and blue for months she lingered on as death approached her spiritual children gathered around the Saints bed to receive her last words one day with her eyes fixed on the crucifix she made the sign of the Cross and cried [Music] into my hands I commend my spirit and her soul took its flight to heaven Katherine was 33 years old when she died the same as her beloved spouse the day was April 29th the year 1380 in her 383 extant letters and the dialogue which she referred to as my book and which describes her mystical experiences she expressed her driving motivation to love God she wrote that God told her not to love me for your own sake or your neighbor for your own sake but to love me for myself yourself for myself your neighbor for myself eternal God eternal Trinity you have made the blood of Christ so precious through his sharing in your divine nature you are a mystery as deep as the sieve the more I search the more I find and the more I find the more I search for you but I can never be satisfied what I receive will ever leave me desiring more when you fill my soul I have an every door and I grow more famished for your light I desire above all to see you the true light as you really are [Music] [Applause] [Music] hello everyone today we are going to learn the story of st. Lucy also known as Lucia of Syracuse she is one of the most highly venerated Saints in Christianity and one of only eight women mentioned by name in the Roman Catholic Mass Lucy was born in 283 to wealthy Roman parents in the area of Syracuse her father was a Roman nobleman and he was very rich her mother you tisha had Greek origins she she is so beautiful I hope she makes us proud one day her parents loved her very much and they lived a happy life together [Music] Lucia where are you it's lunchtime [Music] but the happiness did not last for long when Lucy was five years old her father died leaving the young girl and her mother to fend for themselves Lucy embraced Christianity from a very young age we don't know what actually inspired her to become a Christian but she was faithful to the Lord as any true Christian is it was quite challenging if not dangerous to be a Christian during those days the Romans punished the followers of Christ severely as it was considered to be a crime the Christians had to worship secretly and away from the eyes of Roman soldiers Lucy knew this so she kept her faith unknown to anyone even from her own mother she had hopes of being able to lead a celibate life and help the poor and needy people I just want to help you how are you doing today sir how do I look like I'm doing I don't have a place to stay I'm starving in two days I'm sorry to hear that sir please take this money this is all that I can do for you it's lonely oh thank you thank you so much I shouldn't have been so leaky you are such a kind woman thank you sir I hope that I can help you even marry someday have a good day dear as a young girl she knew that she would be expected to marry and that there was a dowry set aside for her she secretly hoped to give away the money to the poor Sunday her mother you tisha was not keeping well as she was suffering from an unknown health disorder she was either unaware of her daughter's vow or was concerned for her future as a single woman she worried that she might die soon so she arranged a marriage for Lucy please my child I don't think I have much time to live now I want to see you married and safe with someone before I leave this world okay mother I will do whatever you say you tisha arranged a marriage for Lucy betrothing her to a young man from a wealthy Pagan family Lucy knew her mother could not be swayed by a young girl's foul so she devised a plan to convince her mother that Christ was the better partner for life mother I have obeyed you all my life I even got engaged when I didn't feel it was right I want you to listen to me just this once what is it dear what do you want me to do I want you to come with me to the shrine of Saint Agatha tomorrow we shall pray for your health and then then you will see what miracles my Lord can perform but please don't say no mother just listen to me this once I want you to live a long life please say yes mother hmm okay dear I will come with you to the shrine the next day Lucy took her mother to the Saint Agatha's strong once they reached the shrine they prayed there all night after a few hours they both fell asleep of exhaustion near the tomb of Saint Agatha it was then that Lucy got a vision huh where I am I am I dreaming st. Agatha is it is it really you st. Agatha had appeared to Lucy in a dream and gave her the good news that her mother was healed st. Agatha further informed Lucy that she will be the glory of Syracuse the city were Saint Lucy left was it all just a dream mother mother wake up what what happened to Lucia mother you won't believe what just happened I had a vision of Saint Agatha and she said she said that you have been killed what huh I feel I feel no pain at all this is this is a miracle Yes Mother didn't I tell you that Saint Agatha would help us now look at what happened you were right my child your way of life is indeed the right one thank you thank you God for saving me it was a miracle indeed Lucy's mother was convinced that day and she too got converted to Christianity when they reached back home Lucy asked her mother for permission to distribute their wealth among the poor you tisha tried to convince Lucy to give the riches away in her will rather than right away she was concerned about how her daughter will survive mother true charity means giving the riches away while I am still alive not when I am dead and had no further use of them her mother agreed and they started distributing their wealth among the poor and me news that the patrimony and jewels were being distributed came to Lucy's betrothed and this made him very angry he denounced her to the governor of Syracuse who was an evil man named cush osseous he told the governor about her faith in Christianity as well what how could a woman do something like that bring her to me now the soldiers soon brought Lucy to his court and the trial began I heard you've become a Christian don't you know it's a crime do you have anything to say about this yes I am and I am true to my faith sir no matter what you do to my body my soul will remain pure how dare you speak to me like that do you want to be punished like the others I will give you one last chance you must make a sacrifice to the idols the idols of true God and announced your faith in front of everyone here you can do this and I will set you free I am sorry sir I cannot do that I will only make sacrifice to Lord Christ through my good deeds you are such a fool God take away you are hereby sentence to be taken to a broth and insulted in public take her away now [Music] no matter what you do to my books my soul will remain pure how dare you speak out like that come on get up get up I say [Music] don't waste my time drag her to the brothel yes my lord hey you help me little did they realize that the Holy Spirit had made her body heavy and immobile it had become impossible to lift soon many others joined but they too failed to move her push osseous even ordered a team of oxen to help them but that too failed [Music] how could it be how I'm so strong you will not believe me even if I tell you the truth my strength comes from none other than Jesus my Lord and God we will see about that God's tired to the stake in bad huh let's see if her God will help her Lucy was then tied to estate with bundles of would guard to light the fire they simply wouldn't burn a huge crowd soon gathered around the site of prosecution they were all witnessing the power of God and they were stunned bhishan seus is tormented as he could not find a way to kill her he couldn't stand her looking at him and smiling even God's terrorized out the men striker the guards has commanded torpor and struck her but even after that Lucy continued to pray to God and she spoke to the crowd announcing to them that the Peace of the church were soon followed after the end of diocletian's rain and Maximian stems the guards struck her again and eventually Lucy [Music] Lucy's legends did not end with her death pretty soon as she prophesied push osseous was soon arrested and killed for plundering the city and for other illegal times he committed during his tenure when Lucy's body was prepared for burial in the family mausoleum it was discovered that her eyes had been miraculously restored this is one of the reasons that Lucy is the patron saint of Lucy whose name can be white or Lucy is the patron saint of the blind she is often seen with the Ellen of eyes on a cup or plate in paintings she is often depicted with a golden plate holding her odds and often holds branch which is a symbol of victory [Music] [Applause] [Music] Maria Goretti affectionately called marietta by her family was born in Coronado in 1890 on the eastern side of Italy she was one of five children of Luigi and Assunta Goretti in 1899 her father Luigi gray moved the family to La Feria de conca 40 miles from Rome looking for a job Luigi soon got a job as a sharecropper and in exchange for farming work his employer let Luigi's family stay in one of his houses thank you thank you sir dear I have found a place for us to stay really yes and my employer has let us at one of his houses near the farmland Marietta go pack your things let's go to a new home thank you God this house had two floors Luigi Assunta and their children stayed at the ground floor Giovanni Sara Nellie a widow and his son Alessandro lived upstairs both families tried to survive together exchanging their crops and belongings one day Luigi Goretti was bitten by a mosquito carrying the malaria virus tragically he died 11 days later in 1900 this incident left poor Assunta to raise her five children in the new and strange town of fairy air all alone God please give me the strength to raise my kids thankfully she had Maria to help her though a good deal of her life before her martyrdom is seemingly veiled we normally only hear about the end Maria Goretti was afraid that her father's soul would remain in purgatory for too long so she prayed constantly this habit of Prayer led to a long practiced meditation on the Paschal mystery the Rosary was constantly tied around her wrists since and she could not go long without praying in order for the Goretti family to survive Maria's mother Assunta took her husband's place in the fields this left Maria as the eldest girl to take her mother's place in the home Maria cooked cleaned did the laundry and cared for her younger siblings their neighbor Giovanni had a drinking problem and he was prone to loud and in modest language but he did like Maria like his own daughter as she often helps them with chores Marietta my child I am a feeling very sick today do you mind cleaning the kitchen a bit Alessandra made a mess of it trying to cook yesterday don't worry I will take care of it would you like to have some soup that would be a pleasure darling you are such a good girl additionally she cooked and cleaned for the two serenella men Maria never complained about the extra work she had to do she was a source of encouragement to her mother assuring her mother that Jesus would provide for their needs Maria was a pious child although she could neither read nor write she learned her catechism and received her First Holy Communion with great reverence in 1901 on the feast of Corpus Christi she went to Metz as often as possible and grew in virtue sanctity maturity and beauty it was from Assunta that Maria learned never to sin at any cost we belong to God totally body and soul our body is God's temple and the Spirit of God is living among us at 11:00 Maria was already a beautiful young woman Alessandro been 19 twice made advances toward her don't touch me Alessandro it Sassoon Alessandra was taken with Maria's beauty and had for some time tried to seduce her he spoke obscenely to her made lewd suggestions and threatened to kill Maria and her mother if she told anyone Alessandra was the typically depressed young teenager his mother had died in a psychiatric hospital while he was young following his father's footsteps he drank too much although he was once Catholic he had fallen away despite his persistence Maria did not give in to temptation this angered Alessandro and one day his anger got the best of him on a hot day in early June maria was sewing up a shirt while her mother and siblings were out on the farm working Giovanni sat down to rest saying he was sick at the bottom of the stairs leading up to where they lived seizing an opportunity for evil Alessandro left his work and came back to his house he saw his father dozing off at the foot of the stairs and went up into the house without making any sound [Music] Alessandra snuck up on her and began to attack her no no you mustn't what you are doing is a sin Alessandra grew even more angry when she resisted and then took out his knife and stabbed her he then quickly left the building before anyone could see him Alessandro's father woke up to the loud noise when he entered the house he found Maria in a pool of blood hey hey but he is wounded but he is wounded somebody help Maria's body was horribly mangled it was a miracle that she was still alive the neighbors soon arrived and gasped when they saw their beloved Maria they asked who did this terrible thing and she whispered it was Alessandro he tried to make me do something that was a sin but he couldn't make me do it he couldn't I wouldn't let him Maria was immediately brought to the hospital in the to know the doctors were astonished that the girl was still alive they said it was hopeless and she will not survive for long a parish priest was called to give Maria her last rites as she lay dying when the parish priest of Natuna brought her whole Eva Attica and asked whether she forgave Alessandro she replied yes I forgive him and I want him to be in paradise with me some day her mother in tears gave her the crucifix to kiss and that comforted her don't worry it is Jesus whom I shall soon see in heaven Maria died the next day on July 6th at the age of 11 years and eight months a large crowd gathered at her funeral and each of them was aware of her martyrdom the cops soon arrested Alessandro and he was sentenced to 30 years in prison because he was an angry young man in constant fights he was placed in solitary confinement he was completely unrepentant for his crime and his heart was hardened however six years later Maria appeared to Alessandro in a dream in his dream his prison cell turned into a lush garden and Maria came to him bathed in light she gave him 14 lilies after he took the lilies in his hands they turned into flaming lights at this point in the dream Maria told him that someday his soul would join hers in heaven that was all too much for Alessandro until this point he had been unrepentant of his crime but immediately his heart began to soften and he wept after so many years he called for the bishop confessed his crime and lived out the rest of his sentence as a reformed man and model prisoner after his release he sought out Maria's mother that he might beg for her forgiveness Alessandro murrieta forgave you Christ has forgiven you and why should I not also forgive I forgive you of course my son your evil days are past and to me you are a long-suffering son since her death Maria has been the instrument of numerous cures and miracle along with 30 other witnesses Alessandra testified as to Maria's sanctity during her cause of beatification in 1950 she was canonized in a ceremony attended by a quarter million people including her mother the first mother ever to see her child canonized Maria Goretti is an excellent model and intercessor for today's youth confronted by a sea of immorality poured out on the world by the modern media she offers children and young people a refuge protection a serene spirit and the deep joy of the pure of heart [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] today we are going to learn about a rather unusual st. st. Joseph of Cupertino you may remember him from his iconography which is odd even for an art form peppered with oddities in most of the paintings of him he seems to be leaping out over crowds with jazz hands spread or being dragged through the air by a wooden cross several feet above the heads of puzzled onlookers it seems rather harsh but st. Joseph of Cupertino a canonized Saint was once referred to by his Franciscan brothers as brother ass who was this Saint what is his story let us learn that today this story took place in a small village called Cupertino a village of the Apulia Peninsula in the kingdom of Naples lying between Brindisi and Otranto Joseph's father Felix Desa was a carpenter by trade and he was a very good man but he was a poor hand at dealing with money what little he earned seemed to slip at once through his fingers his friends took advantage of this good-hearted and charitable man this left him with financial burdens which forced him to flee his home and go into hiding to avoid arrest on one occasion the creditors came to seize his home and possessions and out of fear Felix's wife Frances panara was forced to flee her home as she was about to give birth she managed to reach a nearby stable it was in this stable on June 17th 1603 that Joseph was born there is a striking similarity between the birth of Christ Saint Francis of Assisi and of Saint Joseph all three were born in poor and humble statements faced with so many hardships his mother soon became bitter with her life and even began to resent her son Joseph was punished harshly for every mistake he made Joseph's life of being rejected by people started with his own mother the little boy was painfully slow to learn he was so absent-minded he'd even forget to eat and when it was brought to his attention he'd say I forgot Village People called him as the gaper around town because he would wander about aimlessly with his mouth open to make matters worse Joseph had a bad temper nobody wished to be around him even his mother thought he was a nuisance Joseph learned to accept his shortcomings in life yet never stopped searching for a place to fit in and to belong unfortunately Joseph's school days were short-lived as he developed a malignant ulcer on his back which confined him to bed for five years during his years of illness he would dream about the Saints from the stories that he heard at school the one who made the greatest impression on him was Saint Francis of Assisi so the seed of becoming a Franciscan monk slowly began to grow his mother tried many things to treat his ulcer she took him to Naples for an operation in the hope of curing him but this proved to be unsuccessful it was during this time his mother met a hermit who lived near the Church of Our Lady of Grace in Gallatin she told him about her son's disease and he asked her to bring Joseph he applied the oil taken from the lamp which was kept burning before an image of Our Lady and suddenly Joseph felt relief from all pain the ulcer was gone Joseph was ever more grateful to God and this incident increased his desire to do God's will in the service of the church since continuing with school wasn't a viable option he attempted to be an apprentice for a shoemaker but he failed at that too Joseph was too much distracted too much absorbed in other things not practical for work a day people and he never learned to make or mend issue but he went on trying and his master tolerated him merely giving the boys something to do by the age of 17 Joseph encountered a friar and decided perhaps he should dedicate his life to his faith without much education and the skills to become a friar Joseph found it difficult to find a monastery willing to accept him finally he found a monastery willing to give him a try on a trial basis from the beginning the people at the monastery were irritated by his Demeter's Joseph had a way of suddenly standing still in the midst of some occupation and forgetting everything he would go down on his knees in the most unlikely places utterly oblivious of everything around him he could be washing dishes or carrying food on a tray and he would just drop everything literally and go into a trance-like State Joseph could not perform simple tasks assigned to him and eight months later he was sent back home again his mother was not at all happy to see him with no future plans Joseph wandered the streets contemplating his life he spent long hours alone in his room in deep meditation and was often found wandering about as if in a daze on some occasions friars found him in different places such as the Chapel of Saint Barbara which was near the friary but Joseph was unaware of how he had come to these places his ecstatic flight bewildered Joseph and as a result he dedicated himself to living an even stricter religious life his mother in the meantime approached her brother who was a Franciscan monk to have her son accepted to his monastery as a servant Joseph was appointed to the stable as the keeper of the monastery mule where he was referred to as brother mule and brother as the consistent work and community life seemed to suit Joseph and he became more trustworthy and capable he happily slept in the stable never complained and did all that was asked of him after all he finally had a place where he belonged Joseph's life began to change considerably his ecstasy's were becoming more numerous and more frequent on hearing the name of Jesus and Mary he would go into ecstasy and would remain there for some time until the superior commanded him to return to his senses in spite of his dullness Joseph had a merry heart however great his troubles the moment a gleam of sunshine showed upon him he would be happy and laugh he mingled with the poor and soon his kindness and simplicity was noticed by the friars Friars soon visited the stable for one reason or another and always Joseph was there to welcome them apparently as happy as a lord they decided to give him another chance to become a part of the order and to allow him to study for the priesthood during one Christmas evening some Shepherds arrived at the church they were celebrating the birth of Christ by playing songs and singing Joseph began to dance and sing with joy and pretty soon he was lost in his trance-like state he was lifted up like a bird to the high altar the shepherds who saw this were astounded and couldn't say anything he remained there for about 15 minutes without disturbing the candles were burning his clothes many others such incidents were recorded but Joseph couldn't recall what really happened while he was during fits of godliness as he described them studying remained difficult for Saint Joseph but he could always recite and comment at great length about the meaning of the scripture verse B Attis ven turkey tape or Tophet which meant blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you when it was time for his diaconate examination the examiner knowing well of his shortcomings pointed to the same verse Joseph knew by heart and asked him to comment on it Joseph passed the test and so he was ordained a deacon and later a priest he was 25 years of age Joseph remained humble even after coming a priest he knew he wasn't as qualified as other priests so he continued acting as a servant cleaning and tending to other priests there were many besides the poor who had come to realize the wonderful simplicity and selflessness of Joseph now when he was a friar and a priest the visions grew stronger he started feeling God's presence in everything he saw he would have an overwhelming feeling of awe that would take over him and he would see God in nature and everything surrounding him it was later realized that what everyone thought to be his absent mindedness was actually his special gift Joseph had the ability to see God in his surroundings he would stand and stare in silence oblivious to whatever was happening around him he frequently began experiencing ecstasy's and visions and the Friars had to wake him up with pinches and sometimes blows he would often levitate and float and could hear heavenly music during this time he also started performing miracles he would touch blind eyes and they would see he would lift up a sick child and it would be cured st. Joseph had a power of levitation he also had a unique power over the birds and the beasts of the field surpassing even Saint Francis of Assisi and Joseph used his power playfully as Saint Francis used it there was a convent of nuns not far from the monastery where st. Joseph sometimes called for alms one day when they had been good to him he told them with a laugh that in return for their kindness he would send them a bird to help them in their singing the next time they went to office in flew a sparrow by the window when the nuns started singing the sparrow sang along with them they were quite surprised at first this happened every day the sparrow would arrive as soon as the nun started singing and it would fly away when they stopped but one day a sister passing by gave him a push with her hand the sparrows stopped coming back after this incident when next Joseph came to the convent the sisters told him that the sparrow was gone but they did not tell him the reason he is gone and quite right said Joseph he did not come to you to be insulted however he promised he would make amends to the sparrow the next day the sparrow appeared again and joined in the nuns as before he went on to become so familiar that the nuns could play with him and one day a nun tight a bell on his leg it was the Holy Week and the sparrow arrived every day till Thursday on that day he did not appear nor during the rest of Holy Week when Joseph called on Holy Saturday to receive his Easter offering they told him the sparrow had gone no wonder answered Joseph I gave him to you to join in your music you should not have made him a bell ringer bells are not rung during these days of Holy Week but I will see that he returns and he did the sparrow returned and did not leave again so long as Joseph remained in the neighborhood some jealous brethren did not take this well even after witnessing these miracles they accused him of being an imposter and a maker of mischief he was reported to the vicar general and was soon put under trial to the amazement of the tribunal judges Joseph began levitating during his interrogations the inquisitors examined him after clothes testing they were unable to convict him of anything in an attempt to curtail his popularity the judges sent him into forced seclusion friar Joseph was exiled and banned from speaking to anyone even his fellow friars but Joseph retained his joyous spirit submitting to divine providence keeping seven lengths of forty days each year never letting his faith be shaken during his time in Assisi he was visited by many prominent religious and political figures who heard of his holy miracles pray he told everyone pray if you are troubled by dryness or distractions simply say the Our Father then you make both vocal and mental prayer meanwhile within his places of imprisonment the same wonderful experiences continued he would be shut up in his cell and he would see things going on elsewhere he would kneel down to pray and the friars would see him rise in the air still in a kneeling position they would come to speak to him and would be surprised that he read their thoughts before they spoke six years before his death he was finally allowed to return to his Franciscan Order and lived his remaining years in quiet reflection in a friar II in ASIMO in the province of ancona even though his later years were plagued by sadness and the same rejection he first felt as a child he endured his ordeal with immense patience friar Joseph was heard saying with confidence right before he died praised be to God blessed be God may the holy will of God be done the old laughter seemed to come back to his face those around could scarcely resist the contagion and so he died it was September 18th 1663 he was sixty years of age [Music] [Applause] [Music] you [Music] you [Music] [Applause] [Music] st. Barbara is a much-loved st. whose feast is celebrated universally on December 4th this story took place in the 3rd century hence there are many historical inaccuracies presented in the legends this episode brings to you the most common version of this amazing Saints life st. Barbara also known as the great martyr Barbara was an early Christian Greek Martin born mid 3rd century in Heliopolis Phoenicia her father the pagan Dinah's cur'us was a rich and illustrious man in the Syrian city of Heliopolis after the death of his wife he devoted himself to his only daughter Barbara grew to become a very beautiful woman and her tales of beauty and wisdom travelled across borders at this time the Christian faith had only been welcomed by the poor and needy died Oscar as' was a devoted believer in the greco-roman religion he hated this new religion that was getting popular in Roman society he was afraid that his daughter would get influenced by Christian values too so he decided to lock her up away from people Dyess kurrus ordered to build a huge Tower he shielded Barbara from the world by locking her high up within the town barbara spent years in the tower she got her food and laundry by way of a basket on a rope she was taught by pagan teachers who taught her about their gods from the tower there was a view of hills stretching into the distance by day Barbara was able to gaze upon the wooded hills the swiftly flowing rivers and the medics covered with a mottled blanket of flowers during night she looked and marveled at the shining moon and the stars in the sky she often pondered about the first cause and creator of so harmonious and splendid a world gradually she became convinced that the soulless idols her father worshipped were merely the work of human hands she realized that the idols could not have made the surrounding world one day a stranger put a book about Christianity in the basket for laundry Barbara got the book and she started reading it after reading the book she longed to learn more about the religion as Barbara grew older her father died Oscar as' began presenting men to her for marriage she refused them all and warned her father that his persistence could forever damage their relationship Dyess chorus allowed for Barbara to leave her tower hoping some freedom would change her attitude after years of seclusion she was finally free she roamed around the gardens and streams she used to see from the town Barbara also used this opportunity to meet other Christians they taught her about the Lord Jesus the Holy Trinity and the church through the Providence of God a priest arrived in Heliopolis from Alexandria disguised as a merchant after instructing her in the mysteries of the Christian faith he baptized Barbara then returned to his own country during this time a luxurious bath house was being built at the house of diocese by his orders the workers prepared to put two windows on the south side but Barbara taking advantage of her father's absence asked them to make a third window thereby forming a Trinity of light as she was the daughter of their employer the workers complying on one of the walls of the bathhouse Barbara traced across with her finger the cross was deeply etched into the marble as if by an iron instrument later her footprints were imprinted on the stone steps of the bathhouse Barbara's bathhouse became a place full of healing power and many miracles occurred there st. Simeon metaphysis even compared it to the street of Jordan on his return Dyess kurrus was surprised to see the third window and he inquired into the meaning of this addition Barbara replied that she had converted to Christianity and that three windows symbolized the three faces of God the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit died Oscar as' went into a rage grabbed a sword and was on the point of striking her with it Barbara quick to respond fled before her father could strike her diasporas followed Barbara running behind her holding the sword Barbara saw a hill down the road and as she approached it by some miracle Hill opened and hid Barbarin within a crevice Wendy oestrus arrived at the scene he couldn't find Barbara anywhere he climbed up the hill but Barbara wasn't there he searched for her down the hill but with no luck where could she have gone wondered died Oscar's after a long and fruitless search for his daughter died oestrus sought to Shepherds on the hill he asked them if they had seen his daughter the first shepherd denied of the second betrayed Barbara he showed him the cave where Barbara was hiding [Music] some legends indicate that later he was turned to stone and his flock was turned into locusts dang Oscar's dragged his daughter out of the cave and started beating her Barbara did not cry and she told him that she would suffer till the end for Jesus Christ he then took her home and locked her up he ordered his servants to not give her any food until she renounced her new religion after a week of starving when diasporas asked Barbara if she would renounce her faith now Barbara refused finally he handed her over to the prefect of the city named marshy anis together they continued to beat and torture her throughout the day but Barbara never renounced her Christian faith by night Saint Barbara prayed fervently to her heavenly bridegroom and the Savior himself appeared and filled her wounds when the prefect and diaspora saw her healed wounds they were surprised and even more angry they subjected the saint to new and even more frightening torments but she endured the sufferings as the Lord gave her the strength and the courage to stand firm the prefect then ordered her to be tortured in public the soldiers took Barbara to the streets and started torturing her in the crowd there was a virtuous Christian woman Juliana an inhabitant of Halle Andalus her heart was filled with sympathy for the voluntary martyrdom of the beautiful and illustrious maid Juliana also wanted to suffer for Christ she began to denounce the torturers in a loud voice and this angered the prefect he ordered Juliana to be tortured along with Barbara in full view of the public he thought this could be an example for anyone who wished to become a Christian both martyrs were tortured for a long time their bodies were raked and wounded with hooks but both women stayed strong and firm in their faith the prefect then ordered the soldiers to strip them of their clothes and parade them some of the soldiers were amazed at the courage of these two women they admired their willpower and wondered whether they too should follow their faith but the orders of the prefect had to be obeyed they reluctantly started stripping the clothes of Barbara and Juliana through the prayers of Saint Barbara the Lord sent an angel who covered the nakedness of the holy martyrs with a splendid Road the prefect was losing his patience and ordered the soldiers to burn them but as the soldiers approached the women the angel made the torches extinguish this repeated many times and the prefect decided to give up Dyess giris decided to take things in his own hand and asked the prefect for permission to behead her the prefect agreed and both women were bribed and so did Barbara died at the hands of her own father as the sword fell from his arms appeared to revenge the death of Barbara she became the protectors against lightning and thunder doubt and questions surrounding the history of Saint Barbara caused her to be removed from the general Roman calendar but not from the Catholic Church's list of saints many pious Orthodox Christians are in the habit of chanting the troparion of Saint Barbara each day recalling the Savior's promise to her that those who remembered her and her sufferings would be preserved from a sudden unexpected death and would not depart this life without benefit of the holy mysteries of Christ Saint Barbara is commemorated on December 4th oh holy Saint Barbara through your inspiration intercession and by your example of courage keep me chaste fervent and always ready to do God's will please help us by your prayers amen [Music] [Applause] [Music] you [Music] you

Channel: Christian Family TV

Views: 151,265

Keywords: st faustina, saint faustina, saint lucy, st lucy, st rita, saint rita, st joseph cupertino, st cupertino, st cecilia, st. monica of hippo, saint monica, st catherine, saint catherine, catherine of siena, st maria goretti, mariah goretti, saint maria, saint barbara, st barbara, stories of saints, christian kids tv, christian kids, catholic movies, catholic kids, bible animated, saints stories, life of saints, christian saints, saints for kids, 2 hour saints video

Id: mCqAp6DZEv0

Length: 117min 52sec (7072 seconds)

Published: Wed Jun 03 2020