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Pope Saint Hilary reigned as Holy Roman Pontiff from 461-468. He succeeded Pope Saint Leo I (the Great). He was succeeded by Pope Simplicius. As was the custom with many of the early popes, Pope Saint Hilary used his birth name, Hilarius, as pope. Image retrieved from https://revfico.com/posts/13th-january-saint-hilary-of-poitiers and used as being in the public domain. Pope Saint Hilary was born in Sardinia in modern-day Italy. At the time, it was part of the Roman Empire that would become the Papal States. Pope Saint Hilary was Archdeacon under Pope Saint Leo I, also known as Pope Saint Leo the Great. Pope Saint Hilary, as Archdeacon, fought for the rights of the Roman See. Hilarius was sent as a papal legate, along with Bishop Julius of Puteoli, to the Second Council of Ephesus (the "Robber" council). Pope Saint Leo had sent a letter to be read at the council. The head notary of the council decided that the emporer's letter should be first read. At the end of the day, the pope's letter was not even read. Hilarius opposed the condemnation of Flavian of Constantinople, uttering a single Latin word, "Contradicitur", which defeated the condemnation in the name of the pope. This greatly angered Dioscorus, who was the "Pope" of Alexandria, who supported the condemnation and who presided over the synod. Flavian would be attacked by followers of Dioscorus and would die on August 11, 449 of those injuries. A letter from Hilarius apologized to Empress Pulcheria for not delivering the letter of the pope to her after the council. However, Hilarius had a difficult time getting to either Constantinople or to Rome on account of the exits from the city being blocked by forces loyal to Dioscorus making his escape difficult at best. Flavian and Eusebius of Dorylaeum appealed to the pope. It is likely that their letters were delivered to the pope by Hilarius. Pope Saint Hilary continued with the policies of Pope Saint Leo I. Pope Saint Hilary worked hard to overcome the ruling of tolerance of schismatic sects within there Church. There was an archdeacon named Hermes who had seized the bishopric of Narbonne against the rulings of Church law. There were other matters in Gaul (modern-day France) which caused quite a bit of consternation within the Church. Two Gallican prelates were sent to the pope to make these matters known. These matters were ruled upon by a synod and Hilarius wrote an encyclical regarding them. In 463, Mamertus of Vienne had consecrated a bishop of Die despite the fact that this city belonged to another mettropolitan diocese, that of Arles. When he heard about this, Pope Saint Hilarius dispatched Leontius of Arles to convene a synod to look into this matter. Based on the report of Bishop Antonius, Pope Saint Hilarius issued a written edict on February 25, 464 directing Bishop Veranus to advise Mamertus that the faculties of his bishopric would be withdrawn if he continued with this course of conduct. Pope Saint Hilarius also had to deal with issues in Hispanic (Spain). Pope Saint Hilarius was forced to look into episcopal ordination of Bishop Silvanus of Calahorra. The pope was asked for his decision on the issue. However, before an answer could be had to their petition, these very same bishops had reason to contact the Vatican for issues completely unrelated to the issue at hand. Bishop Nundinarius of Barcelona had, before he died, expressed a wish that Irenaeus might succeed him in his bishopric. However, he had already made Irenaeus bishop of another See. This request was granted and confirmed by the Synod of Tarragona. Henceforth, bishops sought Papal authority before doing such things. During his , Hilarius also entered into a number of construction projects, including the building of the Chapel of Holy , convents, two pubic and a . Liber Pontificalis, which provides most of what we know about Pope Saint Hilarius, gives him great praise for these projects. He also built two oratories in the baptistry of St. John the Lateran Basilica; one in honor of St. John the Baptist and the other in honor of St. John the apostle and evangelist. Hilarius died ion February 29, 468. He was buried in the Basilica of St. Lawrence outside the Walls. _______________________________________________________________________________ Please join me at 3:30 pm Eastern (US) time for the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Saint of the Day and Daily Update. Please visit our friends, Tony and Paulette Rock at the Rock Company Shop. Websites I regularly mention in my broadcast include: Morning Offering (www.mortningoffering.com) and Catholic Online (www.catholic.org). Franciscan Media (Franciscanmedia.org) is another site that I peruse regularly.

Saint Gabrielle of Our Lady of Sorrows is yet smoother example of a saint who lost one or both parents at a young age. In Saint Gabriel's case, he lost his mother when he was about four years of age. I have found much about this "unknown" saint (today is the first I have heard of him, but I guarantee, I will notice him being mentioned at least three times this week) published on the web, which I will interlace (with citations) throughout this brief article on this beautiful saint of God. Image of Saint Gabriel retrieved from https://www.catholicsun.org/2019/02/27/feast-of-st-gabriel-possenti/ and used as being in the public domain Saint Gabriel was born the eleventh of thirteen children to Santa and Agnes Possenti on March 1, 1838 at Assisi, Italy. In fact, he was baptized in the same baptismal font as Saint Francis of Assisi (feast day October 2) (https://epicpew.com/you-probably-dont-know-st-gabriel-possenti-but-you-should/). He was born Francesco Possenti and was baptized on the date of his birth, as was the custom in the nineteenth century in Italy. While his family was considered noble, his father was a bureaucrat and worked for the city of Assisi at the time of Saint Gabriel's birth. He would soon be transferred to Montalta and then to Spoleto, where he would be appointed as the legal assessor. Within a span of two years (1841 to 1842), Francesco lost a baby sister named Rosa, a seven-year-old sister named Adele and of his mother in 1842. All of these sad events happened in Spoleto. As a child, Saint Gabriel was known to be a meticulous dresser (who might have suffered from a bit of vanity) and also to be charitable and for his great piety. As a teen, he was known as "the dancer" and was very involved in the Spoleto social scene and was known to be a ladies man (https://epicpew.com/you-probably-dont-know-st-gabriel-possenti-but-you-should/). In fact, on the night he left to join the Passionist Order, there remained hopes that he might become engaged to a young lady named Maria Panachetti. Maria was in love with Saint Gabriel (she would subsequently attend his beatification and his canonization at Vatican City). Saint Gabriel was known to be a good student and was educated in the city's college by the Christian Brothers and then the Jesuits. In fact, prior to joining the Passionists, Saint Gabriel wanted to be a Jesuit (https://epicpew.com/you-probably-dont-know-st-gabriel-possenti-but-you-should/). He was known to be particularly good with Latin, a subject in which he excelled. In 1851, Saint Gabriel became very ill. He promised that he would enter religious life if he recovered. And recover he did. But his promise to enter religious life was soon forgotten and he did not then enter religious life. Between 1848 and 1853, Saint Gabriel lost three of his siblings: Paul (in 1848 due to an unknown cause), Lawrence to suicide in 1851, and Mary Louisa (who raised him after the death of their mother) due to cholera in 1853. Saint Gabriel fell ill again in 1853, this time with a throat abscess. He made the same promise to God to enter into religious life if he was cured. While he was cured and applied to join the Jesuits, nothing happened with it. We do not know why. After the end of the cholera epidemic, Spoleto priests and clergy organized a procession with an ancient icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Saint Gabriel attended this procession. As the icon of the Blessed Virgin passed him, Saint Gabriel heard a clear voice that asked him why he remained in the world despite his promises to God to enter into religious life (https://epicpew.com/you-probably-dont-know-st-gabriel-possenti-but-you-should/). At this point, Saint Gabriel wasted no time in speaking to a priest about what he had heard. On the advice off the priest, Saint Gabriel entered the Passionist Order. Since the Passionists had no house in or near Spoletto, this decision was likely based on the priest's particular devotion to the Passion of Jesus. Again, wasting no time, Saint Gabriel, accompanied by his brother Aloysius (a friar of the Dominican Order), set out for Morrovalle and the nearest Passionist house. In the meantime, their father, Sante, had contacted relatives between Spoleto and Morrovalle to help dissuade Saint Gabriel from entering the religious life. Aloysius and Saint Gabriel stayed with many of them along the way. However, their efforts were of no avail and Saint Gabriel proceeded on his journey to the Passionist house in Morrovalle. Two days later, Saint Gabriel received the habit of the Passionists and entered the Order and received his name, Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows. After a year, he made his permanent vows. From this point, his life was under the direction of his spiritual director, Father Norbert of Holy Mary (who would also be his biographer). In 1858, Gabriel and other seminarians moved to Pietvetorina to begin their priestly studies. However, due to local protests and violence, the group of students moved to the monastery at Isola del Gran Sasso, which was located in the province of Terano. Saint Gabriel continued his ways as an excellent student. While Latin remained his strong suit, his spiritual journey accelerated at a rapid pace. It was during this time that Saint Gabriel started to display symptoms of tuberculosis. Saint Gabriel would die of tuberculosis on February 27, 1862. As he lay in his deathbed, he asked that all of his writings, save for his letters, be destroyed so that he would not suffer the sin of pride after his death (https://epicpew.com/you-probably-dont-know-st-gabriel-possenti-but-you-should/). He died surrounded by the whole of the monastery at Isola del Gran Sasso holding an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary. One of his first cures was that of St. Gemma Galgani(feast day April 11) (https://epicpew.com/you-probably-dont-know-st-gabriel-possenti-but-you-should/). Though St. Therese (feast day October 1), was born after the death of Saint Gabriel and his writings were destroyed, he is considered a forefather off her "Little Way" (https://epicpew.com/you-probably-dont-know-st-gabriel-possenti-but-you-should/). Saint Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows was beatified by Pope Pope Saint Pius X (feast day August 21) on May 31, 1908 at St. Peter's Square. He was canonized by Pope Benedict on May 13, 1920. He is the patron saint of youth and of those studying for the priesthood. In addition to the regular sources, information for post was found at wikipedia.com and https://epicpew.com/you-probably-dont-know-st-gabriel-possenti-but-you-should/ as well as https://epicpew.com/these-7-sets-of-saints-were-great-pals/. _______________________________________________________________________________ Please join me at 3:30 pm Eastern (US) time for the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Saint of the Day and Daily Update. Please visit our friends, Tony and Paulette Rock at the Rock Company Shop. Websites I regularly mention in my broadcast include: Morning Offering (www.mortningoffering.com) and Catholic Online (www.catholic.org). Franciscan Media (Franciscanmedia.org) is another site that I peruse regularly.

Saint Porphry lived in the fourth and fifth centuries and did his most important work in Gaza. As we all know, there is much fighting going on in Gaza these days. Saint Porphry, pray for all involved! Saint Porphry was a bishop who proselytized the pagans of the Gaza region. He is not listed on the martyrology of the Roman Catholic Church. Image obtained from https://orthognosia.blogspot.com/2014/12/st-porphyrios-pious-chanter-radiates.html and used as being in the public domain Saint Porphry was born around 347 in Thessalonika, Macedonia, which is in modern-day Greece. He was born of a wealthy Greek family. Despite this, he left to become a hermit in the desert of Egypt around the age of 25. He subsequently lived on the banks of the Jordan River and, eventually, in the Jerusalem area. While in Jerusalem, Saint Porphry fell ill. He was inspired to sell all of his inheritance, giving the money to the poor, with the help of his friend, Mark, who would become his deacon and biographer. Almost immediately, Saint Porphry returned to health. He spent a good bit of his time there traveling to the various important sites in the life and passion o Jesus and engaging in great penances there. While in Jerusalem, he even worked, for a time, as a humble cobbler (shoemaker) and was ordained a priest at Jerusalem in 393, at the age of 46. Saint Porphry did neither sought, nor did he desire, to be made Bishop of Gaza. Against his will, the position was thrust upon him. At the time, Gaza was very pagan, and the pagans created a threat to Saint Porphry. He appealed to civic leaders of the time, including the emperor, Constantine (the first openly Christian Emperor of tRome - after which it was called the Holy Roman Empire), for protection, which was, by all appearances, granted. From Constantrine, he also sought destruction of the pagan temples, which was also done. He built a church on the site of the largest and most important pagan temple that was dedicated too the chief god, that he might celebrate Mass where the enemy was the strongest. The entrance to the Church was adorned with marble from the pagan temple so that those who entered would trample on the pagan religion and their chief god and there sin if idolatry (source: https://stgg.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-porphyry-of-gaza/). One must remember that Constantine's mother, Saint Helena (feast day August 18), found the True Cross - the cross on which Jesus of Nazareth the Son of God, was crucified. While pagan opposition to his work lasted in Gaza throughout his lifetime, Porphry labored tirelessly for his diocese. Through his many miracles, he obtained many conversions to the Christian faith (remember that this was before the schisms of the sixteenth and later centuries, so there was no "Catholic" church, only Christianity and The Church). In 415, Porphry participated in the Council of Diospolis, which was convened by Patriarch John II of Jerusalem. This council dealt with Pelagius, who had fled to the region of Palestine after his big fight with Saint Augustine of Hippo ((feast day August 28) over issues including original sin and divine grace. At this council, Pelagius would reject these heresies and come back into communion with Rome. Saint Porphry died at Gaza on February 26, 420. He was declared a saint pre-Congregation for the Causes of the Saints. He is the patron saint of Gaza. _______________________________________________________________________________ Please join me at 3:30 pm Eastern (US) time for the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Saint of the Day and Daily Update. Please visit our friends, Tony and Paulette Rock at the Rock Company Shop. Websites I regularly mention in my broadcast include: Morning Offering (www.mortningoffering.com) and Catholic Online (www.catholic.org). Franciscan Media (Franciscanmedia.org) is another site that I peruse regularly.

You may recall some time ago, I talked about families that were all declared as saints. Saint Walburga comes from one of those families. Her uncle is Saint Boniface of Mainz, the Apostle to Germany (and my Confirmation Saint because of my German heritage). Her father is Saint Richard the Pilgram. Her mother is Saint Wuna. Her brothers are Saint Winebald and Saint Willibald. Saint Walburga was born around the year 710. She was an evangelist, an abbess and a virgin. Image located at https://stemmanuns.blogspot.com/2013/02/st-walburga-feast-day.html and used as being in the public domain. Saint Walburga was born at what is now Devonshire, England. Her father was a minor Saxon King (chieftain). Little is known of her mother, save that she was a sister to Saint Boniface. Saint Walburga was about 11 when her father and brothers left for a pilgrimage to Rome and the Holy Land. Saint Walburga was left at Wimborne Monastery near Dorset, England, a monastery that was known for education and holiness. Her father never returned, dying at Lucca, Italy. Saint Walburga became a Benedictine nun. All tolled, she lived for 26 years at the convent until her uncle, Saint Boniface, called her to Germany to help him evangelize in the country in 747. She was roughly 37 at the time. Her brothers were also worked to evangelize and establish the faith in Germany. Winebalfd served as an abbot of a double monastery he founded there while Willebald served as Bishop of Eichstätt. Because ?Saint Walburga was so well-educated, she was able to write about the travels of her brother, Winebald, in the Holy Land. Thus, she was the first female author of both the Saxons and of Germany. In her life, Saint Walburga was known as a healer and a miracle worker. She is thjuisly known as b both in . Her relics exude a type of oil. Many healings have been attributed to this oil. Saint Walburga died either on. February 25, 777 out February 25, 779 (the records are not clear). She was first buried at Heidenheim. Her relics were later translated to Eichstätt and placed next to those of her brother, Saint Winebald at Holy Cross Church in Eichstätt. Her relics may have been transferred on May 1 of some year because April 30 is celebrated as "Saint Walburga's Eve" and is a special day in Germany and in England and many other places around Europe. ________________________________________________________________________________ Please join me at 3:30 pm Eastern (US) time for the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Saint of the Day and Daily Update. Please visit our friends, Tony and Paulette Rock at the Rock Company Shop. Websites I regularly mention in my broadcast include: Morning Offering (www.mortningoffering.com) and Catholic Online (www.catholic.org). Franciscan Media (Franciscanmedia.org) is another site that I peruse regularly.

TODAY'S CATECHISM . WE BEGIN OUR CATECHISM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, AMEN TOPIC: STATIONS OF THE CROSS( Ways of the Cross) => INTRODUCTION/DEFINITIONS => BRIEF HISTORY => STATIONS OF THE CROSS => SIGNIFICANCE OF STATIONS OF THE CROSS => CONCLUSION => REFERENCE INTRODUCTION/DEFINITIONS The Stations of the Cross are a 14-step Catholic devotion that commemorates Jesus Christ's last day on Earth as a man. The 14 devotions, or stations, focus on specific events of His last day, beginning with His condemnation. The stations are commonly used as a mini pilgrimage as the individual moves from station to station. At each station, the individual recalls and meditates on a specific event from Christ's last day. Specific prayers are recited, then the individual moves to the next station until all 14 are complete. The Stations of the Cross are commonly found in churches as a series of 14 small icons or images. They can also appear in church yards arranged along paths. The stations are most commonly prayed or observed during Lent on Wednesdays and Fridays, and especially on Good Friday, the day of the year upon which the events actually occurred. BRIEF HISTORY The devotional exercise of visiting and praying in front of each of the 14 stations and meditating on the Passion of Christ stems from the practice of early Christian pilgrims who visited the scenes of the events in Jerusalem and walked the traditional route from the supposed location of Pilate’s house to Calvary. Tradition holds that Mary, the mother of Jesus, set up stone markers at her home outside Jerusalem to prayerfully retrace the steps of her son’s Passion. The number of stations originally observed in Jerusalem was considerably smaller than 14. In the early 16th century, Ways of the Cross were established in Europe, and the tradition of 14 stations probably derived from the best known of them, that at Leuven in 1505. The Franciscans long popularized the practice, and in the 18th century they bowed to Western Christian devotional feeling and provided 14 stations in Jerusalem. The traditional stations have been recently supplemented with the Via Lucis (the Way of Light), in which the meditations focus on the resurrected Christ. In monasteries they are often placed in the cloisters. The erection and use of the Stations did not become at all general before the end of the seventeenth century, but they are now to be found in almost every church. Formerly their number varied considerably in different places but fourteen are now prescribed by authority. They are as follows: STATIONS OF THE CROSS First Station JESUS IS CONDEMNED TO DEATH Second Station JESUS RECEIVES THE CROSS Third Station JESUS FALLS THE FIRST TIME UNDER HIS CROSS Fourth Station JESUS IS MET BY HIS BLESSED MOTHER Fifth Station THE CROSS IS LAID UPON SIMON OF CYRENE Sixth Station VERONICA WIPES THE FACE OF JESUS Seventh Station JESUS FALLS THE SECOND TIME Eight Station THE WOMEN OF JERUSALEM MOURN FOR OUR LORD Ninth Station JESUS FALLS FOR THE THIRD TIME Tenth Station JESUS IS STRIPPED OF HIS GARMENTS Eleventh Station JESUS IS NAILED TO THE CROSS Twelfth Station JESUS DIES ON THE CROSS Thirteenth Station JESUS IS TAKEN DOWN FROM THE CROSS Fourteenth Station JESUS IS PLACED IN THE SEPULCHRE The object of the Stations is to help the faithful to make in spirit, as it were, a pilgrimage to the chief scenes of Christ's sufferings and death, and this has become one of the most popular of Catholic devotions. It is carried out by passing from Station to Station, with certain prayers at each and devout meditation on the various incidents in turn. It is very usual, when the devotion is performed publicly, to sing a stanza of the "Stabat Mater" while passing from one Station to the next. SIGNIFICANCE OF STATIONS OF THE CROSS After the Passion and Death of Jesus Christ which was of course crowned with His Resurrection, the experience of this passion which has transformed into the Stations of the Cross has undergone different developments from pilgrimages to the Holy Land to reliving and re-witnessing Christ’s Passion and Death in hearts and minds of many Christians as well as in the communities of Christ’s faithful. The Stations of the Cross helps Christians to discover and appreciate more and more the meaning of the suffering and death of Jesus Christ, and to unite their own earthly suffering with His; like St Paul puts it, “I want to know Christ--yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death” (Phil. 3:10). The benefits of the Stations of the Cross therefore are: + Uniting one’s suffering and pain with the Suffering of Christ (cf. Rom 8:17; 2Cor 1:5) + Healing for by His wounds we are healed (cf. 1Pet 2:24; Is 53:5) + Penance through the shedding of His blood (cf. Heb 9:22; Eph 1:7) + A plenary indulgence is received. What is plenary indulgence? It Is a remission for the entire temporary punishment of a sin. “If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.” (1Pet 4:15-16) For one to be granted plenary indulgence, the faithful will personally make a pious way of the Cross, be detached from sin and be in a state of grace. CONCLUSION The most important thing to remember is that the observance of the Stations of the Cross can be as personal as you like it to be. One of our common religious struggles is to realize that we are not alone. The Good News is that Jesus entered into our life's experience completely through his suffering and death and he fell into the hands of a Loving God, who raised him from death to life. We have hope that suffering and death have no hold on us. We will all share eternal life with Jesus, if we can fall into the hands of the same Loving God. And, along the way, we are not alone, Jesus is with us. Jesus suffered, died and resurrected. Through the faithful observance of Jesus' passion we can also share in the salvation he promised. So try the stations, and experience the consolation they offer. And return often, to be renewed in this intimate experience of Jesus' solidarity with all humanity in our way of the cross each day. REFERENCE => The Holy Bible => Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) => https://www.britannica.com => http://www.ststepheniwaya.org => https://onlineministries.creighton.edu We have come to a conclusion on the topic STATIONS OF THE CROSS( Ways of the Cross) Thanks for your participation, support and contributions. May the God in his infinite mercy continue to be bless and grant you more understanding of his words; in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen PLEASE WE ARE ENCOURAGE TO CONTRIBUTE AND ASK QUESTIONS IN REGARDS TO THIS GREAT TOPIC.

St. Margaret of Cortona was born around the year 1247. She died on February 22, 1297. She was canonized on May 16, 1728 by Pope Benedict XIII at Vatican City. Image retrieved from https://www.medievalhistories.com/margaret-of-cortona-and-her-legenda/ and used as being in the public domain. Saint Margaret was born around 1247 in Laviano in Tuscany located within the Diocese of Chiusi. Her parents were farmers. When Margaret was about 7, her mother died. Many saints lost one or both parents at a young age. Sadly, Margaret was raised by a stepmother who would give Cinderella's evil stepmother a run for her money. At the age of 17, Margaret met a young man. According too some accounts, this young man was the son of Gugliemo di Pecora, Lord of Valiano. She eloped with this young man and soon found herself bearing a child out of wedlock. Her lover went on a trip, and when he failed to return on time, Margaret became worried. This worry grew when his favorite hound returned unaccompanied. The hound led her to her lover. The horrible murder scene she found was so shocking that she was shocked into a life of penance and prayer. After returning to his family all of the gifts he had given her and leaving his house, Saint Margaret went to the home of her father. Her father, because of her stepmother, rejected her. After being rejected by her own father, Margaret and her son went to the Franciscan Friars at Cortona. She was taken in there and entered into her life of prayer and penance. She avoided all meat and subsisted on bread and vegetables alone, save for the Sacred Body of Our Lord Jesus Christ, which is flesh and blood. In many of the Eucharistic miracles, there is flesh and the flesh is always heart tissue and the blood type is always AB-. After 3 years of probation, in 1277, Margaret was allowed to join the third order of the Franciscans. In true following of St. Francis of Assisi, she chose to live in poverty and beg for bread and alms. While living a life of prayer and penance at Cortona, Saint Margaret was able to open a hospital for the poor, the homeless and for the sick. While in prayer on more than one occasion, Saint Margaret heard Jesus ask her "What is your wish, poverella?" ("little poor one?"), and she replied, "I neither seek nor wish for anything but You, my Lord Jesus." She was believed to be in direct contact with Jesus due to her frequent ecstasies. During her life, she also established an order dedicated to Our Lady of Mercy. The purpose of the order was the care of the sick, the needy, the homeless and the poor. The order is called the Poverelles (the "Poor Ones"). In her later years, Saint Margaret moved to the ruins of the church of Saint Basil of Caesarea. The church was eventually rebuilt and renamed Sancta Margherita. It is located in Cortona. When her remains were exposed, she was found to be incorrupt even 400 years after her death. Her remains now repose in a silver casket inside the church. The image below is called "The Story of Margaret of Cortona". It was painted by an unknown Italian master. Image retrieved from https://www.medievalhistories.com/margaret-of-cortona-and-her-legenda/ and used as being in the public domain. ________________________________________________________________________________ Please join me at 3:30 pm Eastern (US) time for the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Saint of the Day and Daily Update. Please visit our friends, Tony and Paulette Rock at the Rock Company Shop. Websites I regularly mention in my broadcast include: Morning Offering (www.mortningoffering.com) and Catholic Online (www.catholic.org). Franciscan Media (Franciscanmedia.org) is another site that I peruse regularly.

Saint Peter Damian was an eleventh century Benedictine priest. He was a big proponent of celibacy among those consecrated to religious life including . He believed that ordered religious should live a life away from the secular world in monasteries and convents, while diocesan religious should live in the secular world. He was born around 1007 and died on either February 21 or 22 in either 1072 or 1073. He was canonized pre-congregation by popular acclaim. He was declared to be a Doctor of the Church on September 27, 1828 by Pope Leo XII. Prior to 1970, his feast was celebrated on February 23. Image retrieved from https://soul-candy.info/2012/02/feb-21-st-peter-damian-osb-1007-1072-doctor-of-the-church-great-catholic-reformer/ and used as being in the public domain. No rights to this picture are claimed He was born at Ravenna, the Papal Sates (in what is current-day Italy) around 1007. He was orphaned at an early age and placed in the care of a religious brother who treated him more as a slave than a member of the household. As soon as he was old enough, he was sent to tend the swine. That's when he caught the eye of another religious brother. This other religious brother took young Peter in. He ensured that young Peter had a good education. Young Peter took this brother's surname - Damian - as his own. He was, after his education, found to be a particularly amazing professor. Despite all of this success, Peter wore hair shirts and practiced great penances. Peter often gave out alms. Likewise, it was not uncommon for Peter to entertain poor people at his dinner table. At some point, Peter decided to join a religious order and leave the secular world behind. After a chance meeting with two Benedictines and hearing about the Rule of Saint Benedict, Peter chose to join the Benedictines. Peter was chosen by the monks of his monastery to take over the governance of the monastery in the event that something happened to the Abbott. Peter was extremely reluctant to do so and, accordingly, the Abbott made it a matter of obedience with Peter. When the Abbott died in 1043, Peter became the Abbott. In 1057, Stephen IX made Peter the Cardinal-bishop of Ostia. He constantly asked Nicholas II to relieve him of the post and allow him to return to his desert hermitage. This pope always refused. His successor, Alexander II, allowed him to resign his post with great reluctance. However, Alexander II reserved the right to utilize Peter when he needed someone to take up against issues within the Church. ________________________________________________________________________________ Please join me at 3:30 pm Eastern (US) time for the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Saint of the Day and Daily Update. Please visit our friends, Tony and Paulette Rock at the Rock Company Shop. Websites I regularly mention in my broadcast include: Morning Offering (www.mortningoffering.com) and Catholic Online (www.catholic.org). Franciscan Media (Franciscanmedia.org) is another site that I peruse regularly.

Aletheia Ministries is an evangelical ministry based in Kentucky. Their founder Troy Goldsmith has agreed to debate John Benko, founder of The Four Persons, twice. The first debate can be seen here live on Friday, March 8th at 8:00 PM Eastern time. The first debate will be on the foundational protestant doctrine of Sola Scriptura (Latin for Scripture Alone). The Question: Classically defined, Sola Scriptura posits that Scripture is the sole (only) infallible authority for Christian faith and practice. The question at hand is whether or not this doctrine is true. Mr. Goldsmith will argue for the affirmative, John Benko will rebut. This is not a debate about whether or not the Scriptures are inspired or inerrant because they obviously are. The argument is about sufficiency. Mr. Goldsmith will argue that Scripture is both materially and practically (formally) sufficient to offer the Christian everything he/she needs to be saved and be a complete believer. The debate format will be as follows: 1. Brief Introduction of the moderator and the participants and the statement of the question. 2. Mr Goldsmith will give an opening statement of up to 10 minutes in affirmation of the question. 3. 5 minute break. 4. John Benko will rebut, up to 5 minutes. 5. John Benko will give his 10 minute open, opposing the question. 6. 5 minute break. 7. Mr. Goldsmith will rebut, up to 5 minutes. 8. The moderator will time and moderate 2- 6 minute cross examinations, starting with Mr. Goldsmith. 9. Closing statements- 5 minutes each. 10. Audience questions if applicable.

TODAY'S CATECHISM . WE BEGIN OUR CATECHISM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, AMEN TOPIC: LENTEN SEASON => INTRODUCTION/DEFINITIONS => BRIEF HISTORY => LENTEN SEASON => ASH WEDNESDAY => THREE PILLARS OF LENT => CONCLUSION => REFERENCE INTRODUCTION/DEFINITIONS Lent is the period of 40 days which comes before Easter in the Christian calendar. Beginning on Ash Wednesday, Lent is a season of reflection and preparation before the celebrations of Easter. By observing the 40 days of Lent, Christians replicate Jesus Christ's sacrifice and withdrawal into the desert for 40 days. Lent is marked by fasting, both from food and festivities. Lent is the time of spiritual preparation prior to the Easter season, just as Advent is for Christmas. Whereas Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus after his death on the cross, Lent recalls the events leading up to and including Jesus' crucifixion by Rome. This is believed to have taken place in Roman occupied Jerusalem. BRIEF HISTORY Christians honor the 40 days and nights following Christ’s baptism when He went into the wilderness without water and food and was tempted by Satan. During that time, Christ did what we do today when we fast: wrestle with temptation. A period of preparation and fasting likely has been observed before the Easter festival since apostolic times, though the practice was not formalized until the First Council of Nicaea in 325 CE. It was a time of preparation of candidates for baptism and a time of penance for sinners. In the early centuries fasting rules were strict, as they still are in Eastern churches. One meal a day was allowed in the evening, and meat, fish, eggs, and butter were forbidden. The Eastern church also restricts the use of wine, oil, and dairy products. In the West these fasting rules have gradually been relaxed. The strict law of fasting among Roman Catholics was dispensed with during World War II, and only Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are now kept as Lenten fast days. However, the emphasis on penitential practice and almsgiving remains, and many Catholics also observe a meatless fast on Fridays during Lent. In addition, Catholics and other Christians often choose to give up specific pleasures, such as sweets, alcohol, or social media, during Lent as a way to foster simplicity and self-control; many use their cravings or desires for these items as a reminder to pray and to refocus on spiritual matters. LENTEN SEASON Lent is the time of spiritual preparation prior to the Easter season, just as Advent is for Christmas. Jesus taught us clearly that there is no resurrection without the Cross, and Lent is the Church's great spiritual journey as she, the Bride of Christ, joins her Divine spouse in His great suffering on our behalf. The name LENT comes from the “Old English lencten springtime, spring” and “from West Germanic langitinaz long-days or lengthening of the day that's when the days begin to get longer” Basically, you don't get the joy of Easter without the self-sacrifice of Lent; the disciples of Jesus follow in his footsteps . . . including the bloody ones. Here's a rundown of everything major you need to know about the Lenten season, the 40+ days of penance to prepare our hearts Easter, the greatest of all Christian feasts. Both the eastern and western churches observe Lent but they count the 40 days differently. The western church excludes Sundays (which is celebrated as the day of Christ's resurrection) whereas the eastern church includes them. The churches also start Lent on different days. Western churches start Lent on the 7th Wednesday before Easter Day (called Ash Wednesday). Eastern churches start Lent on the Monday of the 7th week before Easter and end it on the Friday 9 days before Easter. Eastern churches call this period the 'Great Lent'. ASH WEDNESDAY Ash Wednesday is one of the most popular and important holy days in the liturgical calendar. Ash Wednesday opens Lent, a season of fasting and prayer. In the early Christian church, the length of the Lenten celebration varied, but eventually it began 6 weeks (42 days) before Easter. This provided only 36 days of fasting (excluding Sundays). In the 7th century, 4 days were added before the first Sunday in Lent in order to establish 40 fasting days, in imitation of Jesus Christ’s fast in the desert. Ash Wednesday occurs a day after Shrove Tuesday, otherwise known as Pancake Day. On Pancake Day, as the name suggests, it's customary to eat pancakes and other rich foods in preparation for Lent Ashes on forehandAsh Wednesday takes place 46 days before Easter Sunday THREE PILLARS OF LENT PRAYER- Prayer accompanies fasting as a historic tradition of Lent. We should pray to improve our communion with God and strengthen our spiritual discipline during the preparation of Easter Sunday. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." ~ Philippians 4:6 "Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." ~ Matthew 26:41 FASTING - Fasting is a well-known aspect of Lent, inspired by the fast of Jesus spending 40 days in the wilderness. Christians partake in fasting to increase their self-control over worldly desires, such as food. "Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." But he answered, "It is written, "'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" ~ Matthew 4:1-4 ALMS GIVING - Helping others is also a tradition of the Lent season, inspired by the command of Jesus to "love your neighbor as yourself." While we should likewise give to others in love throughout the entire year, an extra emphasis is added during the time of Lent. "Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God." ~ Hebrews 13:16 "Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." ~ Philippians 2:4 CONCLUSION Lent is meant to be a time of repentance. That’s not a feeling of shame, but an awareness that sin separates us from God and of what it cost Him to be reunited with us. “Shame has its place, but feeling shame over sin is not the same thing as repentance from sin” because “our tempter can take our obedience to God and turn it into a source of pride.” "Each year, Lent offers us a providential opportunity to deepen the meaning and value of our Christian lives, and it stimulates us to rediscover the mercy of God so that we, in turn, become more merciful toward our brothers and sisters. In the Lenten period, the Church makes it her duty to propose some specific tasks that accompany the faithful concretely in this process of interior renewal: these are prayer, fasting and almsgiving." —Pope Benedict XVI REFERENCE => The Holy Bible => Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) => https://www.britannica.com => https://www.usccb.org => https://www.christianity.com We have come to a conclusion on the topic LENTEN SEASON Thanks for your participation, support and contributions. May the God in his infinite mercy continue to be bless and grant you more understanding of his words; in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen PLEASE WE ARE ENCOURAGE TO CONTRIBUTE AND ASK QUESTIONS IN REGARDS TO THIS GREAT TOPIC.

If my writing is a little off, understand that this would be my wedding anniversary. I was, apparently, in such a state of shock, that it didn't impact me so much last year. This year, it has been very hard. Today is the feast of Saint Valentine, which lived somewhere around the year 270. He was martyred by Emperor Claudius II. Image retrieved from https://greekreporter.com/2024/02/14/valentines-day-greek-saint-valentine/ and used as being in there public domain. We don't know much about his life with any certainty, so everything we know about him is either extrapolated from other sources or passed down as verbal tradition. What we do know was that he was a priest who loved in Rome during the reign of Claudius II. Seeing that many men were choosing not to join his army, he decided that it must be because of marriage and he outlawed . Saint Valentine would clandestinely perform marriage ceremonies. Saint Valentine was arrested to performing marriage ceremonies in secret and thrown into prison. While in jail, his jailer's daughter went blind. Saint Valentine restored her sight. The jailer and his entire household, a total of 46 people, were converted to - remember, we were not called Catholic until the reformation - and that infuriated Claudius because Christianity was outlawed at that time. Claudius ordered the execution of Saint Valentine. Saint Valentine was beheaded on February 14. He left a farewell note for the jailer's daughter which he signed "From Your Valentine". St. Valentine is the Patron Saint of affianced couples, bee keepers, engaged couples, epilepsy, fainting, greetings, happy marriages, love, lovers, plague, travelers, and young people. ________________________________________________________________________________ Please join me at 3:30 pm Eastern (US) time for the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Saint of the Day and Daily Update. Please visit our friends, Tony and Paulette Rock at the Rock Company Shop. Websites I regularly mention in my broadcast include: Morning Offering (www.mortningoffering.com) and Catholic Online (www.catholic.org). Franciscan Media (Franciscanmedia.org) is another site that I peruse regularly.

Saint Catherine de Ricci was born with the birth name os Allesandra de Ricci in Florence, Italy to a wealthy merchant family in 1522. Image of St. Catherine de Rice's remains from https://alchetron.com/Catherine-of-Ricci Like so many saints, she lost a parent at a young age and was raised by a single parent. The Blessed Virgin Mary became Alexandra's mother. She was sent to live at the convent of Montivcelli, located in Florence. Her aunt, Louisa de Ricci, was a nun. She spent many years in the convent. She came out of the convent at an early age, only to join the Dominic a convent at Prat, located in Tuscany. It was there that she took the name Catherine. She was around 14 when she joined the convent. While still very young, she became thew Novice Mistress. At a still-tender age,, she became sub-prioress of her convent. She became Perpetual Prioress a Shortt time later at there age pot 25. Her reputation for sanctity led many to visit her. These included three future popes: Cervini (the future Pope Marcella's II), Alexander de Medicis (Clement VIII), and Aldo Brandini (Leo XI). She also regularly corresponded with Saint Philip Neri. Interestingly, she would appear to him in Rome while she was still living and in Tuscany. She was widely known for her "ecstasy of the Passion", which she experience from either noon or 4:00 p.m. (depending on the source) every Thursday until 3:00 p.m. every Friday. Saint Catherine was known fr at least four (4) miracles, two physical and two spiritual. In the first physical mystery, the nuns at the monastery where she lived (San Vincenzio - Saint Vincent Ferrer) discovered that their grain had gone bad. Grain was very important for making food, so it was vital. Saint Catherine prayed and then entered the granary where the spoiled grain was stored and walked barefoot across the spoiled grain. Miraculously, the grain was restored and the nuns could eat foods made from it. The second physical miracle performed by Saint Catherine, there convent had caught fire. Catherine prayed and made the sign of the cross over the fire and the fire miraculously went out. From https://www.lettersfromthesaints.com/blog/st-catherine-de-ricci-four-miracles: Apparently, the daughter of one of the prominent families near Catherine's convent allowed herself to be overcome by evil. The young woman than feigned a desire for holiness and requested entry into Catherine's convent of San Vincenzio. The young woman was accepted, and she began to live a life of apparent holiness based on her asceticism and patient acceptance of the suffering she experienced due to several severe illnesses. In addition, the young woman would remain in her cell from Thursday midday through late afternoon on Friday. This behavior gave the appearance that she was experiencing a similar mystical experience of the Lord's passion. All of her behavior gave rise to many of the sisters believing in the deep holiness of this young woman. However, doubts began to arise among some others including the priest confessor because the young woman never revealed anything of her interior life to him and neither did she request advice or spiritual direction. Some of the older sisters also expressed doubts because of the reserve which the young woman kept. Catherine, herself, eventually realized that all of this was a ruse, and she joined with several other sisters in praying for the defeat of the enemy. At this point in time, the young woman under such strong possession listened to the voices of evil and tread upon the crucifix in her cell and she soon stood on the brink of hell with her denouncing of Christ. Warned by her guardian angel, Catherine went to the young woman's cell and entered into it despite the great evil present. Catherine remained with the young woman and through her prayer and sacrifice was able to convince her of the great mercy of the Lord who alone could save her. The young woman then requested to make a general confession which she did. Through her deep repentance she turned completely from the evil that had threatened her eternal state. Several days later, she died in peace having received the mercy of the Lord and in full reconciliation with God as was revealed to Catherine.. The fourth miracle is also a spiritual miracle. In September of the same year as these other miracles, a young thief was sentenced to be executed for his crimes. This was an unexpected turn of events for the man who had only expected to serve time in prison. As a result of his impending death, he became inconsolable and hardened. During those days, there were groups called the Brothers of Good Death who sought to minister to men sentenced to die in order to help them prepare for a holy death through repentance and trust in the mercy of God. With this thief, their efforts proved to be in vain. He had no interest in what they had to say. Thus, the brothers appealed to Catherine to pray for the man which she readily agreed to do and continued for some time. Not many days after she began to pray for him, the man had a genuine conversion. He felt a great remorse for his crimes, repented of them, and began to peacefully prepare for his death. The young man accepted his capital punishment and offered up his suffering and death for reparation for the sins he had committed. The man reasoned that if our innocent Lord was willing to suffer and die, he, who had sinned against God and man, should be willing to accept a just sentence for his sins. On the day of his death, the bells were rung to announce that the sentence had been carried out. Sr. Maddalena Strozzi heard them and encouraged Catherine to pray again for the young man. Catherine's reply was that she indeed had been praying all morning and would continue to do so. Later, Sr. Maddalena asked Catherine if she had hope for his salvation. Catherine replied that she did indeed believe that the man had been saved through God's mercy. St. Catherine died after a long illness in 1589. ________________________________________________________________________________ Please join me at 3:30 pm Eastern (US) time for the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Saint of the Day and Daily Update. Father Stephen Imbarrato will be my guest. Please visit our friends, Tony and Paulette Rock at the Rock Company Shop. Websites I regularly mention in my broadcast include: Morning Offering (www.mortningoffering.com) and Catholic Online (www.catholic.org). Franciscan Media (Franciscanmedia.org) is another site that I peruse regularly.

Saint Julian the Hospitaller was a Fourth Century saint. We are not sure of the exact dates that he lived, but his feast day is celebrated in February 12. Image retrieved from https://saintscatholic.blogspot.com/2018/02/saint-julian-hospitaller.html and used as being in the public . Saint Julian was born to wealthy parents in Europe. As the legend goes, Saint Julian was married to a wealthy and noble widow. Sometime after marrying the widow, he was placed under a curse that he would kill his parents. Accordingly, Saint Julian and his wife moved far away in order that Saint Julian might not kill his parents. However, his parents eventually found them and showed up while Saint Julian was away. His wife gave them her bed. When Saint Julian arrived home in the morning, and seeing a couple in the bed that he believed was his wife and another man, he slayed them on the spot. He did not know that these were his parents. When Saint Julian learned what he had done, he was beyond mortified. He decided to spend the rest of his life in penance for what he had done. As part of their penance, Saint Julian and his wife went on a pilgrimage to Rome where Saint Julian received absolution for killing his parents. Saint Julian and his wife then returned home where they continued to do penance by creating a hospital for the poor, for travelers and for lepers. This hospital was near a river where travelers crossed ion their way to pilgrimages and the Crusades. On one occasion, St. Julian put a leper into his own bed. however, that leper was actually on angel who had come to tell Saint Julian that God had forgiven him and granted him absolution for having killed his parents (Saint Gabriel, God's messenger?). Saint Julian is the patron saint of innkeepers, travelers, boatmen, pilgrims and knights. We celebrate his feast day on February 12 of each year ________________________________________________________________________________ Please join me at 3:30 pm Eastern (US) time for the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Saint of the Day and Daily Update. Please visit our friends, Tony and Paulette Rock at the Rock Company Shop. Websites I regularly mention in my broadcast include: Morning Offering (www.mortningoffering.com) and Catholic Online (www.catholic.org). Franciscan Media (Franciscanmedia.org) is another site that I peruse regularly.