'God is my Creator; my Saviour; my Sanctifier. I belong to God, therefore He is absolute master of my body, my soul, and my actions. He wants me to sacrifice my will to Him at every moment and in everything. In the hands of my superiors, I should be like a dead person, or more accurate like a staff. Never mind if they make mistakes. I know that I will never be wrong if I obey with a spirit of faith.

My crown in Heaven should shine with innocence and its flowers should be radiant as the sun. Sacrifices are the flowers Jesus and Mary chose.

I must be a victim; that is to say, I should live sacrificially every day as Jesus and Mary did.'

St. Bernadette Soubirous

The Angelus

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen.

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.

Hail Mary . . .

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary . . .

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

"Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28)

"Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb"
(Lk 1:42).

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/3679861/posts

Saint of the Day — Saint Stephen of Hungary

Saint Stephen-Confessor, King Of Hungary 975-1038
Saint Stephen-Confessor, King of Hungary 975-1038

Information: St. Stephen of Hungary

Feast Day: August 16

Born: 975, Hungary

Died: August 15, 1038, Esztergom or Székesfehérvár, Kingdom of Hungary

Canonized: August 20, 1083, Esztergom, Hungary by Pope Gregory VII

Major Shrine: Saint Stephen's Basilica in Budapest, Hungary

Patron of: Hungary

Holy Spirit Interactive Kids: A Saint a Day

St. Stephen of Hungary

Feast Day: August 16
Born: 969 :: Died: 1038

St. Stephen was born in Hungary and was named Vaik. His father was the Duke of Hungary. Then at the age of ten when his family and many other rich people became Christians, he was given the name of Stephen.

But, when Stephen himself became king, the people were still quite pagan and did not believe in God. Some people were cruel and fierce. So he decided to make the Christian faith stronger in Hungary and helped build many Churches.

God blessed St. Stephen because of his hard work and people began believing in God. The secret of St. Stephen's amazing success in leading his people to the Christian faith was his devotion to Mary. He placed his whole kingdom under her protection and built a wonderful church in her honor.

Pope Sylvester II sent a beautiful crown to King Stephen. This treasure became known as the crown of St. Stephen. During the Second World War, American soldiers captured the crown but it was later returned to Hungary in 1978.

Stephen was a strong, fearless and just, ruler. But he was also gentle and kind to the poor. He tried to avoid war as much as he could. He loved to give gifts of money to beggars without letting them know who he was.

Once he was giving these gifts in disguise when a crowd of rough beggars knocked him down and hit him. They pulled his hair and beard, and stole his money pouch.

They did not know that they were bullying their king. And they never found out from him. He took the insult quietly and humbly.

Instead he prayed to Mother Mary: "Queen of heaven, see how your people have treated me whom you made king. If they were your enemies, I would have punished them. But since they are your Son's people, I will suffer this joyfully and say thank you for it."

In fact, King Stephen made a promise then and there to give more than ever to beggars.

Stephen was king of Hungary for forty-two years and his people loved him. He died on August 15, 1038. He is the patron saint of Hungary.

CATHOLIC ALMANAC

Thursday, August 16

Liturgical Color: Green

Today is the optional memorial of St.
Stephen of Hungary. He converted as
a child with his father. After becoming
king, Stephen toiled to convert his
whole country. During his reign, he
established hospices and a
monastery, before dying in 1038.

Catholic Culture

Ordinary Time: August 16th

Optional Memorial of St. Stephen of Hungary

MASS READINGS

August 16, 2018 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

Grant your Church, we pray, almighty God, that she may have Saint Stephen of Hungary, who fostered her growth while a king on earth, as her glorious defender in heaven. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Almighty ever-living God, whom, taught by the Holy Spirit, we dare to call our Father, bring, we pray, to perfection in our hearts the spirit of adoption as your sons and daughters, that we may merit to enter into the inheritance which you have promised. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

show

Recipes (8)

show

Activities (3)

show

Prayers (1)

The Immaculate Heart

show

Library (3)

» Enjoy our Liturgical Seasons series of e-books!

Old Calendar: St. Joachim, Father of the Blessed Virgin Mary, confessor; St. Roch

Vaik, son of Geza, Duke of Hungary, was baptized about 985 by St. Adalbert of Prague who gave him the name of Stephen. He was chosen by God to bring his people to the Christian faith. With the assistance of monks from Burgundy, he established bishoprics, founded several monasteries and re-organized the whole life of the country. Pope Silvester II offered him the privilege of being crowned king and the ceremony took place on December 25, 1000. His great zeal for the spread of the Catholic faith earned him the title of apostolic king and apostle of Hungary. He died on August 15, 1038, the feast of the Assumption of our Lady, to whom he had consecrated his kingdom.

Before the reform of the General Roman Calendar today was the feast of St. Joachim, now celebrated July 26. St. Stephen's feast was September 2. St. Roch, who is in the Roman Martyrology, was from France, near Montpellier. By the sign of the cross he delivered many cities of Italy from an epidemic. His body was afterwards transferred to Venice, deposited with great honors in the church dedicated under his invocation.

St. Stephen
St. Stephen was the first Christian king of Hungary. He was born in 975 at Gran, the son of Prince Geisa, and was baptized in 985 by St. Adalbert. While courting Gisela, the sister of Emperor St. Henry II, he was promised her hand in marriage provided that he remain firm in the Christian faith and lead the pagan Hungarians to Christianity. He kept his word though it cost him dearly. From the hands of Pope Sylvester II (999-1003) he received the royal crown and was solemnly enthroned at Gran on the feast of Mary's Assumption, 1001. (The alleged bull of Pope Sylvester granting to Stephen and his successors the privilege of having the cross carried before them, like metropolitans, is now regarded as a seventeenth-century forgery.)

Stephen was one of the wisest princes of his time. His royal generosity is shown in the establishment of the archbishopric of Gran and ten Hungarian bishoprics, and in his love toward the poor. Because he visited them in their houses and washed their feet, his right hand has remained incorrupt. Great was his zeal in prayer and meditation. From his marriage came a saintly son, the devout Emeric, an angel of purity, who died seven years before his father. By prayer and fasting Stephen sought the conversion of all Hungary; rightfully is he called the apostle of his nation. He chose the Mother of God as the patroness of Hungary.

Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch

Patron: Bricklayers; death of children; Hungary; kings; masons; stone masons; stonecutters.

Symbols: Cross and sword; model of a church.

Things to Do:

A saint upon the throne, who besides being king was the apostle and father of his people! Reflect his spirit in your own family and toward your associates.
Read more the history of Hungary. This site contains a wealth of information about the Hungarian Holy Crown, the Hand of St. Stephen and other information (Scroll down the page since the links don't work). You can also visit this site for a virtual tour of Hungary.

St. Roch or Rocco
Untrustworthy sources say he was probably born at Montpellier, France, son of the governor there. He was orphaned when he was twenty. He went on pilgrimage to Rome and devoted himself to caring for the victims of a plague that was ravaging Italy. He became a victim himself at Piacenza but recovered and was reputed to have performed many miracles of healing. On his return to Montpellier, he was imprisoned for five years as a spy in pilgrim's disguise when his uncle, who was governor, ordered him imprisoned. (His uncle failed to recognize him, and Roch failed to identify himself.) Roch died in prison and was only then identified as the former governor's son by a birthmark in the form of a cross on his chest. Another biographer says that he was arrested as a spy at Angers, Lombardy, and died in prison there. When miracles were reported at his intercession after his death, a popular cult developed, and he is invoked against pestilence and plague. He is known as Rocco in Italy and Roque in Spain.

Excerpted from the Dictionary of Saints, John J. Delaney

Patron: bachelors; cholera; diseased cattle; dogs; epidemics; falsely accused people; invalids; knee problems; plague; relief from pestilence; skin diseases; skin rashes; surgeons; tile makers; Barano, Italy; Castropignano, Italy; Constantinople; Istanbul; Orsogna, Italy; Patricia, Italy.

Symbols: Pilgrim's hat and staff; angel; dog with loaf in mouth; hat with crossed keys of with escallop; plague spot on his thigh.

Things to Do:

Read more about San Rocco and the Italian traditions surrounding this saint.

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Matthew 18:21–19:1

Saint Stephen of Hungary (Optional Memorial

If my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? (Matthew 18:21)

Peter probably didn’t ask this question out of idle curiosity. Something Jesus said or some incident provoked Peter to ask about the boundaries of forgiveness.

It’s amazing how many angry or resentful thoughts against people are able to bounce around in our heads. It’s not that we like having these negative thoughts. But we may not know how to get free of them, or we may not be ready to forgive.

When Peter asked Jesus, “How many times must I forgive?” Jesus basically said, “Every time.” He said that we have to be like our Father, who never stops offering us his mercy.

To illustrate this point, Jesus told a parable about an unforgiving servant. This man, who was forgiven a large debt, was unwilling to forgive a very small debt from his fellow servant. That’s why the master asked him, “Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?” (Matthew 18:33).

According to the logic of love, forgiveness ought to breed forgiveness, and mercy ought to breed mercy. But this unforgiving servant followed his own self-centered logic. He believed that mercy received had nothing to do with mercy given.

God is asking us to be merciful to each other. That’s easy to say, but it can be hard to do. We should be able to let go, at least of the smaller hurts of life. Let’s not let petty pride get the better of us. Let’s forgive instead.

When it comes to larger hurts, it can be difficult if not impossible to forgive completely. But here are four simple steps we can take that may help us: first, thank Jesus for being so merciful to you. Second, tell Jesus that you want to forgive the one who hurt you, but that it hurts too much to forgive just now. Third, know that Jesus is with you. He knows how much you are hurting. He understands. He still loves you. Finally, ask Jesus for the grace to forgive over time.

Sometimes the deep hurts of life can take months or years to be healed. Jesus knows this, and he understands. He is infinitely patient, just as he is infinitely generous with his own grace and mercy.

“Lord, help me to forgive everyone.”

Ezekiel 12:1-12
Psalm 78:56-59, 61-62

Daily Gospel Commentary

"Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant"

Paul VI more than once indicated the civilization of love" as the goal towards which all efforts in the cultural and social fields as well as in the economic and political fields should tend. it must be added that this good will never be reached if in our thinking and acting concerning the vast and complex spheres of human society we stop at the criterion of "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" (Ex 21:24; Mt 5:38) and do not try to transform it in its essence, by complementing it with another spirit. Certainly, the Second Vatican Council also leads us in this direction, when it speaks repeatedly of the need to make the world more human,(GS 40) and says that the realization of this task is precisely the mission of the Church in the modern world.

Society can become ever more human only if we introduce into the many-sided setting of interpersonal and social relationships, not merely justice, but also that "merciful love" which constitutes the messianic message of the Gospel. Society can become "ever more human" only when we introduce into all the mutual relationships which form its moral aspect the moment of forgiveness, which is so much of the essence of the Gospel. Forgiveness demonstrates the presence in the world of the love which is more powerful than sin. Forgiveness is also the fundamental condition for reconciliation, not only in the relationship of God with man, but also in relationships between people. A world from which forgiveness was eliminated would be nothing but a world of cold and unfeeling justice, in the name of which each person would claim his or her own rights vis-a- vis others...

For this reason, the Church must consider it one of her principal duties-at every stage of history and especially in our modern age-to proclaim and to introduce into life the mystery of mercy, supremely revealed in Jesus Christ.

Marriage = One Man and One Woman Until Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for August 16, 2018:

Treasure each moment with your spouse. We know neither the day nor the hour when our loved one will be taken from us (tip sent by a recent widow).

Homily of the Day

August 16, 2018

Jesus declared that our forgiveness of others should have no limits: “No, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” (Mt 18: 22)

To further illustrate what limitless forgiveness means, Jesus tells the parable on the “Unmerciful Servant,” about the generous forgiveness of the king for a truly huge debt and the unwillingness of the servant whose huge debt was forgiven to do the same for a fellow servant for a much smaller debt.

In the king’s mercy to the debtor-servant, Jesus shows the almost limitless mercy and readiness of the heavenly Father to forgive the repentant sinner. At the same time Jesus stresses that we too must learn to be as forgiving as our heavenly Father.

The forgiving king in the parable became merciless on the unforgiving servant: “So will my heavenly Father do with you unless each of you sincerely forgive your brother or sister.” (Mt 18: 35)

One Bread, One Body

Language: English | Espa�ol

All Issues > Volume 34, Issue 5

<< Thursday, August 16, 2018 >>

St. Stephen of Hungary

Ezekiel 12:1-12
View Readings

Psalm 78:56-59, 61-62

Matthew 18:21�19:1
Similar Reflections

FORGIVING FROM THE HEART

" 'Pay back what you owe,' he demanded." �Matthew 18:28

Jesus commands us to forgive people from our hearts (Mt 18:35). In the context of today's parable, that means we must, in our hearts, consider the account paid off. The books have been balanced and the slate wiped clean.

How can we determine if we've forgiven others from our hearts? If we continue to look for some kind of reward or return from those who hurt us, we have not truly forgiven from our hearts. If you answer "yes" to any of these questions, you have not closed the books yet on the account:

If the spouse who has hurt you so much is praised in public, are you inwardly angry and looking for justice?
Are you disturbed if those who damaged your reputation are honored by your co-workers, respected by your fellow parishioners, or successful in their projects?
Do you find yourself dreaming about the other person being shamefully exposed and yourself fully vindicated?
Do you "keep score" of old wounds? (see 1 Cor 13:5)

Jesus forgave from His heart. His immediate reward for this was to be publicly mocked, humiliated, and brutalized. He had so much love and forgiveness for us that He refused to count the cost of forgiving us from the heart. He silently bore our punishment, and we got off free. Imitate Jesus. Forgive first. Forgive to the point of looking bad yourself. Forgive completely. Forgive regardless of the cost. Forgive from your heart.

Prayer: Father, may I be so secure in Your love that I won't look for satisfaction anywhere else. I forgive all who have hurt me.

Promise: "I canceled your entire debt when you pleaded with me." —Mt 18:32

Praise: Though king, St. Stephen made certain he was accessible to the poor and oppressed, and strove to provide justice for them.