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Fr. Don Miller, OFM Image: Grave Monument for Jutta, wife of count Louis II of Thuringia | Saint George parish Church, Thuringia | photographed by Wolfgang Sauber Blessed Jutta of Thuringia Saint of the Day for June 25 (d. c. 1260)  Blessed Jutta of Thuringia’s Story Today’s patroness of Prussia began her life amidst luxury and power but died the death of a simple servant of the poor.In truth, virtue and piety were always of prime importance to Jutta and her husband, both of noble rank. The two were set to make a pilgrimage together to the holy places...

Fr. Don Miller, OFM Image: St. John the baptist | Alessandro Rosi The Nativity of Saint John the Baptist Saint of the Day for June 24  Saint John the Baptist’s Story Jesus called John the greatest of all those who had preceded him: “I tell you, among those born of women, no one is greater than John….” But John would have agreed completely with what Jesus added: “[Y]et the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he” (Luke 7:28).John spent his time in the desert, an ascetic. He began to announce the coming of the Kingdom, and...

Fr. Don Miller, OFM Image: from a book entitled The life and death of Cardinal Wolsey | Authors: George Cavendish, Hans Holbein, and Bruce RogersSaint John Fisher Saint of the Day for June 23 (1469 – June 22, 1535)  Saint John Fisher’s Story John Fisher is usually associated with Erasmus, Thomas More, and other Renaissance humanists. His life therefore, did not have the external simplicity found in the lives of some saints. Rather, he was a man of learning, associated with the intellectuals and political leaders of his day. He was interested in the contemporary culture and eventually became...

Fr. Don Miller, OFM Image: Sir Thomas More | Hans Holbein the YoungerSaint Thomas More Saint of the Day for June 22 (February 7, 1478 – July 6, 1535 )  Saint Thomas More’s Story His belief that no lay ruler has jurisdiction over the Church of Christ cost Thomas More his life.Beheaded on Tower Hill, London, on July 6, 1535, More steadfastly refused to approve King Henry VIII’s divorce and remarriage and establishment of the Church of England.Described as “a man for all seasons,” More was a literary scholar, eminent lawyer, gentleman, father of four children, and chancellor of...

Saint Aloysius Gonzaga Fr. Don Miller, OFM Image: The Vocation of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga | Guercino Saint Aloysius Gonzaga Saint of the Day for June 21 (March 9, 1568 – June 21, 1591)  Saint Aloysius Gonzaga’s Story The Lord can make saints anywhere, even amid the brutality and license of Renaissance life. Florence was the “mother of piety” for Aloysius Gonzaga despite his exposure to a “society of fraud, dagger, poison, and lust.” As a son of a princely family, he grew up in royal courts and army camps. His father wanted Aloysius to be a military hero.At age 7...

September 3, 2017 Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Jer 20:7-9You duped me, O LORD, and I let myself be duped;you were too strong for me, and you triumphed.All the day I am an object of laughter;everyone mocks me. Whenever I speak, I must cry out,violence and outrage is my message;the word of the LORD has brought mederision and reproach all the day. I say to myself, I will not mention him,I will speak in his name no more.But then it becomes like fire burning in my heart,imprisoned in my bones;I grow weary holding it in, I cannot...

White Simple “A SIMPLE and upright man, and fearing God, and avoiding evil:” such is the description of the just man in the lessons of the night Office for the time, and it is the portrait of the holy monk whom the Church offers us today for our admiration, our imitation, and our devotion. Fleeing from men in order to find God, he quitted his native land, where his rank, and still more his virtues, prevented him from being unknown. He wandered from the coasts of Greece to the borders of the Rhone, and stopped at length in the...

August 29, 2017 Memorial of the Passion of Saint John the Baptist Reading 1 1 Thes 2:1-8You yourselves know, brothers and sisters,that our reception among you was not without effect.Rather, after we had suffered and been insolently treated,as you know, in Philippi,we drew courage through our Godto speak to you the Gospel of God with much struggle.Our exhortation was not from delusion or impure motives,nor did it work through deception.But as we were judged worthy by God to be entrusted with the Gospel,that is how we speak,not as trying to please men,but rather God, who judges our hearts.Nor, indeed,...

August 28, 2017 Memorial of Saint Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church Reading 1 1 Thes 1:1-5, 8b-10Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the Church of the Thessaloniansin God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:grace to you and peace. We give thanks to God always for all of you,remembering you in our prayers,unceasingly calling to mind your work of faith and labor of loveand endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ,before our God and Father,knowing, brothers and sisters loved by God, how you were chosen.For our Gospel did not come to you in word alone,but also in...

August 27, 2017 Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Is 22:19-23Thus says the LORD to Shebna, master of the palace:"I will thrust you from your officeand pull you down from your station.On that day I will summon my servantEliakim, son of Hilkiah;I will clothe him with your robe,and gird him with your sash,and give over to him your authority.He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem,and to the house of Judah.I will place the key of the House of David on Eliakim's shoulder;when he opens, no one shall shutwhen he shuts, no one shall open.I will...

August 25, 2017 Friday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Ru 1:1, 3-6, 14b-16, 22Once in the time of the judges there was a famine in the land;so a man from Bethlehem of Judahdeparted with his wife and two sonsto reside on the plateau of Moab.Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died,and she was left with her two sons, who married Moabite women,one named Orpah, the other Ruth.When they had lived there about ten years,both Mahlon and Chilion died also,and the woman was left with neither her two sons nor her husband.She then made ready to go...

August 24, 2017 Feast of Saint Bartholomew, Apostle Reading 1 Rv 21:9b-14The angel spoke to me, saying,"Come here.I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb."He took me in spirit to a great, high mountainand showed me the holy city Jerusalemcoming down out of heaven from God.It gleamed with the splendor of God.Its radiance was like that of a precious stone,like jasper, clear as crystal.It had a massive, high wall,with twelve gates where twelve angels were stationedand on which names were inscribed,the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.There were three gates facing east,three...

August 23, 2017 Wednesday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Jgs 9:6-15All the citizens of Shechem and all Beth-millo came togetherand proceeded to make Abimelech kingby the terebinth at the memorial pillar in Shechem. When this was reported to him,Jotham went to the top of Mount Gerizim and, standing there,cried out to them in a loud voice:"Hear me, citizens of Shechem, that God may then hear you!Once the trees went to anoint a king over themselves.So they said to the olive tree, 'Reign over us.'But the olive tree answered them, 'Must I give up my rich...

Fr. Don Miller, OFM Image: The Vocation of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga | Guercino Saint Aloysius Gonzaga Saint of the Day for June 21 (March 9, 1568 – June 21, 1591)  Saint Aloysius Gonzaga’s Story The Lord can make saints anywhere, even amid the brutality and license of Renaissance life. Florence was the “mother of piety” for Aloysius Gonzaga despite his exposure to a “society of fraud, dagger, poison, and lust.” As a son of a princely family, he grew up in royal courts and army camps. His father wanted Aloysius to be a military hero.At age 7 Aloysius experienced...

Fr. Don Miller, OFM Image: Stained glass window of Saint Paulinus | photo by Tiroler GlasmalereiSaint Paulinus of Nola Saint of the Day for June 20 (354 – June 22, 431)  Saint Paulinus of Nola’s Story Anyone who is praised in the letters of six or seven saints undoubtedly must be of extraordinary character. Such a person was Paulinus of Nola, correspondent and friend of Saints Augustine, Jerome, Melania, Martin, Gregory the Great, and Ambrose.Born near Bordeaux, he was the son of the Roman prefect of Gaul, who had extensive property in both Gaul and Italy. Paulinus became a...

Fr. Don Miller, OFM Image: Fresco of Saint Romuald | In the Dominican Cloister of Saint Mark, Florence, Italy | Fra AngelicoSaint Romuald Saint of the Day for June 19 (c. 950 – June 19, 1027)  Saint Romuald’s Story In the midst of a wasted youth, Romuald watched his father kill a relative in a duel over property. In horror he fled to a monastery near Ravenna. After three years, some of the monks found him to be uncomfortably holy and eased him out.Romuald spent the next 30 years going about Italy, founding monasteries and hermitages. He longed to...

August 21, 2017 Memorial of Saint Pius X, Pope Reading 1 Jgs2:11-19The children of Israel offended the LORD by serving the Baals.Abandoning the LORD, the God of their fathers,who led them out of the land of Egypt,they followed the other gods of the various nations around them,and by their worship of these gods provoked the LORD. Because they had thus abandoned him and served Baal and the Ashtaroth,the anger of the LORD flared up against Israel,and he delivered them over to plunderers who despoiled them.He allowed them to fall into the power of their enemies round aboutwhom they were...

August 20, 2017 Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Is 56:1, 6-7Thus says the LORD:Observe what is right, do what is just;for my salvation is about to come,my justice, about to be revealed. The foreigners who join themselves to the LORD,ministering to him,loving the name of the LORD,and becoming his servants—all who keep the sabbath free from profanationand hold to my covenant,them I will bring to my holy mountainand make joyful in my house of prayer;their burnt offerings and sacrificeswill be acceptable on my altar,for my house shall be calleda house of prayer for all peoples. Responsorial Psalm...

August 19, 2017 Saturday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Jos 24:14-29Joshua gathered together all the tribes of Israel at Shechem,and addressed them, saying: "Fear the LORD and serve him completely and sincerely.Cast out the gods your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt,and serve the LORD.If it does not please you to serve the LORD,decide today whom you will serve,the gods your fathers served beyond the Riveror the gods of the Amorites in whose country you are dwelling.As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." But the people answered, "Far be...

Fr. Don Miller, OFM Image: Statue of Venerable Matt Talbot | flickrVenerable Matt Talbot Saint of the Day for June 18 (May 2, 1856 – June 7, 1925)  Venerable Matt Talbot’s story Matt can be considered the patron of men and women struggling with alcoholism. He was born in Dublin, where his father worked on the docks and had a difficult time supporting his family. After a few years of schooling, Matt obtained work as a messenger for some liquor merchants; there he began to drink excessively. For 15 years—until he was almost 30—Matt was an active alcoholic.One day...