Saint of the Day (Tuesday, September 29, 2015)-Sts. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael

Sts. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael Tuesday, September 29, 2015 | Feast Day: Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Angels—messengers from God—appear frequently in Scripture, but only Michael, Gabriel and Raphael are named. Michael appears in Daniel's vision as "the great prince" who defends Israel against its enemies; in the Book of Revelation, he leads God's armies to final victory over the forces of evil. Devotion to Michael is the oldest angelic devotion, rising in the East in the fourth century. The Church in the West began to observe a feast honoring Michael and the angels in the fifth century. Gabriel also makes an appearance in Daniel's visions, announcing Michael's role in God's plan. His best-known appearance is an encounter with a young Jewish girl named Mary, who consents to bear the Messiah. Raphael's activity is confined to the Old Testament story of Tobit. There he appears to guide Tobit's son Tobiah through a series of fantastic adventures which lead to a threefold happy ending: Tobiah's marriage to Sarah, the healing of Tobit's blindness and the restoration of the family fortune. The memorials of Gabriel (March 24) and Raphael (October 24) were added to the Roman calendar in 1921. The 1970 revision of the calendar joined their feasts to Michael's. Comment: Each of these archangels performs a different mission in Scripture: Michael protects; Gabriel announces; Raphael guides. Earlier belief that inexplicable events were due to the actions of spiritual beings has given way to a scientific world-view and a different sense of cause and effect. Yet believers still experience God's protection, communication and guidance in ways which defy description. We cannot dismiss angels too lightly. Quote: "For the honor we pay the angelic creatures in whom you delight redounds to your own surpassing glory, and by their great dignity and splendor you show how infinitely great you are, to be exalted above all things, through Christ our Lord" (Roman Missal, Preface for this feast). Click here for a printer friendly version
About • Contact • Blog • Catalog
This email was sent to visioner.shop.wisdom@blogger.com Franciscan Media | 28 W. Liberty St. | Cincinnati, OH 45202 ©2015 Franciscan Media. All Rights Reserved. Unsubscribe | Update Preferences

Minute Meditations-Inbox Edition(Monday, September 28, 2015)

Let Jesus In The Blessing of Family
Let the risen Jesus enter your life. Welcome him as a friend, with trust: he is life! If up untill now you have kept him at a distance, step forward. He will receive you with open arms. If you have been indifferent, take a risk: you won't be disappointed. -from The Blessing of Family
About • Contact • Blog • Catalog
This email was sent to visioner.shop.wisdom@blogger.com Franciscan Media | 28 W. Liberty St. | Cincinnati, OH 45202 ©2015 Franciscan Media. All Rights Reserved. Unsubscribe | Update Preferences

Saint of the Day (Monday, September 28, 2015)-St. Wenceslaus

St. Wenceslaus Monday, September 28, 2015 Lived(907?-929) | Feast Day: Monday, September 28, 2015
If saints have been falsely characterized as "other worldly," the life of Wenceslaus stands as an example to the contrary: He stood for Christian values in the midst of the political intrigues which characterized 10th-century Bohemia. He was born in 907 near Prague, son of the Duke of Bohemia. His saintly grandmother, Ludmilla, raised him and sought to promote him as ruler of Bohemia in place of his mother, who favored the anti-Christian factions. Ludmilla was eventually murdered, but rival Christian forces enabled Wenceslaus to assume leadership of the government. His rule was marked by efforts toward unification within Bohemia, support of the Church and peace-making negotiations with Germany, a policy which caused him trouble with the anti-Christian opposition. His brother Boleslav joined in the plotting, and in September of 929 invited Wenceslaus to Alt Bunglou for the celebration of the feast of Sts. Cosmas and Damian (September 26). On the way to Mass, Boleslav attacked his brother, and in the struggle, Wenceslaus was killed by supporters of Boleslav. Although his death resulted primarily from political upheaval, Wenceslaus was hailed as a martyr for the faith, and his tomb became a pilgrimage shrine. He is hailed as the patron of the Bohemian people and of former Czechoslovakia. Comment: "Good King Wenceslaus" was able to incarnate his Christianity in a world filled with political unrest. While we are often victims of violence of a different sort, we can easily identify with his struggle to bring harmony to society. The call to become involved in social change and in political activity is addressed to Christians; the values of the gospel are sorely needed today. Quote: "While recognizing the autonomy of the reality of politics, Christians who are invited to take up political activity should try to make their choices consistent with the gospel and, in the framework of a legitimate plurality, to give both personal and collective witness to the seriousness of their faith by effective and disinterested service of men" (Pope Paul VI, A Call to Action, 46). Click here for a printer friendly version
About • Contact • Blog • Catalog
This email was sent to visioner.shop.wisdom@blogger.com Franciscan Media | 28 W. Liberty St. | Cincinnati, OH 45202 ©2015 Franciscan Media. All Rights Reserved. Unsubscribe | Update Preferences