Be Not Afraid
Newsletter
|
|
Be Not Afraid Newsletter |
|
A Lay Apostolate for all who seek the fullness of truth.
|
Important Feast Days in June |
|
ST. JUSTIN St. Justin was from Samaria. He lived in the second century. His father brought him up without any belief in God. When he was a boy, Justin read poetry, history and science. As he grew up, he kept on studying. His main purpose for studying was to find the truth about God. One day as he was walking along the shore of the sea, Justin met an old man. They began to talk together. Since Justin looked troubled, the man asked him what was on his mind. Justin answered that he was unhappy because he had not found anything certain about God in all the books he had read. The old man told him about Jesus, the Savior. He encouraged Justin to pray so that he would be able to understand the truth about God. St. Justin began to pray and to read the Word of God, the Bible. He grew to love it very much. He was also impressed to see how brave the Christians were who were dying for their belief in and love for Jesus. After learning more about the Christian religion, Justin became a Christian. Then he used his great knowledge to explain and defend the faith with many writings. It was in Rome that St. Justin was arrested for being a Christian. The judge asked him, "Do you think that by dying you will enter heaven and be rewarded?" "I don't just think so," the saint answered. "I am sure of it!" And he died a martyr around the year 166." How often do I read the Holy Scripture? Let us ask the Holy Spirit to help us love the word of God and to keep our faith strong. From time to time we may say this prayer: "My God, I believe in you."
|
|
|
JUNE 2 These two saints are mentioned in the First Eucharistic Prayer of the Mass. They were widely honored and prayed to by the early Christians. The feast of these two martyrs was included in the Roman calendar of saints by Pope Vigilius in 555. Marcellinus was a priest and Peter assisted Marcellinus in his ministry. Both were very brave in the practice of their Christian faith. They served the Christian community with great self-sacrifice. During the persecution of Diocletian, many Christians were killed. These two men were among them. They were beheaded. It seems that before they died, however, they were forced to dig their own graves. They were taken to a hidden location to perform their difficult task. It was a forest called the Silva Nigra. Some time later, their graves were discovered in that remote spot. Their executioner eventually repented of the killings and became a Christian. He led devout Christians to the remains, which were then buried in the catacomb of St. Tiberius. Pope Gregory IV sent the relics to Frankfurt, Germany, in 827. He believed that the relics of these two saints would bring blessings to the Church in that nation. Jesus laid down his life for us. We too should lay down our lives. Lord, is there something I can offer to you today?
|
|
|
JUNE 5 This great apostle of Germany was born in Wessex, England, between the years 672 and 680. When he was small, some missionaries stayed a while at his home. They told the boy all about their work. They were so happy and excited about bringing the Good News to people. Boniface decided in his heart that he would be just like them when he grew up. While still young, he went to a monastery school to be educated. Some years later, he became a popular teacher. When he was ordained a priest, he was a powerful preacher because he was so full of enthusiasm. Boniface wanted everyone to have the opportunity to know about and love Jesus and his Church. He became a missionary to the western part of Germany. Pope St. Gregory II blessed him and sent him on this mission. Boniface preached with great success. He was gentle and kind. He was also a man of great courage. Once, to prove that the pagan gods were false, he did a bold thing. There was a certain huge oak tree called the "oak of Thor." The pagans believed it was sacred to their gods. In front of a large crowd, Boniface struck the tree a few times with an axe. The big tree crashed. The pagans realized that their gods were false when nothing happened to Boniface. Everywhere he preached, new members were received into the Church. In his lifetime, Boniface converted great numbers of people. In place of the statues of the pagan gods, he built churches and monasteries. In 732, the new pope, St. Gregory III made Boniface an archbishop and gave him another mission territory. It was Bavaria, which is part of Germany today. He and some companions went there to teach the people about the true faith. Here, too, the holy bishop was very successful. Then, one day, he was preparing to confirm some converts. A group of fierce warriors swooped down on the camp. Boniface would not let his companions defend him. "Our Lord tells us to repay evil with good," he said. "The day has come for which I have waited so long. Trust in God and he will save us." The Barbarians attacked, and Boniface was the first one killed. He died a martyr on June 5, 754. He was buried at the famous monastery he had started at Fulda, Germany. This was what he wanted. "Let us stand fast in what is right and prepare our souls for trial.let us be neither dogs that do not bark or silent onlookers nor paid servants who run away before the wolf."-St. Boniface
|
|
|
|
|
The Feast of Corpus Christi The feast of Corpus Christi ("the Body of Christ") celebrates the sacrament which is the center of Catholic worship, the Holy Eucharist. That sacrament was instituted by Jesus of Nazareth at his "Last Supper" with his disciples on the night before his crucifixion (cf. 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; Mark 14:22-25; Matthew 26:26-29; Luke 22:14-20). The Eucharist was celebrated from the earliest days of the Church, but in the thirteenth century there was a movement in the Catholic Church of the West for the establishment of a particular feast day in honor of the Eucharist. Pope Urban IV ordered the observance of such a feast in 1264, and in the following century it became universal in the Western Church. For six hundred years that feast was observed on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday, but in 1970 the new Roman Missal, while retaining that day for some countries, provided that in others the feast be observed on the Sunday after Trinity. The latter is the case in the United States.
|
|
|
JUNE 11 Although not one of the original twelve apostles, Barnabas is called an apostle by St. Luke in his Acts of the Apostles. This is because, like Paul the apostle, Barnabas received a special mission from God. He was a Jew born on the island of Cyprus. His name was Joseph, but the apostles changed it to Barnabas. This name means "son of consolation." As soon as he became a Christian, St. Barnabas sold all he owned and gave the money to the apostles. He was a good, kind-hearted man. He was full of enthusiasm to share his belief in and love for Jesus. He was sent to the city of Antioch to preach the Gospel. Antioch was the third largest city in the Roman Empire. Here is where the followers of Jesus were first called Christians. Barnabas realized that he needed help. He thought of Paul of Tarsus. He believed that Paul's conversion had been real. It was Barnabas who convinced St. Peter and the Christian community. He asked Paul to come and work with him. Barnabas was a humble person, and was not afraid of sharing the responsibility and the power. He knew that Paul, too, had a great gift to give and he wanted him to have the chance. Sometime later, the Holy Spirit chose Paul and Barnabas for a special assignment. Not long afterward, the two apostles set off on a daring missionary journey. They had many sufferings to bear and often risked their lives. Despite the hardships, their preaching won many people to Jesus and his Church. Later St. Barnabas went on another missionary journey, this time with his relative, John Mark. They went to Barnabas' own country of Cyprus. So many people became believers through his preaching that Barnabas is called the apostle of Cyprus. It is commonly believed that this great saint was stoned to death in the year 61. In prayer today, we can ask the grace to "kindle in us the flame of love by which St. Barnabas brought the light of the gospel to the nations."
|
|
|
JUNE 13 This very popular saint was born in Portugal in 1195. He was baptized "Ferdinand." He received an excellent education from the Augustinian friars and joined the order. When he was twenty-five, his life took an exciting turn. He heard about some Franciscans who had been martyred by the Moors in Morocco. These friars were St. Berard and companions. We celebrate their feast on January 16. From then on, Ferdinand felt a strong desire to die for Christ. He joined the Franciscans. This order was very new. St. Francis himself was still alive. Ferdinand took the name "Anthony." He went off to Africa to preach to the Moors. But he soon became so sick that he had to return to Italy. No one in his new religious order realized how brilliant and talented he was. They were not aware of how much education he had received. He never spoke about himself. So the Franciscan superiors assigned him to a quiet friary in Italy. There he washed pots and pans. One day, at a large gathering of priests, Anthony preached a marvelous sermon. From then on, until he died nine years later, St. Anthony preached all over Italy. He was so popular that people even closed their stores to go to hear him. St. Anthony is frequently called on in times of physical as well as spiritual needs. Many miracles have taken place through the intercession of St. Anthony. Large numbers of people have obtained favors by praying to him. That is why he is called the "wonder-worker." The statue of St. Anthony shows him with Baby Jesus because Baby Jesus appeared to him. Other pictures show St. Anthony holding a bible. This is because he knew, loved and preached the Word of God so well. In fact, St. Anthony was so well educated especially in Sacred Scripture that Pope Pius XII proclaimed him the "Evangelical Doctor," or Doctor of Sacred Scripture. St. Anthony died at Arcella, near Padua, Italy, on June 13, 1231. He was thirty-six. He was proclaimed a saint by Pope Gregory IX one year later. "The man who is filled with the Holy Spirit speaks in different languages. These different languages are different ways of witnessing to Christ, such as humility, poverty, patience, and obedience; we speak in those languages when we reveal in ourselves these virtues to others." -sermon by St. Anthony
|
|
|
|
|
|
June 18 Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
|
|
|
June 19 Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary The feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary recalls the words of the prophet Simeon, who told Mary as she presented the baby Jesus in the Temple, "And you yourself shall be pierced with a sword - so that the thoughts of many hearts may be laid bare." (Lk 2:35) Devotion to Mary's heart, that loves and has suffered, has been long established in the Church. Pope Pius XII established the feast to her Immaculate Heart in 1942. The Church gives the honor that is due to the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary since under the symbol of her Heart we venerate the excellent and singular sanctity of the soul of the Mother of God, but more specifically her most ardent love for God and for Jesus,. her Son, as also her maternal tenderness toward men who have been redeemed by the Divine Blood.
|
|
|
Aloysius, the patron of Catholic youth, was born on March 9,
1568. Since he was so full of life, his father planned to make a
great soldier out of him. When Aloysius was just five, his father
took him to the army camp. There little Aloysius marched in parade.
He even managed to load and fire a gun one day while the army was at
rest. He learned rough language from the soldiers, too. When he
found out what the words meant, he felt very bad that he used
them. How do I respond when I feel pressured by others to say and do things I shouldn't? I must pray for courage to do what is right. |
|
|
ST. JOHN FISHER John Fisher was born in Yorkshire, England, in 1469. He was educated at Cambridge University and became a priest. Father Fisher taught at Cambridge, too. He was a wonderful teacher and helped the students grow in their knowledge of the faith. He was a theologian. Father Fisher was especially helpful in pointing out religious errors of the times that confused some people. In 1504, he became the bishop of Rochester, England. It was a poor diocese and Bishop Fisher was to remain its shepherd for thirty years. So, Bishop Fisher performed two important duties. He was a bishop of a diocese and the head of Cambridge University. In 1514, he was appointed the head of the university for life. Bishop Fisher was also the priest who heard the confessions of King Henry VIII's mother. Her name was Elizabeth of York. Bishop Fisher had many friends, including the famous scholar, Erasmus, and the great St. Thomas More. Little did Bishop Fisher and Thomas More know that they would be sharing a feast day on the calendar of saints. It certainly was not a celebration when Bishop Fisher was put in prison in 1533. He was arrested for insisting that the marriage of the king and Queen Catherine was true. Then Henry VIII divorced Catherine and married Anne Boleyn in a civil ceremony. He demanded that people sign an oath of loyalty to him. He made himself the head of the Church in England. Bishop Fisher would not sign the oath. He was sent to the Tower of London. The tower was damp and the treatment was harsh. Bishop Fisher suffered very much, but he would not betray his faith. Even though there were no televisions and radios, people found out about what Bishop Fisher, Sir Thomas More and the others were going through. They were shocked and saddened. On June 12, 1535, Pope Paul III named Bishop Fisher a cardinal. He hoped this would make Henry free him. But the king only became more angry and mean. He demanded Cardinal Fisher's death. John Fisher was killed on June 22, 1535. Along with his friend, St. Thomas More, Cardinal John Fisher was proclaimed a saint by Pope Pius XI in 1935. This saint held fast to the truth of his faith, even to the point of sacrificing his life. We too can proclaim our faith by the witness of our lives today. |
|
|
ST. THOMAS MORE Thomas More was a famous lawyer and writer. He was born in London in 1477. His father had been a lawyer, too, and a judge. Thomas was always grateful to his father for being so loving and for not spoiling him. Thomas' first wife, Jane Colt, died very young. More was left with four small children. He was married again, to a widow, a simple woman who could not even read or write. Her husband tried to teach her. Thomas made home life enjoyable for his family because he was so pleasant to be with. During meals, one of the children would read from the Bible. Then they would have fun and tell jokes. St. Thomas often asked poorer neighbors in to dinner, too. He always helped the poor as much as he could. He loved to delight his guests with surprises. He even kept some playful monkeys as pets. Yet few could have imagined how deeply spiritual St. Thomas really was. He prayed long hours into the night and performed penances, too. He was very much aware that being a true Christian took the grace and help of God. Thomas held important government positions. For three years he was lord chancellor, another name for prime minister. Henry VIII used to put his arm affectionately around Thomas' shoulder. Yet although the saint was a most loyal subject, he was loyal to God first of all. In fact, when the king tried to make him disobey God's law, Thomas refused. Henry wanted to obtain a divorce from his wife to marry another woman. However, the pope could not give permission, since that is against God's law. Henry was stubborn and at last he left the Church. He wanted everyone to recognize him as the head of the Church in England. Thomas could not do that. He chose to remain faithful to the Catholic faith and to God. He was condemned to death for that, yet he forgave his judges. He even said he hoped he would see them in heaven. He really meant it, too. At the scaffold, where he was to die, St. Thomas kissed his executioner on the cheek. Then he joked, saying that his beard should not be cut off because it had not done anything wrong. He was martyred on Tuesday, July 6, 1535, at the age of fifty-seven. Along with his friend, Bishop John Fisher, Sir Thomas More was proclaimed a saint by Pope Pius XI in 1935. "Nothing can come but what God wills. And I am very sure that whatever that be, however bad it may seem, it shall indeed be the best."-St. Thomas More
|
|
|
JUNE 24 John's parents were Zachary and Elizabeth. Elizabeth was a cousin of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Mary went to visit and help when Elizabeth was old and about to become a mother. St. Elizabeth had her baby. Zachary named him John, as the angel had requested. John had a special calling. He was going to prepare the way for the coming of Jesus. So when he was still young, he went into the desert to prepare himself with silence, prayer and penance. Soon crowds started to come to him. They realized he was a holy man. He warned them to be sorry for their sins. He told them to change their lives, and he gave them the baptism of repentance. One day, Jesus himself came to John. He wanted to be baptized with John's baptism to begin making up for our sins. On that day, John told the crowds that Jesus was the Messiah, the one they had been waiting for. He told them and everyone else to follow him. Later on, St. John learned that King Herod had married a woman who already had a husband and a daughter. This king was the son of the King Herod who had murdered all those little boys in Bethlehem. St. John told him that it was wrong for him to live with that woman. King Herod was angry and humiliated. He locked John up in prison. John remained in a dark, damp dungeon until Herod had him killed. St. John's motto was, "Jesus must become more and more. I must become less and less." He said that he was not even worthy to loosen the strap of Jesus' sandal. "Blessed is the man who finds no stumbling block in me (Mt. 11:2-6)
|
|
|
JUNE 28 Irenaeus was a Greek who was born between the years 120 and 140. He had the great privilege of being taught by St. Polycarp, who had been a disciple of St. John the Apostle. Irenaeus once told a friend: "I listened to St. Polycarp's instructions very carefully. I wrote down his actions and his words, not on paper, but on my heart." After he became a priest, Irenaeus was sent to the French city of Lyons. It was in this city that the bishop, St. Pothinius, was martyred along with a great many other saints. Irenaeus was not martyred at that time because he was asked by his brother priests to take an important message from them to the pope in Rome. In that letter they spoke of Irenaeus as a man full of zeal for the faith. When Irenaeus returned to be the bishop of Lyons, the persecution was over. But there was another danger: a heresy called Gnosticism. This false religion attracted some people by its promise to teach them secret mysteries. Irenaeus studied all its teachings and then in five books showed how wrong they were. He wrote with politeness, because he wanted to win people to Jesus. However, sometimes his words were strong, such as when he said: "As soon as a man has been won over to the Gnostics, he becomes puffed up with conceit and self-importance. He has the majestic air of a rooster who goes strutting about." St. Irenaeus' books were read by many people. Before too long, the whole heresy began to die out. St. Irenaeus died around the year 202. Many believe he was martyred. "It is better and more profitable to be simple and less well educated but close to God through charity than to appear wise and gifted but to blaspheme the Master." -St. Irenaeus
|
|
|
JUNE 29 St. Peter Peter, the first pope, was a fisherman from Galilee. Jesus invited him to follow him, saying: "I will make you a fisher of men." Peter was a simple, hard-working man. He was generous, honest and very attached to Jesus. This great apostle's name was Simon, but Jesus changed it to Peter, which means "rock." "You are Peter," Jesus said, "and on this rock I will build my Church." Peter was the chief or prince of the apostles. When Jesus was arrested, Peter became afraid. It was then that he committed the sin of denying Our Lord three times. Fear for his safety got the best of him. But Peter repented totally. He wept over his denials for the rest of his life. Jesus forgave Peter. After his resurrection he asked Peter three times: "Do you love me?" "Lord," Peter answered, "you know all things. You know that I love you." Jesus truly did know! Peter was so right. Jesus said kindly: "Feed my lambs. Feed my sheep." He was telling Peter to take care of his Church because he would be ascending into heaven. Jesus left Peter as the leader of his followers. Peter eventually went to Rome to live. Rome was the center of the whole Roman Empire. Peter converted many nonbelievers there. When the fierce persecution of Christians began, they begged Peter to leave Rome and save himself. It is said that he actually started out. On the road he met Jesus. Peter asked him, "Lord, where are you going?" Jesus answered, "I am coming to be crucified a second time." Then St. Peter turned around and went back. He realized that this vision meant that he was to suffer and die for Jesus. Soon after, he was taken prisoner and condemned to death. Because he was not a Roman citizen, he, like Jesus, could be crucified. This time he did not deny the Lord. This time he was ready to die for him. Peter asked to be crucified with his head downward since he was not worthy to suffer as Jesus had. The Roman soldiers did not find this unusual because slaves were crucified in the same manner. St. Peter was martyred on Vatican Hill. It was around the year 67. Emperor Constantine built a large church over that sacred location in the fourth century. Recent archaeological findings confirm these facts. St. Paul Paul is the great apostle who first persecuted the Christians. Then he was converted. We celebrate Paul's conversion on January 25. At the time of his conversion, Jesus had said: "I will show him how much he must suffer for me." St. Paul loved Jesus very much, so much, in fact, that he became a living copy of our Savior. All his life, during his many missionary trips, St. Paul met troubles and went through dangers of every kind. He was whipped, stoned, shipwrecked, and lost at sea. Many, many times he was hungry, thirsty and cold. Yet he always trusted in God. He never stopped preaching. "The love of Jesus presses me onward," he said. In reward, God gave him great comfort and joy in spite of every suffering. We read about his marvelous adventures for Christ in Luke's Acts of the Apostles, beginning with chapter nine. But St. Luke's story ends when Paul arrives in Rome. He is under house arrest, waiting to be tried by Emperor Nero. A famous early Christian writer, Tertullian, tells us that Paul was freed after his first trial. But then he was put in prison again. This time he was sentenced to death. He died around the year 67, during Nero's terrible persecution of the Christians. Paul called himself the apostle of the Gentiles. He preached the Gospel to the non-Jews. That took him to the whole known world. Because of Paul, we, too, have received the Christian faith. May our hearts be filled with joy as we honor these two great apostles: Peter, our leader in the faith, and Paul, its fearless preacher.
|
|
|
JUNE 30 The people we honor today had one thing in common: they gave up their lives for Christ. They were martyred because they were followers of the Lord Jesus. By the year 64, Emperor Nero's human rights violations had reached proportions beyond description. When a fire broke out in Rome on July 16, it was commonly believed that the emperor himself was responsible. As two-thirds of Rome lay in ruin, resentment grew. Nero became fearful. He needed a scapegoat and blamed the fire on the Christians. Tacitus, a well-known historian, recorded that the Christians suffered cruel deaths. Some were fed to wild beasts. Others were tied to posts and became human torches that lit the Roman streets. The exact number of heroes is not known, but their gift of witness and their lives made a lasting impact on the people. Nero's was the first persecution by a Roman emperor, but not the last. And the more the Church was persecuted, the more it grew. The martyrs had paid the price so that all who would come after them could have the opportunity to embrace the faith. In our prayer today, we offer thanks to the Father for the martyrs of Rome for they have paid the price so that all who come after them would have the opportunity to embrace the faith. |
|
| Back to Homepage | |