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Saints

What Happens At A Canonization?

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One of the happiest days in the life of the Church is the proclamation of new saints. The celebration of the proclamation, of course, is the final moment of a…

One of the happiest days in the life of the Church is the proclamation of new saints.

The celebration of the proclamation, of course, is the final moment of a long process of investigation, scrutiny and prayer that can last years and even many decades. But what actually takes place at a canonization?

What is a canonization?

A canonization is a statement by the Church that a person certainly enjoys the Beatific Vision — in other words, that particular someone is in heaven. There is a common misunderstanding that the Church somehow “creates” or “makes” saints. Through the process of beatification and canonization, a deceased member of the Church is granted definitive recognition of his or her heroic sanctity.

The word canonization means quite literally that, in canonizing a person, the pope speaks infallibly and for the whole Church, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, that the person’s name should be entered in the canon of the saints, listing all who are to receive veneration universally in the Church. Canonization is an earthly decision, which means that it has nothing to do with the actual entry of a saint into heaven.

Liturgical law definitely determines the acts of public cult by which a canonized saint may receive veneration. Specifically, the saints may be invoked in the public and official prayers of the Church offered for them; churches may be built in their honor; altars dedicated in their honor; the Mass celebrated; the Divine Office recited; a feast day set aside to their memory; and they may be designated as special patrons.

The formal declaration is made by the pope at a ceremony, celebrated with a Mass, called the Rite of Canonization.

Why is there a process first?

No saint shall be named without the laborious and highly regulated process of canonization. The steps by which a person becomes a saint are carefully executed by the Church and follow a meticulous investigation. This scrutiny is called the process of canonization. It is an ancient custom and has undergone many changes and reforms through the centuries. Today, it begins on the local level, with the approval of the Holy See, and includes a careful study of the candidate’s life and writings and ends with the recognition of miracles. The validation of miracles is customarily necessary for beatification and then canonization.

What is the rite of canonization?

The canonization rite takes place in the wider setting of a Papal Mass. This is important as it means that the proclamation of a new saint or saints is still within the setting of the celebration of the Eucharist, the source and summit of the Christian life.

The first part of the rite begins with prayers and hymns and proceeds with the chanting of the Litany of Saints, the long and beautiful roll call of the Church’s saints.

Each name is recited, followed by the refrain “Ora pro nobis” (“Pray for us”). The pope then processes to the altar and the rite continues with the prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints (the Vatican office in charge of the investigations) making three petitions to the pope to proclaim the blessed or blesseds among the saints. In the rite for a beatification, there is only one petition, and the three petitions are used to emphasize the great significance of the canonization.

What are the petitions?

The prefect for the Congregation of the Causes of Saints makes three petitions to the pope asking him to enroll the blessed or blesseds among the saints.

First Petition

“Most Holy Father,

“Holy Mother Church earnestly beseeches Your Holiness to enroll Blessed ______ among the Saints, that they may be invoked as such by all the Christian faithful.”

Second Petition

“Most Holy Father,

“Strengthened by unanimous prayer, Holy Church more earnestly beseeches Your Holiness to enroll these, her children, among the Saints.”

Third Petition

“Most Holy Father,

“Holy Church, trusting in the Lord’s promise to send upon her the Spirit of Truth, who in every age keeps the supreme Magisterium immune from error, most earnestly beseeches Your Holiness to enroll these, her elect, among the Saints.”

At what point or words during the canonization Mass do the saints become officially declared?

The pope responds to the three petitions by pronouncing the canonization formula: “For the honor of the Blessed Trinity, the exaltation of the Catholic faith and the increase of the Christian life, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and our own, after due deliberation and frequent prayer for divine assistance, and having sought the counsel of many of our brother bishops, we declare and define Blessed __________ be a saint and we enroll him (or her) among the saints, decreeing that he (or she) is to be venerated as such by the whole Church. In the name of the Holy Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

With the canonization formula, the pope has officially declared the new saints. The canonization formula is an irrevocable decree issued by the pope prescribing universal veneration. The act removes all doubt about the validity of honoring the saint.

Why are the relics of the saints presented during the canonization for veneration?

With the completion of the Rite of Canonization, the relics of the new saint or saints are brought forward. They are incensed and presented to the faithful for veneration. This moment tells the faithful that they are now permitted to venerate the relics of the new saints universally, in keeping with the tradition in the Church. As the Second Vatican Council taught in the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (Sacrosanctum Concilium): “The saints have been traditionally honored in the Church and their authentic relics and images held in veneration” (No. 111).

The presentation of the relics is also the last part of the canonization rite. The prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints then thanks the pope and asks that an apostolic letter — an official document attesting to the canonization — be drawn up. The pope responds, “Decernimus” (“We so decree”). The canonization rite ends with the singing of the Gloria, and the Mass proceeds as usual.

Are there special Mass readings for the canonization?

No. During the Liturgy of the Word for the Mass, the readings for the Sunday are used. For example, at the canonization of Popes St. John XXIII and John Paul II on April 27, 2014, celebrated by Pope Francis, the readings for Divine Mercy Sunday were used. The pope also reflects on the readings in his homily.

Can anyone attend the canonization?

Yes. In fact, literally hundreds of thousands of pilgrims travel to attend canonizations. Often, entry into St. Peter’s Square or St. Peter’s Basilica (depending on the weather or the health of the pontiff) requires a ticket. Pope Francis gave instruction that with the exception of diplomats and other officials attending the canonizations of John Paul II and John XXIII, there should be no tickets, and that entry would be for all.

Is there a special day or particular calendar day on which canonizations must occur?

No. The choice for when a canonization is held is subject to the liturgical calendar. Typically, canonizations are held in the fall and the spring. For example, most of the canonizations in the pontificate of Pope John Paul II were held between April and June or in October and November. Popes will also often choose a date that has special connection to the blessed being canonized. For example, Pope John Paul II canonized St. Faustina Kowalska on Divine Mercy Sunday 2000. Pope Francis then canonized John Paul II on Divine Mercy Sunday 2014.

How many saints are canonized at one time? Is there a maximum?

There is no limit to the number of saints who can be canonized at the same time. Customarily, to assist with the costs of the canonizations (that are paid by the originating dioceses or religious communities), several canonizations are held at the same time. The largest canonization at one time was held on May 12, 2013, when Pope Francis canonized Laura Montoya Upegui (1874-1949), María Guadalupe García Zavala (1878-1963) and the 800 Martyrs of Otranto who were slain in 1480.

Are servants of God and blesseds also announced during a canonization Mass?

Usually, no. The designation of the title of Servant of God is granted after the Congregation for the Causes of Saints completes a preliminary investigation into a candidate and gives permission for a cause to be started. Blesseds are officially beatified in a separate ceremony.

What is an equivalent canonization?

Aside from the public proclamation of a saint by the pope, there is another type of canonization called an “equivalent canonization” (or “equipollent canonization”) in which the pope grants permission for the universal Church to observe the veneration of a servant of God or blessed who has not yet been canonized. Established in 1632 by Pope Urban VIII, an equivalent canonization does not mean that the pope is bypassing the process of canonization or introducing some new cause for canonization. The pope instead acts in recognition of a cause that is long-standing and of someone who is already held in great esteem by the faithful and enjoys fame for miraculous intercessions. For whatever reason, the cause of canonization was never completed. No formal canonization is needed, and the pope only needs to sign a decree to make it official.

Pope Benedict XVI used an equivalent canonization for Hildegard of Bingen in 2012, and Pope Francis has used it for Peter Faber, Angela de Foligno, José de Anchieta, Marie of the Incarnation and François-Xavier de Montmorency-Laval.

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Saints

Purgatory Needed for Saints?

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When the Church canonizes a saint, we are confirming they are in heaven. The pope does this based on the supplied evidence of a holy life, and also the evidence…

When the Church canonizes a saint, we are confirming they are in heaven. The pope does this based on the supplied evidence of a holy life, and also the evidence of miracles credibly attributed to the prayers of the saint. Canonization says they are in heaven now and that any purification they might have needed is complete. The Church is not thereby indicating that the saint needed no time in purgatory, only that their purgation is now complete and they are in heaven, as seen by the evidence of the miracles wrought by God through their prayers. Though we cannot know if or for how long a canonized saint might have needed purification in purgatory, it seems likely that even most canonized saints would need some purgation after death. Jesus promises us that when he is finished with us we would be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect (see Mt 5:48). Even very holy people probably need some final purification for the Lord to finish and perfect this awesome promise in us.

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Saints

The blessing of St. Blaise

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Although separated by customs, language, politics and more, Catholics around the world celebrate many of the same God-inspired devotional acts, practices and rituals handed down through the centuries by Holy…

Although separated by customs, language, politics and more, Catholics around the world celebrate many of the same God-inspired devotional acts, practices and rituals handed down through the centuries by Holy Mother Church. Such a devotion is the optional memorial celebrating St. Blaise and the blessing of throats every Feb. 3 in the Western Church and Feb. 11 in Eastern Church.

Facts and legends

There are few facts known about St. Blaise except that he was a fourth-century bishop in the city of Sebaste, Western Armenia, and died as a martyr. A physician, he was regarded as a righteous man and, at an early age, elected bishop by the citizens of Sebaste. Beyond those few facts, much of what we know of Blaise comes from legends. He became, during the Middle Ages, one of the most popular of all the saints and today remains highly esteemed, especially in Armenia. He is the patron saint of Dubrovnik, Croatia. His relationship with Dubrovnik is unique in that he never visited the city. In 971, he appeared in a vision to a local man warning that a Venetian force was about to invade the town. The townspeople responded with defensive measures and the Venetians, having lost the element of surprise, departed.

St. Blaise. The Crosiers

During the fourth century, the Roman Empire was separated between Emperor Constantine in the West and Emperor Licinius in the East. While frequently at odds, they came together in February 313 at Milan, Italy, to sign the Edict of Milan, intended to end all religious persecution. While this document always has been heralded as essential to Christian history, it did not end a long-simmering tension between the two emperors. Indeed, historians have recorded that Licinius was filled with greed and only signed the agreement for political purposes. There would be repeated conflicts between the East and West, mostly caused by Licinius, who was quick to continue the persecutions of Christ’s followers despite signing the Edict of Milan. In the year 316, St. Blaise would become a victim of Licinius’s hostility against Christians.

At first, Blaise avoided being arrested by escaping into the hill country near Sebaste, where he hid in a cave. His only visitors were said to be wild animals that seemed drawn to Blaise, and a special relationship allegedly developed between man and beast, similar to St. Francis centuries later. Eventually, Bishop Blaise was found out, arrested and brought before Agricolaus, the local Roman governor. He was scourged for his Christian beliefs and thrown into prison. Legend holds that either en route to prison or after he was incarcerated, two miracles attributed to Blaise occurred. A woman came to the bishop upset that a wolf had carried off her pig. Blaise offered up prayers, and the wolf returned the pig. Another incident, one for which he is most known, occurred when a mother pleaded for Blaise to cure her son who was dying from a fish bone lodged in his throat. Blaise prayed over the boy, and the child was healed.

Agricolaus soon confronted Blaise, demanding he deny Jesus or be tortured. Blaise refused, and one of the instruments of torture was an iron comb used to painfully scrape his skin. No amount of torture brought a denial of Christ, so in 316 Blaise was beheaded. The circumstance of Blaise reminds us of another holy man, St. John the Baptist, who was likewise jailed and eventually beheaded for his faith. Every three years, the Gospel read on St. Blaise’s optional memorial is from Mark 6:14-29, which tells of John’s martyrdom. Both John the Baptist and Blaise gave up their lives rather than deny Christ; Blaise was tortured and then beheaded, and John was beheaded in return for a dance.

Cult of St. Blaise

The miraculous cure of the boy suffering from the fish bone — and because Blaise had been a physician — created the belief that St. Blaise could cure most illnesses but especially those of the throat. As early as the ninth century in the Western Church, he was invoked for throat ailments, and by the 15th century, the blessing of the throat ritual had begun.

During the Middle Ages, his cult as a miraculous saint was widespread throughout Europe. He was one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, whom Christians believed could cure a variety of personal medical problems (see sidebar). Today there are Catholic Churches all over the world bearing the name of St. Blaise.

Throat blessings

The candles used in the blessing of throats may be those blessed on Candlemas, Feb. 2, or when blessed during the St. Blaise memorial, this beautiful prayer from the Roman Ritual is provided:

“God, almighty and all-mild, by your Word alone you created the manifold things in the world, and willed that the same Word by whom all things were made take flesh in order to redeem mankind; you are great and immeasurable, awesome and praiseworthy, a wonder of marvels. Hence in professing his faith in you the glorious martyr and bishop, Blaise, did not fear any manner of torment but gladly accepted the palm of martyrdom. In virtue of which you bestowed on him, among other gifts, the power to heal all ailments of the throat. And now we implore your majesty that, overlooking our guilt and considering only his merits and intercession, it may please you to bless and sanctify and impart your grace to these candles. Let all men of faith whose necks are touched with them be healed of every malady of the throat, and being restored in health and good spirits let them return thanks to you in your holy Church, and praise your glorious name which is blessed forever; through Christ our Lord.”

Most often as part of the Mass, all parishioners desiring a blessing of their throats typically proceed to the front of the church where the priest with the two blessed candles, tied with a red ribbon, holds them in the form of an X. He touches the candles to each side of the person’s neck and says: “Through the intercession of St. Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you free from every disease of the throat, and from every other disease. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” The red ribbon represents the blood of martyrs, and the candles held in the shape of an “X” represent the martyrdom of another saint, St. Andrew, who according to tradition was crucified on an X-shaped cross. Not only are we freed from disease but from everything keeping us from God.

Devotions like walking the Stations of the Cross during Lent, receiving ashes on Ash Wednesday, kissing the cross on Good Friday and getting our throats blessed on St. Blaise day are essential parts of our Catholic lineage. Each ceremony or ritual excites us, elevates our hearts; we come away refreshed and with a sense that something beyond the ordinary has just happened, not just to us but to thousands of the faithful that same day in every corner of the world. We can’t help but know that it’s good to be Catholic.

D.D. Emmons writes from Pennsylvania.

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Saints

Shared Saintly Feasts

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It is not uncommon to find friendships within the Communion of Saints. There are stories of saintly siblings like Sts. Benedict and Scholastica, who spent the night before the latter’s…

It is not uncommon to find friendships within the Communion of Saints. There are stories of saintly siblings like Sts. Benedict and Scholastica, who spent the night before the latter’s death engaged in a conversation of the heart about the things of faith. Or others come to mind, like the spiritual friendship of immigrant American Redemptorists Sts. John Neumann and Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, or the spiritual mentorship of the French bishop St. Francis de Sales and the widowed foundress St. Jane Frances de Chantal. Or there are the examples of saints whose joined forces changed the face of religious life, such as Sts. Francis and Clare of Assisi, or the duo of Church Doctors Sts. John of the Cross and Teresa of Ávila, who, by their Carmelite reforms, taught the world anew on prayer and contemplation.

Despite their shared backgrounds, these and many other saintly counterparts do not share liturgical memorials. Each of the above have their own separate and unique feast days, and yet many saints on the universal calendar are liturgically commemorated together because of their unique relationships.

On the General Roman Calendar there are more than a dozen feasts days that memorialize two saints in the same commemoration. A bit about them and their feasts follows.

Sts. Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen
— Jan. 2 —

Of the theological powerhouse known as the Cappadocian Fathers — hailing from the Cappadocia region of Turkey — two are celebrated together Jan. 2. St. Basil the Great (330-79) became bishop of Caesarea, and his close friend and collaborator, St. Gregory Nazianzen (329-89), became Patriarch of Constantinople. Both used their philosophical training to help the Church more fully understand divine revelation and formulate key doctrines of the Faith at early ecumenical councils. Together they were key players in much of our theological understanding, particularly of the Trinity.

Sts. Timothy and Titus
— Jan. 26 —

A respected leader among early Christians in modern-day Turkey, St. Timothy was a companion and one of the closest collaborators of St. Paul. St. Timothy’s mother and grandmother, Lois and Eunice, respectively, are noted in Scripture for their great faith and virtue. Accompanying St. Paul on many of his missionary travels throughout the Gentile world, St. Timothy became one of St. Paul’s most trusted aides, having been assigned important tasks like co-authorship of many of the Pauline epistles. St. Paul sent St. Timothy to the Philippians, boasting of him, “I have no one comparable to him.” He became bishop at Ephesus, and it is reported in an apocryphal text that he was martyred there for putting a halt to a pagan procession by preaching the Gospel.

St. Titus also was a close collaborator of St. Paul, who aided in the mission to the Gentiles. St. Paul put him in charge of the church at Crete, according to Tradition. He is celebrated together with St. Timothy on Jan. 26, both held up as disciples of St. Paul, whose conversion the Church celebrates the previous day.

Sts. Cyril and Methodius
— Feb. 14 —

The Byzantine brothers Constantine (c. 826-69) and Michael (815-85) eventually became monks, along with which came changes in their names, to Cyril and Methodius, respectively. Eventually, St. Methodius became a bishop. Together with their students, the brothers developed the Glagolithic and Cyrrilic alphabets as part of their work in spreading the Gospel among the Slavic peoples. Their creative approach as missionaries, always in union with the pope, is what brought the Faith ultimately to much of Eastern Europe. Feb. 14 marks the date St. Cyril died in Rome, and together they were named among the co-patrons of Europe by Pope St. John Paul II in 1980.

Sts. Perpetua and Felicity
— March 7 —

Martyred together in the north African city of Carthage around 203, Sts. Perpetua and Felicity and their companions were catechumens at the time of their death. The written account of their martyrdom survives as one of the oldest and most popular texts from early Christianity, detailing the story of the noblewoman Perpetua and her slave woman, Felicity. Both pregnant at the time, they were put to death by the Roman Empire, among others, for their conversion to Christianity.

Sts. Philip and James
— May 3 —

What is known about the apostle St. Philip comes from the Gospel of St. John. His name is Greek in origin and he was an intermediary with the Greek Gentiles who sought to meet Jesus. Hailing from Bethsaida, along with Sts. Andrew and Peter, St. Philip is thought to have been a follower of St. John the Baptist.

St. Philip is quoted at the miracle when Jesus fed the 5,000 by multiplying the loaves and fishes, and again at the Last Supper when he beseeched the Lord to “show us the Father” (Jn 14:8). Most Scripture scholars are in agreement that St. Philip the Apostle is not the same person as the deacon St. Philip in the Acts of the Apostles. The noncanonical “Acts of Philip” gives account of his martyrdom as well as his preaching and miracles.

St. James the Less, known as “the son of Alphaeus” in the synoptic Gospels, also is referred to as a relative of the Lord. His mother is named Mary, possibly the same Mary who stood alongside the Blessed Mother, John and Mary Magdalene at the foot of the cross. St. Matthew’s father also is named in the Gospel as Alphaeus, so it could be that he was the brother of St. James the Less.

He is not to be confused with St. James “the son of Zebedee,” also referred to as St. James the Greater. The reason for this distinction between the two Jameses is not entirely clear; it could be related to age, size or precedence. It is presumed that the death of James recorded in Acts of the Apostles refers to St. James the Greater.

Authorship of the New Testament Letter of James is attributed to St. James the Less, who also was the first bishop of Jerusalem. He is regarded to have called the Council of Jerusalem in A.D. 50 to address the controversy surrounding the requirement of circumcision debated by Sts. Peter and Paul.

Sts. Philip and James share a liturgical memorial as a vestige of history. There is no reason to think their combined efforts in evangelization post-Pentecost would be the cause for this. Rather, their relics were brought to the same Roman church for veneration sometime in the sixth century, and their feast is set around the date of that church’s dedication. Today the church is known and dedicated as the Church of the Twelve Holy Apostles.

Sts. Nereus and Achilleus
­— May 12 —

While accounts differ on their lives and background, Sts. Nereus and Achilleus are remembered as brothers martyred in early Rome, likely at the end of the first century. An epitaph written for their original tomb by Pope St. Damasus, a few centuries after their death, said the brothers were converted soldiers who gave up their way of life to follow Christ. The pope wrote that the two illustrate “what great deeds can be brought about by Christ’s glory.”

Sts. Marcellinus and Peter
— June 2 —

Two early Roman martyrs, said to have died in 304, Sts. Marcellinus and Peter are mentioned by name in the Roman Canon (Eucharistic Prayer I). An early martyrology says St. Marcellinus was a priest and St. Peter was an exorcist. Brought to the wilderness outside Rome for their execution, because the executioners did not want their place of death and burial to become a shrine for the Christians, an account of their martyrdom states they happily cleared the space of its wild vegetation for their death and burial.

Sts. Thomas More and John Fisher
— June 22 —

These martyrs reaped the immediate consequences from King Henry VIII’s break with the Catholic Church. Sts. Thomas More and John Fisher were imprisoned for treason because they rejected the king as head of the Church in England, which would have been tantamount to rejecting papal supremacy, and refused to acknowledge his illegitimate child as his successor. St. Thomas More had been one of the king’s closest friends and collaborators; at the height of his career he served the king as chancellor. St. John Fisher of Rochester took a stand no other bishop in England would, and he was named a cardinal while in prison. Their deaths were just days apart in 1535. St. John Fisher died June 22, and St. Thomas More died on July 6, reportedly saying, “I die the king’s good servant, and God’s first.”

Sts. Peter and Paul
— June 29 —

Although each has an individual feast connected to him (Conversion of St. Paul on Jan. 25 and Chair of St. Peter on Feb. 22), Sts. Peter and Paul share a feast commemorating them — particularly their martyrdom in Rome — on June 29. Referring to the shared feast for the Prince of the Apostles and the Apostle to the Gentiles, St. Augustine of Hippo said in his Sermon 295 (included in the Office of Readings for the day): “Both apostles share the same feast day, for these two were one; and even though they suffered on two different days, they were one. Peter went first, and Paul followed. And so we celebrate this day made holy for us by the apostles’ blood.”

Sts. Joachim and Anne
— July 26 —

Formerly having their own feasts prior to the liturgical revisions following the Second Vatican Council, the saintly parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary now share a feast. What we know about them is from Tradition, particularly the extra-biblical Protoevangelium of St. James. St. Joachim is said to have been known for his charity and generosity just as much for his love of God, and St. Anne’s name — meaning “favor” or “grace” — reflects an identity tied closely to her daughter’s. The barrenness of their marriage caused them great pain, and Mary’s conception brought them untold joy. But it is unknown if they came to see that from the very union of their flesh that the Son of God took on human nature.

Sts. Pontian and Hippolytus
— Aug. 13 —

The joint celebration of these saints since 1969 is a lesson in forgiveness and an example of how enemies can become friends. Not only did the Church face threats from the hostile Roman Empire in the third century, but also the internal unity of the Church was threatened by heresy. The theologian St. Hippolytus took things to an extreme when he believed that the bishops of Rome were not strong enough in their defense of the Faith against various heresies. Elected as an alternative bishop of Rome, he became the first antipope, attacking his rivals, popes Urban I and Pontian. When Pope St. Pontian was arrested and sent to a slave camp, St. Hippolytus soon followed the same fate. Before their martyrdom they reconciled, and Pope Fabian brought their relics together in Rome on Aug. 13, 236.

Sts. Cornelius and Cyprian
— Sept. 16 —

Following a persecution at the hands of the Roman Empire in the third century, many Christians died for their faith, yet many lived because they abandoned it and performed pagan acts of worship so that their lives might be spared. Some believed — led by the Roman priest Novatian — that the Christians who apostatized in order to survive could not be welcomed back into the Church unless they repented and were rebaptized. This heresy was forcefully opposed by Pope St. Cornelius and the bishop of Carthage, St. Cyprian. Novatian was elected a rival antipope, and St. Cornelius called a synod to garner support, having Novitian and his followers excommunicated. A defender of Pope St. Cornelius, St. Cyprian suffered much and also was faced with a rival to his own episcopal office in addition to many dissenting priests. Both Sts. Cornelius and Cyprian were martyred, in 253 and 258, respectively.

Sts. Cosmas and Damian
— Sept. 26 —

Said to have been twin brothers, the physicians Sts. Cosmas and Damian were martyred in 287 during the Diocletian persecution at Aegeae in modern-day Turkey. They garnered the Greek nickname “Anargyroi” — meaning “the moneyless” — because, according to Tradition, they accepted no remuneration for the care they gave to the sick. Legends about the martyrs indicate that miracles they performed with the sick brought about many converts. Tradition holds that after many attempts to kill them, from crucifixion to stoning, Sts. Cosmas and Damian eventually were beheaded. Their names are included in the Roman Canon (Eucharistic Prayer I).

Sts. Simon and Jude
— Oct. 28 —

St. Jude Thaddeus is not to be confused with the traitor Judas Iscariot. The figures of Jude and Thaddeus in the Gospels both are thought to refer to the same apostle. Not much is known about him other than his purported authorship of the New Testament letter bearing his name. A tradition holds he is the brother of St. James the Less, and his powerful intercession earned him the moniker as patron of hopeless causes. Tradition holds that St. Simon the Apostle, referred to as the “zealot” in the Gospel, was the missionary partner of St. Jude. Both are said to have suffered martyrdom together in modern-day Lebanon around A.D. 65. The relics of these apostles share a tomb in the papal Basilica of St. Peter’s in the Vatican.

Prayerful Pairings

Many of the saints who share liturgical memorials also are commemorated together in the Eucharistic Prayer I (the Roman Canon). These include Sts. Peter and Paul, James and Philip, Simon and Jude, Cornelius and Cyprian,Cosmas and Damian, Marcellinus and Peter, and Felicity and Perpetua.

Largely unchanged since the Council of Trent, there are two separate listings of saints within the prayer. Included are those saints particularly important to the faith of the nascent Church in Rome, such as the apostles, first bishops (popes) and many of the city’s earliest martyrs of the Roman Church. In total there are 41 saints named in the Roman Canon, including the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph. These are in addition to the names of three particularly significant Old Testament figures (Abel, Abraham and Melchizedek) who, each in their own way, somehow foreshadow the sacrifice of Christ.

Michael R. Heinlein is editor of Simply Catholic.  Follow him on Twitter @HeinleinMichael. This article originally appeared in The Priest magazine.

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From persecutor to Christian: The conversion of St. Paul

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One feast day that often slips by without notice is the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul. This miraculous event, which has been part of the Church calendar for…

One feast day that often slips by without notice is the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul. This miraculous event, which has been part of the Church calendar for more than 1,500 years, is an unmovable feast — that is, it is always on the same calendar date, Jan. 25. (Some years, the feast day falls on a Sunday, and because only a Solemnity or a feast of Our Lord can trump the Sunday liturgy, the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul is not always widely commemorated then.)

But these calendar circumstances in no way diminish the importance of Paul’s conversion, as he was among the greatest of the missionaries spreading the words of Jesus Christ. Further, he is an example that anyone, even the most hardened unbeliever or the vilest heretic, can be created anew by our loving Savior.

Road to Damascus

Saul, which is Paul’s given name, was born into a Jewish family in Tarsus (Turkey) around the year A.D. 8; he was also a Roman citizen, a fact that would play a large role later in his life. Schooled as a Pharisee, he was a tent maker by trade, but was most noted for his hatred of Christians. He believed the teachings of Jesus violated Mosaic Law and zealously harassed, and even jailed, anyone who followed those teachings.

The first scriptural mention of Saul is found in Acts 7:58, as he is a bystander watching his fellow Jews stone St. Stephen to death. An aggressive persecutor of Christians in Jerusalem, Saul sought and received permission from the high priest to proceed to Damascus for the purpose of imprisoning more followers of Christ.

Most Christians know the story of what happened on the Damascus road: the bright light that knocked Saul down, the voice of Jesus, Saul’s blindness and immediate response to the calling of Christ. In the manner of the first Apostles who, when beckoned by Christ, gave up their lifestyles to follow him, Saul too doesn’t hesitate. He says yes, just as the Blessed Mother said yes. Blinded from his encounter with Jesus, he allowed himself to be led into Damascus where he was baptized, after which he set out to spread the news of Jesus. Paul would repeat the story of his conversion again and again throughout his life, including to the different magistrates and kings who judged his activities. The book of Acts, in three places, tells the story of Saul’s experience on the Damascus road.

Impact of his conversion

Saul’s sudden change confused those around him, because he was known as one who hated Christians, who went about seeking them out to eliminate those individuals he genuinely considered as breaking Jewish law. Suddenly he was transformed from despising the followers of Jesus into fervently espousing the Gospel of that same Jesus. No one could have anticipated this conversion; it is one of the great miracles of mankind.

After his baptism, Saul, who would be called Paul in the 13th chapter of Acts, went to the desert of Arabia to pray and contemplate his calling.

He then returned to Damascus and into the synagogue, where he attested to the divinity of Jesus. While he had no Christian training, God infused words in his heart and in his mouth.

The Jews in Damascus would eventually connive against him. The threat grew so severe that other Christians assisted Paul in an escape that included lowering him over the city walls in a basket. This was only the beginning of the threats and attacks on Paul. Henceforth, he was often regarded as a social undesirable, an agitator and a leader of a dangerous sect.

From Damascus, he traveled to Jerusalem, where his reputation as a persecutor of Christians preceded him and Christians there were unsure and confounded by his appearance. Here he met and spent time with Peter, becoming even more determined to serve his Savior.

At the Council of Jerusalem, in the year 49, Paul successfully argued against the widespread belief that non-Jews seeking to become Christians would first have to convert to Judaism, which means comply with Mosaic Law, be circumcised and observe all Jewish dietary customs. Because of Paul’s persuasion, Christianity would become even more widespread.

Like the most fervent convert, Paul simply couldn’t get enough of Christ. With faith and courage inflamed by the Holy Spirit, Paul would spend the rest of his life going from country to country and town to town proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah, organizing and encouraging Christians to be resolute followers of Jesus, and nonbelievers to open their hearts to Christ, repent and be baptized. He would become known as the Apostle of the Gentiles (non-Jews) and his travels, letters and teaching changed the world.

Often in trouble, Paul was confronted, jailed (though angels rescued him), physically abused and repeatedly endangered and harassed for preaching the message he previously attacked. Despite all the dangers he encountered, Paul never faltered or failed his God. In the end, he would be taken to Rome as a prisoner and be beheaded for his teachings.

Why Paul?

Why would Jesus select the likes of Paul? There were certainly other devoted followers of Jesus available in those early days of the Church — followers ready to give their lives to proclaim Jesus Christ as savior of the world. But Jesus picked and converted this Pharisee, known as Saul, saying, “This man is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before Gentiles, kings and Israelites” (Acts 9:15). God selected this man who had a strong hatred of all Jesus stands for, a man who went into the houses of Christians and “dragging out men and women,” then “handed them over for imprisonment” (Acts 8:3). This man became God’s chosen instrument to spread the message of Jesus across the Middle East and parts of Europe. Certainly, our Lord works in mysterious ways.

D.D. Emmons writes from Pennsylvania. Originally appeared in Our Sunday Visitor.

 

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Saints

St. Sebastian: A saint for athletes

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The first Christians saw a connection between the courage and endurance of the martyrs and the courage and endurance of athletes. In his second letter to St. Timothy, St. Paul,…

The first Christians saw a connection between the courage and endurance of the martyrs and the courage and endurance of athletes. In his second letter to St. Timothy, St. Paul, knowing that his martyrdom was not far off, compared himself to a boxer and a runner: “I have fought a good fight,” he said. “I have finished my course.” A few decades later, about the year 110, the martyr St. Ignatius of Antioch wrote to his fellow bishop St. Polycarp urging him to act like “an athlete of God [for whom] the prize is immortality and eternal life.”

Ignatius and Polycarp were elderly and Paul was probably in his 60s when they gave their lives for the Faith — perhaps not the most athletic period of their lives. But for centuries artists have portrayed St. Sebastian as a handsome young man with the physique of a personal trainer.

Although there is no doubt that there was a Roman martyr named Sebastian, and that devotion to him dates back to the fourth century, the earliest surviving life of the saint was written a century or more after his death. According to this story Sebastian was a Praetorian, a member of an elite troop of soldiers who served as the emperor’s bodyguard. When Emperor Diocletian began his persecution of the Church, Sebastian used his status to visit Christians in prison. This was dangerous business, and it was not long before he was denounced to the emperor.

Enraged that one of his own bodyguards was a Christian, Diocletian ordered the Praetorians to take Sebastian back to their camp and shoot him to death with arrows. Aft er perforating their former comrade, the Praetorians assumed that Sebastian was dead. So did everyone else who heard of his martyrdom. Aft er sunset a Christian woman named Irene crept into the Praetorians’ camp to retrieve the body and give it a Christian burial. As Irene and her serving woman cut Sebastian down, they heard him groan. Incredibly, he was still alive.

Instead of carrying him to the catacombs for burial, Irene brought Sebastian back to her house where she and her servant nursed him. As soon as his strength returned, Sebastian went off to confront Diocletian. He found the emperor on the steps of the imperial palace. Furious that his former bodyguard was still alive, Diocletian demanded of his entourage, “Did I not sentence this man to be shot to death with arrows?” But Sebastian answered for the emperor’s courtiers. He had been made a target for archers, “But the Lord kept me alive so I could return and rebuke you for treating the servants of Christ so cruelly.”

This time the emperor took no chances: Diocletian ordered his guard to beat Sebastian to death there on the palace steps, while he watched. Once he was certain that Sebastian truly was dead, Diocletian had the martyr’s body dumped into the Cloaca Maxima, Rome’s main sewer. Nonetheless, Christians recovered it and buried Sebastian in a catacomb known ever since as San Sebastiano.

St. Sebastian is the patron saint of archers and of the Pontifical Swiss Guards. His feast day is Jan. 20.

Thomas Craughwell is the author of more than 30 books, including “Saints Behaving Badly” and “This Saint Will Change Your Life.”

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