أعياد القديسين
7
تموز - يوليو
لاتيني
July 03
Saint Thomas, the Apostle
Touma is an Aramaic name meaning “my twin.” He is one of the twelve apostles (Matthew 10:3). He showed love for his divine teacher, and he said enthusiastically to others: “Let us also go to die with him” (John 11:16). He said to Jesus in during the Last Supper: “Lord, we do not know where you are going, so how do we know the way?” Jesus answered him: “I am the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:5-6). His personality was linked to the idea of doubt, based on what the Bible tells us that he was not present with the disciples at the first appearance of the Lord after His resurrection. When they told him, he said: “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the place of the nails, and my hand in his side, I will not believe” (John 20:25). After eight days, Christ showed him the scars of his wounds, so he exclaimed with a confession of faith: “My Lord and my God” (John 20:29). Then we see him on the Sea of Galilee with six of the disciples when Jesus appeared to them for the third time (John 21:2); And also in the upper room in Jerusalem after the Ascension (Acts 1:13). Tradition says that Thomas preached in Edessa, northeastern Syria, Persia, and India, until he was martyred there by pagan priests, pierced with spears. That is why he is depicted in artwork carrying a spear. Since the sixth century, the transfer of his remains to the city of Edessa has been celebrated on the third day of July.
July 04
Saint Elizabeth, Queen of Portugal
She was born in 1271 AD to the dynasty of the kings of Aragon (northeast Spain). Her family married her to the King of Portugal when she was still a young woman. She bore two sons. She suffered a lot in her married life because of her husband's infidelities, but she endured the difficulties and hardships, strengthened by prayer and acts of Christian love. She worked to reconcile the opponents and spread peace among her family members, and she advised her husband to avoid conflicts, so she was able to calm the tension that arose at the time between Aragona, Portugal and Spain. When her husband passed away, she distributed her money to the poor and the monasteries, and she wore the monastic dress in the third order of St. Francis, then she entered the Clarisse Sisters (Sisters of Saint Clara), which she had established. She fell asleep in the Lord in 1336 and is seeking to sign a peace treaty between her son and her brother-in-law. In the year 1612 her body was found preserved from corruption when the case began to consider her canonization.
July 05
Saint Anthony Maria Zacharias, priest
He was born in the city of Cremona in northern Italy in 1502 AD. He studied medicine in the city of Padua. After his return to his city, he felt the urgent need to spread the word of God, due to the ignorance of many and the difficulties the church experienced due to the so-called Protestant reform movement, so he began to explain the Bible to young and old, then he decided to become a priest, so he began studying theology and was ordained a priest in 1528. Two years later He founded a group of dedicated priests and laid down for them a law of common life, which he called the community of St. Paul and later known as the “Barnabas” based on the Church of St. Barnabas, which had their first center. He also founded a women's order and a group of secular devotees, as his concern was to deliver the good news of the Gospel to everyone. He rested in the Lord in 1539. Among his sayings: “Those who persecute us do evil for themselves, and good for us. They make us more worthy of the heavenly glory, and they bring upon themselves the wrath of God. We should pity them and love them, rather than hate or hate them. Rather, we must pray for them, so that we are not overcome by evil, but rather we overcome evil with good.”
July 06
Saint Maria Goretti, Virgin Martyr
She was born in Italy in 1890 from a poor family that lived near Rome. She lived a simple life helping her mother with the housework. Her father died when she was ten years old, so her mother entrusted her with taking care of her younger siblings. She showed a spirit of faith and piety through her perseverance in prayer. At the age of eleven, she celebrated her first communion and resolved to die rather than fall into sin. In 1902, a young neighbor fell in love with her and tried to rape her, but she vehemently refused. He stabbed her with a sharp dagger. Maria, a martyr of chastity, died after an operation to save her. Before her death, she expressed her forgiveness to her killer. As for him, he was imprisoned, and there he repented and converted after he saw Maria in a dream promising him Paradise. After his release from prison, he asked her mother for forgiveness. Pope Pius XII canonized her in the Jubilee of 1950 with the presence of her mother and her murderer himself.
July 13th
Saint Henry
Henry II, Emperor of the West. He was born in the state of Bavaria in Germany in 973 AD and grew up in a pious Christian family: his eldest brother was a bishop and one of his sisters was a nun, while a second sister married King Stephen of Hungary, who was later declared a saint. After receiving an authentic Christian upbringing, he succeeded his father, the king, in ruling the country, earning him the title of “King of Germany and Italy.” Then, in 1014, Pope Benedict VIII crowned him emperor of the "Holy Roman Empire". He took care of his temporal duties with all responsibility and dedication. He and his wife lived a life close to that of the monks. The two contributed to reforming the church and encouraging missionaries. He founded several bishoprics and monasteries. He is credited with including the recitation of the Creed in Sunday Mass. He rested in the Lord in the year 1024. His Holiness Pope Eugenius III declared in the year 1146. Among his sayings: “The present glory is fleeting and void, unless we think of directing it to heavenly eternity.”
July 14th
Saint Camille de Lilles, priest
He was born near the city of Chieti in eastern Italy in 1550 AD, from a noble family. He spent the first period of his youth in the army, and lived a wasteful life, and when he lost all his money, he put himself in the service of the Capuchin fathers. Thanks to the advice of one of the monks, he returned to God and changed his lifestyle. He had to go to Rome to treat an ulcer in his foot, and seeing there the misery of the neglected patients, he began serving them. After leaving the hospital, he decided to dedicate himself entirely to their service, so he established with some of his companions the “Servants of the Patients” Association, whose aim was to take care of them and build hospitals. Meanwhile, he studied theology and was ordained a priest. He saw in the suffering and tormented Christ Himself, and spent his life serving them. He rested in the Lord in the city of Rome in 1614, following his illness with kidney failure. He played a major role in the establishment of the nursing profession as we know it today. He is considered the intercessor of patients, nurses, and hospitals.
July 15th
Saint Bonaventure, Bishop and Teacher of the Church
He was born in Central Italy in 1218 AD. He was exposed to a disease in his childhood, from which he was cured through the intercession of St. Francis of Assisi. In his youth, he studied philosophy and theology in Paris, then entered the Order of the Friars Minor (the Franciscans) and was appointed as a teacher of theology. He was elected General Superior of the Order, so he managed it with wisdom and acumen, and he had great credit for drawing its features, to the extent that he was called the “second founder” of it. He is the author of many books on theology and mysticism, the most famous of which are: “The Path of the Mind to God” and “The Biography of Saint Francis of Assisi.” He was chosen bishop and cardinal of Albano, Italy. In 1274 he participated in the Second Council of Lyon in France, during which he contributed to the rapprochement between the Latin and Byzantine churches. Rest in the Lord during the works of the aforementioned compound. Among his sayings: “Whoever wants to be perfect must leave all theories of the mind, so that the peak of his feelings will be transferred to him and he will turn to God. This is Sufism.
July 20th
Saint Apollinaris, bishop and martyr
He is originally from the Syrian city of Antioch (now in Turkey). There is a tradition that says that he was a disciple of Saint Peter the Apostle. However, he probably lived between the end of the second century and the beginning of the third. He is considered the first bishop of the city of Ravenna in eastern Italy. He spent his life preaching the gospel of Christ to the peoples of that region, then he died as a martyr, according to what was reported on his behalf. His honor spread widely among the people, especially in Italy, Germany and France, despite the lack of adequate information about his life and death. His body rests in the church that was built after his name in the city of Ravenna, which is famous for its mosaic art, which expresses the Christian faith with unique beauty.
July 21st
Saint Lawrence of Brindisi, priest and teacher of the Church
He was born in the city of Brindisi, in southeastern Italy, in 1559 AD. Orphaned when he was fourteen years old, he had to move to Venice to live with one of his fellow priests. There he completed his studies and felt the call to a consecrated life, so he joined the Capuchin Order. He was ordained a priest, taught theology, and performed major duties in the monastic order. He toured Europe as a famous and influential preacher. He practiced his mission with humility and simplicity. He worked to reconcile enemies in times of war. He has written many books in defense of the faith and in response to heretics. He rested in the Lord in the city of Lisbon, Portugal, in 1619. Pope John XXIII declared him a teacher of the Church, in 1959, calling him the “Apostolic Teacher.” Among his sayings: “Grace and love without faith are invalid, because we cannot please God without faith. Faith cannot be born without preaching... Therefore, preaching the words of Christ is necessary for the spiritual life, just as food is necessary for the physical life.
July 22nd
Saint Mary Magdalene
The Gospel of Luke (8: 1-3) tells us that besides the disciples of Christ there were women who followed him and helped him with their money. Among them we find Mary Magdalene, who is most likely from the village of Magdala on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. It is mentioned that the Lord freed her from seven demons, and she became his disciple. Based on this, it was commonly said that she was an adulterer, but the Gospels do not confirm this. While telling us that she was steadfast with Jesus to the end, she was among the few disciples who stayed with him at the time of the crucifixion (John 19:25) and burial (Mark 15:47). She was among the women who came to the tomb to embalm his body (Mark 16:1). There God blessed her to be among the first witnesses of the resurrection, as Jesus appeared to her and commissioned her to tell the apostles that he was alive (John 20: 11-18). Honoring her has spread in the West since the twelfth century.
July 24th
Saint Charbel Makhlouf, priest
He was born in Bekaa Kafra in northern Lebanon in 1828 AD, of pious parents. He left his father's house at the age of twenty-three and entered the Lebanese Maronite Order. He was sent to Kfifan Monastery, where he studied philosophy and theology, and was brought up by saintly monks, including Ni'matullah Al-Hardini. He was ordained a priest and resided in the Monastery of Saint Maron in Annaya, displaying the highest monastic virtues, especially the virtues of humility and obedience. He asked his superiors to remain in the hermitage of the monastery, and they gave him permission to do so in 1875, where he spent twenty-three years devoted to prayer, meditation, and austerity in addition to working in the field. The news of his holiness spread, so people started going to him to obtain his blessing and seek from him the cure of their diseases and the fertility of their seasons. God performed many verses on his hand. He was struck by paralysis in 1898 while he was celebrating the Divine Liturgy, and he rested in the Lord eight days later, on Christmas Eve. Years after his burial, his body was found safe from corruption. Pope Paul VI declared him a saint in 1977. Among his sayings: “A person desires many things that he does not need, and he needs many things that he does not desire!”
July 25th
Saint James, the Apostle
He is Jacob the Apostle, nicknamed "the Great", born in Bethsaida. The Bible tells us that he is the son of Zebedee and the older brother of John the Apostle (Matthew 4:21). Their mother, Salome, was the sister of the mother of Mary Jesus (cf. Matt 27: 56; Mark 15: 40; John 19: 25). He was with his father and brother working as a fisherman when Jesus called him on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, so he left everything and followed him (Luke 5: 10; Matthew 4: 21-22; Mark 1: 19-20). The brothers wanted to obtain an important position alongside Christ the King (Mark 10: 35-45). Jesus called them the sons of thunder (Mark 3:17). James was one of the three apostles close to Jesus, so we find him with John and Peter and not others in some events: the residence of Jair’s daughter, the transfiguration, and the dispute on the Mount of Olives (Matthew 17: 1; Mark 9: 28; Matt 26: 37; Mark 14: 33). ). After the resurrection, we find him with other apostles when Jesus appeared on the Sea of Galilee (John 21:2). And in the upper room of Jerusalem (Acts 1:13). The ruler, Herod Agrippa I, ordered his beheading (Apostles 12: 2), and that was most likely in the year 44. Thus, he was the first of the apostles to end their lives with the blood of their testimony. His honor was famous in the city of Compostela in Spain, where a church was built in his name and today it is a global shrine.
July 26th
Saint Joachim and Saint Anne, parents of Saint Mary the Virgin
Although the Bible does not tell us about Joachim and Anna, an old tradition spread in Christian Jewish circles in the second century AD, according to which they are the parents of Saint Mary the Virgin. The narration says that they lived in God-fearing, and in their old age they were blessed with their daughter, Mary, by a divine miracle, so we vowed her to the Temple since her childhood. Veneration of St. Anne spread in the East since the sixth century, and in the West since the tenth century. As for the veneration of St. Joachim, it goes back to the seventeenth century. Our mention of these two saints is an opportunity to reflect on the role of the elderly and their importance in the family and society. Pope Francis spoke about this in one of his sermons, saying: “Old age contains grace and a message, and it is a true call from the Lord. Old age call! ... This is what we must show to the young who tire quickly: the testimony of the elderly is the testimony of fidelity ... The prayer of the grandparents and the elderly is a gift and riches for the Church! It is also a source of wisdom for the entire human community.”
July 29th
Saint Martha
Saint Martha is the sister of Mary and Lazarus, from Bethany, near Jerusalem. They had a strong friendship with Jesus. It was mentioned in the Gospel of Luke (10: 38-42) when she hosted Jesus in her house and served him with love and attention, but she neglected to listen to his teaching, and was preoccupied with many other things, so the Lord guided her to choose the best part, i.e. listening to his words. She is mentioned again in the Gospel of John (11: 1-45), in the event of the resurrection of her brother Lazarus from the dead. ». Finally, John the Evangelist tells us about it in his account of a dinner to which Jesus was invited, and at which Martha, as usual, served the guests (12: 2). The Franciscans have been celebrating her memory since 1262.
July 30th
Saint Peter Chrysologus
He was born around 380 AD in Italy. From what we have learned about him, he was a clergyman, chosen around the year 433 as bishop of the city of Ravenna in eastern Italy, which was the capital of the empire at the time, and was ordained by Pope Sixtus III. The church was going through difficulties because of the heresy of Nestorius, and that is why we find Peter concerned with caring for his parish by preaching and spreading the correct teaching, so he deserved the title “Chrysologos”, which means in Greek “the golden word”. Among his listeners were the Pope himself and important figures from the emperor's court. One hundred and eighty of his sermons have reached us, of great importance with regard to the Christian faith, and in which some aspects of his personality appear: faith, broad culture, good morals, and tact in dealing. He rested in the Lord around the year 450. Among his sayings: “The hand of God that condescended and took the dust for creation, condescended and took a body in order to reform it. For the Creator to exist in his creation, for God to exist in a body, this is an honor for man, without being an insult to the Creator.
July 31st
Saint Ignatius de Loyola, priest
He was born in Loyola, Spain, and died in Rome. He lived in the royal court and was a soldier. Then he repented to God, studied theology at the University of Paris, and was joined there by the first companions, and with them he established a order in Rome, known as the “Jesuit Order.” He carried out an effective message with his writings and through his students. Monasticism has worked a lot on reforming the church. He rested in the Lord in the city of Rome in 1556. The Jesuits are the most faithful monks to the Church and its great ink. They have spread all over the world. Ignatius wrote the book “The Spiritual Exercises,” “The Constitution of the Jesuit Order,” and “The Message in Obedience.” He made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
