Feast Day of Saint Gabriel Possenti

IMPORTANT FACTS:

Saint Gabriel's Family Tree

He was very fond of his family and is particularly remembered as a remarkable young man who, at the age of 20,threw all aside for God, determined to become a SAINT.
Before entering his vocation,he had several romantic involvements and on the night he left for the monastery there were still hopes that he might become engaged to a local girl but when he met Our Lady of Sorrows,he forgot about the local girl and fell in love with Our Lady.He cared for Mary of Sorrows instead and consoled her whenever he could..

He is Patron of Hand Gunners because of an incident:- He disarmed one of the soldiers who attacked a young girl, he faced the rest of the band fearlessly, and drove them all out of the village at the point of a gun.

Gabriel had proved himself an exemplary religious and a perfect follower of the Passionist Rule,being especially devoted to the Virgin Mary.He hoped to be sent to the missions after his ordination to the priesthood, but before he could be ordained a priest, Gabriel died at the age of  24,during the retreat at Isola del Gran Sasso the early hours of  February 27, 1862, in the presence of the community, holding close an image of Our Lady of Sorrows and smiling peacefully. Those who were with Gabriel when he died reported that at the moment of death, he sat up in bed and his face became radiant as he reached out to an otherwise unseen figure that was entering the room. It was the opinion of Father Norbert that Saint Gabriel had seen the Virgin Mary at the very moment of his death.On his deathbed he ordered his spiritual writings to be burnt for he feared they would tempt him to pride. Only his letters survived, alongside his ‘Resolutions’ which map the spiritual progress he made in his few years as a Passionist.

Resolutions of St.Gabriel Possenti

Two miracles presented for the beatification of Gabriel were the inexplicable healings of Maria Mazzarella from pulmonary tuberculosis and periostitus, and the instantaneous cure of Dominic Tiber from an inoperable hernia.
Gabriel was beatified by Pope Pius X on May 31, 1908.
Gabriel’s canonisation for a while, but on May 13, 1920, he was raised to the altars by Pope Benedict XV.
Canonized in 1920, along with St. Aloysius,one of the patrons of youth.

Gabriel Possenti’s life paralleled that of his contemporary, Thérèse of Lisieux. Both had normal childhoods, displayed cheerful dispositions,sought holiness in doing little things lovingly, and died young of tuberculosis. Had Gabriel not destroyed all his personal notes just before his death, we may have had the male twin of St.Therese.

Quote of Saint Gabriel Possenti:

•  Do not bestow your love on the world
• ...fidelity in little things must be the basic rule in striving for holiness
• Our perfection does not consist of doing extraordinary
• Who it will be able ever to repeat the pains,the strains and the sufferings that Jesus suffered in such little time.We see Jesus in the garden of olives,after being separated from His Sorrowful mother,how he is pale and trembling with fear,his face to the ground

PRAYER TO SAINT GABRIEL POSSENTI:
Dear Saint Gabriel, you who consoled Our Lady of Sorrows and held dear the passion of Christ,help and console us, young people today in our daily trials and tribulations.Help us to be strong to get through this world that finds it hard to accept young people, especially, at this current moment.May we not be discouraged but always know that there is hope in the Passion of our Lord.May you, our smiling saint, patron of the young, guide us in picking up our cross in following Christ courageously, hence, becoming faithful disciples of Christ,just like you. Amen.
Saint Gabriel Possenti,Patron of the young pray for us!

Feast Day of Saint Margaret of Cortona

IMPORTANT FACTS:

Margaret was by nature one of those women who thirst for affection,in whom to be loved is the main need of their lives.She needed to be loved that her soul might be free,and in her home she found not what she wanted.She indeed was a Hopeless Soul.Margaret records that she was taught by her mother a prayer she never forgot: "O Lord Jesus, I beseech thee, grant salvation to all those for whom thou wouldst have me pray."There were times during her stay with her lover,she realise her wrong doings.She did try to run and she told some of her friends about her ideas but they would warn her of the risk she was running; but Margaret,would laugh at their warnings and tell them that some day she would be a SAINT.

After years of conversion,the old desires were upon her;they had effected her severely and could not at once be removed;even to the end of her life she had reason to fear her desires.Sometimes she would ask herself how long she could continue the fight;sometimes she felt maybe should stop her severe penance,
and live her life like ordinary people but she somehow persevered in prayer.She asked Jesus to help her continue what she started rather than give up for she knew the Lord fell 3 times on His way to Cavalry but never gave up carrying His cross.This thought always brought comfort to her.
Margaret did wonder why her life was miserable but Jesus said told her later in her life:
"I have put thee as a burning light,to enlighten those who sit in the darkness.I have set thee as an example to sinners,that in thee they may behold how my mercy awaits the sinner who is willing to repent;for as I have been merciful to thee,so will I be merciful to them." 

Margaret to the end was very human; she was the same Margaret,however pure,she still had great temptations alluring her.She said to her confessor,"My father,do not ask me to give in to this body of mine. I cannot afford it.Between me and my body there must needs be a struggle until death."
She knew she could never live a normal life and penance was all she could do to keep her mind on Jesus.

Her confessor tells us that one day,shortly before her death,she had a vision of St. Mary Magdalene, "most faithful of Christ's apostles, clothed in a robe as it were of silver, and crowned with a crown of precious gems,and surrounded by the holy angels."It was said that the vision was letting Margaret know that she deserved to share the same glory as St.Mary Magdalene had in Heaven.Finally after death,her soul was raised high to Sainthood immediately but was not officially canonized until 1728.She was canonized on May 16,1728 by Pope Benedict XIII and her body was blessed by God,until today it has been incorrupted.The Church celebrates his feast day on February 22nd.

Quote of Saint Margaret :

• The Spouse Eternal is exceeding jealous...He watches attentively over the souls He has created. Actions which we think virtuous are to His eyes impregnated with hidden vice; and hence it happens for those actions, from which we hope to obtain a reward, we frequently deserve everlasting punishment.
• In times of desolation, God conceals Himself from us so that we can discover for ourselves what we are without Him.
• Hide nothing from your confessor... a sick man can be cured only by revealing his wounds.

PRAYER TO SAINT MARGARET :
O Pure Saint Margaret,you who fought daily with impure temptations and did give up hope at times but never abandon your prayers;pray for us.We need your prayers to secure eternal life;for the life here on earth is filled with impureness and temptations.During the time of temptations,intercede fervently for us to never lose our hope in God and to preserve in prayer.May we not seek to go back to our old ways but may we always seek to move forward with Jesus,just like you did.Amen.
Saint Margaret,Virgin of the Lamb,guide us to the mercy of Jesus!

Ash Wednesday (The Start of Lent)

QUICK FACTS on ASH WEDNESDAY

A.S.H= AFFIRMATION of the SIGN of the HOLY cross

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Season of Lent.It is a time of penance,reflection, fast and abstinence.It is a time where we strife for Holiness.It is all about stripping away the distractions of life to ensure we can focus on getting closer to God and preparing ourselves for a better, much more repentant and new person for Easter.Therefore, we should challenge ourselves and resist the temptations of the flesh during Lent.Instead of giving up something you like,try giving up SIN.


What Did Jesus Do During the 40 days?

Feast Day of Saint Claude de la Colombiere

IMPORTANT FACTS:

His love for the heart of Jesus drew him to much suffering for this world.His desire to love Jesus was deep within him and he tried his level best to please the heart of Jesus.When Saint Claude was age 33,the same age when Jesus died,he had a great desire to die completely to this world and to self.He wrote:“I believe,Lord,it is time for me to live in You,and only for You,at my age You died for me in particular.” Saint Claude's devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus made him a shining soul of Christ and he was known for strict obedience and penance.His loyalty and great love for Jesus helped him during his last days when everything in the world seemed to lose its savour.His poor health made him suffer from difficultly of prayer and penance. 15th February 1682,St.Claude suffered intense pain and was too weak to speak anything because of the severe haemorrhage.In the evening of that same day,he finally died after a life full of self-surrender to the Heart of Jesus.After he died,St. Margaret Mary received a holy announcement from heaven that Claude was already in the glory of God and did not need any prayers.He was finally beatified in 1929 and was declared a saint in 1992 by Pope John Paul II.The Church celebrates his feast day on February 15th.

Quotes of Saint Claude:

• 'In our ignorance of what the future holds, how can we be so bold as to question what comes about by God's permission? Surely it is reasonable to think that our complaints are groundless and that instead of complaining we ought to be thanking Providence.' 
• 'It is great glory for Him to have a creature so attached to His Providence,so dependent on Him, full of such firm hope and peace of mind in the expectation of what He will send.His concern for such a one is redoubled,He watches over the slightest things that are of interest to him and inspires those who are over him to act prudently; and if for any reason they try to act in a manner harmful to him, He prevents them in the hidden ways of His Providence from carrying out their designs and compels them to do only what is to his advantage.' 

PRAYER TO SAINT CLAUDE :
O Holy Saint Claude,intercede for us to be Great Saints in Heaven and may we imitate Our Lord Jesus Christ here on earth;in order to gain our Heavenly Glory which the Lord promised to those who trust and follow His ways until the end.Amen.
Saint Claude,bring us closer to the Heart of Jesus!