Saint Talk: St. Therese of Lisieux,Doctor of the Church

October is packed with the feast days of some of the most popular saints of the Church. Today the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Therese of Lisieux, the Little Flower of Jesus. St. Therese is one of the most beloved saints of modern times and is known as a great intercessor. Millions have read her autobiographical work, A Story of a Soul.

St. Therese is known for her "little way" of doing small acts of charity and kindness. She would keep a small string of sacrifice beads to remind her to do good acts. She spoke of a simple, childlike spirituality that has touched the lives of many. While her insight may be simple, they were not simple minded, for in the fact the Church has declared her a Doctor of the Church.

St. Talk: St. Anthony of Padua

St. Anthony statue from St. Roch Catholic Church
Indianapolis, IN

St. Anthony of Padua is one of the most beloved and popular saints in Catholic history. Known as the "hammer of the heretics," St. Anthony is often portrayed holding the infant Jesus. This is attributed to a miracle in which Jesus appeared to St. Anthony as a baby.

St. Anthony was a tremendous speaker and teacher of the faith. So much so, that in 1946 the Church declared him a Doctor of the Church because of his ability to simplify the teachings of faith for ordinary people. Today, he is often invoked as the patron of lost items. He is also patron of a number of other causes, including faith in the Blessed Sacrament.

Prayer to St. Anthony for Lost Things
Tony, Tony,
look around.
Something's lost
and must be found!

Prayer by St. Anthony for Help from the Holy Spirit
O God, send forth your Holy Spirit into my heart that I may perceive, into my mind that I may remember, and into my soul that I may meditate. Inspire me to speak with piety, holiness, tenderness and mercy. Teach, guide and direct my thoughts and senses from beginning to end. May your grace ever help and correct me, and may I be strengthened now with wisdom from on high, for the sake of your infinite mercy. Amen.

Online Resources:
St. Anthony, Catholic Online
St. Anthony, EWTN
St. Anthony, SQPN

Recommended Book(s):
St. Anthony the Wonder Worker of Padua, Charles W. Stoddard

Saint Talk:St. Catherine of Siena, Doctor of the Church

"Do not be satisfied with little things, because God wants great things!"  Letter T127

Today marks the Feast Day of St. Catherine of Siena, Doctor of the Church and patroness of Italy and my parish in Carrollton, Texas. St. Catherine is one of only three women doctors of the Church, along with St. Teresa de Avila and St. Therese de Lisieux. St. Catherine is best known for convincing Pope Grgegory XI to move back to Rome from Avignon where the papacy had been displaced because of wars between the Italian states. Though she never received a formal education, St. Catherine "was one of the most brilliant theological minds of her day" (Catholic Online).St. Catherine also suffered from an invisible stigmata and in 1430, her body was discovered incorrupt, fifty years after her death.

To learn more about St. Catherine:

Saint Talk, April 2011

Parish Mission - Father McDermott

Here's a great video from Saints Speak:

Saint Talk: St. Thomas Aquinas

Today we celebrate the feast of St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church. He is the patron of students and author of The Summa Theologica, which is considered by many to be the most influential piece of western literature.

St. Thomas was a Dominican priest who studied in France under the tutelage of St. Albert the Great. By all accounts Thomas was a supernatural genius, who garnered inspiration from the Holy Spirit and was visited by Blessed Mother and Sts. Peter and Paul (See New Advent, Supernatural Causes). He is also reported to have had the ability to read even the most complex material and have full understanding upon only one reading. I could certainly use a little of that charism when studying for my IPT courses. One thing we can certainly learn from this extraordinary saint is that he prayed before each time he studied or wrote. I am particularly fond of his Prayer Before Study.

Today, our own Frater Bovious made a presentation on St. Thomas' teachings.
WARNING: If you are easily offended by "salty" language there is an S-bomb around the 21:05 mark.

Saint Talk: St. Francis de SalesDoctor of the Church

By Father Lawrence Lew, OP

Today the Church celebrates the feast day of St. Francis de Sales, Doctor of the Church.

St. Francis was born to a "noble and pious family." By all accounts he was a great student at the University of Paris and the University of Padua. He was well on his way to a successful career as a lawyer, which was his father's wish. Instead, he answered the call to the priesthood. He was instrumental in responding to the Calvinist movement during the 17th century. Eventually Francis would become the Bishop of Geneva.

His best known work, Introduction to the Devout Life holds the test of time as a guide for lay Catholics who are seeking to develop a closer relationship with Christ. He is the patron of writers.

Additional Reading:

St. Francis de Sales, Catholic.org

St. Francis de Sales, EWTN

For those would like to learn more about St. Francis de Sales from video, here's a one hour video from EWTN:

Saint Talk: St. Catherine of Siena

St. Catherine of Siena, our parish patron, is one of three women elevated to the title of Doctor of the Church. She was a 14th Century mystic who had visions of Christ and Mary beginning at an early age. Later in life, she joined Dominicans as a tertiary or Third Order lay member. 

She is best known were work the Dialogue and for being instrumental in convincing the pope to return to Rome. She suffered from the stigmata, although invisible to all until her death when the wounds were revealed.  She is also one of the incorruptibles. We celebrate her feast day on April 29th.

New Advent on St. Catherine

EWTN on St. Catherine

SQPN on St. Catherine