DVRodriguez

St. Barbara (3rd century) is one of five Virgin Martyrs to which the Church turns our attention at the start of Advent. HER CONVERSION Nicoemdia, a city in Asia Minor, was St. Barbara's birthplace. Prior to the construction of Constantinople (326 AD), this was the most important Roman City in Asia (the area now known as Turkey). Her father, Dioscurus, was a superstitious pagan nobleman. Fearing that his only child might learn to know and love the doctrines of Christianity, he kept her apart from interaction with most men. As she grew, he feared her great beauty might bring shame and [...]

Confessor and Apostle of the Indies (1506-1552) (taken from the Third Lesson of the Roman Breviary) "Francis was born of a noble family at Xavier in the diocese of Pamplona. In Paris, he joined the companions and disciples of St. Ignatius, and in a short time became a shining example of austerity of life and uniting contemplation of divine things. Paul III made him apostolic nuncio to India, and he traveled about through countless provinces, always on foot and often barefoot. He brought the faith to Japan and six other regions. In India, he converted many hundreds of thousands to Christianity, [...]

In the 1134th Year of Our Lord, three Knights of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, prisoners of the Muslims in Egypt, miraculously found (or received) in their prison a statue of Our Lady, which they named Our Lady of Joy, or Notre Dame de Liesse (Causa Nostra Lætitiæ). In response to the prayers of these three knights, a young Muslim princess named Ismerie was intrigued by their prayers, austerity, devotion and chivalry. Through the intercession of Our Lady and the mercy of God, the princess was converted to the one holy Catholic Faith. This of course was a capital [...]

On her liturgy of December 2nd, Holy Mother Church honors St. Bibiana, a Roman Virgin Martyr (+ 363 AD). In 313, Emperor Constantine passed the Edict of Milan which made Christianity a "legal" religion and outlawed the persecution of Christians. This relief came shortly after the most severe persecution against Christians, that of Emperors Diocletian and Galerius (303-311 AD). Unfortunately, in 361 Julian "The Apostate" became emperor and he renewed the persecutions against Christians for a few brief years. It was under his reign that St. Bibiana lost her life. A soldier named Apronianus was made governor of Rome by Julian. [...]

Saint James Intercisus, (+421) was a fifth century martyr from the East. James was a Persian soldier who rose in the ranks to become a great favorite of King Yezdigered I. When this king began to persecute Christians, James did not have the courage to confess his Catholic faith. He was too afraid to lose the King’s friendship and his prominent position at court. So he apostatized. He gave up his faith and denied Christ (or at the very least, pretended to do so, which is nevertheless mortally sinful). James’ wife and mother were broken-hearted. They had remained steadfast in the [...]

St. Catherine “of the Wheel” was a great virgin, queen, mystic and martyr. St. Catherine of Alexandria lived in Egypt during the third century. She was of royal blood and an excellent scholar, a veritable genius by the grace of God. In the midst of the great delta of the Nile and on the Mediterranean coast, Alexandria was the second most important city in the Roman Empire. It was known throughout the world for its advanced learning and sophisticated culture. It had the world's greatest library, most impressive lighthouse, largest granaries and other marvels of the ancient world. During her lifetime, [...]

Saint John of the Cross, OCD (1542 – 14 Dec 1591), Carmelite Mystic and Doctor of the Church YOUTH John was born in Fontiveros, Spain and was the son of a poor weaver. His childhood was difficult because his family was poor, his family died prematurely, and the extended family looked down upon them and refused to lend support. He went to a school for poor children and became a servant to the director of a hospital, caring for those who were dying with terrible diseases. For seven years, John worked as a servant while also studying at a Jesuit college. [...]

St. Cecilia, patroness of music, is a virgin martyr ‘immortalized’ in the Roman Canon. From the Roman Breviary Cecilia, a Roman virgin of noble birth, vowed her virginity to God at a very early age. Unwillingly given in marriage to Valerian, she persuaded him to leave her untouched and go to blessed Urban, the Pope, that when he had been baptized he might be worthy to see Cecilla's angelic protector. When Valerian had obtained this favor, he converted his brother Tiburtius to Christ, and a little later both were martyred under the prefect Almachius. But Cecilia was seized by the same [...]

Pope St. Martin I (Reigned from 649-655) Born at Todi in Umbria, Martin attempted at the beginning of his pontificate to recall Paul of Constantinople, a heretic, to the Catholic faith by sending letters and legates. But Paul, supported by the emperor Constans, banished the legates of the Apostolic See to various islands. The Pope, aroused by this crime, gathered at Rome a council of one hundred and five bishops, who condemned Paul. During the council, the emperor sent the exarch Olympius to Italy to depose the Pope. But Olympius soon died a miserable death, after failing to harm Pope Martin [...]

St. Martin of Tours is known as the glory of Gaul and the light of the Western Church in the 4th century. [Note: Listen to a sermon on St. Martin by Fr. Rodríguez.] Martin was born around 316 AD in Lower Hungary, near the border of modern day Austria. His father was an officer in the Imperial Army and they moved to Italy where he was raised and educated. Even though his parents were pagan, Martin was infused with a special grace. At age ten, against their permission and wishes, he began to attend a Catholic Church and enrolled himself as [...]