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Today, October 15, we members of the Catholic Church family honor, in a special way, the following friends of God -- saints whose souls are now in heaven:

St. Teresa (of Jesus) of Avila (Spanish, noblewoman [Teresa Sanchez Cepeda Davila y Ahumada], Carmelite nun and reformer, mystical writer, Doctor of the Church, d. 1582 [incorrupt])
St. Gaius of Korea (Korean, converted Buddhist monk, Dominican tertiary, martyred in 1627)
St. Odilo (French, Benedictine abbot, c. 950)
St. Thecla of Kitzengen (English, missionary nun, abbess, c. 790)

If you have anything to share about these holy people, please reply now -- biographical episodes, prayers through their intercession, the fact that one is your patron saint -- whatever moves you. If you are interested in one of these saints and want to find out more about him/her, please ask. Information is sometimes available on the Internet.

All you holy men and women, saints of God, pray for us.
God bless you.
John

-- J. F. Gecik (jfgecik@hotmail.com), October 15, 2001

Answers

Two thoughts from St. Teresa:
"We need no wings to go in search of Him, but have only to look upon Him present within us."
"Let nothing trouble you, let nothing make you afraid. All things pass away. God never changes. Patience obtains everything. God alone is enough."

-- (_@_._), October 15, 2001.

Dear John: I give you the two poems I like best from St. Teresa in the beautiful and musical way she wrote them:

Nada te turbe, nada te espante, todo se pasa, Dios no se muda, la paciencia todo lo alcanza. Quien a Dios tiene nada le falta: Sólo Dios basta.

Vivo sin vivir en mí (1515-1582) Vivo sin vivir en mí, y de tal manera espero,* que muero porque no muero. Vivo ya fuera de mí después que muero de amor; 5 porque vivo en el Señor, que me quiso para sí; cuando el corazón le di puse en él este letrero: que muero porque no muero. 10 Esta divina prisión del amor con que yo vivo ha hecho a Dios mi cautivo, y libre mi corazón; y causa en mí tal pasión 15 ver a Dios mi prisionero, que muero porque no muero. ¡Ay, qué larga es esta vida! ¡Qué duros estos destierros, esta cárcel, estos hierros 20 en que el alma está metida! Sólo esperar la salida me causa dolor tan fiero, que muero porque no muero. ¡Ay, qué vida tan amarga 25 do no se goza el Señor! Porque si es dulce el amor, no lo es la esperanza larga. Quíteme Dios esta carga, más pesada que el acero, 30 que muero porque no muero. Sólo con la confianza vivo de que he de morir, porque muriendo, el vivir me asegura mi esperanza. 35 Muerte do el vivir se alcanza, no te tardes, que te espero, que muero porque no muero. Mira que el amor es fuerte, vida, no me seas molesta; 40 mira que sólo te resta, para ganarte, perderte. Venga ya la dulce muerte, el morir venga ligero, que muero porque no muero. 45 Aquella vida de arriba es la vida verdadera; hasta que esta vida muera, no se goza estando viva. Muerte, no me seas esquiva; 50 viva muriendo primero, que muero porque no muero. Vida, ¿qué puedo yo darle a mi Dios, que vive en mí, si no es el perderte a ti 55 para mejor a Él gozarle? Quiero muriendo alcanzarle, pues tanto a mi Amado quiero, que muero porque no muero. * Alternate version: "y tan alta vida espero" Vocabulario: letrero - sign, inscription destierros - exile hierros - irons, chains acero - steel do - where venga ligero - (may death) come quickly no me seas molesta - (life,) don't inconvenience me no me seas esquiva - (death,) don't evade me

-- Enrique Ortiz (eaortiz@yahoo.com), October 16, 2001.

Mil gracias, Enrique.
JFG

-- (jfgecik@hotmail.com), October 17, 2001.

[Here are some October 15 saints/blesseds to be added to those listed in the opening message:]

St. Agileus of Carthage (North African, martyred c. 300)
St. Antiochus of Lyons (French, bishop, 5th century)
St. Aurelia of Strasburg (French, princess, hermitess for 55 years, d. 1027)
St. Callistus of Huesca (Spanish, martyred by Moslems in 1003)
St. Cannatus of Marseilles (French, bishop, 5th century)
St. Euthymius the Thessalonian [baptized Nicetas] (Galatian [Turkish], hermit [cave, tower, and island], deacon, abbot, c. 898)
St. Fortunatus (Roman, early martyr)
St. Leonard of Vandoeuvre (French, hermit, abbot, c. 570)
St. Sabinus of Catania (Sicilian, bishop, hermit, c. 760)
St. Severus of Trier (French, missionary opposing Pelagian heresy, bishop in Germany, c. 455)
Bl. Willa of Nonnberg (Austrian, Benedictine nun, hermitess, c. 1050)

JFG

-- (jfgecik@hotmail.com), October 26, 2002.

On October 15, we members of the Catholic Church family honor, in a special way, the following friends of God -- saints and blesseds whose souls are now in heaven:

St. Teresa of Jesus Sanchez Cepeda Davila y Ahumada of Ávila [Teresa de Jesus] [best known as “St. Teresa of Ávila”] (Spanish, noblewoman, Carmelite nun and reformer, mystical writer, Doctor of the Church, d. 1582 [incorrupt])

St. Agileus of Carthage (North African, martyred c. 300)
St. Antiochus of Lyons (French, bishop, 5th century)
St. Aurelia of Strasburg [Aurelie] (French, princess, hermitess for 55 years, d. 1027)
St. Callistus of Huesca (Spanish, martyred by Moslems in 1003)
St. Cannatus of Marseilles (French, bishop, 5th century)
St. Euthymius of Opso [baptized Nicetas] (Galatian [Turkish], hermit [cave, tower, and island], deacon, abbot, c. 898)
St. Fortunatus of Rome (Italian, early martyr)
St. Gaius of Nagasaki (Korean, converted Buddhist monk, Dominican tertiary in Japan, martyred in 1627)
St. Leonard of Vandoeuvre (French, hermit, abbot, c. 570)
St. Odilo of Gorze (French, Benedictine abbot, c. 950)
St. Sabinus of Catania (Sicilian, bishop, hermit, c. 760)
St. Severus of Trier (French, missionary opposing Pelagian heresy, bishop in Germany, c. 455)
St. Thecla of Kitzengen (English, missionary nun, abbess, c. 790)
Bl. Willa of Nonnberg (Austrian, Benedictine nun, hermitess, c. 1050)

If you have anything to share about these holy people, please reply now -- biographical episodes, prayers through their intercession, the fact that one is your patron -- whatever moves you. If you are interested in one of these saints or blesseds and want to find out more about him/her, please ask. Information is sometimes available on the Internet.

All you holy men and women, saints of God, pray for us.
God bless you.
John

-- J. F. Gecik (jfgecik@hotmail.com), October 15, 2003.