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On February 23, 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. Polycarp of Smyrna (Palestinian?, disciple of St. John the Apostle, bishop in Asia Minor [now called Turkey] for 70 years, martyred by stabbing at age 86 c. 155)

St. Alexander Akimetes (Greek, army officer, abbot, d. 430)
St. Boisil of Melrose (British, abbot, c. 664)
St. Dositheus of Gaza (Egyptian, monk, c. 530)
St. Felix of Brescia (Italian, bishop, battled heretics for forty years, c. 650)
St. Florentius of Seville (Spanish, c. 485)
Bl. John of Hungary [Jean/Janos] (French, first Franciscan friar in Hungary, d. 1287)
Bl. Josephine Vannini of Rome [Giuseppina] [baptized Giuditta (Judith)] (Italian, virgin, founded Congregation of the Daughters of St. Camillus, died at age 51 in 1911 [beatified 1994])
St. Jurmin (British, prince, 7th century)
St. Lazarus Zographos of Constantinople [“zographos” is Greek for “painter”] (Turkish, monk, icon painter, c. 867)
Bl. Louis Mzyk of Chorzow Stary [Ludwik] (Polish, Divine Word Missionary priest, martyred by Nazis at Poznan [Poland] at age 36 in 1942 [beatified 1999])
St. Martha of Astorga (Spanish, virgin, martyred by beheading in 252)
St. Medrald of Vendôme (French, Benedictine abbot, c. 850)
St. Milburga of Wenlock (British, princess, Benedictine abbess, miracle worker, d. 715)
St. Mildgytha (British, Benedictine nun, c. 676)
St. Milo of Auvergne (French, archbishop of Benevento in Italy, d. 1076)
St. Ordonius of Sahagún [Ordoño] (Spanish, Benedictine monk, bishop of Astorga, d. 1066)
Bl. Rafaela Ybarra de Villalongo of Bilbao (Spanish, mother, widow, founded Institute of the Sisters of Guardian Angels, died at age 57 in 1900 [beatified 1984])
St. Romana of Todi (Italian, hermitess, died at age 18 in 324)
St. Serenus the Gardener and 72 companions, of Sirmium (Greek and Pannonian [from part of what is now Serbia], hermit and others, martyred in 303)
St. Willigis of Schöningen (German, imperial chancellor, archbishop of Mainz, d. 1011)
St. Zebinus (Syrian, hermit, 5th century)

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. Additional 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), February 23, 2005

Answers

St. Peter Damian showed remarkable piety from his childhood. Having, by chance, picked up a coin, he gave it to a priest requesting him to offer up the divine sacrifice for the soul of his father. He added to his name that of Damian his brother out of gratitude, because it was by his brother's generosity that he was able to pursue his studies. "Despising earthly riches" (Collect), he entered a monastery of Camaldolese of the Benedictine observance and soon became its abbot (Communion). "As a light of souls, he was to be placed on the candlestick" (Gospel), and became bishop of Ostia and cardinal. He rendered immense service to the Sovereign Pontiffs by his learning, he commissions as legate and many other works. Taking his share in the apostolic life of Jesus, he combated the heresy of the Simonists and died at Faenza in 1072. Leo XII gave him the title of Doctor of the Church. Let us imitate in his ardor for penance, St. Peter Damian, who contributed so much by his example and counsel, to spread the penitential practice of the discipline as an atonement for sin.

Double Feast of Saint Peter Damian, Bishop, Confessor and Doctor of the Church

Introit: Ecclesiasticus 15: 5 In the midst of the Church the Lord opened his mouth: and filled him with the spirit of wisdom and understanding: He clothed him with a robe of glory.. (Ps. 91: 2) It is good to give praise to the Lord: and to sing to Thy Name, O Most High. v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Repeat In the midst of the Church...

Collect: Grant us, we beseech Thee, O almighty Got to follow the admonitions and examples of blessed Peter, Thy confessor and bishop; that by despising earthly things we may obtain eternal joys. Through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

Epistle: Ecclesiasticus 15: 1-6 Lesson from the Book of Wisdom. He that feareth God will do good: and he that possesseth justice shall lay hold on her, and she will meet him as an honorable mother. With the bread of life and understanding she shall feed him and give him the water of wholesome wisdom to drink: and she shall be made strong in him, and he shall not be moved: and she shall hold him fast, and he shall not be confounded: and she shall exalt him among his neighbors, and in the midst of the Church she shall open his mouth, and shall fill him with the spirit of wisdom and understanding, and shall clothe him with a robe of glory. The Lord our God shall heap upon him a treasure of joy and gladness, and shall cause him to inherit an everlasting name. Thanks be to God.

Gradual: Behold a great priest who in his days pleased God. V. There was not any found like to him, who kept the law of the Most High. Alleluia, alleluia. V. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he hath been proved, he shall receive the crown of life. Alleluia.

TRACT: Psalm 111: 6-7 Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord: he delights exceedingly in His commandments. V. His seed shall be mighty upon the earth: the generation of the righteous shall be blessed. V. Glory and wealth shall be in his house: and his justice remaineth for ever and ever.

Gospel: John 21: 19-24 The Lord be with you. R. And with thy spirit. The continuation of the holy Gospel according to John. R. Glory to Thee, O Lord At that time Jesus said to Peter: ' Follow Me.' Peter turning about saw that disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also leaned on His breast at supper and said: 'Lord, who is he that shall betray Thee?' Him therefore when Peter had seen, he saith to Jesus: 'Lord, and what shall this man do?' Jesus saith to him: 'So I will have him to remain till I come, what is it to thee? Follow thou Me.' This saying therefore went abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die. And Jesus did not say to him: He should not die; but: 'So I will have him to remain till I come: what is it to thee?' This is that disciple who giveth testimony of these things, and hath written these things: and we know that the testimony is true. Praise be to Christ

Offertory: Psalm 92: 15 The Lord be with you... And with thy spirit. The just shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall be multiplied like the cedar that is in Libanus.

Secret: The Lord be with you. R. And with thy spirit. Receive, O Lord, the gifts we bring to Thee on the feast of him, by whose pleading we hope to be delivered. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God Forever and ever.. R.Amen.

Postcommunion: The Lord be with you. R. And with thy spirit. Let us pray. We who have been refreshed by heavenly food and drink, humbly entreat Thee, O our God, that we may be strengthened also by the prayers of him, in whose commemoration we have received them. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God Forever and ever. R. Amen.

-- Nick (nixplace39@hotmail.com), February 23, 2005.

Oops! I have two things to add today.

(1) I made a mistake with regard to St. Polycarp's martyrdom. He was actually burned at the stake, not stabbed to death.

(2) Some schismatic bodies (and the less than 1% of Catholics who use a special permission to follow an older liturgical calendar) remember St. Peter Damian on this day. But almost all Catholics of the Latin Church commemorate St. Peter Damian on February 21 instead, because we follow the 1969 calendar given to us by Pope Paul VI.

-- J. F. Gecik ("jfgecik@hotmail.com), February 23, 2005.