Back from tonight's St. Jude's healing mass. St. Jude made his presence known tonight. During the procession for a blessing I saw one person fall to the ground slain in the spirit as they were blessed. I brought everyone's intentions to the mass, so don't be surprised if they are answered.
SAINT OF THE DAY Wednesday, 29th October 2025. St. Abraham Kidunaia 296 A.D.- 366 A.D. In the heart of Mesopotamia, nestled not far from Edessa, a remarkable figure emerged in the 4th century – Saint Abraham Kidunaia. Born to wealthy nobles with grand expectations for his future, Abraham's life took an unexpected turn that would define his legacy for centuries to come. Faced with an arranged marriage against his will, Abraham chose a path of solitude, slipping away on the final day of festivities to seek refuge in a cave in the desert. Little did he know, this solitary retreat would become the crucible for his spiritual journey. For seventeen days, a frantic search ensued until Abraham was discovered, immersed in prayer within the confines of his secluded abode. Despite numerous attempts to sway his resolve, Abraham remained steadfast in his commitment to a life of prayer and contemplation. Inheriting his parents' fortune upon their passing, Abraham exhibited remarkable humility and charity. Entrusting a friend to manage his wealth, he distributed half of his inheritance to the poor, embracing a life of simplicity and asceticism. Despite his desire for solitude, Abraham's reputation as a wise counselor and spiritual guide attracted many seekers to his doorstep. His influence extended even to the Bishop of Edessa, who sought his aid in converting the idolatrous city of Beth-Kidunaia. With unwavering determination, Abraham ventured into the heart of Beth-Kidunaia, erecting a Catholic church amidst staunch opposition. Despite facing persecution and violence, Abraham persisted in his mission, enduring hardship and hostility for three long years. Yet, it was his unwavering faith and selfless love that ultimately triumphed. Through his steadfast example and persuasive words, Abraham succeeded in converting the people of Kidunaia, baptizing a thousand souls and nurturing them in the Catholic faith. In a poignant twist of fate, Abraham's solitary existence was interrupted by a familial tragedy. Learning of his niece's descent into sin and degradation, Abraham embarked on a journey of redemption, confronting her with compassion and forgiveness. Disguised as a soldier, Abraham reclaimed his niece from the depths of despair, guiding her back to the solitude of the desert where she found solace and redemption in her uncle's embrace. As Saint Abraham Kidunaia neared the end of his earthly pilgrimage, his cave became a sanctuary for throngs of faithful seeking his blessing. With his passing, his legacy endured, immortalized by the fragments of his clothing revered by those who witnessed his saintly life. The tale of Saint Abraham Kidunaia serves as a timeless testament to the power of faith, perseverance, and compassion in the face of adversity. His life of solitude, sacrifice, and redemption continues to inspire generations, reminding us of the enduring triumph of the human spirit over darkness and despair.
How lovely to read about these saints I have never heard of, especially when they come from strange and exotics places like this. Hopefully we will get to meet them all in heaven as we will have all Eternity to do so. I sometimes wonder how many saints are taking an interest in each one of us as we walk through life. St Paul says we are surrounded by a great cloud of them on every side.
St. NarcissusFeast day: Oct 29 St. Narcissus was born towards the end of the first century, and he was nearly 80 years old when he was named as the 30th bishop of Jerusalem. In 195, he and Theophilus, bishop of Caesarea in Palestine, presided together over a council of the bishops of Palestine held at Caesarea around Easter. There it was decreed that the feast be kept always on a Sunday, and not continually with the Jewish Passover. The bishop and historian Eusebius says the following miracle can be attributed to him: One year on Easter-eve the deacons did not have any oil for the lamps in the church, which was necessary at the solemn divine office on that day. Narcissus ordered those who had care of the lamps to bring him some water from the neighboring wells. This being done, he pronounced a devout prayer over the water. Then he bade them pour it into the lamps; which they did. The water was immediately converted into oil, to the great surprise of all the faithful. Some of this miraculous oil was kept there as a memorial at the time when Eusebius wrote his history. The veneration of all good men for this holy bishop, however, could not shelter him from the malice of the wicked. Three incorrigible sinners, fearing his severity in the observance of ecclesiastical discipline, accused him of a terrible act. The sinners swore that they were right, adding the following to their testimony: One wished that he might perish by fire, another, that he might be struck with a leprosy, and the third, that he might lose his sight, if what they alleged was not the truth. Their accusations were false, however, and soon Divine Retribution called upon them. The first was burnt in his house along with his whole family by an accidental fire in the night, the second was struck with a universal leprosy and the third, terrified by these examples, confessed the conspiracy and slander, and by the abundance of tears which he continually shed for his sins, lost his sight before his death. Narcissus either could not stand the shock of the bold calumny, or perhaps he made it an excuse for leaving Jerusalem in order to spend some time in solitude, which had long been his wish. He spent several years undiscovered in his retreat, where he enjoyed all the happiness and advantage which a close conversation with God can bestow. The neighboring bishops appointed a new pastor for his church until Narcissus returned. Upon his return, the faithful rejoiced and convinced him to once again undertake the administration of the diocese, which he did. As he reached extreme old age, he made St. Alexander his coadjutor. St. Narcissus continued to serve his flock, and even other churches, by his assiduous prayers and his earnest exhortations to unity and concord, as St. Alexander testifies in his letter to the Arsinoites in Egypt, where he says that Narcisus was at that time about one hundred and sixteen years old. The Roman Martyrology honors his memory on October 29th.
Chiara Badano Chiara Badano (October 29, 1971 – October 7, 1990) was an Italian woman who has been beatified by the Roman Catholic Church. At age nine she joined the Focolare Movement and received the nickname "Luce" ("light") by the founder Chiara Lubich. When she was 16, she was diagnosed with osteogenic sarcoma, a painful bone cancer. Chiara died from the cancer on October 7, 1990, after a two-year battle with the disease.[1] She was beatified on September 25, 2010, at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Divine Love in Rome. Her feast day is celebrated on October 29.[2] Early life Chiara Badano was born on October 29, 1971, to Ruggero and Maria Teresa Badano in the small village of Sassello, Italy. The couple waited and prayed eleven years to have Chiara. While Ruggero worked as a truck driver, Maria Teresa stayed at home to raise their daughter. Chiara grew up with a strong and healthy relationship with her parents, but she did not always obey them and would occasionally have fights with them.[3] Focolare Movement Chiara attended her first meeting of the Focolare Movement in September 1980; she was only 9 years old. This group, especially its founder Chiara Lubich, had a profound impact on Chiara's life. The group focused on the image of the forsaken Christ as a way to make it through difficult times.[3] Chiara later wrote that, "I discovered that Jesus forsaken is the key to unity with God, and I want to choose him as my only spouse. I want to be ready to welcome him when he comes. To prefer him above all else."[4] While Chiara was a conscientious student, she struggled in school and even failed her first year of high school.[4] She was often teased in school for her strong beliefs and was given the nickname "Sister." She enjoyed the normal teenage pastimes such as listening to pop music, dancing, and singing. She was also an avid tennis player and enjoyed hiking and swimming.[3] During the summer of 1988, when she was 16 years old, Chiara had a life-changing experience in Rome with the Focolare Movement. She wrote to her parents, "This is a very important moment for me: it is an encounter with Jesus Forsaken. It hasn't been easy to embrace this suffering, but this morning Chiara Lubich explained to the children that they have to be the spouse of Jesus Forsaken."[1] After this trip she started to correspond regularly with Lubich. She then asked for her new name as this was going to be the start of a new life for her. Lubich gave her the name Chiara Luce. This was a kind of a play on words, since in Italian "Chiara" is a common girl's name, taken for example from the name of Clare of Assisi, but it is also an everyday word meaning "clear." "Luce" is occasionally found as a girl's name in Italy, though it is mostly secular rather than religious; and it is also an everyday word meaning "light." So "Chiara Luce" means "clear light."[4] Lubich wrote to Chiara, "Your luminous face shows your love for Jesus," which is why she gave her the name Luce.[3] Illness In the summer of 1988, Chiara felt a sting of pain in her shoulder while playing tennis. At first she thought nothing of it, but when the pain continued to be present she underwent a series of tests. The doctors then discovered she had a rare and painful form of bone cancer, osteogenic sarcoma. In response, Chiara simply declared, "It's for you, Jesus; if you want it, I want it, too."[3] Throughout the treatment process, Chiara refused to take any morphine so she could stay aware. She felt it was important to know her illness and pain so she could offer up her sufferings. She said, "It reduces my lucidity and there's only one thing I can do now: to offer my suffering to Jesus because I want to share as much as possible in his sufferings on the cross."[1] During her stays in the hospital, she would take the time to go on walks with another patient who was struggling with depression. These walks were beneficial to the other patient but caused Chiara great pain. Her parents often encouraged her to stay and rest but she would simply reply, "I'll be able to sleep later on."[3] One of her doctors, Antonio Delogu, said, "Through her smile, and through her eyes full of light, she showed us that death doesn't exist; only life exists."[1] A friend from the Focolare Movement said, "At first we thought we'd visit her to keep her spirits up, but very soon we understood that, in fact, we were the ones who needed her. Her life was like a magnet drawing us to her."[1] Chiara kept her spirits up, even when the harsh chemotherapy caused her hair to fall out. When a lock of her hair would fall, Chiara would simply offer it to God, saying, "For you, Jesus."[1] She also donated all her savings to a friend who was performing mission work in Africa. She wrote to him, "I don't need this money any more. I have everything."[4] To help prepare her parents for life after she died, Chiara made them dinner reservations for Valentine's Day after they refused to leave her bedside and ordered them to not return until after midnight. At Christmas she wrote, "Holy Christmas 1990. Thank you for everything. Happy New Year," on a Christmas card and hid it among some blank ones for her mother to find later.[3] Chiara's faith and spirit never dwindled even after the cancer left her unable to walk and a CAT scan showed that any hope of remission was gone. In response, she simply said, "If I had to choose between walking again and going to Heaven, I wouldn't hesitate. I would choose Heaven."[4] On July 19, 1989, Chiara almost died of a hemorrhage. Her faith did not falter as she said, "Don't shed any tears for me. I'm going to Jesus. At my funeral, I don't want people crying, but singing with all their hearts."[1] Cardinal Saldarini, Archbishop of Turin, Italy, heard about Chiara's illness and visited her at the hospital. He asked her, "The light in your eyes is splendid. Where does it come from?" Chiara simply replied, "I try to love Jesus as much as I can."[1] continued below
When Chiara realized she was not going to get better, she started to plan for her "wedding" (her funeral) with her mother. She chose the music, songs, flowers, and the readings for Mass.[1] She wanted to be buried in her "wedding dress," a white dress with a pink waist, because her death would allow her to become the bride of Christ.[3] She told her mother, "When you're getting me ready, Mum, you have to keep saying to yourself, 'Chiara Luce is now seeing Jesus.'"[1] Before she died, she told her mother, "Oh, Mama, young people…young people…they are the future. You see, I can't run anymore, but how I would like to pass on to them the torch, like in the Olympics! Young people have only one life and it's worthwhile to spend it well."[4] Death During her final hours, Chiara made her final confession and received the Eucharist. She had her family and friends pray with her, "Come, Holy Spirit." She died at 4 am on October 7, 1990, with her parents at her bedside. Her final words were, "Bye, Mum, be happy, because I am."[3] Two thousand people attended her funeral; the mayor of Sassello shut down the town so people would be able to attend.[3] Her remains are buried in the family chapel at Sassello Cemetery. Beatification Chiara's cause for sainthood was promoted by Livio Maritano, the former Bishop of Acqui Terme, Italy, beginning on June 11, 1999, and concluded on October 1, 2000.[5] On October 1, 2002, documents were transferred to the Vatican Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, the subject who has the duty to decree the heroicity of the virtues of a Servant of God.[5] From March 25, 2004, to September 29, 2004, the diocesan super miro process took place.[5] From it resulted: [Healing of young Andrea Bartole from] Severe septic shock state meningococcal sepsis, ARDS syndrome complicated by right basal bronchopneumonia, DIC syndrome, acute renal failure, petechial and hemorrhagic skin manifestations with tendency to confluent generalized hematomas and generalized hypoxemic suffering, diffuse central nervous system suffering.[5] — Francesco Frigida Andrea Bartole[6] was a young man from Trieste who succumbed to terminal fulminant meningitis in 2001[7][8] in the capital city of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy.[5] His parents prayed for the intercession of Chiara to heal him from the meningitis that was destroying his organs. When his condition was subsequently suddenly healed, his doctors could not medically explain what had happened. So, reasons given for canonization include dedication to caring for children and the elderly and behavior described as “heroic” in the face of illness,[9] as well as the canonical declaration of Andrea Bartole's return to health. On July 3, 2008 Benedict XVI authorized Card. José Saraiva Martins, the then Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, to decree the venerability of the Servant of God Chiara Badano.[10][5] On January 15, 2009, a commission of doctors appointed by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints unanimously defined the healing as "inexplicable" by natural forces alone and also "rapid, total and lasting".[5][11] Later, the religiously oriented commission called it "miraculous" and attributed it to the intercession of Chiara Luce. The circumstance facilitated its cause of beatification. On December 12, 2009, Pope Benedict XVI acknowledged the miracle and signed the decree of beatification.[5] Chiara Badano was declared a "Blessed" by the Catholic Church on September 25, 2010, at a solemn Mass celebrated at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Divine Love in Rome, in the presence of thousands of people.[5] Archbishop Angelo Amato, Prefect of the Vatican Congregation for the Causes of Saints, said that Chiara was a great example of how the short life of a young person could be lived out in great holiness and "today there are virtuous people, who in family, at school, in society, do not fritter away their lives."[2] Her feast day is celebrated on October 29
SAINT OF THE DAY THURSDAY, 30 OCTOBER, 2025 SAINT ALPHONSUS RODRIGUEZ CONFESSOR AND JESUIT COADJUTOR (25 July 1532 - 31 October 1617) Saint Alphonsus Rodriguez was born in Spain in 1532, of a well-to-do commercial household of Segovia, the third of eleven children. When Alphonsus was eleven years old, he and his older brother were sent to a Jesuit college which had just been founded. He had already manifested great joy in serving the Jesuits when they had given a mission in Segovia and lodged in his father's country home; now he rejoiced in the one year of study he was able to undertake, before the death of his father interrupted these pursuits. His brother, after certain affairs were settled, returned to school, but Alphonsus was obliged to remain at home, destined one day to replace his father. He accepted this lot and in 1557 married a virtuous wife; they were blessed with a daughter and two sons. But God intended to sanctify this soul of predilection by great and heroic sufferings. Only five years later he was already a widower, with only one little boy of three years remaining for him to raise. He believed this calamity must have come upon him for his sins, and he developed a great horror of sin; he asked God to let him bear even the torments of hell here below, rather than fall into a single mortal sin. He offered himself entirely to God, for whatever He might desire of him. Then he began a life of severe penance. A year later his mother died. He looked at his beautiful and innocent child, the only bond which still attached him to the earth; and he prayed to God that if ever that child should offend Him, to take him at once. His prayer was granted before long. Alphonsus left Segovia and went to Valencia, where a Jesuit priest he had loved and admired earlier in Segovia was then stationed. This priest helped him to attain a loving confidence in God. He was thirty-eight years old when he requested his admission to the Order, but insufficient instruction and his unstable health, affected by his austerities, were regarded as obstacles. For two years he was employed as a preceptor of the young by two families of that city; finally, when he renewed his request for admission, he was accepted. His religious life was spent primarily as a porter in a Jesuit college on the island of Majorca; his interior life was a succession of moral tortures, borne with perfect humility and love of God. The demons would not leave alone this holy man who made it his joy to take upon himself all the most humble and fatiguing offices. He cast himself, as it were, into the abyss of the love of Jesus Crucified. Twice he was thrown down a cement staircase by the adjured enemies of man's salvation; but his love for his crucified Saviour was proof against all such attempts on his virtue. He was afflicted with various illnesses, which plunged him into a sort of preliminary purgatory but did not change his life of effacement and service. In 1591 he was already 60 years old when he received an order to sleep thereafter in a bed; until then he had contented himself with a few hours of sleep on a table or in a chair. He served a chapel where the elderly or infirm fathers celebrated late Masses. He was told to write the story of his life, which work he began with hesitation in 1604. He was not spared the trial of being misunderstood and underestimated by a new Superior, but he found only joy and consolation in the public reproaches he received. He wrote in his book of maxims: “In the difficulties which are placed before me, why should I not act like a donkey? When one speaks ill of him — the donkey says nothing. When he is mistreated — he says nothing. When he is forgotten — he says nothing. When no food is given him — he says nothing. When he is made to advance — he says nothing. When he is despised — he says nothing. When he is overburdened — he says nothing... The true servant of God must do likewise, and say with David: Before You I have become like a beast of burden.” The story of his association in his old age with Saint Peter Claver, the novice whose future mission he saw by a vision and foretold to him, is written into the annals of the Church in letters of gold; the two Saints were canonized together by Pope Leo XIII after more than two centuries. Saint Alphonsus died in 1617; already he was known and loved as a Saint by the population. In 1825 he was beatified, and in 1888 Pope Leo XIII closed the inquiries after two new miracles had been verified, and proceeded to the ceremonies of canonization in Rome. The memory of Saint Alphonsus remains in benediction in the Order and in the hearts of those who know the value of the Cross of Christ and its perpetuity in His Mystical Body. PATRON: Majorca and Jesuit brothers. PRAYER: O God, in the faithful service of our brother Alphonsus You have shown us the way to joy and peace. Make us ready and watchful companions of Jesus, who became the servant of all, and now lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
