predication.net

St.Chrisopher is one of the most beloved saints in the christian tradition and is the patron saint of travelers drives, pilgrims, sailors, and transportation workers.

According to an tradition,Christopher was originnally a very large and powerful man named Reprobus.He desired to serve only the greatest king in the  world.After serving an earthly king and later realizing that even the devil feared Christ,he sought to become a follower of Jesus.

A holy hermit advised him that the best way to serve Christ was the helping people cross a dangerous river. Christopher carried travelers on the strong shoulders from one bank to other.

One day a small child asked him to carry Him across the river.As Christopher großer,the child became heavier and heavier until Christopher felt as if he were carrying the weight of the whole world.After reaching the opposite shore,the child revealed:You have carried not only the world upon your shoulders,but Him who created the world.I am Christ your King.

st. Brigita Sweden

Birgitta de Suecia

BIOGRAPHY

She came from a royal family and had supernatural visions. She was married at the age of 14 and had eight children. She entered III. order of St. Františka and after her husband’s death lived a reciting life. She founded a religious order for the purpose of worshiping the tortured Christ. By her virtues she was an example to all. Towards the end of her life we see her as a penitent pilgrim.

She was born in June 1303 at Finsta Castle near Uppsala, Sweden. This place is located on Lake Bjorken north of Stockholm. Parents came from noble families. Father Governor Birger Persson of the Folkungar family, as Swedish kings, mother of Ingeborg of the Gothic royal family. Brigitte was taught love for God much like her younger sister and brother. However, Brigita started to have visions at the age of seven. At the first night she saw the Virgin Mary, in the next crucified Christ, and this mystical experience continued to spread with her. At about the age of 11, when seeing the Lord Jesus on the cross, she asked the question: “O my dear, who set you up like this?” and she heard an answer that deeply touched her heart: “All those who forget me and despise my love!”

Soon after this experience, Brigitte’s mother died, and her father entrusted her upbringing to her aunt Kateřina, who was also her godmother and used the possibility of leadership by Bishop Brynjolf of Skara.

At the age of 14, she was married to nobleman Ulf Gudmarsson. She submitted to her father’s decision, even though she longed for the consecrated life of nuns. She and her husband then agreed to follow the example of the Old Testament couple Tobias and Sara. They spent the first two years in prayer renouncing intimate coexistence. Married to Ulf, who was a good man, she then had eight children: Marta, Karl, Birger, Bengt, Gudmar, Karin (či Kateřina), Ingeborg and Cecilia.

At the age of 32, after the accession of her relative Magno to the Swedish throne, she was called to Stockholm to be a lady-in-waiting to his young queen, whom she taught and raised for three years. At that time, the student Niels Hermansson, later bishop and saint, helped raise her sons. Brigita also recognized the difficulties of politics and the fragmentation of Europe at the royal court. Her family’s stay in Stockholm ended with the painful loss of her son Gudmar, who died at about the age of ten.

In an effort to constantly deepen the spiritual life, both spouses entered the third order of St. Francis. On the 25th anniversary of their marriage, they made a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela and at that time decided again to live a restrained life. After two years, Ulf entered the Cistercian monastery, where their son Bengt already lived. He lived there with him for two years and died. Brigita, after arranging all matters, took refuge in one abode near the monastery of Alvastra and lived in it as an ascetic for two years. She begged for the necessary graces from the church and performed acts of Gemini love. In 1346, she began admonishing the powerful of this world as well as church dignitaries and demanded a change of life from them. Personally, she was also at the court of the king and wrote calls to end the long-standing war to the French and English rulers. Another call to the Pope in Avignon with the desire to return.

King Magnus Eriksson dedicated to Brigitte the royal court of Vadsten at Lake Vättern, and she decided to make it a monastery for the Congregation of the Holy Savior (sv. Salvátora), which she founded. It was built and consecrated only after her death. Her religious community was established in two communities of (male and female), for which one church was built, in which they met for worship. The two communities were to have a combined membership of 85. She chose the order of St. Augustine, to whom she added the worship of the bitter passion of the Savior. He himself made her know the greatness of his torment and taught her the prayers with which she could honor his wounds during the year. He added great promises for those who can endure to perform the devotion with 15 prayers throughout the year. (The devotion was later approved and recommended by the Holy Congregation, the College de propaganda fide, and Pope Clement XII.)

In 1349, Brigita went on a pilgrimage to Rome to not only obtain indulgences the following year, connected with the gracious summer proclaimed by Pope Clement VI, but also wanted to achieve confirmation of the new order. She mostly went barefoot. Cardinal Ratzinger wrote about her that she wandered in the footsteps of God who stepped into our footsteps.

Her order was only confirmed by Pope Urban V when he returned to Rome in 1367. Meanwhile, Brigita was making pilgrimages and continuing her plan. Before her death, she made a large, one-year journey to the Holy Land, which she embarked on in the spring of. 1372. In Jerusalem, she began to develop stomach ailments and after returning to Rome on the 23rd. 7. died. She was temporarily buried in the church of San Lorenzo in Panisperna and 13. 11. accompanied by her children Katerina and Birger, transported to Vadstena, Sweden. For an extraordinary life and a number of miracles, Pope Boniface IX. on 7. On 10 1391 he declared a saint.

Pope John Paul II her 1. On 10 October 1999, he declared as the patron saint of Europe and justified it by saying: “By her deep feeling of the mystery of Christ and the Church, she became involved in building her community at an extremely critical moment in the history of the Church. Brigitte exudes a prophetic power. He speaks to princes and popes with a certain openness. For the sake of the moral revival of Christendom and the clergy, he spares no strict admonitions.”

Pope in the following month, 13. 11., served an ecumenical service in her honor, with the participation of two archbishops of the Lutheran Church of Sweden and Finland, as well as the presence of members of the Swedish royal family. He highlighted the new patroness of Europe as the one who “She understood the Church as a community of believers, a place where the Holy Spirit dwells.”

Quotes from her thoughts: “Temptations are the most beneficial means of sifting, purifying, and perfecting man. Those who tend to be tempted at the beginning of their conversion are quite firm at the end of their lives.”

Mary Magdalena is one of the most beloved women in in the New Testament and a model of conversion faithful discipleship,and courageous witness.

She came from the town of Magdala,on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee.The Gospel of Luke tells us that Jesus had freed her from seven demons.Luke 8,2.This does not necessarily mean demonic possession,in the modern sens.It signifies that Christ complety transformed her life,freeing her from proufound spirituel and personal suffering.

After her healing Mary Magdalena became one of Jesus devoted follewers.Together with other holy women,she accompanied Him during His Ministry and helped support Him and His disciples.

Mary Magdalena remained faithful when faithful when many others fled.She stood near the cross during Jesus crucifixion crucifixion sharing in His suffering with steasfast love.She witnesssed His burial and returned to His tomb early on Easter, nothing,bringing spices to anoint His body.

There she encountered the greatest surprise in history.The tomp was empty.When the risen Jesus called her by name Mary.She immediately recognized Him.Because she was the first to snnounce the Resurection to the Apostels the Church has long honored her with the tittle,,Apostle to the Aposteles”.

Saint Lawrence of Brindisi was one of the greates preachers and theologians of the Catholic Church.He was born on July 22,1599 in Brindisi,in southem Italy. His baptismal name was Giulio Cesare Russo.

At an early age he showed remarkable intelligence and gift for languages.After entering the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin,he took the religious name Lawrence.He mastered Latin,Greek,Hebrew,Syriac,Fernen,French, Spanish and several other languages.

Lawrence became famous aß an outstanding preacher.His sermons were rooted in Sacred Scripture and inspired countless people to return to the faith.He defended the Catholic faith during the tíme of the Protestan Reformation with charity,lerning,and persuasive preaching.

Saint Lawrence had a profound devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and to  the Holy Eucharist.His writings reveal a deep love for Christ and a through knowledge of the Bible.

He died on July 1619 in Lissabon,while on a diplomatic mission.He was canonized in 1881 by Pope Leo XIII. In 1959 Pope John XXIII declared him a Doctor of the Church, recognized the enduring value of his teaching.

Saint Apollinaris of Ravena is venerated as the first Bishop of Ravena and one of earliest Christian missionaries in northeim Italy.According to ancient Christian tradition,he was disciple of Saint Peter the Apostle,who sent him from Rome to the preach Gospel in Ravena.

When Apollinaris arrived in Ravena,Christianity was still in its infancy.He preached fearlessly,converted many people to Christ,and performed miracles,including healings of the sick.His preaching attracted many follewers but also aroused oppsition from pagen authorities.

Saint Apollinaris suffered greatly for his faith.Tradition recounts that he was beaten and imprisoned several times,driven out the city,tortured for refusing to worship pagan gods.Although some early accounts say he died from the injuries he suffered.The Church honors him as a martyr because he willingly gave his live in wittness to Christ.

Today’s Gospel begins with a shocking contrast.On one síde stand Jesus,who hast just healed a man and restored life.On the other side stand the Pharisees,who leave not wit gratitude but with a plan to destroy Him.Matthew tells us plainly.The Pharisees went out and consipired against Him,how to destroy Him.

It is one of great tragedies of the human heart.The same event that leads one person to fait can lead another to hatred.Miracles alone do not convert a hardened heard.A heart that refuses humility will always find a reson to reject the truth.

Jesus knows of the plot againts Him,yet He does not respond with anger or revenge.He quietly withdraws.This is not cowardince but divine wisdom.He does not seek conflict for its own sake.His enemies by force but to conquer hearts through love.

Desire Mercy, Not Sacrifice.”
Dear brothers and sisters,
In today’s Gospel, we witness an interesting encounter. Jesus’ disciples are hungry. As they walk through a grainfield, they pick some heads of grain and eat them. The Pharisees immediately accuse them of breaking the Sabbath law.
At first glance, this seems to be a dispute about religious rules. In reality, however, it is about something much deeper: our image of God and what is truly most important in our faith.
The Pharisees saw only the law. Jesus saw the human person. The disciples were not stealing or trying to enrich themselves. They were simply hungry. God never gave His commandments to burden people, but to help them live.
Jesus reminds them of King David, who ate the consecrated bread when he and his companions were in need. He also points to the priests who work in the Temple on the Sabbath. In doing so, He teaches that even Sacred Scripture recognizes that love and genuine human need take precedence over external regulations.
Then Jesus speaks the central words of today’s Gospel: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.”
These words are just as relevant today. We may faithfully observe religious practices, attend church regularly, and pray every day, but if we lack love, patience, forgiveness, and compassion, we have not yet understood the heart of God.
Jesus teaches us that true religion is revealed through works of mercy. God rejoices when we help someone in need, visit the sick, comfort the sorrowful, forgive those who have hurt us, or share what we have with those who have less.
Finally, Jesus declares: “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” Christ is the Lord of our lives. He reveals the true purpose of God’s commandments. They are not chains that enslave us but a path that leads us to freedom, love, and authentic holiness.
Today let us ask the Lord to help us become Christians not only in outward observance but also in the attitude of our hearts. May our hearts become like the Heart of Christ—full of mercy, kindness, and love—so that everyone who meets us may experience the goodness of God through us.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tell us three short but powerful parables:the parable of the wheat and the weeds, the mustard seed,and the yeast.

The first parable surprise us.A farmer sows good seed,but during the night an enemy comes and sows weeds among the wheat.When the servants notice this,they ask:Do you want us to pull them up?

We might expect the master to answer;Yes,remove them immediately.But instead he say.No,lest in gathering the weeds you root up the weeds along with them.Let both grow together until the harvest.This is often difficult for us to understand.We want justice now.We wonder why God allows evil,suffering,injustice,and sin to exist.Why doesn’t He remove everything that is evil?

Jesus teaches us that God’s patience is greater than our impatience.He sees what we cannot see.Sometimes what appears to be a weed today may become good wheat tomorrow through repetance and conversion.Think of Saint Paul once a persecutor of Christians,who became one of the greates apostles.Think of Saint Augustine,whose sinful youth ended in heroic holiness.God never gives up on a sinner while there is still time for repetance.

The servants wanted to separate the wheat from the weeds immediately.How often we are tempted to do the same.We quickly label people as good or bad.We judge appearances,mistakes,or past failures.But only God knows the human hearts.

This does not mean that good and evil are the same.Jesus clearly says that will be a final judment.Evil is real,and it will not have the last word.Yeat until that day,our task is not to condemn other but to remain faithful ourselves and to pray for the conversion of all.

Jesus than compares the Kindom of Heaven to a mustard seed -the smallest of seeds- which grows into a large tree.God often works through what seems insignificant.A short prayer.A kind word.A hidden sacrifice.A visit to a lonely person.These small acts may appear unimportant,but in God’s hands they become something much greater than we can imagine.Many of the saints changed the world not by spectacular miracles but by daily faithfulnes.

Jesus compares the Kingdom to yeast mixed into flour.Yeast is almoust invisible,yet it transform the whole dough.That is how Christians are called to live.We do not need to dominate society or seek attention.We are called to transform the world qietly -through honesty,forgiveness,humility,generosity,and love.A teacher who lives the truth becomes yeast for students.An employee who refuses dishonesty becommes yeast in the workplace.Wherever Christ’s disciple live their faith authenticaly,the Kingdom of God is already growing.

Finally Jesus explain that at the end of time there will indeed be a separation between good and evil.Justice will come,but it belongs to God.This gives us hope.

Many people suffer because evil seems to prosper.Yet today’s Gospel reminds us that history is not out of God’s control.The harvest belongs to Him.No hidden sacrifice is lost.No injustice escapes His sight.Jesus concludes with beautifel words. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.That is our destiny -not merely to survice this world,but to share forever in God’s glory.

Today’s Gospel invites us to three resolution.

Let us trust God’patience instead of demanding immediate answer.

Let us avoid judging others and instead seek our own conversion.Let us faithfully sow small seeds of goodness every day trusting that God knows will bring them matury.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel ist one of the most beloved titles of the Blessed Virgin Mary.The Turtle comes from Mount Carmel a mountain in the Holy Land closely associated with the prophet Elijah,who defended the worship of the one true God and trusted complety in the Lord.

In the Middle Ages,Christian hermits settled on Mount Carmel and dedicated a chapel to the Blessed Virgin Mary.From these hermits grew the Carmelite Order,which has always regarded Mary sa ist Mother,Patroness,and perfect model of prayer and contemplation.According to Carmelite Tradition,on 16 July 1251,the Virgin Mary appears to Saint Simon Stock and gave him the Brown Scapular as a sign of her maternal protection and of a life dedicated to Christ.The scapular is not a magical object,rather is  a reminder to live faithfully as a disciple of Jesus through prayer,trust in God and love of neighbor.

The feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is celebrated each year on 16 July.On this day Catholics thanks Mary for her to lead them ever closer to her Son, Jesus Christ.

 In the middle of July, the liturgical calendar commemorates St Bonaventure, bishop and teacher of the Church. Saint Bonaventure, also known by his birth name John Fidanza, was a respected monk and teacher of the Church. He was born around 1221 in Civita, part of Bagnoregio near Viterbo in Italy, and died on 15 July 1274 in Lyon, France. Among his attributes are a cross and a cardinal’s hat on a tree.

Pope Leo XII. called St. Bonaventure as “prince among all mystics”. Pope Sixtus V gave him the title “Doctor Seraphicus” (Seraphic Doctor) in recognition of his mystical religious activities. Along with Thomas Aquinas, with whom he was reportedly friends, Bonaventure is considered to be the most important theologian of scholasticism.

Bonaventure is also known as the second founder of the Franciscan order because he brought a new spirit to the order and reorganised its activities effectively. According to legend, his name was given to him when his mother brought him, a sick child, to St Francis of Assisi, who blessed and healed him. When he was five years old, his mother brought him to Francis again to thank him, and Francis reportedly exclaimed “Buona ventura” (What a happy event), which became his name.

Bonaventure joined the Franciscan order at a very young age. From 1236 to 1242, he studied in Paris, where he later obtained a doctorate in theology. In 1257, at the age of 36, he was appointed the seventh general of the Franciscan Order. He ran the order in Paris for 17 years, during which time he was known for his foresight and skill.

At the behest of Pope Gregory X, who appointed him cardinal of Albano in 1273, Bonaventure organised the Second Council of Lyon. He presided over the entire proceedings of the council from May to July 1274.