St. John Baptist Rossi

Feast Day: May 23
Born: 1698 :: Died: 1763

John Baptist Rossi was born in a village near Genoa, Italy to Charles de Rossi and Frances Anfossi. He was one of four children and his family loved him. They were proud when a wealthy couple visiting their town offered to educate him. His parents knew the couple and trusted them.

John was happy to be able to go to their house in Genoa because he could attend school. He then met some Capuchin friars who became fond of him and helped him continue his education in Rome. He became a student for the priesthood at the Roman College run by Jesuit priests. He realized that studies were easy for him and took on more and more of a load.

John became very sick and had to stop his studies for a while. Sometime later he completed his preparation and became a priest. Even though his health was always poor, Father John did so much good for the people of Rome. He knew what it was like not to feel well, so Father Rossi took a special interest in sick people. He was a frequent visitor in Rome's hospitals.

He especially loved to spend time with the poor people at the Hospice of St. Galla. This was a shelter for the poor and homeless. But Father Rossi became aware of poor people who had no one to look after their spiritual needs.

He noticed those who brought cattle and sheep to sell in the Roman markets. What hard lives they had. They came in the morning with their herds. Father Rossi would walk among them and stop and talk with them. When possible, he would teach them about the faith and offer them the sacrament of Reconciliation. Father Rossi's priestly ministry made a big difference in their lives.

The priest also felt deep compassion for the homeless women and girls. They wandered through the streets day and night begging. This was dangerous and very sad. The pope gave Father Rossi money to open a shelter for homeless women.

It was right near the Hospice of St. Galla. Father Rossi placed the house under the protection of one of his favorite saints, Aloysius Gonzaga. Father Rossi became best known for his kindness and gentleness in confession. People formed lines near his confessional and waited patiently for their turn. He once said to a friend that the best way for a priest to reach heaven was to help people through the sacrament of Reconciliation.

Another favorite job he was given by Pope Benedict XIV was to teach Catechism to prison and government officials, including the public hangman. Father Rossi suffered a stroke in 1763 and did not get better again. He was able to celebrate Mass but he suffered greatly. This wonderful priest died at the age of sixty-six. It was May 23, 1764.

Reflection: How can we help our priests? May we may always pray for them and ask Jesus to console them.

John
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	John 21
20.	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?	Conversus Petrus vidit illum discipulum, quem diligebat Jesus, sequentem, qui et recubuit in cœna super pectus ejus, et dixit : Domine, quis est qui tradet te ?	επιστραφεις δε ο πετρος βλεπει τον μαθητην ον ηγαπα ο ιησους ακολουθουντα ος και ανεπεσεν εν τω δειπνω επι το στηθος αυτου και ειπεν κυριε τις εστιν ο παραδιδους σε
21.	Him therefore when Peter had seen, he saith to Jesus: Lord, and what shall this man do?	Hunc ergo cum vidisset Petrus, dixit Jesu : Domine, hic autem quid ?	τουτον ιδων ο πετρος λεγει τω ιησου κυριε ουτος δε τι
22.	Jesus saith to him: So I will have him to remain till I come, what is it to thee? follow thou me.	Dicit ei Jesus : Sic eum volo manere donec veniam, quid ad te ? tu me sequere.	λεγει αυτω ο ιησους εαν αυτον θελω μενειν εως ερχομαι τι προς σε συ ακολουθει μοι
23.	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?	Exiit ergo sermo iste inter fratres quia discipulus ille non moritur. Et non dixit ei Jesus : Non moritur, sed : Sic eum volo manere donec veniam, quid ad te ?	εξηλθεν ουν ο λογος ουτος εις τους αδελφους οτι ο μαθητης εκεινος ουκ αποθνησκει και ουκ ειπεν αυτω ο ιησους οτι ουκ αποθνησκει αλλ εαν αυτον θελω μενειν εως ερχομαι τι προς σε
24.	This is that disciple who giveth testimony of these things, and hath written these things; and we know that his testimony is true.	Hic est discipulus ille qui testimonium perhibet de his, et scripsit hæc : et scimus quia verum est testimonium ejus.	ουτος εστιν ο μαθητης ο μαρτυρων περι τουτων και γραψας ταυτα και οιδαμεν οτι αληθης εστιν η μαρτυρια αυτου
25.	But there are also many other things which Jesus did; which, if they were written every one, the world itself, I think, would not be able to contain the books that should be written.	Sunt autem et alia multa quæ fecit Jesus : quæ si scribantur per singula, nec ipsum arbitror mundum capere posse eos, qui scribendi sunt, libros.	εστιν δε και αλλα πολλα οσα εποιησεν ο ιησους ατινα εαν γραφηται καθ εν ουδε αυτον οιμαι τον κοσμον χωρησαι τα γραφομενα βιβλια αμην

20. Then Peter, turning about, sees the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrays you?
21. Peter seeing him says to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?
22. Jesus says to him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to you? follow you me.
23. Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not to him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to you?

THEOPHYL. Peter hearing that he was to suffer death for Christ, asks whether John was to die: Then Peter, turning about, sees the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on His breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrays you?

Peter seeing him says to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?

AUG. He calls himself the disciple whom Jesus loved, because Jesus had a greater and more familiar love for him, than for the rest; so that He made him lie on His breast at supper. In this way John the more commends the divine excellency of that Gospel which he preached.

Some think, and they no contemptible commentators upon Scripture, that the reason why John was loved more than the rest, was, because he had lived in perfect chastity from his youth up. Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not to him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to you?

THEOPHYL. i.e. Shall he not die?

AUG. Jesus says to him, What is that to you? and He then repeats, Follow you Me, as if John would not follow Him, because he wished to remain till He came; Then went this saying abroad among the disciples, that disciple should not die. Was it not a natural inference of the disciple's? But John himself does awes With such a notion: Yet Jesus said not to him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to you? But if any so will, let him contradict, and say that what John says is true, viz. that our Lord did not say that that disciple should not die, but that nevertheless this was signified by using such words as John records.

THEOPHYL. Or let him say, Christ did not deny that John was to die, for whatever is born cries; but said, I will that he tarry till I come, i.e. to live to the end of the world, and then he shall suffer martyrdom for Me. And therefore they confess that he still lives, but will be killed by Antichrist, and will preach Christ's name with Elias. But if his sepulcher be objected, then they say that he entered in alive, and went out of it afterwards.

AUG. Or perhaps he will allow that John still lies in his sepulcher at Ephesus, but asleep, not dead; and will give us a proof, that the soil over his grave is moist and watery, owing to his respiration. But why should our Lord grant it as a great privilege to the disciple whom He loved, that he should sleep this long time in the body, when he released Peter from the burden of the flesh by a glorious martyrdom, and gave him what Paul had longed for, when he said, I have a desire to depart and be with Christ? If there really takes place at John's grave that which report says, it is either done to commend his precious death, since that had not martyrdom to commend it, or for some other cause not known to us. Yet the question remains, Why did our Lord say of one who was about to die, I will that he tarry till I come? It may be asked too why our Lord loved John the most, when Peter loved our Lord the most? I might easily reply, that the one who loved Christ the more, was the better man, and the one whom Christ loved the more, the more blessed; only this would not be a defense of our Lord's justice. This important question then I will endeavor to answer. The Church acknowledges two modes of life, as divinely revealed, that by faith, and that by sight. The one is represented by the Apostle Peter, in respect of the primacy of his Apostleship; the other by John: wherefore to the one it is said, Follow Me, i.e. imitate Me in enduring temporal sufferings; of the other it is said, I will that he tarry till I come: as if to say, Do you follow Me, by the endurance of temporal sufferings, let him remain till I come to give everlasting bliss; or to open out the meaning more, Let action be perfected by following the example of My Passion, but let contemplation wait inchoate till at My coming it be completed: wait, not simply remain, continue, but wait for its completion at Christ's coming. Now in this life of action it is true, the more we love Christ, the more we are freed from sin; but He does not love us as we are, He frees us from sin, that we may not always remain as we are, but He loves us heretofore rather, because hereafter we shall not have that which displeases Him, and which He frees us from. So then let Peter love Him, that we may be freed from this mortality; let John be loved by Him, that we may be preserved in that immortality. John loved less than Peter, because, as he represented that life in which we are much more loved, our Lord said, I will that he remain (i.e. wait) till I come; seeing that that greater love we have not yet, but wait till we have it at His coming. And this intermediate state is represented by Peter who loves, but is loved less, for Christ loves us in our misery less than in our blessedness: and we again love the contemplation of truth such as it will be then, less in our present state, because as yet we neither know nor have it. But let none separate those illustrious Apostles; that which Peter represented, and that which John represented, both were sometime to be.

GLOSS. I will that he tarry, i.e. I will not that he suffer martyrdom, but wait for the quiet dissolution of the flesh, when I shall come and receive him into eternal blessedness.

THEOPHYL. When our Lord says to Peter, Follow Me, He confers upon him the superintendence over all the faithful, and at the same time bids him imitate Him in every thing, word and work. He shows too His affection for Peter; for those who are most dear to us, we bid follow us.

CHRYS. But if it be asked, How then did James assume the see of Jerusalem? I answer, that our Lord enthroned Peter, not as Bishop of this see, but as Doctor of the whole world: Then Peter, turning about, sees the disciple whom Jesus loved following, which also leaned on his breast at supper. It is not without meaning that that circumstance of leaning on His breast is mentioned, but to show what confidence Peter had after his denial.

For he who at the supper dared not ask himself, but gave his question to John to put, has the superintendence over his brethren committed to him, and whereas before he gave a question which concerned himself to another to put, he now asks questions himself of his Master concerning others. Our Lord then having foretold such great things of him, and committed the world to him, and prophesied his martyrdom, and made known his greater love, Peter wishing to have John admitted to a share of this calling, says, And what shall this man do? as if to say, Will he not go the same way with us? For Peter had great love for John, as appears from the Gospels and Acts of the Apostles, which give many proofs of their close friendship.

So Peter does John the same turn, that John had done him; thinking that he wanted to ask about himself, but was afraid, he puts the question for him. However, inasmuch as they were now going to have the care of the world committed to them, and could not remain together without injury to their charge, our Lord says, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to you? as if to say, Attend to the work committed to thee, and do it: if I will that he abide here, what is that to you?

THEOPHYL. Some have understood, Till I come, to mean, Till I come to punish the Jews who have crucified Me, and strike them with the Roman rod. For they say that this Apostle lived up to the time of Vespasian, who took Jerusalem, and dwelt near when it was taken. Or, Till I come, i.e. till I give him the commission to preach, for to you I commit now the pontificate of the world: and in this follow Me, but let him remain till I come and call him, as I do you now.

CHRYS. The Evangelist then corrects the opinion taken up by the disciples.

24. This is the disciple which testifies of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true.
25. And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.

CHRYS. John appeals to his own knowledge of these events, having been witness of them: This is the disciple which testifies of these things. When we assert any undoubted fact in common life, we do not withhold our testimony: much less would he, who wrote by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost. And thus the other Apostles, And we are witnesses of these things, and wrote these things. John is only one who appeals to his own testimony; and he does so, because he was the last who wrote. And for this reason he often mentions Christ's love for him, i.e. to show the motive which led him to write, and to give weight to his history. And we know that his testimony is true. He was present at every event, even at the crucifixion, when our Lord committed His mother to him; circumstances which both show Christ's love, and his own importance as a witness. But if any believe not, let him consider what follows:

And there are also many other things which Jesus did. If, when there were so many things to relate, I have not said so much as the other, and have selected often reproaches and contumelies in preference to other things, it is evident that I have not written partially. One who wants to show another off to advantage does the very contrary, omits the dishonorable parts.

AUG. The which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should, be written; meaning not the world had not space for them, but that the capacity of readers was not large enough to hold them: though sometimes words themselves may exceed the truth, and yet the thing they express be true; a mode of speech which is used not to explain an obscure and doubtful, but to magnify or estimate a plain, thing: nor does it involve any departure from the path of truth; inasmuch as the excess of the word over the truth is evidently only a figure of speech, and not a deception. This way of speaking the Greeks call hyperbole, and it is found in other parts of Scripture.

CHRYS. This is said to show the power of Him Who did the miracles; i. e that it was as easy for Him to do them, as it is for us to speak of them, seeing He is God over all, blessed for ever.

THE END.

Catena Aurea John 21

Jesus Appears to Two Disciples

Today's Reading: Mark 16:1-13

1 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week they went to the tomb when the sun had risen. 3 And they were saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the door of the tomb?" 4 And looking up, they saw that the stone was rolled back; for it was very large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe; and they were amazed. 6 And he said to them, "Do not be amazed; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen, he is not here; see the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you." 8 And they went out and fled from the tomb; for trembling and astonishment had come upon them; and they said nothing to any one, for they were afraid.

9 Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. 10 She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. 11 But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.

12 After this he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. 13 And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.

Today's Commentary:

He has risen: The Resurrection of Jesus is the greatest miracle of history. The NT describes it as a glorious accomplishment of the Trinity: the Father (Rom 6:4), Son (Jn 10:17-18), and Holy Spirit (Rom 1:4) were together active in bringing about Christ's Resurrection, glorification, and heavenly Ascension.

Peter: Simon is singled out as the leader of the apostolic band and the head of the New Covenant Church (Mt 16:17-19; CCC 642). The summons to meet Jesus indicates that Peter's cowardice has been forgiven (Lk 22:31-32). In John's Gospel, Peter three times affirms his love for Jesus as personal restitution for his threefold denial (Jn 21:15-17).

Catholic Spiritual Direction.com

The Powerful Crown of Roses

May 23, 2015 by Peter Howard

In the kingdom of men, the crowns made of durable, precious metals yield the symbol of power and dominion. In the Kingdom of God, it is always the opposite. It is those crowns made from living vines and branches that God chooses to show that true power is found in those rooted in the earth – in other words, in humility (derived from the Latin humus meaning “from the earth”).

The first of those great crowns was manifested on Good Friday with the humiliation of Jesus. The second of the great crowns is mystically

revealed by the Mother of God, whom God sent to teach us a secret and powerful way to her Son. It is a way that involves a living crown—a crown made of the perfect earthen flower that reminds us of the paradox of Christianity – that only through being rooted in the earth (humility) and united to the suffering of Christ, will one bear true fruit. And this flower is the rose – the queen of all flowers — whose beautiful rose petals are fed only by a stem paved with thorns.

And just as the rose is the queen of all the flowers, the Rosary is the

queen of all devotions. It is a prayer so simple and humble, yet, as history has shown us, is among the most powerful prayers the Church possesses in its spiritual arsenal. It is its power to form the greatest saints and also the power to conquer the enemies of the Church that sets it apart from all other prayers outside the Liturgy and the sacraments. It is heaven’s prayer of choice for the Church in distress when the power of God is needed more than ever. And this is undoubtedly manifested at Fatima in 1917, that year of great spiritual revolution, where Our Lady revealed herself as “Our Lady of the Rosary.” Why is this so significant? Let’s take a look.

Put simply, the Rosary is the perfect devotion composed of the three greatest prayers—the Our Father (given to us by Christ Himself), the Hail Mary (given to us through the words of the Angel and the prayer of the Church) and the Glory Be (sung by the heavenly host in the Book of Revelation)—all of which are preceded by the Creed, that disposes our souls directly to God and puts demons to flight. So, the

prayers of the Rosary are given to us by God Himself through His direct revelation of the mysteries of Redemption as recorded in Sacred Scripture and transmitted by the Church. On top of these prayers we reflect on the saving mysteries of Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Church. And we do all this while “fingering the beads”. In short, we have a thoroughly incarnational prayer that occupies every part of our Christian person: body, mind and spirit. St. John Paul II emphasizes that, at the heart of the Rosary, is a pathway to deep contemplation:

The most important reason for strongly encouraging the practice of the Rosary is that it represents a most effective means of fostering among the faithful that commitment to the contemplation of the Christian mystery which I have proposed in the Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio Ineunte as a genuine ‘training in holiness’: ‘What is needed is a Christian life distinguished above all in the art of prayer (St. John Paul II, Rosarium Virginis Mariae, 5)

So, we already have some pretty good incentives to get us to pray the Rosary. And not to sound like an infomercial, “but wait, there’s more . . .”

The Rosary is a prayer of immeasurable power. Why is that? Well, when you are reciting at least fifty times the words that brought about the greatest miracle in history, a God-Man, you are asking Our Lady to mediate the greatest miracles upon the world in the here and now.

All we need to do is take a quick survey of Church history and we see the role the Rosary has in changing the course of world history. Beginning with the giving of the Rosary to St. Dominic in the 13^th century, the Rosary was given as a means to convert a militant group of heretics, the Albigensians. As soon as St. Dominic began to preach the rosary and pray it for the conversion of sinners, the power of Mary’s mediation was witnessed as the Albigensians were conquered by Our Blessed Mother. St. Louis de Montfort explains why:

The Hail Mary is a sharp and flaming shaft which, joined to the Word of God, gives the preacher the strength to pierce, move and convert the most hardened hearts even if he has little or no natural gift of preaching…This was the great secret that Our Lady taught St. Dominic and Blessed Alan so that they might convert heretics and sinners.” — St. Louis Marie-Grignion De Montfort, Secret of the Rosary, paragraph 51.

When Islam had already spread through most of Europe and its sights were now placed on Rome, Pope Pius V called upon the Holy Roman Empire to pray the Rosary in order to

defeat a massive and powerful Moslem navy en route to Italy. At the famous Battle of Lepanto in 1571, the Christian naval fleet obtained a decisive victory over the Moslems as both Catholics on land and sea, led by the Pope, called on the powerful intercession and mediation of Mary to save Europe. And she did. The victory was unquestionably attributed to her mediation and what resulted was a feast day of “Our Lady of Victory,” which was later renamed “Our Lady of the Rosary” on 7 October 1716 by Pope Clement XI commemorating this great battle and the true weapon that obtained that victory.

We fast forward to Fatima 1917. We have Our Blessed Mother revealing herself as “Our Lady of the Rosary” and explicitly asking us to pray the rosary for peace. If the previous examples are not enough to convince us of its power, let’s fast forward again to 6 August 1945, Hiroshima, Japan. Eight city blocks from ground zero of the atomic bomb explosion lived eight German Jesuits, who not only survived the blast, but had no residual effects of radiation. When a survivor of the blast, Fr. Hubert Schiffer, SJ, was asked (reportedly over 200 times by scientists, et al.) why he believed they survived and with no radiation side-effects, he simply said: “We believe that we survived because we were living the message of Fatima. We lived and prayed the rosary daily in that home” (An excellent article on this can be found at http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/features/2010/08/05/the-priests-who-survived-the-atomic-bomb/ ).

I am convinced . . . the Rosary is as powerful as Our Blessed Mother says it is. It is therefore very significant that in the year of great revolution, Mary at Fatima reveals that she is “Our Lady of the Rosary” and she wants us to pray it for peace and the conversion of sinners—both intentions which are at the root of the history of the Rosary. Let us heed her request and do so, especially in our families. It is a proven fact that families who pray the rosary together stay together—and that doesn’t mean there won’t be great challenges within families. The Rosary is what tethers us to the redemptive mysteries and power of Christ who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. And the devil HATES the Rosary for this reason. And he tries every way possible to prevent us from praying it, especially as a family.

So, I have some tips for families. If your day is too hectic and sitting down for twenty minutes of prayer is too much of a challenge, then start your day with two decades of a rosary and finish the other three in the evening (either after dinner or right before going to bed). Drawing from personal experience, nothing calms children and prepares them for sleep better than the Rosary! Equally important is to add meditations throughout the prayer. Have one child or spouse read Scriptural passages while the first part of the Hail Mary is being recited and then all say the second half. We need help meditating and having meditations from Scripture or from other solid sources is key, in my opinion.

Lastly, don’t give up. Imagine the graces you are obtaining for your soul and those of your children—remembering that at the hour of your death you will have prayed countless thousands of times: “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.” Do you think Mary will have forgotten this greatest of tributes to her? I think not and that gives me inexplicable hope and joy. What a gift to pass this on to our children!

And so I close with the words of the oldest of the seers of Fatima, Sr. Lucia dos Santos, who reminds us that we do have a simple, yet extremely powerful, weapon to combat the evils and challenges of our times, whether it be the threat of ISIS, another world war, the threat of global economic collapse, the attacks against the unborn and the family:

The Most Holy Virgin in these last times in which we live has given a new efficacy to the recitation of the Rosary to such an extent that there is no problem, no matter how difficult it is, whether temporal or above all spiritual, in the personal life of each one of us, of our families…that cannot be solved by the Rosary. There is no problem, I tell you, no matter how difficult it is, that we cannot resolve by the prayer of the Holy Rosary. (Interview with Sr. Lucia dos Santos by Father Augustín Fuentes, December 26, 1957).

What’s in your pocket?

Catholic Culture

Daily Readings for:May 23, 2015
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: Grant, we pray, almighty God, that we, who have celebrated the paschal festivities, may by your gift hold fast to them in the way that we live our lives. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

RECIPES

o Veal Cutlets in Marsala Wine

ACTIVITIES

o Marian Hymn: Salve Regina

o May, the Month of Mary

o Practical Suggestions for Christian Living (Confirmation)

PRAYERS

o May Pilgrimages

o May Devotion: Blessed Virgin Mary

o Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Litany of Loretto)

· Easter: May 23rd

· Saturday of the Seventh Week of Easter

Old Calendar: St. Julia of Corsica, virgin &martyr (Hist); St. John Baptist de Rossi, priest (Hist)

Historically today is the feast of St. Julia of Corsica, also known as Saint Julia of Carthage, and more rarely Saint Julia of Nonza, was a virgin martyr. The date of her death is most probably on or after AD 439. She, along with Saint Devota, are the patron saints of Corsica. Saint Julia was declared a patroness of Corsica by the Church on August 5, 1809; Saint Devota, on March 14, 1820. Both were martyred in pre-Christian Corsica under Roman rule.

It is also historically the feast of St. John Baptist de Rossi who was from Genoa, and studied and worked in Rome before becoming a priest there and a canon of Santa Maria in Cosmedin . He worked tirelessly for homeless women, the sick, prisoners and workers, and was a very popular confessor, being called a second Philip Neri.

St. Julia of Corsica
St. Julia was a noble virgin of Carthage, who, when the city was taken by Genseric in 489, was sold for a slave to a pagan merchant of Syria named Eusebius. Under the most mortifying employments of her station, by cheerfulness and patience she found a happiness and comfort which the world could not have afforded.

All the time she was not employed in her master's business was devoted to prayer and reading books of piety. Her master, who was charmed with her fidelity and other virtues, carried her with him on one of his voyages to Gaul. Having reached the northern part of Corsica, he cast anchor, and went on shore to join the pagans of the place in an idolatrous festival. Julia was left at some distance, because she would not be defiled by the superstitious ceremonies which she openly reviled.

Felix, the governor of the island, who was a bigoted pagan, asked who this woman was who dared to insult the gods. Eusebius informed him that she was a Christian, and that all his authority over her was too weak to prevail with her to renounce her religion, but that he found her so diligent and faithful he could not part with her. The governor offered him four of his best female slaves in exchange for her. But the merchant replied, "No; all you are worth will not purchase her; for I would freely lose the most valuable thing I have in the world rather than be deprived of her." However, the governor, while Eusebius was drunk and asleep, took upon him to compel her to sacrifice to his gods. He offered to procure her liberty if she would comply. The Saint made answer that she was as free as she desired to be as long as she was allowed to serve Jesus Christ. Felix, thinking himself derided by her undaunted and resolute air, in a transport of rage caused her to be struck on the face, and the hair of head to be torn off, and lastly, ordered her to be hanged on a cross till she expired. Certain monks of the isle of Gorgon carried off her body; but in 768 Desiderius, King Of Lombardy, removed her relics to Breseia, where her memory is celebrated with great devotion.

St. Julia, whether free or a slave, whether in prosperity or in adversity, was equally fervent and devout. She adored all the sweet designs of Providence; and far from complaining, she never ceased to praise and thank God under all his holy appointments, making them always the means of her virtue and sanctification. God, by an admirable chain of events, raised her by her fidelity to the honour of the saints, and to the dignity of a virgin and martyr.

Excerpted from Butler's Lives of the Saints

Things to Do:

Visit this website for pictures and information about St. Julia.

St. John Baptist de Rossi
St. John was born at Voltaggio in the Diocese of Genoa on February 22, 1698 and died at Rome on May 23, 1764. His parents, Charles de Rossi and Frances Anfossi, were not rich in earthly goods, but had solid piety and the esteem of their fellow-citizens. Of their four children, John excelled in gentleness and piety. At the age of ten he was taken to Genoa by friends for his education. There he received news of the death of his father.

After three years he was called to Rome by a relative, Lorenzo de Rossi, who was canon at St. Mary in Cosmedin. He pursued his studies at the Collegium Romanum under the direction of the Jesuits, and soon became a model by his talents, application to study, and virtue. As a member of the Sodality of the Blessed Virgin and of the Ristretto of the Twelve Apostles established at the college, he led the members in the meetings and pious exercises, in visits to the sick in the hospitals and in other works of mercy, and merited even then the name of apostle.

At the age of sixteen he entered the clerical state. Owing to indiscreet practices of mortification he contracted spells of epilepsy, notwithstanding which he made his course of scholastic philosophy and theology, in the college of the Dominicans, and, with dispensation, was ordained priest on 8 March, 1721. Having reached the desired goal, he bound himself by vow to accept no ecclesiastical benefice unless commanded by obedience. He fulfilled the duties of the sacred ministry by devoting himself to the laborers, herds, and teamsters of the Campagna, preaching to them early in the morning, or late in the evening, at the old Forum Romanum (Campo Vaccino), and by visiting, instructing, and assisting the poor at the hospital of St. Galla. In 1731 he established near St. Galla another hospital as a home of refuge for the unfortunates who wander the city by night ("Rom. Brev.", tr. Bute, Summer, 573).

In 1735 he became titular canon at St. Mary in Cosmedin, and, on the death of Lorenzo two years later, obedience forced him to accept the canonry. The house belonging to it, however, he would not use, but employed the rent for good purposes.

For a number of years John was afraid, on account of his sickness, to enter the confessional, and it was his custom to send to other priests the sinners whom he had brought to repentance by his instructions and sermons. In 1738 a dangerous sickness befell him, and to regain his health he went to Cività Castellana, a day's journey from Rome. The bishop of the place induced him to hear confessions, and after reviewing his moral theology he received the unusual faculty of hearing confessions in any of the churches of Rome. He showed extraordinary zeal in the exercise of this privilege, and spent many hours every day in hearing the confessions of the illiterate and the poor whom he sought in the hospitals and in their homes. He preached to such five and six times a day in churches, chapels, convents, hospitals, barracks, and prison cells, so that he became the apostle of the abandoned, a second Philip Neri, a hunter of souls.

In 1763, worn out by such labors and continued ill-health, his strength began to ebb away, and after several attacks of paralysis he died at his quarters in Trinità de' Pellegrini. He was buried in that church under a marble slab at the altar of the Blessed Virgin. God honoured his servant by miracles, and only seventeen years after his death the process of beatification was begun, but the troubled state of Europe during the succeeding years prevented progress in the cause until it was resumed by Pius IX, who on 13 May, 1860, solemnly pronounced his beatification. As new signs still distinguished him, Leo XIII, on 8 December, 1881, enrolled him among the saints.

Excerpted from The Catholic Encyclopedia

Patron: of the abandoned

Things to Do:

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The Word Among Us

Meditation: Acts 28:16-20, 30-31

7th Week of Easter

It is on account of the hope of Israel that I wear these chains. (Acts 28:20)

Imagine spending years in a prison or under house arrest on trumped-up charges, as Paul did. Or imagine languishing in harsh conditions—including nine years in solitary confinement—as Vietnamese Cardinal Nguyen Van Thuan (1928-2002) did. Now imagine that despite your restrictions, you continue to spread the gospel of hope in Christ—just as these two did.

How did they do it? They may have been imprisoned in body, but their relationship with Christ kept their hearts and minds free.

Consider the words of Cardinal Van Thuan:

“All prisoners, myself included, constantly wait to be let go. I decided [upon arrest] that my captivity would not be merely a time of resignation but a turning point in my life. I decided I would not wait. I would live the present moment and fill it with love… .

“When the Communists put me in the hold of the boat along with 1,500 other prisoners and moved us to the North, I said to myself, ‘Here is my cathedral, here are the people God has given me to care for, here is my mission: to ensure the presence of God among these, my despairing, miserable brothers. It is God’s will that I am here. I accept his will.’ And from that minute onwards, a new peace filled my heart and stayed with me for thirteen years.”

Perhaps you feel hemmed in, waiting to be free, especially in situations you can’t resolve or get out of on your own. Decide here and now to make this situation your cathedral. Try your best to accept God’s will, and you’ll begin to experience his freedom and peace. Then keep your eyes open to all that you can do right there, in the precise situation you are in! You could have a fruitful ministry just as much from a jail cell as a pulpit, just as much from a hospital bed as in a mission field. Has God called you to this place? Then don’t wait! You are important to God’s plan. So discover with him what that is.

“Jesus, unite my will to yours. I rely on your strength and love to see me through and to help me bear fruit for your kingdom.”

Psalm 11:4-5, 7; John 21:20-25

Regnum Christi

You Follow Me

U. S. A. | SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

May 23, 2015. Saturday of the Seventh Week of Easter

By Father Paul Campbell, LC

John 21:20-25

Peter turned and saw the disciple following whom Jesus loved, the one who had also reclined upon his chest during the supper and had said, "Master, who is the one who will betray you?" When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, "Lord, what about him?" Jesus said to him, "What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours? You follow me." So the word spread among the brothers that that disciple would not die. But Jesus had not told him that he would not die, just "What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours?" It is this disciple who testifies to these things and has written them, and we know that his testimony is true. There are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written.

Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe in you and all that you have revealed for our salvation. I hope in you because of your overflowing mercy. Every single act of yours on this earth demonstrated your love for us. Your ascent into heaven before the eyes of the Apostles inspires my hope of one day joining you there. I love you and wish you to be the center of my life.

Petition: Lord, increase my faith, hope and love.

The Disciple Whom Jesus Loved: Peter is walking with Jesus along the shore where Jesus has just foretold his future martyrdom. He turns to ask Jesus about John, who was following them. Throughout his Gospel, John designates himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved. It is as if the most striking point of John’s life and experience with Christ was that Jesus loved him. It became his identity. How often do I reflect on Christ’s love for me? How often do I cherish it?

What About Him? Jesus responds to Peter’s question with a question of his own. What concern is it of yours what happens to John? Christ’s relationship with his disciples is deeply personal. Each has a mission to complete in life. We can get distracted thinking about and comparing ourselves to others, or whether they may or may not be following Christ. However, these comparisons with others (or their gifts, or their mission) can frequently be a sign of our pride. We have our own mission to fulfill, and no one can take our place. We need to concentrate instead on that part of our mission which is still ahead of us, yet to be fulfilled.

We Know That His Testimony Is True: John is a witness to all that has taken place in his Gospel. His testimony was entrusted to a community of believers and has come down to us under the guarantee of the Church. The Gospel presents us with what Jesus actually said and did. We need to hold fast to our faith in the Gospel and not get sidetracked by modern interpretations that cast doubt on everything. When we read the scriptures we hear God’s voice. Do I read them with such faith?

Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, thank you for the testimony of your life that I find in the Gospel. Increase my faith. Help me to read the Scriptures and meditate on them with greater fervor. I know that you want to speak to me through them. Help me to follow you today.

Resolution: Today I will help another person read a passage of the Gospel prayerfully.

One Bread, One Body

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Pentecost Novena - Day 9

Acts 28:16-20, 30-31
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Psalm 11:4-5, 7

John 21:20-25
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STAYING POWER

"Follow Me." —John 21:22

The Holy Spirit comes to confirm us — to make us strong and faithful to the Lord. Before Pentecost, Jesus' disciples were like chameleons. Their commitment to Jesus changed according to the circumstances. For example, they said they would never disown Christ (Mt 26:35), but they all deserted Him in the Garden of Gethsemani (Mt 26:56). Jesus commanded St. Peter to follow Him, but Peter was more concerned about what other people were doing or not doing (Jn 21:21). Only by the power of the Spirit can we be faithful to the Lord.

St. Paul began in the Spirit and ended in the Spirit. From the day of his conversion, Paul proclaimed the kingdom of God. In the last scene of Acts, Paul was still proclaiming God's kingdom "with full assurance, and without any hindrance whatever" (Acts 28:31). Finally, Paul was martyred, still proclaiming God's kingdom.

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Heb 13:8). We who are disciples of Jesus should also be the same in our commitment to Him. True love is "not alternately 'yes' and 'no,' " it is "never anything but 'yes' " (2 Cor 1:19). The Holy Spirit will make you faithful. Come, Holy Spirit of love and faithfulness!

Prayer: Father, may I never love You less but always love You more.

Promise: "There are still many other things that Jesus did, yet if they were written about in detail, I doubt there would be room enough in the entire world to hold the books to record them." —Jn 21:25

Praise: Martin and Rosa recently celebrated their fifty-fifth wedding anniversary. They have ministered the love of Jesus to many thousands of people throughout their married life.

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Regina Coeli

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