January 16, 2007

"Love is patient, love is kind..."

"Love is patient, love is kind. It is not
jealous, (love) is not pompous, it is not inflated,

it is not rude, it does not seek its
own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury,

it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but
rejoices with the truth.

It bears all things, believes all
things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails. If there are
prophecies, they will be brought to nothing; if tongues, they will cease; if
knowledge, it will be brought to
nothing.

For we know partially and we prophesy
partially,

but when the perfect comes, the partial
will pass away.

When I was a child, I used to talk as a
child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put
aside childish things.

At present we see indistinctly, as in a
mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know
fully, as I am fully known.

So faith, hope, love remain, these
three; but the greatest of these is love. "

-
St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, 13:4
NAB"I give you a new commandment: love one another.
As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.

This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if
you have love for one another." - Words of Our Lord, Gospel of St. John,
13:34-35

February 14 is St. Valentine's Day.

St.
Valentine Legend states that Valentine, along with St.
Marius, aided the Christian martyrs during the Claudian persecution. In addition
to his other edicts against helping Christians, Claudius had also issued a
decree forbidding marriage. In order to increase troops for his army, he forbade
young men to marry, believing that single men made better soldiers than married
men.

Valentine defied this decree and urged young lovers to come to
him in secret so that he could join them in the sacrament of matrimony.
Eventually he was discovered by the Emperor, who promptly had Valentine arrested
and brought before him. Because he was so impressed with the young priest,
Claudius attempted to convert him to Roman paganism rather than execute him
immediately. However, Valentine held steadfast and in turn attempted to convert
Claudius to Christianity, at which point the Emperor condemned him to death.

While in prison, Valentine was tended by the jailer, Asterius,
and his blind daughter. Asterius' daughter was very kind to Valentine and
brought him food and messages. They developed a friendship and toward the end of
his imprisonment Valentine was able to convert both father and daughter to
Christianity. Legend has it that he also miraculously restored the sight of the
jailer's daughter.

The night before his execution, the priest wrote a farewell
message to the girl and signed it affectionately "From Your Valentine," a phrase
that lives on even to today. He was executed on February 14th, 273 AD in Rome.
The Martyrology says, "At Rome, on the Flaminian Way, the heavenly birthday of
the blessed martyr Valentine, a priest. After performing many miraculous cures
and giving much wise counsel he was beaten and beheaded under Claudius Caesar."

The church in which he is buried existed already in the fourth
century and was the first sanctuary Roman pilgrims visited upon entering the
Eternal City.

The valentine has become the universal symbol of friendship and
affection shared each anniversary of the priest's execution -- St. Valentine's
Day. Valentine has also become the patron of engaged couples.

Patron: Affianced couples; against fainting; bee keepers;
betrothed couples; engaged couples; epilepsy; fainting; greeting card
manufacturers; greetings; happy marriages; love; lovers; plague; travellers;
young people.

Symbols: Birds; roses; bishop with a crippled or
epileptic child at his feet; bishop with a rooster nearby; bishop refusing to
adore an idol; bishop being beheaded; priest bearing a sword; priest holding a
sun; priest giving sight to a blind girl.

Forget Me Not Medium Wildflower Gold Cross

Forget-Me-Not Small Wildflower Cross"Love For Eternity" Each gift item is unique, hand-crafted with
home-grown wildflowers native to Colorado, and delicately captured in
resin to preserve their vivid colors and natural beauty. Wildflowers
have a language of their own, this gift from nature is yours to
treasure.

Forget-Me-Not Medium Wildflower Cross

St. Valentine Sterling Oval Medal

This oval St. Valentine's medal (1in. x 3/4in.) shows St. Valentine
(of Rome) or (of Terni) standing by a tree stump with an axe as the
symbol of his martyrdom. St. Valentine was martyred because he gave
aid to Christians awaiting martyrdom while in prison. He is the patron
of young people, engaged couples and happy marriages. This medal comes
on a 24in. stainless steel endless chain in a deluxe gift box. This item comes with a lifetime guarantee. If it ever breaks or
tarnishes just send it back for repair or replacement. This guarantee
takes precedence over our standard return policy.

For more
beautiful Catholic jewelry, please click here.

	First Comes Love Author: Dr. Scott Hahn, Ph.D.
God is Love (Deus Caritas Est) Deluxe Hardcover Edition Author: Pope Benedict, XVI
	Love And Responsibility Author: Karol Wojtyla
Talks On The Song Of Songs Author: St. Bernard of Clairvaux

Divine Intimacy--Meditations on the interior life for every day of the liturgical year Author: Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, O.C.D.
	Life-Giving Love Author: Kimberly Hahn
Amazing Grace For The Catholic Heart--The Amazing Grace Series Authors: Jeff Cavins Matthew Pinto Patti Armstrong
	Flowers of Heaven--One Thousand Years of Christian Verse Author: Joseph Pearc

The Art Of Loving God

Author: St. Francis De Sales

A Revolution Of Love--The Meaning Of Mother Teresa

Author: David Scott

Say it with Flowers--St. Therese As a Child, Adult T-shirts

Say it with Flowers St. Therese As Child Adult T-s

O Love Divine-CD Author: His Majesty's Musicians

Sacred Heart Of Jesus Decorative Tile

Immaculate Heart Of Mary Decorative Tile

	God Loves Us All Picture Book Author: Fr. Lawrence G Lovasik, S.V.D.
I Love My Pet Author: Fr. Jude Winkler, OFM Conv.
	Say It With Flowers--St. Therese As A Child, Kid's T-shirts

Learn more about the Catholic Faith - an ongoing series: Today's
Saint

January 17 is the Feast of Saint Anthony of the
Desert, the Founder of Monasticism

Anthony the Abbot

[Saint Anthony holy card]

Also known as: Anthony of Egypt; Anthony the Great; Father of Cenobites; Father
of Western Monasticism
Memorial: 17 January
Profile: Following the death of his
parents when he was about 20, he insured that his sister completed her
education, then sold his house, furniture, and the land he owned, gave the
proceeds to the poor, joined the anchorites who
lived nearby, and moved into an empty sepulchre. At age 35 he moved alone to
the desert, living 20 years in an abandoned fort.Anthony barricaded
the place for solitude, but admirers broke in. He miraculously healed people,
and agreed to be the spiritual counselor of others. His recommendation was to
base life on the Gospel. Word spread, and so many disciples arrived that
Anthony founded two monasteries on
the Nile, one at Pispir, one at Arsinoe. Many of those who lived near him
supported themselves by making baskets and brushes, and from
that came his patronage of those trades.Anthony briefly left his
seclusion in 311, going to Alexandria to
fight Arianism, and to
comfort the victims of Maximinus' persecution. At some point in his life, he
met with his sister again. She, too, had withdrawn from the world, and
directed a community of nuns. Anthony
retired to the desert, living in a cave on Mount Colzim.Descriptions
paint him as uniformly modest and courteous. His example led many to take up
the monastic life,
and to follow his way. Friend late in life of Saint Paul the Hermit,
and buried the aged anchorite,
leading to his patronage of gravediggers. His
biography was written by his friend Saint Athanasius. His relationship with pigs and
patronage of swineherds is a
little complicated. Skin diseases were sometimes treated with applications of pork fat, which
reduced inflammation and itching. As Anthony's intervention aided in the same
conditions, he was shown in art accompanied by a pig. People who
saw the art work, but did not have it explained, thought there was a direct
connection between Anthony and pigs - and people
who worked with swine took him as
their patron.
Born: 251 at Heracleus, Egypt
Died: 356 at Mount
Colzim of natural causes; relics near
Vienne
Readings: When Anthony was about eighteen or twenty years old, his parents died. Not
six months after his parents' death, as he was on his way to church for his
usual visit, he began to think of how the apostles had left everything and
followed the Savior, and also of those mentioned in the book of Acts who had
sold their possessions and brought the apostles money for distribution to the
needy. This was all in his mind when, entering the church just as the Gospel
was being read, he head the Lord's words to the rich man: "If you want to
be perfect, go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor - you will
have riches in heaven. Then come and follow me."It seemed to
Anthony that it was God who had brought the saints to his mind, and that the
words of the Gospel had been spoken directly to him. Immediately he left the
church, and gave away to the villagers all the property he inherited, about
200 acres of very beautiful and fertile land. He sold all his other
possessions, as well, giving to the poor the considerable sum of money he
collected. However, to care for his sister he retained a few things.He gave himself up to the ascetic life, not
far from his own home. He did manual work because he had heard the words: "If anyone will not work, do not let him eat." He spent some of his
earnings on bread and the rest he gave to the poor.Seeing the kind of
life he lived, the villagers and all the good men he knew called him the
friend of God, and they loved him as a son and brother. from the
Life of Saint Anthony by Saint Athanasius

Saint Anthony told his monks: When,
therefore, they demons come by night to you and wish to tell the future, or
say 'We are the angels,' give no heed, for they lie.... But if they
shamelessly stand their ground, capering and change their forms of appearance,
fear them not, nor shrink, nor heed them as though they were good spirits. For
the presence either of the good or evil by the help of God can easily be
distinguished. The vision of the holy ones is not fraught with distraction:
'For they will not strive, nor cry, nor shall anyone hear their voice'
(Matthew 12:19; Isaiah 42:2). But it comes quietly and gently that an
immediate joy, gladness, and courage arise in the soul. For the Lord who is
our joy is with them, and the power of God the Father.Ambrose:
Life of Saint Anthony