Friday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Year of Saint Joseph

Year of the Family "Amoris Laetitia The Joy of Love"

Saints: Our Lady of Mount Carmel; Saint Helier (-555)

Readings of the Day

RB: Ch 37 The Elderly and Children

Mass: Ex 11:10-12:14; Resp Ps 116; Mt 12:1-8 

My vows to the Lord I will fulfil before all his people.

OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL,

PRAY FOR US.

Today I remember dear Sister Carmel, OSB, of happy memory who died at the age of 101. Avid reader, teacher of French and Latin, artist, lover of God, faithful Benedictine, Sister Carmel was a marvel to behold. Another person who, like her, led a full life and died at a rather advanced age is Blessed Sebastian de Aparico of Spain (d. 1600). One time sheep rancher, then businessman in Mexico, a marvel of charity, and although wealthy led a simple life, he gave generously to the poor. Then he got married at the age of 60 and his wife died soon thereafter. So he married again and this wife died too. So at 72, not after being ill for some time, Sebastian became a Franciscan friar. It is said he roamed the countryside for the next 26 years begging for alms to support the friars. It is also said that he "developed a special relationship with all beasts, who responded to his whispered commands". In this, and other ways too, Sebastian was not unlike Saint Francis. Sebastian died at 98 years of age. This prayer is fitting: Loving Father, through the intercession of Blessed Sebastian de Aparico, help me to see that I am never too old to change (Magnificat, "Saint Who?", July 2021, p. 199).

Another one of our saints of the day, Saint Helier, is known in some parts of the world as a healing saint. Today he is invoked for diseases of the skin and eyes. However, since we have been with Saint Benedict's chapters on care of the sick (RB 36), and today the elderly and children (RB 37), we ask Saint Helier to pray for all the sick and suffering, all those in need of healing, those we know and those we don't know.

SAINT SIMON STOCK,

SAINT HELIER,

BLESSED SEBASTIAN DE APARICO,

SAINT JOSEPH,

PRAY FOR US.

Today's image: From padre on his 88th birthday and 53rd year as Christ's Jesuit priest. A look at Los Gatos, CA. As related, God blessed him with brilliance, as he gazed out of his window over the old winery yesterday morning. Grazie mille, padre and faithful reader. 

© Gertrude Feick 2021