Dear John, I am a firm believer that everyone has a unique and interesting story to tell. I love reading them. I love writing them. I love learning from them. That is why I was so interested in today's Saint of the Day entry on Saint Gregory Nazianzen. I had never heard of Saint Gregory before, but was easily able to find out the story of this interesting saint. Even though we here at Franciscan Media want our resources to help you grow your faith, they also help us. Our daily offerings, such as Saint the Day, Minute Meditations, and Pause+Pray, can help inspire and inform all of our faith lives. We also offer thousands of pages of content on our website that provide a wide range of information to help you dig deeper into your faith. If you find that these daily messages feed your spirit, please consider making a gift to Franciscan Media so we can continue to offer content to help you on your faith journey. Donate today! And may God give you peace! Susan Hines-Brigger Executive Editor |
Saint of the Day for January 14:
Gregory Nazianzen (c. 325 â c. 390) Listen to Saint Gregory Nazianzenâs Story Here After his baptism at 30, Gregory gladly accepted his friend Basilâs invitation to join him in a newly founded monastery. The solitude was broken when Gregoryâs father, a bishop, needed help in his diocese and estate. It seems that Gregory was ordained a priest practically by force, and only reluctantly accepted the responsibility. He skillfully avoided a schism that threatened when his own father made compromises with Arianism. At 41, Gregory was chosen suffragan bishop of Caesarea and at once came into conflict with Valens, the emperor, who supported the Arians. An unfortunate by-product of the battle was the cooling of the friendship of two saints. Basil, his archbishop, sent him to a miserable and unhealthy town on the border of unjustly created divisions in his diocese. Basil reproached Gregory for not going to his See. When protection for Arianism ended with the death of Valens, Gregory was called to rebuild the faith in the great see of Constantinople, which had been under Arian teachers for three decades. Retiring and sensitive, he dreaded being drawn into the whirlpool of corruption and violence. He first stayed at a friendâs home, which became the only orthodox church in the city. In such surroundings, he began giving the great sermons on the Trinity for which he is famous. In time, Gregory did rebuild the faith in the city, but at the cost of great suffering, slander, insults, and even personal violence. An interloper even tried to take over his bishopric. His last days were spent in solitude and austerity. He wrote religious poetry, some of it autobiographical, of great depth and beauty. He was acclaimed simply as âthe Theologian.â St. Gregory Nazianzen shares the celebration of his liturgical feast with St. Basil the Great on January 2. Reflection It may be small comfort, but post-Vatican II turmoil in the Church is a mild storm compared to the devastation caused by the Arian heresy, a trauma the Church has never forgotten. Christ did not promise the kind of peace we would love to haveâno problems, no opposition, no pain. In one way or another, holiness is always the way of the cross.
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The Rosary Changes Us As Christians, many of our religious practices revolve around conscious and intentional actions; we make specific choices like attending Mass, partaking of the sacraments, reading Scripture, and praying through a list of intentions. But we donât always avail ourselves of the practices that allow the Holy Spirit to invade our consciousness and bring us to greater awareness of our own inner life. There are many practices within the Catholic tradition: Ignatian prayer, centering prayer, and eucharistic adoration. But praying the rosary might be the most underestimated of them all. For on the surface it may look like mindless repetitionâeven superstition. But for those who are open to it, the rosary is an invitation for the Spirit to introduce new awareness of Godâs presenceâand a chance for us to respond to that presence in ways that might permanently change us. âfrom St. Anthony Messengerâs âMy One-Year Experiment with the Rosaryâ
by Shannon K. Evans |
Prayer for Priests Reflect Have you known a priest (or priests) along your journey who has helped transform your faith, trust, and hope? Think today about the priests along your path; feel the gratitude for what they have given you. Pray God,
Bless all the priests who are working such long hours,
often the only priest in the parish (or several combined),
ministering to so many in need, or wearing so many hats,
constantly traveling, yearning for a pause, for a day of rest at home.
Pressing forward even amid their own sorrows and burdens, leading the flock.
Give them the refreshment they need.
Help them know their work matters deeply to many.
That their lives dedicated to Christ are making a difference, even if,
like the Holy Spirit, it cannot be seen.
Bless them, always. Act Is there a priest or two who might not know that they helped you? Reach out to them and let them know that their work has made a difference, and that you pray for their peace. Today's Pause+Pray was written by Maureen O'Brien. Learn more here! |
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