Our Saint of the Day spent most of his life in the Monastery of Saint Sabas near Jerusalem. 🙏
Dear John, Good morning, good people! Again: Thank you for your generous support this year. We pray for our donors daily. Simply: There is no Franciscan Media without you. This is the 24th day of our Rebuilding God’s Church, $125K match campaign that will run through Easter of next year. Click here to make a donation. While the Christmas season usually inspires us to be generous, poverty is a year-round problem throughout the world. As we learn in today's Advent meditation, Vincent de Paul and Frederic Ozanam had a mission to feed the hungry and support the poor. That is a sacred calling! At Franciscan Media, we seek to nourish the spiritually hungry, those who long for the kind of peace that God's love provides. If you feel inspired by our resources, I would invite you to learn about our efforts to rebuild the Church in the spirit of Vincent de Paul, Frederic Ozanam, and Francis of Assisi. Without you, that work is not possible. May the birth of Christ bring a lasting peace to us all! |
Deacon Matthew Halbach, PhD
President & Publisher, Franciscan Media
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Saint of the Day for December 4:
John Damascene (c. 676 -749) Listen to Saint John Damascene’s Story Here John spent most of his life in the Monastery of Saint Sabas near Jerusalem, and all of his life under Muslim rule, indeed protected by it. He was born in Damascus, received a classical and theological education, and followed his father in a government position under the Arabs. After a few years, he resigned and went to the Monastery of Saint Sabas. He is famous in three areas: First, he is known for his writings against the iconoclasts, who opposed the veneration of images. Paradoxically, it was the Eastern Christian emperor Leo who forbade the practice, and it was because John lived in Muslim territory that his enemies could not silence him. Second, he is famous for his treatise, Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, a summary of the Greek Fathers, of which he became the last. It is said that this book is for Eastern schools what the Summa of Aquinas became for the West. Third, he is known as a poet, one of the two greatest of the Eastern Church, the other being Romanus the Melodist. His devotion to the Blessed Mother and his sermons on her feasts are well known. Saint John Damascene’s liturgical feast is celebrated on April 30. Reflection John defended the Church’s understanding of the veneration of images and explained the faith of the Church in several other controversies. For over 30 years, he combined a life of prayer with these defense. His holiness expressed itself in putting his literary and preaching talents at the service of the Lord.
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Advent with the Saints: Vincent de Paul and Frederic Ozanam My inner-city parish is blessed to host a soup kitchen, supported by generous volunteers and benefactors. They welcome people who are homeless or lack the means to set their own table. Our soup kitchen guests are often quick to acknowledge God as the source of the goodness they experience. They remind me how frequently I forget to be grateful. Perhaps a little more hunger in my life would help my awareness! Meals are a familiar metaphor for God’s goodness. Today we have two biblical references: a heavenly banquet thrown by God and Jesus’ miraculous feeding of the crowds. Saints throughout history have been moved to help the work of God’s reign by feeding and caring for the poor. St. Vincent de Paul inspired men and women in the seventeenth century to devote their lives to the service of those on the margins of society. Almost two centuries later, Bl. Frederic Ozanam created a parish-based approach to helping the poor and named it after Vincent de Paul. The St. Vincent de Paul society flourishes to this day. Christmastime is marked by extra efforts at generosity toward the poor, and rightly so, since Jesus was born in a poor setting, and his birth was heralded by both poor shepherds and wise men bringing gifts. May our Christmas giving include God’s poor—and move us all to greater gratitude! —adapted from the book Advent with the Saints: Daily Reflections
by Greg Friedman, OFM |
Grateful Hearts Reflect They say laughter is the best medicine, but we know gratitude is healing too. Today, let us pray with grateful hearts for what we still need and for the blessings that already surround us. Pray Generous God, thank you
for the wondrous life
you have given me.
For even in the struggle,
grace abounds.
Even in the hard times,
I see evidence
of your hand.
Thank you for my loved ones
who bring my life
joy and connection.
Thank you for meaningful work
through which I can serve others.
Thank you for the home
of this earth
and the way it awes
and comforts me.
I revel in your goodness today.
Amen. Act Keep your eyes open to God’s gifts today, and let gratitude swell in your heart. Today's Pause+Pray was written by Shannon K. Evans. Learn more here! |
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