Show Notes:
Notable May Saints:
- 1 May: St. Peregrine Laziosi. Patron saint of cancer patients
- 3 May: St. James the Less. His father was Alphaeus, and his mother, Mary of Clopas, was either a sister or close relative of the Blessed Virgin Mary. St. Philip is also celebrated on this day. They share a feast day because their relics were brought to Rome together on this day.
- 10 May: St. John of Avila, Doctor of the Church. Not to be confused with St. John of the Cross. Also St. Joseph de Veuster (a.k.a. Father Damian) who took the religious name “Damian” and used that saint as his inspiration for his work with lepers on the Hawaiian island of Moloka’i.
- 12 May: Blessed Imelda Lambertini. Her story is frequently told to children who are about to receive their first Holy Eucharist. “Tell me, can anyone receive Jesus into his heart and not die?”
- 13 May: Feast of Our Lady of Fátima
- 14 May: St. Matthias the Apostle
- 15 May: St. Dymphna, patron saint of those struggling with mental health issues, and St. Isidore the Farmer who sometimes had angelic help plowing the field while he stayed after morning Mass to pray.
- 16 May: St. Simon Stock. Superior General of the Carmelites. Vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary led to the promotion of the Brown Scapular as a sacramental.
- 19 May: Blessed Alcuin of York. Benedictine monk credited with ushering in the age of Christendom by blending faith and culture through the integration of being, knowing, and acting.
- 22 May: St. Rita of Cascia. Patron saint of impossible causes. Augustinian nun after the murder of her husband and death of her sons.
- 23 May: Feast of Mary, Queen of Apostles
- 24 May: Pentecost Sunday (a moveable feast) which is also called “The birthday of the Church.” Also, when not on the Lord’s Day, Feast of Mary, Help of Christians
- 25 May: Feast of Mary, Mother of the Church celebrated the Monday after Pentecost. Added to the calendar by Pope Francis in 2018
- 29 May: St. Pope Paul VI. Continued the Second Vatican Council, issued three Marian encyclicals and named Mary “Mother of the Church,” most remembered for his encyclical Humanae Vitae.
- 30 May: St. Joan of Arc
- 31 May: Feast of the Most Holy Trinity, celebrated the Sunday after Pentecost. And when not on the Lord’s Day, Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary which was established in 1389 by Pope Urban VI in order to end the Great Schism through the intercession of Mary. Date set to May 31st during St. Pope Paul VI’s reform of the calendar.
Conversatio Sancta:
- 2 May: St. Athanasius of Alexandria. Born around 296 in Alexandria, Egypt. His noble Christian family had him educated in philosophy, literature, and theology. He made friends with St. Antony of the Desert and other monks and hermits, and became a deacon. During this time the Arian Heresy began to spread, which denied the divinity of Christ. As his bishop’s secretary, he went to the Council of Nicea and joined in defending the teaching of the Church. Elected bishop after his bishop died, Athanasius spent over a third of his 45 years as bishop in exile because of one iota. (See the great write-up by Deacon Richard, here.)
- An “iota” is the Greek letter “i”
- Arianism: “Heteroousios” which means “of a different substance.”
- Semi-Arianism: “Homoiousios” which means “of a similar substance.”
- Church teaching: “Homoousios” which means “of the same substance.”
- What’s this “substance” business?
- It’s one of the words used by the ancient philosophers to precisely describe the world around them.
- Substance is what something is.
- Everything also has attributes. First is Essence, which makes something unique from other things, and it is essential to the identity of the thing. The other element is something’s Accidents, which are characteristics that aren’t essential to a thing’s identity and which may change.
- Example: Your Substance is that you are a human being. Your Essence is that you are a body-soul composite, so if you remove the body you’re no longer human (you’re pure spirit) and if you remove the spirit you’re just an animal. Your Accidents are your characteristics that may change: your hair color, your height and weight, the number of teeth you have. The accidents can change but your Essence and Substance remain.
- Philosophy and these terms are important to understanding and describing key elements of the faith, such as transubstantiation.
- Philosophy gives us the virtues, a precise language to clarify discussions, and rules for determining truth, such as logical fallacies and cognitive biases. (Listen: Saint In Progress Episode #44)
- Consider: How well do you know classical philosophy?
- 8 May: St. Pope Boniface IV. On May 13th in 609, he sanctified the Pantheon on May 13th and converted it into the Basilica of St. Mary and the Martyrs.
- Before something is consecrated, it must first be exorcised. This is particularly true with Church buildings, and especially true of ones that used to be pagan temples.
- An account of the exorcism (translated from italian): “Once upon a time, when the city was pagan, all the gods of Roman polytheism were venerated there. In 608 the Byzantine emperor Phocas gave it to Pope Boniface IV and the evocative ceremony was organized to consecrate it to the Christian God.
On May 13, 609, an immense crowd gathered near the Pantheon to witness the event. The chronicles tell of the commotion and chilling screams that could be heard from within: the pagan demons were aware of what was about to happen. The doors were thrown open and the Pope, in front of the entrance, began reciting the formulas for the exorcism.
The cries of the idols increased in intensity and the commotion stunned the ears of the onlookers. Fear gripped the crowd and no one was able to stand in the way by watching and hearing that terrible spectacle.
Only Boniface IV resisted and undaunted he prayed and consecrated the Pantheon to Christ. It is said that the demons left the ancient temple in a disorderly manner and with a great racket, fleeing from the open oculus of the dome or from the door.
When the ceremony was concluded, the Pope dedicated the building to Our Lady of the Martyrs, in memory, perhaps, of the many Christians killed in honor of those filthy idols.
- Twenty-eight carts of martyr’s relics from the catacombs were interred under the high altar.
- Consider: What “pagan temples” are in your home?
- 26 May: St. Philip Neri. Born in 1515 and pious from childhood, he had a mystical experience on the eve of Pentecost in the catacombs of the Church of St. Sebastian in Rome at age 18. From the Catholic Encyclopedia:
- “While he was with the greatest earnestness asking of the Holy Ghost His gifts, there appeared to him a globe of fire, which entered into his mouth and lodged in his breast; and thereupon he was suddenly surprised with such a fire of love, that, unable to bear it, he threw himself on the ground, and, like one trying to cool himself, bared his breast to temper in some measure the flame which he felt. When he had remained so for some time, and was a little recovered, he rose up full of unwonted joy, and immediately all his body began to shake with a violent tremor; and putting his hand to his bosom, he felt by the side of his heart, a swelling about as big as a man’s fist, but neither then nor afterwards was it attended with the slightest pain or wound. The cause of this swelling was discovered by the doctors who examined his body after death. The saint’s heart had been dilated under the sudden impulse of love, and in order that it might have sufficient room to move, two ribs had been broken, and curved in the form of an arch. From the time of the miracle till his death, his heart would palpitate violently whenever he performed any spiritual action.”
- He was known for his joy, sense of humor, and practical jokes. Would use this during his many hours in the confessional.
- Founded the Congregation of the Priests of the Oratory, what was joined by St. John Henry Newman, Cardinal and Doctor of the Church.
- St. Philip Neri said: “Certain voluntary attachments of self-love must be cut through, and then we must dig round them, and then remove the earth, till we get down deep enough to find the place they are rooted and interlaced together.”
- Consider: What is your root sin? Do you know it? How do you manage it? (Listen: Saint In Progress Episode #4)
- St. Philip Neri also said: “Men are generally the carpenters of ther own crosses.”
- Consider: What crosses are you carrying that you built for yourself? (Listen: Saint In Progress Episode #48)
