Cristy Li

Saint Paulinus of Nova (354-431)
Image: Daily Catholic

(Franciscan Media) Born in Gaul Burdigala (modern day France Bordeaux) Paulinus came from an illustrious family in the Roman imperial province of Aquitania and he received his literary education from the renowned poet and professor Decimus Magnus Ausonius according to Catholic News Agency becoming a distinguished lawyer and eventually, rising to the rank of Governor in the Italian province of Campania. With Paulinus’ Spanish wife Therasia, he retired at an early age to a life of cultured leisure.

Paulinus and Therasia were subsequently baptized by the Saintly Bishop of Bordeaux and moved into Therasia’s estate–after many childless years, they had a son who died a week following his birth.

This event occasioned their beginning a life of great austerity and charity, giving away much of the Spanish property–possibly as a result of of this example, Paulinus was rather unexpectedly Ordained a Priest at Christmas by the Bishop of Barcelona.

Following this, Fr. Paulinus and his wife moved to Nola (near Naples) he possessed a great love for St. Felix of Nola (Feast Day: 14 January) and spent much effort promoting devotion to this Saint. Fr. Paulinus subsequently gave away most of his remaining property (to the consternation of his relatives) and continued his work with the poor. Supporting a host of debtors, the homeless and other needy people, he lived a monastic life in another part of his home. — By popular demand, Fr. Paulinus was appointed Bishop of Nola and guided that diocese for the next 21 years. His final years were sadden by the invasion of the Huns a nomadic people who were known to have lived in Eastern Europe between the 1st and 7th centuries.

Bishop Paulinus died of natural causes near Naples — During his lifetime Paulinus was looked upon as a Saint and is buried in the Cathedral of Nola pursuant to the Order of Pope Pius X

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Saint Romuald (951-1027)
Image: Catholic Online

(CNA) Born in Italy Ravenna into a noble family, Romuald grew up in a luxurious, worldly environment of privilege, where he learned little in the way of self-restraint or spiritual devotion, yet Romuald felt an unusual attraction towards the simplicity of a monastic lifestyle, prompted by the beauty of nature and the experience of solitude.

It was not beauty or tranquility but a shocking tragedy that spurred Romuald to act on his desire for a monastic life–when he was just 20 yrs old, Romuald saw his father Sergius kill one of his relatives in a duel according to Franciscan Media over a dispute concerning some property. Disgusted by this action, Romuald went to the Monastery of St. Apollinaris to do 40 days of prayer and penance for his father.

These 40 days confirmed Romuald’s monastic calling as they became the foundation for the rest of his life but this wouldn’t be lived out at St. Apollinaris, where Romuald’s strict self-discipline brought him into conflict with some of the other Monks. Subsequently Romuald left the Monastery and went to Venice where he would become a Disciple of Hermit Narinus according to eCatholic2000 and would live a life of extraordinary austerity.

Both Romuald and Hermit Narinus went on to encourage the monastic vocation of a Venetian politician Peter Urseolus (he would later be Canonized St. Peter Urseolus Feast Day: 10 January) — When Peter joined a French Benedictine Monastery, Romuald would join him.

In the meantime Romuald’s father Sergius followed his son’s course, repenting of his sins and became a Monk himself — Romuald then decided to return to Italy to help his father after he learned that his father was struggling in his new vocation. Though Romuald’s assistance, Sergius found the strength to persist in a religious life.

After guiding his penitent father Sergius in the way of Salvation, Romuald traveled throughout Italy serving the Church — By 1012, Romuald helped to establish (or reformed) almost 100 Hermitages and Monasteries. When a piece of land called the ‘Camaldoli’ located in the Diocese of Arezzo was granted to Romuald, it would become the site of fiver Hermits  quarters and a Monastery soon thereafter.

Romuald’s  approach to the contemplative life is reminiscent of the early ‘Desert Fathers’ and may be seen in the short piece writing known as his ‘Brief Rule’ which reads as follows:

“Sit in your cell as in Paradise, put the whole world behind you and forget it. Watch your thoughts like a good fisherman watching for fish. The path you must follow is in the Psalms–never leave it.

If you have just come to the Monastery and in spite of your good-will you cannot accomplish what you want, take every opportunity you can to sing the Psalms in your heart and to understand them with your mind and if your mind wanders as you read do not give up, hurry back and apply your mind to the words once more.

Realize above all that you are in God’s presence and stand there with the attitude of one who stands before the Emperor. Empty yourself completely and sit waiting, content with the Grace of God, like the chick who tastes nothing and eats nothing but what his mother brings him.”

Romuald died on this date in his cell/room in 1027 and was Canonized in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII

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Venerable Matt Talbot (1856-1925)
Image: Catholic Fire

(Franciscan Media) Born in Ireland Dublin, Matt (Matthew) Talbot was born into a poor family with a history of alcoholism and so, Matt took to drinking yet when he was still a child according to SQPN and was considered a hopeless alcoholic by the age of thirteen.

Matt’s father worked on the docks and had a challenging time supporting his family–with just a few years of education, Matt was forced to find employment and obtained work as a Messenger for some liquor merchants, which didn’t help his alcohol addiction, there he began to drink even more excessively for the next 15 years.

When Matt was 28 an incident occurred  that changed his entire life according to Catholic Ireland — For a week, Matt stayed away from work drinking quite heavily, at the end of the week, Matt found himself sober, thirsty but penniless. Confident that his co-workers for whom he often purchased alcohol from would come to his assistance now, Matt stood with his brother near O’Meara’s Pub on the North Strand to meet his friends coming from ‘Pemberton’s’ — the men just passed him in pairs but none stopped to ask the brothers if they would want to join them for a drink. Matt said later that he was “cut to the heart” by this treatment and went home.

Matt’s Mother preparing the midday meal looked up with surprise and exclaimed, “Matt you’re home early and you are sober.” After lunch, Matt turned to his Mother and said, “I’m going to take the pledge.” As Matt left the house his Mother said gently, “God give you strength to keep it.” From there, Matt went to ‘Holy Cross Church’ and according to his own account, went to Confession and took the pledge from Fr. Keane and kept that pledge the rest of his life.

From that time on, Matt attended daily Mass at 5:00 AM in ‘St. Francis Xavier’s Church’ before heading off to work one hour later–Following Matt’s evening meal, he would walk to a Church on the north side of the city where he prayed until it was about time for him to retire and go to bed in order to get up for the next day–this was to avoid the temptation of meeting up with his former buddies, as the effort to stay sober and quell his cravings for a dink was causing him immense suffering.

Every week evening, every Saturday afternoon and every Sunday morning, Matt was in Church–he gave up all of his former drinking companion friends (temptation) and confided only in his Mother — When Fr. John Cullen a Jesuit Priest, founded the ‘Pioneer Total Abstinence Assn’ in 1898 Matt became one of its first members.

From that day with his brother outside O’Meara’s Pub at the age of 28 when Matt’s drinking buddies ignored him and for the next 41 years of his life, Matt never took another drink.

On Sunday’s, Matt attended every Mass, only upon returning to his home at about 2:00 PM would he break his fast since 6:30 PM of the previous evening, the remainder of Matt’s time was spent in prayer, reading the Scriptures and about the lives of the Saints — Matt had also become very charitable with his money, donating what little he had to his neighbors in need and to missions.

On Matt’s way to Mass on ‘Trinity Sunday’ (07 June, 1925) he collapsed and died — Fifty years following his death on the 03 October, 1975 Matt was given the title ‘Venerable’ by Pope Paul VI

More here from Catholic Ireland.net

Saint Ephrem (306-373)

(Franciscan Media) Born in Syria Mesopotamia, Ephrem was a young man when he was baptized and became a famous Teacher, Poet, Orator and defender of Christianity–Ephrem is the only Syrian recognized as a Doctor of the Church.

Ephrem took it upon himself the special task of opposing the many false doctrines that were rampant in his time, always remaining a true and forceful defender of the Catholic Church.

One of Ephem’s biographers relates a story according to EWTN that on a certain occasion he cursed from the city walls the Persian hosts, whereupon a cloud of flies and mosquitoes settled on the Army of Sapor II King of Persia and compelled it to withdraw. The adventurous campaign of Julian the Apostate, which for a time menaced Persia ended, as is well known in disaster and his successor Jovianus, was only to happy to rescue from annihilation some remnant of the great army which his predecessor had led across the Euphrates.

Ephrem was Ordained as a Deacon (declining to become a Priest) in Edessa and also became quite well known for his sermons according to Catholic News Agency which combined articulate expressions of Catholic orthodoxy with urgent and fruitful calls for repentance.

A voluminous writer and author, Ephrem produced commentaries on the entire Bible as well as theological poetry for which he is best remembered. — Ephrem used the Syriac language verse as a means to explain and popularize theological truths, a technique that he appropriated from others who had used poetry to promote religious error.

Ephrem’s works reflected deep insight and knowledge of the scriptures. In writing about the mysteries of humanity’s redemption, Ephrem reveals a realistic and humanly sympathetic spirit, together with a great devotion to the divine nature of Jesus.

It is inspiring to read the hymns that Ephrem wrote against the heretics of his day, he would take the popular songs of the idolatrous and heretical groups and using their own melodies, composing beautiful hymns emboding orthodox doctrine.

Ephrem became one of the first to introduce music into the Church public worship as a means of instruction for the faithful. — His many hymns earned him the title: Harp of the Holy Spirit.

Near the end of his life according to Catholic News Agency Ephrem briefly served the poor and the sick during a famine which may have attributed to his own death. When Ephrem’s last day had come to his life, he told his friends:

“Sing no funeral hymns at Ephrem’s burial…Wrap not my carcass in any costly shroud. Erect no monument to my memory. Allow me only the portion and place of a Pilgrim, for I am a Pilgrim and a stranger as all my fathers were on earth.”

Ephrem passed away on this date in Edessa (modern day Iraq) — Soon after his death, Ephrem was remembered in a public address by his contemporary Saint Gregory of Nyssa (Feast Day: 10 January) who closed his remarks by asking Ephrem’s intercession:

“You are now assisting at the divine alter and before the Prince of Life with the Angels, praising the most Holy Trinity. Remember us all and obtain for us the pardon of our sins.” 

More here from Butler’s Live of the Saints