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Saint Ribogert was born of illustrious parents, and in his youth entered the monastic life. The modesty of his life, his piety, and the simplicity of his manners, caused him to be nominated Archbishop of Rheims, which was his native town, on the death of Archbishop Reolus, during the old age of whom the Church of Rheims had lapsed into a very bad state. Piety had languished, Vice predominated, and both the clerics and the people seemed to be running wild when Rigobert was raised to the See. But he, by exhorting, by correcting, and by punishing the people, succeeded in bringing them to better manners.

Gaul was at this time governed by Pepin, for whom the Saint always showed great respect. One day, when King Pepin came to hunt in a wood near Rheims, the Archbishop sent him a present, and the King, turning to 'his friends, praised him to them, and then requested to ask what he would, and it should be given him. The Archbishop, with great modesty, asked only for the gift of a house in which he might exercise the cure of souls, and incite them to good works. The King was vexed that he had not asked for more, and told him he would give him with the house as much land as he could walk round while the King was at dinner. Rigobert accordingly walked round the land, and wherever his feet trod fresh grass was always afterwards to be seen, which was never injured, by summer's -heat or winter's storms.
But ; after the death of Pepin, Charles Martel, his son, treated the good Archbishop; who had baptized him, very badly, because when a great contest arose between Charles and a certain lord about the position of Mayor of the Palace, and they both went to the different towns to solicit votes, Rigobert. would not allow Charles to enter Rheims. Charles was furious, and after he had gained his cause, he drove the Archbishop from his See.

It happened one day that as Saint Rigobert was walking with his boy, he met a courtier of Charles Martel, who gave him a goose as a present. The boy took it in his arms to carry it home, but it escaped and flew away; The Archbishop laughed, but before he reached his house, the bird Hew back into the arms of the boy, Saint Rigobert, however, would not allow it to be killed. Saint Rigobert died in the year 773, and many miracles were wrought at his tomb.

Source: Saints of the order of St. Benedict

Pope John has chosen the centenary of the death of St. John Vianney as the occasion for his second encyclical letter, to present the Cure of Ars to the world as an example of a true priest. When John Vianney went home to God on August 4,1859, his native France and even distant places had heard of the saintly virtues of this wonderful little priest, but it was certainly beyond the fondest imagination of the saintly Cure that one day he would be chosen as the patron saint of all priests.

Apart from the outstanding qualities of his priestly ministrations at Ars, there is something especially appealing in this humble and holy man, something that stands out to emphasize how the finger of God reaches down from heaven and works in the life of every priest, and in such a special manner in the life of John Vianney. “You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you ...” are words that take on meaning in the life and work of every priest.

Weak human nature is raised up at ordination and given powers that were denied to the Angels, and even to the Mother of God. The power to consecrate bread and wine, to transform them into the Body and Blood of Christ; the power to forgive sins; the power to preach and to guide souls; all the wondrous powers of the priesthood are gifts of God to His chosen ones.

The exercise of these powers by St. John Vianney takes on added meaning when one understands his personal qualifications. The famed Cure of Ars was known as a man of rather meager mental attainments. He completed his seminary training only in the face of gravest difficulties. His later priestly work made it clear that God chooses His own ministers, and works through them— John Vianney was to be Christ’s priest, Christ would work through him as a willing instrument. And what blessed achievements resulted! It could well be that St. John Vianney was chosen as the patron of all priests by Pope Pius XI in 1925— he had already been named the patron of French parish priests by St. Pius X when beatified by St. Pius X in 1905—not only because of his exemplary qualities as a parish priest, but in order to emphasize the fact that all the ministrations of every priest are done in the name of the Great High Priest, Christ Himself, Who can raise up even the least of men and give them His powers in the priesthood. The Holy Father's encyclical carries this theme; priests must do all In their power to be effective instruments of God, but it is God Who then blesses the harvest.

Sacerdotii Nostri Primoridia

Source: Catholic Research Resources Alliances The Catholic Standard and Times, Volume 64, Number 48, 21 August 1959

St. Eugenius, Source: wikipedia

"His virtue gained him the respect and esteem even of the Arians; but at length envy and blind zeal got the ascendant in their breasts, and the king sent him an order never to sit on the episcopal throne, preach to the people, or admit into his chapel any Vandals, among whom several were Catholics. The saint boldly answered that the laws of God commanded him not to shut the door of His church to any that desired to serve Him in it. Huneric, enraged at this answer, persecuted the Catholics in various ways. Many nuns were so cruelly tortured that they died on the rack. Great numbers of bishops, priests, deacons, and eminent Catholic laymen were banished to a desert filled with scorpions and venomous serpents. The people followed their bishops and priests with lighted tapers in their hands, and mothers carried their little babes in their arms and laid them at the feet of the confessors, all crying out with tears, "Going yourselves to your crowns, to whom do you leave us? Who will baptize our children? Who will impart to us the benefit of penance, and discharge us from the bonds of sin by the favor of reconciliation and pardon? Who will bury us with solemn supplications at our death? By whom will the Divine Sacrifice be made?" The bishop Eugenius was spared in the first storm, but afterwards was carried into the uninhabited desert country in the province of Tripoli, and committed to the guard of Antony, an inhuman Arian bishop, who treated him with the utmost barbarity. Under (Thrasimund) Saint Eugenius was again banished, and died in exile, on the 18th of July, 505, in a monastery which he built and governed, near Albi." Source: Little Pictorial Lives of the Saints

Prayer for Holy Bishops

Lord, according to Your promise that the Gospel should be preached throughout the whole world, raise up men fit for such work. The Apostles were but soft and yielding clay till they were baked hard by the fire of the Holy Ghost. So, Good Lord, do now in like manner again with Thy Church Militant; change and make the soft and slippery earth into hard stones; set in Thy Church strong and mighty pillars, that may suffer and endure great labors, watching, poverty, thirst, hunger, cold and heat; which also shall not hear the threatenings of princes, persecution, neither death but always persuade and think with themselves to suffer with a good will, slanders, shame, and all kinds of torments, for the glory and laud of Thy Holy Name. By this manner, good Lord, the truth of Thy Gospel shall be preached throughout all the world. Therefore, merciful Lord, exercise Thy mercy, show it indeed upon Thy Church. Saint John Fisher (Sermon in 1508) from Saint John Fisher Forum

St. Goar

For Zealous Priests

Sanctify to Thyself, O my Lord, the hearts of Thy priests, that, by the merits of Thy sacred humanity, they may become living images of Thee, children of Mary, and full of the fire of the Holy Ghost, that they may guard Thy house, and defend Thy glory, and that through their ministry the face of the earth may be renewed, and they may save those souls which have costs Thee all Thy blood. Amen

Queen of the Apostles, pray thy Son, the Lord of the Harvest, to send laborers into His harvest, and to spare His people.

The Prayer Book. Imprimatur Samuel Cardinal Stritch
Archbishop of Chicago, May 10, 1954.

This wonderful apostle, the "Angel of the Judgment," was born in Valencia in Spain, in 1350, and at the age of eighteen professed in the Order of Saint Dominic. After a brilliant course of study he became master of sacred theology. For three years he read only the Scriptures, and knew the whole Bible by heart. He converted the Jews of Valencia, and their synagogue became a church. Grief at the great schism then afflicting the Church reduced him to the point of death; but Our Lord Himself in glory bade him go forth to convert sinners, " for My judgment is nigh." This miraculous apostolate lasted twenty-one years. He preached throughout Europe, in the towns and villages of Spain, Switzerland, France, Italy, England, Ireland, Scotland. Everywhere tens of thousands of sinners were reformed; Jews, infidels, and heretics were converted. Stupendous miracles enforced his words. Twice each day the "miracle bell" summoned the sick, the blind, the lame to be cured. Sinners the most obdurate became saints speaking only his native Spanish, he was understood in all tongues. Processions of ten thousand penitents followed him in perfect order. Convents, orphanages, hospitals, arose in his path. Amidst all, his humility remained profound, his prayer constant. He always prepared for preaching by prayer. Once, however, when a person of high rank was to be present at his sermon he neglected prayer for study. The nobleman was not particularly struck by the discourse which had been thus carefully worked up; but coming again to hear the Saint, unknown to the latter, the second sermon made a deep impression on his soul. When Saint Vincent heard of the difference, he remarked that in the first sermon it was Vincent who had preached, but in the second, Jesus Christ. He fell ill at Vannes in Brittany, and received the crown of everlasting glory in 1419.

Reflection: "Whatever you do," said Saint Vincent, "think not of yourself, but of God." In this spirit, he preached, and God spoke by him; in this spirit, if we listen, we shall hear the voice of God.

Source: Little Pictorial Lives of the Saints, 1925

So devout and zealous was he in his desire after heavenly things, that when saying Mass, he could never come to the conclusion thereof without a plentiful shedding of tears. When celebrating the mysteries of our Lord's Passion, he would, very appropriately, imitate the action that he was performing, ie. in contrition of heart he would sacrifice himself to the Lord; and he exhorted those present to "lift up their hears," and " to give thanks to the Lord," more by raising up his heart than his voice, and more by his groans then his singing.

A Prayer to Saint Cuthbert

Hail, father of thy country! hail, man of renown! hail, thou who often bestowest upon the miserable the comforts of health! hail, lovely glory! hail, great hope of thy servants! Farewell merit of our own! do thou act, thou man of piety! To thee be praise! to thee let worthy honour, to thee let thanks be given! who frequently bestowest blessings upon me, undeserving though I be. Thou art my mighty help; often hast thou been my glory. Always dost thou cherish me with thy sweetly-flowing love. Oh from how many evils, from what enemies and dangers, my father, hast thou rescued me, and still nourishest thou me in prosperity! What worthy return can I make to thee, my father? Oh thou pious Bishop! Oh father! Oh merciful Pastor! give me thy aid. As it pleases thee, O father, and as thou knowest my wants, give help to thy petitioner. I pray thee to remember me, thou sweet friend of God.

A.D. 312. ST. LUCIAN, surnamed of Antioch, was born at Samosata, in Syria. He lost his parents whilst very young; and being come to the possession of his estate, which was very considerable, he distributed all among the poor. He became a great proficient in rhetoric and philosophy, and applied himself to the study of the holy scriptures under one Macarius at Edessa. Convinced of the obligation annexed to the character of priesthood, which was that of devoting himself entirely to the service of God and the good of his neighbor, he did not content himself with inculcating the practice of virtue both by word and example ; he also undertook to purge the scriptures, that is, both the Old and New Testament, from the several faults that had crept into them, either by reason of the inaccuracy of transcribers, or the malice of heretics. Some are of opinion, that as to the Old Testament, he only revised it, by comparing different editions of the Septuagint: others contend, that he corrected it upon the Hebrew text, being well versed in that language. Certain, however, it is that St. Lucian's edition of the scriptures was much esteemed, and was of great use to St. Jerome.

 St. Alexander, bishop of Alexandria, says, that Lucian remained some years separated from the Catholic communion, at Antioch, under three successive bishops, namely, Domnus, Timæus, and Cyril. If it was for too much favouring Paul o. Samosata, condemned at Antioch in the year 269, he must have been deceived, for want of a sufficient penetration into the impiety of that dissembling heretic. It is certain, at least, that he died in the Catholic communion; which also appears fragment from a letter written by him to the church of Antioch, and still extant in the Alexandrian Chronicle. Though a priest of Antioch, we find him at Nicomedia, in the year 303, when Dioclesian first published his edicts against the Christians. He there suffered a long imprisonment for the faith ; for the Paschal Chronicles quotes these words from a letter which he wrote out of his dungeon to Antioch: “All the martyrs salute you. I inform you that the pope Anthimus (bishop of Nicomedia) has finished his course of martyrdom.” This happened in 303. Yet Eusebius informs us, that St. Lucian did not arrive himself at the crown of martyrdom till after the death of St. Peter of Alexandria, in 311, so that he seems to have continued nine years in prison, At length he was brought before the governor, or, as the acts intimate, the emperor himself, for the word which Eusebius uses, may imply either. On his trial, he presented to the judge an excellent apology for the Christian faith. Being remanded to prison, an order was given that no food should be allowed him; but, when almost dead with hunger, dainty meats that had been offered to idols, were set before him, which he would not touch. It was not in itself unlawful to eat of such meats, as St. Paul teaches, except where it would give scandal to the weak, or when it was exacted as an action of idolatrous superstition, as was the case here. Being brought a second time before the tribunal, he would give no other answer to all the questions put to him, but this : "I am a Christian." He repeated the same whilst on the rack, and he finished his glorious course in prison, either by famine, or according to St. Chrysostom, by the sword. His acts relate many of his miracles, with other particulars; as that, when bound and chained down on his back in prison, he consecrated the divine mysteries upon his own breast, and communicated the faithful that were present: this we also read in Philostorgius, the Arian historian. St. Lucian suffered at Nicomedia, where Maximinus II. resided.

His body was interred at Drepanum, in Bithynia, which, in honor of him, Constantine the Great soon after made a large city, which he exempted from all taxes, and honored with the name of Helenopolis, from his mother. St. Lucian was crowned in 312, on the 7th of January, on which day his festival was kept at Antioch immediately after his death, as appears from St. Chrysostom.t It is the tradition of the church of Arles, that the body of St. Lucian was sent out of the East to Charlemagne, who built a church under his invocation at Arles, in which his relics are preserved.

The first thing that is necessary in the service of God, is earnestly to search his holy will, by devoutly reading, listening to, and meditating on his eternal truths. This will set the divine law in a clear and full light, and conduct us by unerring rules, to discover and accomplish every duty. It will awake and continually increase a necessary tenderness of conscience, which will add light and life to its convictions, oblige us to a more careful trial and examination of all our actions, keep us not only from evil, but from every appearance of it, render us steadfast and immovable in every virtuous practice, and always preserve a quick and nice sense of good and evil. For this reason, the word of God is called in holy scripture, Light, because it distinguisheth between good and evil, and, like a lamp, manifesteth the path which we are to choose, and disperseth that mist with which the subtlety of our enemy and the Iusts of our heart have covered it. At the same time, a daily repetition of contrition and compunction washes off the stains which we discover in our souls, and strongly incites us, by the fervor and fruitfulness of our following life, to repair the sloth and barrenness of the past. Prayer must be made our main assistant in every step of this spiritual progress. We must pray that God would enable us to search out and discover our own hearts, and reform whatever is amiss in them. If we do this sincerely, God will undoubtedly grant our requests; will lay open to us all our defects and infirmities, and, showing us now far short we come of the perfection of true holiness of life, will not suffer any latent corruptions in our affections to continue undiscovered, nor permit us to forget the stains and ruins which the sins of our life past have left behind them.

Source: The Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and Other Principal Saints, Volume 1
By Alban Butler

"Ignorance is the leprosy of the soul. How many such lepers exist in the Catholic Church, even in Rome, where many men do not even know what is necessary for their salvation. It must be our business to try to cure this disease. In old times conversions of whole cities and countries were not unusual, for the zeal and faith of our predecessors in the ministry worked miracles; they were filled with the Spirit of God. Are we less strong than they were, that we are so easily tired, and so slack in our labors among the poor? Spiritum nolite extinguere.

Have we, then, hopelessly degenerated? But we need not go back to past centuries for examples. Vaselli and his fellow-missionaries did wonders in the Campagna. Let us try and deserve the like graces. Besides, if we neglect to labor for the salvation of our neighbors, let us tremble for our own. The conversion of our brethren is the object of our mission, the only real reason of our existence. It is enough for a layman to keep the commandments of God, Who will not require more at his hands. But for us it is different; as faithful imitators of our Lord, we must give our lives for the brethren. Let no fatigue, then discourage or slacken our zeal; never let us mind the hardness, or the indifference, or the rudeness of the poor. Only let us persevere, and if we have the right spirit we shall triumph over all obstacles with the grace of God, and obtain our own salvation as well as theirs."

Source: The life of st. John Baptist de Rossi by E. Mougeot

"We are called by God Himself for the sanctification of souls. How many among the common people are lost for want of instruction! if we do not do this, laymen certainly will not; and yet, if many of these laymen were in our place, what would they not do? Even as it is, do not they often shame us by their activity and their zeal? is it not disgraceful to think that very often they labor harder than ourselves, and contribute more to the sanctification of souls? Gospel adds that after the departure of St. John the Baptist's messengers our Lord said to His disciples, " Quid exiistis in desertem videre, arundinem vento agitatam?" ( Matt. xi.8.) No, the precursor was not a feeble reed driven by the wind; his strength and courage were great, and equally remarkable was his constancy. Although in prison, he did not fear to tell Herod, Non licet tibi habere eam. He neither dreaded the anger of the tyrant, not the prison, nor the death which were in store for him; and so our Saviour adds: "Non Surrexit inter natos mulierum major Joanne Baptista."

"A generous constancy, therefore, is as necessary to us as to St. John. But how often does a slight obstacle suffice to make us give up a work we have begun, or stop us as we are beginning to undertake some useful scheme to help others?

Our predecessors were far more zealous. Persecution, ridicule, cold, heat, rain, rebuffs, nothing discouraged them, however much they might have to suffer. And so their works were accomplished, and God blessed and rewarded their constancy. Remember that we are the inheritors, not only of their position, but of their labours. We are priests, chosen by God for the salvation of His people; not to seek our own ease and comfort. let us, then, be known by our works, and may men say of us as our Lord did of St. John, "Pauperes evangelizantur."

Source: The Life of St. John Baptist de Rossi by E Mougeot

When any public calamity befell the town, the faithful of all classes, even from distant districts, repaired in pilgrimage to this sanctified center of devotion in Racconigi, where they heard Mass, presented offerings, petitioned for favors or returned thanks for favors received through her intercession. IN 1835, when an epidemic of cholera brought death and desolation in its train, they carried her image in procession, promising to fast for twenty years on the eve of her feast and present a rich chalice of gold and silver, whereupon the epidemic ceased. In gratitude they erected a church, dedicated under her invocation, in the vicinity of her birth place.

Source: The American Catholic Quarterly Review, p 228 edited by Fr. James Andrew Corcoran, Patrick John Ryan, Edmond Francis Predergast.

Blessed Catherine Mattei of Racconigi Biography