St. Paul Street Evangelization

Blessed Memorial of Sts. Vitus, Modestus, and Crescentia!

St. Jerome lists these three saints in his "Martyrologium Hieronymianum" as martyrs of the Diocletian persecution. Vitus, from Lucania, southern Italy, was the son of a pagan senator and converted to Christianity around the age of 12. He was tortured by his father in attempt to make him apostatize but Vitus remained faithful. According to legend, he was able to flee to Rome along with his tutor, Modestus, and the two exorcised a demon that possessed Diocletian's son. Vitus and Modestus, along with a nurse named Crescentia, were tortured by burning in a cauldron. The trio initially survived and returned to Lucania but died shortly thereafter from their injuries.

St. Vitus is often petitioned for cases of epilepsy and neurological disorders. One condition, Sydenham's Chorea, is also known as "St. Vitus Dance." He is also patron for protection from lightning as well as protection of pets and domestic animals. In addition, Vitus is also one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers known for their strong intercession. (Source: Catholic Answers)

Sts. Vitus, Modestus, and Crescentia, pray for us!

Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew:

At the sight of the crowds, Jesus’ heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”

Then he summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness. The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus; Simon from Cana, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.

Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus, “Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”

- Matthew 9:36—10:8

Blessed Memorial of St. Anthony of Padua!

“Actions speak louder than words”, a sermon by St. Anthony of Padua:

The man who is filled with the Holy Spirit speaks in different languages. These different languages are different ways of witnessing to Christ, such as humility, poverty, patience and obedience; we speak in those languages when we reveal in ourselves these virtues to others. Actions speak louder than words; let your words teach and your actions speak. We are full of words but empty of actions, and therefore are cursed by the Lord, since he himself cursed the fig tree when he found no fruit but only leaves. Gregory says: “A law is laid upon the preacher to practise what he preaches.” It is useless for a man to flaunt his knowledge of the law if he undermines its teaching by his actions.

But the apostles spoke as the Spirit gave them the gift of speech. Happy the man whose words issue from the Holy Spirit and not from himself! For some men speak as their own character dictates, but steal the words of others and present them as their own and claim the credit for them. The Lord refers to such men and others like them in Jeremiah: So, then, I have a quarrel with the prophets that steal my words from each other. I have a quarrel with the prophets, says the Lord, who have only to move their tongues to utter oracles. I have a quarrel with the prophets who make prophecies out of lying dreams, who recount them and lead my people astray with their lies and their pretensions. I certainly never sent them or commissioned them, and they serve no good purpose for this people, says the Lord.

We should speak, then, as the Holy Spirit gives us the gift of speech. Our humble and sincere request to the Spirit for ourselves should be that we may bring the day of Pentecost to fulfilment, insofar as he infuses us with his grace, by using our bodily senses in a perfect manner and by keeping the commandments. Likewise we shall request that we may be filled with a keen sense of sorrow and with fiery tongues for confessing the faith, so that our deserved reward may be to stand in the blazing splendour of the saints and to look upon the triune God.

St. Anthony of Padua, pray for us!