Although not one of the original twelve apostles, Barnabas is called an apostle by Saint Luke in his Acts of the Apostles. This is because, like Paul the Apostle, Barnabas received a special mission from God. He was a Jew born on the island of Cyprus. His name was Joseph, but the apostles changed it to Barnabas. This name means “son of consolation.”As soon as he became a Christian, Saint Barnabas sold all he owned and gave the money to the apostles. He was a good, kind-hear...

Saint Hugh was born in 1052 in France. He grew up to be tall and handsome, gentle and courteous. Although he always wanted to live for God as a monk, he was given important positions instead. He was ordained a priest and then a bishop.As bishop, Hugh began at once to correct the sinful customs of some people in his diocese. He made wise plans, but that was not all he did. To draw God’s mercy upon his people, Saint Hugh prayed with his whole heart. He practiced hard penances. In a...

Saint Frances of Rome was born in 1384. Her parents were wealthy, but they taught Frances to be concerned about people and to live a good Christian life. She was an intelligent little girl. Frances informed her parents when she was eleven that she had made up her mind to be a nun. Her parents encouraged her to think of marriage instead. As was the custom, they selected a good young man to be Frances’ husband. The bride was just thirteen.        ...

These two brothers were from Thessalonica, Greece. Methodius was born in 815 and Cyril in 827. Both became priests and shared the same holy desires to spread the faith. They became missionaries to the Slav nations of Moravia, Bohemia and Bulgaria. This is how it happened: in 862, just seven years before Cyril’s death, the prince of Moravia asked for missionaries. They would bring the Good News of Jesus and the Church to his country. The prince added one more request: that the missionaries ...

January 28 is the feast of this great saint and doctor of the Church, the patron of students and Catholic schools. Thomas is one of the most brilliant philosophers and theologians the Catholic Church has ever had. Perhaps because of his reputation as an intellectual heavyweight, he might seem a bit intimidating to us. Can I really relate to a medieval saint who spent his life immersed in books and teaching? Yes!Thomas was a very human saint, one who can be a great model for us in many ways. Phys...

Paul lived at the time of Jesus but as far as we know they never met. Paul was first called Saul. As a young man, he was a very bright student of the Hebrew religion. When he grew older, he persecuted the followers of Jesus. In the Bible’s Acts of the Apostles, we read about Saul’s amazing conversion (chapters 9, 22, 26). What happened? One day, Paul was on his way to the city of Damascus to hunt down more Christians. Suddenly, a great light shone all around him. As he fell to t...

Dear Friend,Have you ever asked your mom about the day you were born?  How she felt when she first saw you? My Mother, Mary, had some awesome things happen to her before I was born! It was all part of my Father’s plan to send me to save everyone—all of mankind—from sin. My Mother, Mary, was chosen by my heavenly Father to be my Mother. Her “yes” to the angel’s message would change her life forever! With it would come a lot of challenges. Soon enough I was...

This great missionary was born at Xavier Castle in Spain in 1506. He went to the University of Paris when he was eighteen. Here he met Saint Ignatius Loyola, who was about to start the Society of Jesus. Saint Ignatius tried to get Francis to join him. At first the happy-go-lucky young man would not think of it. Saint Ignatius repeated to him the words of Jesus in the Gospel: "What does it profit a person to gain the whole world and lose his own soul?" At last, Francis sa...

This feast day grew out of the love and devotion of God's people. It is so much a part of ourselves to feel gratitude for these saints and to honor them. Yes, all of the women, men and children who have died loving God very much and are now in heaven.Some passed through purgatory to be purified for the Lord's presence. They stayed there until the moment when they were ready to see God. They are with him now forever. Some saints have been singled out for their own feast day. The Chur...

It is generally believed that Luke was a gentile doctor. He was a good, kind man who came to know the Lord from the great apostle Paul. After he had become a Christian, he went everywhere with Paul. Luke was a great help to him in spreading the faith. The Bible calls Luke "the beloved physician."Saint Luke is the author of two books in the Bible: the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. Although he did not meet the Lord Jesus while he was on this earth, he wanted to w...