Old Saint Nick is Santa Claus

Christmas Day has passed but I would still like to write about Father Christmas, the Patron Saint of the Yuletide Season – Saint Nicholas. As the merry Christmas carol lyrics starts – Jolly old Saint Nicholas….

While Christmas is definitely not without Jesus Christ, as it is His birthday, there are other significant characters and components that this Christian occasion cannot do without. Important facts that make up the season are the Christmas trees and the decors such as wreaths, bells and lanterns that many would love to decorate their houses with.

Christmas is also not without the get together and reunions of families and friends, as well as the masses to celebrate and attended to. And with such gatherings is the giving of gifts to one another.

Last but not the last, Christmas would not be without Saint Nicholas, or more popularly known as the red and white garbed Santa Claus. How did Saint Nicholas or Santa Clause become one of the persons most closely connected to Christmas?

Christmas is the time for gift giving, and because of Saint Nicholas’ character of being a festive giver of gifts, especially to children, he was assigned the title of Patron Saint of Christmas.

Once the bishop of Myra in present day Turkey, Saint Nicholas indeed had the admired reputation for giving presents to people, and since then he has been a revered saint by Catholics and Christians alike.

Now, everyone knows that Santa Claus is Saint Nicholas, Jolly old St Nick.

Merry Christmas from Saint Rita of Cascia

I chanced upon this Christmas poster on the area of School of Saint Michael at Tel Aviv. Clearly noticeable is the presence of the three religions in the poster; Christianity, Judaism and Islam. I have no sure idea about the messages given by the Jewish and Moslem pictures, albeit perhaps they are Christmas greetings, like what is clearly indicated on the Christian drawing (which says "Merry Christmas").

Here's wishing you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas to All!

I decided to put up my ‘Saint Rita of Cascia’ blog primarily as my way of thanking Saint Rita for being an effective intercessor to the Lord.

Saint Rita is known as the Patroness of the Hopeless Cases, and because of her powerful intercession, the Lord God has been generous to me. Even if I prayed and requested for the most difficult and seemingly impossible favors, God answered my prayers in a positive way, and for this I owe it to Saint Rita of Cascia for her mediation.

Eighteen months have passed since the creation of this site – a good one and a half years. And this humble weblog has been broadened not just to talk about St Rita but other Saints as well as other Catholic and Christian topics.

Hopefully, despite my limited capacity as a blogger, I would be able to write more articles and maintain my site as active as possible. A million thanks is also in order to everyone has continued to visit my blog and appreciated it.

A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone!

Do You Have Your Own Catholic Charities?

It is Christmas time once again, have you contributed to your charities? Charity is a great virtue of Catholics by expressing their love, concern and care for their fellow men. One does not need to be a saint to become charitable, but you can actually become saint-like by giving a part of what you have to your brothers, especially the ones who are in dire need.

Giving definitely does not only concern the financial aspect. There are many of our brothers who need spiritual, moral and emotional assistance. Hopefully, the Catholic in us will prevail and see providing the needy with whatever help and aid that we can.

It is great if we can express Charity by directly sharing what we can to our brothers. Still, if we are capable of contributing to the Catholic Charities, which are institutions working for the improvement of the lives of our less fortunate Christian brothers and sisters.

What are Catholic Charities? These are groups that are actively working in all fields of human concern, with the main purpose which is to make better the lives of people. Such group work without thinking of earning profit from their humanitarian efforts. A catholic charity organization finds success not in the accumulation of financial profit but in significant improvement of the lives and welfare of our poor brothers and sisters.

As a good Christian, find in your heart to share anything that you have, financial or otherwise, this Yuletide Season. Have your own personal Catholic Charities.

Patron Saint Medals and Statues as Holiday Presents

The Holiday Season is just around the corner, and so we are again on frenzy about what to give our loved ones and friends. Don’t you think it is a great idea it is if you decide on giving them patron saint statues, medals and even guardian angel pins. Well, we have to be realistic that not all will appreciate this kind of presents albeit it can be worth a try.

For example, if you have a relative who is a physician, then it would be great if you give him a Catholic saint statue or medal of St. Luke, who is the Patron Saint of surgeons and Doctors

Base your gift of saint medal and statue on the occupation of the person that you will give a Christmas present. Here is a saint list which you can use as reference.

St. Matthew – Patron Saint of Accountants
Saint Thomas the Apostle – Architects
Saint Joseph - Carpenters
Saint Paul – Patron St of editors and newspapermen

I take mention of Saint Paul as I believe his patronage can help most of us who write to assist in providing light in all our writings and in helping us publish only the truth. I have a friend who is a blogger and I am sure if he will be happy if he will receive a gift of Saint Paul statue this holidays.

If you have children in your family who are students, then it is great if you can give them some saint medal of St. Benedict or St. Thomas Aquinas.

Catholic saints act not only as our mediator but our protector as well. This is why it is we would want to wear patron saint medals as a means of honoring them.

St. Thomas Aquinas: Patron Saint of the Scholars

One special Catholic Saint for me is Saint Thomas Aquinas, known as the Angelic Doctor. St. Thomas is famous for the Summa Theologica, which is the representation of his philosophical views. He is also very popular for his views and comments about God and His existence.

Belonging to an opulent clan in Italy, Saint Thomas decided to become a Dominican, which allowed him to immerse himself into profound intellectual work and studies such as Theology and Philosophy.

St. Thomas of Aquinas is particularly close to my heart because my school during my elementary and High School is named after him – the University of Santo Tomas, the Catholic University of the Philippines run by the Dominican Order, and the oldest existing school in the country.

In fact, St Thomas is considered a favorite Catholic Saint among Filipinos, and is known for being the Patron Saint of Catholic Schools, students and scholars. His feast day is on January 28.

Pray to Jesus or the Patron Saints?

What is right for a Catholic to do; go pray to Jesus for the Lord’s favors or employ the intercession of the patron saints for every request that he has? My thoughts on this concern are somewhat not clear. I mean as Catholics, we know that the Catholic Church recognizes the Saints, and that it has been a widespread practice that we pray to the saints as our intercessors to the Lord.

In all our concerns on every conceivable aspect of our lives, we have a Patron Saint to pray for assistance so that the Lord will hear and answer our prayer requests immediately. There are the Patron Saints of Hopeless Cases – and these are Saint Rita of Cascia and Saint Jude. Then there is Saint Paul, who the Patron Saint of Catholics wanting to know the truth.

Definitely, we have the blessing of the Roman Catholic Church with our veneration of the Saints. But, we are also specifically taught not to worship them. Only the Lord God is worthy of our worship and praise.

On the other hand, what makes it confusing is the passage from the Holy Bible John 14:6 wherein Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father but through me.” Now here is where I am confused, because Jesus says it is only through Him that we get to God. So, where are the Saints in all this?

In my opinion, whatever the teachings of the Catholic Church, we can base our religious practices and actions. It can be that Jesus is the Main Man, as far as connecting to the Lord is concerned. When all else fails, we can pin all our hopes in having God hear our prayers through the intercession of Jesus. However, as the Church teaches, the Saints are there likewise to hear our pleas for them to intercede for us to God. Just like when we ask a friend to pray for us, the Saints act also like a friend. They also pray to the Lord in our behalf, making sure our intentions and requests are heard.

St. John the Evangelist: Patron Saint of Caregivers

Many of our Filipina compatriots are working here at the Holy City as Caregivers. Everyone one knows how difficult the job of providing care for the elderly person is. Most of them is virtually on call 24 hours, tending to every need of their beloved patient, many of whom are too weak to care for themselves, and some already in their deathbed.

Still and all, the caregivers shower their beloved patients with an unbelievable amount of love and attention, way beyond what their job requires them. Indeed, care giving is more than just a job, it is a noble vocation.

To my compatriots and other nationalities who are working here in Israel as caregivers, I dedicate this article to them, for all their dedication and sacrifices that go with their work.

The Patron Saint of Caregivers is Saint John the Evangelist – which is “unofficial” because St. John is not officially listed as such in the List of Patron Saints of the Catholic Church.

However, many Catholics associate Saint John the Evangelist with caregivers because he was the one who gave great comfort to the Virgin Mary during the Suffering and Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Himself told St John to take care of Mary.

St Joseph: Patron Saint of Those Selling Their Houses

I always knew that Saint Joseph is the Patron saint of carpentry. But whoah! I happen to know just now that he is also the patron for those who want to sell their houses and property. I think it was meant to be because I was just chanced upon (it's really an accidental thing) this Saint Joseph website stating him as a great intercessor to God in behalf of those with real estate concerns.

And really I thought this was a sign, that I get to encounter St Joseph as I have been wanting for the longest time to sell our house in a province outside of Manila. What I did was immediately I scrolled down on the site in search of the prayer on St Joseph, and upon getting it I really prayed hard for some divine grace. Oh, St Joseph, please help me and be my intercessor to the Lord, may God hear my prayer. I pray that a worthy buyer comes my way and buys my house.

Unfortunately, together with the prayer to Saint Joseph, I also need to have his statue and bury it upside down on the ground of the property. This I think I would not be able to do because I am currently here in Israel. Hopefully, a fervent and sincere prayer to him would be enough to merit a positive response. Please, I hope everyone else would pray for me and wish me the best of luck. I am really praying for a quick positive result regarding the sale of my house.

All Saints Day

Two days to go and it's All Saints Day. November 1 is a special day for Catholic countries as it is the time for time to visit their departed loved ones in the memorial parks and cemeteries. Actually, I am wondering why it is so-called because it is associated with our departed loved ones and not our saints. There is the All Souls Day, which is commemorated on November 2, and should appropriately be the day in which we should remember the dead. But many Catholic countries, especially the Philippines, we have grown accustomed to remembering our deceased relatives and loved ones on the first day of November. Halloween, while a big celebration in some countries, is not widely celebrated in others. All Saints day in some places like in Manila is more of a chance for reunions - for families to get together. It becomes a yearly get together for relatives and friends, being able to see everyone when visiting a departed relative. Remember that All Saints Day is primarily a day of prayers offered to our loved ones who passed away. Let us pray for the eternal repose of their souls.

Saint Paul the Beloved Apostle

Saint Paul was originally named Saul, who was a Jewish Talmud follower. The early days of Saul saw him hating the Christians so much that when Saint Stephen was stoned, he was one of those who cast at him.

He was going to Damascus to arrest some Christians when he fell to the ground and got blinded by a great light from the heavens. At this time, he received a message that his persecution of the Christians is like doing the same to Jesus.

Because of this, he was converted as a Christian and his name was changed to Paul (and later on upon his canonization - Saint Paul). He later was a staunch supporter and propagator of the Christian religion, traveling far and wide to preach Christ’s Words. He later became a martyr and Catholic saint.

St Paul is the Patron Saint of Authors, Publishers, and Writers. He is dearly remembered on January 25th, celebrating his conversion to Christianity.

Saint John of the Desert Church

Sign pointing to the direction of the Church, which is

under the custody of the Fransiscan Order

Entrance to the Church. We almost missed getting inside,

as they close at lunchtime

Uniquely designed and built Saint John's Church

Church altar

Miraculous, healing water is said to flow here

We were able to visit just recently the Saint John of the Desert Church; a serene yet amazing shrine in the desert dedicated to Saint John the Baptist. I say amazing because of its high and strategic location, as well as its miraculous water continuously flowing and brought forth from a small cave structure underneath the church. The location of the church is said to be where the people followed Saint John to hear him preach and be baptized.

My All-time Favorite Patron Saints

Saint Rita of Cascia – On top of my list of Patron Saints. Also known as the Patroness of Lost and impossible cases. Many of my requests and prayers were heard and granted by our Lord thru St. Rita’s intercession. Whenever I have a prayer intended for my mother, I always implore help and intercession from St. Rita. Did you know that she is also the Patron Saint of the sport baseball?

Another favorite of mine is St. Jude, not Iscariot, but Thaddaeus. A true and loyal friend and servant of Jesus Christ, he is known as the Patron of hopeless causes, just like St Rita. I pray the novena of St. Jude every Tuesday. His feast day is on two dates, June 19 and October 28. St Jude is also known as the Patron of Hospitals.

Infant Jesus of Prague – I am not sure if he falls under the category of saints; still, I pray the novena of Infant Jesus. One of the most famous statues of the Infant Jesus, he can be found at the Our Lady Victorious’ Church in Mala Strana of Prague. I say the novena of Infant Jesus because I believe that he is a powerful intercessor to the Lord. I have also read about the many miracles and favors such as healings of people who are serious devotees of the Infant.

St Peregrine – I chanced upon an old novena of Saint Peregrine, which tells about how he can help the sick get well. There were times when I had bouts with headache, and when I ask for help from St Peregrine to get rid of such pain, surely the headache does disappear. It is not surprising as Saint Peregrine is a miracle worker and also the Patron of Cancer victims and patients. I also pray to St Peregrine whenever I want someone dear to me who’s sick to get healed.

Honoring Images of Catholic Saints

The First Commandment of God states “I am the Lord your God, You shall not have strange Gods before me.” Well, of course, as devout Catholic, we abide by this commandment. We recognize the one and only God, our Heavenly Father.

And indeed, it is really considered a mortal sin if we as Catholics worship other gods apart for Him. The first commandment likewise dictates that statues and images, whether it be of patron saints and even the Blessed Virgin Mary should not be worshipped, in the same manner as pagans worshipping their stone idols. This is a form of idolatry and is considered a grievous sin.

So, what does it make of the multiple of Catholics who have images of Catholic saints, the Virgin Many and other religious relics displayed at the altar of their homes? Are they sinners outright? Are they offending the Lord God because of these practices?

In my opinion, if the purpose of the presence of the images of patron saints is to honor them as mediators or messengers to the Lord, then it is not a sin. If it is a form of respect and admiration to a particular saint and the holy life that it lived, then I do believe that it is okay for such images to have a place in our altars.

Respect and honoring of the Saints is one thing; worship of God is another – it is a great and truly holy act that is above all else.

Catholic Saints for Children

In my opinion, saints are like angels. They look after us, protect us and guide us to safety during our day to day personal activities. Saints, I believe, act as guardian angels.

Still, saints are so much more. They are effective intercessors to the Lord God. They are like our messengers, helping us by delivering our requests and prayers to the Lord.

And parents and Catholic, we can try educating our kids into the lives of the Patron Saints. We can tell about the stories of how they came to be.

We all know how all of them suffered because of the Catholic Faith, and remained brave and strong during times of trials and dangers brought about by their standing by their faith.

To our kids, we can present them as Christian heroes; they are personalities that serve best as model Catholic to our children.

There are many that serve as Patron Saints of Children. Some are Saint Nicholas and the Miraculous Infant Jesus of Prague. Saint Thomas More is for the adopted children.

For boy scouts, we have St. George and for families, the Patron Saint is St. Joseph.

Let us tell our children about the life stories of saints, and hopefully our young ones may value their journey to sainthood and even learn from it.

On Becoming Like a Saint

When I was a small boy, many years ago, I remember my aunt teasing me about my not having even a bit of a chance of becoming a saint. Why so, I ask her? She, like everybody else, saw me as a mischievous child back then. I myself was aware that I was a naughty kid, sort of a “Dennis the Menace” type.

I gamely replied to my aunt not to worry, as I have no intention of becoming a saint like those Patron Saints to whom she prays to. Up to now, what I have of an image of a Catholic saint is one with impeccable character and filled with the virtues which make him worthy of the presence and love of the Lord God.

Still and all, I also believe that every person has little saintliness in him. Okay, admittedly some people are definitely more saintly. I rank myself among those who lean on being more worried about my material wants, while neglecting the spiritual needs, which I would also admit is more important but I somehow ignore.

I may not become a saint, but I can sure try doing things that are saintly. Small things, little sacrifices like a few hours of fasting, walking for long hours, listening to mom’s sermon instead of talking back, caring more about the pets. I believe that performing such things is pleasing to the eyes of God. There really is no need to be a Saint; just act according to God’s Commandments, and we are next to being one.

You Know Your Friend is a Catholic if...

One time you rode with him in a bus to work, and in the midst of stalled traffic, he takes out a Rosary and begins to recite it.

Inside his leather wallet, you see a small pamphlet of novena to his Patron Saint.

Your Catholic friend might miss his lunch and all, but never the Sunday morning or evening mass.

Your friend’s fervent dream is to go the Jerusalem, the Holy Land and Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus Christ. Of course, let us not leave out the Vatican, where he might want to try to have even a glance of the Pope.

It does not matter whether a request is small or great, your friend will seek the intercession of all patron saints that he knows and of course the Blessed Virgin Mary. In my case, I ask for Saint Rita of Cascia and the Infant Jesus of Prague to intercede in my behalf to our Lord.

For your Catholic friend, Christmas is the most beloved holiday, celebrating the birth of Jesus.

In the absence of a family elder, your Catholic friend rushes to the local parish priest for guidance and advice on serious matters.

Lastly, speaking of the Virgin Mary - your friend is a Catholic, and a Filipino one, if he affectionately calls her “Mama Mary.”

Saint John in the Wilderness

Here are some pictures that I took of the Church of Saint John in the Wilderness in Ein Karem. It was a blazing summer day, yet a great church visiting day for us here in Israel.

Saint Stephen's Modern Church, Israel

While we have yet to visit a shrine of Saint Rita of Cascia, we were able to visit another church. This is St. Stephen's Modern Church, which is located at Beit Jamal monastery in Jerusalem.

What was very nice about the Church was that it provides free Bibles and Christian pamphlets in different languages. We were able to get one written in Tagalog.

Do you know that St. Stephen is the first Christian martyr? Such a noble fact to remember him with.

Beit Jamal monastery, aside from the church also contains the first meteorological station, which unfortunately we were not able to see the time when we visited the place. It is still running, and has been in existence since 1919 under the Salesian Monks.

Above are some pictures of the Church of Saint Stephen. Hopefully, I can finally find a Saint Rita of Cascia shrine, if not here in Israel, then maybe the one in the US or if lucky enough, the Italian shrine even.

St Peter's Church in Gallicantu - Few More Pictures

Here are some pictures of the great colorful interior of the Church of St Peter at Gallicantu.

Earlier Article: Saint Peter’s Church in Gallicantu

Many must have noticed that I have somewhat made discussion on this blog about the many Churches here in Israel, and not just posts about Saint Rita of Cascia.

Admittedly, I am running out of topics about my beloved Saint Rita, and Infant Jesus of Pragues so I would have to make this blog one which discusses general topics that are mainly religious, Christian or Catholic in nature.

Trappist Monastery

Still, I have no information on where a church or shrine of Saint Rita of Cascia or Infant Jesus of Prague can be found here in Israel. Any information you might have?

However last week, we were about to visit the Trappist Monastery located at Latroun. The monastery is modern in design and structure, with a nice garden and fruit orchards on the area surrounding the building.

The Trappist Monastery actually being run by the austere Cistercian monks, who are popular for maintaining a frugal living and have a vow of silence.

The monastery is known for producing excellent olive oil, which people can have at their shop in the monastery.

Church of St Peter in Gallicantu

The Church of St Peter in Jerusalem should not be mistaken for the St. Peter's Church, which is located on the Jaffa Hill in Tel Aviv. The location of Church of St. Peter is said to be where Jesus was denied three times by Peter. Hence the name Gallicantu, or "cockcrow", for the place. We all know that when Peter was denying Jesus, there coincided the crows of the cock, which Jesus said would be the sign of Peter's denial. So now we have pictures here of the two shrines for St. Peter, while I have yet to locate a church here in Israel dedicated to Saint Rita of Cascia and the Infant Jesus of Prague.

The Milk Grotto

The Milk Grotto

Me in front of the entrance of the Milk Grotto

Likeness of Infant Jesus

So sorry it took me more that a month to write a post here at my Saint Rita of Cascia (and Infant Jesus of Prague) site. Quite busy with work, that's all. Hope many still visit here from time to time. Hopefully I would be a more frequent poster here. Anyway, here is another picture of a church in Bethlehem. The Milk Grotto - the site where the Holy Family rested and the Virgin Mary nursed the Infant Jesus.

Church of the Nativity

Outside the Church of the Nativity

Interior of the Church

The Holy Manger

I promised to feature churches and chapels here at my Saint Rita of Cascia site, so here is one very special for everyone. I was able to visit the Nativity Church in Bethlehem for the second time, and just like the first, the feeling of being there at the site where the Infant Jesus is said to be born was simply overwhelming. Hopefully, the next time around, I would be able to feature a shrine of Saint Rita of Cascia and Infant Jesus of Prague. A happy and peaceful New Year to everyone!

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