CATHOLIC FAITHLINK: “St. Francis Xavier” – CNA
“On Dec. 3, the Roman Catholic Church honors St. Francis Xavier, one of the first Jesuits who went on to evangelize vast portions of Asia. …”
Category: Saints & Blesseds
CATHOLIC FAITHLINK: “Who was Saint Francis Xavier? ” – Xavier University
“… St. Xavier ranks among the greatest missionaries in Christian history. Historians place the number of baptisms at roughly 30,000 people; lore cites numbers up to 100,000. Today, such missionary accomplishments may be challenging to appreciate in light of present day plurality, cultural relativism, and global engagement, yet a great deal can be learned from Xavier in the way he conducted his life and work with meaning and purpose. Three qualities of Xavier are highlighted which are noteworthy in today’s modern world. … Xavier was known to have conducted his life’s work with great vitality and zeal. For instance, when Loyola asked Xavier to join an expedition to the Far East he was ‘overjoyed.’ Even descriptions of how he moved capture his gusto – “he walked with a joyful, calm face” and ‘everywhere he went he went with laughter in his mouth.’ …”
CATHOLIC FAITHLINK: “Meaning of the Saint Andrew Christmas Novena” – ChristmasNovena.com
“Saint Andrew’s feast day is today! This feast is the marker that determines the start of Advent. The first Sunday of Advent begins on the Sunday closest to (or on) November 30th, St Andrew’s feast day. That explains the first part of the Saint Andrew Christmas Novena’s name. The second part simply refers to when the novena ends. On Christmas. So the longest way of saying it is: The Saint Andrew to Christmas Day Novena, but it is also known simply as the Christmas Novena for short. …”
CATHOLIC FAITHLINK: “Prayer to Saint Andrew the Apostle” – Saint Andrew Parish (Oakville, ON)
O Glorious Saint Andrew,
you were the first
to recognize and follow
the Lamb of God.
With your friend Saint John
you remained with Jesus
for that first day,
for your entire life,
and now throughout eternity.
As you led your brother
Saint Peter to Christ
and many others after him,
draw us also to Him.
Teach us to lead others
to Christ solely out of love
for Him and dedication
in His service.
Help us to learn
the lesson of the Cross
and to carry our daily crosses
without complaint
so that they may
carry us to Jesus.
CATHOLIC FAITHLINK: “Saint Andrew the Apostle” – Catholic Exchange
Andrew, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, was the first disciple of our Lord. Prior to coming to Jesus, Andrew had been a follower or disciple of John the Baptist. One day while walking with John, Jesus passed by. St. John, seeing Jesus, pointed Him out to Andrew and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” Realizing that John was saying that Jesus was the Messiah whom they had all been awaiting, Andrew immediately went after Jesus. Turning and seeing Andrew following Him, Jesus asked him, “What do you seek?” whereupon Andrew inquired where Jesus was staying. Jesus replied, “Come and see.” Andrew soon brought his brother, Simon Peter (St. Peter), to Jesus to also become His disciple.
Andrew and his brother, Simon Peter, were fishermen and one day while repairing the fishing nets in their boat with their father, Jesus came by and asked them to go with Him. They immediately left their father, their boat and their occupations, and followed our Lord Jesus who told them, “I will make you fishers of men.”
CATHOLIC FAITHLINK: “Saint Andrew the Apostle” – Franciscan Media
Andrew was Saint Peter’s brother, and was called with him. “As [Jesus] was walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is now called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. He said to them, ‘Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ At once they left their nets and followed him” (Matthew 4:18-20).
John the Evangelist presents Andrew as a disciple of John the Baptist. When Jesus walked by one day, John said, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” Andrew and another disciple followed Jesus. “Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, ‘What are you looking for?’ They said to him, ‘Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are you staying?’ He said to them, ‘Come, and you will see.’ So they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day” (John 1:38-39a).
CATHOLIC FAITHLINK: “Carmelite All Saints Day – November 14” – Sisters of Carmel
“… It has long been the custom of Catholic Religious Orders to have a separate day, usually in November, to honor their own particular saints. Today, November 14th, is Carmelite All Saints Day ….”
CATHOLIC HEADS-UP: All Saints Day on Thursday, November 1 is a Holy Day of Obligation, Requiring Mass Attendance, With Opportunities Starting Wednesday Evening With Vigil Mass
The Solemnity of All Saints on November 1 is a Holy Day of Obligation, requiring Mass attendance, absent a valid excuse, either on that day or at a Vigil Mass the evening before. [Click here for Mass Readings for the Solemnity of All Saints.]
Failure to keep the Obligation to participate in Mass on Sunday or a Holy Day of Obligation is a grave sin. Grave sin bars one from receiving Holy Communion, unless and until there is repentance and absolution through the Sacrament of Reconciliation (i.e., a valid Confession).
While some Parishes or other Catholic churches might have schedules that they anticipate using for Holy Days, it might be helpful to double-check the most recent bulletin, or visit the relevant church website, to see if there are specific announcements about the Mass schedule for All Saints Day.
Church bulletins additionally often have a special section for Mass intentions, which, in the process, of course, also would be setting out times when Masses are occurring.
All Saints Day is one a subset of Holy Days of Obligation for which the Obligation now is lifted during years when the date falls on a Saturday or Monday. Yet in 2018, of course, November 1 falls on a Thursday, so the Obligation is fully intact.
One valid excuse to miss Mass might be a sufficiently serious illness or a sufficiently serious need to stay home caring for a sick family member, such as a sick child.
Going beyond the Obligation to participate in a Mass, the Catechism of the Catholic Church has a somewhat elaborate and extensive understanding of what is involved with keeping Holy the Sabbath, such as including rest and acts of Mercy, and seems to envision treating Holy Days of Obligation in a manner similar to the Sunday Sabbaths. Indeed, the latest Catechism calls for Catholics to work towards Holy Days of Obligation becoming legal holidays.
In cultures like that of the United States, where so-called “Halloween” has become a secular day of merriment with its own traditions, it bears noting that the evening of October 31 is actually the Vigil of All Saints, All Hallows Eve.
Additional Links:
- The Sunday obligation – Catechism of the Catholic Church/VaticanVa
- Canon 1246, §2 – Holy Days of Obligation – USCCB
- MassTimes.org – generalized Mass times information, links to Parishes
- DiscoverMass – includes some Parish listings, bulletins, generalized Mass times
CATHOLIC FAITHLINK: Saint Pope John Paul II Vatican Links – VaticanVa
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CATHOLIC FAITHLINK: “Optional Memorial of Saint John Paul II – Oct. 22” – USCCB
“On October 12, 2012, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments confirmed the inscription of Saint John Paul II, Pope, into the Proper Calendar for the Dioceses of the United States of America. Two years later, on May 29, 2014, Pope Francis ordered the inscription of Saint John Paul II into the General Roman Calendar. St. John Paul is celebrated each year as an Optional Memorial on October 22. …”