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Saint Pio of Pietreclina (1887-1968), popularly known as Padre Pio, was a Capuchin priest from Italy. He was famously known for his stigmata – the experience whereby a person experiences the wounds of Christ from being nailed to the cross. Doctors examined Padre Pio’s wounds and were amazed by the fact that they never got infected and were perfectly round. Padre Pio said he had made the decision to dedicate his life to God from the young age of 5. His famous saying is, ‘’pray, hope and don’t worry’’. He is the patron saint of civil defence volunteers, adolescents and stress relief. #PadrePio #Saintpioofpietrelcina #catholicsaints #catholicaustralia #catholicbooks #saintpadrepio

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September 21, St Matthew St Matthew was one of the twelve Apostles of Jesus. Before he became a follower of Christ, he was a tax collector working for the Romans, who the Jews despised. Jesus spotted Matthew, also referred to as Levi, sitting at a custom house in Capernaum when he asked him to be his Apostle. When Matthew invited Jesus to his home for a feast, the Scribes and Pharisees criticised Jesus for eating with tax collectors and sinners. Jesus responded, ‘’I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.’’ The calling of Matthew shows us that God loves each person infinitely, despite their faults. Jesus has called each person to follow him. St Matthew is the patron saint of accountants. #saintmatthew #catholicsaints #catholicbooks #catholicaustralia #thetwelveapostles

Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 14) The feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross was first celebrated in the fourth century after relics of the true cross had been found. On the feast, relics of the cross are ‘exalted’ or ‘raised up’ and venerated by Christians. Although Jesus died on the cross for the salvation of mankind, it is through his passion and death that Christ was able to triumph. This feast day is an opportunity for us to see our crosses in a positive light and a means for us to grow stronger spiritually. #catholicchurch #catholicaustralia #exaltationoftheholycross #catholicbooks #veritatispublishing

Holy Name of Mary (September 12) We especially acknowledge the name of Mary because it is the name that belongs to the mother of God. On this feast day, we recognise that God made her the holiest human being who ever lived on earth. The Holy Name of Mary was established as a feast day in Spain in 1531. On this day, we can turn to Mary and call out her name for help. We can ask her to be a powerful intercessor for our personal petitions. #holynameofmary #catholicsaints #catholicchurch #catholicbooks

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What to do with so much time? Sometimes the more we have, the harder it can be to get motivated. Join us today in the blog below as one of our writers has a frank chat about using our time well during isolation ⏰ Link in bio 👆🏼 #isolation #lockdown #usetimewisely #christianliving #christianblog #catholiclife

The Story of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary The Church has celebrated Mary’s birth since at least the sixth century. A September birth was chosen because the Eastern Church begins its Church year with September. The September 8 date helped determine the date for the feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8. Scripture does not give an account of Mary’s birth. However, the apocryphal Protoevangelium of James fills in the gap. This work has no historical value, but it does reflect the development of Christian piety. According to this account, Anna and Joachim are infertile but pray for a child. They receive the promise of a child who will advance God’s plan of salvation for the world. Such a story, like many biblical counterparts, stresses the special presence of God in Mary’s life from the beginning. Saint Augustine connects Mary’s birth with Jesus’ saving work. He tells the earth to rejoice and shine forth in the light of her birth. “She is the flower of the field from whom bloomed the precious lily of the valley. Through her birth the nature inherited from our first parents is changed.” The opening prayer at Mass speaks of the birth of Mary’s Son as the dawn of our salvation, and asks for an increase of peace. #catholicsaints #catholicchurch #catholicaustralia #nativityoftheblessedvirginmary #catholicbooks Story: https://www.franciscanmedia.org/nativity-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary/

The Universal Call to Holiness. Become a Saint Saints are people like you and I who love God deeply. Their love for Christ is shown in action through living the human and theological virtues to a heroic degree throughout their life. People often think that sainthood is reserved for the ‘extraordinary’ people, but this is not true. Saints are people who have made mistakes and have sinned against God, but they never gave up. In the words of St Augustine, ‘a saint is a sinner who never stopped trying. There is no saint without a past, no sinner without a future’. The common stereotype for saints usually held, is that they are people who have left the world to be nuns, priests or part of the clergy. While this is true, this commonly held view on saints is very narrow. Every person despite their profession, age, ethnicity or background are called to be saints, to be holy. A school student, a university professor, a stay-at-home mother and a religious nun all have the same vocation to be a saint. This universal call to holiness was highly emphasised during Vatican II – an ecumenical council in the Catholic Church from October 11, 1962 until December 8, 1965, which addressed the relationship between the Catholic faith and the modern world. This universal call to holiness reminds every baptised Catholic that they have the same dignity as the Lord. We are told in the very first book of the bible, in Genesis, that we are made in God’s image and likeness. Therefore, we share the same vocation to holiness. In other words, to be saints. Each person carries out their personal call to holiness by living out all the virtues according to their own circumstances and by relying on the grace of God. A poem called ‘We need saints’, attributed to St John Paul II said: ‘We need saints without veil or cassock. We need saints who wear jeans and sneakers. We need saints who passionately love the Eucharist and who are not ashamed to drink a soda or eat pizza on the weekends with friends.’ #catholicsaints, #catholicbooks #catholicaustralia #catholicchurch

Tomorrow is International Day of Charity. We know that charity is something close to every Catholic’s heart so why not think of a way you can bless someone this weekend? If you feel inclined to donate, you can check out the worthy Little Sisters of the Poor, a Catholic charity that works throughout Oceana and has been serving God in Melbourne since November 1884. https://www.littlesistersofthepoor.org.au/ #InternationalDayofCharity #catholiccharities #generosity #alms Image courtesy of @katyukawa via Unsplash