Catholic Saints & Feasts of the Liturgical Year

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May 3- Saints Philip and James, Apostles—Feast

Saint Philip: c. 4–c. 80
Patron Saint of hatmakers and pastry chefs
Saint James: First century BC–c. 62
Patron Saint of pharmacists and the dying
Pre-Congregation canonizations
Liturgical Color: Red

Quote:
The next day he decided to go to Galilee, and he found Philip. And Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the town of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth.” But Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” ~John 1:43–46

Prayer:
Saints Philip and James, you were both highly blessed to be companions of the Lord Jesus, listening to Him preach, witnessing His miracles, and receiving from Him a commission to continue His work. Please pray for me, that I will also come to know our Lord and Savior through prayer and the Holy Scriptures, so that I will be prepared for the mission that God has for me. Saints Philip and James, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.

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Image: Apostles James the Younger and Bartholomew by Duccio di Buoninsegna

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May 2- Saint Athanasius, Bishop and Doctor—Memorial

c. 296–373
Patron Saint of theologians
Pre-Congregation canonization
Proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Pope Saint Pius V in 1568
Liturgical Color: White

Quote:
Now when Arius and his fellows made these assertions, and shamelessly avowed them, we being assembled with the Bishops of Egypt and Libya, nearly a hundred in number, anathematized both them and their followers. But Eusebius and his fellows admitted them to communion, being desirous to mingle falsehood with the truth, and impiety with piety. But they will not be able to do so, for the truth must prevail; neither is there any communion of light with darkness, nor any concord of Christ with Belial. ~Saint Athanasius

Prayer:
Saint Athanasius, your faith, knowledge of the truth, and unwavering commitment to the proclamation of the truth resulted in much suffering in your life. However, God used that suffering and your courage to purify the Church and to set Her on a glorious path. Please pray for me, that I will imitate your faith and courage in my own life so that God can use me to leave a lasting legacy for those whom I am called to love and serve. Saint Athanasius, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.

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Images by Lawrence OP, via Flickr here

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May 1: Saint Joseph the Worker—Optional Memorial

Patron Saint of workers
Liturgical Color: White

Quote:
Work was the daily expression of love in the life of the Family of Nazareth. The Gospel specifies the kind of work Joseph did in order to support his family: he was a carpenter. This simple word sums up Joseph’s entire life. For Jesus, these were hidden years, the years to which Luke refers after recounting the episode that occurred in the Temple: “And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them” (Lk 2:51). This “submission” or obedience of Jesus in the house of Nazareth should be understood as a sharing in the work of Joseph. Having learned the work of his presumed father, he was known as “the carpenter’s son.” If the Family of Nazareth is an example and model for human families, in the order of salvation and holiness, so too, by analogy, is Jesus’ work at the side of Joseph the carpenter. ~Saint John Paul II, Redemptoris Custos, #22

Prayer:
Saint Joseph, God gave you great responsibility in life, which you embraced with loving devotion and hard work. You found dignity in your labors as you sought to fulfill the will of God by caring for your family. Please pray for me, that I will always keep the right priorities in life, never wavering from my duty to labor, and never laboring in vain for selfish profit. I choose you as my model and intercessor this day and always. Saint Joseph, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.

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Image: Saint Joseph the Carpenter by Georges de La Tour

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April 30: Saint Pius V, Pope—Optional Memorial

1504–1572
Patron Saint of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith
Invoked for the reform and defense of the Church
Canonized by Pope Clement XI on May 22, 1712
Liturgical Color: White

Quote:
From the very first, upon Our elevation to the chief Apostleship, We gladly turned our mind and energies and directed all our thoughts to those matters which concerned the preservation of a pure liturgy, and We strove with God’s help, by every means in our power, to accomplish this purpose. For, besides other decrees of the sacred Council of Trent, there were stipulations for Us to revise and re-edit the sacred books: the Catechism, the Missal and the Breviary. With the Catechism published for the instruction of the faithful, by God’s help, and the Breviary thoroughly revised for the worthy praise of God…We deemed it necessary to give our immediate attention to what still remained to be done, viz, the re-editing of the Missal as soon as possible… ~Promulgating the Tridentine Liturgy, Saint Pius V

Prayer:
Saint Pius V, you were unwavering in your faith and unwavering in your courage. God used those virtues to help defend and reform His Church at a time when it was suffering greatly. Please pray for me, that as the Church continues to be in need of renewal and the Gospel in need of proclamation, I will be a holy instrument in the hands of God. May I also be courageous and faithful until the end, no matter the cost. Saint Pius V, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.

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Image: Pope St. Pius V via Wikimedia

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April 29: Saint Catherine of Siena, Virgin and Doctor of the Church—Memorial

1347–1380
Patron Saint of Europe, Italy, nurses, the sick, and those ridiculed for their piety
Invoked against fires, miscarriages, temptations
Canonized by Pope Pius II on June 29, 1461
Proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Pope Paul VI on October 4, 1970
Proclaimed Co-Patron of Europe by Pope John Paul II on October 1, 1999
Liturgical Color: White

Quote:
Do you not know, dear daughter, that all the sufferings, which the soul endures, or can endure, in this life, are insufficient to punish one smallest fault, because the offense, being done to Me, Who am the Infinite Good, calls for an infinite satisfaction? However, I wish that you should know, that not all the pains that are given to men in this life are given as punishments, but as corrections, in order to chastise a son when he offends; though it is true that both the guilt and the penalty can be expiated by the desire of the soul, that is, by true contrition, not through the finite pain endured, but through the infinite desire; because God, who is infinite, wishes for infinite love and infinite grief ~The Dialogue of Saint Catherine of Siena

Prayer:
Eternal God, eternal Trinity, You have made the Blood of Christ so precious through His sharing in Your Divine nature. You are a mystery as deep as the sea; the more I search, the more I find, and the more I find, the more I search for You. But I can never be satisfied; what I receive will ever leave me desiring more. When You fill my soul, I have an ever greater hunger, and I grow more famished for Your light. I desire above all to see You, the true Light, as You really are. Amen. Saint Catherine of Siena, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.

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Image: The Mystic Marriage of St Catherine of Siena By Clemente de Torres