According to a pious legend, Saint Olivia was described as a ravishing beauty of 13 years when Saracens captured her at Palermo, Sicily in the 9th century. She was deported to Tunis where she began to perform miracles and convert Muslims to Christianity.

Wishing to get rid of her, but fearing her power, her captors abandoned her in a forest, giving her to the beasts. Some hunters found her and took her themselves as a slave, but she converted them to the Faith. Exasperated Muslim authorities arrested, tortured, and beheaded her. At the moment of her death, her soul was seen to fly to heaven in the form of a dove.

She has been honoured in Carthage and Palermo, and was held in great esteem by Christians and Muslims. The mosque of Tunis is called the Mosque of Olivia, and Tunisian Muslims say that who speaks ill of her is always punished by God.

Saint Olivia is considered a Patron Saint of Music and Palermo, Italy.

Photo credit: Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

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1 Kings 18:20-39
Psalm 16:1-2, 4-5, 8, 11
Matthew 5:17-19

1 Kings 18:20-39
(20) Ahab sent to all the sons of Israel, and he gathered together the prophets on mount Carmel. (21) Then Elijah, drawing near to all the people, said: “How long will you waver between two sides? If the Lord is God, follow him. But if Baal is, then follow him.” And the people did not respond a word to him. (22) And Elijah said again to the people: “I alone remain as a prophet of the Lord. But the prophets of Baal are four hundred and fifty men. (23) Let two oxen be given to us. And let them choose one ox for themselves, and, cutting it into pieces, let them set it on the wood. But they may not place fire under it. And I will prepare the other ox, and set it on the wood. But I will not place fire under it. (24) Call upon the names of your gods. And I will call on the name of my Lord. And the God who will have heeded with fire, let him be God.” And in response, all the people said, “Excellent proposition.” (25) Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal: “Choose for yourselves one ox, and prepare it first. For you are many. And call on the names of your gods, but do not place fire under it.” (26) And when they had taken an ox, which he had given to them, they prepared it. And they called on the name of Baal, from morning even until midday, saying, “O Baal, heed us.” And there was no voice, nor did anyone respond. And so they leaped upon the altar that they had made. (27) And when it was now midday, Elijah ridiculed them, saying: “Cry out with a louder voice. For he is a god, and perhaps he is talking, or at an inn, or on a journey, or certainly he may be asleep, and must be awakened.” (28) Then they cried out with a loud voice, and they cut themselves, in accord with their ritual, with knives and lancets, until they were entirely covered in blood. (29) Then, after midday had passed, and they were prophesying, the time had arrived when the sacrifice is usually offered. And there was no voice heard, neither did anyone heed or respond to the praying. (30) Elijah said to all the people, “Draw near to me.” And as the people were drawing near to him, he repaired the altar of the Lord, which had been torn down. (31) And he took twelve stones, in accord with the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying, “Israel shall be your name.” (32) And he built from the stones an altar to the name of the Lord. And he made a trench for water, like two furrows of plowed land, all around the altar. (33) And he arranged the wood, and he cut the ox into pieces, and he placed it on the wood. (34) And he said, “Fill four containers with water, and pour it over the holocaust, and over the wood.” And again, he said, “Do this a second time.” And when they had done it a second time, he said, “Do it also a third time.” And they did so a third time. (35) And the water was running down around the altar, and the pit of the trench was filled with water. (36) And when it was now time for the holocaust to be offered, the prophet Elijah, drawing near, said: “O Lord, God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Israel, reveal this day that you are the God of Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have acted, in all these things, in accord with your precept. (37) Heed me, O Lord, heed me, so that this people may learn that you are the Lord God, and that you have converted their heart again.” (38) Then the fire of the Lord fell down and devoured the holocaust, and the wood, and the stones, and even the dust, and it absorbed the water that was in the trench. (39) And when all the people had seen it, they fell upon their face, and they said: “The Lord himself is God! The Lord himself is God!”

Psalm 16:1-2, 4-5, 8, 11
(1) The inscription of a title: of David himself. Preserve me, O Lord, because I have hoped in you. (2) I have said to the Lord: “You are my God, so you have no need of my goodness.” (4) Their infirmities have been multiplied; after this, they acted more quickly. I will not gather for their convocations of blood, nor will I remember their names with my lips. (5) The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup. It is you who will restore my inheritance to me. (8) I have made provision for the Lord always in my sight. For he is at my right hand, so that I may not be disturbed. (11) You have made known to me the ways of life; you will fill me with joy by your countenance. At your right hand are delights, even to the end.

Matthew 5:17-19
(17) Do not think that I have come to loosen the law or the prophets. I have not come to loosen, but to fulfill. (18) Amen I say to you, certainly, until heaven and earth pass away, not one iota, not one dot shall pass away from the law, until all is done. (19) Therefore, whoever will have loosened one of the least of these commandments, and have taught men so, shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever will have done and taught these, such a one shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

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Please comment below to leave your prayer request. As your request will be prayed for, please also pray for the petitions of others! Remember in your prayers, those in purgatory, all those suffering around the world, and for the intentions of the Pope! Lord, hear our prayer!

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Poet, teacher, orator and defender of the faith, Saint Ephrem is the only Syrian recognized as a doctor of the Church. He took upon himself the special task of opposing the many false doctrines rampant at his time, always remaining a true and forceful defender of the Catholic Church.

Born in Nisibis, Mesopotamia, he was baptized as a young man and became famous as a teacher in his native city. When the Christian emperor had to cede Nisibis to the Persians, Ephrem, along with many Christians, fled as a refugee to Edessa. He is credited with attracting great glory to the biblical school there. He was ordained a deacon but declined becoming a priest (and was said to have avoided episcopal consecration by feigning madness!).

He had a prolific pen and his writings best illumine his holiness. Although he was not a man of great scholarship, his works reflect deep insight and knowledge of the Scriptures. In writing about the mysteries of humanity’s redemption, Ephrem reveals a realistic and humanly sympathetic spirit and a great devotion to the humanity of Jesus. It is said that his poetic account of the Last Judgment inspired Dante.

It is surprising to read that he wrote hymns against the heretics of his day. He would take the popular songs of the heretical groups and, using their melodies, compose beautiful hymns embodying orthodox doctrine. Ephrem became one of the first to introduce song into the Church’s public worship as a means of instruction for the faithful. His many hymns have earned him the title “Harp of the Holy Spirit.”

He preferred a simple, austere life, living in a small cave overlooking the city of Edessa. It was here he died around 373.

Photo credit: Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

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1 Kings 17:7-16
Psalm 4:2-5, 7-8
Matthew 5:13-16

1 Kings 17:7-16
(7) But after some days, the torrent dried up. For it had not rained upon the earth. (8) Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying: (9) “Rise up, and go to Zarephath of the Sidonians, and dwell there. For I have instructed a widowed woman there to feed you.” (10) He rose up and went away to Zarephath. And when he had arrived at the gate of the city, he saw the widowed woman collecting wood, and he called to her. And he said to her, “Give me a little water in a vessel, so that I may drink.” (11) And as she was going to bring it, he called out after her, saying, “Bring me also, I beg you, a morsel of bread in your hand.” (12) And she responded: “As the Lord your God lives, I have no bread, except a handful of flour in a jar, and a little oil in a bottle. See, I am collecting a couple of sticks, so that I may go in and make it for myself and my son, so that we may eat it and die.” (13) And Elijah said to her: “Do not be afraid. But go and do as you have said. Yet truly, first make for me, from the same flour, a little bread baked under ashes, and bring it to me. Then afterward, make some for yourself and for your son. (14) For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘The jar of flour will not fail, nor the bottle of oil be diminished, until the day when the Lord will grant rain upon the face of the earth.’ ” (15) She went and acted in accord with the word of Elijah. And he ate, and she and her household ate. And from that day, (16) the jar of flour did not fail, and the bottle of oil was not diminished, in accord with the word of the Lord, which he had spoken by the hand of Elijah.

Psalm 4:2-5, 7-8
(2) When I called upon him, the God of my justice heeded me. In tribulation, you have enlarged me. Have mercy on me, and heed my prayer. (3) Sons of men, how long will you be dull in heart, so that whatever you love is in vain, and whatever you seek is false? (4) And know this: the Lord has made wondrous his holy one. The Lord will heed me when I cry out to him. (5) Be angry, and do not be willing to sin. The things that you say in your hearts: be sorry for them on your beds. (7) The light of your countenance, Lord, has been sealed upon us. You have given joy to my heart. (8) By the fruit of their grain, wine, and oil, they have been multiplied.

Matthew 5:13-16
(13) You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its saltiness, with what will it be salted? It is no longer useful at all, except to be cast out and trampled under by men. (14) You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. (15) And they do not light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, so that it may shine to all who are in the house. (16) So then, let your light shine in the sight of men, so that they may see your good works, and may glorify your Father, who is in heaven.

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Please comment below to leave your prayer request. As your request will be prayed for, please also pray for the petitions of others! Remember in your prayers, those in purgatory, all those suffering around the world, and for the intentions of the Pope! Lord, hear our prayer!

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Saint William of York, born around the year 1110, was the son of Count Herbert, treasurer to Henry I. He was elected archbishop of York in 1140. William’s election was challenged on the grounds of simony and unchastity. He was cleared by Rome, but later a new Pope suspended William, and in 1147 he was deposed as archbishop of York.

William then retired to Winchester where he led the austere life of a monk, practicing much prayer and mortification. Upon the death of his accusers, Pope Anastastius IV restored William his See and made him archbishop. William died in the year 1154.

After his death miracles were reported at his tomb, and in 1227 he was declared a saint. His Feast Day is June 8.

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1 Kings 17:1-6
Psalm 121:1-8
Matthew 5:1-12

1 Kings 17:1-6
(1) And Elijah the Tishbite, from the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord lives, the God of Israel, in whose sight I stand, there shall not be dew or rain during these years, except by the words of my mouth.” (2) And the word of the Lord came to him, saying: (3) “Withdraw from here, and go toward the east, and hide at the torrent Cherith, which is opposite the Jordan. (4) And there you shall drink from the torrent. And I have instructed the ravens to feed you there.” (5) Therefore, he went and acted in accord with the word of the Lord. And going away, he settled by the torrent Cherith, which is opposite the Jordan. (6) And the ravens carried bread and flesh to him in the morning, and likewise bread and flesh in the evening. And he drank from the torrent.

Psalm 121:1-8
(1) A Canticle in steps. I have lifted up my eyes to the mountains; from thence help will come to me. (2) My help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. (3) May he not allow your foot to be moved, and may he not slumber, who guards you. (4) Behold, he who guards Israel will neither sleep, nor slumber. (5) The Lord is your keeper, the Lord is your protection, above your right hand. (6) The sun will not burn you by day, nor the moon by night. (7) The Lord guards you from all evil. May the Lord guard your soul. (8) May the Lord guard your entrance and your exit, from this time forward and even forever.

Matthew 5:1-12
(1) Then, seeing the crowds, he ascended the mountain, and when he had sat down, his disciples drew near to him, (2) and opening his mouth, he taught them, saying: (3) “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (4) Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the earth. (5) Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be consoled. (6) Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they shall be satisfied. (7) Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. (8) Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. (9) Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. (10) Blessed are those who endure persecution for the sake of justice, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (11) Blessed are you when they have slandered you, and persecuted you, and spoken all kinds of evil against you, falsely, for my sake: (12) be glad and exult, for your reward in heaven is plentiful. For so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

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Please comment below to leave your prayer request. As your request will be prayed for, please also pray for the petitions of others! Remember in your prayers, those in purgatory, all those suffering around the world, and for the intentions of the Pope! Lord, hear our prayer!

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The Feast of Corpus Christi, or the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ (as it is often called today), goes back to the 13th century, but it celebrates something far older: the institution of the Sacrament of Holy Communion at the Last Supper. While Holy Thursday is also a celebration of this mystery, the solemn nature of Holy Week, and the focus on Christ’s Passion on Good Friday, overshadows that aspect of Holy Thursday.

Thus, in 1246, Bishop Robert de Thorete of the Belgina diocese of Liège, at the suggestion of St. Juliana of Mont Cornillon (also in Belgium), convened a synod and instituted the celebration of the feast. From Liège, the celebration began to spread, and, on September 8, 1264, Pope Urban IV issued the papal bull “Transiturus,” which established the Feast of Corpus Christi as a universal feast of the Church, to be celebrated on the Thursday following Trinity Sunday.

At the request of Pope Urban IV, St. Thomas Aquinas composed the office (the official prayers of the Church) for the feast. This office is widely considered one of the most beautiful in the traditional Roman Breviary (the official prayer book of the Divine Office or Liturgy of the Hours), and it is the source of the famous Eucharistic hymns “Pange Lingua Gloriosi” and “Tantum Ergo Sacramentum.”

For centuries after the celebration was extended to the universal Church, the feast was also celebrated with a eucharistic procession, in which the Sacred Host was carried throughout the town, accompanied by hymns and litanies. The faithful would venerate the Body of Christ as the procession passed by. In recent years, this practice has almost disappeared, though some parishes still hold a brief procession around the outside of the parish church.

In countries where it is not a Holy Day of Obligation such as the United States, The Feast of Corpus Christi is celebrated on the Sunday after Holy Trinity.

Photo credit: Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

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