Saint Alphonsa, originally named Annakkutty (meaning ‘little Anna’), was born in Kudamaloor, a village located in the princely state of Travancore, India, during the British Raj period. This region is now known as the Kottayam district in Kerala. Her parents, Joseph and Mary Muttathupadathu, baptized her on August 27, 1910, at Saint Mary’s Church, Kudamaloor, in honor of Saint Anna.

After her mother’s untimely death, Annakkutty was raised by her maternal aunt. She began her formal education in Arpookara in 1916 and received her First Communion on November 27, 1917. Later in 1918, she transferred to a school in Muttuchira. In 1923, Annakkutty suffered a severe accident, falling into a pit of burning chaff, which resulted in permanent damage to her feet.

Despite her physical impediment, Annakkutty was determined to join the Franciscan Clarist Congregation. On Pentecost 1927, she arrived at the Poor Clares convent at Bharananganam. She took the name Alphonsa on August 2, 1928, when she received the postulant’s veil. In May 1929, Alphonsa attended the Malayalam High School at Vazhappally. The following year, her foster mother passed away.

Alphonsa received her religious habit at Bharananganam on May 19, 1930, and soon after, she resumed her education at Changanacherry. She also worked as a temporary teacher at Vakakkad school. On August 11, 1931, she joined the novitiate, and five years later, on August 12, 1936, she took her permanent vows. Despite her frail health, which often kept her away from teaching, Alphonsa served as an elementary school teacher.

In December 1936, Alphonsa reportedly recovered from her illness through the intercession of Blessed Kuriakose Elias Chavara. However, her health was again compromised after a severe pneumonia attack in 1939, and a traumatic incident involving a thief in 1940. Although she regained her memory by September 1941, she continued to struggle with her health and developed a stomach ailment in 1945 that led to severe vomiting.

On July 28, 1946, at the age of 35, Saint Alphonsa passed away and was buried in Bharananganam, Travancore (now Kerala) in the Diocese of Palai. Today, her tomb has become a pilgrimage site, as several faithful have reported miracles attributed to her. The miracle that led to her canonization by the Vatican was the healing of an infant’s club foot in 1999.

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Jeremiah 14:17-22
Psalm 79:8-9, 11, 13
Matthew 13:36-43

Jeremiah 14:17-22
(17) And you shall speak this word to them: Let my eyes shed tears throughout the night and day, and let them not cease. For the virgin daughter of my people has been crushed by a great affliction, by a very grievous wound.” (18) “If I go out into the fields: behold, those slain by the sword. And if I enter into the city: behold, those weakened by famine. Likewise, the prophet, too, and the priest, have gone into a land that they did not know. (19) Could you have utterly cast out Judah? Or has your soul abhorred Zion? Then why have you struck us, so much so that there is no health for us? We have waited for peace, but there is nothing good, and for the time of healing, and behold, trouble. (20) O Lord, we acknowledge our impieties, the iniquities of our fathers, that we have sinned against you. (21) For the sake of your name, do not give us over into disgrace. And do not dishonor in us the throne of your glory. Remember, do not make void, your covenant with us. (22) Could any of the graven images of the Gentiles send rain? Or are the heavens able to give showers? Have we not hoped in you, the Lord our God? For you have made all these things.”

Psalm 79:8-9, 11, 13
(8) Do not remember our iniquities of the past. May your mercies quickly intercept us, for we have become exceedingly poor. (9) Help us, O God, our Savior. And free us, Lord, for the glory of your name. And forgive us our sins for the sake of your name. (11) may the groans of the shackled enter before you. According to the greatness of your arm, take possession of the sons of those who have been killed. (13) But we are your people and the sheep of your pasture: we will give thanks to you in all ages. From generation to generation, we will announce your praise.

Matthew 13:36-43
(36) Then, dismissing the crowds, he went into the house. And his disciples drew near to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” (37) Responding, he said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of man. (38) Now the field is the world. And the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom. But the weeds are the sons of wickedness. (39) So the enemy who sowed them is the devil. And truly, the harvest is the consummation of the age; while the reapers are the Angels. (40) Therefore, just as weeds are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the consummation of the age. (41) The Son of man shall send out his Angels, and they shall gather from his kingdom all who lead astray and those who work iniquity. (42) And he shall cast them into the furnace of fire, where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (43) Then the just ones shall shine like the sun, in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.

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Saint Pantaleon, born 275AD, hailed from Nicomedia, a city near the Black Sea in Asia.

His exceptional skills as a doctor earned him the coveted role of personal physician to the Emperor. Though a Christian, Pantaleon was negatively influenced by the pagan court, leading him to abandon his faith completely.

However, a chance encounter with a devout priest named Hermolaos led Pantaleon to realize the grave mistake he had made. The priest’s words resonated deeply with Pantaleon, leading him to repent and rejoin the Church. Overwhelmed with remorse, he yearned for a chance to redeem himself, even if it meant suffering or dying for his faith.

In the meantime, Pantaleon emulated the charity of Jesus by treating poor, sick people without charging any fees for his services.

When Emperor Diocletian began persecuting Christians, Pantaleon responded by giving away all his possessions to the needy. Not long after, he was accused of being a Christian himself. He was forced to choose between renouncing his faith and facing execution. Despite the brutal tortures, Pantaleon refused to deny his faith.

Devotion to Saint Pantaleon has remained strong over the centuries. In the East, he is revered as the “Great Martyr and Wonder-worker.”

His feast day is celebrated on July 27th, the same date he was martyred in 305AD.

Photo credit: Spiritia, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

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Jeremiah 13:1-11
Deuteronomy 32:18-21
Matthew 13:31-35

Jeremiah 13:1-11
(1) Thus says the Lord to me: “Go, and obtain for yourself a linen waistcloth. And you shall place it over your loins, and you shall not put it into water.” (2) And so I obtained a waistcloth, according to the word of the Lord, and I placed it around my loins. (3) And the word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying: (4) “Take the waistcloth, which you obtained, which is around your loins, and, rising up, go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in an opening of the rock.” (5) And so I went, and I hid it by the Euphrates, just as the Lord had instructed me. (6) And it happened that, after many days, the Lord said to me: “Rise up, go to the Euphrates, and take from there the waistcloth, which I instructed you to hide there.” (7) And so I went to the Euphrates, and I dug up and took the waistcloth from the place where I had hidden it. And behold, the waistcloth had rotted, so that it was not fit for any use. (8) And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: (9) “Thus says the Lord: In the same way, I will cause the arrogance of Judah and the arrogance of Jerusalem to rot. (10) This most wicked people, they are not willing to listen to my words, for they walk in the depravity of their own heart, and they have gone after strange gods, so as to serve them and to adore them. And so, they will become like this waistcloth, which is not fit for any use. (11) For just as the waistcloth clings to the loins of a man, so have I brought close to me the entire house of Israel and the entire house of Judah, says the Lord, so that they would be to me: a people, and a name, and a praise, and a glory. But they did not listen.

Deuteronomy 32:18-21
(18) You have forsaken the God who conceived you, and you have forgotten the Lord who created you. (19) The Lord saw, and he was stirred to anger. For his own sons and daughters provoked him. (20) And he said: ‘I will hide my face from them, and I will consider their very end. For this is a perverse generation, and they are unfaithful sons. (21) They have provoked me with that which was not God, and they have angered me with their emptiness. And so, I will provoke them with that which is not a people, and I will anger them with a foolish nation.

Matthew 13:31-35
(31) He proposed another parable to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field. (32) It is, indeed, the least of all seeds, but when it has grown, it is greater than all the plants, and it becomes a tree, so much so that the birds of the air come and dwell in its branches.” (33) He spoke another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of fine wheat flour, until it was entirely leavened.” (34) All these things Jesus spoke in parables to the crowds. And he did not speak to them apart from parables, (35) in order to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet, saying: “I will open my mouth in parables. I will proclaim what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.”

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The lives and names of Saints Joachim and Anne, who are known as the parents of Mary and grandparents of Jesus Christ, are derived from non-canonical, or apocryphal, literature.

This includes the Gospel of the Nativity of Mary, the Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew, and the Protoevangelium of James. It’s important to note that the earliest version of the Protoevangelium, which seems to be the primary source for the other two, dates back to around 150 AD. However, we should approach its assertions with a degree of skepticism given that they are based solely on this text.

In the Eastern tradition, the Protoevangelium was highly respected, and parts of it were read during the feasts of Mary by the Greeks, Syrians, Copts, and Arabians. However, the Western Church Fathers initially rejected it until the 13th century when its contents were incorporated into Jacobus de Voragine’s “Golden Legend”. After this point, the story of St. Anne became widely known across the West and she evolved into one of the Latin Church’s most venerated saints.

The Protoevangelium provides the following narrative: Joachim and Anne, a wealthy and devout couple, lived in Nazareth but were childless. On a feast day, when Joachim went to the temple to offer a sacrifice, he was turned away by a man named Ruben, who claimed that childless men were unworthy of admission. This left Joachim feeling deep sorrow, and he retreated to the mountains to lament in solitude.

Meanwhile, Anne learned why her husband had been absent for so long. In her distress, she pleaded with the Lord to lift the curse of barrenness from her, vowing to dedicate her future child to God’s service. Their prayers were heard, and an angel appeared to both of them. The angel told Anne, “The Lord has seen your tears; you will conceive and give birth, and your child will be a blessing for the entire world.” The same promise was given to Joachim, who then returned to his wife.

When Anne gave birth to a girl, they named her Miriam, which is another name for Mary.

Photo credit: Luis Fraga / Shutterstock.com

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1 Kings 3:5, 7-12
Psalm 119:57, 72, 76-77, 127-130
Romans 8:28-30
Matthew 13:44-52
Matthew 13:44-46

1 Kings 3:5, 7-12
(5) Then the Lord appeared to Solomon, through a dream in the night, saying, “Request whatever you wish, so that I may give it to you.” (7) And now, O Lord God, you have caused your servant to reign in place of David, my father. But I am a small child, and I am ignorant of my entrance and departure. (8) And your servant is in the midst of the people that you have chosen, an immense people, who are not able to be numbered or counted because of their multitude. (9) Therefore, give to your servant a teachable heart, so that he may be able to judge your people, and to discern between good and evil. For who will be able to judge this people, your people, who are so many?” (10) And the word was pleasing before the Lord, that Solomon had requested this kind of thing. (11) And the Lord said to Solomon: “Since you have requested this word, and you have not asked for many days or for wealth for yourself, nor for the lives of your enemies, but instead you have requested for yourself wisdom in order to discern judgment: (12) behold, I have done for you according to your words, and I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so much so that there has been no one like you before you, nor anyone who will rise up after you.

Psalm 119:57, 72, 76-77, 127-130
(57) HETH. O Lord, my portion, I have said that I would keep your law. (72) The law of your mouth is good for me, beyond thousands of gold and silver pieces. (76) Let it be your mercy that consoles me, according to your eloquence to your servant. (77) Let your compassion draw near to me, and I will live. For your law is my meditation. (127) Therefore, I have loved your commandments beyond gold and topaz. (128) Because of this, I was directed toward all your commandments. I held hatred for every iniquitous way. (129) PHE. Your testimonies are wonderful. Therefore, my soul has been examined by them. (130) The declaration of your words illuminates, and it gives understanding to little ones.

Romans 8:28-30
(28) And we know that, for those who love God, all things work together unto good, for those who, in accordance with his purpose, are called to be saints. (29) For those whom he foreknew, he also predestined, in conformity with the image of his Son, so that he might be the Firstborn among many brothers. (30) And those whom he predestined, he also called. And those whom he called, he also justified. And those whom he justified, he also glorified.

Matthew 13:44-52
(44) The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. When a man finds it, he hides it, and, because of his joy, he goes and sells everything that he has, and he buys that field. (45) Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking good pearls. (46) Having found one pearl of great value, he went away and sold all that he had, and he bought it. (47) Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net cast into the sea, which gathers together all kinds of fish. (48) When it has been filled, drawing it out and sitting beside the shore, they selected the good into vessels, but the bad they threw away. (49) So shall it be at the consummation of the age. The Angels shall go forth and separate the bad from the midst of the just. (50) And they shall cast them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (51) Have you understood all these things?” They say to him, “Yes.” (52) He said to them, “Therefore, every scribe well-taught about the kingdom of heaven, is like a man, the father of a family, who offers from his storehouse both the new and the old.”

Matthew 13:44-46
(44) The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. When a man finds it, he hides it, and, because of his joy, he goes and sells everything that he has, and he buys that field. (45) Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking good pearls. (46) Having found one pearl of great value, he went away and sold all that he had, and he bought it.

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James, the son of Zebedee and brother of John the Evangelist, was one of the original twelve apostles called by Jesus Christ.

His call to discipleship took place as he worked on a fishing boat in the Sea of Galilee alongside his father and brother, reminiscent of Jesus’ earlier calling of another pair of fishing brothers, Peter and Andrew. The account, recorded in Mark 1:19-20, describes how James and John promptly left their father and their livelihood to follow Jesus.

Being part of the inner circle, James was among the select three disciples privileged to witness significant biblical events. These included Jesus’ Transfiguration, the resurrection of Jairus’s daughter, and Jesus’ anguished prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Two Gospel incidents shed light on James’ temperament and that of his brother John. One, as described in Matthew 20:22, revolves around a request for seats of honor in the heavenly kingdom. Whether this request came from James and John or their mother, as some accounts suggest, Jesus’ response was the same. He prophetically told them they would share in his baptism of suffering but clarified that granting positions of honor was the prerogative of the Father.

This event provoked indignation among the other disciples and served as an opportunity for Jesus to underscore the virtue of humble service. He taught them that true leadership and authority come from serving others, a principle exemplified in his sacrificial life.

James and John, also known as the “sons of thunder,” lived up to their nickname on an occasion when the Samaritans refused to welcome Jesus. Reacting impulsively, they asked Jesus if they should call down fire from heaven to consume the Samaritans, an idea swiftly rebuked by Jesus.

James holds the unfortunate distinction of being the first apostle to be martyred, as recorded in Acts 12:1-3. King Herod, seeking to please the Jews, had James killed by the sword and subsequently arrested Peter.

This account refers to James, often known as James the Greater, distinct from James the Lesser (celebrated on May 3), and James, the author of the Letter of James and the leader of the Jerusalem community.

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