Born in Sallent, Catalonia, on December 23, 1807, Saint Anthony Mary Claret was the fifth of Juan Claret and Josefa Clará’s eleven children. Despite his father’s modest textile factory, Anthony was raised in a devout Christian setting, developing an early and profound understanding of Christ’s desire for humanity’s eternal salvation. He aspired to save sinners from eternal misery, working diligently for their salvation. At eleven, when asked by a bishop about his future ambitions, Anthony promptly declared his desire to become a priest.

Upon reaching working age, Anthony apprenticed as a weaver, later moving to Barcelona at 17 to further his textile studies and work in larger mills. Excelling in his field, he received numerous job offers from major textile firms. However, feeling the void of worldly success, he chose to return home, having been struck by the Gospel’s message: “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet lose his own soul?” This prompted him to study Latin and prepare for seminary, initially aspiring to join the Carthusian Monks. His father, though supportive, hoped for him to become a diocesan priest—a path Anthony eventually chose, enrolling in a seminary in Vic at the age of 21.

A year into his studies, Anthony reconsidered his monastic calling and set out for a nearby monastery. However, a severe storm and recognition of his frail health led him to abandon this pursuit. At 27, he was ordained a priest, initially serving in his hometown. Yet, his missionary zeal soon outgrew the small town, and the anti-Church political climate hindered his work. Seeking broader horizons, he traveled to Rome, offering himself for foreign missions. When this did not pan out, he joined the Jesuits, hoping to fulfill his missionary aspirations. Unfortunately, a mysterious illness cut this journey short, forcing him back to Catalonia.

Back home, Claret began an extensive preaching mission, attracting large audiences and dedicating countless hours to confessions. He devoted all his apostolic work to Mary, feeling himself an apostle in her service. Love, he believed, was the essential virtue for any preacher, comparing its necessity to fire behind a bullet in a musket.

Claret’s popularity soared, earning him the title of “apostolic missionary” from the Pope in 1842. Recognizing the press’s power, he founded a Religious Press in 1847, making God’s message accessible across social strata. Despite his success, increasing political unrest in Spain posed a constant threat. Thus, he accepted an invitation to preach in the Canary Islands, spending 14 months there before returning to Spain to realize his dream of establishing a missionary order.

On July 16, 1849, Claret founded the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, also known as the Claretian Fathers and Brothers. Shortly after, he was appointed Archbishop of Santiago de Cuba, forcing him to leave his fledgling community. In Cuba, he dedicated his ministry to Mary and quickly identified the urgent need for human and Christian development, especially among the poor. His initiatives included vocational schools, credit unions, agricultural improvements, and advocating for the oppressed and marginalized. His actions, however, made him a target, and he survived an assassination attempt in Holguín.

In 1857, Claret was summoned back to Spain to serve as Queen Isabella II’s confessor. Despite his distaste for aristocratic life, he accepted out of obedience, ensuring he could continue his missionary work. He played a vital role in selecting dedicated bishops during his eleven-year service, enduring slander and ridicule from the Church’s enemies. The 1868 revolution forced the Queen and Claret into exile, providing him an opportunity to preach in Paris before attending the First Vatican Council in 1869. He strongly defended papal infallibility, which became a Catholic dogma during the Council.

With his health failing, Claret returned to France, where he went into hiding due to an arrest warrant. He spent his final days in the Fontfroide Cistercian Monastery, passing away on October 24, 1870, at 62. His final wish was to have the words “I have loved justice and hated iniquity; therefore I die in exile” inscribed on his tombstone. Beatified in 1934 and canonized in 1950 by Pope Pius XII, his legacy and teachings continue to inspire.

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Ephesians 4:7-16
Psalm 122:1-5
Luke 13:1-9

Ephesians 4:7-16
(7) Yet to each one of us there has been given grace according to the measure allotted by Christ. (8) Because of this, he says: “Ascending on high, he took captivity itself captive; he gave gifts to men.” (9) Now that he has ascended, what is left except for him also to descend, first to the lower parts of the earth? (10) He who descended is the same one who also ascended above all the heavens, so that he might fulfill everything. (11) And the same one granted that some would be Apostles, and some Prophets, yet truly others evangelists, and others pastors and teachers, (12) for the sake of the perfection of the saints, by the work of the ministry, in the edification of the body of Christ, (13) until we all meet in the unity of faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, as a perfect man, in the measure of the age of the fullness of Christ. (14) So may we then no longer be little children, disturbed and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the wickedness of men, and by the craftiness which deceives unto error. (15) Instead, acting according to truth in charity, we should increase in everything, in him who is the head, Christ himself. (16) For in him, the whole body is joined closely together, by every underlying joint, through the function allotted to each part, bringing improvement to the body, toward its edification in charity.

Psalm 122:1-5
(1) A Canticle in steps. I rejoiced in the things that were said to me: “We shall go into the house of the Lord.” (2) Our feet were standing in your courts, O Jerusalem. (3) Jerusalem has been built as a city, whose participation is unto itself. (4) For to that place, the tribes ascended, the tribes of the Lord: the testimony of Israel, to confess to the name of the Lord. (4) For to that place, the tribes ascended, the tribes of the Lord: the testimony of Israel, to confess to the name of the Lord. (5) For in that place, seats have sat down in judgment, seats above the house of David.

Luke 13:1-9
(1) And there were present, at that very time, some who were reporting about the Galileans, whose blood Pilate mixed with their sacrifices. (2) And responding, he said to them: “Do you think that these Galileans must have sinned more than all other Galileans, because they suffered so much? (3) No, I tell you. But unless you repent, you will all perish similarly. (4) And those eighteen upon whom the tower of Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they also were greater transgressors than all the men living in Jerusalem? (5) No, I tell you. But if you do not repent, you will all perish similarly.” (6) And he also told this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree, which was planted in his vineyard. And he came seeking fruit on it, but found none. (7) Then he said to the cultivator of the vineyard: ‘Behold, for these three years I came seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I have found none. Therefore, cut it down. For why should it even occupy the land?’ (8) But in response, he said to him: ‘Lord, let it be for this year also, during which time I will dig around it and add fertilizer. (9) And, indeed, it should bear fruit. But if not, in the future, you shall cut it down.’ ”

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Born in 1385 in Italy, Saint John of Capistrano was the child of a previous German knight. He pursued his education in law at the University of Perugia and later on, practiced as an attorney in Naples’ legal courts. His competence and reputation caught the attention of King Ladislas of Naples, who appointed him as the governor of Perugia. Unfortunately, during a conflict with a neighboring city, he was deceived and taken prisoner. Following his release, he decided to take a different path in life and joined the Franciscan community in Perugia in 1416.

Under the mentorship of St. Bernardine of Siena, St. John and St. James of the March flourished. Inspired by St. Bernardine, St. John became a fervent advocate of the devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus and the Virgin Mary. He initiated his commendable journey of preaching as a deacon in 1420. After becoming ordained, he embarked on extensive travels across Europe, spreading his message of repentance and founding numerous Franciscan communities for spiritual renewal. His travels took him through Italy, Germany, Bohemia, Austria, Hungary, Poland, and Russia.

As the Ottoman Empire posed a threat to Vienna and Rome under the rule of Mohammed II, St. John, at the age of 70, was entrusted by Pope Callistus III with a crucial mission. He was to preach and lead a crusade to defend against the invading Turks. Demonstrating remarkable leadership, he spearheaded a Christian force of seventy thousand, ultimately achieving victory in the pivotal Battle of Belgrade in 1456.

Sadly, just three months after this triumphant moment, St. John passed away in Ilok, which is now part of modern-day Croatia. He is celebrated annually on October 23, his feast day. Saint John of Capistrano is venerated as the patron saint of jurists.

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Ephesians 4:1-6
Psalm 24:1-6
Luke 12:54-59

Ephesians 4:1-6
(1) And so, as a prisoner in the Lord, I beg you to walk in a manner worthy of the vocation to which you have been called: (2) with all humility and meekness, with patience, supporting one another in charity. (3) Be anxious to preserve the unity of the Spirit within the bonds of peace. (4) One body and one Spirit: to this you have been called by the one hope of your calling: (5) one Lord, one faith, one baptism, (6) one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in us all.

Psalm 24:1-6
(1) For the First Sabbath. A Psalm of David. The earth and all its fullness belong to the Lord: the whole world and all that dwells in it. (2) For he has founded it upon the seas, and he has prepared it upon the rivers. (3) Who will ascend to the mountain of the Lord? And who will stand in his holy place? (4) The innocent of hands and the clean of heart, who has not received his soul in vain, nor sworn deceitfully to his neighbor. (5) He will receive a blessing from the Lord, and mercy from God, his Savior. (6) This is the generation that seeks him, that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.

Luke 12:54-59
(54) And he also said to the crowds: “When you see a cloud rising from the setting of the sun, immediately you say, ‘A rain cloud is coming.’ And so it does. (55) And when a south wind is blowing, you say, ‘It will be hot.’ And so it is. (56) You hypocrites! You discern the face of the heavens, and of the earth, yet how is it that you do not discern this time? (57) And why do you not, even among yourselves, judge what is just? (58) So, when you are going with your adversary to the ruler, while you are on the way, make an effort to be freed from him, lest perhaps he may lead you to the judge, and the judge may deliver you to the officer, and the officer may cast you into prison. (59) I tell you, you will not depart from there, until you have paid the very last coin.”

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Born on May 18, 1920, in the Polish town of Wadowice, Karol Józef Wojtyła, who would later be known as Pope John Paul II, was the youngest of three children. His parents, Karol Wojtyła and Emilia Kaczorowska, suffered the loss of their daughter Olga before Karol Józef was born. Karol Józef’s mother passed away in 1929, his brother Edmund, a physician, died in 1932, and his father, a former non-commissioned military officer, passed away in 1941.

Karol Józef was baptized on June 20, 1920, by Fr. Franciszek Zak at Wadowice’s parish church. He received his First Holy Communion at the age of nine and was confirmed when he was 18. Following his graduation from Marcin Wadowita high school in Wadowice, he enrolled at Jagiellonian University in Krakow and also joined a drama school in 1938.

However, the Nazi occupation of Poland in 1939 led to the closure of the university, forcing young Karol to work in a quarry from 1940 to 1944 and later in the Solvay chemical factory to make ends meet and avoid deportation to Germany. In 1942, realizing his calling to priesthood, he began clandestine theological studies in Krakow, conducted by Cardinal Adam Stefan Sapieha, the Archbishop of Krakow. During this time, he was also actively involved in the underground Rhapsodic Theatre.

After World War II, Karol continued his theological studies at the re-opened major seminary in Krakow and the Jagiellonian University’s Faculty of Theology. He was ordained as a priest by Archbishop Sapieha in Krakow on November 1, 1946.

Post-ordination, Cardinal Sapieha sent him to Rome, where he earned his doctorate in theology under the French Dominican Garrigou-Lagrange in 1948, with a thesis on the subject of faith in St. John of the Cross’ works. During his holidays, he engaged in pastoral work among Polish immigrants in France, Belgium, and Holland.

Upon returning to Poland in 1948, Karol served as a vicar in various Krakow parishes and as a chaplain to university students. He resumed his studies in philosophy and theology in 1951, defending a thesis on the potential of establishing a Catholic ethic based on Max Scheler’s ethical system at Lublin Catholic University in 1953. He later became a professor of moral theology and social ethics at the major seminary in Krakow and at Lublin’s Faculty of Theology.

On July 4, 1958, Pope Pius XII appointed him as the titular bishop of Ombi and auxiliary of Krakow. He was consecrated on September 28, 1958, at Wawel Cathedral, Krakow, by Archbishop Eugeniusz Baziak. Pope Paul VI appointed him as the Archbishop of Krakow on January 13, 1964, and later made him a cardinal on June 26, 1967.

Cardinal Wojtyła played a significant role at the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) and participated in all assemblies of the Synod of Bishops. On October 16, 1978, he was elected Pope, adopting the name John Paul II. His pontificate, lasting nearly 27 years, is one of the longest in Church history.

Pope John Paul II was known for his pastoral care, his openness, and his commitment to dialogue and peace. He conducted 104 pastoral visits outside Italy and 146 within, visiting 317 of Rome’s 333 parishes. He met with millions of faithful, as well as numerous world leaders, promoting dialogue with other religions, particularly Judaism.

He initiated the World Youth Days and the World Meetings of Families, encouraging spiritual renewal and emphasizing the importance of holiness. He canonized 482 saints and beatified 1,338 individuals, highlighting their lives as models of faith. He also expanded the College of Cardinals, reformed the Codes of Canon Law, and published significant Church documents, including 14 Encyclicals.

Pope John Paul II also authored several books, contributing to theological and pastoral dialogue. He passed away on April 2, 2005, and was canonized on April 27, 2014, by Pope Francis, in a ceremony also attended by Pope Benedict XVI. His influence and legacy continue to shape the Catholic Church and the wider world today.

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Ephesians 3:14-21
Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 11-12, 18-19
Luke 12:49-53

Ephesians 3:14-21
(14) By reason of this grace, I bend my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, (15) from whom all paternity in heaven and on earth takes its name. (16) And I ask him to grant to you to be strengthened in virtue by his Spirit, in accord with the wealth of his glory, in the inner man, (17) so that Christ may live in your hearts through a faith rooted in, and founded on, charity. (18) So may you be able to embrace, with all the saints, what is the width and length and height and depth (19) of the charity of Christ, and even be able to know that which surpasses all knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (20) Now to him who is able to do all things, more abundantly than we could ever ask or understand, by means of the virtue which is at work in us: (21) to him be glory, in the Church and in Christ Jesus, throughout every generation, forever and ever. Amen.

Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 11-12, 18-19
(1) A Psalm of David. Exult in the Lord, you just ones; together praise the upright. (2) Confess to the Lord with stringed instruments; sing psalms to him with the psaltery, the instrument of ten strings. (4) For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his works are in faith. (5) He loves mercy and judgment. The earth is full of the mercy of the Lord. (11) But the counsel of the Lord remains for eternity, the thoughts of his heart from generation to generation. (12) Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his inheritance. (18) Behold, the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him and on those who hope in his mercy, (19) so as to rescue their souls from death and to feed them during famine.

Luke 12:49-53
(49) I have come to cast a fire upon the earth. And what should I desire, except that it may be kindled? (50) And I have a baptism, with which I am to be baptized. And how I am constrained, even until it may be accomplished! (51) Do you think that I have come to give peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but division. (52) For from this time on, there will be five in one house: divided as three against two, and as two against three. (53) A father will be divided against a son, and a son against his father; a mother against a daughter and a daughter against a mother; a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”

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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 Hilarion, originally hailing from the village of Tabatha, south of Gaza, was born to parents who practiced idolatry. His educational journey took him to Alexandria, where he encountered the Christian faith and chose to be baptized at the age of fifteen. Intrigued by the stories of St. Anthony, he ventured into the desert to live with him for two months, learning from his ascetic lifestyle.

However, Hilarion found the desert to be distracting, as many sought St. Anthony’s help for healing and exorcism. Craving solitude to serve God, he returned to his homeland, only to find that his parents had passed away. He distributed his inheritance, giving portions to his siblings and the rest to the poor, keeping nothing for himself. He then withdrew to the desert, seven miles from Majuma, sandwiched between the seashore and a swamp. His attire was simple: a sackcloth shirt, a leather tunic gifted by St. Anthony, and a modest cloak. He only replaced his tunic when it was completely worn out and never washed his sackcloth.

Hilarion sustained himself on fifteen figs daily, which he ate only at sunset. His days were filled with farming and basket weaving, ensuring he had the essentials for survival. He built a cell for himself, so small it resembled a tomb more than a home. Over time, he realized that figs alone could not sustain him, and he expanded his diet to include vegetables, bread, and oil.

During his isolation, he faced intense temptations through demonic visions and hallucinations. He persevered, relying on his faith to guide him through these challenging times.

In 356, he learned of St. Anthony’s death through a divine revelation. By this time, he was sixty-five and growing weary of the constant attention from pilgrims and the responsibility of guiding his disciples. He decided to leave Palestine, despite the crowds that gathered, hoping to persuade him to stay. He fasted for seven days, convincing the people to let him leave.

Hilarion then chose a group of monks capable of fasting until sunset and journeyed to Egypt, eventually reaching St. Anthony’s mountain near the Red Sea. There, he found two of St. Anthony’s disciples and explored the secluded cells where St. Anthony would retreat from visitors. Despite his curiosity, the location of St. Anthony’s grave remained a secret, as per his wishes.

Seeking further solitude, St. Hilarion traveled to Aphroditopolis (Atfiah), then to a nearby desert, and finally to a western desert oasis. However, his reputation followed him everywhere. Deciding to find a place where he was completely unknown, he and a companion sailed to Sicily.

In Sicily, he and his companion found an isolated spot, but his identity was soon discovered. Fleeing again, he traveled inland, finally finding a secluded yet pleasant place to live. Despite his best efforts to live in obscurity, his miracles made him known. As he pondered his next steps, he realized that even in silence, his deeds spoke volumes.

Eventually, he found refuge in Cyprus, settling two miles from Paphos. Yet once again, his identity was revealed, forcing him to move further inland to a remote yet serene location. Here, he found the peace and quiet he longed for and lived out his final years, passing away at the age of eighty. St. Epiphanius, Bishop of Salamis, visited him during his last illness and later shared the story of his life with St. Jerome. Following his death, St. Hesychius, a disciple of St. Hilarion, secretly transported his body back to Majuma, his original home.

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