September already??
The end of summer and the beginning of a new school year. Does anyone ever say: "I can't wait for September!" I know I never have. Even though I no longer have the dread of returning to school, September still elicits that "ugh" kind of feeling in me. The Church's Liturgical Year doesn't have any celebrations in September that can change that attitude of dread into one of joy. Or does it?
There is always something to celebrate in the Catholic faith. And while it is true that there are not any of the BIG, well known Church observances like Christmas or Easter in September, the month is chocked full of feast days that we can celebrate.
FYI: For additional info on any of the saints we mention here, go to www.catholic.org/saints/ You can find a saint by name, by their feast day or by patronage. Although no one is really certain of the date of Mary's birth, the Church commemorates her birth with the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary on September 8, nine months after we celebrate Mary's Immaculate Conception. It is one of only three birthdays on the Church's Liturgical calendar (the other two are St. John the Baptist and of course, Jesus' birthday!). The Nativity of Mary is an opportunity to celebrate Mary's personal sanctity and her vocation as the mother of Jesus. It's also an opportunity to have some birthday cake! The birthday girl is there with you in spirit, what kind of cake do you think she'd like? Let the kids decide, and bake and decorate a cake together. Do you always call or spend time with your Mom on her birthday? Don't forget to spend time with our Blessed Mother on her birthday, pray the Rosary!
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September 3 is the feast day of St. Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church (c. 540-604). He was known as the Great not because he was Pope, nor because he was named a Doctor of the Church, but because of his sense of justice, his protection of Jewish rights and his diplomacy. And bonus- Gregorian chant is named after him, even though he had nothing to do with it's creation!
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On September 12, we celebrate the Most Holy Name of Mary. Mary was a popular name among the Hebrews, in memory of Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron. Some scholars think that the name Mary could be related to an Egyptian word for "beloved." On the feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary, help your kids remember that God chose Mary to be the mother of Jesus out of love. A couple of fun activities for your kids to do on this day could be to research and discover the meaning of their names- do they have a religious meaning, like "consecrated to God"? Or if they were named after a saint, discover the feast day of the saint, and mark their "name day" on the family calendar to celebrate.
During September, we also celebrate the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist, Our Lady of Sorrows, and two saints that are brothers and patrons of pharmacists: Sts. Cosmas & Damian. Have you ever heard the Christmas Carol "Good King Wenceslaus" and wondered: "Who's he?" Well, he's a saint and martyr who's feast is celebrated this month, not in December.
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September 23 is the feast day of perhaps one of the most famous saints of our time, St. Pius of Pietrelcina, more commonly known as Padre Pio. In 1947, a Polish priest named Karol Wojtyla visited Padre Pio who prophetically told Fr. Wojtyla that he would rise to the highest post in the Church. Fr. Karol Wojtyla became Pope John Paul II in 1978.
The feast of Sts. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels is on September 29. Originally each had his own feast day and September 29th was St. Michael's Day, which is why it is still referred to as Michaelmas Day.
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St. Gabriel is probably the most well known of God's messengers- he certainly got the biggest assignment- announcing to Mary that she would be the mother of the Savior of the world. He also appeared to St. John the Baptist's parents, Zechariah and Elizabeth. St. Raphael is probably the least known of the three. He appears by name in the book of Tobit and heals Tobit of his blindness. The name Raphael means "God heals"; because of the healing powers associated with St. Raphael, the angel spoken of in John 5:1-4 is believed to be St. Raphael. St. Michael is the leader of God's heavenly army, the battle between God's angels and the fallen angels is described in Revelation 12:7-9.
Beyond prayer and reading the scripture passages related to these archangels, how can we honor all three on the same day when they've had different roles in God's plan of salvation? Try to incorporate activities into the day that will help your children remember something about each one. St. Raphael is patron of the blind-play blind man's bluff; St. Gabriel is the patron of postal workers and St. Michael is the patron of soldiers, police and doctors- you could send a thank you via the mail to a soldier (or veteran), police officer or doctor who has had a positive impact on your family.
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Prayer to Saint Michael |
There are more feast days to celebrate this month; endless opportunities to eat, drink and be merry, honoring the many different saints who by their example can give us encouragement in our journey of faith and teach us about the Catholic faith. Pick a couple for the month, or one every week. Have a special meal, do a craft if your crafty, find a movie about the saint to watch. But whatever else you do, pray together, share the saints' stories and their faith in Christ and talk about how we follow Christ today in our lives.