St. Salvator of Horta (1520-1567)

A reputation for holiness does have some drawbacks. Public recognition can be a nuisance at times—as the confreres of Salvator found out.
Salvator was born during Spain’s Golden Age. Art, politics and wealth were flourishing. So was religion. Ignatius of Loyola founded the Society of Jesus in 1540.
Salvator’s parents were poor. At the age of 21 he entered the Franciscans as a brother and was soon known for his asceticism, humility and simplicity.
As cook, porter and later the official beggar for the friars in Tortosa, he became well known for his charity. He healed the sick with the Sign of the Cross. When crowds of sick people began coming to the friary to see Salvator, the friars transferred him to Horta. Again the sick flocked to ask his intercession; one person estimated that two thousand people a week came to see Salvator. He told them to examine their consciences, to go to confession and to receive Holy Communion worthily. He refused to pray for those who would not receive those sacraments.
The public attention given to Salvator was relentless. The crowds would sometimes tear off pieces of his habit as relics. Two years before his death, Salvator was moved again, this time to Cagliari on the island of Sardinia. He died at Cagliari saying, "Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit." He was canonized in 1938.

Benefits of Yoga

Yoga exercise has many benefits including:

-reconnecting with yourself

-mental and physical relaxation

-an improved awarness and sense of calm

-improvement each time with steps associated to yoga

-a time for meditation and contemplation

A headache the next morning

A little girl was watching her parents dress for a party.

As her dad donned his tuxedo she warned, “Daddy, you shouldn’t wear that suit.”

“And why not, darling?” he asked.

“You know that it always gives you a headache the next morning.”

St. Maximilian (d. 295)

We have an early, precious, almost unembellished account of the martyrdom of St. Maximilian in modern-day Algeria.
Brought before the proconsul Dion, Maximilian refused enlistment in the Roman army saying, "I cannot serve, I cannot do evil. I am a Christian."
Dion replied: "You must serve or die."
Maximilian: "I will never serve. You can cut off my head, but I will not be a soldier of this world, for I am a soldier of Christ. My army is the army of God, and I cannot fight for this world. I tell you I am a Christian."
Dion: "There are Christian soldiers serving our rulers Diocletian and Maximian, Constantius and Galerius."
Maximilian: "That is their business. I also am a Christian, and I cannot serve."
Dion: "But what harm do soldiers do?"
Maximilian: "You know well enough."
Dion: "If you will not do your service I shall condemn you to death for contempt of the army."
Maximilian: "I shall not die. If I go from this earth my soul will live with Christ my Lord."

St. John Joseph of the Cross (1654-1734)

Self-denial is never an end in itself but is only a help toward greater charity—as the life of Saint John Joseph shows.

John Joseph was very ascetic even as a young man. At 16 he joined the Franciscans in Naples; he was the first Italian to follow the reform movement of Saint Peter Alcantara. John’s reputation for holiness prompted his superiors to put him in charge of establishing a new friary even before he was ordained.

Obedience moved John to accept appointments as novice master, guardian and, finally, provincial. His years of mortification enabled him to offer these services to the friars with great charity. As guardian he was not above working in the kitchen or carrying the wood and water needed by the friars.

When his term as provincial expired, John Joseph dedicated himself to hearing confessions and practicing mortification, two concerns contrary to the spirit of the dawning Age of Enlightenment. John Joseph was canonized in 1839.

Jokes can be said in church

Attending a wedding for the first time,
a little girl whispered to her mother,
'Why is the bride dressed in white?''


The mother replied, 'Because white is
the color of happiness, and today is the
happiest day of her life.'


The child thought about this for a
moment then said, 'So why is the groom
wearing black?'


~~~~~~~~~~~~


A little girl, dressed in her Sunday best,
was running as fast as she could, trying
not to be late for Bible class. As she ran
she prayed, 'Dear Lord, please don't let
me be late! Dear Lord, please don't let
me be late!'


While she was running and praying, she
tripped on a curb and fell, getting her
clothes dirty and tearing her dress. She
got up, brushed herself off, and started
running again! As she ran she once again
began to pray, 'Dear Lord, please don't
let me be late...But please don't shove
me either!'


~~~~~~~~~~~~


Three boys are in the school yard bragging
about their fathers. The first boy says, 'My
Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of
paper, he calls it a poem, they give him $50.'


The second boy says, 'That's nothing. My
Dad scribbles a few words on piece of
paper, he calls it a song, they give him $100.'


The third boy says, 'I got you both beat.
My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece
of paper, he calls it a sermon, and it takes
eight people to collect all the money!'


~~~~~~~~~~~~


An elderly woman died last month. Having
never married, she requested no male
pallbearers. In her handwritten instructions
for her memorial service, she wrote, 'They
wouldn't take me out while I was alive,
I don't want them to take me out when
I'm dead.'


~~~~~~~~~~~~


A police recruit was asked during the
exam, 'What would you do if you had
to arrest your own mother?' He answered,
'Call for backup.'


~~~~~~~~~~~~


A Sunday School teacher asked her class
why Joseph and Mary took Jesus with
them to Jerusalem . A small child replied,
'They couldn't get a baby-sitter.'


~~~~~~~~~~~~


A Sunday school teacher was discussing
the Ten Commandments with her five
and six year olds. After explaining the
commandment to 'Honor thy father and
thy mother,' she asked, 'Is there a
commandment that teaches us how
to treat our brothers and sisters?'


Without missing a beat, one little boy
answered, 'Thou shall not kill.'


~~~~~~~~~~~~


At Sunday School they were teaching
how God created everything,
including human beings. Little Johnny
seemed especially intent when they told
him how Eve was created out of one
of Adam's ribs.


Later in the week his mother noticed him
lying down as though he were ill, and
she said, 'Johnny, what is the matter?'
Little Johnny responded, 'I have pain
in my side. I think I'm going to have a wife.'


~~~~~~~~~~~~


Two boys were walking home from
Sunday school after hearing a strong
preaching on the devil. One said to the
other, 'What do you think about all this
Satan stuff?'


The other boy replied, 'Well, you know
how Santa Claus turned out. It's probably
just your Dad.'


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


You don't stop laughing because you
grow old. You grow old because you
stop laughing! Take heed and pass these
along to people who need a laugh.

Hiccups

A woman burst out of the examining room screaming after her young physician tells her she is pregnant. The director of the clinic stopped her and asked what the problem was. After she tells him what happened, the doctors had her sit down and relax in another room and he marched down the hallway where the woman’s physician was and demanded, “What is wrong with you? Mrs. Miller is 60 years old, has six grown children and nine grandchildren, and you told her she was pregnant?” The young physician continued to write his notes and without looking up at his superior, asked, “Does she still have the hiccups?”