MEMORIAL OF SAINT BRENDAN, ABBOT; SAINT JOHN NEPOMUCENE, PRIEST AND MARTYR; SAINT SIMON STOCK, AND SAINT UBALDUS, BISHOP OF GUBBIO ~ MAY 16TH: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of  Saint Brendan, Abbot; Saint John Nepomucene, Priest and Martyr, Saint Simon Stock and Saint Ubaldus, Bishop of Gubbio. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for the sick and dying, especially those suffering from terminal diseases. We also pray for the safety and well-being of all travelers, the poor and the needy all over the world. We continue to pray for the Church, the Clergy, for persecuted Christians, for the conversion of sinners, and Christians all over the world🙏

SAINT BRENDAN, ABBOT: Brendan of Clonfert (c. AD 484 – c. 577) (Brendan also spelled Brandon or Brandan, Gaelic BrĂ©naind, also called Brendan of Clonfert, Brendan the Voyager, or Brendan the Navigator). He is one of the early  Irish monastic saints and one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland. He is primarily renowned for his legendary journey to the “Isle of the Blessed”, also denominated “Saint Brendan’s Island” as described in the ninth century Voyage of St.  Brendan the Navigator. St. Brendan, one of the most popular Irish Saint, was a missionary voyager who is sometimes credited with the discovery of America. He is thought to have been born in County Kerry, Ireland, about 484 and given to the care of St. Ita as an infant for five years. St. Brendan was then cared for by Bishop Erc, who eventually ordained him to the priesthood. St. Jarlath also rendered edification and counsel to the young Brendan, who went on to live as a monk in an established community.

St. Brendan made a sea voyage to the Scottish Isles and even to Wales. He is thought to have visited St. Gildas in Britain and performed some miracles there. St. Brendan founded numerous monastic communities, including the one at Clonfert in 559, which grew to hold some 3000 monks. He also produced a Rule that was said to have been dictated by an Angel. Worn out by a life of accomplishments for God, Brendan died about 577/583 while visiting his sister Brig, who was the Abbess of a community of nuns at Enach Duin. In legend, this Saint is known as Brendan the Navigator, who once made a seven-year voyage in search of fabled paradise (“The Land of Promise”), which is recounted in an epic saga known as The Voyage of St. Brendan the Abbot. In this journey, Brendan is said to have started off with sixty companions in a kind of floating monastery and made his way to the Canary Islands and then to the coast of Greenland. He’s the Patron Saint ofboatmen; divers; mariners; sailors; watermen;  travellers; whales; portaging canoes; Diocese of Clonfert; Diocese of Kerry.

PRAYER: Lord, amid the things of this world, let us be wholeheartedly committed to heavenly things in imitation of the example of evangelical perfection You have given us in St. Brendan the Abbot. Amen🙏
 
SAINT JOHN NEPOMUCENE, PRIEST AND MARTYR: St. John Nepomucene (1345-1393) also known as St. John of Nepomuk was a Saint of Bohemia born John Wölflein or Welflin, in Nepomuk, Bohemia, in 1345, Saint John used the name of his native town for his surname instead of his family name. In his early childhood, John Nepomucene was cured of a disease through the prayers of his good parents. In thanksgiving, they consecrated him to the service of God. He studied theology and law at the University of Prague and was eventually ordained a priest. After John was ordained, he was sent to a parish in the city of Prague. He became a great preacher, and thousands of those listened to him changed their way of life. In time, he became vicar general of Archbishop John of Genzenstein at Prague.

In 1393, King Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia, wishing to found a new bishopric for one of his favorites, ordered that at the death of the present abbot of Kladrau Abbey, no new abbot should be elected and that the abbey church should be turned into a cathedral. The archbishop and John thwarted the king’s plan by approving the election of a new abbot immediately on the death of the old one. Upon hearing this, Wenceslaus fell into a violent rage and had the vicar-general and several cathedral officials thrown into prison. John was tortured by having his sides burnt with torches, but even this could not move him. An additional reason for John’s violent death may be because of the tale that is traditionally told about him: Father John was invited to the court of Wenceslaus IV. He settled arguments and did many kind deeds for the needy people of the city. He also became the Queen’s confessor. When the King was cruel to the Queen, Father John taught her to bear her cross patiently. One day,  the King asked the Saint to tell what the Queen had said in confession. When he refused, he was thrown into prison. A second time, Father John was asked to reveal the Queen’s confession. “If you do not tell me,” said the King, “you shall die. But if you obey my command, riches and honors will be yours.” Again Father John vehemently refused to break the seal of the confessional. He was tortured. Finally, on March 20, 1393, the king ordered him to be put in chains and led through the city with a block of wood in his mouth. His martyrdom was complete when he was then thrown from a bridge into the Moldau River at Prague. A strange brightness is said to have appeared above the spot where he drowned; because of this  St. John of Nepomucene is often portrayed in art with seven stars above his head. For this reason, St. John is also called the “Martyr of the Confessional” and is sometimes pictured with his finger to his lips. He was canonized in 1729 by Pope Benedict XIII and is honored as a Patron Saint of Bohemia and of confessors, Czechoslovakia, Bohemia, confessors, bridges, floods, against slander, silence. (Refer to March 20th Saint post, the date of his death)

PRAYER: God, we praise You for the grace You granted to St. John to offer his life in defense of the seal of confession. Grant that, through his prayers, we may use the Sacrament of Penance often and with profit. Amen. Almighty and merciful God, who brought your Martyr blessed John Nepomucene to overcome the torments of his passion, grant that we, who celebrate the day of his triumph, may remain invincible under your protection against the snares of the enemy. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen🙏

SAINT SIMON STOCK, PRIEST: St. Simon Stock (1165-1265) was hermit who became a member of the Carmelite order. He received a vision of the Blessed Mother promising salvation to all those who wore the brown scapular which she showed him — a vision that led to the widespread devotion to Mary over the next centuries of wearing this scapular in her honor. St. Simon Stock born in Kent, England in 1165. He was strongly drawn to God as a child, and at the age of twelve he began to live as a hermit in the hollow of an oak tree. After two decades of this solitary and penitential life, he entered the world again to study theology and become a priest. His studies complete, he then returned to his hermitage. At this time the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to him, instructing him to join the Carmelite Order that was just entering England. St. Simon became a Carmelite in 1212. By 1215 he became the order’s leader and worked to establish it across Europe, especially at the great universities. He also traveled to Rome and Mt. Carmel in the Holy Land, and revised the Carmelite Rule to make them mendicant friars instead of hermits.

Tradition holds that the Virgin Mary appeared to him again and presented him with a brown scapular, the habit of his order, promising that those who wore it would not be eternally lost in hell. This apparition is known as Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and her “scapular promise” is that she will intercede with her Son to ensure that the wearer of the scapular obtains the grace of final perseverance, that is, of dying in a state of grace. This is the origin of the Brown Scapular devotion which soon spread to the laity to obtain the graces promised by Our Lady, a devotion later encouraged by many popes. St. Simon Stock’s feast day is May 16th.

Saint Simon Stock, Priest ~ Pray for us🙏

SAINT UBALDUS, BISHOP OF GUBBIO: St. Ubaldus, Bishop of Gubbio was born in Gubbio, Italy to Rivaldo Baldassini. When he was only a child, this son of a noble Italian family became an orphan. His uncle, a bishop, took charge of him and gave him a good education. When he finished his schooling, Ubaldus had the chance to marry any one of a number of lovely noblewomen, but he wanted to dedicate his life to God. He became a priest, and made a canon. Since his virtue was outstanding against his own wishes but upon the request of Pope Honorius II, he became the bishop of his native city in 1128. In this capacity he was a model of apostolic simplicity, pastoral zeal, and personal holiness. He is remembered in central Italy as a Bishop who was entirely devoted to the duties of his office. He led a life of exceptional austerity. He belonged to the Order of Canons Regular of St. Augustine. His aid is popularly invoked against evil spirits. To this day his body remains incorrupt. St. Ubaldus was so mild and patient that he did not seem to mind any insult. Once a workman repairing the city wall damaged his vineyard very much. The Saint gently pointed it out to him. The workman, who probably did not recognize the bishop, shoved him so hard that he fell into a pile of wet cement and got up all covered with it. Yet he said not one word of complaint and went into his house. The city officials were going to punish the man, but Ubald wanted him to be set free and he himself gave him the kiss of peace. The holy Bishop did indeed love peace, and he had the courage it takes to keep it. Once, when the people of Gubbio were fighting in the streets, he threw himself between the two angry crowds. He seemed unafraid of the swords clashing and the rocks flying. Suddenly he fell to the ground. The people stopped fighting at once, for they thought the Saint had been killed. But he got up and showed them that he was not even hurt. Then all together, the people thanked God for having stopped them from doing each other more harm. Another time, when the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa was going to attack the city, St. Ubald went out on the road to talk to him, and he convinced this bold emperor to leave Gubbio alone.

The Saint also had much to suffer from sicknesses. Yet he never spoke about his pains, and if someone tried to show sorrow over them, he would change the subject at once. Even in his last sickness, he managed to get up to say Mass and give the people his blessing. The power St. Ubaldus possessed against evil spirits was evident. The Church moves in a spirit world–good angels are all about, while constant vigilance is exercised against Satan and his devils. The liturgy contains a considerable number of exorcisms and adjurations. Then there are a series of sacramentals directed against the power of evil spirits; for example, holy water, palms, candles. Hold these sacramentals in highest esteem. He died on May 16, 1160 at Gubbio,  Italy. Canonized  4 March 1192 by Pope Celestine III. He’s the  Patron Saint of Gubbio, Migraine, Neuralgia, Autistic Spectrum Disorders.

Let us learn from St. Ubald never to give in to anger, and to forgive those who may hurt us in any way. Saint Ubaldus, Bishop of Gubbio ~ Pray for us🙏