Great preparations usually precede great events. The apparitions of Our Lady in Fatima were preceded by three visions of the Angel of Portugal to Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta. Providence prepared the children for the moment when Our Lady would speak to them.

Near Christmas 1916, the first recorded Eucharistic procession in the Sahara wended its solemn way through the sands. A French officer on horseback, followed by his soldiers, carried a monstrance with the Sacred Host, reverently veiled in a cloth.

Paschal Baylon was a Franciscan friar in Spain. Before joining the Order of Friars Minor in 1564, he worked as a shepherd. He always brought a book into the fields with the hope that someone who could read would pass by and help him learn. And someone did. He later explained his reasons for wanting to become a follower of Saint Francis of Assisi. He wrote: “I was born poor and I am resolved to die in poverty and penance.”

The Summary of the Whole Gospel

594. Why do we say “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us”?

By asking God the Father to pardon us, we acknowledge before him that we are sinners. At the same time we proclaim his mercy because in his Son and through the sacraments “we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:14). Still our petition will be answered only if we for our part have forgiven first.

St. Peter Damian was a monk, reformer, and fearless teacher of the Faith. He executed the reforms of popes and was an instrumental figure in the life of the Church in the 11th Century. He gave up a life of monasticism in service to Christ and His Church. He was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church after his death. There is much that could be written about this remarkable saint and his works, but there are three aspects of his teaching that help us deepen our own spiritual lives. First, St. Peter Damian had a great love for the Cross of Christ. As well, had a profound devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, which is evident from his description of a Eucharistic miracle he witnessed. He also understood the essential nature of communion in the Church.

The Summary of the Whole Gospel

589. How is the Name of God made holy in us and in the world?

To make holy the Name of God, who calls us “to holiness” (1 Thessalonians 4:7) is to desire that our baptismal consecration animate our whole life. In addition, it is to ask –with our lives and our prayers – that the Name of God be known and blessed by every man.