"Monday, Monday . . . da, da, . . . da,da,da,da," as the Mamas and the Papas once sang. Indeed, another Monday dawns. Nonetheless, "this is the day that the Lord has made," the Psalmist wrote, "let us rejoice and be glad!" Rejoicing always is important, especially when we don't feel like it (Phil 4,4). It is safe to say if there is a time each week we probably feel least inclined to "rejoice and be glad" it is Monday morning. Try it, you might be surprised.As we learn about today's Saint of the Day, a feature of the website of the St. Anthony Messenger Press, a Franciscan undertaking, St. Bridget of Sweden, whose memorial is today and who, along with Saints Catherine of Siena and Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (i.e., Edith Stein), was named co-patroness of Europe by Pope John Paul II in a 1999 motu proprio entitled Spes Aedificandi, "Despite the hardships of life and wayward children (not all became saints), Margery Kempe of Lynn says Bridget was 'kind and meek to every creature' and 'she had a laughing face.'"
On this Monday we ask:
Holy Mary, Mother of God- pray for us
St. Bridget of Sweden- pray for us
St. Catherine of Siena- pray for us
St. Teresa Bendicta of the Cross- pray for us
St. Mary Magdalene- pray for us
St. Gianna Molla- pray for us
Sts. Perpetua and Felicity- pray for us
St. Clare- pray for us
Bl. Teresa of Calcutta- pray for us
All holy women- pray for us
A couple of years ago I came across the writtings of Rober W. Jenson, and it was through his discussion of the saints in vol 2 of his Systematics that I came to appriciate the the practice of asking the saints to pray for us... and he is a Lutheran.
ReplyDeleteIf I remember correctly, Dietrich Bonhoffer did his dissertation on the communion of saints.
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