Author: Timothy
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Pius V
Pope St Pius (1504-1572) was born in Bosco Marengo, Italy. At 14, he joined the Dominicans and in 1528, he was ordained a Priest. He lectured at Pavia for sixteen years, becoming Prior of various monasteries and later Archbishop. In 1566, St Pius was elected Pope and remained in post until his death in 1572. St…
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Jesus’ Conversation With Nicodemus (1)
Extract: Nicodemus wanted to know more about Jesus but because of his position, a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin (council), he was afraid to meet Him while others watched! So instead, Nicodemus secretly visited Jesus at night time. Jesus said to him, “For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son so…
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St Catherine of Siena: Day 9
Background: St Catherine was born in Siena. At around 6yrs, she had her first vision of Christ. She joined a Dominican Order, learned to read and lived outside the convent in, “Almost total silence and solitude in the family home”. At 21, she had another visionary experience, ‘Mystical Marriage,’ in which Jesus asked her to enter public…
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Nicodemus Secretly Visits Jesus
Extract: Jesus said to Nicodemus, to enter the Kingdom of God, “You must be born from above.” (John 3:7b) Thought When Christians are asked, have you been, “Born from above?” They often answer by referring to their Baptism and how they received the Holy Spirit. For them, they don’t have Nicodemus’ doubts. They simply want…
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Catherine Of Siena
St Catherine (1347-1380) was born at Siena into a large family although, many of her brothers and sisters died at birth or soon after. At around the age of six, St Catherine had her first vision of Christ and thereafter, committed her life to God. She took drastic measures to avoid early marriage including, cutting her hair…
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Peter Chanel
St Peter (1803-1841) was born the fifth of eight children in the hamlet of La Potiere, France. As was often the role for children in rural areas, he was a shepherd from about the age of 7 to 12. It was around the same time that the local Priest established a school and convinced his parents…
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Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort
St Louis-Marie Grignion (1673-1716) was born in Montfort-sur-Meu, France. He received a good education and at 12yrs, transferred to the Jesuit College of St Thomas Becket. With the help of a benefactor, he then went to the renowned Seminary of Saint Sulpice. St Louis-Marie had an exceptional devotion to the Angels, the Blessed Virgin Mary and…
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Gianna Beretta Molla
St Gianna Beretta Molla (1922-1962) was born the tenth of thirteen children at Magenta, Italy; only nine survived into adulthood. She grew up in Lombardy and studied medicine in Milan. St Gianna specialised in paediatrics and planned to join her brother, a missionary Priest in South America, offering her medical expertise. Unfortunately, that wasn’t possible due…
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Jesus’ Conversation With Nicodemus (4)
Extract: Nicodemus, a Pharisee and member of the Jewish ruling council, came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs that you do unless God is with him.” (Luke 3:2) Thought It’s possible that Nicodemus, as well as…
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St Catherine of Siena: Day 8
Background: St Catherine was born in Siena. At around 6yrs, she had her first vision of Christ. She joined a Dominican Order, learned to read and lived outside the convent in, “Almost total silence and solitude in the family home”. At 21, she had another visionary experience, ‘Mystical Marriage,’ in which Jesus asked her to enter public…