From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   October 20th - Blessed James of Strepar   
      
   James was born in the 14th century of a noble Polish family of Strepar and   
   was educated in a Christian manner by his pious parents. To escape the   
   dangers of the world, he entered the poor order of St. Francis when he was a   
   young man. Very soon he became distinguished among his brethren for eminent   
   virtue, rare attainments, and zeal for the salvation of souls.   
      
   The neighboring realm of Russia presented at that time a wide field for the   
   exercise of his zeal. Partly it was still inhabited by heathens; and where   
   the Catholic Church had flourished for centuries, Greek schismatics had long   
   been endeavoring to win the people from the Mother Church at Rome. With the   
   consent of his superiors James went to Russia to preach the Gospel and to   
   save the faithful from going astray. About 1360, he had a share in the   
   organization of a special group of Franciscan missionaries called Societas   
   Peregrinantium or Travelers for Christ, who did excellent work in Russia.   
   Wallachia, and Podolia, and in 1401 extended their activities also to the   
   Tatars near the Caspian Sea and other parts of Asia.   
      
   Father James' missionary efforts were so successful, and his apostolic   
   virtues were so pronounced, that on the death of the archbishop of Halicz,   
   the pope named him his successor at the request of the king of Poland in   
   1392. Only because he was compelled, did James accept the dignity. But even   
   as a bishop he wore the Franciscan habit and as far as possible continued   
   his missionary labors.   
      
   To preserve the Catholics of the old and the newly acquired districts in   
   Christian truth, he built many new churches and convents. His large income   
   was used only for this purpose and for the support of the poor.   
      
   To secure God's blessing on the territory entrusted to his spiritual care,   
   he considered nothing more helpful than veneration of the Mother of God.   
   Next to God he placed his confidence in her. Instead of the family   
   coat-of-arms, he had the image of Mary engraved on his seal; everything he   
   prescribed for his diocese was to have the seal of Mary. He had her image   
   also on his pastoral ring. Every evening devotions were held in her honor in   
   the cathedral or wherever he chanced to be; and he always attended the   
   services. He urged the people to attend these devotions, as well as special   
   devotions of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, for which he issued special   
   regulations and granted indulgences.   
      
   James was also mindful of the temporal welfare of his flock. In order to   
   check the frequent inroads of the Tatars, who were laying the country waste,   
   he proposed such excellent measures to the Polish parliament that he was   
   quite generally called the protector of the kingdom.   
      
   After a laborious and blessed episcopate of 19 years, God called him to   
   receive his heavenly reward in the year 1410. Clothed in the habit of the   
   order and wearing the marks of his episcopal dignity, he was entombed in the   
   Franciscan church at Lwow, to which the archbishopric had been transferred   
   from Halicz. When his grave was opened after 200 years his body and clothing   
   were found entirely incorrupt. Later the remains were removed to the   
   cathedral.   
      
   The continued veneration paid to him was formally approved by Pope Pius VI.   
      
   ON THE VENERATION OF MARY   
   1. The months of May and October are especially set aside by the Church for   
   the veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We should not, however, limit our   
   veneration to these two months. Like Blessed James, we should venerate her   
   throughout the year and all our life. She was the mother of the primitive   
   Christian Church; the apostles and the first Christians at Jerusalem were   
   gathered about her when the Holy Spirit descended. She was the bond which   
   encircled the first Christian community with motherly love, when "the   
   multitude of believers had but one heart and one soul" (Acts 4:32). Blessed   
   James expected veneration of Mary to bring harmony to his diocese as well as   
   the fruits of the Holy Spirit. May those fruits also enter our hearts, our   
   homes, our congregations, and the whole Catholic Church. -- Is Mary truly   
   honored in your home?   
   2. Consider how God Himself honored Mary. He sent one of the most eminent   
   heavenly spirits, the archangel Gabriel, to her who at God's behest said to   
   her: "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among   
   women... Thy Holy Spirit shall come upon you, and the Holy One who shall be   
   born of you shall be called the Son of God" (Luke 1:28-35).The Holy Trinity   
   thus entered into a most intimate union with her, since God the Father was   
   with her, the Holy Spirit overshadowed her, and the Son of God was to be   
   born of her. Could he who would not honor her still be called a child of   
   God? Filled with the Holy Spirit, she herself proclaims: "From henceforth   
   all generations shall call me blessed" (Luke 1:48). Great favors will surely   
   be granted to him who venerates her whom the Blessed Trinity has honored. O   
   Mary, Daughter of the heavenly Father, Mother of the Divine Son, and Spouse   
   of the Holy Spirit, pray for us!   
   3. Consider that Blessed James rightly expected the veneration of Mary to   
   bring special blessings particularly to his sacred ministry. With Mary's   
   blessing the apostles set out to preach the Gospel, and she continually   
   raised her hands to heaven both for those who preached the Faith and for   
   those who accepted the Faith from them. Catholic life flourishes the more   
   abundantly the more she is honored. Her maternal protection and powerful   
   intercession will obtain blessings for the shepherd so that he may guide his   
   sheep in a truly apostolic spirit, and for the flock so that it may lead a   
   Christian life and arrive at the blessed goal.   
      
   PRAYER OF THE CHURCH   
   O God, who didst wonderfully renew the apostolic spirit in Thy blessed   
   bishop and confessor James, we beseech Thee, grant us his intercession that   
   we may ever adhere to Thee in faith and in true service. Through Christ our   
   Lord. Amen.   
      
   Saint Quote:   
   Let us establish a permanent Spring season in our heart through 'yes' often   
   repeated to all of God's permissions and wills.   
   -Saint Frances Salesia   
      
   Bible Quote:   
   And he was withdrawn away from them a stone's cast; and kneeling down, he   
   prayed, Saying: Father, if thou wilt, remove this chalice from me: but yet   
   not my will, but thine be done. And there appeared to him an angel from   
   heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony, he prayed the longer. And   
   his sweat became as drops of blood, trickling down upon the ground. And when   
   he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them   
   sleeping for sorrow.  (Luke 22:41-45)   
      
      
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