Liturgical Calendar

Saint of the day

Saint Anthony Claret (1807-1870)

Saint Anthony Claret was born in Catalonia, Spain in 1807. As the son of a weaver, he took up his father's craft, but began studying for the priesthood to become a Jesuit. He was not able to join the Jesuits due to his poor health, so he became a secular priest. He established the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, known today as Claretians, and the Apostolic Training Institute of the Immaculate Conception, known today as Claretian nuns. Anthony was the archbishop of Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, from 1850 to 1857. He also established the Religious Publishing House, an important Catholic publishing business in Spain, and wrote or published numerous books and pamphlets. Anthony became Queen Isabella II's confessor, partook in the First Vatican Council, and died in a Cistercian monastery in France on October 24, 1870. He had prophetic gifts and performed miracles. Anthony is the patron saint of textile merchants, weavers, savings, the Catholic press, Claretians Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the Diocese of the Canary Islands, Claretian Students and Educators, and Technical and Vocational Educators.

Reflection

When there is an obstacle that we cannot control standing in the way of something we want, we tend to get discouraged. However, we need to remember that God has a special plan for each one of us. Saint Anthony Claret must have felt discouraged when his poor health was the reason that he wasn't allowed to join the Jesuits. Still, he knew that he was called to serve God by joining a religious order, and through perseverance and the desire to serve God he became a secular priest. Even though becoming a secular priest wasn't his original plan, he was able to do many good works in his new position that glorified God. Spend some time thinking about occasions when you were unable to participate in something because of uncontrollable circumstances. Think about what you were able to do instead that brought glory to God.

Prayer

Thank you for choosing me to do your work, living and true God. (Taken from "Good News Day by Day: Bible Reflections for Teens.")

Meditations

Meditation for Gospel

Jesus tells us many times that we must be vigilant watchers, waiting for the day He comes in glory to judge all of mankind. Today's parable reiterates this message. Imagine this: if you were babysitting and the parents told you they'd come home around 10:00 pm, you'd plan on having the kids asleep, toys picked up, dinner cleaned, etc. You wouldn't want them to come home to highly caffeinated children, awake at a late hour, while you talked on the phone or watched TV - would you? Jesus doesn't tell us what "time" He will be back, but if we behave like the bad servant, or a bad baby-sitter, believing we have way more time than we actually do, we may be caught unprepared and humiliated. Therefore, as Christians, we have to be vigilant, always behaving in a way that anticipates the coming of Christ. We don't know how much time we have - it may be long, but it may be tomorrow! Don't be like the bad servant in the parable, and be sure to always be ready for Christ to come.