Blessed Alphonsa is soon to be the first saint of India

She was noted for her suffering, and suffering in silence. Incidents of her intervention began almost immediately upon her death, and often involved the children in the convent school. Hundreds of miraculous cures are claimed for her intervention, many of involving straightening of clubbed-feet, possibly because of her having lived with deformed feet herself; two of these were submitted to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints as proof of her miraculous intervention. The continuing cures are chronicled in the magazine PassionFlower. Thousands converge on the small town of Bharananganam when they celebrate the feast of Blessed Alphonsa from 19 to 28 July each year.

From: Patron Saint Index

No-one can fight properly and boldly for the faith, if he clings to a fear of being stripped of earthly possessions. St Peter Damian

Today is a commemoration of St Peter Damian who is also Doctor of the Church. He lived in between 1007 - 1072.

He was a great reformer and was never afraid to speak his mind. He spoke out against scandals happening at the time in the Italian church.

He wrote about sexual misconduct amongst the clergy especially homosexuality.

St Peter Damian pray for us!

• Wiki Entry
• Some of his writtings
• New Advent Entry

This week my wife bought me two wonderful DVD's. Mother Teresa and Mother Teresa The Legacy. I watched them both. I really liked them and recommend them to everyone. It is amazing to see this tiny woman accomplish so much with God's help. It is an incredible witness to God's power, and how one person filled with God's love can change the world.

We live in a very interesting time in the history of the Church. We can now not only read about saints, but we can also see them and hear their own words. These DVD's (or what ever format we will have in the future) will be with us until the end of times. Just like in the past we treasured the spiritual classics of great saints, we will gather around our TV's to watch saints speak to us. I can't wait for my baby to see these DVD's (she is only six months so it may be a while!).

There is a terrible hunger for love.
We all experience that in our lives - the pain, the loneliness.
We must have the courage to recognize it.
The poor you may have right in your own family.
Find them.
Love them.

Bl. Mother Teresa

It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish.

Bl. Mother Teresa

I found these neat videos on YouTube