- St. Germaine Cousin (1601). Virgin. Patron of Victims of child abuse. (Historical)
- St. Vitus (295). Martyr, Patron or Patroness. Patron of Dancers, actors, against storms, nervous diseases, and epilepsy. (Traditional)
- Sts. Modestus and Crescentia (295). Martyr. (Traditional)
VITUS was a child nobly born, who had the happiness to be instructed in the faith, and inspired with the most perfect sentiments of his religion, by his Christian nurse, named Crescentia, and her faithful husband, Modestus. His father, Hylas, was extremely incensed when he discovered the child’s invincible aversion to idolatry; and finding him not to be overcome by stripes and such like chastisements, he delivered him up to Valerian, the governor, who in vain tried all his arts to work him into compliance with his father’s will and the emperor’s edicts. He escaped out of their hands, and, together with Crescentia and Modestus, fled into Italy. They there met with the crown of martyrdom in Lucania, in the persecution of Diocletian. The heroic spirit of martyrdom which we admire in St. Vitus was owing to the early impressions of piety which he received from the lessons and example of a virtuous nurse. Of such infinite importance is the choice of virtuous preceptors, nurses, and servants about children.
REFLECTION: What happiness for an infant to be formed naturally to all virtue, and for the spirit of simplicity, meekness, goodness, and piety to be moulded in its tender frame! Such a foundation being well laid, further graces are abundantly communicated, and a soul improves daily these seeds, and rises to the height of Christian virtue often without experiencing severe conflicts of the passions.
WORD OF THE DAY
SCIENCE OF FAITH. Another name for theology. It is concerned with faith in the objective sense of "that which is believed" and in the subjective sense of "that by which a person believes." Theology accepts Scripture and tradition as the remote rule of faith, and the doctrines of the Church as the proximate rule of faith. But as a science of faith, it seeks by human reason to establish the foundations of faith, to penetrate into the meaning of the mysteries of faith, to show that faith is consistent with reason, and to defend the faith against those who deny the truths of Christianity.
Modern Catholic Dictionary, Fr. John Hardon SJ (Get the real one at Eternal Life — don’t accept an abridged or edited version of this masterpiece!)
June, Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
The Sacred Heart of Jesus – Short Meditations for June. June 15 — The Excellence of the Sacred Heart.
