October Saints

Saint Maria Soledad
(1826-1887)

Antonia Bibiana Manuela was born in Madrid, Spain. Even as a child, she was distinguished by her love for the Blessed Virgin Mary and for prayer. 

At age 25, Antonia asked to be admitted into the new Institute of the Servants of Mary that Father Michael Martinez had founded for the purpose of caring for the sick in their own homes. From then on, she would be called Sister Maria Soledad.

With the total gift of herself, Maria treated the sick and the poor with unfailing charity. With profound humility and her great capacity to love, she understood the richness that the poor and sick possessed: to her, they were nothing less than Christ himself.

When Father Martinez departed for the missions, Maria took charge of the congregation, placing absolute trust in God. She did everything possible to provide for the spiritual well-being of the congregation. Her entire person reflected the goodness of God, and her meek and humble heart was empty of herself and open to all, making herself the smallest and least of all.

Her secret was simple: seek the will of God always and in everything. Her life revolved around the Lord’s presence in the Eucharist. Her goal was clear -- to be transformed into another Christ.

Mother Soledad strove always to be fully identified with Christ who was obedient unto death on the cross. She experienced the emptiness, the loneliness and the abandonment of many, but never did she lack trust in the Lord, who can do all things. She relied on Our Lady, Health of the Sick, for her support, and gave her unconditional ‘yes’ to the will of God, allowing herself to be moulded in the forge of divine love. She was a bearer of Christ as she cared for the sick and proclaimed the Good News by her words and actions.

Full of gratitude and abandoned to God, she died on October 11, 1887. 

Saint Maria, help us to abandon ourselves to the will of God in our lives.

Source: http://sisterservantsofmary.org/st-maria-soledad

St Jean de Brébeuf
(1593-1649)

Saint Jean de Brébeuf, the giant of the Huron missions, was a native of Normandy, noted for his physical height and strength and still stronger love of God. A Jesuit priest, he arrived in Canada in 1625, at the age of 32 years, and spent three years with the Hurons of Ontario. He managed to win their love and respect to such a degree that they wept when he was recalled to Quebec City for a time in 1628.

Political questions obliged him to return to Europe in that year, but he was back in Canada in 1633, and among the Hurons the following year. He laboured until 1649, when the Iroquois took him prisoner in the village of Saint Louis near Lake Huron. He was tortured and scalped, boiling water was poured over him, and hatchets heated red-hot were placed on his chest, back and shoulders. He did not utter a single cry. He and seven companions, five priests and two laymen, were martyred around that time.

Saint Jean, teach us to give our lives for the salvation of others.  

Source: http://sanctoral.com/en/saints/the_holy_north_american_martyrs.html

Saint Cleopatra of Denaa
(d. 327)

According to Coptic Christian legend, Cleopatra originally came from near Mount Tabor in Galilee. She was a contemporary of Saint Varus, whose martyrdom she witnessed and whose remains she buried with reverence.

At this time Cleopatra was widowed with an only child, John. In 319 John had attained the officer rank of centurion. To her great sorrow, he died suddenly. In grief she turned to the relics of Saint Varus, begging him to return her son. By means of a vision, she understood that John was now with the Lord, and was comforted.

After this, Cleopatra felt moved to live by a church and so built one over the relics of Saint Varus. She spent her remaining years in the service of God, gave her property to the poor and spent her time praying and fasting.

Saint Cleopatra, help us to ease our sorrows by undertaking good works for others.

Source: https://wikivisually.com/wiki/Saint_Cleopatra