3 Blessed Katherine Drexel (1858-1955), virgin (Optional memorial)
Katherine Drexel was born in Philadelphia just before the Civil War. Her father was a very successful banker and his death left her the heiress to a considerable fortune. She and her sister resolved to use their wealth to help others, and when she asked Pope Leo XIII for more priests to minister to Native American populations, his answer changed her life forever. "Why don’t you become a missionary?" he suggested. After much discussion and several years of training, she founded a missionary community, the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, whose special focus was the education of Native Americans and African Americans. She founded numerous schools and missions, and in 1915, established Xavier University in New Orleans, the first university in the country for African American students. Blessed Katherine Drexel spent her life and her fortune helping the poor, and she saw in the Eucharist, which was the center and sustenance of her life, the source of unity among the races. May her prayers and example encourage us to work for justice among the poor and oppressed and keep us undivided in love in the Eucharist.

4 Casimir (1458-1484), (Optional memorial)
The son of the king of Poland, St. Casimir had a fine mind and a pious spirit. At thirteen, he was sent by his father to Hungary to be king, but he soon renounced the throne and returned to his life of prayer and study, finding he had no taste for war or power. "He always preferred to be counted among the meek and poor of spirit, among those who are promised the kingdom of heaven, than among the famous and powerful men of this world," wrote his biographer. He did, however, use his privileged position as prince to assist the poor. "Nothing was more pleasant, more desirable for him, than to share his belongings, even to dedicate and give his entire self to Christ’s poor, to strangers, to the sick, to those in captivity, and to all who suffer. To widows, orphans and the afflicted, he was not only a guardian and patron but a father, son and brother." May the prayers of St. Casimir, patron saint of Poland, inspire us to be good stewards, too, ready to put our gifts, great or small, at the service of those less fortunate.

7 Perpetua and Felicity (died 202/3), martyrs (Memorial)
Perpetua and Felicity, whose names we hear in the litany of the saints, were martyred during the persecution of Septimus Severus in Carthage, early in the third century. Perpetua was the daughter of a pagan nobleman and the mother of a still-nursing infant. Felicity was a pregnant slave girl who gave birth in prison just a few days before she was put to death. The persecution of Christians was a sport in Carthage. Perpetua and Felicity and three male companions who also refused to renounce their faith were taken into the public amphitheater where the men were thrown to the lions and the women were beheaded. An observer recorded that in spite of being tortured herself, St. Perpetua encouraged the others, "Stand firm in the faith, love one another and do not be tempted to do anything wrong because of our sufferings." How good a steward am I of the gift of faith? Am I willing to stand firm in the face of ridicule or criticism? What would I be willing to sacrifice for my faith? St. Perpetua and St. Felicity, pray for us!

8 John of God (1495-1550), religious (Optional memorial)
"It’s never too late!" would be a good motto for St. John of God. A runaway at eight, a soldier in his twenties, an overseer of slaves in Morocco, and a shepherd in Spain, St. John of God lived an irresponsible and dissolute life for forty years. Then he tried to make amends -- he returned to North Africa to ransom slaves, ran a Christian bookshop, even begged and beat himself in public, for which he was committed to a mental institution! Finally, a compassionate spiritual director, St. John of Avila, visited him in the asylum and convinced him to be more concerned with the needs of the sick and the poor and less harsh with himself. The lesson took, and when he was released from the hospital, he began to work tirelessly with the sick and suffering. His compassionate care even attracted followers who later became the Order of Brothers Hospitalers. "If we share with the poor, out of love for God, whatever he has given us, we shall receive according to his promise a hundredfold in eternal happiness," said this late-blooming steward saint. "What a fine profit, what a blessed reward! Who would not entrust his possessions to this best of merchants, who handles our affairs so well?"

9 Frances of Rome (1384-1440), religious (Optional memorial)
Our stewardship is not static, but changes with our gifts and situation. That was the experience of St. Frances of Rome, too. Married at a very early age, she and her sister-in-law spent their time and money caring for the needy in their neighborhood as well as caring for their families. When the plague claimed the lives of two of her children, St. Frances opened a section of her house as a hospital. Then when her husband died after forty years of marriage, she entered the religious foundation she had organized some years earlier, the Oblates of Mary, and eventually became its superior. Wife, mother, religious sister -- St. Frances of Rome was a good steward in each of vocations to which she was called. "God had not chosen her to be holy merely for her own advantage," wrote her biographer. "Rather, the gifts he conferred on her were to be for the spiritual and physical advantage of her neighbor." We pray today that, like St. Frances of Rome, we may be steadfast in God’s service, seeking to follow him faithfully at every stage of our lives.

17 Patrick (385-461), bishop (Optional memorial)
Born in Great Britain, St. Patrick was the son of a Roman official. When he was sixteen, he and some of his father’s slaves were kidnapped by Irish raiders and sold into slavery in Ireland. In time, Patrick escaped and spent a number of years in France, where he studied for the priesthood and eventually became a bishop. In 432, he returned to Ireland as a missionary, a task he saw as a gift in spite of its difficulty. "How did so great and salutary a gift come to me, though at the cost of homeland and family? I came to the Irish people to preach the Gospel and endure the taunts of unbelievers, putting up with reproaches about my earthly pilgrimage, suffering persecutions, even bondage, and losing my birthright of freedom for the benefit of others." Making himself one with the people and learning their language and customs, St. Patrick’s efforts to evangelize Ireland were wonderfully successful. Using his gifts in the service of the Church, he himself became a gift to the Church in Europe in later centuries as the faith which he planted bore fruit in the lives of Irish missionaries.

18 Cyril of Jerusalem (died 386), bishop and doctor (Optional memorial)
St. Cyril of Jerusalem should probably be the patron saint of those involved in the RCIA. A thorough catechist, he is perhaps best known for his twenty-four catechetical lectures addressed to those preparing for Baptism and those newly-baptized. These lessons explain the sacraments in detail and provide us with a rich source of information about liturgy in the fourth century. A great pastor and teacher, St. Cyril was named a Doctor of the Church in 1822, but his tenure as Bishop of Jerusalem was a difficult one. It was the time of the Arian heresy and the controversy resulted in his being exiled from Jerusalem for almost half of his episcopacy! One commentator reminds us that "it should come as no surprise that saints… will experience the same difficulties as their Master… Intellectual, emotional, and political roadblocks may slow up men like Cyril for a time. But their lives taken as a whole are monuments to honesty and courage." The Church is richer because of the gifts of St. Cyril of Jerusalem -- his clear and thorough teaching and his persistent and courageous struggle against the heresies of his day.

19 Joseph, husband of Mary (Solemnity)
For some of us, the first barrier to stewardship is understanding that all of what we think we own, really belongs instead to the Lord. That was not a problem for St. Joseph. From the very beginning, the words of an angel made clear that those special people who shared his life -- his beloved wife, Mary, and his adopted son, Jesus -- were "on loan" to him by the Lord and entrusted to his care. A man of great faith, he accepted the responsibility without hesitation. "Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife," the angel said. "Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt," the angel directed... And every time, St. Joseph obeyed without question. The carpenter of Nazareth patiently taught his foster son to practice his Jewish faith, passed on its laws and customs, and helped him to learn his trade. And he did it well, for Scripture tells us that "Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and favor before God and man" (Lk 2:52). It must have been difficult not to know how it would all turn out, for St. Joseph died before Jesus began his public ministry. But this just man of faith proved to be a conscientious steward of all that had been given him -- his traditions, his vocation, his relationships. "Whatever you do," Scripture says, "do from the heart, as for the Lord and not for others, knowing that you will receive from the Lord the due payment" (Col 3:23-24). St. Joseph unfailingly did exactly that. May his example inspire us to do the same.

23 Turibius de Mongrovejo (1536-1606), bishop (Optional memorial)
The next time someone objects to some necessary change with the words, "But that’s the way we’ve always done it," remember St. Turibius of Mongrovejo. Sent as the new Archbishop to Lima, Peru, with the assignment of carrying out the reforms mandated by the Council of Trent, St. Turibius encountered some who were reluctant to change their "traditional" way of doing things. "Christ said ‘I am the truth,’" the saint replied. "He did not say, ‘I am the custom.’" A zealous reformer, he found wide-spread oppression of the native people by their Spanish conquerors and flagrant abuse among the clergy. This brilliant and articulate man, who before his ordination had been chief justice of the Inquisition, devoted his energies to the vigorous defense of the people committed to his care. By means of numerous councils and synods and many pastoral visits, St. Turibius did much to help his people grow in faith and holiness. And three other well-known saints lived and worked in Lima at about the same time -- St. Rose of Lima, St. Martin de Porres, and St. Francis Solano. Through the self-sacrificing gifts of so many steward saints, the Church is renewed and strengthened.

25 Annunciation (Solemnity)
Today’s feast is really the first feast of the Incarnation as the angel announces the coming of the Savior in time and space. Foretold by the prophets and long-awaited by the Jewish people, today the fact of the Word made flesh begins in the obedient "Yes" of a faithful and faith-filled young woman. "There is a general rule concerning all special graces granted to any human being," St. Bernadine wrote. "Whenever the divine favor chooses someone to receive a special grace, or to accept a lofty vocation, God adorns the person chosen with all the gifts of the Spirit needed to fulfill the task at hand." And the Church teaches in the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception that this is certainly true of Mary. But no matter how well prepared we are, regardless of the number of gifts with which we have been blessed, God never forces us to accept our vocation, but always graciously waits for our assent. The Annunciation was that defining moment for Mary. "Rejoice, O highly favored daughter!" the angel saluted her, and for a moment, Mary was afraid. But as the angel explains further, she consents: "I am the maidservant of the Lord. Let it be done to me as you say." Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, that we, too, will let the Lord use us to bring Christ to a waiting world.