On May 23 the universal Church celebrates the feast day of St. Jane Antide Thouret, a Sister of Charity who worked tirelessly for the faith amidst persecution during the French Revolution in the 18th century.

Jane was born in Sancy, France, in 1765 to a poor family and her mother died when she was 16 years old. The saint took on many family responsibilities until she joined the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul in Paris at the age of 22, working among the sick in various hospitals.

During the French Revolution, when many religious and priests were killed, she was ordered to return home to a secular life. Jane refused, and when she tried to escape the authorities, she was badly beaten.

St. Jane Antide Thouret finally returned to Sancy, where she cared for the sick and opened a small school for girls until she was forced to flee to Switzerland. She fled to Germany before returning again to Switzerland to found a school and hospital in 1799 and a congregation called the Institute of the Daughters of St. Vincent de Paul. The community eventually expanded into France and Italy.

She died 30 years after the founding of her community, in 1828 of natural causes.

In 1934, she was canonized by Pope Puis XI.


St. Euphrosyne of Polatsk

St. Euphrosyne was born in Polacak, Belorussia, in 1110, and died 1173.

Pradslava, the only East Slav virgin saint, was the granddaughter of Prince Polacak Usiaslau, from whom she inherited a strong will and a determined spirit. As proof of this and of her determination to devote her life to God, she refused all marriage proposals and, finally ran away to join her aunt's convent, Holy Wisdom. There she took the veil and the name Euphrosyne, and the money Euphrosyne earned by copying books, she distributed to the poor.

Later she founded and ruled her own convent, Holy Savior, as well as a monastery. In trying to convince her father, Prince Sviataslau, to allow her sister Hardzislava join her at the convent, she argued that in joining,. Hardzislava would learn to read and write. She was also joined there by two nieces and a cousin.

Euphrosyne commissioned the making of a beautiful, gem-studded cross, which she gave to Holy Savior Church in 1161. It disappeared without a trace during World War II. Late in life, Euphrosyne made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, where she died. After the conquest of Jerusalem by Saladin in 1187, her relics were transferred to the Monastery of the Caves in Kiev, Ukraine.

In 1910, they were returned to Polacak (Nadson).

1 Set not thy heart upon unjust possessions, and say not: I have enough to live on: for it shall be of no service in the time of vengeance and darkness.
2 Follow not in thy strength the desires of thy heart:
3 And say not: How mighty am I? and who shall bring me under for my deeds? for God will surely take revenge.
4 Say not: I have sinned, and what harm hath befallen me? for the most High is a patient rewarder.
5 Be not without fear about sin forgiven, and add not sin upon sin:
6 And say not: The mercy of the Lord is great, he will have mercy on the multitude of my sins.
7 For mercy and wrath quickly come from him, and his wrath looketh upon sinners.
8 Delay not to be converted to the Lord, and defer it not from day to day.

41 And whosoever shall scandalize one of these little ones that believe in me; it were better for him that a millstone were hanged around his neck, and he were cast into the sea.
42 And if thy hand scandalize thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life, maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into unquenchable fire:
43 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not extinguished.
44 And if thy foot scandalize thee, cut it off. It is better for thee to enter lame into life everlasting, than having two feet, to be cast into the hell of unquenchable fire:
45 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not extinguished.
46 And if thy eye scandalize thee, pluck it out. It is better for thee with one eye to enter into the kingdom of God, than having two eyes to be cast into the hell of fire:
47 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not extinguished.
48 For every one shall be salted with fire: and every victim shall be salted with salt.
49 Salt is good. But if the salt became unsavoury; wherewith will you season it? Have salt in you, and have peace among you.

1 Blessed is the man who hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the chair of pestilence.
2 But his will is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he shall meditate day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree which is planted near the running waters, which shall bring forth its fruit, in due season. And his leaf shall not fall off: and all whatsoever he shall do shall prosper.
4 Not so the wicked, not so: but like the dust, which the wind driveth from the face of the earth.
6 For the Lord knoweth the way of the just: and the way of the wicked shall perish.

7th Week in Ordinary Time
Sir .5:1-8; Ps.1(2):1-2,3, 4,6; Mk.9:41-50 (Ps Wk III)

The wisdom tradition in the bible is filled with good, wise, advice that is based on human experience. Sirach warns us not to let arrogance and pride in wealth and power lead us to carelessness and corruption. The smug illusion of being in control and being above ordinary folks is deadly, but the deadliest attitude is taking God's mercy and compassion for granted and being nonchalant and indifferent about our sins. Sirach warns us that we may not have God’s mercy and compassion forever and that the moment for turning to God is always ‘now’.

Mark uses shock language (not to be taken literally!) to drive home the point that when we become careless about our moral and spiritual life disaster will likely follow. Better to use radical therapy today - cutting off one’s foot and removing one’s eye if they are the problem - than to pay a bigger price later. Each day is a gift and once again we are told that we do not have forever. We should use each day to be as morally upright and spiritually attuned as we can - the proper moment is always ‘now’. Do not take God for granted or make light of God’s mercy.

Lord, help me to use each day wisely.