Hello all, Happy feast day to all born, baptized and married today Happy feast day to all Priests, Deacons, Seminarians, Monks, Nuns, Rev Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus Happy feast day to all devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary, especially all who recite Her Holy Rosary with true devotion. Happy feast day to all named Stephen and parents and friends of all named Stephen. Happy feast day to all parents who have lost their children Today 16th of August marks the liturgical memorial of King Stephen I King Stephen I, in (Hungarian is I. (Szent) István) In Latin: he is known as Sanctus Stephanus Saint Stephen I is also known as Saint Stephen the Great He is also referred to as Saint Stephen of Hungry He was born between year 967/969/975 in the town of Esztergom Catholic History confirms that he was born and named Vajk He was the Grand Prince of the Hungarians from the year (997–1000) He was the first King of Hungary from the year (1000–1038). His father was Grand Prince Géza of Hungary and his mother was Sarolt, daughter of Gyula of Transylvania a Hungarian nobleman who had been baptized in Greece. Though his mother Sarolt was baptized into the Orthodox Christian faith at her fathers court in Transylvania by the Greek bishop Hierotheos, she did not persist in the religion. According to his legends, Vajk was baptized a Christian by Saint Adalbert of Prague (whose feast we celebrated on the 23rd of April) Catholic tradition informs us that Vajk was given the baptismal name Stephen (István) in honour of the original early Christian Martyr Saint Stephen When Stephen reached adolescence, Great Prince Géza convened an assembly where they decided that Stephen would follow his father as the monarch of the Hungarians. This decision, however, contradicted the Magyar tribal custom that gave the right of succession to the eldest close relative of the deceased ruler. Stephen married Giselle of Bavaria, the daughter of Henry II the Wrangler in or after the year 995. By this marriage, Stephen became the brother-in-law of the future Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor. Giselle arrived to her husbands court accompanied by German knights. After (or just before) his coronation King Stephen I, founded several Catholic Dioceses (the dioceses of Veszprém, Győr, Kalocsa, Vác, Bihar). He also established the Archdiocese of Esztergom, thus he set up an ecclesiastical organisation independent of the German archbishops Stephen discouraged pagan customs and strengthened Christianity with various laws. In his first decree, issued in the beginning of his rule, he ordered that each ten villages would be obliged to build a Church. He invited foreign Catholic Priests to Hungary to evangelize his kingdom Saint Astricus served as his adviser, and Stephen also employed Saint Gerard Sagredo as the tutor for his son Emeric. Around the year 1003, Stephen invaded and occupied Transylvania, a territory ruled by his maternal uncle, Gyula, a semi-independent chieftain; and after this victory, Stephen organized the Diocese of Transylvania. In the next few years he also occupied the lands of the Black Magyars in the Southern part of Transdanubia, and there organized the Diocese of Pécs. Shortly afterwards, it is believed that he made an agreement with Samuel Aba, the chieftain of the Kabar tribes settled in the Mátra region, who married Stephens sister; in his brother-in-laws domains, Stephen founded the Diocese of Eger Finally, Stephen occupied the domains of Ajtony, a semi-pagan chieftain who had been ruling over the territories of the later Banat. Here Stephen set up the Diocese of Csanád. Saint Stephen of Hungry allied himself with his brother-in-law, the Emperor Henry II against Prince Boleslaw I of Poland, who had extended his rule over the territories between the Morava and Váh Rivers. Stephen sent troops to the Emperors army, and in the Peace of Bautzen, in 1018, the Polish prince had to hand over the occupied territories to Stephen. Shortly afterwards, Stephen sent troops to help King Boleslaw I in his campaign against the Kievan Rus. In the year 1018, King Stephen lead his armies against Bulgaria, in alliance with the Byzantine Emperor Basil II, and collected several relics during his campaign. -------------------------------------------------------- Quote of the day (words of King Stephen I to his son): My dearest son, if you desire to honor the royal crown, I advise, I counsel, I urge you above all things to maintain the Catholic and Apostolic faith with such diligence and care that you may be an example for all those placed under you by God, and that all the clergy may rightly call you a man of true Christian profession. Failing to do this, you may be sure that you will not be called a Christian or a son of the Church. Indeed, in the royal palace, after the faith itself, the Church holds second place, first constituted and spread through the whole world by His members, the apostles and holy fathers, And though she always produced fresh offspring, nevertheless in certain places she is regarded as ancient. However, dearest son, even now in our kingdom the Church is proclaimed as young and newly planted; and for that reason she needs more prudent and trustworthy guardians less a benefit which the divine mercy bestowed on us undeservedly should be destroyed and annihilated through your idleness, indolence or neglect. My beloved son, delight of my heart, hope of your posterity, I pray, I command, that at very time and in everything, strengthened by your devotion to me, you may show favor not only to relations and kin, or to the most eminent, be they leaders or rich men or neighbors or fellow-countrymen, but also to foreigners and to all who come to you. By fulfilling your duty in this way you will reach the highest state of happiness. Be merciful to all who are suffering violence, keeping always in your heart the example of the Lord who said: “I desire mercy and not sacrifice”. Be patient with everyone, not only with the powerful, but also with the weak. Finally be strong lest prosperity lift you up too much or adversity cast you down. Be humble in this life that God may raise you up in the next. Be truly moderate and do not punish or condemn anyone immoderately. Be gentle so that you may never oppose justice. Be honorable so that you never voluntarily bring disgrace upon anyone. Be chaste so that you may avoid all the foulness that so resembles the pangs of death. All these virtues I have noted above make up the royal crown and without them no one is fit to rule here on earth or attain to the heavenly Kingdom. –Excerpt from Saint Stephens admonitions to his son Emeric. -------------------------------------------------------------- In his last years King Stephen intended to retire to a life of holy contemplation and hand the kingdom over to his son Emeric, but Emeric was wounded in a hunting accident and died in the year 1031. King Stephens words of mourning: By Gods secret decision death took him, so that wickedness would not change his soul and false imaginations would not deceive his mind – as the Book of Wisdom teaches about early death. Stephen mourned for a very long time over the loss of his son, which took a great toll on his health. He eventually recovered, but never regained his original vitality. Having no children left, he could not find anyone among his remaining relatives who was able to rule the country competently and willing to maintain the Christian faith of the nation. He did not want to entrust his kingdom to his cousin, Duke Vazul whom he suspected to be following pagan customs. Without a living heir, on his deathbed, King Saint Stephen raised with his right hand the Holy Crown of Hungary, (given him by the Pope because he had civilized the pagan Hungarians by the tenets and Sacraments of the Holy Catholic Faith), and prayed to the Blessed Virgin Mary, asking Her to take the Hungarian people as Her subjects and become their Queen. As though the first of many Signs that She did accept this offer and position, King Stephen died on the Feast Day which commemorates the bodily assumption into Heaven of the Blessed Virgin Mary, from where She continues to act with Motherly Mercy for the well-being of mankind - the Feast of the Assumption (the 15 August) in the year 1038 at Esztergom-Szentkirály or Székesfehérvár, where he was buried. His nobles and his subjects were said to have mourned for three straight years afterwards. Shortly after Stephens death, healing miracles were said to have occurred at his tomb. Thus Saint Stephen became the first canonized Confessor King, a new prototype of Saint. Saint Stephen is not mentioned in the Tridentine Calendar. His feast day was added to the General Roman Calendar only in 1631, and only as a commemoration within the 20th of August feast of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux. In the year 1687 the feast of King Stephen was moved to the 2nd of September, and remained there until the 1969 revision of the Roman Catholic calendar of saints. Since the Feast of Saint Joachim (father of the Blessed Virgin Mary) which had been on the 16th of August was moved, the date became free for another celebration. The feast of Saint Stephen of Hungary was moved to that date, the day immediately after his death. Some traditionalist Catholics continue to observe pre-1970 versions of the General Roman Calendar. In the local calendar of the Church in Hungary, the Feast is observed on 20 August, the day on which his sacred relics were translated to the city of Buda, and a public holiday in Hungary. The kings right hand, known as the Holy Right, is kept as a relic. Hungarians interpreted the incorruptibility of his right arm and hand - with which he had held the Holy Crown aloft from his deathbed when asking Our Lady to be the Queen of the Hungarians - as a sign that the Blessed Virgin Mary had accepted the Kings offer to her of the Hungarian people, and remains officially their Queen. The incorrupt arm was divided among European royalty, but the Holy Right of King Saint Stephen was placed in a town built solely for the purpose of keeping it - the town in Transylvania is called Szent Jobb - or Holy Right. Later, the Holy Right was transferred to where it is today, in the Basilica of King Saint Stephen in Budapest. Apart from the Holy Right, only some bone fragments remain, which are kept in churches throughout Hungary. Hungarian Catholics honor the first king of their country with annual processions, at which the Holy Right is exhibited. The canonization of Saint Stephen was recognized by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople in the year 2000. The Holy Crown, popularly attributed to Saint Stephen, was removed from the country in 1945 for safekeeping, and entrusted to the United States government. It was kept in a vault at Fort Knox until 1978, when it was returned to the nation by order of U.S. President Jimmy Carter. It has been enshrined in the Hungarian Parliament building in Budapest since 2000. He greatly expanded Hungarian control over the Carpathian Basin during his lifetime, broadly established Christianity in the region, and he is generally considered to be the founder of the Kingdom of Hungary. Pope Gregory VII ( who was the 157th Bishop of Rome since the pontificate of Saint Peter the Apostle) canonized King Stephen I, as Saint Stephen of Hungary, together with his son, Saint Emeric of Hungary and Bishop Gerard of Csanád, on the 20th of August 1083. King Stephen became one of the most popular Saints in Hungary, and his birthday is celebrated as a State holiday commemorating the foundation of the nation. He is venerated as the patron saint of Hungary He is also the patron saint of kings He is invoked against the death of children He is also the Patron Saint of masons, stonecutters, and bricklayers. ---------------------------------------------------- Let us pray that by the works, spiritual direction, spiritual maturity and intercession of Saint Stephen we may in this group find the spiritual motivation to win our souls for God. Amen Summary of the life history of Saint Stephen of Hungry, can be viewed by clicking the photo of the Saint in our groups photo section Saint of the day, would be communicated to you as promptly and consistently as humanly possible, by Gods grace. May we all in this group and beyond this group, Christians and non Christians alike, Catholics and non Catholics alike, be saved from the fires of hell and lifted up into heaven after our stay here on this exile. Amen May our Lord Jesus Christ, through the intercession of Saint Stephen of Hungary, and other Saints before and after him and through Gods Divine Mercy strengthen our souls, open out the way for us all, and above all, intoxicate us with HIS love. Amen May Christ make us into blazing fires to enkindle the earth with the heavenly fire HE brought us. Amen Jesus we love you, all we have is yours, yours we are and yours we want to be, please do with us whatever you will. Amen Jesus, Mary and Joseph, we give you our lives and our salvation. Amen Jesus, Mary we love you, please save our souls. Amen God bless you and grant your heart’s desire. Amen Saint Stephen of Hungry, pray for us. Amen.
Posted on: Sat, 16 Aug 2014 11:11:19 +0000
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