It's the Feast of
St. Nicholas Tolentino,
3rd Class, with the color of
White. In this episode: the meditation: "The Particular Judgement", today's news from the Church: "Pilgrimage to Bourguillon Under the Theme "Francis, Repair My Church"", a preview of the Sermon: "Without Me You Can Do Nothing", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre.
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Sources Used Today:
- "The Particular Judgement" — From the Assumption to Advent
- "Pilgrimage to Bourguillon Under the Theme "Francis, Repair My Church"" (FSSPX.news)
- "Without Me You Can Do Nothing" (SSPX Sermons)
- The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press)
Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook:
Saint Nicholas of Tolentino became one of the most beloved Augustinian saints of the Middle Ages, and his story has a little bit of everything: miraculous bread, visions, souls in Purgatory, and a lifetime spent quietly helping ordinary people.
He was born around 1245 in central Italy. His parents had struggled for years to have a child, so they made a pilgrimage to the shrine of Saint Nicholas of Myra in Bari and prayed for a son.
When that son finally arrived, there wasn't much debate about the name.
Nicholas eventually joined the Augustinians and was ordained a priest. After several assignments, he was sent to the town of Tolentino, where he would spend roughly thirty years.
And apparently, he became the priest everybody came looking for.
Nicholas preached, heard confessions, visited prisoners, settled arguments, cared for the poor, and spent long hours in prayer. He was especially known for seeking out people who had drifted away from the Church rather than simply waiting for them to return.
One of the most unusual traditions about Nicholas concerns blessed bread.
During a serious illness, Nicholas was reportedly told in a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary to eat a small piece of bread dipped in water. He recovered, and afterward he began blessing pieces of bread and giving them to the sick.
The custom never really went away.
Even today, Augustinians bless what are called the Breads of Saint Nicholas, which are distributed to the faithful and used as a sacramental, especially in prayers for healing and protection.
But Nicholas is probably best known for his connection with Purgatory.
According to tradition, a deceased friar appeared to him and begged for Masses because he and many other souls were suffering in Purgatory. Nicholas spent the following days offering Mass and prayers for them. The friar later appeared again, this time surrounded by souls who had been released through those prayers.
That story spread everywhere.
Nicholas became one of the great patrons of the souls in Purgatory, and medieval paintings frequently show him celebrating Mass while souls rise from the flames toward heaven.
His relics are still venerated at the Basilica of Saint Nicholas of Tolentino. The basilica's extraordinary medieval frescoes make it one of the most interesting Augustinian shrines in Italy.
Nicholas never founded an order or became a bishop.
He simply stayed in one town for thirty years, said Mass, heard confessions, fed people, prayed for the dead, and helped whoever showed up.
Sometimes that's more than enough for a lifetime.
Saint Nicholas of Tolentino, friend of the poor and tireless intercessor for the souls in Purgatory, pray for us.
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The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood.
Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls.
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