Commemoration of Saints (March 27)

Solemnities, Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials, and Traditional Dates of Commemoration

• John of Egypt
• Rupert of Salzburg [1]

St. John of Egypt (ca. 304-394 A.D.) became a carpenter and then a hermit at the age of 25. He was under the spiritual direction of an old anchorite for the next ten years. After the death of his spiritual director, St. John visited several monasteries and then built a hermitage on a hill near Lycopolis. His hermitage was well enclosed with only one window. Soon, he drew huge crowds with his miracles, wisdom & prophecies. He also had the ability to read men's minds and look into their souls. St. John of Egypt became one of the most well-known of the desert hermits. He died in his hermitage which was discovered in 1925 A.D. [2].

Saints in the Byzantine Calendar [March 27]

• Matrona of Seluna, Martyr [2]

St. Matrona of Seluna (3rd or 4th century A.D.) or Matrona of Thessalonica, was the servant of Pantilla, a Jewish woman and wife of the governor of Thessalonica. The story of her martyrdom began when Matrona refused to follow Pantilla into the synagogue. As a result, Pantilla beat Matrona so severely that caused Matrona's death a few days later.

References: Books, Websites & AI Search Results

• [1] Pocket Catholic Dictionary, John A. Hardon
• [2] Dictionary of Saints, John J. Delaney
• [3] Matrona of Thessalonica, Orthodoxwiki.org

Commemoration of Saints (March 26)

Solemnities, Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials, and Traditional Dates of Commemoration

• Castulus, martyr
• Felix of Trier, bishop
• Macartan, bishop
• Braulio, bishop
• Ludger, bishop
• Basil the Younger, hermit [1]

The Catholic Church commemorates 1 martyr, 4 bishops and 1 hermit on March 26. This list is not exhaustive because there are new beati and canonized persons not yet in this list, as in the other previous lists of this Blog.

Featured today is St. Castulus as he is the only martyr in the list. The intercession of martyrs are commonly known as effective and strong. This may be due to the fact that the manner of their death is most configured to the death of our Lord Jesus Christ - a martyrdom for the cause of building the Church.

St. Castulus of Rome (d. ca. 286 A.D.) was the Emperor's chamberlain who sheltered Christians in his home. Before 286 A.D., the edict of Milan was not yet decreed, and so Christians were terribly tortured and sentenced to death. Since St. Castulus worked for the Christian faith by arranging Christian services in the palace and in so doing produced many converts, he was called to answer for this evangelical work for God. A Christian apostate, named Torquatus, denounced Castulus to Fabian, the prefect of the city. St. Castulus was therefore tortured and sentenced to death by being smothered in a pit - dying to receive the eternal crown of life for his martyrdom.

Saints in the Byzantine Calendar [March 26]

• Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel [2]

References: Books, Websites & AI Search Results

• [1] Pocket Catholic Dictionary, John A. Hardon
• [2] Dictionary of Saints, John J. Delaney

Commemoration of Saints (March 25)

Solemnities, Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials, and Traditional Dates of Commemoration

• Annunciation of the Lord
• Dismas
• Barontius
• Hermenland, abbot
• Alfwold, bishop
• Lucy Filippini, virgin
• Margaret Clitherow, martyr [1]

Today, March 25, both the Catholic Church and the Churches that follow the Byzantine Calendar, celebrate the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. In the Byzantine Calendar, there is a focus on the Blessed Mother in that mystery of the Christian faith.

The feast of the Annunciation in the Roman Calendar is given the highest liturgical rank, that of Solemnity. The biblical source of this liturgical feast is in the gospel of Luke (Lk 1:26-38), which provides an account of the angel's announcement to the Blessed Virgin that she was chosen to be the Mother of the Son of God, Jesus Christ [2].

Many spiritualities in the Catholic Church honor well the mystery of the Annunciation. One of these spiritualities from the French School is Montfortian spirituality - a spirituality based on the life, writings, and apostolic works of St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort, a French priest, missionary and founder of religious congregations. In Montfortian spirituality, the Solemnity of the Annunciation is the principal feast of congregations and associations influenced by the life and teachings of St. Louis-Marie: congregations like the Missionaries of the Company of Mary, the Daughters of Wisdom, the Brothers of St. Gabriel, and associations like the Confraternity of Mary Queen of All Hearts. All these congregations and associations, as well as others not mentioned in this list, make an intention to live and to spread the marian life taught by St. Louis-Marie in order to sanctify themselves more easily and more surely.

Saints in the Byzantine Calendar [March 25]

• Annunciation of our Most Holy Queen, the Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary [2]

References: Books, Websites & AI Search Results

• [1] Pocket Catholic Dictionary, John A. Hardon
• [2] Dictionary of Saints, John J. Delaney
• [3] Lives of the Saints, Richard P. McBrien