By Brea Cannon
Liturgical Rhythm of Life
My husband and I welcomed our fourth child in July. Our son is a healthy and happy baby surrounded by three siblings who love him dearly. Months ago, when we found out we were having a boy, we prayed for the special name we would give our son. Through much discernment, our hearts found peace in the name Simon. He is named after two of the known Simons in the New Testament — Simon of Cyrene and Simon the Zealot, traditionally known to be a cousin of Jesus.
When I first looked at October’s feast days, my heart was overcome with great joy! I was reminded that the feast day for Sts. Simon and Jude is on Oct. 28. This October will be the first time we get to celebrate the feast day of one of Simon’s patron saints.
Patron saints are heavenly intercessors and friends. They can be designated as a special intercessor for a particular person, profession, country, illness or life situation. A saint may pop up everywhere from the books you read to the conversations you have — maybe that saint is particularly interceding for you. One may ask a patron saint to pray for a specific need — just as one would ask a friend on earth — but the saints stand perfected in holiness interceding for each of us before God.
A patron saint does not have to be a saint a person is named after. The saint can be a patron of a particular job or role a person might have or a stage of life. For example, St. Michael the Archangel is the patron of police officers. My husband and I pray through the intercession of St. Gianna Molla, patron saint of unborn children and mothers.
There are so many great ways to celebrate with the saints, particularly with a patron saint. Here are some examples:
- Wear a medal. A blessed medal keeps your patron saint close.
- Pray a novena: a nine-day prayer for their intercession.
- Celebrate the feast day: attend Mass, pray especially on that day, have a special meal, share the saint’s story with loved ones.
- Read the saint’s story: Get to know him or her. Understanding a saint’s life deepens your relationship.
- Place their image somewhere in your home.
- Do an activity your patron saint enjoyed.
October is a month filled with many great saints and we can celebrate all of them! Be sure to mark your calendar and spend this month with the saints — you might even find that one particular saint in October is “choosing you.”
Oct. 1: St. Thérèse of Lisieux (The Little Flower) — Gather some fresh flowers or purchase a bouquet of flowers to put on a home altar or a special place of prayer
Oct. 2: Guardian Angels — Make an Angel Food Cake and pray the Angel of God prayer
Oct. 4: St. Francis of Assisi — See if your parish priest has a day for the blessing of animals or give your pet or animal friend a special treat
Oct. 5: St. Faustina — Pray a chaplet of Divine Mercy and display the image of Divine Mercy in your home
Oct. 7: Our Lady of the Rosary — Pray a rosary or have a rosary walk with friends or family
Oct. 13: Start the novena to St. John Paul II
Oct. 16: St. Margaret Mary Alacoque — Take some time to pray and display an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Oct. 18: St. Luke — Read the Gospel of Luke
Oct. 19: Start a novena to St. Simon or Jude
Oct. 22: St. John Paul II — He loved hiking and being outdoors; take some time for a walk outside or have a picnic in a park
Oct. 28: – Sts. Simon and Jude — Pray the litany of St. Jude
I look forward to Oct. 28, when we will spend some special time with our new babe Simon and ask St. Simon to intercede for him throughout his lifetime.
“O glorious Saint Simon, apostle of Christ, you who were chosen from among the Twelve to walk at his side, we come to you today with confidence. You who are called “the Zealot”, because your heart burned with fervor for God’s law, obtain for us an ardent faith and a love without lukewarmness. Amen.”