Saints celebrated on the 16th of May
Prayer to the Angels and the Saints
Heavenly Father, in praising Your Angels and Saints we praise Your glory, for by honouring them we honour You, their Creator. Their splendour shows us Your greatness, which infinitely surpasses that of all creation.
In Your loving providence, You saw fit to send Your Angels to watch over us. Grant that we may always be under their protection and one day enjoy their company in heaven.
Heavenly Father, You are glorified in Your Saints, for their glory is the crowning of Your gifts. You provide an example for us by their lives on earth, You give us their friendship by our communion with them, You grant us strength and protection through their prayer for the Church, and You spur us on to victory over evil and the prize of eternal glory by this great company of witnesses.
Grant that we who aspire to take part in their joy may be filled with the Spirit that blessed their lives, so that, after sharing their faith on earth, we may also experience their peace in heaven. Amen.
BL. VLADIMIR GHIKA, PRIEST AND MARTYR
Blessed Vladimir Ghika was born in Istanbul, Turkey, in 1873. His father was the Romanian representative at the Ottoman court and was from an Orthodox family. Blessed Vladimir studied in Paris, in his mother’s home country, and in 1898 received a doctorate in theology at Rome’s Dominican College.
HE DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB WORLDWIDE
He wanted to become a priest or monk but Pope Pius XI persuaded him to give this up temporarily in order to dedicate himself to a secular apostolate. Blessed Vladimir did an outstanding job worldwide, in Romania, Italy, France, Congo, Japan, Australia and Argentina. Pope Pius XI called him ‘the big apostolic wanderer’. Blessed Vladimir then returned to Romania where he undertook works of charity, including the opening of Romania’s first free clinic, as well as a hospital.
HE WAS ORDAINED A CATHOLIC PRIEST
Blessed Vladimir returned to France to care for the displaced and wounded during the First World War. In 1921 France awarded him the Legion of Honour. In 1923 Blessed Vladimir was ordained a Catholic priest and carried out his priestly ministry in France and beyond, until returning to Romania in 1939. During the Second World War he organised help for refugees and bombing victims.
HE DECIDED TO STAY AND HELP THOSE IN NEED
After the Communists seized power Blessed Vladimir was advised to leave Romania, but he chose to ignore this advice and stayed to help those in need. In 1952 Blessed Vladimir was arrested for refusing to break his ties with the Vatican and charged with high treason.
HE REFUSED TO ABANDON HIS FAITH AND THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
He survived torture and more than 80 violent interrogations, always refusing to abandon his faith and the Catholic Church. He was sentenced to be incarcerated in Jilava Prison, where he was eventually left to die of starvation. Blessed Vladimir died emaciated on May 16, 1954. Pope Francis [at the Beatification Mass in September 2013] called Blessed Vladimir, ‘a Diocesan priest and martyr, a zealous shepherd and persevering witness of God’s love, a fearless defender of the Catholic Faith, as well as of the Communion with the Roman Church.'”
(From: Spiritual Thought from Fr Chris - September 2013)
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