Not only is it Mary's day as all Saturdays are devoted to her, but it is also another Augustine feast day - St Augustine Zhoa Rong and companions are honored today. They are Catholics from China, who were martyred for their faith. Augustine Zhoa Rong was a priest, who was killed in 1815 along with 29 priests and 6 bishops. Blessed John Paul II canonized 120 Catholics and foreign missionaries martyred from 1648-1930. Gus will have yet another holy and influencial man to look up to with his amazing name.
It is a beautiful thing to name a child after a saint in the Church, and it was something they felt very strongly about to name their first son, Augustine. They had been married on the feastday of St Augustine - August 28, and had known what a great saint that he was and continues to be in the Church. He happens to be John's patron saint - with the encouragement of his sisters... John chose St Augustine for his patron saint and guide through life. Realizing that he is the "doctor of grace" and thanks to the neverending prayers of his mother, ST Monica, he had a huge conversion in his life... leaving behind a life of sin to become a bishop and huge leader in the Church. He wrote many amazing things including his life story for all to ponder and learn from.
It is such that John was disappointed that they took Augustine and just like I have two grandsons named David... well, time will tell. It is a beautiful and powerful name and will lead Gus into some deep thought and prayer in his lifetime - of that I am confident! Your parents love you, Augustine, and wished for you to have amazing saints to be with you on this journey called life. There is no doubt of that fact.
Gus in his baptismal outfit that both his grandfather and father wore... looks like a boy from the past, and his saintly heritage ties him to those that have gone before and are now in heaven praying for us and interceding for us with the Lord, for whom many of them gave their life and their all! It gives children so much to name them after the amazing saints that we honor and love, and have helped us along in our ups and downs of life. 
Many of you are aware of Maria's considering religious life - she lived with the Poor Clares for 5 months asking God to show her his plan for her. It was not to stay with them, and then she met and married Joseph and they have two children. Her oldest, they named Therese after the saint that had powerfully touched her - ST Therese of Lisseux. She had read her book - The Story of a Soul - on the way to study in Rome for a year, and this had given her the strong wish to check out a cloistered order. It was very powerful and ST Therese is huge in the way that Therese has been raised with discipline to make her a sweet and giving child,who has not been indulged! So good for her and eternal soul!
I must be off to work, but am filled with great joy in my heart at the beauty of life and how we are given tools to assist us in raising lights for the world! Jesus and your Mother, Mary Most Holy... thank you for showing how a holy family should be filled with love and service one for the other. Give us the strength to fill the world with lights that can bring the world to YOU! Jesus, we trust in you! Amen and Halleluia!
Bless-bless, Barb
"Do you wish to rise? Begin by descending. You plan a tower that will pierce the clouds? Lay first the foundation of humility. "
Saint Augustine
"You know well enough that Our Lord does not look so much at the greatness of our actions, nor even at their difficulty, but at the love at which we do them." St Therese of Lisseux
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