On Dec. 3 the Roman Catholic Church honors St. Francis Xavier, one of the first Jesuits who went on to evangelize vast portions of Asia.

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The true story of Santa Claus begins with Nicholas, who was born during the third century in the village of Patara in modern day Turkey. Nicholas was known for his generosity and his faith, and he became a Bishop at a very young age. Some how this Fourth Century Bishop of Myra, inspired the modern day jolly Santa Claus. How did this happen? Take a look at today's feature video to find out.

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Today is the feast day of St. Cecilia, patron saint of musicians! She was an early Church martyr, who according to tradition, sang praises to God as she was killed for her faith. Watch this video reflection for more on St. Cecilia.

Today is the Memorial of Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne, a French religious sister of the Society of the Sacred Heart. At the age of 49 she was sent as a missionary to America in 1818. Even though she did not have a gift with foreign languages, and she could never master English or the languages of the native tribes, her devotion to the faith lead to many conversions. She was known by the Pottowatomi tribe as “Woman-Who-Prays-Always”.

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Today we commemorate Saint Agostina Petrantoni, who was a nurse at the Holy Spirit Hospital, near the Vatican, in Rome in 1886. She joined the Sisters of Charity, a congregation dedicated to service to the sick, in 1887, taking the name Agostina. She was killed on 13 November 1894 during a rape attempt while she was caring for victims of tuberculosis. She died praying that her attacker be forgiven.

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Today is the feast day of St. Francis Xavier, the patron Saint of missionaries! Did you know that the relic of St Francis Xavier's right forearm visited Australia last year as part of the Year of Grace celebrations?

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Truth be told, I want to be liked as much as the next person. Who doesn’t want affirmation? Who wants criticism? No-one I know! Yet at the end of the day, I’d much rather be ‘welcomed into eternal dwellings’ (I’ll explain that in the next paragraph) than loved by everyone on earth. How much is your identity based in what other people think about you? Posts or comments on your threads? Number of likes on your photos? It may be in need of a gentle upending.

Today (4 November) we honour a great Bishop and Cardinal of the 16th century - Saint Charles Borromeo. He is known not only for his great leadership, but also for the way he cared for the sick and dying during the great plague. Watch this video to reflect on the life of this great Saint.

As we mark All Saints' Day on 1 November, Fr. Tom Rosica reflects on the saints - the cloud of witnesses, friends, and companions - that we have on our Journey towards Heaven.

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Happy All Saints Day! Why do we celebrate in honour of all the Saints - what do they care about earthly honours when they are in Heaven? It is true that the Saints have no need of honour from us, but this feast day arouses in us a longing to share in their company in Heaven, as we ask them to intercede for our salvation. Watch this video to learn more about today's feast.