Episode Details

A meditation for the Feast of Saint Cajetan of Thiene, from Dom Guéranger’s “The Liturgical Year”, Volume IV of the Time after Pentecost.St. Cajetan of Thiene (1480–1547) was an Italian priest and reformer who devoted his life to renewing the clergy and restoring a spirit of holiness and apostolic zeal within the Church. Born into a noble family in Vicenza, he studied law at Padua before becoming a priest and dedicating himself to prayer, works of charity, and the reform of ecclesiastical life. In 1524, together with several companions, he founded the Congregation of Clerics Regular, commonly known as the Theatines, whose members sought to live according to the apostolic ideal through poverty, prayer, and faithful pastoral ministry. Cajetan was especially concerned with the worthy celebration of the sacred mysteries and the spiritual formation of priests, at a time when corruption and the spread of Protestantism made genuine reform urgently necessary. He also founded charitable institutions to care for the poor and sick and worked tirelessly during periods of plague and famine. His profound trust in Divine Providence was exemplified by his refusal to accumulate wealth for his congregation, insisting that they rely upon God rather than worldly security. He died at Naples on August 7, 1547, and was canonized by Pope Clement X in 1671. St. Cajetan is remembered especially as a model of priestly holiness, Catholic reform, charity, and unwavering confidence in God's providence.Please note that Servant of God Dom Prosper Guéranger went to his eternal reward in 1875; at this point, Volumes I-IX (Advent to Pentecost Saturday) had been completed, but Volumes X-XV (Trinity Sunday to Advent) had not yet been completed. Thus, the remaining readings of the Liturgical Year, from Trinity Sunday until Advent, were not directly authored by Dom Prosper, but were the work of his disciple Dom Lucien Fromage. Dom Prosper Guéranger's The Liturgical Year, a monumental fifteen-volume work, offers a comprehensive exploration of the Catholic Church’s liturgical calendar, guiding readers through the spiritual and historical richness of the Church’s worship. Written in the 19th century, the series provides daily meditations, historical context, and liturgical texts for the Mass and Divine Office, covering the entire cycle of seasons—Advent, Christmas, Lent, Passiontide, Easter, and the Time after Pentecost—as well as feast days of saints. Guéranger’s work, rooted in a deep contemplative spirit, aims to immerse the faithful in the Church’s prayerful life, emphasizing the unity of faith through the axiom lex orandi, lex credendi ("the law of prayer is the law of belief"), and remains a cherished resource for Catholics seeking to deepen their spiritual lives. Link to the Dom Guéranger's Liturgical Year playlist (updated daily): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZKdyYnV_bkh7rH6piW0ShgsdcefFoOvJIf you would like to support this channel:  Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/InprincipioPodcast PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=U5EZ9X2CE2V7W Venmo: https://venmo.com/u/InPrincipioPodcast Zelle: inprincipiopodcast@gmail.com; or search for Zelle tag “inprincipiopodcast”  Checks may be written out to ‘InPrincipio Podcast’ and mailed to: P.O. Box 117 Cedar Ridge, CA 95924Sincere thanks to all who are able to contribute, by your prayers, your patronage, or otherwise. Your support sustains this work and helps make these readings available to others.Artwork: “Saint Cajetan" by unknown artist