Those Who Left Their Mark On The Past As The Comet Leaves Its Tail Are Those Who Fill Their Places Among The Most Important People In History

Saint John the Baptist

"I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord!"

Our Lord Himself put His cousin John's name on the list of most important people in history when He said: "Verily I say unto you, among them that are born of women there has not risen a greater than John the Baptist."

The Church celebrates the days on which saints died. The Church only celebrates the birthdays of those born without original sin. St. John the Baptist holds this honor right alongside Our Lord and His Virgin Mother.

Learn how to hallow St. John's Nativity through the customs handed down to us generation after generation. 

He has enjoyed this privilege since the Visitation of Our Lady to her cousin Elizabeth when, at her greeting, St. John leapt in his mother's womb and was cleansed of Original Sin. This wonderful example of the manifestation of life in the womb was triumphed when Roe v. Wade was overturned on the feast of the nativity of this saint.

St. Paul the Apostle

St. Stephen is another important person in history as he was the first martyr. But the radical Christian persecutor, Saul, also deserves to have his name in the ranks.

Formerly known as Saul, Paul was an adamant persecutor of the early Christians. While on his way to Damascus, he was struck off his horse by a sudden dazzling light. He heard a voice ask him, "Saul, why do you persecute Me?" When the vision was gone, Paul was blind.

After being cured, he would go on to be the Apostle of the Gentiles, writing many letters which fill not only the Bible but also have their special place in every Mass. 

Perils by land or sea could not dampen his courage. Cold and suffering could not dull the tenderness of his heart. At last, like St. Peter, he consecrated the soil of Rome with the blood of his martyrdom. 

He has left the world fourteen Epistles which have become a fountain-head of the Church's doctrine and the consolation and delight of her greatest saints. Speaking of fountains, tradition tells us that when St. Paul's head was struck off it hit the ground in three spots and fountains sprang from each spot.

St. Chrysostom asks about St. Paul, "How comes it that he lives in all men's mouths throughout the world? Is it not through the virtue of his Epistles?" Nor will his work cease while the race of man continues.

Even now, like a most chivalrous knight, he stands in our midst and takes captive every mind and brings its thoughts to the obedience of God.

Adapted from the Little Pictorial Lives of the Saints

Pope Leo the Great could also be given the title "Tamer of the Scourge of God". Or was the victory really owed to St. Peter? Whichever the case, Pope Leo showed great courage by leading a procession to meet Attila the Hun at the outskirts of Rome. The barbarian planned to establish an Asiatic Empire which would overthrow the Roman Empire. To achieve this, of course, Rome had to fall unto his hands.

Attila saw a long procession approach his battle camp. From the long line of white there floated across the river sounds of song and prayer. Attila shouted to the leader to reveal his name. The answer was returned "I am Leo, the Pope."

The two men met but no one knows what passed between them. Leo returned the powerful defender of Rome and Attila peacefully retreated.

Attila was deeply impressed with the pope and felt that here was a ruler with greater authority than his own.

As legend goes, Attila told his men that he saw a fisherman carrying a sword behind the Hoy Father during their interview and it was the fear of this man that made Attila rethink his conquest of Rome.

Thanks to the bravery and confidence of pontiffs like Pope St. Leo the Great people understand better what Our Lord meant when He told Simon the Fisherman, "Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church."

Just as Constantine was the founder of Christendom, Charlemagne was the builder of Christendom. Wherever historians document Charlemagne they never fail to mention the massive stature of this man which was once said to be seven feet tall.

This King of the Franks crossed the Alps to save the pope from the Lombards. After his victory he was hailed as King of the Lombards, to which the Pope added, "Patrician of the Romans."

On Christmas Day, 800 A.D Charlemange was crowned by Pope Leo III, as the Holy Roman Emperor.

He would become the personal defender and protector of the Vicar of Christ. He would be the patron of learning and of the arts. But more importantly, he was destined to bring together the old and the new, the Romans and the barbarians, the Church and the state, and to weld them together into the beginnings of the Europe that we know today.

The Holy Roman Empire was the beginning of a relationship which solidified the role played by the spiritual head which was the pope and the temporal head, the emperor. The emperor recognized and respected the authority of the pope and acknowledged that his power came from God.

His subjects did likewise. This system created the most free and the most just society the world had ever seen.

Charlemagne's fame lived on and grew to epic proportions as it became clear that no one else could even preserve that which he had built.

Read More

At an around-the-world potluck, someone who I was sitting with announced that the two greatest things that Spain gave the world were donuts and Hernan Cortes. Agreed.

This Spanish conquistador famously scuttled the ships when he arrived in Mexico demonstrating that there was no turning back for him or his men.

He set foot in the New World to bring the light of Faith to the human-sacrificing Aztecs. His arrival fulfilled Aztec prophecy that a certain Aztec leader was to return to bring justice at a time when the Indians' depravity was at its height.

Cortes immediately set about destroying the temples which were consecrated to the devil. The Aztecs surrendered to Cortes and he continued his mission of converting all Mexico and bringing these heathens the light of truth through the gospel. 

Continue reading about the life, achievements, as well as the desecrated memory of the hero.

Napoleon Bonaparte

Like Alexander the Great, Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte went to war with all of Europe and the presence of his power was felt as far away as Russia. He was the product of the godless and lawless nation that France had become in the aftermath of the French Revolution.

Although a man of many faults, on top of his monstrous ambition were Napoleon's genius as a military leader and his skill as a political leader. The combination of these traits proved for a time unstoppable.

Things that he is remembered for are his career of victory after sweeping victory, audaciously crowning himself emperor in the presence of the pope, and his famous defeat at Waterloo.

Banished to the Island of Saint Helena, it seems Napoleon spent a lot of time thinking instead of carrying out his usual characteristic of action. It was here that it is said that he recognized Jesus Christ as God. 

Louis Pasteur and Gregor Mendel

We have been inspired by his perseverance and sacrifice which merited him the title, the Father of Modern Genetics, but who was Gregor Mendel? His discoveries about how genes work are so familiar that we may be dulled to the fact that these discoveries were made in a garden by a monk who could not pass a teacher's exam.

In addition to the story of this monk, there is also the story of Louis Pasteur who was born the same year.