#st mark ji tianxiang

[portraitsofsaints]

Saint Mark Ji Tianxiang

1834-1900

Feast Day: July 9

Patronage: Drug addicts

Saint Mark Ji Tianxiang, “the Trier" was a Chinese lay Catholic, doctor and drug addict. He became addicted to opium because of a stomach ailment and suffered for 30 years with the addiction. He went to confession regularly to confess his drug use, but because of the priest’s misunderstanding of addiction he would not give Ji absolution because he believed there was no firm purpose of amendment. Although being denied the Sacraments Ji continued going to Mass and stayed steadfast in his faith for 30 years praying to die a martyr. During the Boxer Rebellion (anti-foreign, Christian persecution) he and his family were martyred. He encouraged all in prison to keep the faith throughout their ordeal and sang the litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary as he was about to be beheaded.

Prints, plaques & holy cards available for purchase here: (website)

[catholic-saint-tournament]

About "St" Guinefort

About St Mark Ji Tianxiang

Losers' Bracket Round 1

[itsallwearecalledtodo]

not to be like some of yall have bad taste but some of yall have bad taste

[peartreetheft]

I'm tormented with thoughts that I don't really love God and He doesn't love me because I've been unable to overcome my drug addiction

I know those thoughts are inspired by Satan.

St Joseph, terror of demons, pray for me. St Augustine, pray for me. St Mark Ji Tianxiang, pray for me.

[cheerfullycatholic]

I feel terrible because I've been trying to stop a particular sin and I was doing well for months, but today I did it again. Whenever this happens I feel like I don't have a right to just pray to God like normal and ask for forgiveness. I worry that a part of me isn't afraid enough of sinning if I can just go to confession and ask God to forgive me. To be clear I don't like this sin. It makes me feel gross. But I thought I was passed it. And I'm scared of thinking I can just sin because I will be forgiven so what does it matter? And I don't want that. I want to be a saint and I want to make God happy with me. But I feel as though I haven't done enough to start praying again. Like I'll cheapen prayer or treat it flippantly.

This idea that you can't immediately go back to prayer is quite literally from the devil. (Generally speaking) what did we used to do when we were kids and got hurt? We would run back to our parents because they could help us and make us feel better. That's exactly what God wants from us in these moments. The devil doesn't want us to receive help, so, like with Adam and Eve, he tries to make us hide from God

St. Mark Ji TianXiang was an opium addict. He tried his very best to live a good, devout life. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't overcome his addiction. Because of this, his priest denied St. Mark absolution and he was unable to receive the sacraments for years. But he still did everything he could to live as holy a life as possible. He died a martyr along with his family and has been canonized a saint not just for his martyrdom but for his decades of striving to follow Jesus while carrying the cross of addiction

You're actively trying to avoid this sin, falling for it occasionally doesn't cheapen your prayer or turn confession into a tool to keep sinning. Fighting our fallen human nature is so damn hard, and sometimes we become numb to it. This is why prayer and confession and being disciplined enough to continue to go back to them despite how we feel is so powerful and valuable

Don't lose hope, don't stop trying. Even if you're never able to overcome this, God knows better than anyone how hard you try

[thebluehoursofmorning]

seeing my favorite saints lose in the Catholic saint tournament be like I am Righteously Angry but also yeah who is St. Mark Ji Tianxiang and why did he beat out my beloved Sts. Zelie and Louis and ohhhh I can understand now and new saint to add to my Best Friend Collection!!!

[eustochium]

Catholic Saints fancast: Anna Magnani as St Rita of Cascia, Lakeith Stanfield as John the Baptist, Anne Dowd as Margaret Pole, Nicola Coughlan as Therese of Lisieux, Mia Goth as Clare of Assisi, Irene Pappas as Teresa of Avila, John C Reilly as Thomas Aquinas, Drea de Matteo as Mary Magdalene, Michaela Coel as St. Thecla, Jennifer Coolidge as Margaret of Cortona, Tony Leung as Mark Ji Tianxiang, Steve Buscemi as Augustine of Hippo.

[dathwan]

No Unlikely Saints: A Mental Health Pilgrimage With Sacred Company, Pg. 73

Take a few minutes today to imaginatively pray with that image, knowing that there is no place too dark or too frightening for Jesus to enter into with His full humanity and His full divinity.

... St. Mark Ji Tianxiang opens his arms to all who have been rejected and misunderstood.  There is room for us.  There is room for you.  Come, be embraced.

[apesoformythoughts]

“He was an opium addict who couldn't receive the sacraments. But he's a martyr and a saint”

[friarmusings]

Incredibly Special

In the 2004 movie, The Incredibles – and if you haven’t seen it… well, just stop reading this, go find a copy, and watch a great movie. Anyway, where was I…. there is a scene in the movie when Dash Parr, the super-powered speedster son of Bob Parr (Mr. Incredible) and his wife Helen (Elastigirl), has just been told to hide his incredible speed and let the other kids have a chance at winning so…

[portraitsofsaints]

Happy Feast Day Saint Mark Ji Tianxiang 1834-1900 Feast Day: July 9 Patronage: Drug addicts

Saint Mark Ji Tianxiang, “the Trier" was a Chinese lay Catholic, doctor and drug addict. He became addicted to opium because of a stomach ailment and suffered for 30 years with the addiction. He went to confession regularly to confess his drug use, but because of the priest’s misunderstanding of addiction he would not give Ji absolution because he believed there was no firm purpose of amendment. Although being denied the Sacraments Ji continued going to Mass and stayed steadfast in his faith for 30 years praying to die a martyr. During the Boxer Rebellion (anti-foreign, Christian persecution) he and his family were martyred. He encouraged all in prison to keep the faith throughout their ordeal and sang the litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary as he was about to be beheaded. {website}

[catholic-saint-tournament]

About St Mark Ji Tianxiang

About Sts Louis and Zelie Martin

Modern Saints Round 1 Winners/Round 2 Bracket

[peartreetheft]

I want to be candid with my tumblr friends. I struggle every day with lust and drug addiction. I have a special devotion to Augustine and Mark Ji Tianxiang because of these habitual sins. I know it's possible to overcome them, and I know that God loves me.

St Augustine, my patron saint, pray for us. St Mark Ji Tianxiang, pray for us.

[catholic-saint-tournament]

About Pope St John XXIII (left)

About St Mark Ji Tianxiang (right)

Modern Bracket Round 1