Thought for the Day – 11 May – The Imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)
Extracts from The Imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary By Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471) Imprimatur 17 February 1947
Chapter III VIRTUES AND TASKS OF A GOOD SERVANT OF MARY
i. Do you always wish to do what is pleasing to Mary? Be humble, patient, chaste, reserved in everything, full of mildness, an interior man, filled with zeal, little versed in exterior matters, recollected. Read often, write often but most often, pray. The service of Mary should seem, neither long nor laborious but, on the contrary always delightful, always full of happiness, always eager. To serve with your heart and mind, such a mistress, is always a work pious and useful for salvation. The most lowly offerings are acceptable to her, as equivalent to the most solemn, when they are proffered with love, with spontaneity and with devotion. She knows how little we are able to give and she requires not the impossible from her children. A merciful sovereign and queen of mildness, she is, above all, a mother. As a mother, she knows only how to be compassionate to the little and the poor, she who has given to the world, Mercy in Jesus.
ii. Learn then to call upon Jesus in everything and you will be aided, both in perils of the soul and of the body. Have Jesus always in your heart, in happiness, and you will never be overcome by human distress. Say the Hail Mary often – you will find joy and peace in it – no prayer is more beautiful than the Our Father – none is sweeter and gentler, than the Hail Mary. Pray as the Angel prayed before Mary – work as a faithful servant works and you shall have, your crown and mansion in Heaven. He who knows how to nourish his soul with prayer, he who knows how to pray with the sacred texts, will never know aridity in devotion. Strive thus constantly, to honour the Names of Jesus and Mary in your heart and with your lips.
III. Wherever you may go, or wherever you may be, implore Jesus and call upon Mary. Have, as a rule of life and, as a help in time ot need, this pious invocation – “Guide, O my Lord, always guide my way in Thy presence.” He who bears Jesus and Mary in his heart, always works well, always conducts himself well. Sing these two Names, sing them in your heart, sing them with your lips, sing them with your hands. Let your looks seek them, let your eyes implore them, let your arms embrace them, let your knees adore them.
iv. Prayer: O Mary, O Mother Full of Mercy,
O Mary, O Mother full of mercy, receive close to thee, thy servant wandering without consolation, in the midst of his trials. Look, O my Queen, look at my affliction and open to me, thine heart full of consolation. Here I am, praying and saying in my distress that I shall not cease, nor leave thee, until thou hast had pity on me. I know, O Mother, thine incomparable sweetness, I know the maternal flame of thy noble heart, I know the fullness of love which fils it and that I may have full hope in thee. I take refuge with thee too, O my Mother, so that in joy as in sorrow, I may receive thy watchful succour and listen to thy maternal consolation.
(Thomas à Kempis, The Valley of Lilies,ChapterXIII)
Quote/s of the Day – 11 May – James 5:16-20, Luke 11:5-13
“Ask and it shall be given you: s seek and you shall find: knock and it shall be opened to you. ”
Luke 11:9
“The more I contemplate God, the more God looks upon me. The more I pray to Him, the more He thinks of me too.”
St Bernard (1090-1153) Father & Mellifluous Doctor of the Church
“By the practice of prayer, we can construct an impregnable citadel, in which we shall be securely protected against all the snares of the enemy.”
St Lawrence Justinian (1381-1455)
“In prayer one must hold fast and never let go, because the one who gives up, loses all. If it seems that no-one is listening to you, then cry out even louder. If you are driven out of one door, go back in by the other.”
One Minute Reflection – 11 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary” –Rogation Day – Ferial Day – Jasme 5:16-20 – Luke 11:5-13 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Ask and it shall be given you: seek and you shall find: knock and it shall be opened to you. ” – Luke 11:9
REFLECTION – “Whatever you shall ask.” Then why do we often see believers asking and not receiving? Perhaps it is that they do not ask correctly. When a person would make a bad use of what he asks for, God in His Mercy, does not grant him it. It is even more the case, that if someone asks what would, if answered, only tend to his injury, there is surely greater cause to fear, in case what God could not withhold with kindness, He should give in His anger. Still, if God even in kindness, often refuses the requests of believers, how are we to understand “Whatever you shall ask in My Name, I will do?” Was this said to the Apostles only? No. He says …, “He who believes in Me, the works that I do he shall do also.” And if we go to the lives of the Apostles themselves, we shall find that he who laboured more than them all, prayed that the messenger of Satan might depart from him but was not granted his request.
Wake up then, believer and note what is stated here: “In My Name.” That [Name] is Christ Jesus. Christ signifies King, Jesus signifies Saviour. Therefore, whatever we ask for that would hinder our salvation, we do not ask in our Saviour’s Name and yet, He is our Saviour, not only when He does what we ask but also, when He does not. When He sees us ask anything to the disadvantage of our salvation, He shows Himself our Saviour by not doing it. The physician knows whether what the sick person asks for, is to the advantage or disadvantage of his health. And [the physician] does not allow what would be harmful to him, although the sick person himself, desires it. But the physician looks to his final cure.
And some things we may even ask in His Name and He will not grant them to us, at the time, although He will sometime. What we ask for is deferred, not denied. He adds, “that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” The Son does not do anything without the Father, inasmuch as He does it, in order that the Father may be glorified in the Son, for the Father and Son are One.” – St Augustine (354-430) Great Western Father and Doctor of Grace of the Church (Tractates on the Gospel of John, 73)
PRAYER – Grant, we beseech Thee, O Almighty God, that we, who in our tribulation are yet of good cheer because of Thy loving-kindness, may find Thee mighty to save from all dangers. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
Our Morning Offering – 11 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary”
Blessed Virgin Mary, Holy Mary! By St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor of the Church
Blessed Virgin Mary, who can worthily repay thee with praise and thanksgiving for having rescued a fallen world by thy generous consent! Receive our gratitude and by thy prayers, obtain the pardon of our sins. Take our prayers into the sanctuary of Heaven and enable them to make our peace with God. Holy Mary, help the miserable, strengthen the discouraged, comfort the sorrowful, pray for thy people, plead for the clergy, intercede for all women consecrated to God. May all who venerate thee, feel now, thy help and protection. Be ready to help us when we pray and bring back to us, the answers to our prayers. Make it thy continual concern, to pray for the people of God, for thou were blessed by God and were made worthy to bear the Redeemer of the world, Who lives and reigns forever. Amen
Saint of the Day – 11 May – St Francesco de Girolamo (1642-1716) SJ Priest, Apostolic Missionary of the Society of Jesus, who spent more than 40 years teaching, preaching Naples and its surrounds leading to his being titled “The Apostle of Naples.” His life was one of total service to all in humility and the most zealous care, espeically of the needy, of prisoners, sailors, the youth and women of ill-repute. He was an intellectual giant, scholar and a Miracle-worker. Born on 17 December 1642 at Grottaglie, Apulia, near Taranto, Italy and died on 11 May 1716 at Naples. Also known as – “The Apostle of Naples” Francis di Girolamo, Francis de Geronimo, Francesco de Hieronymo, Franciscus di Hieronymo, Francis Jerome.
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Grottaglia, in the Diocese of Taranto, St Francesco de Giroliamo, Confessor, of the Society of Jesus, renowned for his zeal for the salvation of souls and for his patience. He was Canonised by Pope Gregory XVI. The day of his death is celebrated with great solemnity in the Church of the Professed House at Naples where his body rests.”
St Francesco was born in Grottaglie (Taranto) on 17 December 1642, the 1st of 11 children, 3 of whom became Priests, to a wealthy family of profound Christian faith.
He was fortunate to find in his native town, a school of letters and piety which benefited him greatly until the age of 17. In fact, at about the age of 10 years, he was entrusted to a Congregation of Priests dedicated to teaching and preaching missions to the faithful.
Young St Francesco, rather than being admitted merely to school, had the privilege of living with these pious Priests, who soon entrusted him with the care of the Church as the Sacristan and the teaching of Catechism to the children. He also sometimes accompanied the Priests on missions, helping them with the instruction of Catechism to the young.
At the age of 16 om 1658, St Francesco was given the first tonsure at the proposal of the same Congregation and at 17 he was received into the Diocesan Seminary in Taranto, to continue his studies, now definitively destined for the Priesthood. He attended courses in rhetoric, science and philosophy at the schools of the Jesuit College, being Ordained Sub-Deacon in 1664 and sometime later Deacon.
In 1665 St Francesco went to Naples, on the advice of his own teachers, to attend courses in civil and canon law, obtaining a Degree in these subjects, apparently in 1668 and in theology.
In order not to be a burden on the family budget, St Francesco requested and obtained, a position as Assistant to the young students at the highest College of the Neapolitan Jesuits. Meanwhile, in 1666, while studying theology, he was Ordained a Priest and in 1670 he became a Jesuit before completing his theological studies. He completed them a few years later in order to take the examination in universa philosophia et theologia, required by the Order’s Constitutions for the solemn Profession of the four vows.
From 1671 to 1674, he served in apostolic ministry in Puglia, particularly in the Diocese of Lecce. Just as his excellent intellectual gifts and virtues had already been demonstrated in his life as a student and Assistant to young people, to the point of being called the ‘holY’ Priest by the young, so too in his apostolic activity his qualities as a zealous apostle and effective preacher, were revealed.
Once he returned to Naples to complete his theological studies, he remained there for his entire life, Assigned to the popular missions which made him an Apostle of Naples and replaced the missions to India and the East which he had insistently requested. He made his solemn Religious Profession (8 December 1682) at the height of his Neapolitan apostolate, having been assigned since 1676 to the Casa Professa del Gesù Nuovo with all the duties inherent to the Office entrusted to him. It was essentially a threefold Office: the missions to the faithful which consisted of sermons held in the squares and along the streets, where large crowds gathered on Feast Days, which were quite numerous; general Communion every 3rd Sunday of the month, also prepared with open-air sermons and with his assistants, led the multitudes to the Church of the Gesù, where numerous Priests were already on standby to hear Confessions and the conversion of women from wicked lives.
This was one aspect of his public missions but what was special about it was that he entered the neighbourhoods where the homes which sheltered the unfortunate, were most numerous and began preaching under their windows.
His biographers recall many cases, sometimes miraculous, of conversions or repentance among these women.
But this threefold role did not exhaust the missionary’s activity, as he extended his apostolate to all those in need, such as ship workers, prisoners, the sick and the men of his congregation of artisans, a kind of Catholic circle or Confraternity which was of invaluable assistance to him in his missions and in organising, as mentioned, the general Communions on the 3rd Sunday of the month.
Although the City of Naples was his missionary field for about forty years, his apostolic zeal did not end there, as he is known to have taken part in missions many times in other regions of the Kingdom of Naples, such as Abruzzo, Puglia, and Sannio . Above all, however, Naples and its surroundings benefited from his work and were strongly influenced by his miracle-working holiness, as demonstrated by the events of 1707, when the Austrian Army occupied Naples, driving out the Spanish under Philip V. As was often the case in similar circumstances, the people gave way to revolts and looting. That time, however, St Francesco’s moral authority succeeded in averting the danger or significantly limiting it. Indeed, it seems that he helped prevent the Spanish barricaded in the fortresses from bombarding the City, acting as a mediator, as the Canonisation processes attests.
Another apostolic activity of St Francesco deserves mention i.e. his spiritual exercises for various classes of the people: Monasteries of nuns, Youth Centres, prisoners and ‘galley slaves.’ Everywhere he carried warm words of faith and love, inflamed as he was with a burning charity, especially toward Jesus Christ in the Eucharist and his most Holy Mother.
Among the devotions St Francesco favoured and spread ,a particular one was to St. Cyrus, Physician and Martyr, whose body rests in the Chapel of the same name in the Church of the Gesù Nuovo in Naples. He carried a Relic of the Saint with him on his missions and attributed to it all the miracles he performed during his sermons, although many contemporary witnesses believe that God worked miracles through our Saints own virtues and that he, in his humility, hid behind the healing power of St Cyrus. This testimony serves to demonstrate the esteem in which his virtues were held by his contemporaries, who, moreover, unanimously affirmed the sanctity of his life in all the Canonisation processes which began just a few years after his death, which occurred in Naples on 11 May 1716.
St Francesco was Beatified by Pope Pius VII on 2 May 1806, when the Jesuits, at the request of King Ferdinand IV of Bourbon, were recognised for the Kingdom of Naples (the Order was restored in 1814).
He was then Canonised by Pope Gregory XVI on 26 May 1839, and his Feast Day was set on the day of his death. His body, transferred to the Chapel named after him in the Church of Gesù Nuovo in Naples which was enriched by the sculptor Jerace with an artistic Statue of the Saint preaching, remained there until after the Second World War, when it was moved to the Jesuit Church in Grottaglie, the Saint’s birthplace.
ROGATION DAY AND today is the Feast Day of the Founder of these Days when we pray the Litanies: St Mamertus (Died c477) Archbishop of Vienne, France, Theologian, Writer, Founder of the introduction of the praying of Litanies prior to Ascension Day, called “Rogation Days.” Rogation days are days of prayer and fasting in the Church. They are observed with processions and the praying of the Litany of the Saints. The major Rogation is held on 25 April, the minor Rogations are held on Monday to Wednesday, preceding Ascension Thursday. The word Rogation comes from the Latin verb rogare, meaning “to ask,” which reflects the beseeching of God, for the appeasement of His anger and for protection from calamities. Rogation St Mammertus: https://anastpaul.com/2019/05/11/saint-of-the-day-11-may-st-mamertus-died-c-475/
St Anastasius of Lérida St Anthimus of Rome St Bassus of Sabina St Bertilla St Criotan of MacReddin Bl Diego of Saldaña St Evellius of Pisa St Fabius of Sabina St Francesco de Girolamo (1642-1716) SJ Priest St Fremund of Dunstable St Gengulphus of Burgundy
St Mozio of Constantinople St Possessor of Verdun St Principia of Rome St Tudy St Vincent L’Hénoret Bl Vivaldus St Walbert of Hainault
Martyrs of Camerino: An imperial Roman official, his wife, their children and servants, all of whom were converts and martyrs: Anastasius, Aradius, Callisto, Eufemia, Evodius, Felice, Primitiva, Theopista.
Martyrs of Carcassona – 14 Beati:
Martyrs of Osimo: Diocletius Florentius Sisinius
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Thought for the Day – 10 May – “Mary’s Month” Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Mary’s Patience
“We also have our share of suffering and humiliation. It is useless to try and escape from it, useless to rebel against it. If we embrace the cross patiently and lovingly, a Jesus and Mary did, it will seem lighter, even welcome. If we attempt to cast it from us, it will weigh more heavily on our shoulders.
There are two kinds of men, those who bear their cross, patiently and embrace it because they wish to be like Jesus and, those who do not want to suffer and rebel. The former may stagger beneath their daily burden but, they have peace of soul because they are putting into practice, the great Gospel precept: “By your patience, you will win your souls” (Lk 21:19). They know that they are on the path to Heaven and this thought is consolation which cannot be taken from them. The second group of men, rebel against the cross and, therefore, suffer doubly, in body and in soul. “The senseless man,” the Holy Spirit says, “loves not to be reproved” (Prov 15:12).
To which of these two categories do we belong? Do we love our cross, or do we carry it patiently, at least? Anyone who does not want the cross, does not want Jesus. Let the example of Mary and of the Saints inspire us. They always bore their burden patiently, they even looked for suffering and humiliation. If we cannot reach such heroic heights, let us at last, accept, from the hands of Our Lord, the cross which He offers us. Let us accept the sufferings which we meet on the way of life. If we are not heroic enough to seek to be unknown and mortified, let us resolve to accept, patiently, the inevitable sorrows of life.”
Quote/s of the Day – 10 May – St Antoninus OP (1389-1459) Bishop of Florence, Confessor
“… Consider the beauty, holiness and dignity of blessed Mary and bless, with heart and mouth and deed, her Son, Who made her thus. ”
“She has encompassed the Heaven about, (that is, she has enclosed the Divinity) within the circle of her glory, her glorious humanity!”
“ The Lord breathes the Breath of Life – contrition of heart, into the face of the soul when He impresses upon it His Own Image and Likeness which has been soiled by sin and renews it.”
One Minute Reflection – 10 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Easter V – St Antoninus OP (1389-1459) – James 1:22-27 – John 16:23-30 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“That your joy may be full.” – John 16:24
REFLECTION – “The entire life of a good Christian is, in fact, an exercise of holy desire. You do not yet see what you long for but, the very act of desiring, prepares you, so that when He comes, you may see and be utterly satisfied.
Suppose you are going to fill some holder or container and you know you will be given a large amount. Then you set about stretching your sack or wineskin or whatever it is. Why? Because you know the quantity with which you will fill it and your eyes tell you, there is not enough room. By stretching it, therefore, you increase the capacity of the sack and this is how God deals with us. Simply by making us wait, He increases our desire, which in turn, enlarges the capacity of our soul, making it able to receive what is to be given to us.
So, my brethren, let us continue to desire, for we shall be filled. Take note of Saint Paul, stretching as it were, his ability to receive what is to come – ‘Not that I have already obtained this,’ he said, ‘or am made perfect.Brethren, I do not consider that I have already obtained it.’ We might ask him, ‘If you have not yet obtained it, what are you doing in this life?’ ‘This one thing I do,‘ answers Paul, ‘forgetting what lies behind, and stretching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the prize to which I am called in the life above.‘ Not only did Paul say he stretched forward but he also declared that he pressed on toward a chosen goal. He realised, in fact, that he was still short of receiving ‘what no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived.‘
Such is our Christian life. By desiring Heaven, we exercise the powers of our soul. Now this exercise will be effective, only to the extent, that we free ourselves from desires leading to infatuation with this world. Let me return to the example I have already used, of filling an empty container. God means to fill each of you with what is good – so cast out what is bad! If he wishes to fill you with honey and you are full of sour wine, where is the honey to go? The vessel must be emptied of its contents and then be cleansed. Yes, it must be cleansed, even if you have to work hard and scour it. It must be made fit for the new thing, whatever it may be!” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (An excerpt from his Tractates on «The First Letter of John»)
PRAYER – O Lord, may the merits of Antoninus, Your Confessor and Bishop, help us and just as we praise You for the wonders You have wrought in him, so may we glory in Your mercy toward us. T hrough Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
Our Morning Offering – 10 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – And Mothers’ Day
Most Holy Virgin, My Consolation By St Germanus of Paris (c490-576)
Most Holy Virgin! Who art the greatest consolation which I receive from God, thou, who art the heavenly dew which assuages all my pains, thou, who art the light of my soul when it is enveloped in darkness, thou, who art my guide in unknown paths, the support of my weakness, my treasure, in poverty, my remedy, in sickness, my consolation, in trouble, my refuge, in misery and the hope of my salvation, hear my supplications, have pity on me, as becomes the Mother of so good a God and obtain for me a favourable reception of all my petitions at the Throne of Mercy. Amen
Saint of the Day – 10 May – Saint Isidore the Labourer of Madrid (c1070-c1130) Confessor, renowned for his great piety and miracles. Born as Isidro and died near Madrid. Patronages – of Madrid, Leon, Zaragossa and Seville, of farmers, farm labourers, peasants Additional Feats on 15 May (believed possibly, to have been the date of birth into life). Also known as – Isidore the Farmer, Isidro,
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Madrid, St Isidore, a labourer. Being renowned for miracles, Pope Gregory XV, placed him in the number of the Saints, at the same time as St Ignatius, St Francis, St Teresa and St Philip Neri.”
St Isidore’s Life, was first written in 1265 by John, a Deacon of the Church of St Andrew, at Madrid and he edited and supplemented it in 1275,
St Isidore was born to devout, humble and poor parents in the Spanish countryside near Madrid. As a very young man he entered the service of a certain Juan de Vargas, on a farm in the vicinity of Madrid.
Every morning before begining his labours, he was accustomed to participate at Holy Mass at one of the Churches nearby. One day his fellow-labourers complained to their master that Isidore was always late for work due to his attendance at Mass. Upon investigation, the master found Isidore at prayer, while an Angel was doing the ploughing. On another occasion, his master saw an Angel ploughing on either side of him, so that Isidore’s work was equal to that of three of his fellow-labourers.
St Isidore holiness and prayers inspired great awe. By his intereceesion he resurrected his master’s lifeless daughter. He also caused a fountain of fresh water to burst from the dry earth in order to quench his master’s thirst.
He was married to Maria Torribia, also a Canonised Saint, who is venerated in Spain as Maria della Cabeza, from the fact that her head (Spanish, cabez) is often carried in procession especially in time of drought. The couple were blessed with one son, who sadly died in his youth. On one occasion this son fell into a deep well and at the prayers of his parents, the water of the well miraculously rose to the level of the ground, bringing the child with it aalive and well. Hereupon the parents made a vow of continence and lived in separate houses.
St Isidore and his Wife St Maria
Forty years after St Isidore’s death, his body was translated from the cemetery to the Church of St Andrew. In 1212, St Isidore appeared to Alfonso of Castile and to have shown him the hidden path by which he surprised the Moors and gained the victory of Las Nevas de Tolosa.
When King Philip III of Spain was cured of a deadly disease by touching St Isidore’s Relics, the King substitued the old Reliquary with a costly Splid Silver replacement.
St Isidore was Canonised by Gregory XV, along with Sts. Ignatius, Francis Xavier, Teresa of Jesus and Philip Neri, on 12 March, 1622.
St Isidore is widely venerated as the Patron of peasants and day-labourers. The Cities of Madrid, Leon, Zaragossa and Seville, also, honour him as their Patron. His feast is celebrated on 10 May.
St Alphius of Lentini Bl Amalarius of Metz Bl Antonio of Norcia St Aurelian of Limoges Bl Beatrix d’Este the Elder St Blanda of Rome St Calepodius of Rome
St Comgall of Bangor St Cyrinus of Lentini St Dioscorides of Smyrna St Felix of Rome Bl Giusto Santgelp
+St Gordianus (Died c392) Martyr and +St Epimachus (Died 250) Martyr The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Rome, on the Latin Way, the birthday of the holy Martyrs Gordianus and Epimachus. In the time of Julian the Apostate, the former was scourged for a long time and finally decapitated for confessing the Name of Christ. He was buried at night by the Christians, in a Crypt to which shortly before his burial, the remains of the blessed Martyr, Epimachus, had been translated from Alexandria, where he had been Martyred for the faith of Christ.” Their Holy Lives and Deaths: https://anastpaul.com/2025/05/10/saint-s-of-the-day-10-may-st-gordianus-died-c392-and-st-epimachus-died-250-martyrs/
Blessed Nicholas Albergati (1373-1443) Bishop, Cardinal Priest St Palmatius of Rome St Philadelphus of Lentini St Quartus of Capua St Quintus of Capua St Simplicius of Rome St Solange of Bourges St Thecla Bl William of Pontnoise
Thought for the Day – 9 May – The Imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)
Extracts from The Imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary By Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471) Imprimatur 17 February 1947 Translated from the French Dr Célestin Albin de Cigala (1865-1928)
PART ONE THE JOYFUL MYSTERIES Chapter II OUR DUTIES TO MARY
i. Choose, O my son, Mary for mother, for advocate and for model, before all things. Greet her everyday with the Angelic Salutation. This salutation pleases her above all others. If sometimes, the devil tempts you and turns you from your duties as a devout servant of Mary, do not permit that to stop you from invoking her always.
Think always of Mary; repeat the name of Mary, over and over. Honour Mary; glorify Mary in everything; prostrate yourself before Mary; give yourself again to Mary. Live with Mary; meditate with Mary; rejoice with Mary; weep with Mary; work with Mary; watch with Mary; act with Mary; rest with Mary. With Mary, bear Jesus in your arms; live at Nazareth with Mary. Go to Jerusalem, go with Mary; search, as Mary did, for Jesus. Remain near the Cross with Mary, weep for Jesus; weep for Him with Mary; with Mary bury Jesus in the tomb; rise with Jesus and with Mary. Rise to Heaven with Jesus and with Mary! Live always with Mary in life and in death.
ii. If you know how to think and act in this way, you will advance rapidly in perfection. Mary will protect you with all her power and, Jesus will hear you in His gentle mercy. What we do is very little. It is nothing. Nevertheless, if we do it with Mary, we shall rise, little by little, to God our Father. We shall always find, consolation and joy, near Him. Happy is he, who knows how to keep Jesus and Mary near him always, as hosts of his table, consolers in his troubles, aid in his danger, counsel in his doubt, protectors at his death. Happy is he who, considering himself as a wayfarer in this world and, as a stranger, keeps Jesus for a Companion and Mary for a hostess.
iii. Prayer: Ave Maria, Full of Grace!
O Mother, I come to you filled with hope. I come to you recalling the exultant joy which the Archangel Gabriel once brought to you, when, falling on his knees before you, he saluted your virginity, saying respectfully: Hail, Mary, the Lord is with thee! This greeting I say to you again, O Mother, with the heart, and, if I could, with the voice of all the faithful, so that thus all creatures may sing with me from the depth of their souls and their being: Ave Maria, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, thou art blessed, O Mother, among all women and Jesus the fruit of thy womb, is blessed on earth and in Heaven, today and always.
(By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471) Soliloquy of the Soul, Chapter XVIII)
Quote/s of the Day – 9 May – St Gregory Nazianzen (330-390) Bishop, Confessor, Father and Doctor of the Church
“I cannot think on the One without quickly being encircled by the splendor of the Three; nor can I contemplate the Three, without straightaway being carried back to the One.”
“These three virtues God requires of all the Baptised: right faith in the heart, truth on the tongue, temperance in the body.”
“What He was, He laid aside; what He was not, He assumed. He takes upon Himself the poverty of my flesh so that I may receive the riches of His Divinity!”
“Who gave you the ability to contemplate the beauty of the skies, the course of the sun, the round moon, the millions of stars, the harmony and rhythm which issue from the world as from a lyre, the return of the seasons, the alternation of the months, the demarcation of day and night, the fruits of the earth, the vastness of the air, the ceaseless motion of the waves, the sound of the wind?”
One Minute Reflection – 9 May – The Feast of St Gregory Nazianzen (330-390) Bishop, Confessor, Father and Doctor of the Church – Sirach 39:6-14, Matthew 5:13-19
“You are the light of the world.” – Matthew 5:14
REFLECTION – “I shall always love and reverence the Apostles sent by Christ and their successors, in sowing the seed of the Gospel, those zealous and tireless co-operators in propagating the Word, who may justly say of themselves: Let a man so account of us as the ministers of Christ and the dispensers of the mysteries of God. For Christ, like a most watchful and most faithful householder, wished that the Gospel lamp should be lighted by such ministers and delegates, with fire sent down from Heaven and once lighted, should not be put under a measure but set upon a candlestick, so that it may spread its brightness far and wide and put to flight, all darkness and error, rife among both Jews and Gentiles.
Now it is not enough for the Gospel teacher to be a brilliant speaker in the eyes of the people; he must also be as a voice crying in the desert and endeavour, by his eloquence, to help many to lead good lives, lest, if he omit his duty of speaking, he be called the dumb dog that is not able to bark, spoken of by the prophet. Yes, he should also burn, in such a way, that, equipped with good works and love, he may adorn his evangelical office and follow the leadership of Paul. He indeed was not satisfied with bidding the Bishop of the Ephesians: This command and teach: conduct thyself in work as a good soldier of Christ Jesus but he unflaggingly preached the Gospel to friend and foe alike and, said with a good conscience to the Bishops gathered at Ephesus: You know how I have kept back nothing that was for your good but have declared it to you and taught you in public and from house to house, urging Jews and Gentiles to turn to God in repentance and to believe in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Such should be the shepherd in the Church who, like Paul, becomes all things to all men, so that the sick may find healing in him; the sad, joy; the desperate, hope; the ignorant, instruction; those in doubt, advice; the penitent, forgiveness and comfort and finally, everyone, whatever is necessary for salvation. And so Christ, when He wished to appoint the chief teachers of the world and of the Church, did not limit Himself to saying to His disciples: You are the light of the world but also added these words: A city seated on a mountain cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a measure but upon a candlestick, that it may shine to all who are in the house. Those churchmen err, who imagine that it is by brilliant preaching, rather than by holiness of and all-embracing love, they fulfil their office.” – St Peter Canisius SJ (1521-1597) Doctor of the Church (Sermon excerpt).
PRAYER – O God, Who gave to Your people, blessed Gregory, as a minister of salvation, grant, we beseech You, that we, who cherished him on earth as a teacher of life, may be found worthy to have him as an intercessor in Heaven. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
Our Morning Offering – 9 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary”
Mary! How Sweetly Falls That Word! Anonymous Author 19th Century Tune (St Basil’s Hymnal 1903) Unnamed Tune.
Mary! How sweetly falls that word! On my enraptured ear! Oft do I breathe, in accents low, which sound when none are near. Chorus: Sing, O my lips and loudly proclaim: O Mary, O Mary, how sweet is thy name! Sing, O my lips and loudly proclaim; O Mary, O Mary, how sweet is thy name!
Sweet as the warbling of a bird, Sweet as a mother’s voice; So sweet to me is that dear name, It makes my soul rejoice. Chorus.
Bright as the glittering stars appear, Bright as the moonbeams shine, So bright in my mind’s eye is seen Thy loveliness divine! Chorus.
Through thee I offer my requests And when my prayer is done, In ecstasy sublime, I see Thee seated near thy Son. Chorus.
Saint of the Day – 9 May – St Beatus (3rd Century) Confessor, Hermit, Missionary (probably a Priest), Miracle-worker. Born in Vendôme and died near Laon, France. Also known asBienheuré, Beat.. Beatus is identified with a Missionary who travelled and preached in, besides Vendôme, Garonne, Laon and Nantes. His place of death is considered to have been Chevresson, near Laon.
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “In the castle of Windisch, the decease of St Beatus, Confessor.”
A great deal of confusion reigns in regard to St Beatus of the region of Vendôme. There is another Saint also venerated today of the same name but who lived and evangelised in Switzerland .
Our St Beatus is renowned for his battle and triumph over a dragon (this dragon is symbolic of either the paganism rife in that time or heresy). He had fasted and prayed before fighting this dragon who had been the terror of the region. According to the tradition, the dragon was so large that when it went to drink from a river at some distance away, its tail still lay in its cave. It was also so large that it completely drained the Loire river when it drank.
There are three versions of this combat: the first states that the dragon fled at the sight of our Saint making the Sign of the Cross; the second version states that St Beatus defeated the dragon with one blow from his staff; the third states that the dragon strangled itself with its chain.
A Chapel dating from the 5th Century was built on the hillside where he is said to have lived.
Bust of Saint Beatus, église Saint-Béat Saint-Privat, Saint-Béat, Haute-Garonne, France
St Gregory Nazianzen (330-390) Archbishop of Constantinople, Father, Doctor, Confessor, Theologian, Philosopher, Orator, Poet, Writer, he is remembered as the “Trinitarian Theologian.” He is widely considered one of the most accomplished rhetorical stylist of the patristic age. Along with his great friends and colleagues, the brothers St Basil the Great and St Gregory of Nyssa, he is known as one of the Cappadocian Fathers. The Cappadocia region, in modern-day Turkey, was an early site of Christian activity, with several missions by St Paul in this region. The Roman Martyrology states of him today: “At Naziazus, the birthday of St Gregory, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, surnamed “The Theologian” because of his remarkable knowledge of divinity. At Constantinople, he restored the Catholic Faith, which was fast waning and repressed the rising heresies.” Wonderful St Gregory: https://anastpaul.com/2022/05/09/saint-of-the-day-9-may-st-gregory-nazianzen-330-390-great-father-and-doctor-of-the-church/ AND: (In 1969, St Gregory’s Feast was combined with that of St Basil the Great – “Two Bodies one Spirit” and was then celebrated on 2 January). Their lives here: https://anastpaul.com/2019/01/02/saint-s-of-the-day-2-january-st-basil-the-great-329-379-and-st-gregory-of-nazianzen-330-390-two-bodies-one-spirit/
St Banban the Wise St Beatus (3rd Century) Confessor St Beatus of Lungern St Brynoth of Scara St Dionysius of Vienne Bl Fortis Gabrielli St Gerontius of Cervia
St Gregory of Ostia St Hermas of Rome Isaiah the Prophet St John of Châlon
Blessed Thomas Pickering (c1621-1679) Martyr, Benedictine Lay Brother. He was one of the 107 Martyrs of England and Wakes. They were Beatified by Pope Pius XI on 15 December 1929 and is, therefore, remembered with them all on 4 May. In character, he was described, as the most charitable and sweet-tempered of men. His Life and Death: https://anastpaul.com/2021/05/09/saint-of-the-day-9-may-blessed-thomas-pickering-osb-c-1621-1679-martyr/
Martyrs of Persia: 310 Christians murdered together for their faith in Persia. No details about them have survived.
20 Mercedarian Martyrs of Riscala: 20 Mercedarian friars who were murdered by Huguenot heretics for refusing to denounce their faith. 16th century at the Santa Maria convent at Riscala, France.
Thought for the Day – 8 May – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Mary, a Light in the Darkness
“Let us imagine for a moment, that we have grown blind and are forever plunged in darkness. It is an unhappy thought. Never again to see those who are dear to us, never to see the light of the sun nor any of the splendours of the universe. We should feel as if were alone, for we should have to depend only on sounds and on the voices of others for communication with the external world. As St Augustine points out, however, in his commentary on the miracle of the man who had been blind from birth, we are all more or less blind in the supernatural order. The world is the image of God but, do we see His Presence in everything which surrounds us? Is it not more often the case that created things distract us and lead us to forget their Creator, because, we regard them as a means of satisfying our own comfort and our own ego? We should look on creatures as go-betweens which help us to ascend to God, the beginning and end of all creation.
Unfortunately, instead of climbing this mystical ladder which leads us to God, we often descend it. We forget God and become excessively enmeshed in worldly affairs. Sometimes matters may be even worse, not only do we forget God through our love of creatures but, we use them, to offend Him. God has given us eyes to admire His Works and, as a result, to lead us to praise, thank and love Him.
Instead, we often use this wonderful gift in order to commit sin. He has given us the gift of speech, the gift of hearing and other senses. But how do we employ them? The tongue is a marvellous invention but, as St James writes, “if anyone does not offend in the word, he is a perfect man, able also to lead round by the bridle, the whole body … With it we bless God the Father and, with it, we curse men, who have been made after the likeness of God. Out of the same mouth, proceed blessing and cursing. These things, my brethren ought not to be so” (Js 3:2-10). What can be said of vision and of speech can be said of all the senses and faculties of body and soul. They are all God’s gifts and should, therefore, be used as means of bringing ourselves closer to Him.
If creatures lead us away from God and cause us to forget Him, or if, worse still, they cause us to offend Him, then we are spiritually blind and far more unfortunate than those who have lost their natural vision.
Most Holy Mary, during your earthly pilgrimage, you never once lost sight of God. Grant that I may not be lost in the darkness of this world. Grant that I may not be ensnared by the passing charm and false beauty of these created things which surround me. Grant that I may see, in all things, the Presence and Beauty of God, so that I may always continue to advance, nearer and nearer to Him. Amen.”
Quote/s of the Day – 8 May – The Apparition of St Michael the Archangel at Monte Gargano, Italy (492)
“See, I am sending My Angel before you, to guard you on the way and bring you to the place I have prepared.”
Exodus 23:20
“We are like children, who stand in need of masters, to enlighten us and direct us and God has provided for this, by appointing His Angels, to be our teachers and guides.”
St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) Doctor Angelicus / Doctor Communis
“When tempted, turn immediately to your Guardian Angel and ask him, with all your heart, “My Guardian Angel help me now. Do not let me offend my God!”
St John Bosco (1815-1888)
“The good Angels are around you, like a company of Sentinels on guard!”
One Minute Reflection – 8 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The Apparition of St Michael the Archangel at Monte Gargano, Italy (492) – Apocalypse 1:1-5 – Matthew 18:1-10 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Watch,that you despise not, one of these little ones, for I say to you, their Angels in Heaven, always see the Face of My Father, Who is in Heaven.” – Matthew 18:10
REFLECTION – “Watch that you do not despise one of these little ones for, I say to you, their Angels in Heaven, always see the Face of My Father, Who is in Heaven.” With these words, Christ is saying to us something like this: « “Be vigilant, take care that you do not despise people who are simple, poor or weak. As for Me, I esteem them greatly to the extent that, to protect them from all evil, I have placed My Angels at their service. And what Angels! Do not think they are to be compared to the scullery boys working in My kitchen. No. They are equal to the officers in My Own palace, for: ‘they constantly see the Face of My heavenly Father’”…
Now, these Angels see the Face of God for several reasons. Firstly, Angels must offer and present our good works to God. To this we have a testimony in the words Raphael addressed to Tobias : “I have presented your prayer before the Lord” (Tb 12:12). In the Book of The Apocalypse, too, we read: “An Angel with a golden cense r came and stood before the altar. He was given a great quantity of incense to offer with the prayers, of all the saints on the golden altar that is, before the throne of God,” (8:3). Let us note that this altar is the heart of whoever is truly faithful to God; before this altar, the Angels stand. Their censer represents the feelings of joy, with which they gather up our thoughts, prayers, words and actions, so as to offer them, all aflame with the fire of charity, on the golden Altar which stands before the Throne of God. And the offering rises up to the Son, Who is in the bosom of the Father. Therefore, it would be good for us always to have some good thing to place in the Angels’ censer.” – St Albert the Great (1200-1280) Dominican, Doctor of the Church (Sermon for the Feast of Saint Michael).
PRAYER – O God, Who has ordained and constituted the services of Angels and men in a wonderful order, mercifully grant that as Thy holy angels always do Thee service in Heaven, so, by Thy appointment, they may succour and defend us on earth. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
Our Morning Offering – 8 May– “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary”
Memorare to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart of Jesus By the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSC) Patronag: Of Difficult and Impossible Causes.
Remember, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, what ineffable power thy Divine Son hath given thee over His own adorable Heart. Full of trust in thy merits, we come before thee and beg thy protection. O heavenly Treasurer of the Heart of Jesus that Heart which is the inexhaustible source of all graces which thou mayest open to us at thy good pleasure, in order that, from it may flow forth upon mankind the riches of love and mercy, light and salvation which are contained therein; grant unto us, we beseech thee, the favours which we seek. We can never, never be refused by thee and since thou art our Mother, O our Lady of the Sacred Heart, graciously hear our prayers and grant our request. Amen
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart is a title which originated with the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, founded by Fr J Chevalier (1824-1907) at Issoudun/France. This religious Congregation was founded to revive and regenerate the Christian faith, thanks to a special devotion to the Sacred Heart and to Our Lady. Their spirituality is based on a strong faith in the love of God the Father which revealed itself in the Heart of Jesus. This Christocentric orientation is linked with a lively devotion to Mary under the title of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. It is said in the Rule of Life of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, “Since Mary was so intimately related to the Mystery of her Son’s Heart, we pray to her as did Fr Chevalier and we invoke her under the title of Our Lady of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. She knew of the inexhaustible riches of Christ; she was totally filled with His Love. She leads us to Him and directs us to His Heart which is the Source of Love …” ( #18)
Saint of the Day – 8 May – St Helladius (Died c388) Bishop of Auxerre, France. St Helladius was the Bishop of Auxerre for around over 23+ years from 365 until his death. St Amator (344-418) was converted to Christianity, Ordained and became his disciple and finally his successor. St Helladius was a powerful Defender of the Faith against heresy especially against the Arians. Additional Feast on 13 May in the See of Sens in France where our Saints cult spread.
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Auxerre, St Helladius, Bishop.”
The name of St Helladius echoes in the Episcopal list of Auxerre, placed between the Bishops Valerian and Amator.
The scarcity of historical information does not prevent us from sketching a biographical profile, albeit fragmentary, of this holy Bishop, drawing on available sources and contextualising St Helladius in his time.
The dating of Saint Helladius’ Episcopate is uncertain, but it is presumed to have lasted approximately twenty-three years, from 365 to 388. This period occurred during an era of religious fervour and immense struggles with Arian heretics still threatening the Catholic Church. In this context, St Helladius distinguished himself as a zealous leader and attentive shepherd of his See.
Specific information on his works is unfortunately sketchy. However, hagiographic tradition remembers him as the one who conferred the Priesthood on St Amator, his successor as Bishop of Auxerre. It is also said that he guided Martha, St Amator’s wife, towards religious life.
After his death around 388, Saint Helladius was buried in the cemetery of Mons, along with his predecessors. His Liturgical Feast is celebrated today, a date that does not coincide with his dies natalis, but derives from an ancient arrangement of the Feasts of the Saints of Auxerre, already present in the Martyrology of St Jerome. The name Saint Helladius was also used in the 7th Century by the author of the ‘Revelatio Corcodomi.’ His cult spread throughout the region of Auxerre and, to a lesser extent, in the region of Sens, where his Feast is celebrated on 13 May.
St Acacius of Byzantium Bl Aloysius Luis Rabata St Amatus Ronconi Bl Angelo of Massaccio St Arsenio of Mount Scete St Benedict II, Pope
St Boniface IV, Pope (c550-615) Supreme Pontiff from 608 until his death, Deacon, assistant and disciple of St Pope Gregory the Great, Papal Treasurer under Pope Gregory. In other words, he was the first official in connection with the administration of Papal property. he converted the Pantheon into a Church. This was the first pagan temple in Rome to be transformed. On 13 May 609, the Pantheon was consecrated to the Blessed Virgin and all the Christian Martyrs. Boniface ordered 28 cartloads of bones from the Catacombs to be reburied under the high Altar of the new Church. A Zealous Shepherd: https://anastpaul.com/2021/05/08/saint-of-the-day-8-may-saint-pope-boniface-iv-c-550-615/
St Desideratus of Bourges Bl Domenico di San Pietro St Gibrian St Helladius (Died c388) Bishop of Auxerre
St Ida of Nivelles St Martin of Saujon St Metrone of Verona St Odrian of Waterford St Otger of Utrecht St Peter of Besançon Bl Pietro de Alos Blessed Raymond of Toulouse
St Victor Maurus the Moor (Died c303) Martyr, Layman, ex-Soldier. The Roman Martyrology reads: “At Milan, the birthday of the holy Martyr Victor, a Moor. He became a Christian in his youth and served as a soldier in the imperial army. When Maximian wished to force him to offer sacrifice to idols, he persevered with the greatest fortitude in the confession of the Lord. Being first beaten with rods but without experiencing any pain, through the protection of God and then, having melted lead, poured over him, which did him no injury whatever. He at length terminated the career of his glorious Martyrdom by being beheaded.” His Life and Death: https://anastpaul.com/2022/05/08/saint-of-the-day-8-may-st-victor-maurus-the-moor-died-c-303-martyr/
Thought for the Day – 7 May – The Imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)
Extracts from The Imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary By Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471) Imprimatur 17 February 1947 PART ONE THE JOYFUL MYSTERIES Chapter I The Imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
i. Many young girls, says the Author of Wisdom, have amassed riches but thou, O Mary, thou surpass them all greatly. Children, be faithful imitators of Jesus and perfect imitators of Mary. It matters a great deal, it matters for your salvation, for the honour of Jesus and the glory of Mary, that you always be devout in your prayers, sober in your words, discreet in your looks. In brief, be scrupulously disciplined in all your deeds.
ii. Do you wish to praise Mary worthily; do you wish to praise her in all magnificence? Be simple, like the simple children of God, without deception, without envy, without criticism, without murmuring and without any suspicion. Support all adverse things with charity, with great patience and great humility. For Jesus, for Mary and, in order to imitate the Saints, watch here below, watch and be yourselves saints! To one who knows how to offer his life to the Divine Trinity, all which is bitter here on earth appears sweet and all which seems heavy, appears very light. Such is the fruit of the remembrance of Mary and Jesus.
iii. Prayer: When the Heart Says: Ave Maria!
O Mary, O sweet Mother of my Jesus, I beg you, deign to open to thy poor servant, both thy maternal compassion and thy love, laden with sweetness. Pour into my heart, one drop of thy tenderness so that I may love thee with a pure heart, thee, O Mother, the sweetest of all mothers, so that I may imitate thee and Jesus. Listen to me, Mother, listen to me, Mary, kneeling I salute thee: Ave Maria! The sky rejoices and the earth smiles when the heart says: Ave Maria! Satan flies afar and all hell shudders when the heart says: Ave Maria! The world seems small and the flesh trembles, when the heart says: Ave Maria! Sadness flees and happiness reigns, when the heart says: Ave Maria! Lukewarmness disappears and love reappears when the heart says: Ave Maria! Devotion grows and compunction is born, when the heart says: Ave Maria! Hope gushes forth and consolation increases, when the heart says: Ave Maria! The whole soul rekindles and love grows tender, when the heart says: Ave Maria! So rich and so great is the sweetness of this prayer that it could not be expressed in words. Thus, again I kneel before thee, O Mary, O Virgin, O Mother filled with goodness and I say to thee, over and over, with reverence and devotion: Hail, Mary, Hail! Receive this pious salutation and with it receive me, O Mother, within your bosom.
Quote/s of the Day – 7 May – The Memorial of St Stanislas (1030-1079) Bishop and Martyr –Wisdom 5:1-5 – John 15,1-7
“Abide in Me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abide in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me.”
John 15:4
“Without Me you can do nothing.”
John 15:5
“… He effected a wonderful exchange with us, through mutual sharing – we gave Him the power to die, He will give us the power to Live!”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace
“Truly blessed is he who cleaves, with his thought, to the Prayer of Jesus, constantly calling to Him in his heart, just as air cleaves to our bodies, or the flame to the candle.”
St Hesychius of Jerusalem (Died c450) Priest, Exegete, Father
“May He, Who is the Track of the runners and the Reward of the winners, lead and guide you along it – He, Christ Jesus!”
Blessed Guerric of Igny O.Cist (c1080-1157)
“Let us go to Jesus when we are worn out by conflict and have no strength left. Let us go to Him when we feel that we can walk no further along the stony path to perfection. He will help us and restore our courage; He will grant us an increase of Grace which is the source of the spiritual life. It is essential, however, that we should have a spirit of recollection. If we are dissipated, we shall be unable to hear the Voice of God. We must speak with God and open our hearts to Him; we must tell Him that we love Him and wish to learn to love Him more and to conform more completely to His designs for us.”
One Minute Reflection – 7 May – The Feast of St Stanislas (1030-1079) Bishop and Martyr – Wisdom 5:1-5 – John 15:1-7.– Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“I am the Vine, you the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, the same bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” – John 15:5
REFLECTION – “The Lord calls Himself the Vine and those united to Him, branches, in order to teach us how much we shall benefit from our union with Him and, how important it is for us, to remain in His Love. By receiving the Holy Spirit, Who is the bond of union between us and Christ our Saviour, those who are joined to Him, as branches are to a vine, share in His own nature.
On the part of those who come to the Vine, their union with Him depends upon a deliberate act of the will, on his part, the union is effected by grace. Because we had goodwill, we made the act of faith that brought us to Christ and received from Him, the dignity of adoptive sonship which made us His own kinsmen, according to the words of Saint Paul: He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him.
The Prophet Isaias calls Christ the Foundation because it is upon Him that we, as living and spiritual stones, are built into a holy priesthood to be a dwelling place for God in the Spirit. Upon no other Foundation than Christ ,can this temple be built. Here Christ is teaching the same Truth, by calling Himself the Vine, since the Vine is the parent of its branches and provides their nourishment.
From Christ and in Christ, we have been reborn through the Spirit, in order to bear the fruit of life; not the fruit of our old, sinful life but, the fruit of a new life, founded upon our faith in Him and our love for Him. Like branches growing from a vine, we now draw our life from Christ and we cling to His holy commandment, in order to preserve this life. Eager to safeguard the blessing of our noble birth, we are careful not to grieve the Holy Spirit Who dwells in us and Who makes us aware of God’s Presence in us.
Let the wisdom of John teach us how we live in Christ and Christ lives in us: The proof that we are living in Him and He is living in us, is that He has given us a share in His Spirit.Just as the trunk of the vine gives its own natural properties to each of its branches, so, by bestowing on them the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, the only-begotten Son of the Father, gives Christians a certain kinship with Himself and with God the Father because they have been united to Him by faith and determination to do His Will in all things. He helps them to grow in love and reverence for God and teaches them, to discern right from wrong and to act with integrity.” – St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Known as “The Pillar of Faith” Archbishop of Alexandria, Father & Doctor of the Church, Doctor Incarnationis (Doctor of the Incarnation) [Commentary on the Gospel of John].
PRAYER – O God, in defence of Whose honour Stanislaus, the glorious Bishop, died by the swords of wicked men, grant, we beseech Thee, that all who seek his help may obtain salvation as a result of his prayers. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
Saint of the Day – 7 May – St Benedict II (Died 685) Pope and Confessor. A very short Reign: his Papacy began on 26 June 684, Papacy ended on 8 May 685 but this short Reign was filled with good and holy works. A learned scholar of Sacred Scripture, a Musician and a most avid employer of the beautiful Catholic Chants. He was a nab if great piety and devotion to the Church of Christ and its faithful.
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Rome, St Benedict II, Pope and Confessor.”
He was a native of Rome and having been brought up from his infancy in the service of the Church, was well skilled in the holy scriptures and in the Ecclesiastical chanting, of which he was a devout admirer. To sing assiduously the divine praises on earth is a kind of novitiate to the state of the blessed in heaven and an employment the most sweet and comfortable to a soul who truly loves God.
Benedict was always humble, meek, patient, mortified, a lover of poverty, and most generous to the poor. Being Ordained Priest, he had a share in the government of the Roman Church under the Pontificates of Agatho and Leo II.
Benedict was elected Oope upon the death of the latter, in 683 but to obtain the Emperor’s consent, it was necessary to wait almost a year, until the return of messengers sent to Constantinople. On which account the Holy See remained vacant and Benedict was only Consecrated on 26 June 684.
St Benedict II had concurred with Pope Agatho in assembling the 6th General Council at Constantinople, in 680. Pope Leo II, had sent the Decrees of the Council to Spain. After his death, St Benedict II pursued the same course and the Spanish Bishops in a Council at Toledo, approved and received the Definition of Faith published by the said Council.
They despatched a copy of their Decree and Confession of Faith with their subscriptions annexed, wherein they acknowledge the Divine and Human Nature of Christ. Pope Benedict, however, observed in their Confession certain obscure expressions, of which he desired a clearer explanation. For this purpose the 15th Council of Toledo was held, in which they were expounded in a sense entirely orthodox to St Benedict II satisfaction.
The Bishops of Rome were anciently chosen by the Clergy and people of Rome, according to the discipline of those times. The Christian Emperors were the head of the people, on which account their consent was required. But whilst they resided in the East, this condition often produced long delays and considerable inconveniences.
Pope Benedict II represented this problem to Constantine and that pious Prince readily passed a law addressed to the Clergy, the faithful and the army at Rome, allowing that the person elected by them should be forthwith Consecrated.
St Pope Benedict II laboured much for the conversion of heretics and in repairing and adorning Churches. He did not complete eleven months in the Pontificate but filled this short term with good works. He died on 5 May 685 and was buried in St Peter’s Basilica.
The Apparition of the Holy Cross over Jerusalem: The Commemoration of the appearance on 7 May 351, Pentecost that year, of a luminous image of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem. It stretched from Mount Golgotha to the Mount of Olives (about two miles / three kilometers), was brighter than the sun, lasted several hours and was seen by the entire City. It led to many conversions and was reported in a letter attributed to Saint Cyril of Jerusalem.
Bl Antonio de Agramunt St Augustine of Nicomedia St Augustus of Nicomedia
St Benedict II (Died 685) Pope and Confessor
St Cerenico of Spoleto St Domitian of Huy St Duje
St Flavia Domitilla (1st Century) Virgin Martyr. The Roman Martyrology states of her today: “At Terracina, in Campania, the birthday of blessed Flavia Domitilla, Virgin and Martyr, niece of the Consul Flavius Clemens. She received the religious veil at the hands of St Clement and in the persecution of Domitian, was exiled with many others to the island of Pontia, where she endured a long Martyrdom for Christ. Taken afterwards to Terracina, she converted many to the faith of Christ by her teaching and miracles. The judge ordered the chamber in which she was, with the virgins Euphrosina and Theodora, to be set on fire and she thus consummated her glorious Martyrdom. She is also mentioned with the holy Martyrs Nereus and Achilleus, on the 12th of this month.” Her Life and Death: https://anastpaul.com/2021/05/07/saint-of-the-day-7-may-saint-flavia-domitilla-of-terracina-1st-century-virgin-and-martyr/
St Flavius of Nicomedia Bl Francesco Paleari Bl Gisela of Ungarn
St John of Beverley (Died 721) Bishopof Hexham and then the Bishop of York, Scholar and Teacher, Apostle of the poor, and the sick Ascetic, Miracle-worker., a great friend of St Bede the Venerable. He founded a Monastery at Beverley, Yorkshire from which the Town developed. Today, it is a vibrant market Town of some 31,000 people. It owes its foundation and growth to Saint John of Beverley. The Beverley Cathedral now stands on the site of St John’s Monastery. The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At York, in England, St John, Bishop, renowned for his saintly life and miracles.” A Wonderful Saint from Yorkshire: https://anastpaul.com/2022/05/07/saint-of-the-day-7-may-st-john-of-beverley-died-721-of-the-miraculous-banner/
St Juvenal of Benevento St Maurelius of Voghenza-Ferrara St Peter (Died c735) Bishop of Pavia St Placid (Died c675) Abbot of Autun St Quadratus of Herbipolis St Quadratus of Nicomedia
St Serenicus of Hyesmes St Serenus of Hyesmes Bl Villanus (Died 1237) Bishop of Gubbio
Thought for the Day – 6 May – Extracts fromThe Imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)
Extracts from The Imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary By Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471) Imprimatur 17 February 1947
SOLILOQUIES OF THE SOUL
—Thomas à Kempis
Read, O my son, or rather, chant while reading, These sweet versicles in honour of Mary. Take them as a viaticum for the soul; Take them as one does a staff for a journey. Read often and re-read with devotion while praying. May Jesus and Mary be for you, in life, At all times, in every place, your sole company, For fear that you may wander alone or unguided, Shedding without, the perfumes from within. You will find here a treatise on Mary, brief, But a treatise full of sweetness for meditation. And a treatise full of strength, to protect you well. Meditate on it often and often, pray too, Saying with a full heart: Hail, Mary!
AnaStpaul 
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