Blessed Artaldo of Belley, also known as Artaldus, Artaud, Arthaud, Arthold, Artholdus, Artoldo, was a 13th-century Carthusian Bishop of Belley, France. Artaldus was born in the castle of Sothonod in Savoy. At the age of eighteen, he went to the court of Duke Amadeus III, but a year or two after, he became a Carthusian at Portes. After many years, being a priest and an experienced and holy religious, he was sent by the prior of the Grande Chartreuse to found a charterhouse near his home, in a valley in the Valromey significantly called “the cemetery”. Here Artaldus established himself with six of his brethren from Portes. The community was no sooner well settled down, than there buildings were destroyed by fire, and St. Artaldus had to begin all over again. He chose a fresh site on the Arvieres River, and his second foundation was soon built and occupied, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, in 1132.
But a Carthusian cell could not contain the ever-increasing reputation of Artaldus: like his master St. Bruno, he was consulted by the Pope, and when he was well over eighty, he was called from his monastery to be bishop of Belley. However, after less than two years of episcopate, his resignation was accepted, and he returned to Arvieres, where he lived in peace for the rest of his days. During his last years, he was visited by St. Hugh of Lincoln, who had come into France, and who, while he was prior of the charterhouse of Witham, had induced Henry II to become a benefactor of Arvieres.
The cultus of St. Artaldus, called simply Blessed by the Carthusians, was confirmed for the diocese of Belley in 1834. He was 105 years old when he died on 6 October 1206, the same day as the founder of his order, St Bruno.
Notre-dame-de-toute-aide de Querrien, France / Our Lady of All Help (1652) – 6 October, for the Feast of the Holy Rosary on 7 October) 15 August (the Assumption) and the Sunday following 8 September (Feast of the Nativity of Our Lady):
In 574, the Monk Saint Columban came from Ireland and landed on the coast of Brittany with 12 companions. The Monk Saint Gall, friend and companion of St Colomban, was part of the group. The latter stopped at Querrien and there, he found a clear and limpid spring gushing out of the ground “so that the inhabitants can knead bread there” . St Gall also built a wooden Oratory which he dedicated to Our Lady. He placed there, a wooden Statue, representing the Virgin and Child , a Statue he had sculpted himself. Over time, the Oratory was abandoned, it disintegrates and the Statue fell to the ground and was buried in the mud near the source of the spring.
On 15 August 1652, Jeanne Courtel a 12-year-old girl, deaf and dumb from birth. while guarding the family’s sheep saw a “beautiful lady” who spoke to her. Thereupon, Jeanne was immediately able to hear and to speak to the great astonishment of all the inhabitants of the village. A few days later, Jeanne saw the beautiful lady again who asked to have the ground dug up near the source of the spring, where the Statue of the Virgin was buried. The wooden Statuette was found at the place indicated, confirming for the people, the authenticity of the Apparition. There were a total of fifteen appearances of Our Lady with which Jeanne was favoured, until September of the same year. From that time on, pilgrims arrived and numerous miracles were recorded.
Shortly after this miracle became known, there was a second one just as remarkable. There was a community benefactor whose son was at death’s door with a high fever. Invoking Our Lady before this same Statue the man saw his son instantly cured. After this second wondrous miracle, the Statue was moved into the Chapel and there were many miracles that followed. One miracle was worked in favour of a religious Sister who had been terribly burned and was she was instantly cured. A Priest, falsely accused of a crime, was acquitted after special prayers to the “miracle lady.” The statue had had no name before this but the Parishioners decided now to call her Our Lady of All Help, Quick Help, or Our Lady of Good Remedy.
The local Bishop, Denis de La Barde, launched an investigation and went there to verify the child’s declarations. Satisfied with his hearings, he had a chapel erected in 1652 to organise the devotion of the faithful. After having carried out a canonical investigation, the Bishop of Saint-Brieuc issued a positive opinion on the Apparition and decided to have a Chapel built and to organise worship there. The following 29 September, the Bishop returned to bless the first stone of the Chapel during a celebration which brought together 1,500 pilgrims.
On 14 August 1950, a great celebration was held in the Sanctuary. This celebration was attended by 20,000 pilgrims, several Bishops, the Abbots of Brittany and 200 Priests from Saint-Brieuc, Rennes and Vannes , for the crowning of the Statue of Notre-Dame de Tout-Aide . It was Archbishop Clément Roque of Rennes who placed the crown designed by Émile Daubé and made by goldsmith René Desury on the head of the Statue. This coronation was carried out with the authorisation and blessing of Pope Pius XII.
The Statue itself is only about 60 centimetres tall. The Blessed Virgin Mary is crowned, and holds her Infant Son in one arm, and a sceptre in the other. At the time of the French Revolution and during the accompanying Reign of Terror, the Abbey was destroyed. A pious lady took the Statue of Our Lady of All Help and safeguarded it until the trouble was over. After her death the Statue was restored to the community. The Statue of Our Lady of All Help has survived several wars since.
In 1998, a series of renovations began which would continue for several years. Today pilgrimages continue all year with often as many as 10 000 attending the major celebrations. The current Church incorporates the small Chapel (the remains of which, can still be seen on the north side of the building).
There is a short and very lovely prayer which, for centuries, has been associated with this Statue. It is, “Oh, Mother of All Help, say but one word in our behalf to Thy Divine Son, for He cannot refuse thee any favour. Amen.”
St Bruno O.Cart (c 1030-1101) Priest, Confessor, Hermit, Monk, Mystic, Founder of the Carthusian Order, Philosopher, Theologian, Teacher, Advisor, Writer (Optional Memorial)
Blessed Adalbero of Lambach (c 1010–1090) Bishop of Würzburg and Count of Lambach-Wels, Reformer, Mediator and Advisor, founder of Churches and Monasteries.
St Pardulf St Renato of Sorrento St Romanus of Auxerre St Sagar of Laodicea — Martyrs of Capua – 4 saints: A group of martyrs who were either killed in Capua, Italy, or that’s where their relics were first enshrined. We now know nothing but their names – Aemilius, Castus, Marcellus and Saturninus.
Martyrs of Kyoto – 52 beati: Fifty-two Japanese lay people, some single, some married, some parents, some children, who were martyred together during one of the government sponsored persecutions of Christians.
Martyrs of Trier: Commemorates the large number of martyrs who died in Trier, Germany in the persecutions of Diocletian. 287 in Trier, Germany.
Jesus, Joseph, and Mary, I give you my heart and my soul.
Jesus, Joseph, and Mary, assist me in my last agony.
Jesus, Joseph, and Mary, may I breathe forth my soul in peace with you.
(7 years every time each one is said)
From sudden and unprovided death, O Lord, deliver us.
(300 days every time said)
O Lord, my God, I now, at this moment, readily and willingly accept at Thy hand whatever kind of death it may please Thee to send me, with all its pains, penalties, and sorrows.
(7 years every time said. Plenary indulgence at the point of death to all those who at any time of their lives, with sincere love toward God and with the usual conditions, make this kind of act)
Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord, that we in the hour of death, being strengthened by the sacraments and cleansed of all sins, may with joy deserve to be received into the bosom of Thy mercy. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
One Minute Reflection – 6 October – “Month of the Holy Rosary” – Readings: Ps 36:30-31, Ps 36:1, Sir 31:8-11, Luke 12:35-40
Blessed are those servants whom the master, on his return, shall find watching.
Luke 12:35-40
REFLECTION – And your public assemblies I have come to hate. For there are excessive banquetings, and subtle flutes which provoke to lustful movements, and useless and luxurious anointings, and crowning with garlands. With such a mass of evils do you banish shame; and you fill your minds with them, and are carried away by intemperance, and indulge as a common practice in wicked and insane fornication. And this further I would say to you, why are you, being a Greek, indignant at your son when he imitates Jupiter, and rises against you and defrauds you of your own wife? Why do you count him your enemy, and yet worship one that is like him? And why do you blame your wife for living in unchastity, and yet honour Venus with shrines? If indeed these things had been related by others, they would have seemed to be mere slanderous accusations, and not truth. But now your own poets sing these things, and your histories noisily publish them.
Henceforth, you Greeks, come and partake of incomparable wisdom, and be instructed by the Divine Word, and acquaint yourselves with the King immortal; and do not recognise those men as heroes who slaughter whole nations. For our own Ruler, the Divine Word, who even now constantly aids us, does not desire strength of body and beauty of feature, nor yet the high spirit of earth’s nobility, but a pure soul, fortified by holiness, and the watchwords of our King, holy actions, for through the Word power passes into the soul. O trumpet of peace to the soul that is at war! O weapon that puts to flight terrible passions! O instruction that quenches the innate fire of the soul! The Word exercises an influence which does not make poets: it does not equip philosophers nor skilled orators, but by its instruction it makes mortals immortal, mortals gods; and from the earth transports them to the realms above Olympus.
St. Justin Martyr
PRAYER – Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. Teach us Almighty Father to pray, fill us with the love of Your Spirit and guide us always by the Word and Trust of our lives. With the Blessed Mother of God and of the Holy Rosary, we kneel in love and adoration. May her prayers lead us to heaven. Amen
Be not vexed over evildoers, nor jealous of those who do wrong.
Ps 36:1
Anger, brothers, is an ambiguous matter, it is made bad by the way it is used, and not by its nature, it is very bad when it is conceived out of hatred, it is wicked when it is produced out of rage, its is very good when it comes from love, and when disciplining another demands it.
St Peter Chrysologus
O dearest daughter, grieve that I am so offended, and weep over these dead so that your prayer may destroy their death!
They become unbearable to themselves. They who wanted to rule the world find themselves ruled by nothingness, that is, by sin – for sin is the opposite of being, and they have become servants and slaves of sin. I made them trees of love through the life of grace, which they received in holy baptism. But they have become trees of death, because they are dead.
The Dialogue of St Catherine of Siena
St. Cyril also, writing to St. Augustine, says that one of the three men who were raised from the dead told him: “As the hour of my departure drew nigh, a multitude of devils, countless in number, came and stood about me. Their forms were more horrible than anything imagination can conceive. One would rather be burnt in the fire than be compelled to look upon them. These demons ranged themselves around me, and reproached me with all the misdeeds I had ever done, thinking to drive me to despair. And in fact I should have given way before them, had not God in His mercy come to my succour.”
The Four Last Things (Fr Martin von Cochem)
The sinner’s greatest torment will be the fear of what is to come. He knows that in a few hours he will pass from time into eternity. He knows that if he is not in the state of grace, an eternity of punishment awaits him. And not only does he know that he is not in the state of grace, not only does his soul bear witness that he is no longer a child of God and an heir to the kingdom of heaven, but he feels the visible marks of his reprobation in the multitude and gravity of his crimes, in the hardness of his heart, in the troubles of his conscience, in his distrust in the mercy of God and in his despair which overwhelms him. Ask yourself whether you desire to die the death of the sinner.
Fr François Nepveu, S.J.
Who are you, then, that you should be afraid of mortal man? Today he is here, tomorrow he is not seen. Fear God and you will not be afraid of the terrors of men. What can anyone do to you by word or injury? He hurts himself rather than you, and no matter who he may be he cannot escape the judgment of God.
The Imitation of Christ
Thou sayest that thou wilt not allow a week to pass without confession. But who promises thee this week? Thou sayest that thou wilt confess tomorrow. But who promises thee tomorrow? S. Augustine writes thus God has not promised to give thee tomorrow, perhaps He will give it to thee, and perhaps He will refuse to give it to thee; even as He has denied it to so many, who at night have gone to bed alive, and in the morning have been found dead.
The Glories of the Holy Angels Venerable Henri Boudon, Archdeacon of Evreux
MOTIVE FOURTH All Men are assisted by the Angels
It is unnecessary to seek any other motive to love God than love itself—as our Lord revealed to Mother Magdalen of St. Joseph, a Carmelite religious. But why does God love men so much? Let it be published among the nations, says St. Bernard, and let them confess that the Lord has determined to treat them magnificently. O my God ! what is man, that you condescend to give him your only Son, to send him your Holy Spirit, and depute your Angels to guard and defend him ! ‘ Behold then an Angel, who is as a great king, endowed with all imaginable glory and perfection, in the service of man—a being compounded of misery and imperfection—a worm of the earth—dust and ashes ! But that man, when in the state of sin, should still be protected by the Angels, is far more wonderful. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves: the greatest saints have fallen, through weakness or inadvertence, into venial faults— and would to God that there were no greater committed Hell itself being less terrible than a single offence against the Divine Majesty; but, alas ! men in general have little horror of mortal sin, and easily fall into it.
The Angels, though struck with amazement at these diabolical excesses, are nevertheless not deterred from assisting these unhappy beings. O soul! who readest these truths, is it not wonderful that the blessed Spirits should lend their aid to those who offend God, considering the knowledge they possess of his unspeakable greatness ? Is it not amazing that they are content to remain with those who every day trample on the blood of their God, “and make void the sufferings by which they have been redeemed.’
Let us go further : Heretics and Infidels have Angels who guard them, though their sin be so incomprehensible, that we can never in this world attain anything like a notion of it. The Turks, the professed enemies of the Christian name, have their Angels—nay, Antichrist himself will have an Angel Guardian, says St. Thomas, who will hinder him from committing several evils. The Angels serve all these people as their masters, though they know them to be slaves of the devil and victims of hell. Where is the gardener who would water a tree, if he knew it would never produce fruit! Where is the friend who would continue to demonstrate his friendship, after repeated insults and affronts ? Yet all the injuries, revolts, contempt and ingratitude of men diminish not in the least degree the charity of these blessed Spirits. They go to seek them in the forests of Canada, in the remotest deserts, in the most gloomy caverns, at the extremities of the earth.
You would say that they are beside themselves with love for men, who have nothing of man but the shape and appearance, their lives being wholly earthly and sensual. These celestial beauties give their affections to deformity itself, and yet meet with no other return than ingratitude and contempt. How shocking—how deplorable!
Day Nine: We Pray for the Grace of Wisdom and for our private intentions
At the end of this journey of prayer together, Let us today, turn to Our Divine Father and pray, so that we may be granted the gift of wisdom and discernment, to enable us to Understand, Distinguish, Separate and Decide between the good and evil. We pray for the ability to make the right judgement for and about others, as well as for ourselves, according to God’s Will. Amen
Daily Prayer along with our Daily Rosary:
My dearest Mother Mary, behold me, your child, in prayer at your feet. Accept this Holy Rosary, which I offer you in accordance with your requests at Fatima, as a proof of my tender love for you, for the intentions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in atonement for the offenses committed against your Immaculate Heart and for this special favour which I earnestly request in my Rosary Novena: ………………………….. (Mention your request).
I beg you to present my petition to your Divine Son. If you will pray for me, I cannot be refused. I know, dearest Mother, that you want me to seek God’s holy Will concerning my request. If what I ask for should not be granted, pray that I may receive that which will be of greater benefit to my soul.
I offer you this spiritual Bouquet of Roses because I love you. I put all my confidence in you, since your prayers before God are most powerful. For the greater glory of God and for the sake of Jesus, your loving Son, hear and grant my prayer. Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation.
Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for our Holy Mother Church and for our country.
Sweet Heart of Jesus, be my love.
Sweet Heart of Mary, at the hour of my death, lead me home.
Notre-Dame Arcachon / Our Lady of La Teste-de-Buch, Guienne (1519) – 5 October:
According to the Marian Calendar, Our Lady of Buch is located in the Pine Mountains, in Guienne. The sea cast this image upon the sands, while Saint Thomas, the Cordelier Friar, was praying on behalf of two vessels which he saw in danger of perishing. He respectfully received this image and deposited it in this place, in a small Chapel which he built there.
Guienne, or Guyenne, refers to a loosely defined region of pre-revolutionary, South-Western France. Buch, or La Teste-de-Buch, is a Town in the Gironde region in Aquitaine, located on the south shore of Arcachon Bay. The “Cordeliers,” known also as the Grey Friars for the heavy grey cloth they wore, are Franciscans. Their belt was but a rope with five knots tied at the end, which gave them their name in France. The “Saint Thomas” mentioned is Thomas Illyricus (1484-1528), a Franciscan native of Vrana in the Diocese of Zarian. He was never Canonised. He was a hermit and itinerant preacher and an indefatigable missionary traveller who lived near Arcachon in la Teste-de-Buch. It was he, who built the Chapel of Notre-Dame Arcachon.
“More than his voice, vibrant with emotion,” wrote the Abbe Mauriac, “more than his ascetic appearance, more than his style so direct and so strong, what stirred and attracted thousands of listeners, was his ardent sincerity which overflowed and poured itself out, while his love of God and of souls, accented his words and made him very eloquent.”
It was in the year 1519 that Thomas Illyricus found the famous Statue now known as the Virgin of Advent at the edge of the sea. He built a Shrine of wood that same year for the Statue, and pilgrimages date from 1525 and grew so much in numbers that in 1624, Cardinal Francois de Sourdis authorised the construction of a stone Chapel. This small Chapel was gradually buried by the sands and it was decided to build a new one which was completed in 1723. The Church is known as the Church of L’eglise Notre Dame des Passes, or Notre-Dame Arcachon. Many miracles have been wrought through devotion to Mary at the Shrine and the Church is dedicated to sailors, who face the channels for entry into the Arcachon basin.
There is a tall Cross known as the Sailors Cross which stands at the end of the pier of the Chapel. Built at the same time as the construction of the Chapel in 1722, the original was destroyed by a gale in 1855 and was replaced by the one that we see today. It was once customary for sailors to greet the Cross with two blasts from their fog horn, to appeal for divine protection, when they went out on the ocean and faced its dangers. Mary is particularly interested in seafarers and folk living near waters. She who was so familiar with the Sea of Galilee and the profession of the Twelve Pillars of her Divine Son’s Church, she is still is vigilant for their welfare and happiness.
Bl Alberto Marvelli St Alexander of Trier St Anna Schaeffer St Apollinaris of Valence St Attilanus of Zamora St Aymard of Cluny
St Boniface of Trier St Charitina of Amasa St Eliano of Cagliari
St Firmatus of Auxerre St Flaviana of Auxerre Bl Flora of Beaulieu St Gallo of Aosta St Jerome of Nevers Bl John Hewett St Magdalveus of Verdun St Mamlacha St Marcellinus of Ravenna Bl Marian Skrzypczak St Meinulph St Palmatius of Trier Blessed Pietro of Imola (c1250-1320)
Blessed Raymond of Capua OP (c 1330-1399) Priest, “The Second Founder” of the Dominican Order of Preachers, Reformer, Spiritual Director, he worked with St Agnes of Montepulciano and St Catherine of Siena, Hagiographer, Teacher.
Bl Robert Sutton Bl Sante of Cori St Thraseas of Eumenia St Tranquilino Ubiarco Robles Bl William Hartley — Martyrs of Messina or St Placidus and Companions – 30 saints: A group of about 30 Benedictine monks and nuns, some blood relatives, who were sent in the early days of the order to establish monasteries in the vicinity of Messina, Sicily, Italy and who were martyred. We know the names, and a few details, about seven of them – • Donatus • Eutychius • Faustus • Firmatus • Flavia • Placidus • Victorinus 6th century Messina, Sicily, Italy.
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: • Blessed Eugenio Andrés Amo • Blessed Sebastià Segarra Barberá • Blessed Rafael Alcocer Martínez
All martyrs from England murdered on 5 October 1588., all beatified by Pope Pius XI.
Blessed William Hartley was an English priest. Born in Wilne, Derbyshire and raised Protestant, he studied at Oxford University and became an Anglican minister before converting to Catholicism. He studied in Rheims, France and was ordained in 1580. Returning to England, he worked with Bl Edmund Campion, ministering to covert Catholics. Arrested in 1582 for being a priest, he was deported but soon returned to England to resume his ministry. He was captured at Holborn, and hanged on 5 October 1588 at Shoreditch, London.
Blessed John Hewett, also known as John Hewitt, John Weldon, John Savell. He was born in York, North Yorkshire, the son of a draper. Educated at Caius College, Cambridge, he studied for the priesthood at Rheims, France, and was ordained in 1586. Returning to England as a covert priest, he used the names Weldon and Savell to hide his identity. Arrested at Grey’s Inn Lane, London, on 10 March 1587 for the crime of priesthood, and hanged on 5 October 1588 at Mile End Green, London.
Blessed Robert Sutton, layman martyr, was a tutor or schoolmaster, born at Kegworth in Leicestershire, who had practiced his profession in Paternoster Row, London. Sometime prior to June 1586, he met there a Mr. Blythe (a.k.a. Oliver Heywoode), an old priest working in the area of Newgate, and converted to Catholicism. He was soon arrested, incarcerated and hanged in 1588 at Clerkenwell, London.
He must of right concede that, although very much might be done before Christ, yet that something more might be done after Christ, since to His times all fullness is attributed.
One Minute Reflection – 5 October – “Month of the Holy Rosary” – Readings: Ps 77:1, Eph 4:23-28, Matt 22:1-14
And he said to him, “Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?” But he was speechless.
Matt 22:1-14
REFLECTION – What is the wedding garment that the Gospel talks about? Most certainly, that garment is something that only the good have, those who are to participate in the feast. Could it be the sacraments? Baptism? Without baptism, no one comes to God, but some people receive baptism and do not come to God. Perhaps it is the altar or what a person receives at the altar? But in receiving the Lord’s body, some people eat and drink their own condemnation. So what is it? Fasting? The wicked also fast. Going to church often? The wicked go to church like the others.
So what is this wedding garment? The apostle Paul tells us: “What we are aiming at is the love that springs from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith.” That is the wedding garment. Paul is not talking about just any kind of love, for one can often see dishonest people loving others, but one does not see among them this love “that springs from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith.” Now that is the love that is the wedding garment.
The apostle Paul said: “If I speak with human tongues and angelic as well, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong, a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and, with full knowledge, comprehend all mysteries, if I have faith great enough to move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.” He said that even if he had all that, without Christ “I am nothing.” How many good things are worthless because one good alone is lacking! If I am without love I may well give away all that I have, confess the name of Christ to the point of shedding my blood, it would be to no purpose, because I can act in that way for love of glory. “If I have not love, it is of no use.” That is the wedding garment. Examine yourselves: if you have it, then come to the Lord’s banquet with confidence.
St Augustine
PRAYER – Stay With Me, O Lord by Padre Pio (1887-1968) Stay with me, Lord, for You are my life and without You I am without fervour. Stay with me, Lord, for You are my light and without You I am in darkness. Stay with me, Lord, so that I hear Your voice and follow You. Stay with me, Lord, for I desire to love You very much and always be in Your company. Stay with me, Lord, if You wish me to be faithful to You. Stay with me, Lord, as poor as my soul is, I want it to be a place of consolation for You, a nest of Love. Stay with me, Jesus, for it is getting late and the day is coming to a close and life passes, death, judgement and eternity approach. It is necessary to renew my strength, so that I will not stop along the way and for that, I need You. It is getting late and death approaches, I fear the darkness, the temptations, the dryness, the cross, the sorrows. O how I need You, my Jesus, in this night of exile! Stay with me tonight, Jesus, in life with all its dangers, I need You. Let me recognise You as Your disciples did, at the breaking of the bread, so that the Eucharistic Communion be the Light which disperses the darkness, the force which sustains me, the unique joy of my heart. Stay with me, Lord, because at the hour of my death, I want to remain united to You, if not by Communion, at least by grace and love. Stay with me, Lord, for it is You alone I look for, Your Love, Your Grace, Your Will, Your Heart, Your Spirit, because I love You and ask no other reward but to love You more and more. With a firm love, I will love You with all my heart while on earth and continue to love You perfectly during all eternity. Amen
But they made light of it, and went off, one to his farm, and another to his business; and the rest laid hold of his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them.
Matt 22:1-14
See then care utterable. He had planted a vineyard; He had done all things, and finished; when His servants had been put to death, He sent other servants; when those had been slain, He sent the son; and when He was put to death, He bids them to the marriage. They would not come. After this He sends other servants, and they slew these also. Then upon this He slays them, as being incurably diseased.
St John Chrysostom
We are hypocrites who serve God just as long as everything is going according to our wishes. Alas, my dear brethren, all of these virtues which we observe in a great many apparent Christians are but like the flowers of spring, which one gust of hot wind can wither.
St John Vianney
From our mutual love and your reverence for me you have thought that I should be consulted, dearest brother, as to my opinion concerning a certain actor, who, being settled among you, still persists in the discredit of the same art of his; and as a master and teacher, not for the instruction, but for the destruction of boys, that which he has unfortunately learned he also imparts to others: you ask whether such a one ought to communicate with us. This, I think, neither befits the divine majesty nor the discipline of the Gospel, that the modesty and credit of the Church should be polluted by so disgraceful and infamous a contagion.
St Cyprian
For what is more truly the beginning for a Christian than to believe in Christ? What end is better than to suffer for Christ?
St Augustine
We must certainly be extraordinarily blind because when all is said and done, there is not a single person who could say that he is ready to appear before Jesus Christ. Yet in spite of the fact that we are quite aware of this, there is still not one among us who will take a single step nearer to God. Dear Lord, how blind the sinner is! How pitiable is his lot! My dear children, let us not live like fools any longer, for at the moment when we least expect it, Jesus Christ will knock at our door. How happy then will be the person who has not been waiting until that very moment to prepare himself for Him. That is what I wish you to be.
St John Vianney
Wherefore also great is the punishment appointed for them that have been remiss. For as they did despite by not coming, so also thou by thus sitting down with a corrupt life. For to come in with filthy garments is this namely, to depart hence having one’s life impure; wherefore also he was speechless.
I confess that continuing to write of the Angels, my heart is insensibly touched with their love; and no wonder if it all were liquefied before these blessed spirits, who are, as the Psalmist says, “a devouring fire.” O amiable Spirits ! here permit my poor soul to sigh for love. Either suffer me to die, or to live as you wish. May I love you with a love according to the heart of Jesus, the King of love, and of Mary, the Queen of holy love. We should cease to live, or breathe only the purity of this love. To resume—Are not the foregoing motives sufficiently powerful to engage us to love the Angels ? But we can furnish many others. It is not one, nor a certain number, of these celestial spirits that are employed in our service. St. Paul says, that they are all deputed for our salvation. All the Angels, says St. Augustine, are employed in our defence, since they and we make but one same city of God. It is not alone the Angels of the last choir, says St. Chrysostom, that watch for the safety of men; the higher choirs are also deputed to defend them.
Some question if the higher Angels descend upon earth to assist man; but how will these explain the testimonies which the holy Scripture gives us to this effect? St. Raphael, who guided Tobias when going to Rages, said of himself, that he was one of the seven spirits who stand before the throne. They were the Cherubim who appeared to Ezechiel. It was to a Cherub that God committed the care of the terrestrial Paradise—and it was a Seraph who purified the lips of Isaiah. Ecclesiastical History, too, teaches the same truth: It was one of the highest Angels who imprinted the sacred stigmas of our Lord’s passion on the body of St. Francis, and another who wounded, with a golden dart, the heart of St. Teresa. But this is not the essential point : it is quite enough for us to know, that in some manner or another, all the Angels are in our service. And what a host of defenders for us ! Holy Job says, that their number is without number. Some writers affirm, that it surpasses that of the stars of Heaven, of the birds of the air, of the drops of water in the ocean, and of all visible creatures. St. Gregory of Nyssa says that there is an infinity of millions of Angels: and St. Dionysius the Areopagite, that God alone knows the number of these holy Spirits.
What movements of love—what sentiments of consolation do not these truths, if well penetrated, impart to our poor hearts! If it were said to you who read these lines, that the King had deputed to your service one of his principal courtiers, with strict orders to render to you all the manner of favours and services, what would be your gratitude, your amazement, your joy ! But history furnishes no such instance of kindness; it is only the King of kings who operates such a prodigy of love. O my soul ! my soul! have you ever seriously considered, that not only one but all the princes of the God of Paradise watch over you with ineffable care and tenderness—that “all minister to those who are to receive the inheritance of salvation.” ’
O the love of that God who has sent them ! O the love of those Spirits whom he has sent ! What consolation for us! Why, after this, should we be sad or troubled? One alone of these blessed princes is more than sufficient to defend us, and behold millions of millions—nay, an infinity of millions of them watching for our safety ! But remember, if such powerful protection places you in security, that the friendship of these illustrious princes should serve you for occupation. It is better to form acquaintance with these pure spirits than to amuse one’s self with creatures. Their friendship is so much the more holy and advantageous, as there is nothing in them but God alone.
Day Eight: We Pray for the Virtue of Faith and for our private intentions
Thank You, Jesus You our Great Mystery, For Your life that transcends our understanding, For Your presence from which we can never flee, for Your Resurrection which is never defeated and for the gift of faith that enables us to trust even in the midst of our doubts and fears. Amen
Daily Prayer along with our Daily Rosary:
My dearest Mother Mary, behold me, your child, in prayer at your feet. Accept this Holy Rosary, which I offer you in accordance with your requests at Fatima, as a proof of my tender love for you, for the intentions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in atonement for the offenses committed against your Immaculate Heart and for this special favour which I earnestly request in my Rosary Novena: ………………………….. (Mention your request).
I beg you to present my petition to your Divine Son. If you will pray for me, I cannot be refused. I know, dearest Mother, that you want me to seek God’s holy Will concerning my request. If what I ask for should not be granted, pray that I may receive that which will be of greater benefit to my soul.
I offer you this spiritual Bouquet of Roses because I love you. I put all my confidence in you, since your prayers before God are most powerful. For the greater glory of God and for the sake of Jesus, your loving Son, hear and grant my prayer. Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation.
Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for our Holy Mother Church and for our country.
Sweet Heart of Jesus, be my love.
Sweet Heart of Mary, at the hour of my death, lead me home.
La Madonna della Riconciliazione e della Pace / Our Lady of Reconciliation and Peace, Balestrino Italy (1949) – 4 October
Caterina Richero was born on 7 October 1940 in Bergalla, the highest hamlet of Balestrino, of a humble peasant family. She was the first of four siblings and her life passed in the serenity of childhood until the age of nine. On 4 October 1949, something radically changed her life. Something that will lead Catherine to humbly sacrifice her life with a continuous and silent witness of faith. A life devoted to prayer and devotion to that female figure who appeared to her 138 times until 5 November 1986 and who, on 5 June 1950 when asked: ” Who are you?” replied: ” I am the Immaculate Conception.”
Catarina’s life, from that distant day in 1949 was by no means easy. She had to face the ridicule and mistrust of many and above all, she had to stick to what was given to her by the Bishop. She was also forbidden to go to Mount Croce but the Madonna began to appear in Catarina’s home. In all those years, Our Lady asked her to pray constantly for the conversion of sinners and to do many penances for all, without faith. On 5 October 1971 she said: “ On Mount Croce you will find light and strength and I, in this place, will obtain many graces for you.”
Now on Monte Croce there is a splendid Chapel with a Statue of Christ awaiting pilgrims at the top of a staircase. Inside, intent on arranging the flowers on the Altar or absorbed in prayers, Catarina, who with her silent presence tells everyone much more than thousands of articles and books could say. The Statue venerated in the Chapel of the Sanctuary was crowned on 7 October 1992 by Msgr. Mario Oliveri.
St Adauctus of Ephesus Bl Alfonso Tabela St Ammon the Great (c 286-c 348) Hermit, Layman St Aurea St Berenice St Caius of Corinth St Callisthene of Ephesus St Crispus of Corinth St Damaris of Athens St Diogenes of Milan St Domnina St Hierotheus Bl Julian Majali St Lucius of Alexandria St Peter of Damascus
St Prosdoce St Quintius of Tours — Martyrs of Alexandria – 2+ saints: A group of Christians, men and women, young and old, murdered together for their faith. The only names that have come down to us are the brothers Mark and Marcian.
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: • Blessed Alfredo Pellicer Muñoz • Blessed Avelí Martínez de Arenzana Candela • Blessed Dionisio Ibáñez López • Blessed Francisco Martínez Granero • Blessed Fulgencio Martínez García • Blessed José Aloy Doménech • Blessed José Gafo Muñiz • Blessed José Miguel Peñarroya Dolz • Blessed Juan de Francisco Pío • Blessed Juan José Orayen Aizcorbe • Blessed Martina Vázquez Gordo • Blessed Publio Fernández González • Blessed Tomás Barrios Pérez
Saint Damaris of Athens, was the first woman convert in Athens. She listened to St Paul preach there. She was married to Saint Dionysius the Areopagite.
But certain men adhering to him, did believe; among whom was also Dionysius, the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
Our Morning Offering – 4 October – The Memorial of St Francis of Assisi OFM (c 1181–1226)
Prayer to do the Will of God By St Francis of Assisi (c 1181-1226)
Almighty, eternal, just and merciful God, grant us in our misery, the grace to do for You alone what we know You want us to do and always to desire, what pleases You. Thus, inwardly cleansed, interiorly enlightened and inflamed by the fire of the Holy Spirit, may we be able to follow in the footprints of Your beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. And, by Your grace alone, may we make our way to You, Most High, Who live and rule in perfect Trinity and simple Unity and are glorified God all-powerful, forever and ever. Amen
One Minute Reflection – 4 October – “Month of the Holy Rosary” – Readings: Ps 77:1, Eph 4:23-28, Matt 22:1-14
And his servants went out into the roads, and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; and the marriage feast was filled with guests.
Matt 22:1-14
REFLECTION –Wives are not united to their husbands as closely as the Church is to the Son of God. What husband but our Lord ever died for his wife, and what bride ever chose a crucified man as her husband? Who ever gave his blood as a gift to his wife except the One who died on the cross and sealed the marriage bond with his wounds? Who was ever seen lying dead at his own wedding banquet with his wife at his side seeking to console herself by embracing him? At what other celebration, at what other feast is the bridegroom’s body distributed to the guests in the form of bread?
Death separates wives from their husbands, but in this case it unites the bride to her Beloved. He died on the cross, bequeathed his body to his glorious spouse, and now, every day, she receives and consumes it at his table. She consumes it under the form of bread and under the form of wine so that the whole world may know that they are no longer two but one.
St Jacob of Sarug
PRAYER – All highest, glorious God, cast Your light into the darkness of our hearts, give us true faith, firm hope, perfect charity and profound humility, so that with wisdom, courage and perception, O Lord, we may do what is truly Your holy will. Amen. – St Francis of Assisi
See, then, you who are blind, decieved by your enemies, the world, the flesh, and the devil. Yu have no good in this world and nothing to look forward to in the next.
We should all realise that no matter where or how a man dies, if he is in a state of mortal sin and does not repent, when he could have done so and did not, the devil tears his soul from his body with such anguish and distress that only a person who has experianced it can appreciate it. All the talent and ability, all the learning and wisdom which he thought his own, are taken away from him, while his friends and relatives bear off his property and share it among themselves.
Anyone who has this writing copied, so that it may be obeyed more widely, can be sure that he has God’s blessing and mine.
Remember your dignity, then, my friar-priests. In this mystery God has honoured you above all other human beings, and so you must love, revere and honour Him more than all others.
As I see it, you should consider everything that makes it difficult for you to love God as a special favour, even if other persons, whether friars or not, are responsible for it, or even if they go so far as to do you physical violence. This is the way you should want it to be, and you can take this as a command from God and from me.
Consider and realise that the day of death is approaching.
“Nothing,” says the holy Bishop of Geneva, St. Francis de Sales, “nothing more affects a good heart than to see itself loved; but if the lover be of superior rank, it greatly enhances the motive of reciprocal love.” If this be true, we must either love the Angels, or renounce love altogether. These great princes, of whom we have said such wonderful things in the preceding chapter, not only love us, but also in such a manner that it would seem they are determined to bear away the prize of love.
They manifest towards us every species of affection ; they love us with the love of a father—always seeking our interest, always promoting our welfare, and never omitting any occasion of procuring us that celestial inheritance which has been purchased for us by the merits of the adorable Jesus.
They love us with a maternal love —for it is written, that “ they bear us up in their hands” they take care of our souls and bodies ; they have their eyes ever fixed on us, and caress us continually with all the tenderness that love can inspire.
They love us with the love of a brother, regarding us as the younger members of the family; and, what is more wonderful, and more worthy of heaven than of earth, they are not sorry to see us their equals in glory; nay, our Angel Guardians do all they can to render us more glorious in paradise than they are themselves.
They love us with the love of impassioned lovers —incessantly seeking our friendship, continually thinking of us, and even quitting the blissful regions of immortality to abide with us here on earth.
They love us as good pastors—for is it not of them we can say, that “ they neither slumber nor sleep who keep Israel.”
They love us as physicians, healing our wounds, curing our maladies, and restoring us to health; they love us as advocates, negotiating all our affairs, in heaven and on earth; as faithful guides, conducting us in the true way to perfection; as good masters, abundantly rewarding the little services we render them; as bountiful kings, defending us from our enemies, and causing us to live in peace and security.
O my God ! are we not then overpowered with motives to love your Angels! But when did they begin to love us ? The moment we began to live—nor have they since, nor will they to the last moment of our existence, cease to love us. They love us in all times and places—in Heaven, on Earth, in Purgatory even in our moments of ingratitude they are immutable in our love! It is thus certain that these blessed spirits are our best friends; that their love is the most faithful, constant, amiable, patient, universal, which can possibly be.
All in it is great—all in it is charming— all in it is admirable—all in it is disinterested—for what do they receive for this wonderful kindness ? Injuries, ingratitude, forgetfulness. Infidels know them not— heretics refuse to honour them—nor are Catholics even mindful of them. Ah! who can comprehend this monstrous return for so much love ! Such an impression does this consideration make upon me, that I would wish to go through the world bewailing the obduracy of the human heart. Here it is indeed, that the obduracy of the human heart is in its last excess. O men ! O men ! deliver yourselves now at least to these attractions—return from your unhappy stat —love the Angels—again I say, love the Angels, and love the God of the Angels, for it is in him alone all that is good and amiable deserves to be loved.
Day Seven: We Pray for the Virtue of Fortitude along with our private intentions.
Holy Spirit, may we be granted today, the virtue by which we do the right thing, even in the midst of hardship. We ask Thee to consider our need for courage and bravery, so that we may stay strong, to do what is good. You alone know how often, in our lives, many situations arise in which it becomes difficult to do the right thing, even when we know what it is. We ask this through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen
Daily Prayer along with our Daily Rosary:
My dearest Mother Mary, behold me, your child, in prayer at your feet. Accept this Holy Rosary, which I offer you in accordance with your requests at Fatima, as a proof of my tender love for you, for the intentions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in atonement for the offenses committed against your Immaculate Heart and for this special favour which I earnestly request in my Rosary Novena: ………………………….. (Mention your request).
I beg you to present my petition to your Divine Son. If you will pray for me, I cannot be refused. I know, dearest Mother, that you want me to seek God’s holy Will concerning my request. If what I ask for should not be granted, pray that I may receive that which will be of greater benefit to my soul.
I offer you this spiritual Bouquet of Roses because I love you. I put all my confidence in you, since your prayers before God are most powerful. For the greater glory of God and for the sake of Jesus, your loving Son, hear and grant my prayer. Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation.
Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for our Holy Mother Church and for our country.
Sweet Heart of Jesus, be my love.
Sweet Heart of Mary, at the hour of my death, lead me home.
The Miracle of Ocotlán – 3 October Our Lord of Mercy “The Prodigy of Ocotlán ” This is a major miracle that you’ve probably never heard of, the appearance of Christ in the clouds, in Ocotlan, Mexico, in 1847.
Notre-Dame de Bonne Nouvelle / Our Lady of Good News (Rennes, Ille-et-Vilaine, Brittany, France) 1720 – First Sunday of October, 23 December:
Jean de Montfort founded the Dominican Convent of Our Lady of Good News in Rennes to pay a vow taken during the battle of Auray in 1364, where his victory settled him as Duke of Brittany. In the following century, a panel painting in the Convent’s cloister gained a reputation for miracles, resulting in the building of a separate Chapel to give due veneration to Our Lady and to accommodate the pilgrims.
Another vow was paid after the plague of 1632, which spared Rennes the serious devastation which the surrounding regions suffered. In thanks,giving to the Madonna, the City gave Our Lady of Good News a solid silver model of the town and, from 1634, observed a votive celebration every year on 8 September, the Feast of Mary’s Birth. Another miracle occurred during the great fire of 23 December 1720, when, as their wooden houses burned, the people of Rennes saw Our Lady of Good News look down in compassion from the sky.
During the French Revolution, the silver model, was melted down. The Chapel was destroyed and the Convent used to store fodder. A gardener saved the holy image, which he gave to the neighbouring Church of St Aubin. In 1849, a cholera epidemic inspired a new vow. A new silver-plated model city was commissioned from Napoleon III’s goldsmith and the September votive feast reinstated. When St Aubin’s became too small for all the pilgrims, a new Church was built, dedicated in 1904 to St Aubin and Notre-Dame de Bonne Nouvelle.
The painting was canonically crowned in 1908. In recent years the votive feast has been held on the first Sunday in October rather than 8 September.
St Adalgott of Chur Bl Agostina of the Assumption St Candidus the Martyr St Cyprian of Toulon Bl Damian de Portu St Dionysius the Aeropagite Bl Dominic Spadafora St Ewald the Black St Ewald the Fair St Froilan
St Hesychius Bl Juan Tapia Bl Maddalena the Greater St Maximian of Bagaia St Menna
St Theodore Guerin SP (1798 – 1856) Religious, Foundress of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods and numberous schools, Educator.
Bl Utto of Metten St Virila OSB (Died c 950) Abbot St Widradus — Martyrs of Alexandria – 9 saints: A number of Christian martyrs remembered together. We know the names Caius, Cheremone, Dionysius, Eusebio, Fausto, Lucio, Maximus, Paul, Peter and that there were at least two more whose names have not come down to us, and that’s about all we know.
Martyrs of Brazil – 30 beati: On 25 December 1597 an expedition of colonists, with two Jesuit and two Franciscan evangelists, arrived at Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. The region was colonized by Portuguese Catholics but was invaded by Dutch Calvinists who soon took over the whole territory. They immediately made a policy of the persecution of Catholics. On Sunday 16 July 1645 at Cunhau, Brazil, 69 people were gathered in the Chapel of Our Lady of the Candles for Mass celebrated by Father Andre de Soveral. At the moment of the elevation a group of Dutch soldiers attack the Chapel, murdering many of the faithful including Father Andre; the parishioners died professing their faith and asking pardon for their sins. On 3 October 1645, 200 armed Indians and a band of Flemish troops, led by a fanatical Calvinist convert, hacked to death an unknown number of people of Rio Grande including: • Blessed Ambrosio Francisco Ferro • Blessed André de Soveral • Blessed Antônio Baracho • Blessed Antônio Vilela • Blessed Antônio Vilela Cid • Blessed Diogo Pereira • Blessed Domingos Carvalho • Blessed Estêvão Machado de Miranda • Blessed Francisco de Bastos • Blessed Francisco Mendes Pereira • Blessed João da Silveira • Blessed João Lostau Navarro • Blessed João Martins • Blessed José do Porto • Blessed Manuel Rodrigues de Moura • Blessed Mateus Moreira • Blessed Simão Correia • Blessed Vicente de Souza Pereira and other lay people whose names have not come down to us.
The Two Ewalds (also known as Hewald) were Anglo-Saxon priest-martyrs bearing the same name, who were nicknamed for the difference in their hair colour and complexion.
The two were companions, both natives of Northumbria, England. They spent several years as students in the schools of Ireland. Ewald the Black was the more learned of the two, but both were equally renowned for holiness of life. They were acquainted with St. Willibrord, the Apostle of Friesland, and were animated with his zeal for the conversion of the Germans. Some sources number them among the eleven companions of that saint. They began their mission labours about 690 at Saxony, now part of Westphalia, and covered by the dioceses of Münster, Osnabrück, and Paderborn.
The pagan Saxons, witnessing these activities of the Christian priests and missionaries, began to suspect that the Ewalds planned to convert their over-lord, destroy their temples and supplant their religion. Inflamed with jealousy and anger, they resolved that the Ewalds should die. An uprising followed and both priests were quickly seized. Ewald the White was killed quickly by sword; Ewald the Black was tortured and torn limb from limb, after which both their bodies were cast into the Rhine. This is understood to have happened on 3 October 695 at a place called Aplerbeck, today a district of Dortmund, where a chapel still stands. When the ealdorman heard of what had been done, he became angry and fearful of reprisals, and punished the murderers by putting them to death and burning their villages.
After the priests’ deaths, miracles occured. Their bodies were miraculously carried against the stream for the space of forty miles to the place in which the companions of the Ewalds were residing. As they floated along a heavenly light, like a column of fire, was seen to shine above them. Even the murderers witnessed the miraculous brightness. Moreover, one of the martyrs appeared in vision to the monk Tilmon (a companion of the Ewalds), and told him where the bodies would be found: “that the spot would be there where he should see a pillar of light reaching from earth to heaven”. Tilmon arose and found the bodies, and interred them with the honours due to martyrs. From that time onwards, the memory of the Ewalds was annually celebrated in those parts. A spring of water gushed forth in the place of the martyrdom.
Basilica of St. Cunibert, Cologne
Pepin, Duke of Austrasia, having heard of the wonders that had occurred, caused the bodies to be buried in Cologne, where they were solemnly enshrined in the collegiate church of St. Kunibert. The two Ewalds are honoured as patrons in Westphalia.
Many who, by the straitness of poverty, were unable to manifest the kindness of wealth, manifested more than wealth, making up by their own labour a service dearer than all riches.
Our Morning Offering – 3 October – The Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost
O Jesus, Sweetest Love, Come Thou to Me 1940 Fr Francis Xavier Lasance (1860–1946)
O Jesus, sweetest Love, come Thou to me. Come down in all Thy beauty unto me. Thou Who didst die for longing of me And never, never more depart from me. Free me, O beauteous God, from all but Thee; Sever the chain that holds me back from Thee; Call me, O tender Love, I cry to Thee; Thou art my all! O bind me close to Thee. O suffering Love, Who hast so loved me; O patient Love, Who wearies not of me. Thou alone O Love! Thou weary not of me! Ah! Weary not till I am lost in Thee, Nay, weary not, till I am found in Thee. Amen
One Minute Reflection – 3 October – “Month of the Holy Rosary” – Readings: Song 4:8-9, Ps 112:1, Isa 66:12-14, Matt 18:1-4
You have ravished My Heart, My sister, My bride; you have ravished My Heart.
Song 4:8-9
REFLECTION – This is how Our Lord tells us to pray: “Our Father who art in heaven.” A new man, reborn and restored to his God by his grace says in the first place “Father” because he has now begun to be a son. “He came,” the Gospel says, “unto his own and his own received him not. But as many as received him he gave to them the power to become the sons of God, to those who believe in his name”. He, therefore, who has believed in his name and has become the son of God, thereafter should begin to give thanks by professing himself son of God and by declaring that his father is God in heaven.
How great is the indulgence of the Lord, how great the abundance of his regard for us and his goodness, that he has thus wished us to offer prayer in the sight of God so as to call the Lord “Father”! And just as Christ is the Son of God, he wants us also to be pronounced the sons of God, which name no one of us would dare to take in prayer, had not he himself permitted us so to pray.
So, most beloved brethren, we ought to remember and to know that, when we speak of God, we ought to act as sons of God, so that, just as we are pleased with God as Father, so too he may be pleased with us. Let us live as if temples of God, that it may be clear that the Lord dwells in us.
St Cyprian
PRAYER – Almighty, everliving God, whose love surpasses all that we ask or deserve, open up for us, the treasures of Your mercy. Teach us the truth of love and forgive us all that weighs on our conscience. Grant us even more than we dare to ask and grant us the merciful and guiding assistance of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Through Him who redeemed us in unity with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.
God taught me tht the only glory which matters is the glory which lasts forever and that one does not have to perform shining deeds to win that, but to hide one’s acts of virtue from others, and even from oneself.
I was sure that I was born to be great and began to wonder how I should set about winning my glory; then it was revealed to me in my heart that my glory would lie in becoming a Saint, though this glory would be hidden on earth.
We looked upon their high-sounding titles as nothing more than the ‘vapour of smoke’. I realised that real nobility is in the soul, not in a name.
The one who chose for love of God to be the poorest and most obscure on earth will be the first and the richest and most glorious in Heaven.
When we surrender to discouragement or despair, it is usually because we are thinking too much of the past or future.
It has come to this, that I can no longer suffer because all suffering is sweet.
MOTIVE THE FIRST The admirable perfections of these Blessed Spirits
We have already said, and again repeat, that the perfection of the Angels is like to an immense sea without shore or bottom. Enlightened souls feel that all they can say of them is nothing, their greatness being above the reach of human thought. The angelic nature contains in itself a world of perfections: but if we add to it the consideration of their grace and glory, it is truly admirable. However perfect human nature may become, it is still, as faith teaches, very inferior to the angelic nature. A certain theologian has asserted, (although indeed it be not the common opinion,) that the least of the Angels exceeds in glory the greatest of the saints—and he grounded his opinion on this text of the Holy Scripture, “He who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John the Baptist.”
The Angels are spiritual beings, incorruptible in their nature, perfectly disengaged from matter, and quite free from the miseries to which we are incident. They possess wonderful intelligence; what the greatest geniuses have not been able to comprehend, is perfectly understood by them. They know many things in one and the same moment, and without the least difficulty. Their manner of understanding is not like ours; at the first sight which they have of a thing, they know its whole import, and all its consequences—hence they are called by excellence “Intelligences.” Scripture, to declare to us this admirable faculty of theirs, says that they are clothed in burning fire. In the Apocalypse they are represented in the habits of the ancient pontiffs, to give us to understand, that to these holy spirits the most sacred mysteries of religion are revealed, and as if enveloped in clouds, their lights being too brilliant for our weak vision. The most learned men are ignorant, if compared with these pure intelligences.
The power of the Angels is incredible—one alone of these blessed spirits being able to defeat millions of armed men—nay, the whole world put together. [We are told in the Book of Kings, that an Angel slew in one night 85,000 of the Assyrians the enemies of the people of God.] They can make the winds blow, the rain fall, the thunder roar: they can raise tempests, cause earthquakes, give abundance and famine, cure and inflict all sorts of maladies, and operate many other things, almost in a moment. It is to mark their celerity that they are painted with wings; it surpasses that of the wind : in an instant, they can pass from one end of the world to the other —being thus, in some sense, everywhere, as Tertullian says.
But their beauty is enrapturing: the greatest beauty on earth is deformity in comparison with them, and the least beautiful among the Angels possesses more charms than all earthly beauties together. Here the mind is lost in the contemplation of an infinity of beauties, which are to be found among the angelic choirs; for if the least of the Angels be so charming, and if they be so numerous, my God! what beauty is to be seen in the holy Sion ! To give us some idea of this truth, St. Anselm says, that if God put an Angel in the sun’s orbit, and environed him with as many suns as there are stars, and permitted the blessed spirit to emit in a borrowed form a single ray of his glory, it would at once eclipse all the splendour of the suns, and render them invisible.
All is wonderful in these holy spirits. An Angel, to recreate St. Francis, touched a lute so melodiously, that the saint thought he would have died of joy.
The greatness of these blessed spirits is without baseness—their science without ignorance—their light without darkness— their power without weakness—their beauty without defect—their love without inconstancy—their peace without trouble—their action continual, yet without fatigue— their happiness without alloy—their felicity complete, and without admixture of any evil. Jacob having had a vision of an Angel, says that he had seen the Lord face to face. Will not the consideration of all these perfections of the Angels excite you to love them? You who are so prone to love whatever is beautiful, and noble, and perfect? This truth merits deep consideration, the glory of God, the author of all these excellencies and perfections being concerned in it.
Day Six: We Pray for the Virtue of Meekness along with our private intentions.
O Jesus, our pride, stubbornness and lack of faith labelled each thorn as it pierced Your Sacred Head. Our exclusion of spiritual realities tightened the branches around Your Head. Our lack of confidence in Your Mercy and the lukewarmness of our love, braided torture into a wreath of unspeakable pain. O Jesus, let us NEVER forget Your love for us all and the reparation You offered the Father for our sake. Let our soul magnify the Lord by humility of heart, purity of mind and a gentle spirit, so that we may overcome pride, vainglory and resentments and look forward for an increase in faith. Send Your beloved Mother and ours, O Lord, to teach us meekness and humility. Make us like unto Yourself, O Lord, “for I am meek and humble of heart.” Amen
Daily Prayer along with our Daily Rosary:
My dearest Mother Mary, behold me, your child, in prayer at your feet. Accept this Holy Rosary, which I offer you in accordance with your requests at Fatima, as a proof of my tender love for you, for the intentions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in atonement for the offenses committed against your Immaculate Heart and for this special favour which I earnestly request in my Rosary Novena: ………………………….. (Mention your request).
I beg you to present my petition to your Divine Son. If you will pray for me, I cannot be refused. I know, dearest Mother, that you want me to seek God’s holy Will concerning my request. If what I ask for should not be granted, pray that I may receive that which will be of greater benefit to my soul.
I offer you this spiritual Bouquet of Roses because I love you. I put all my confidence in you, since your prayers before God are most powerful. For the greater glory of God and for the sake of Jesus, your loving Son, hear and grant my prayer. Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation.
Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for our Holy Mother Church and for our country.
Sweet Heart of Jesus, be my love.
Sweet Heart of Mary, at the hour of my death, lead me home.
Saint Theophilus of Bulgaria, was a Benedictine monk and confessor. Originally from Bulgaria, he joined a monastery in Asia Minor and was an outspoken opponent of the imperial policies of lconoclasticism. For this he was sent into exile by Emperor Leo III the Isaurian, and was brutally mistreated.
Original design of the St Benedict medal
In accord with the emperor’s orders, the saint was subjected to beatings and led through the city tied up like a criminal. The emperor then gave Theophilus over into the charge of the official, Hypatius, who tried repeatedly to compel Theophilus to accept the Iconoclastic heresy. Theophilus remained steadfast in the Faith, and Hypatius converted instead. Because of this, Hypatius gained the emperor’s permission to set the saint free.
Theophilus died in 750.
Leo III the Isaurian
Leo III the Isaurian was described as ‘Islamic minded’.
Matka Boża Różańcowa / Our Lady of the Rosary, Krakow, Poland (1600s) – First Sunday of October, 2 October:
In the Dominican Basilica of the Trinity in Cracow is a large Chapel dedicated to the Mother of God of the Rosary. The icon on its main Altar, crowned on 2 October 1921, is a copy of the ancient Salus Populi Romani (Health of the Roman People) image in the Basilica of St Mary Major of the Snows in Rome — the icon Pope Gregory the Great carried in procession to end the plague of 597. During the Battle of Lepanto (7 October 571), when ships of a coalition of Christian countries routed the Turkish navy off Greece, Pope Pius V prayed the Rosary with a large group of faithful before the Roman icon. The old image thus became associated with the newer devotion of the Rosary and with saving Europe from Ottoman rule.
Churches throughout Catholic Europe were dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary and copies of the Salus Populi Romani proliferated. Cardinal Maciejowski brought such a copy from Rome to Cracow in 1600. The image played a part in the “Polish Lepanto” in 1621, when at Khotyn, Ukraine (then Chocim, Poland) an allied force of Poles, Lithuanians and Ukrainians faced a Turkish army twice its size. On 3 October, the Bishop of Krakow led an hours-long Rosary procession with the holy icon. The entire population joined in. When the Turks gave up their attack and signed a treaty, Our Lady of the Rosary gained another victory. Her feast is celebrated in Krakow on the first Sunday of October.
The Swedish deluge contributed to the destruction of the original image of the Mother of God. T he cult, however, was so strong that a copy of the previous painting was quickly funded. The present one comes from the 50s and 60s of the 17th century. Numerous votive offerings made on the occasion of receiving favours have also survived from that time. The oldest exhibited in the Church are dated to 1703, the older ones are in the Archdiocese Museum. The love for the Blessed Mother is also evidenced by the silver dress donated in the 1770s by the Działyński family,and the sceptre of Our Lady of the “Pious Gregory of Pierzchno” foundation at the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries.
St Alfonso del Rio St Andrea Ximenez
St Beregisius St Eleutherius of Nicomedia Bl Georges-Edme René St Gerinus
St Leudomer St Maria Antonina Kratochwil St Modesto of Sardinia St Saturius of Soria St Theophilus of Bulgaria St Thomas de Cantilupe of Hereford (c 1218-1282) Bishop St Ursicinus II — Martyred in Antioch, Syria: Martyred in one of the early persecutions, date unknown. St Cyril of Antioch St Primus of Antioch St Secundarius of Antioch
Martyred in Nagasaki, Japan: A husband, wife and two sons, who were all martyred together in the persecutions in Japan. They were beheaded on 2 October 1622 in Nagasaki, Japan and Beatified by Pope Pius IX on 7 May 1867. • Blessed Andreas Yakichi • Blessed Franciscus Yakichi • Blessed Lucia Yakichi • Blessed Ludovicus Yakichi
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: • Blessed Elías Carbonell Molla • Blessed Enrique Sáiz-Aparicio • Blesssed Felipe González de Heredia Barahona • Blessed Francisco Carceller Galindo • Blessed Isidoro Bover Oliver • Blessed Juan Carbonell Molla • Blessed Juan Iñiguez de Ciriano Abechuco • Blessed Manuel Borrajo Míguez • Blessed María Francisca Ricart Olmos • Blessed Mateu Garrolera Masferrer • Blessed Pedro Artolozaga Mellique • Blessed Pedro Salcedo Puchades
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