Our Morning Offering – 11 February
PRAYER OF POPE FRANCIS FOR THE TWENTY FIFTH WORLD DAY OF THE SICK 2017
Mary, our Mother,
in Christ you welcome each of us
as a son or daughter.
Sustain the trusting expectation of our hearts,
succour us in our infirmities and sufferings,
and guide us to Christ, your Son and our brother.
Help us to entrust ourselves to the Father
who accomplishes great things. Amen
Blessed Memorial of the Apparitions of Our Lady of Lourdes/Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception – 11 February 1858 – Patron of the ill and infirm, protection from disease, France, 6 cities and a Diocese.
On December 8, 1854, Pope Pius IX proclaimed the dogma of the Immaculate Conception in the apostolic constitution Ineffabilis Deus. A little more than three years later, on February 11, 1858, a young lady appeared to Bernadette Soubirous. This began a series of visions. During the apparition on March 25, the lady identified herself with the words: “I am the Immaculate Conception.”
Bernadette was a sickly child of poor parents. Their practice of the Catholic faith was scarcely more than lukewarm. Bernadette could pray the Our Father, the Hail Mary and the Creed. She also knew the prayer of the Miraculous Medal: “O Mary conceived without sin.”
During interrogations Bernadette gave an account of what she saw. It was “something white in the shape of a girl.” She used the word aquero, a dialect term meaning “this thing.” It was “a pretty young girl with a rosary over her arm.” Her white robe was encircled by a blue girdle. She wore a white veil. There was a yellow rose on each foot. A rosary was in her hand. Bernadette was also impressed by the fact that the lady did not use the informal form of address (tu), but the polite form (vous). The humble virgin appeared to a humble girl and treated her with dignity.
Through that humble girl, Mary revitalized and continues to revitalize the faith of millions of people. People began to flock to Lourdes from other parts of France and from all over the world. In 1862 Church authorities confirmed the authenticity of the apparitions and authorized the cult of Our Lady of Lourdes for the diocese. The Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes became worldwide in 1907.
Our Lady of Lourdes (Optional Memorial)
World Day of the Sick
—
St Ampelius of Africa
St Ardanus of Tournus
Bl Bartholomew of Olmedo
St Caedmon
St Calocerus of Ravenna
St Castrensis of Capua
St Dativus the Senator
Bl Elizabeth Salviati
St Etchen of Clonfad
St Eutropius of Adrianopolis
St Felix the Senator
St Gobnata
St Gregory II, Pope
Bl Gaudencia Benavides Herrero
St Helwisa
St Jonas of Muchon
St Lucius of Adrianople
St Paschal I, Pope
St Pedro de Jesús Maldonado-Lucero
St Saturninus of Africa
St Secundus of Puglia
St Severinus of Agaunum
St Soter of Rome
St Theodora the Empress
Bl Tobias Francisco Borrás Román
—
Guardians of the Holy Scriptures
Martyrs of Africa – 5 saints
St Claude de la Colombiere S.J. (1641-1682 Memorial 15 February) was the spiritual director of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and helped immensely to bring the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus to the world. He is known as the faithful servant and perfect friend to the Sacred Heart. Please join us in saying this Novena, not only for our own needs but that through the power of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the whole world and it’s many ills, may benefit.
DAY TWO
O Lord Jesus Christ,
You promised to bestow abundant blessings
on all the undertakings of those who honour your Sacred Heart.
Hear our humble, confident and incessant prayers
and grant us the grace we ask of Your infinite mercy in this novena.
We ask it through the intercession of St Claude La Colombiere,
whom You have honoured with the title ‘faithful servant and perfect friend’
and who had such filial, unbounded and unwearied confidence in You.
O St Claude, most ardent apostle of the Divine Heart of Jesus,
deign to intercede for me with this divine heart,
that I may obtain the grace I ask for in this novena.
(make your request)
Divine Lord,
You deigned to make St Claude the faithful servant and wonderful lover of your Sacred Heart.
Grant us, through his intercession,
the grace to imitate the virtues of this divine heart
and be inflamed by its love.
We ask You this,
You who lives and reigns with God the Father
and the Holy Spirit forever and ever.
Our Father…Hail Mary…Glory be…
Pray for us, St Claude, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ, amen.
Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes – DAY NINE– 10 February (we Pray the Novena for our own intentions and for the sick, the infirm within our own communities but also for all those throughout the world who suffer, especially those who have no-one to pray for them in preparation for the Wold Day of the Sick on 11 February.)
DAY NINE
O glorious Mother of God,
to you we raise our hearts and hands to implore your powerful intercession
in obtaining from the benign Heart of Jesus all the graces necessary
for our spiritual and temporal welfare, particularly for the grace of a happy death.
O Mother of our Divine Lord, as we conclude this novena for the special favoUr we seek at this time.
(make your request)
Mary and Bernadette
We feel animated with confidence that your prayers in our behalf
will be graciously heard. O Mother of My Lord,
through the love you bear to Jesus Christ and for the glory of His Name,
hear our prayers and obtain our petitions.
O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes,
glorious in your assumption,
triumphant in your coronation,
show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother,
be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen.
Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
Saint Bernadette, pray for us.
Thought for the Day – 10 February
Twins often share the same interests and ideas with an equal intensity. Therefore, it is no surprise that Scholastica and her twin brother, Benedict, established religious communities within a few miles from each other. Scholastica and Benedict gave themselves totally to God and gave top priority to deepening their friendship with him through prayer. They sacrificed some of the opportunities they would have had to be together as brother and sister in order better to fulfill their vocation to the religious life. In coming closer to Christ, however, they found they were also closer to each other. In joining a religious community, they did not forget or forsake their family but rather found more brothers and sisters, though never forgetting each other. The lesson – work hard to maintain the joy of the family be gentle, kind, patient, generous, thoughtful – pray for the gifts of the Holy Spirit!
St Scholastica Pray for us!
Quote of the Day – 10 February
St. Gregory the Great said of Scholastica,
“She could do more because she loved more.”
One Minute Reflection – 10 February
In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…..Galatians 5:22-23
REFLECTION – “Be careful to be gentle, lest in removing the rust, you break the whole instrument.”……………St Benedict
PRAYER – Heavenly Father, help me to curb my impatience no matter the circumstances. Teach me to remain calm and gentle and to strive to return good for evil in all inflammatory situations. St Scholastica and St Benedict pray for us, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 10 February
PRAYER OF ST BENEDICT OF NURSIA
Father, in Your goodness
grant me the intellect to comprehend You,
the perception to discern You,
and the reason to appreciate You.
In Your kindness
endow me with the diligence to look for You,
the wisdom to discover You
and the spirit to apprehend You.
In Your graciousness
bestow on me a heart to contemplate You,
ears to hear You,
eyes to see You,
and a tongue to speak of You.
In Your mercy confer on me
a conversation pleasing to You,
the patience to wait for You,
and the perseverance to long for You.
Grant me a perfect end,
Your holy presence.
Amen.
Saint of the Day -10 February – St Scholastica Virgin and Religious – (c482-547) Patron of schools – tests, reading; convulsive children; nuns; invoked against storms, lightening and rain; City of Le Mans.
Scholastica was born in 480 in Nursia, Umbria, of wealthy parents and according to Gregory the Great’s Dialogues, was dedicated to God from a young age. She and her twin brother Benedict were brought up together until the time he left to pursue studies in Rome.
A young Roman woman of Scholastica’s class and time would likely have remained in her father’s house until marriage (likely arranged) or entry into religious life. But wealthy women could inherit property, divorce and were generally literate. On occasion several young women would live together in a household and form a religious community.
Benedictine tradition holds that Scholastica lived in a convent at Plumbariola about five miles from Monte Cassino and that this was the first “Benedictine” convent. However, it has been suggested that it is more likely that she lived in a hermitage with one or two other religious women in a cluster of houses at the base of Mount Cassino where there is an ancient church named after her. Ruth Clifford Engs notes that since Dialogues indicates that Scholastica was dedicated to God at an early age, perhaps she lived in her father’s house with other religious women until his death and then moved nearer to Benedict.
The most commonly told story about her is that she would, once a year, go and visit her brother at a place near his abbey and they would spend the day worshiping together and discussing sacred texts and issues.
One day they had supper and continued their conversation. When Benedict indicated it was time for him to leave, perhaps sensing the time of her death was drawing near, Scholastica asked him to stay with her for the evening so they could continue their discussions. Not wishing to break his own Rule, Benedict refused, insisting that he needed to return to his cell. At that point, Scholastica closed her hands in prayer and after a moment, a wild storm started outside of the guest house in which they were housed. Benedict asked, “God forgive you, Sister.What have you done?”, to which she replied, “I asked you and you would not listen; so I asked my God and He did listen. So now go off, if you can, leave me and return to your monastery.” Benedict was unable to return to his monastery, and they spent the night in discussion.
According to Gregory’s Dialogues, three days later, from his cell, he saw his sister’s soul leaving the earth and ascending to heaven in the form of a shining white dove. Benedict had her body brought to his monastery, where he caused it to be laid in the tomb which he had prepared for himself.
St Scholastica (Memorial)
—
Bl Alexander of Lugo
Bl Alojzije Stepinac
St Andrew of Bethlehem
St Aponius of Bethlehem
St Austrebertha of Pavilly
St St Baldegundis
Baptus of Magnesia
Bl Catherine du Verdier de la Sorinière
St Charalampias
Bl Clare Agolanti of Rimini
St Desideratus of Clermont
Erluph of Werden
Bl Eusebia Palomino Yenes
Bl Hugh of Fosse
Bl José Sánchez del Río
Bl Louise Bessay de la Voûte
Bl Louise Poirier épouse Barré
Bl Marie-Anne Hacher du Bois
Bl Marie-Louise du Verdier de la Sorinière
Bl Mikel Beltoja
Bl Paganus
Bl Paul of Wallachia
Bl Pierre Frémond
St Porfirio
St Prothadius of Besançon
St Salvius of Albelda
St Silvanus of Terracina
St Soteris the Martyr
St Troiano of Saintes
St Trumwin of Whitby
Bl William of Maleval
Martyred Soldiers in Rome: – Amantius, Hyacinth, Irenaeus, Zoticus
Each year as Lent approaches, we decide that “this one” will be our best ever but it is so easy to lose momentum halfway through the 40 days. This year let us prepare by the most perfect method – by praying for help! Let us ask that we may:
In these last few days before Lent begins, let us to begin our preparatory prayer. We can turn to Jesus and ask, “What is the grace You desire to deepen within me over these next 40 days?”
St Claude de la Colombiere S.J. (1641-1682 Memorial 15 February) was the spiritual director of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and helped immensely to bring the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus to the world. He is known as the faithful servant and perfect friend to the Sacred Heart. Please join us in saying this Novena, not only for our own needs but that through the power of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the whole world and it’s many ills, may benefit.
DAY ONE
Novena to St Claude de la Colombiere
O divine Lord, You said,
‘Ask and you shall receive; seek and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened to you’.
You promised to bestow abundant blessings
on all the undertakings of those who honour your Sacred Heart.
Hear our humble, confident and incessant prayers
and grant us the grace we ask of Your infinite mercy in this novena.
We ask it through the intercession of St Claude La Colombiere,
whom You have honoured with the title ‘faithful servant and perfect friend’
and who had such filial, unbounded and unwearied confidence in You.
O St Claude, most ardent apostle of the Divine Heart of Jesus,
deign to intercede for me with this divine heart,
that I may obtain the grace I ask for in this novena.
(make your request)
Amen
Our Father…Hail Mary…Glory be…
Pray for us, St Claude, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes – DAY EIGHT– 9 February (we Pray the Novena for our own intentions and for the sick, the infirm within our own communities but also for all those throughout the world who suffer, especially those who have no-one to pray for them in preparation for the Wold Day of the Sick on 11 February.)
DAY EIGHT
O Immaculate Mother of God,
from heaven itself you came to appear to the little Bernadette
in the rough Grotto of Lourdes!
And as Bernadette knelt at your feet
and the miraculous spring burst forth
and as multitudes have knelt ever since before your shrine, O Mother of God,
we kneel before you today to ask that in your mercy
you plead with your Divine Son to grant the special favour we seek in this novena.
(make your request)
O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes,
glorious in your assumption,
triumphant in your coronation,
show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother,
be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen.
Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
Saint Bernadette, pray for us.
Thought for the Day – 9 February
It seems at times that the saints begin with an unfair advantage. Today’s highlighted Saint, Miguel Febres Cordero, was born with a Club foot. At the age of five Our Lady appeared to him and he who previously could not stand alone or walk, ran to her – from then on his disability vanished! Where is our ‘unfair advantage’? Is it not in running to Him who waits in the Tabernacle? Our Lord is truly with us, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity – is this not an unfair advantage?
St Miguel, Pray for us!
Quote of the Day – 9 February
“The heart is rich when it is content
and it is always content when it’s desires
are fixed on God.”
~~~ Saint Miguel Febres Cordero Muñoz
One Minute Reflection – 9 February
By patient endurance you will save your lives……Luke 21:19
REFLECTION – “Practice patience toward everyone and especially toward yourself.
Never be disturbed because of your imperfections but always get up bravely after a fall.”………..St Francis de Sales
PRAYER – God of Patience, let me endure my imperfections without rebelling. Help me to be patient with myself as well as with others. St Miguel, from your spiritual father, St Francis de Sales, you learnt the patience and joy of teaching and following the path of love, please pray for us all, amen.
A Magnificat
Translated from the German by Olga Warnke of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary
My soul glorifies the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour!
For He has blessed me lavishly
and makes me ready to respond.
He shatters my little world
and lets me be poor before Him.
He takes from me all my plans
and gives me more than I can hope for or ask.
He gives me opportunities
and the ability to become free
and to burst through my boundaries.
He gives the strength to be doing,
to build on Him alone,
for He shows Himself
as the ever greater One in my life.
He has made known to me this!
It is in my being servant that it becomes possible.
For God’s kingdom to break through
here and now, amen.
Saint of the Day – 9 February -St Miguel Febres Cordero Muñoz F.S.C. (1854-1910 aged 55) Patron of Brothers of the Christian Schools/Christian Brothers, Ecuador, Teachers, Writers. His name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Febres-Cordero and the second or maternal family name is Muñoz.
Francisco Luis Febres-Cordero y Muñoz (7 November 1854 – 9 February 1910) , known as Saint Miguel Febres Cordero and more popularly as Brother Miguel. He became a professed member of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, colloquially known as the La Salle Brothers. He assumed the name Miguel upon his admittance into the order. He resided in his native home of Ecuador for almost four decades where he promoted education and evangelisation before he relocated to Spain where he continued to perform his duties for his order. He also became a prolific writer and penned various manuals and poems and hymns amongst other publications. Pope Paul VI beatified him on 30 October 1977 and Pope John Paul II canonised him almost a decade later on 21 October 1984 as the first Ecuadorian saint. He remains a national hero in his native land and his tomb has become a site of pilgrimage.
How would you like to have a teacher who was described like this: he was kind to everyone and treated all of his students, rich or poor, the same. He liked to be with the students and they liked to be with him. All of the children in the school loved him. That is exactly what a saint said about today’s saint.
Miguel was born in Ecuador where his family was influential in politics. As a child, he suffered from a disability that kept him from standing and walking like other children. He could not stand alone until he was five years old, when it was said he experienced a vision of Our Lady. Miguel was educated at home until he was 14, then went to school taught by the Christian Brothers. He was a gifted student and when he was only 17, he published the first of many books, a textbook on Spanish grammar.
He joined the Christian Brothers and was a teacher for 32 years in Ecuador. As a teacher he was always looking for new ways to present the material. He wanted to make the lessons and work more pleasant for students. He laughed with his students and was understanding and patient.
Brother Miguel continued writing and his scholarly works in literature earned him academic honours in South America and Europe. But Brother Miguel did not think he was very important. He thought the most important ones were his students.
In 1907, Miguel was called to the Motherhouse in Belgium to translate some books. On the way he stopped for a short visit in New York City. From Belgium he went to a school in Spain where young men were preparing to become Christian Brothers. In 1909, during the Spanish Revolution, the school came under attack. Brother Miguel took the Blessed Sacrament from the chapel and led the novices across the bay to safety in Barcelona. He died of pneumonia a year later. He laid to rest in Ecuador and the people welcomed him home with a great procession through the streets of Quito, Ecuador. He is, a national hero and an extremely busy saint, answering the prayers of many.
St Alexander of Rome
St Alexander of Soli
St Alto of Altomünster
St Ammon of Membressa
St Ammonius of Soli
Bl Anne Catherine Emmerich
St Ansbert of Rouen
St Apollonia of Alexandria
St Attracta of Killaraght
St Brachio of Auvergne
St Cuaran the Wise
St Didymus of Membressa
St Donatus the Deacon
St Eingan of Llanengan
St Emilian of Membressa
Bl Erizzo
Bl Francisco Sanchez Marquez
Bl Giacomo Abbondo
Bl Godeschalk of Želiv
St Lassa of Membressa
Bl Marianus Scotus
St Maro
St Miguel Febres Cordero Muñoz
St Nebridius of Egara
St Nicephorus of Antioch
St Poëmus of Membressa
St Primus the Deacon
St Raynald of Nocera
St Romanus the Wonder Worker
St Ronan of Lismore
St Sabino of Abellinum
St Sabinus of Canosa
St Teilo of Llandaff
—
Martyrs of Alexandria
Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes – DAY SEVEN– 8 February (we Pray the Novena for our own intentions and for the sick, the infirm within our own communities but also for all those throughout the world who suffer, especially those who have no-one to pray for them in preparation for the Wold Day of the Sick on 11 February.)
DAY SEVEN
O Almighty God,
who by the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
did prepare a worthy dwelling place for Your Son,
we humbly beseech You,
that as we contemplate the apparition of Our Lady in the Grotto of Lourdes,
we may be blessed with health of mind and body.
O most gracious Mother Mary, beloved Mother of Our Lord and Redeemer,
look with favour upon us as you did that day on Bernadette
and intercede with Him for us
that the favour we now so earnestly seek may be granted to us.
(make your request)
O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother,
be our comfort, hope, strength and consolation. Amen
Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
Saint Bernadette, pray for us.
Thought for the Day – 8 February
At her canonisation ceremony on October 1, 2000, Pope John Paul II said of St. Josephine: “In today’s world, countless women continue to be victimized, even in developed modern societies. In St. Josephine Bakhita we find a shining advocate of genuine emancipation. The history of her life inspires not passive acceptance but the firm resolve to work effectively to free girls and women from oppression and violence and to return them to their dignity in the full exercise of their rights.”
Bakhita knew the reality of being a slave, an immigrant and a spiritual seeker. Even while she was outwardly denied freedom and human dignity, her spirit was free. It was that freedom of spirit that allowed her to follow her heart and live her true vocation. Her body was mutilated by those who enslaved her but they could not touch her spirit. Her Baptism set her on an eventual path toward asserting her civic freedom and then service to God’s people as a Canossian Sister. She who worked under many “masters” was finally happy to address God as “master” and carry out everything that she believed to be God’s will for her.
St Josephine Bakhita Pray for us and for the whole world!
Quote/s of the Day – 8 February
“When a person loves another dearly,
he desires strongly to be close to the other:
therefore, why be afraid to die?”
“The Lord has loved me so much:
we must love everyone…
we must be compassionate!”
“If I were to meet the slave-traders
who kidnapped me and even those who tortured me,
I would kneel and kiss their hands,
for if that did not happen,
I would not be a Christian and Religious today.”
~~~ Saint Josephine Bakhita
“Rejoice, all of Africa!
Bakhita has come back to you:
the daughter of the Sudan,
sold into slavery as a living piece of merchandise
and yet still free:
free with the freedom of the saints.”
~~~ St Pope John Paul II
One Minute Reflection – 8 February
If you had faith………you would be able to say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible for you……Matthew 17:20
REFLECTION – “God does not work in those who refuse to place all their confidence and hope in Him alone. But He imparts the fullness of His love upon those who possess a deep faith and hope. For them He does great things.”……….St Jerome Emiliania (Memorial, today 8 February)
PRAYER – God of power and might, let me place all my trust in You. Strengthen my faith and deepen my hope that You may be able to bring about the wonderful things You want to do for me. St Jerome and St Josephine Bakhita, you both shone the light of faith and courage upon the world around you. Prayer for us that we may too bring the light of Christ into our world. Amen.
Our Morning Offering – 8 February
O God, when we hear of children and adults
deceived and taken to unknown places
for purposes of sexual exploitation, forced labour
and organ ‘harvesting’,
our hearts are saddened and our spirits angry
that their dignity and rights are ignored
through threats, lies and force.
We cry out against the evil practice
of this modern slavery,
and pray with Saint Bakhita for it to end.
Give us wisdom and courage to reach out
and stand with those whose bodies, hearts and spirits
have been so wounded, so that together we may
make real Your promises to fill these sisters and brothers
with a love that is tender and good.
Send the exploiters away empty-handed
to be converted from this wickedness,
and help us all to claim the freedom
that is Your gift to Your children, amen.
The International Day of Prayer against Trafficking instituted on 8 February 2015
Pope Frances has strongly denounced many times the trafficking of human beings, defining it as «a crime against humanity» and calling on all to fight and looking after the victims. Responding to the Holy Father’s plea the Pontifical Council of Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, the International Union of Superiors General (UISG and USG) and the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace announced an
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER & AWARENESS
AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING
The First International Day will be celebrated in all dioceses and parishes in the world, in the groups and schools.
8 FEBRUARY 2015, the Feast Day of Josephine Bakhita, a Sudanese slave, freed, who became a Canossian nun, was declared a Saint in 2000.
The third International Day of Prayer and Awareness against Trafficking in Persons will be celebrated on February 8, 2017, with the theme:
“They are children! Not slaves!”
This event is celebrated on the Feast day of Saint Josephine Bakhita, who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in Sudan and later became a Canossian Sister. In many places throughout the world this day is observed as a Day of Prayer and fasting for Victims of Trafficking and for those who work to combat it.
Pope Francis has stated “Human Trafficking is a crime against humanity.” “It’s a disgrace” that people are treated “as objects, deceived, raped, often sold many times for different purposes and, in the end, killed or, in any case, physically and mentally damaged, ending up thrown away and abandoned,” he said. (Source: Catholic news Services Dec 12, 2013)
“You may choose to look the other way but you can never say again that you did not know” said William Wilberforce, an English politician, philanthropist, theologian and a leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade who lived in the XVIII/XIX century.
Saint of the Day 8 February – St Josephine Bakhita and the International Day of Prayer and Awareness against trafficking in Persons
St Josephine Bakhita F.D.C.C. (c1849-1947) RELIGIOUS – Patron of Sudan and World Day against Trafficking in Persons. She was born in Sudan, was kidnapped and sold as a slave and became a Canossian Religious Sister in Italy, living and working there for 45 years. In 2000 she was declared a Saint by St John Paul.
This African flower, who knew the anguish of kidnapping and slavery, bloomed marvelously in Italy, in response to God’s grace, with the Daughters of Charity. In Schio (Vicenza), where she spent many years of her life, everyone still calls her “our Black Mother”. The process for the cause of Canonization began 12 years after her death and on December 1st, 1978 the Church proclaimed the Decree of the heroic practice of all virtues. Divine Providence which “cares for the flowers of the fields and the birds of the air”, guided the Sudanese slave through innumerable and unspeakable sufferings to human freedom and to the freedom of faith and finally to the consecration of her whole life to God for the coming of his Kingdom.
Bakhita was not the name she received from her parents at birth. The fright and the terrible experiences she went through made her forget the name she was given by her parents. Bakhita, which means “fortunate”, was the name given to her by her kidnappers. Sold and resold in the markets of El Obeid and of Khartoum, she experienced the humiliations and sufferings of slavery, both physical and moral.
Towards freedom
In the Capital of Sudan, Bakhita was bought by an Italian Consul, Callisto Legnani . For the first time since the day she was kidnapped, she realized with pleasant surprise, that no one used the lash when giving her orders; instead, she was treated in a loving and cordial way. In the Consul’s residence, Bakhita experienced peace, warmth and moments of joy, even though veiled by nostalgia for her own family, whom, perhaps, she had lost forever. Political situations forced the Consul to leave for Italy. akhita asked and obtained permission to go with him and with a friend of his, a certain Mr. Augusto Michieli.
In Italy
On arrival in Genoa, Mr. Legnani, pressured by the request of Mr. Michieli’s wife, consented to leave Bakhita with them. he followed the new “family”, which settled in Zianigo (near Mirano Veneto). hen their daughter Mimmina was born, Bakhita became her babysitter and friend. The acquisition and management of a big hotel in Suakin, on the Red Sea, forced Mrs. Michieli to move to Suakin to help her husband.M eanwhile, on the advice of their administrator, Illuminato Checchini, Mimmina and Bakhita were entrusted to the Canossian Sisters of the Institute of the Catechumens in Venice.I t was there that Bakhita came to know about God whom “she had experienced in her heart without knowing who He was” ever since she was a child. “Seeing the sun, the moon and the stars, I said to myself: Who could be the Master of these beautiful things? And I felt a great desire to see him, to know Him and to pay Him homage…”
Daughter of God
After several months in the catechumenate, Bakhita received the sacraments of Christian initiation and was given the new name, Josephine. It was January 9, 1890. She did not know how to express her joy that day. Her big and expressive eyes sparkled, revealing deep emotions. From then on, she was often seen kissing the baptismal font and saying: “Here, I became a daughter of God!” With each new day, she became more aware of who this God was, whom she now knew and loved, who had led her to Him through mysterious ways, holding her by the hand. When Mrs. Michieli returned from Africa to take back her daughter and Bakhita, the latter, with unusual firmness and courage, expressed her desire to remain with the Canossian Sisters and to serve that God who had shown her so many proofs of His love. The young African, who by then had come of age, enjoyed the freedom of choice which the Italian law ensured.
Daughter of St. Magdalene
Bakhita remained in the catechumenate where she experienced the call to be a religious, and to give herself to the Lord in the Institute of St. Magdalene of Canossa. On December 8, 1896 Josephine Bakhita was consecrated forever to God whom she called with the sweet expression “the Master!” For another 50 years, this humble Daughter of Charity, a true witness of the love of God, lived in the community in Schio, engaged in various services: cooking, sewing, embroidery and attending to the door. When she was on duty at the door, she would gently lay her hands on the heads of the children who daily attended the Canossian schools and caress them. Her amiable voice, which had the inflection and rhythm of the music of her country, was pleasing to the little ones, comforting to the poor and suffering and encouraging for those who knocked at the door of the Institute.
Witness of love
Her humility, her simplicity and her constant smile won the hearts of all the citizens. Her sisters in the community esteemed her for her inalterable sweet nature, her exquisite goodness and her deep desire to make the Lord known. “Be good, love the Lord, pray for those who do not know Him. What a great grace it is to know God!” As she grew older she experienced long, painful years of sickness. Mother Bakhita continued to witness to faith, goodness and Christian hope. To those who visited her and asked how she was, she would respond with a smile: “As the Master desires.”
Final test
During her agony, she re-lived the terrible days of her slavery and more then once she begged the nurse who assisted her: “Please, loosen the chains… they are heavy!” It was Mary Most Holy who freed her from all pain. Her last words were: “Our Lady! Our Lady!”, and her final smile testifiedto her encounter with the Mother of the Lord.
Mother Bakhita breathed her last on February 8, 1947 at the Canossian Convent, Schio, surrounded by the Sisters. A crowd quickly gathered at the Convent to have a last look at their «Mother Moretta» and to ask for her protection from heaven. The fame of her sanctity has spread to all the continents and many are those who receive graces through her intercession.
Legacy
On 1 December 1978, Pope John Paul II declared Josephine Venerabilis, the first step towards canonistion. On 17 May 1992, she was declared Blessed and given February 8 as her feast day. On 1 October 2000, she was canonisd and became Saint Josephine Bakhita. Bakhita’s legacy is that transformation is possible through suffering. Her story of deliverance from physical slavery also symbolizes all those who find meaning and inspiration in her life for their own deliverance from spiritual slavery. In May 1992 news of her beatification was banned by Khartoum which Pope John Paul II then personally visited only nine months later. On 10 February 1993, he solemnly honoured Bakhita on her own soil. “Rejoice, all of Africa! Bakhita has come back to you. The daughter of Sudan sold into slavery as a living piece of merchandise and yet still free. Free with the freedom of the saints.” Pope Benedict XVI, on 30 November 2007, in the beginning of his second encyclical letter Spe Salvi (In Hope We Were Saved), relates her entire life story as an outstanding example of the Christian hope.
In 2015 Pope Francis upon instituting the International Day of Prayer Against Human Trafficking on the Memorial of St Bakhita under her Patronage.
St Jerome Emiliani (Optional Memorial)
St Josephine Bakhita (Optional Memorial) today is the THIRD WORLD DAY OF PRAYER AND AWARENESS AGAINST TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF ST BAKHITA
—
St Cointha of Alexandria
St St Cuthman
St Cyriacus of Rome
St Dionysus of Armenia
St Elfleda of Whitby
St Emilian of Armenia
Bl Esperanza de Jesus
St Giacuto
St Gisela
St Honoratus of Milan
St Invenzio of Pavia
St Isaias Boner
St Jacoba
Bl Josephina Gabriella Bonino
St Kigwe
St Lucius of Rome
St Meingold
St Mlada of Prague
St Nicetius of Besançon
St Oncho of Clonmore
St Paul of Rome
St Paul of Verdun
Bl Peter Igneus
St Sebastian of Armenia
St Stephen of Muret
—
Four Mercedarians
Martyrs of Constantinople
Martyrs of Persia
Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes – DAY SIX– 7 February (we Pray the Novena for our own intentions and for the sick, the infirm within our own communities but also for all those throughout the world who suffer, especially those who have no-one to pray for them in preparation for the Wold Day of the Sick on 11 February.)
DAY SIX
O glorious Mother of God,
so powerful under your special title of Our Lady of Lourdes,
to you we raise our hearts and hands
to implore your powerful intercession in obtaining
from the gracious Heart of Jesus
all the helps and graces necessary
for our spiritual and temporal welfare
and for the special favour we so earnestly seek in this novena.
(make your request)
O Lady of Bernadette,
with the stars of heaven in your hair and the roses of earth at your feet,
look with compassion upon us today as you did so long ago on Bernadette in the Grotto of Lourdes.
O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate,
Our Lady of Lourdes,
glorious in your assumption,
triumphant in your coronation,
show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God,
Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother,
be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen.
Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
Saint Bernadette, pray for us.
Thought for the Day – 7 February
Perhaps we wonder how we could possibly endure the sufferings that the martyrs suffered, such terrible and prolonged sufferings and where would we find the strength and endurance to suffer to death, for our faith? The martyrs do not endure by their own strength and they are well aware of this. If that time should ever come to us, the strength would be given us by God. Believe it!
Our Lady, Queen of Martyrs and all Martyrs of the Faith, Pray for us!
AnaStpaul 
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