“And a great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and on her head a crown of twelve stars”…Revelations 12:1
REFLECTION – “MARY: THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN – “She lives now and is protecting us. She is there [in heaven], body and soul, with the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. She is the same person who was born in Palestine, who gave herself to God while still a child, who received the message from St Gabriel the Archangel, who gave birth to our Saviour and who stood beside Him at the foot of the Cross. In her, all ideals become a reality. But we should never think that this sublime greatness of hers, makes her inaccessible to us. She is the one, who is full of grace and the sum of all perfections . . . and she is also our Mother!”…St Josemaría Escrivá (1902-1975) “Mother of God and our Mother,” Friends of God, 292
Let us offer to our Mother today: The “Hail Holy Queen” at each hour.
PRAYER – O God, Who by the Resurrection of Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, hast been pleased to give joy to the whole world, grant we beseech Thee, that through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, His Mother, we may attain the joys of eternal life. Our Lady, Queen of Heaven and Mother of us all, pray for us! Through the same Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Mary, our Queen, Holy Mother of God By St ANTHONY OF PADUA (1195-1231) Evangelical Doctor
Mary, our Queen,
Holy Mother of God,
we beg you to hear our prayer.
Make our hearts overflow with Divine grace
and resplendent with heavenly wisdom.
Render them strong with your might
and rich in virtue.
Pour down upon us the gift of mercy
so that we may obtain the pardon of our sins.
Help us to live in such a way
as to merit the glory and bliss of heaven.
May this be granted us by your Son Jesus
Who has exalted you above the angels,
has crowned you as Queen,
and has seated you with Him
forever on His refulgent throne.
Amen
Saint of the Day – 29 May – Blessed Joseph Gerard O.M.I. (1831-1914) Priest, Religious, Missionary “The Apostle of Lesotho”, (12 March 1831 – 29 May 1914) was a French Roman Catholic priest and a professed member from the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, the order founded by St Eugene de Mazenod O.M.I. (1782-1861), Bishop of Marseille, founder of the Congregation of the Missionaries, Oblates of Mary Immaculate whose Memorial we celebrated on 21 May.
Joseph Gerard was born in 1831 in Bouxieres-aux-Chenes in the Diocese of Nancy, France. He joined the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate at the age of 20 and at the age of 22 was sent by St Eugene de Mazenod as a missionary to Southern Africa, never to see his family or homeland again. He was ordained a priest in 1854 in Pietermaritzburg and at first served the Oblate mission to the Zulu people, later joining Bishop Allard, the Bishop of Natal, in setting up the first Catholic mission in Lesotho. With the permission of the great Chief Moshoeshoe they founded Motse-oa-Ma-Jesu (the Village of the Mother of Jesus) thirty two kilometres south of Moshoeshoe’s stronghold of Thaba Bosiu. (The village which they founded later became Roma, site of the Catholic University College and now the University of Lesotho.)
Joseph Gerard was well respected by Chief Moshoeshoe, particulaly because he remained with the Basotho during the three wars between the Basotho and the Orange Free State. It is said that it was through Joseph Gerard’s efforts that Chief Moshoeshoe sought the protection of the British at the end of the wars, a decision which resulted in Lesotho becoming a British Protectorate and an Independent country today.
Joseph Gerard’s mission grew slowly and by the end of 1879, when he was already 48 years of age, there were only 700 Catholics in Lesotho. He persevered, however in prayer, faith and work, remaining in Lesotho as a missionary for the rest of his life.
The Oblate mission to the Basotho grew and flourished. He died on 29 May 1914 at the age of 83, a man greatly revered by the people of Lesotho. The fact that Lesotho is very largely a Catholic country today, can be traced back to those early beginnings at the Village of the Mother of Jesus.
Father Joseph Gerard was Beatified by Pope John-Paul II in Maseru, Lesotho, in 1988.
Throughout his years in Lesotho Fr Gerard’s concern and care for the sick and the old was remarkable. Despite the distance, despite the weather, despite the inconvenience, he would set out, on foot or on horseback, carrying the Blessed Sacrament, to minister to those afflicted. His deep devotion to Mary was absorbed by his first converts and since his day the nation has been dedicated to Mary Immaculate.
The last years of Fr Gerard´s life were spent back at his first mission, Roma. Up to a month before his death he was on horseback, out on the mountain tracks caring for those in need.
In one of his retreat notes, Fr Gerard gave the key to his constancy when he wrote about the people he served: “We must love them, love them in spite of everything, love them always”.He lived out his belief in the joy of spreading God’s Word, despite the hardships and opposition he encountered.
Blessed Joseph Gerard, Pray for Africa, pray for us all!
St Bona of Pisa
St Conon the Elder
St Conon the Younger
St Daganus
St Eleutherius of Rocca d’Arce
St Felix of Atares
St Gerald of Mâcon
Bl Gerardesca of Pisa
Bl Giles Dalmasia
St Hesychius of Antioch
St John de Atarés
Blessed Joseph Gerard O.M.I. (1831-1914)
St Maximinus of Trier
St Maximus of Verona
St Restitutus of Rome
Bl Richard Thirkeld
St Theodosia of Caesarea and Companions
St Ursula Ledochowska (1865-1939)
St Votus of Atares
St William of Cellone
—
Martyrs of Toulouse: A group of eleven Dominicans, Franciscans, Benedictines, clergy and lay brothers who worked with the Inquisition in southern France to oppose the Albigensian heresy. Basing their operations in a farmhouse outside Avignonet, France, he and his brother missioners worked against heresy. Murdered by Albigensian heretics while singing the Te Deum on the eve of Ascension. They werebeaten to death on the night of 28 to 29 May 1242 in the church of Avignonet, Toulouse, France and Beatified on 1 September 1866 by Pope Pius IX (cultus confirmation).
• Adhemar
• Bernard of Roquefort
• Bernard of Toulouse
• Fortanerio
• Garcia d’Aure
• Pietro d’Arnaud
• Raymond Carbonius
• Raymond di Cortisan
• Stephen Saint-Thibery
• William Arnaud
• the prior of Avignonet whose name unfortunately has not come down to us.
The church in which they died was placed under interdict as punishment to the locals for the offense. Shortly after the interdict was finally lifted, a large statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary was found on the door step of church. Neither the sculptor nor the patron was ever discovered, nor who delivered it or how. The people took it as a sign that they were forgiven, but that they should never forget, and should renew their devotion to Our Lady. They referred to the image as “Our Lady of Miracles”.
Until recently there was a ceremony in the church on the night of the 28th to 29th of May, the anniversary of the martyrdom. Called “The Ceremony of the Vow”, parishioners would gather in the church, kneel with lit candles, and process across the church on their knees, all the while praying for the souls of the heretics who had murdered the martyrs.
Martyrs of Trentino: Three missionaries to the Tyrol region of Austria, sent by Saint Ambrose of Milan and welcomed by Saint Vigilius of Trent. All were martyred – Alexander, Martyrius and Sisinius. They were born in Cappadocia and died in 397 in Austria.
Marian Thought for the Day – 28 May “Mary’s Month!”
Mary is the “Virgo Potens,” the Powerful Virgin
Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-18900)
THIS great universe, which we see by day and by night, or what is called the natural world, is ruled by fixed laws, which the Creator has imposed upon it and by those wonderful laws, is made secure against any substantial injury or loss. One portion of it may conflict with another and there may be changes in it internally but, viewed as a whole, it is adapted to stand for ever. Hence the Psalmist says, “He has established the world, which shall not be moved.”
Such is the world of nature but there is another and still more wonderful world. There is a power which avails to alter and subdue this visible world and to suspend and counteract its laws, that is, the world of Angels and Saints, of Holy Church and her children and the weapon, by which they master its laws, is the power of prayer.
By prayer all this may be done, which naturally is impossible. Noah prayed and God said that there never again should be a flood to drown the race of man. Moses prayed and ten grievous plagues fell upon the land of Egypt. Joshua prayed and the sun stood still. Samuel prayed and thunder and rain came in wheat-harvest. Elias prayed and brought down fire from heaven. Eliseus prayed and the dead came to life. Ezechias prayed and the vast army of the Assyrians was smitten and perished.
This is why the Blessed Virgin is called Powerful—nay, sometimes, All-powerful, because she has, more than anyone else, more than all Angels and Saints, this great, prevailing gift of prayer. No one has access to the Almighty as His Mother has, none has merit such as hers. Her Son will deny her nothing that she asks and herein lies her power. While she defends the Church, neither height nor depth, neither men nor evil spirits, neither great monarchs, nor craft of man, nor popular violence, can avail to harm us, for human life is short but Mary reigns above, a Queen for ever.
Mary, “Virgo Potens,” Powerful Virgin, Pray for us!
One Minute Marian Reflection – 28 May “Mary’s Month!”
And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another ‘s…Job 19:26-27
REFLECTION – “MARY: TAKEN UP TO HEAVEN – “Mary has gone to heaven in both body and soul and the angels rejoice. I can imagine, too, the delight of St Joseph, her most chaste spouse, who awaited her in paradise. Yet what of us who remain on earth? Our faith tells us that here below, in our present life, we are pilgrims, wayfarers. Our lot is one of suffering, of sacrifices, and privations. Nonetheless, joy must mark the rhythm of our steps. ‘Serve the Lord with joy’ — there is no other way to serve Him.” … St Josemaría Escrivá (1902-1975) – Cause of our Joy,” Christ is Passing By, 177. Let us offer to our Mother today: A smile when someone corrects us or misjudges us.
PRAYER – Accept our prayer, Lord, as we wend our way to You. Grant, we pray, that by the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may remember her words and do whatever You tell us, for You are the Way, the Truth and our Life and Light, in doing Your will, is true joy on earth and eternal heavenly bliss. Mary, our Mother and Mother of our Lord Jesus, pray for us. Through Jesus Christ, in union with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever amen.
Our Morning Offering – 28 May “Mary’s Month!” – The Memorial of St Germanus (c 490-576)
Most Holy Virgin, My Consolation By St Germanus (c 490-576)
Most Holy Virgin!
Who are the greatest consolation
that I receive from God,
you who art the heavenly dew
which assuages all my pains,
you who are the light of my soul
when it is enveloped in darkness,
you who are my guide in unknown paths,
the support of my weakness,
my treasure in poverty,
my remedy in sickness,
my consolation in trouble,
my refuge in misery,
and the hope of my salvation,
hear my supplications,
have pity on me,
as becomes the Mother of so good a God,
and obtain for me a favourable reception
of all my petitions at the throne of mercy.
Amen
Saint of the Day – 28 May – St Germanus of Paris (c 490-576) Bishop, Monk, Teacher, Reformer, Writer, Apostle of the Poor – known as the “Father of the Poor,” Miracle Worker. Born Germain in c 490 at Autun, France and died on 28 May in 576 in Paris, France of natural causes. His remains were interred in a decorated tomb in the Chapel of Saint Symphorien next to the Abbey Church and then translated to the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés (St Germanus-in-the-Fields) in 754 by order of King Pepin the Short. He was Canonised in 754 by Pope Stephen II. Patronage – Archdiocese of Rimouski, Quebec.
Saint Germanus, the glory of the Church of France in the sixth century, was born in the territory of Autun, a city in south central France, about the year 490. In his youth he was conspicuous for his fervour. After being Ordained Priest, he was made Abbot of Saint Symphorian’s Monastery, built near the walls of the city; he was favoured at that time with the gifts of miracles and prophecy. It was his custom to pray for the greater part of the night in the Church, while his Monks slept. He bestowed on the poor of the region all that he could of the Monastery’s resources in provisions and provoked, at times, the indignation of the religious, who, at one time, had him arrested and imprisoned. He had scarcely been placed in a cell, when the doors opened of themselves and the Bishop, being informed of it, recognised his sanctity and treated him with great respect.
One night, in a dream, he thought a venerable old man presented him with the keys of the city of Paris and said to him that God committed to his care the inhabitants of that city that he might save them from perishing. Four years after this divine admonition, in 554, happening to be at Paris, when that See became vacant by the death of the Bishop Eusebius, he was raised to the Episcopal Chair, although he endeavoured, by many tears, to decline the office.
His promotion made no alteration in his mode of life. The same simplicity and frugality appeared in his dress, table, and furniture. His house was perpetually crowded with the poor and the afflicted and he always had many beggars at his own table. He had edifying books read during the meals, that their souls and his own might be nourished. God gave to his sermons a wonderful influence over the minds of all ranks of people, so that the face of the whole city was in a very short time entirely changed.
King Childebert of the Francs, who until then had been an ambitious, worldly prince, was converted by the sweetness and the powerful discourses of the Saint. He founded many religious institutions and sent large sums of money to the good bishop, to be distributed among the indigent. When Saint Germanus learned that some poor folk, inhabitants of a village he was passing through one day, had been imprisoned by their lord for non-payment of debts, he went to pray and shed tears, face to the ground, at the gate of the subterranean jail where the unfortunate victims were lamenting. The overlord refused to open its doors but an Angel came down and did so and the entire crowd, scarcely believing in their good fortune, came as one person, to kneel in gratitude before their benefactor. At that point the overlord gave them full amnesty and cancelled their debts. Demons fled from the bishop’s presence, as they had before Our Lord, his Master, asking to be allowed to remain in the forest on the mountains.
In his old age Saint Germanus lost nothing of the zeal and activity with which he had filled the great duties of his station in the vigour of his age. Nor did the weakness to which his corporal austerities had reduced him make him alter anything in the mortifications of his penitential life, which redoubled in celestial ardour as he approached more closely the end of his course. By his zeal, the remains of idolatry were extirpated in France. The Saint continued his labours for the conversion of sinners, the deliverance of prisoners and the relief of the poor, until he was called to receive his reward at the age of eighty, on the 28 May, 576. Below is the Church of St Germanus in Paris.
Fortunatus had visited Germanus’ Shrine in Paris and was described the shrine as “nothing but a string of miracles”. Germanus, according to Venantius had performed his first miracle in the womb, preventing his mother from performing an abortion.
The most valuable work of St Germanus, is An Exposition of the Liturgy, published from an ancient manuscript by Dom Martenne. The greatest virtue of St Germanus was his unbounded charity to the poor. Liberality in alms moves God to be liberal to us in the dispensations of His spiritual graces but he who hardens his heart to the injuries and wants of others, shuts against himself the treasury of heaven.
St Accidia
Bl Albert of Csanád
Bl Antoni Julian Nowowiejski
St Bernard of Menthon
St Caraunus of Chartres
St Caraunus the Deacon
St Crescens of Rome
St Dioscorides of Rome
St Eoghan the Sage
St Gemiliano of Cagliari
St Germanus of Paris (c 490-576)
Bl Heliconis of Thessalonica
St Helladius of Rome
St Herculaneum of Piegaro
Bl John Shert
St Justus of Urgell
Bl Lanfranc of Canterbury
St Luciano of Cagliari
Bl Margaret Plantagenet Pole
Bl Maria Bagnesi
Bl Mary of the Nativity
St Moel-Odhran of Iona
St Paulus of Rome
St Phaolô Hanh
St Podius of Florence
Bl Robert Johnson
St Senator of Milan
Bl Thomas Ford
St Ubaldesca Taccini
St William of Gellone
Bl Wladyslaw Demski
—
Martyrs of Palestine: A group of early 5th century monks in Palestine who were martyred by invading Arabs.
Martyrs of Sardinia – 6 saints: A group of early Christians for whom a church on Sardinia is dedicated; they were probably martyrs, but no information about them has survived except the names Aemilian, Aemilius, Emilius, Felix, Lucian and Priamus. Patrons of the diocese of Alghero-Bosa, Italy.
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: Blessed Luís Berenguer Moratona
Second Thoughts for the Day – 27 May – The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
Adopted into the Family of God
“In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen 12:3) “For all, who are led by the Spirit of God, are children of God.” (Romans 8:14)
…”How would God be revealed to the other families of the earth? How would the other families of the earth enter the Covenant and become heirs to the promises of God.
The language of families here is significant, for it is through the revelation of God as Trinity, the Divine Family, that all other families of the earth would be invited into the Covenant family.
For the reality of the Trinity did not emerge for the earliest Christians in the context of complex philosophical discussions but in the experience of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
As Pope Benedict XVI stated in 2006. “the intimacy of God Himself, discovering that He is not infinite solitude but communion of light and love, life given and received in an eternal dialogue between the Father and the Son in the Holy Spirit – ‘Lover, Loved and Love,’ revealed the relational nature of God, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit and by the incarnation of Jesus Christ.” (Angelus, St Peter’s Square, 11 June 2006).
And it was by means of the revelation of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, that the early Christians came to know themselves as children of God, adopted into the family and Covenant of God. The Spirit, Paul tells us, empowers us to understand, that we too are children of God, for through the Spirit, we are able to cry “Abba, Father!” This Spirit-infused call to God as Abba, is an explicit recognition of our lineage, we belong in this family, for “it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God.”
But the pathway to entering the family as heirs, children destined to share in the gifts and promises of the Father, in the Kingdom of God, was blazed for us, by the obedience of the Son. As Paul says in Galatians 3:29, “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.” Christ through His suffering and death for us, has made us “joint heirs with Christ,” worthy of adoption into God’s family. We belong to the family of God, because we belong to the Son, who has made us “joint heirs.” Through the true heir, we are simply joined with our Covenantal and Divine Family.
We are welcomed into God’s family as joint heirs because of the love of the Trinity for us. The Trinity models the nature of the family by allowing us to experience the source of all love. It is because of the Trinitarian model of love for us and our experience of that love, that Jesus instructs us to go out and make the family bigger. We belong to the family of God but so do those who have not yet come home. We have learned something now about the nature of God and the extent of God’s family and the call is the same to all – come home and be loved!…John W Martens “The Word on the Street Year B”
John Martens is Professor of Theology at St Thomas University and Director of the MA in Theology at St Paul’s Seminary School of Divinity, Minnesota.
Thought for the Day – 27 May – The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
Brothers and sisters, rejoice. Mend your ways, encourage one another, agree with one another, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the holy ones greet you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you…2 Corinthians 13:11-13
“The one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church is the People of God, the Body of Christ and the Temple of the Holy Spirit. These three biblical images, point to the Trinitarian dimension of the Church. In this dimension, are found, all disciples of Christ, who are called, to live it, ever more deeply and in an ever more intense communion.”
Sunday Reflection – 27 May – The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
Holy Communion
Bl John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
O my God, holiness becomes Your House and yet You dost made Your abode in my breast. My Lord, my Saviour, to me You come, hidden under the semblance of earthly things, yet in that very flesh and blood which You took from Mary. You, who did first inhabit Mary’s breast, come to me.
My God, You see me; I cannot see myself. Were I ever so good a judge about myself, ever so unbiased and with ever so correct a rule of judging, still, from my very nature, I cannot look at myself and view myself truly and wholly. But You, as You come to me, contemplates me.
When I say, Domine, non sum dignus—”Lord, I am not worthy”—You whom I am addressing, alone understands in their fullness the words which I use. You see how unworthy so great a sinner is to receive the One Holy God, whom the Seraphim adore with trembling. You see, not only the stains and scars of past sins but the mutilations, the deep cavities, the chronic disorders which they have left in my soul. You see the innumerable living sins, though they be not mortal, living in their power and presence, their guilt and their penalties, which clothe me. You see all my bad habits, all my mean principles, all wayward lawless thoughts, my multitude of infirmities and miseries, yet You come. You see most perfectly how little I really feel what I am now saying, yet You come.
O my God, left to myself should I not perish under the awful splendour and the consuming fire of Your Majesty. Enable me to bear You, lest I have to say with Peter, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”
Quote of the Day – 27 May – The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
In all our undertakings —
when we enter a place or leave it;
before we dress;
before we bathe;
when we take our meals;
when we light the lamps in the evening;
before we retire at night;
when we sit down to read;
before each new task —
we trace the Sign of the Cross on our foreheads.
One Minute Reflection – 27 May – The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…“…Matthew 28:19
REFLECTION – “The Son is in the Father and the Father in the Son. O adorable mystery which has been from eternity! I adore You. O my incomprehensible Creator, before whom I am an atom, a being of yesterday or an hour ago! Go back a few years and I simply did not exist, I was not in being and things went on without me but You are from eternity and nothing whatever from one moment could go on without You. O adorable mystery! In the name of God, the Omnipotent Father, who created me! In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, Son of the living God, who bled for me! In the name of the Holy Spirit, who has been poured out on me!”…Bl John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
PRAYER – God our Father, You revealed the great mystery of Your Godhead to men, when You sent into the world, the Word who is Truth and the Spirit who makes us holy. Help us to believe in You and worship You, as the true faith teaches, three persons eternal in glory, one God, infinite in mystery. We make our prayer through Jesus our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God with you forever amen.
Our Morning Offering – 27 May – The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
An Act of Oblation to the Holy Trinity By St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor of Charity
I vow and consecrate to God
all that is in me,
my memory and my actions, to God the Father;
my understanding and my words, to God the Son;
my will and my thoughts, to God the Holy Spirit.
I consecrate my heart, my body,
my tongue, my senses and all my sorrows
to the sacred Humanity of Jesus Christ,
who consented to be betrayed
into the hands of wicked men
and to suffer the torment of the Cross for me.
Amen
Wishing you all a Blessed and Holy Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity – Trinity Sunday – 27 May 2018
HISTORY AND LITURGY
ORIGIN — The greatest dogma of the Christian faith is the mystery of the Holy Trinity. (Mystery, in this connection, means a supernatural fact revealed by God which in itself transcends the natural power of human reasoning.) During the first thousand years of Christianity there was no special feast celebrated in honour of this mystery but, as Pope Alexander II (1073) declared, every day of the liturgical year was devoted to the honour and adoration of the Sacred Trinity.
However, to counteract the Arian heresy, which denied the fullness of divinity to the Son, a special Mass text in honour of the Holy Trinity was introduced and incorporated in the Roman liturgical books. This Mass was not assigned for a definite day but could be used on certain Sundays according to the private devotion of each priest. (Such Mass texts which are not prescribed but open to choice on certain days are now known as “votive Masses.”) From the ninth century on, various bishops of the Frankish kingdoms promoted in their own dioceses a special feast of the Holy Trinity, usually on the Sunday after Pentecost. They used a Mass text that Abbot Alcuin (804) is said to have composed.
Thus the custom of observing a special feast in honour of the Trinity became increasingly popular in the northern countries of Europe. Several synods prescribed it for their respective territories in France, Germany, England and The Netherlands. In the thirteenth centur, the orders of the Benedictines and Cistercians adopted the annual celebration of the feast. It was kept on different Sundays in different places, until in 1334 Pope John XXII accepted the festival into the official calendar of the Western Church and ordered that henceforth it should be held everywhere on the Sunday after Pentecost.
A new Mass text was written and published. It is interesting to note that the beautiful Preface of the Trinity as read today is the same one that appeared in the first text of the Sacramentary of Saint Pope Gregory the Great (540-604) Father and Doctor of the Church. Most of the other prayers are of later origin. The Divine Office in its present form, was arranged under Pope Saint Pius V (1572). It is one of the most sublime offices of the breviary.
The Feast of the Holy Trinity, now belongs among the great annual festivals of Christianity. Although it is not observed with additional liturgical services outside the Mass, its celebration quickly took root in the hearts and minds of the faithful and in all countries of Europe popular traditions are closely associated with this feast.
SIGN OF THE CROSS — The making of the sign of the cross, which professes faith both in the redemption of Christ and in the Trinity, was practised from the earliest centuries. Saint Augustine (431) mentioned and described it many times in his sermons and letters. In those days Christians made the sign of the cross (Redemption) with three fingers (Trinity) on their foreheads. The words (“In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost”) were added later. Almost two hundred years before Augustine, in the third century, Tertullian had already reported this touching and beautiful early Christian practice:
“In all our undertakings — when we enter a place or leave it; before we dress; before we bathe; when we take our meals; when we light the lamps in the evening; before we retire at night; when we sit down to read; before each new task — we trace the sign of the cross on our foreheads.” Tertullian (160-220)
DOXOLOGY — The ancient Christian doxology (prayer of praise) “Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost” was used in the Oriental Church. The second part (“as it was in the beginning…”) seems to have been added at the time of Emperor Constantine. During the fifth century this beautiful short prayer came into the Western Church and spread very quickly. Since then it has been in constant use in both liturgical and private devotions. Finally, the Council of Narbonne (589) prescribed that it should be added after every psalm and hymn in the Divine Office. It is an ancient tradition that in poetical hymns of the liturgy the Gloria Patri is rendered in a paraphrase (free version) within the last stanza.
EASTERN RITES — The churches of the Byzantine Rite do not celebrate the Feast of the Holy Trinity. Instead, they observe the Sunday after Pentecost as the Feast of All Saints (Kyriake Ton Hagion Panton). The official calendar of the Greek Church announces this feast with the interesting words “Today, on the first Sunday after Pentecost, we celebrate the festive day of all Saints everywhere in the world: in Asia, Lybia, in northern and eastern Europe.” As may be seen from the territories mentioned, the term “whole world” applies only to the countries of that rite. The Uniate Armenians keep the Feast of the Holy Trinity on the same day as the Latin Church.
FOLKLORE
SYMBOLS — During the first centuries of the Christian era the Holy Trinity was sometimes represented in paintings by three young men of identical shape and looks. By the sixth century, however, it had become an accepted practice that only the Father and Son should be shown in human form; the Holy Spirit is represented by the figure of a dove.
In medieval times there were many imaginative and symbolic pictures, as well as designs, to indicate the great mystery of the faith. The Church has not officially accepted any of them, has tolerated some, forbidden others. One of the best-known symbols of this kind is the trefoil (shamrock). A second plant to which this symbolism is attached is the pansy (viola tricolor), which even today is called “Trinity flower” in many parts of Europe. In Puerto Rico a delicately perfumed white flower with three petals is called Trinitaria. Another symbol is the figure of a triangle (Trinity) surrounded by rays (divinity) with the picture of an eye inside the triangle (omniscience and providence). This design became very popular and may be found all over Europe in homes, on wayside shrines and even in churches. An interesting version of this symbol may be seen in the Great Seal of the United States (reproduced on every one-dollar bill).
Centuries ago, architecture made use of many and sometimes strange, symbols to indicate the Trinity, like three animals (hares, stags, birds) in a circle, or three interlocked rings, or a candle with three flames. Some churches display an architectural number symbolism in honour of the Trinity. One of the most remarkable examples of this kind is the Holy Trinity Church of Stadl-Paura, Austria, built in 1722 – see below. It has three aisles, three towers, three doors, three windows on either side, three altars, three bells, and three rows of pews.
SHRINES AND COLUMNS — From the fourteenth century on, the Holy Trinity was generally invoked for help against the dreaded epidemics of the Black Death. Hundreds of Trinity churches in Europe owe their existence to public vows made in time of pestilence and cholera. In subsequent ravages of those terrible diseases, these churches became much-frequented pilgrim shrines. Later, during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, public columns in honour of the Holy Trinity were placed in the main squares of cities and towns in central Europe. Sculptured in marble or granite, they carry the traditional image of the Trinity and statues of the saints who were patrons against epidemics. Many of these columns are outstanding examples of late baroque art. The city of Vienna alone has eleven such Trinity columns which were erected during the epidemics of 1679 and 1713.
Plague Column, Vienna, AustriaThe Holy Trinity Column, Olomouc, Czech Republic, a World Heritage Site
POPULAR CELEBRATION — During the late Middle Ages and up to the eighteenth century, the Feast of the Holy Trinity was celebrated with popular manifestations of solemnity, special honour and joy. As an example may serve the festival at the Trinity column of downtown Vienna, in 1680, where the famous Augustinian preacher Abraham a Santa Clara (1709) delivered a sermon before many thousands in the festively decorated square. At the end he appealed to the choir band to express with their instruments the honour, adoration and gratitude of all to the Holy Trinity, “upon which the whole group of many trumpets and kettle-drums right joyfully broke out in a ringing fanfare.”
A proof of the great devotion to the Trinity was the Holy Trinity Confraternities, which flourished to such a degree during the seventeenth century that they surpassed most of the other similar organisations both in the number of local groups and in membership…
Handbook of Christian Feasts and Customs by Francis X. Weiser, S.J., Harcourt, Brace and Company, New York, 1958.
COLLECT PRAYER
God our Father, who by sending into the world the Word of truth and the Spirit of sanctification made known to the human race your wondrous mystery, grant us, we pray, that in profession the true faith, we may acknowledge the Trinity of eternal glory and adore your Unity, powerful in majesty. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Glory and honour be to God in the Unity of the Trinity; to the Father and to the Son with the Holy Spirit, forever and ever.
Follower of Artus Wolffort, 17th century.Master of the Lille Adoration, 1530s.Ribera, c. 1635.El Greco, 1577-79.
St Acculus of Alexandria
St Antanansio Bazzekuketta
St Barbara Kim
St Barbara Yi
St Bruno of Würzburg
Bl Dionysius of Semur
Bl Edmund Duke
St Eutropius of Orange
St Evangelius of Alexandria
St Frederick of Liège
Bl Gausberto of Montsalvy
St Gonzaga Gonza
St James of Nocera
Bl John Hogg
St Julius the Veteran and Companions
St Liberius of Ancona
St Matiya Mulumba
Bl Matthias of Nagasaki
St Melangell
St Ranulphus of Arras
St Restituta of Sora and Companions
Bl Richard Hill
Bl Richard Holiday
St Secundus of Troia
SCRIPTURAL READING “Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem. At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. They were astounded and in amazement they asked, “Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans? Then how does each one of us hear them in his own native language?”…(Acts 2, 5-8)
MEDITATION “Jesus said to them: ‘The times and occasions are set by my Father’s own authority and it is not for you to know when they will be. But when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be filled with power and you will be witnesses for me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.”…(Acts 1, 7-8)
PRAYER
Lord Holy Spirit,
come down upon Your sons and daughters
who proclaim the message of salvation.
Perform miracles in the sky above
and wonders on the earth below.
That people of every race and nation
will believe in Christ Jesus, our Savior.
Come, Holy Spirit, we plead;
make us holy as Our Father.
Guide us in our pilgrim way,
for without You no fruits will be gathered,
with You all things come true.
Eternal Holy Spirit,in Your mercy,
please grant my special petition:
…………………….(mention your petition)
Most Holy Trinity, Godhead indivisible,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
our first beginning and our last end,
You have made us after Your own image and likeness.
Grant that all the thoughts of my mind,
all the words of my mouth,
all the affections of my heart
and all my actions be always conformed to Your holy Will.
After having seen You here below in Your manifestations and by faith,
may I come at last to see You face to face,
in the perfect possession of You forever in heaven.
Amen
Almighty and Everlasting God, by the profession of the true faith, You have given us, Your servants, grace to acknowledge the glory of the Eternal Trinity and in the power of Your Divine Majesty, to worship the Unity. We beg You to grant that, by our fidelity in this same faith, we may always be defended from all dangers. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Thought for the Day – 26 May – The Memorial of St Philip Neri (1515-1595)
Philip Neri was a sign of contradiction, combining popularity with piety against the background of a corrupt Rome and a disinterested clergy: the whole post-Renaissance malaise.
At an early age, Philip abandoned the chance to become a businessman, moved to Rome from Florence and devoted his life and individuality to God. After three years of philosophy and theology studies, he gave up any thought of ordination. The next 13 years were spent in a vocation unusual at the time—that of a layperson actively engaged in prayer and the apostolate.
As the Council of Trent (1545-63) was reforming the Church on a doctrinal level, Philip’s appealing personality was winning him friends, from all levels of society, from beggars to cardinals. He rapidly gathered around himself a group of laypersons won over by his audacious spirituality. Initially, they met as an informal prayer and discussion group, and also served poor people in Rome.
At the urging of his confessor, Philip was ordained a priest and soon became an outstanding confessor himself, gifted with the knack of piercing the pretenses and illusions of others, though always in a charitable manner and often with a joke. He arranged talks, discussions and prayers for his penitents, in a room above the church. He sometimes led “excursions” to other churches, often with music and a picnic on the way.
Some of Philip’s followers became priests and lived together in community. This was the beginning of the Oratory, the religious institute he founded. A feature of their life was a daily afternoon service of four informal talks, with vernacular hymns and prayers. Giovanni Palestrina was one of Philip’s followers and composed music for the services. The Oratory was finally approved after suffering through a period of accusations of being an assembly of heretics, where laypersons preached and sang vernacular hymns!
Philip’s advice was sought by many of the prominent figures of his day. He is one of the influential figures of the Counter-Reformation, mainly for converting to personal holiness many of the influential people within the Church itself. His characteristic virtues were humility and gaiety.
After spending a day hearing confessions and receiving visitors, Philip Neri suffered a hemorrhage and died on the feast of Corpus Christi in 1595. He was Beatified in 1615 and Canonised in 1622. Three centuries later, Cardinal John Henry Newman founded the first English-speaking house of the Oratory in London.
Many people wrongly feel that such an attractive and jocular personality as Philip’s cannot be combined with an intense spirituality. Philip’s life melts our rigid, narrow views of piety. His approach to sanctity was truly catholic, all-embracing and accompanied by a good laugh. Philip always wanted his followers to become not less but more human through their striving for holiness.
One Minute Marian Reflection – 26 May “Mary’s Month!” Saturday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time, Year B
You are the glory of Jerusalem, the surpassing joy of Israel…Judges 15:9
REFLECTION – “MARY: THE WAY TO JESUS – “Mary does the immense favour of bringing to the cross, of placing face to face with the example of the Son of God, those who come close to her and contemplate her life. It is in this confrontation that Christian life is decided. And here, Mary intercedes for us, so that our behaviour may lead to a reconciliation of the younger brother — you and me — with the firstborn Son of the Father. “Many conversions, many decisions to give oneself to the service of God have been preceded by an encounter with Mary. Our Lady has encouraged us to look for God, to desire to change, to lead a new life.”…St Josemaría Escrivá (1902-1975) “To Jesus through Mary,” Christ is Passing By 149 Let us offer to our Mother today: Teaching someone how to say the Holy Rosary.
PRAYER – “Hail, Mother of the Lord, Virgin Mary, Queen of the Rosary! Blessed among all women, you are the image of the Church robed in paschal light, you are the honour of our people, you are the victory over every assault of evil.” ……………..Excerpt from the Prayer of Pope Francis at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima,12 May 2017. Pray for us Holy Mother of God and our Mother, lead us to your Son!
Our Morning Offering – 26 May “Mary’s Month!” – The Memorial of St Philip Neri (1515-1595)
Mary, I Love You By St Philip Neri (1515-1595)
Mary, I love you.
Mary, make me live in God,
with God and for God.
Draw me after you, holy mother.
O Mary, may your children persevere in loving you.
Mary, Mother of God and mother of mercy,
pray for me and for the departed.
Mary, holy Mother of God, be our helper.
In every difficulty and distress,
come to our aid, O Mary.
O Queen of Heaven,
lead us to eternal life with God.
Mother of God, remember me,
and help me always to remember you.
O Mary, conceived without sin,
pray for us who have recourse to you.
Pray for us,
O holy Mother of God,
that we may be made worthy
of the promises of Christ.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray to Jesus for me.
Amen
Saint of the Day – 26 May – St Philip Neri Cong. Orat. (1515-1595) Priest and Founder, Mystic, Missionary of Charity known as “The Third Apostle of Rome”, after Saints Peter and Paul, was an Italian priest noted for founding a society of secular clergy called the Congregation of the Oratory. Patronages – Rome, Gravina, Italy, archdiocese of Manfredonia-Vieste-San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy Mandaluyong, US Special Forces, Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, Piczon Vill, Catbalogan, laughter, humour. St Philip Neri was extraordinarily touched by the divine presence and radiated such joy that he was moved to share it with all he met.
St Philip made a life for himself in Rome, becoming a priest at the age of 35 and becoming known as one who had a particular apostolate for giving young men spiritual direction using unconventional ways to challenge the vain young men of the Eternal City. Once a man came to St Philip Neri and asked him if he thought wearing a hair shirt was a good penance. St Philip replied that it would be a good penance if he wore the hair shirt outside his nice clothes.
St Philip had a long history of playing jokes on a distinguished friend of his, Cesare Baronius, who would become a cardinal. St Philip would send Baronius shopping for wine, with the strict instruction that he was to taste every wine in the shop until he found the right one. After taking such great trouble sampling many types of wine, St Philip would tell Baronius casually that he only required half a bottle of wine.
He was greatly unsettled when many Italians started leaving the Church because of a bogus and damaging history of the Church was doing the rounds. He commissioned Baronius to write a factual history of the Catholic Church and when Baronius would give him drafts to read, St Philip would flippantly throw them over his shoulder. St Philip didn’t allow anyone in his circle to take themselves too seriously. It took Baronius 30 years to write a true history of the Church, which was entitled, Ecclesiastical Annals.
The saint’s best-known achievement is that he founded the Roman Congregation of the Oratory. Key to his success was that he used humour as his medicine. He may have made others laugh, from going around Rome with half his beard shaved off, doing humorous dances or setting penances for young men that involved them making fools of themselves in public. But he needed jokes more badly than those around him. He was said to have had an all consuming love of God and in order to concentrate before offering Mass, St Philip would need to hear jokes or read humorous anecdotes which distracted him just a little from total absorption in the glory of God, so that he was able to concentrate on the task at hand, which was to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
He had a phenomenal capacity for love – his heart would hammer so strongly against his chest that it shook furniture. His facility to love so greatly was received on the eve of Pentecost, 1544, when St Philip saw a vision of a ball of fire enter through his mouth and go to his heart. Straightaway he was filled with an intense divine love and fell to the floor, crying out, “Enough, enough, Lord, I can bear no more!”
St Philip Neri is the patron saint of joy and with this in mind, he could become a powerful intercessor for people who have periods of feeling down. We pray a lot to St Valentine and St Raphael – so that these saints may find us romantic partners who will love us. But we might do well to pray to St Philip Neri that he inspires us with the ability to cherish others and to be filled with the joy of love… Perhaps most acutely for our selfie age, he could become an intercessor for people who agonise over how they look, who spend all their free time finding flattering selfies to post on Facebook and fear that that narcissism is beginning to rule their lives.
More on St Philip’s life: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/05/26/saint-of-the-day-26-may-s-philip-neri-cong-orat/
The work of the Oratory continues in Rome and across the world today. The Oratorians take no formal vows but promise to live in charity with one another. Some 500 priests serve more than 70 oratories around the world today. Cardinal Blessed John Henry Newman and St Francis de Sales were both members of this order.
Philip was always in touch with the supernatural—people said that they noticed his face radiating light and he often fell into deep, ecstatic trances while celebrating Mass. In fact, his normal congregations got used to beginning Mass with him, then leaving after the “Lamb of God” to let him experience his rapture and return two hours later to finish the liturgy and receive Communion.
Philip died of a massive heart attack on this date in 1595, which was the feast of Corpus Christi. His relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica and the Shrine contains the sketch below, which depicts him conversing with someone on the streets in Rome.
St Philip Neri, your body and soul were touched with divine love and you shared it with with all others, pray for us!
Our Lady of Caravaggio/Nostra Signora di Caravaggio: Title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary who appeared in an apparition on 26 May 1432 in the countryside outside Caravaggio, Lombardy, Italy. Giannetta de’ Vacchi: Varoli was cutting hay in a field when the Virgin appeared. Mary requested penance from and a chapel built by the locals. A new spring of healing water appeared in the hay field. The apparition anniversary became a day of pilgrimage to the shrine of Santa Maria del Fonte built at the site and devotion to the Madonna of Caravaggio spread through the region and eventually around the world. In 1879, Italians from Lombardy built a chapel for their settlement in southern Brazil. As it was the only sacred art that any of them possessed, they dedicated the chapel to the Madonna di Caravaggio. Today the shrine hosts over a million pilgrims annually. Patronage – diocese of Cremona, Italy.
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St Alphaeus
St Anderea Kaggwa
Bl Andrea Franchi
St Becan of Cork
Bl Berengar of Saint-Papoul
St Damian the Missionary
St Desiderius of Vienne
St Pope Eleuterus
St Felicissimus of Todi
St Fugatius the Missionary
St Gioan Ðoàn Trinh Hoan
St Guinizo of Monte Cassino
St Heraclius of Todi
Bl Lambert Péloguin of Vence
St Mariana de Paredes y Flores of Quito
St Odulvald of Melrose
St Paulinus of Todi
St Peter Sanz
St Ponsiano Ngondwe
St Priscus of Auxerre and Companions
St Quadratus of Africa
St Quadratus the Apologist
St Regintrudis of Nonnberg
St Simitrius of Rome and Companions
St Zachary of Vienne
SCRIPTURAL READING “They went about the surrounding country and began to bring in the sick on mats to where ever they heard He was. Whatever villages or towns or countryside He entered, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged Him that they might touch only the tassel on His cloak; and as many as touched it were healed.”...(Mk. 6:55-56)
MEDITATION “Jesus went all over Galilee, teaching in the synagogues, preaching the Good News about the Kingdom, and healing people who had all kinds of diseases and sickness. The news about Him spread through the whole country of Syria, so that people brought to Him all those who were sick, suffering from all kinds of diseases and disorders: people with demons and epileptics and paralytics – Jesus healed them all.”…(Mt. 4, 23-24)
PRAYER
Lord Jesus Christ,
You showed Your love and compassion
for the poor and the sick,
curing everyone who came to You in faith, or in hope.
No one who appealed to You, was ever disappointed,
be they believers or not – both saints and sinners.
Please pour down Your mercies upon us
who are sick and wounded in the struggles
we face in life.
Have mercy on us Lord,
on our infirmities caused by human frailty and sinfulness.
Touch Lord, our aching bodies and spirits
with Your merciful love.
Bless me through the love with which You plead for us
before the throne of God,
bless me in the Blessed Sacrament
with which You give Yourself to us in Holy Communion.
Grant that all this love and bitter pain,
may not be lost on me.
Eternal Son,in Your mercy, grant my petition:
…………………….(mention your petition)
Most Holy Trinity, Godhead indivisible,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
our first beginning and our last end,
You have made us after Your own image and likeness.
Grant that all the thoughts of my mind,
all the words of my mouth,
all the affections of my heart
and all my actions be always conformed to Your holy Will.
After having seen You here below in Your manifestations and by faith,
may I come at last to see You face to face,
in the perfect possession of You forever in heaven.
Amen
Marian Thought for the Day – 25 May “Mary’s Month” – The Memorial of St Bede the Venerable (673-735) Father and Doctor of the Church
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, any my spirit rejoices in God my saviour.”
With these words Mary first acknowledges the special gifts she has been given.
Above all other saints, she alone could truly rejoice in Jesus, her saviour, for she knew that He who was the source of eternal salvation, would be born in time in her body, in one person both her own son and her Lord.
“For the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.”
Mary attributes nothing to her own merits. She refers all her greatness to the gift of one whose essence is power and whose nature is greatness, for He fills with greatness and strength, the small and the weak who believe in Him. She did well to add: “and holy is his name,” to warn those who heard and indeed, all who would receive His words, that they must believe and call upon His name. For they too could share in everlasting holiness and true salvation according to the words of the prophet: “and it will come to pass, that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” This is the name she spoke of earlier when she said “and my spirit rejoices in God my saviour.”
Quote/s of the Day – 25 May “Mary’s Month” – The Memorial of St Bede the Venerable (673-735) Father and Doctor of the Church and St Mary Magdalen de Pazzi (1566-1607)
“Unfurl the sails and let God steer us where He will.”
“Christ is the Morning Star, who, when the night of this world is past, gives to His saints, the promise of the light of life, and opens everlasting day.”
St Bede the Venerable (673-735) Father and Doctor of the Church
“Prayer ought to be humble, fervent, resigned, persevering and accompanied with great reverence. One should consider, that he stands in the presence of a God and speaks with a Lord, before whom, the angels tremble from awe and fear.”
“O Sisters, if we would only comprehend the fact, that while the Eucharistic Species remain within us, Jesus is there and working in us, inseparably with the Father and the Holy Spirit and therefore the whole Holy Trinity is there.”
One Minute Marian Reflection – 25 May “Mary’s Month” Friday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time, Year B
Those who love me I also love and those who seek me, find me…Proverbs 8:17
REFLECTION – “MARY: OUR MOTHER – “Find out for yourself by personal experience the meaning of Mary’s maternal love. It is not enough just to know that she is our Mother and to think and talk about her as such. She is your Mother and you are her child. She loves you as if you were her only child in this world. Treat her accordingly. Tell her about everything that happens to you; honour her and love her. No one will do it for you or as well as you.”…” St Josemaría Escrivá (1902-1975) Mother of God and our Mother,” Friends of God, 293.
Let us offer to our Mother today: Many affectionate thoughts and prayers, by saying “Mary, my mother” each time we pause in our work.
PRAYER – Holy Almighty Father, grant us the grace to understand the immense love You have given us, in granting us the Mother of Your Divine Son, as our Mother too. Holy Mary, Mother of God and our Mother, teach us, help us, show us the way, as all mothers do. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son and our Saviour, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God with our Father, forever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 25 May “Mary’s Month” Friday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time, Year B
Mary, Virgin and Mother, shows us what love is and whence it draws its origin and its constantly renewed power. To her we entrust the Church and her mission in the service of love.
Pope Benedict XVI: Deus Caritas Est, 42
Holy Mary, Mother of God
By Pope Benedict XVI:
Deus Caritas Est, 42
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
you have given the world its true light,
Jesus, your Son – the Son of God.
You abandoned yourself completely
to God’s call and this became a wellspring
of the goodness which flows forth from Him.
Show us Jesus.
Lead us to Him.
Teach us to know and love Him,
so that we too, can become capable of true love
and be fountains of living water
in the midst of a thirsting world.
AnaStpaul 
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