For Rosemary and Edward and for Hugh
Holy Mass will be offered tomorrow,
Thursday 7 November,
in thanksgiving for all the kindness and generosity
you constantly extend to me and this project.
I will give thanks to you, Lord,
with all my heart,
I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.Psalm 9:1
Thought for the Day – 6 November – Wednesday of the Thirty First week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 14:25-33
Saint Cyril of Jerusalem (315-387)
Bishop, Father & Doctor of the Church
An excerpt from the Catecheses, 5
The one word faith can have two meanings. One kind of faith concerns doctrines . It involves the soul’s ascent to and acceptance of, some particular matter. It also concerns the soul’s good, according to the words of the Lord – Whoever hears my voice and believes in him who sent me has eternal life and will not come to be judged. And again – He who believes in the Son is not condemned but has passed from death to life.
How great is God’s love for men! Some good men have been found pleasing to God because of years of work. What they achieved by working for many hours at a task pleasing to God, is freely given to you by Jesus in one short hour. For, if you believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved and taken up to paradise by Him, just as He brought the thief there. Do not doubt that this is possible. After all, He saved the thief on the holy hill of Golgotha because of one hour’s faith, will He not save you too, since you have believed?
The other kind of faith is given by Christ by means of a special grace. To one wise sayings are given through the Spirit, to another perceptive comments by the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing. Now this kind of faith, given by the Spirit as a special favour, is not confined to doctrinal matters, for it produces effects beyond any human capability. If a man who has this faith says to this mountain move from here to there, it will move. For when anybody says this in faith, believing it will happen and having no doubt in his heart, he then receives that grace.
It is of this kind of faith, moreover, that it is said – If you have faith like a grain of mustard seed. The mustard seed is small in size but it holds an explosive force, although it is sown in a small hole, it produces great branches and when it is grown, birds can nest there. In the same way faith produces great effects in the soul instantaneously. Enlightened by faith, the soul pictures God and sees Him as clearly as any soul can. It circles the earth, even before the end of this world, it sees the judgement and the conferring of promised rewards. So, may you have the faith which depends on you and is directed to God, that you may receive from Him that faith too, which transcends man’s capacity.
“[Lord God] I believe in You, increase my faith. All my hopes are in You, secure my trust. I love You, teach me to love You more each day… I adore You as my first beginning, I long for You as my final end. I praise You as my constant helper and call on You as my loving protector. Guide me by Your Wisdom, correct me with Your Justice, comfort me with Your Mercy, protect me by Your Power… Lord, enlighten my understanding, enflame my will, purify my heart, sanctify my soul. Help me to repent of my past sins and to rise above my human weaknesses and to grow stronger as a Christian…”
(from the Universal Prayer by Pope Clement XI (1649-1721))
Quote of the Day – 6 November – The Memorial of Blessed Christina of Stommeln (1242–1312)
“I am a person who believes in Christ.
I want to live so that all things in
me are strengthened by Christ.”
One Minute Reflection – 6 November – Wednesday of the Thirty-first week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 14:25-33
“If any one comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple…” … Luke 14:26
REFLECTION – “O my God, though I am not fit to see or touch You yet, still I will ever come within Your reach and desire that which is not yet given me in its fullness. O my Saviour, You shall be my sole God! – I will have no Lord but You. I will break to pieces all idols in my heart which rival You. I will have nothing but Jesus and Him Crucified. It shall be my life to pray to You, to offer myself to You, to keep You before me, to worship You in Your holy Sacrifice and to surrender myself to You in Holy Communion. Amen.” —– St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
PRAYER – Holy God and Father, You sent Your Son to show us the way to our eternal home. Teach us always to understand that by relinquishing the things of this world and focusing our efforts only on following the Light He shines on our path, we may attain the eternal victory. May the prayers of Your our Blessed Mother, the Virgin Mary, assist us in carrying our cross after Hi m. Through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 6 November – Wednesday of the Thirty First week in Ordinary Time, Year C
Tis I – Be not Afraid!
St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
WHEN I sink down in gloom or fear,
Hope blighted or delayed,
Thy whisper, Lord, my heart shall cheer,
“’Tis I – be not afraid!”
Or, startled at some sudden blow,
If fretful thoughts I feel,
“Fear not, it is but I!” shall flow,
As balm my wound to heal.
Nor will I quit Thy way, though foes
Some onward pass defend,
From each rough voice the watchword goes,
“Be not afraid!… a Friend!”
And O! when judgement’s trumpet clear
Awakes me from the grave,
Still in it’s echo may I hear,
“’Tis Christ! He comes to save.”
Saint of the Day – 6 November – Blessed Christina of Stommeln (1242–1312) – Religious nun, Stigmatist, Mystic – also known as Christina Bruso and Christina Bruzo.
Christina is believed to have been born on 24 July 1242, to farmers Heinrich and Hilla Bruso in the village of Stumbeln (now Stommeln), northwest of Cologne. At the age of five, she began to experience religious visions. When she was twelve her parents wished to arrange her marriage but she left home without their permission and joined a + Beguine community in Cologne. At the age of fifteen, in 1268, she manifested stigmata on her hands, feet and head. The wounds reappeared throughout her life each Easter Sunday.
This, combined with other mystic experiences and demonic attacks, convinced others in the community that she was insane and she was treated with contempt, leading her to return to her home village in 1267, there she came under the direction of the local pastor, a priest named Johannes.
While in his care, Christina met Peter of Dacia, a Dominican, who became a lifelong friend. Following Peter’s death in 1288, Christine’s mystic experiences ceased. She left the priest’s household and moved into a small cloister, where she lived a quiet life until her death at the age of 70 on 6 November 1312. She was first buried in the Stommeln churchyar, but her remains have been moved several times – first into the church, then in 1342 to Nideggen and finally in 1569 to the Propsteikirche (Provost’s Church) in Jülich, where a monument to Christine still exists. Her relics survived the destruction of the Provost’s Church during the Allies’ air raid on Jülich on 16 November 1944.
St Pope Pius X Beatified her on 8 November 1908 and her liturgical feast was affixed to the date of her death.
+The Beguines were women who lived in semi-monastic communities in Northern Europe between the 13th and 16th centuries. While their members did not take formal religious vows, they dedicated their lives to poverty, care for the poor and sick and to religious devotions. Their lifestyle was directly influenced by a spiritual revival of the period that has come to be known as the Devotio Moderna.
St Atticus
St Barlaam of Novgorod
Bl Beatrice of Olive
Blessed Christina of Stommeln (1242–1312)
St Demetrian of Cyprus
St Edwen of Northumbria
St Efflam of Brittany
St Emilian of Faenza
St Erlafrid of Hirschau
St Felix of Fondi
St Felix of Genoa
St Felix of Thynissa
St Illtyd
St Israel of Limoges
St Leonard of Noblac (c 496-559)
About St Leonard:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/11/06/saint-of-the-day-st-leonard-of-noblac-c496-559/
St Leonard of Reresby
Bl Leonianus of Autun
St Melaine of Rennes
St Paul of Constantinople
St Pinnock
St Severus of Barcelona
Bl Simon of Aulne
St Stephen of Apt
St Theobald of Dorat
St Théophane Vénard MEP (1829-1861) Martyr
Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/11/06/saint-of-the-day-6-november-saint-jean-theophane-venard-m-e-p-1829-1861-martyr/
St Valentine of Genoa
St Victor Chumillas-Fernández
St Winnoc (c 640-c 716/717)
—
Martyrs of Antioch – 10 saints: Ten Christians murdered together by Arabs after their seizure of Antioch, Syria. No names or other details about them have come down to us. 637 in Antioch, Syria.
Martyrs of Gaza – 9 saints: A group of Christian soldiers who were captured by Saracens invading the area of Gaza in Palestine. When the men continued to profess their Christianity, they were executed. We know the names of some of the martyrs – Himerius, John (2 of them), Kallinikos (Callinoco), Paul, Peter, Stephen and Theodore (2 of them). They were beheaded in Gaza, Palestine.
Martyrs of Spain – 498 saints and beati: – Martyred Franciscan Capuchins of Barcelona – 26 beati
Martyred Vincentians of Spain – 14 beati
AnaStpaul 
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