Thought for the Day – 3 January – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Following Jesus, the Divine Model
“Jesus is the Divine Model, Whom we ought to follow and imitate. In Him, the virtues possess both the infinite splendour of the Divinity and the gentle appeal of glorified Humanity. Jesus does not dazzle us with His brightness but kindly invites us to love and follow Him. “Learn from me” He says, “for I am meek and humble of heart and you will find rest for your souls” (Mt 11:29). After He has indicated humility, meekness and interior peace, as the foundations of the spiritual life, He invites us to take up the yoke of His law and assures us, that we shall find it light (Mt 11).
If we follow Jesus, even though we are bowed with Him, beneath the weight of the Cross, we shall experience, even in this life, a reflection of the peace and joy which will be our reward in Heaven.”
Quote/s of the Day – 3 January – Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus
“Faith in Jesus and in the power of His Holy Name is the greatest spiritual force in the world today. It is a source of joy and inspiration in our youth; of strength in our manhood, when only His Holy Name and His grace, can enable us to overcome temptation; of hope, consolation and confidence at the hour of our death, when more than ever before, we realise, that the meaning of Jesus is ‘Lord, the Saviour.’ We should bow in reverence to His Name and submission to His Holy Will.”
Bl Henry Suso (1290-1365)
“Was it not through the brilliance and sweet savour of this Name, that God called us into His marvelous light?”
St Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444)
“If thou are bound down by sickness, if sorrows weary thee, if thou are trembling with fear, invoke the name of Jesus.”
One Minute Reflection – 3 January – Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, Readings: Epistle Acts 4:8-12, Psalm 105:47, Isa 63:16, Ps 144:21, Gospel Luke 2:21-24
“And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus”…Luke 2:21
REFLECTION – “The Name stands as a complete summary and description of our Lord’s character and office and it is under this aspect that it has been regarded by thousands of Saints, whose hearts have melted at its mere sound. To them Jesus is their God, Jesus is their King, Jesus is their Redeemer, Jesus is their Mediator, Jesus is their Saviour, Jesus is their great Priest, Jesus is their Intercessor, Jesus is the Captain under Whom they fight, Jesus is the Leader Whom they follow, Jesus is their Teacher, Jesus is the Giver of their law, Jesus is the Spouse and Shepherd of their souls, Jesus is their Light, Jesus is their Life, Jesus is the Judge before Whom they rejoice to think, that they must one day stand, Jesus is their final and eternal Reward, for which alone they live.
But He is also to them the Mirror of all the most glorious and winning virtues. He is, and His Name tells them that He is, unbounded Charity, infinite Mercy, extremest Kindness, deepest Humility, most devoted Piety, transparent Simplicity, uttermost Poverty, Chastity without a stain. It is the prerogative of love to transform those who love into the likeness of Him Whom they love and as the mere name of one who is loved cannot sound in the ear or be thought of in the mind, without adding to the love which is already there, so the thought of the Holy Name and the mention of the Holy Name have a kind of sacramental power in the hearts of His Saints. The [name] seems to convey the grace which enables men to think like Him, to speak like Him, to act like Him, to sacrifice themselves like Him and to Him, and for Him, and along with Him, to make Him known to others, not by word only but also by reproduction of Him in themselves, and to win all men to love Him.” – Fr Alban Goodier SJ (1869-1939) Archbishop – Excerpted from The Prince of Peace
PRAYER – O God, who founded the salvation of the human race on the Incarnation of Your Word, give Your people the mercy they implore, so that all may know there is no other Name to be invoked but the Name of Your Only Begotten Son. Who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 3 January – Month and Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus
O Sweet Name of Jesus By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)
O sweet Name of Jesus, holy above all names in heaven and on earth and to which every knee, both of men and of angels in heaven, on earth and in hell bends. You are the Way of the just, the Glory of the saints, the Hope of those in need, the Balm of the sick, the Love of the devout and the Consolation of those that suffer. O, Jesus be to me a help and a protector so that Your Name may be blessed for all times. Amen
Saint of the Day – 3 January – Saint Pope Antherus (Died 235) Martyr, Bishop of Rome from 21 November 235 to 3 January 236, the date of his Martyrdom which occurred in Rome under Emperor Julius Maximinus. Also known as Anteros, Anterus, Antheros.
Anterus was the son of Romulus, born in Petilia Policastro, Calabria, Italy. He is thought to have been of Greek origin and his name may indicate that he was a freed slave. He succeeded Pope Pontian, who had been deported from Rome to Sardinia, along with the antipope Hippolytus. He created one Bishop, for the city of Fondi.
We know for certain, only that he reigned some forty days and that he was buried in the famous “Papal crypt” of the Cemetery of Saint Callistus at Rome. He was the first pope buried in the Papal crypt.
The “Liber Pontificalis” says that he was martyred for having caused the Acts of the Martyrs to be collected by notaries and deposited in the archives of the Roman Church. This tradition seems old and respected, nevertheless, the best scholars maintain that it is not sufficiently guaranteed by its sole voucher, the “Liber Pontificalis,” on account, among other things, of the late date of that work’s compilation.
The site of his sepulchre was discovered by De Rossi in 1854, with some broken remnants of the Greek epitaph engraved on the narrow oblong slab that closed his tomb, an index at once of his origin and of the prevalence of Greek in the Roman Church up to that date. His relics had been removed to the Church of Saint Sylvester in the Campus Martius, Rome and were discovered on 17 November 1595, when Pope Clement VIII rebuilt that Church.
St Pope Antherus (Died 235) Martyr Bl Arnold Wala St Athanasius of Cilicia St Bertilia of Mareuil St Bertille of Thuringia St Blitmund of Bobbio St Constant of Gap St Cyrinus of Cyzicus St Daniel Himmerod the Younger Bl Daniel of Padua St Eustadius St Finlugh St Fintan of Doon St Florentius of Vienne St Florentius of Vienne the Martyr St Genevieve (c 419-c 502) Biography: https://anastpaul.com/2020/01/03/saint-of-the-day-3-january-saint-genevieve-c-419-c-502/
Bl Gerard Cagnoli St Gordius of Cappadocia St Imbenia St Kuriakose Elias Chavara St Lucian of Lentini St Melorius St Peter of Palestine St Primus of Cyzicus St Salvator of Belluno St Theogenes of Cyzicus St Theonas St Theopemptus of Nicomedia St Wenog Bl Bl William Vives St Zosimus of Cilicia — Martyrs of Africa – 12 saints: A group of Christians martyred together in Africa, date unknown, exact location unknown. We know nothing more than their names – Acuta, Candidus, Constantius, Eugenia, Firmus, Hilarinus, Lucida, Martial, Poenica, Possessor, Rogatianus and Statutianus.
Martyrs of Tomi – 7 saints: A group of Christians martyred together, date unknown. We know nothing more than their names – Claudon, Diogenius, Eugene, Eugentus, Pinna, Rhodes and Rhodo. They were martyred at Tomi, Exinius Pontus, Moesia (modern Constanta, Romania).
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