Thought for the Day – 10 February – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Human Soul
“Consider that you have only one soul, which belongs entirely to God and has Heaven for its true home. God has given you two hands, two feet, two ears and two eyes but, He has given you only one soul. What a disaster, if you should lose it, for you would then be damned forever! When God made you to be free, He placed your fate in your own hands. “When God, in the beginning, created man, He made him subject to his own free choice” (Ecclus 15:14). Remember that the salvation of your soul is the most necessary work which you have to do! It is more precious to you than gold or silver. “More precious than gold is health and well-being, contentment of spirit, than coral” (Ecclus 30:15). All our attention should be devoted to keeping our soul free from sin and endowing it with every virtue.”
Quote/s of the Day – 10 February – Readings: Genesis 2:4-9, 15-17, Psalms 104:1-2,27-28, 29-30, Mark 7:14-23
“The things that come out of a person are what defile him.”
Mark 7:15
“The evil speaker, eats the flesh of his brother and bites the body, of his neighbour.”
St John Chrysostom (347-407) Father and Doctor of the Church
“The sky and the earth and the waters and the things that are in them, the fishes and the birds and the trees are not evil. All these are good; it is evil men who make this evil world.”
“What is reprehensible, is that while leading good lives themselves and abhorring those of wicked men, some, fearing to offend, shut their eyes to evil deeds instead of condemning them and pointing out their malice.”
St Augustine (354-407) Father and Doctor of Grace
“…If I do not speak the truth, I become a slave of the father of lies and become a member of this father of lies.”
St Jerome Emiliani (1486-1537)
“Let the enemy rage at the gate; let him knock, pound, scream, howl; let him do his worst. We know for certain, that he cannot enter our soul, except by the door of our consent.”
St Francis de Sales ((1567-1622) Doctor of Charity
“We are generally the carpenters of our own crosses.”
St Philip Neri (1515-1595)
“Sin is the assassin of the soul.”
St John Vianney (1786-1859)
“The power of evil men, lives, on the cowardice of the good!”
And he said,“What comes out of a man is what defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and they defile a man.” – Mark 7:20-23
REFLECTION – “It is a terrible misfortune, when there is not to be found, one really interior soul among all those at the head of important Catholic projects. Then, it seems, as though the supernatural had undergone an eclipse and the power of God, were in chains! And the saints teach us that, when this happens, a whole nation may fall into a decline and Providence will seem to have given evil men a free hand, to do all the harm they desire! Make no mistake, there is a sort of instinct by which souls, without clearly defining what it is they sense, are aware of this radiation of the supernatural. What else would bring the sinner, of his own accord, to cast himself at the feet of the Priest and ask pardon, recognising God Himself in His representative? … “John, indeed, did no sign.” (Jn 10:41) Without working a single miracle, St John the Baptist attracted great crowds. St John Vianney, had a voice so weak, that it could not reach most of those in the crowd that surged around him. But, if people could hardly hear him, they saw him; they saw a living monstrance of God and the mere sight of him overwhelmed those who were there and, converted them!” – Dom Jean-Baptiste Chautard OCSO (1858-1935) – The Soul of the Apostolate, Part 4, C
PRAYER – God our Saviour, through the grace of Baptism, You made us children of light. Hear our prayer, that we may always walk in that light and work for truth, as Your witnesses before men. May our hearts be purified by You grace and may our hands and lips speak with sincere words of love. May the prayers of St Scholastica and St Benedict, help us in this, our exile. We make our prayer, through Christ our Lord with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 10 February – The Memorial of St Scholastica (480-547) Twin sister of St Benedict (480-547)
Father, In Your Goodness By St Benedict of Nursia (480-547)
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 – Saint Austrebertha of Pavilly OSB (630–704) Benedictine Nun and Abbess of Pavilly, France, miracle-worker. Born in 630 at Therouanne, Artois, France and died in 704 at Pavilly, Normandy, France. Patronage – Barentin, France. Also known as Austreberta, Eustreberta, Eustreverte.
Austrebertha was the daughter of Saint Framechildis and the Count Palatine Badefrid, she was born about 630 in Thérouanne, Pas-de-Calais. She refused to be part of an arranged marriage and in around 656 entered the Port-le-Grand Monastery in Ponthieu . She received the veil from Saint Omer before founding another Monastery in Marconne in Artois in the house of her parents. She later established a Monastery at Pavilly.
Although not well known outside of Upper Normandy, Austreberthe performed miracles during her lifetime. Once the water of a spring appeared near a Chapel and gave rise to a river that had healing properties for the disabled and lame.
Her most well-known miracle is that of the wolf. Austreberthe and her nuns used to wash the sacristy cloths of the Abbey of Jumieges a few leagues distant from Pavilly. A donkey used to carry the linen from one Monastery to another. One day, while looking for the donkey, she came across a wolf. The wolf admitted to killing the donkey and begged for forgiveness. Austrebertha reprimanded the wolf but forgave him and commanded that he carry the laundry himself, a task that the wolf performed for the rest of its life.
At the place of the death of the donkey a Chapel was erected in the seventh century, then, when it fell into ruin, a simple stone cross replaced it. It, in turn, was later replaced by an oak, in which was placed a statue of the Virgin.
The miracle of the wolf is depicted in the stained glass window of the Chapel in the village of Sainte-Austreberthe.
There is a Chapel in an open field, in Saint-Denis-le-Ferment, in the Eure where a pilgrimage takes place on Whit Monday. Some of her relics are said to have been brought to Canterbury by the Normans.
Austrebertha died in 704 at Pavilly at the aged of 74.
The two towns named Sainte-Austreberthe refer to her.
Nostra Signora delle Colombe / Our Lady of the Doves (Bologna, Italy) – 10 February:
While the Pilgrim Virgin Statue was touring Europe, three snow-white doves came unexpectedly as the procession passed through a tiny village. No-one could be identified as their owner and they did not seem to be lost. They settled at the feet of the Madonna – soft, white doves, at home with Mary. Day by day, as the pilgrimage drew near its destination of Bologna, Italy, the doves stayed on. They left the Statue only for short flights and never all at once. No minute passed that at least one of them was not at Our Lady’s feet. When the procession neared the Cathedral where the Statue was to be enthroned, conjecture was made about the possible action of the doves. Eager eyes watched them as strong arms carried the Madonna to her pedestal in the Sanctuary. Softly, the doves hovered over, undisturbed by the noisy devotion of the crowd of Latin enthusiasts for Our Lady. When the Statue was finally set firmly and left free to them once more, the doves returned to their resting place, as before, at the feet of Mary. High Mass began at once. Through all the singing and incensing and preaching, the birds remained, watchful but not alarmed. Only as the Mass reached its climax at the Consecration did they stir. Then, as if by instinct, they left the Statue and flew to the Altar. Upon the high Crucifix they perched for the rest of the Mass. Then, at the “Ite Missa est,” with one accord they flew from the Church and vanished. The doves of Mary had escorted her, Our Lady of the Doves, to the palace of the King. Earthly royalty selects eagles for insignia. Mary, Queen of Peace and Mother of the Prince of Peace, selects doves. This type of incident has occurred several times, at a variety of different locations, in recent history.
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 St William the Hermit (Died 1157) About St William: https://anastpaul.com/2020/02/10/saint-of-the-day-10-february-saint-william-the-hermit-died-1157/
Martyred Soldiers in Rome: A group of ten Christian soldiers who were martyred together for their faith. We know little more about them but four of their names – Amantius, Hyacinth, Irenaeus and Zoticus. • 120 at Rome, Italy. They were buried on the Via Lavicana outside RomeAmantius, Hyacinth, Irenaeus, Zoticus.
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