Thought for the Day – 28 March – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Lamb of God
“Jesus had only one consolation in the midst of His terrible sufferings. His mother, Mary was beside the Cross along with His beloved Apostle and the holy women who had always followed Him. Mary loved her Son with a love greater than that of any mother, which is the greatest love possible on earth. She loved Jesus with the heart of a Mother and of a Virgin – He was her only treasure. Moreover, she loved Him, not only as her Son but, also as her God. Precisely because she loved Him as her God, her love was in perfect harmony with the divine will.
She understood the mystery which led Jesus to accept death on the Cross – the mystery of the Redemption. “He was offered because it was his own will” (Isa 53:7). He was offered on our behalf, as a voluntary victim to His heavenly Father.”
In You is the source of life and in Your Light Lord, we see light Psalm 35(36)
“See, your King shall come to you” – Zechariah 0:9
NOW again I will speak, Lord and will not be silent. I will speak to the hearing of my God, my Lord and my King, Who is in heaven. How great, O Lord, is the multitude of Your mercies which You have stored up for those who love You. But what are You to those who love You? What are You to those who serve You, with their whole heart?
Truly beyond the power of words is the sweetness of contemplation. You give to those who love You. To me You have shown the sweetness of Your charity, especially in having made me, when I did not exist, in having brought me back to serve You, when I had gone far astray from You, in having commanded me to love You.
O Fountain of unceasing love, what shall I say of You? How can I forget You, Who have been pleased to remember me, even after I had wasted away and perished? You have shown mercy to Your servant beyond all hope and have exhibited grace and friendship, beyond his deserving! … You are my Lord and my God and my King and I am Your poorest servant, bound to serve You with al my strength and never to grow weary of praising You. This is my desire, this I implore You – that I may always praise You and that You will supply whatever is wanting in me. (Book 3 Ch 10:1-2,4b)
“See, your king shall come to you, meek and riding on an ass, on a colt, the foal of an ass.”
Zechariah 9:9
“Yesterday, Christ raised Lazarus from the dead; today, He is going to His own death. Yesterday, He tore off the strips of cloth that bound Lazarus; today, He is stretching out His Hand, to those who want to bind Him. Yesterday, He tore that man away from darkness; today, for humankind, He is going down into darkness and the shadow of death. And the Church is celebrating. She is beginning the feast of feasts, for she is receiving her King as a spouse, for her King is in her midst.”
St Ephrem (306-373) (Attri) Father ad Doctor of the Church
“Hosanna!”—which means : “Save!” “Hosanna to You Who are in the highest. O Almighty, save those who are humbled. Have mercy on us, in consideration of our palms, may the palms we wave move Your Heart, You who come to call Adam”…
St Romanus the Melodist (c 490-c 556) Composer of Hymns
One Minute Reflection – 28 March – Palm Sunday, Readings: Procession: Mark 11: 1-10 or John 12: 12-16, First: Isaiah 50: 4-7, Psalm: Psalms 22: 8-9, 17-18, 19-20,23-24, Second: Philippians 2: 6-11, Gospel: Mark 14: 1 – 15: 47
“And they brought the colt to Jesus and they lay their garments on him and he sat upon him.” – Mark 11:7
REFLECTION – “Seated on Your throne in Heaven and on a colt on earth, O Christ, You who are God, You welcomed the praise of the angels and the anthem of the children, who called out to You : “ Blessed are You, the One who comes to recall Adam”… The King comes to us, humble, sitting on the foal of a donkey. He comes with haste to suffer His Passion and take sins away. Seated on a dumb animal, the Word, the Wisdom of God, wants to save all beings endowed with reason. And all humankind can contemplate, mounted on a colt, the One who rides on the cherubim (Ps 17:10) and who once bore up Elijah on a chariot of fire. “Though he was rich,” of his own will, “he became poor” (2Co 8:9) ; in choosing weakness, He gives strength to all who cry to Him: ”Blessed are You, the One who comes to call You demonstrate Your strength by choosing poverty… The clothes of the disciples were a sign of this poverty but Your power was measured by the anthem of the children and the great crowd which cried : “Hosanna!”—which means : “Save!”—”Hosanna to You who are in the highest. O Almighty, save those who are humbled. Have mercy on us, in consideration of our palms, may the palms we wave move Your Heart, You who come to call Adam”… “You who are the work of My hands,” the Creator answered … “I came to you Myself. It was not the Law that was to save you since it had not created you, nor the prophets who, like you, I created. I alone can free you from your debt . I am sold for you and I free you. I am crucified for you and you are rescued from death. I die and I teach you to cry.” Blessed are You, the One who comes to call Adam”. “Did I love the angels as much? No, it is you, the poor, whom I have cherished. I have hidden My glory and, out of My great love for you, have freely made My richness poor. For you I suffered hunger, thirst, fatigue. I roamed the mountains, ravines and valleys looking for you, my lost sheep. I took the name of Lamb, to bring you back, calling you with my shepherd’s voice. And I want to give My life for you, to tear you away from claws of the wolf. I bear everything, so that you may cry out : “Blessed are You, the One who comes to call Adam.” – St Romanus the Melodist (c 490-c 556) – Composer of Hymns – Hymn 32
PRAYER – Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of Hosts, Heaven and earth are full of Your glory! Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!
To You, O Jesus, Hosanna! By St Bonaventure (1217-1274) Seraphic Doctor of the Church
To You, O Jesus, do I turn as my true and last end. You are the River of Life which alone can satisfy my thirst. Without You, all else is barren and void. Without all else, You alone are enough for me. You are the Redeemer of those that are lost, the sweet Consoler of the sorrowful, the Crown of Glory of the victors, the recompense of the Blessed. One day I hope to receive of Your fullness and to sing the song of praise, in my true home. Give me only on earth, some few drops of consolation and I will patiently await Your coming, when I hope to enter into the joy of my Lord. Hosanna! Amen
Saint of the Day – 28 March – Blessed Antonio Patrizi OSA (c 1280-1311) Priest, Friar of the Order of St Augustine, Prior, Hermit. Born in c 1280 in Siena, Italy and died in c 1311 in Monticiano, Italy. His body is incorrupt.
Anthonio Patrizi was born in Siena sometime in the thirteenth century, although the exact date and year are not known. He was the son of Pietro and Ginerva Patrizi of the prominent house of Patrizi with its origins from Rome.
In 1287 he was entrusted to the Order of Preachers for his studies. On one particular Christmas Eve night, in the Basilica di San Domenico, he was inspired to visit the hospital of Santa Maria della Scala on Christmas day, where he met Pietro de’ Piccolomini who suggested that the two both go to enroll in the Order of Saint Augustine at Leccet. They accordingly proceeded to Leccet, leaving the following day, 26 December and were immediately admitted into the novitiate.
Antonio joined the Order of St Augustine in Lecceto and lived as a Hermit in the Monastery of Lecceto, renowned for its emphasis on contemplative life and the holiness of many of its members. It was here that other well known Friars such as Clement of Osimo, Agostino Novello and William Flete also lived at various times. He was appointed at one point as the Prior of his Lecceto Convent.
Anonio died sometime just after midnight on 23 April 1311 at the Convent of Monticiano, where he was spending the night, while on a visit to his Florentine friend Pietro da Collegonzi.
In the book A Brief Life of Some Hermit Friars by the Anonymous Florentine, the story of Anthonio’s death is recounted. It tells of how, on the night on which he died, assistants of an elderly and gravely ill couple who lived nearby, were looking out a window of the sick couple’s house, which faced the Monastery. They saw coming from the Monastery a brilliant light that appeared to touch the sky. At first they thought that the Monastery was burning but as they watched, they saw that it was not a fire but that there must be, in the Monastery, someone whose holiness touched the heavens. The sick couple also came to the window, saw the light and began to pray, asking that this unknown holy person would heal them of their illness. Immediately they were restored to health. They went to the Monastery, told the Friars what had happened and asked to see the holy man. The Friars went to the room of their guest and discovered that Anthonio had died.
Antonio’s remains were interred in a grave where it was said to have caused lilies to grow during the wintertime. His incorrupt remains were later transferred to the local church of Santi Pietro e Paolo – later renamed in his honour – and were transferred on two more occasions in 1616 and 1700.
Antonio received formal Beatification from Pope Pius VII on 1 March 1804 after the latter ratified the Antonio’s local ‘cultus’ – or popular devotion – that had endured from his death.
Nuestra Senora de Castelbruedo / Our Lady of Castelbruedo, Catalonia, Spain – 28 March:
The Abbot Orsini wrote of this feast day: “It is related, that every year, on the day of the Annunciation, three lights were seen of a blue colour, which shone through the glass windows of this Church at Olion in Catalonia, lighted the lamps and wax candles and immediately disappeared.”
There is a legend that at Olion, in Catalonia, Spain, Our Lady was once venerated under the title of Our Lady of Castelbruedo, or Nuestra Senora de Castelbruedo. The lamps and the wax candles of the Church were likewise lit by invisible hands on the Solemniy of the Annunciation and all disappeared three days after the feast, on the twenty-eighth of March. Despite all subsequent investigations, the lights and their extinguishing, could not be accounted for but it was universally believed, that all this was all to honour Our Lady and the great feast of the announcement of Our Lord’s incarnation. The Church at Olion referred to by the good Abbot, must be one that was once located in Oliana, Spain and not Olion, as it appears. For there is no longer any such City in Spain. Oliana is in Catalonia and is a very small municipality of a few hundred inhabitants in the Sergre valley just below the Oliana reservoir. There is no Catholic Church there any longer, however and the only Church anywhere nearby, is the Church of St Clement near Coll de Nargo, which appears to be about 6 miles away. It dates from the 11th century but looks as if it is little more than an abandoned structure in our day. The region is popular now with those involved in rock-climbing. I can find no further information about this site. If anyone has any information on this Marian title, please forward it to me for inclusion on this website and for the edification of all Catholics. __ St Alkelda of Middleham Blessed Antonio Patrizi OSA (c 1280-1311) Priest St Castor of Tarsus Bl Christopher Wharton Blessed Conon of Naso (1139-1236) His Life: https://anastpaul.com/2020/03/28/saint-of-the-day-28-march-blessed-conon-of-naso-1139-1236/ St Cyril the Deacon Bl Dedë Maçaj St Donal O’NeylaC St Dorotheus of Tarsus St Gundelindis of Niedermünster St Guntramnus St Hesychius of Jerusalem St Hilarion of Pelecete Bl Jean-Baptiste Malo Bl Jeanne Marie de Maille St Proterius of Alexandria Bl Renée-Marie Feillatreau épouse Dumont St Rogatus the Martyr St Successus the Martyr St Tutilo of Saint-Gall Blessed Venturino of Bergamo OP (1304-1346) Biography: https://anastpaul.com/2019/03/28/saint-of-the-day-28-march-blessed-venturino-of-bergamo-op-1304-1346/
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