Daily Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, Thou has destroyed the power of death and given the hope of eternal life, for body and soul. Thou granted Thy Mother a special place in Thy glory and did not allow decay to touch her body. As we rejoice in the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, grant us renewed confidence in the victory of life over death. Amen.
Day 4: O Dearest Mother Mary, Assumed into Heaven, God placed thee at His right hand that thou may intercede for his little ones as the Mother of God. In the midst of all the saints thy stand as their Queen and ours — dearer to the Heart of God than any of creation. Pray for thy children and grant us every grace won by our loving Saviour on the Cross. Please intercede for us in our needs and ask thy divine Son Jesus to grant our request if it be for the good of our souls. ……………………………….. (Mention your request) O Queen Assumed into Heaven, pray for us. Amen
Thought for the Day – 9 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Mystery of Life
“We know that the past can never return and that the future is so uncertain that it may not even exist for us. We realise that our life is nothing more than a passing moment. If we meditate on these truths, how can we be attached to worldly objects? Even if we could attain the objects of our desire, they would soon be snatched away from us.
Let us aim at those lasting values which are NOT passing, which can remain with us during life, comfort us at death and accompany us into eternity. We know what these substantial values are – holiness, the grace of God, the conquest of our sensible appetites and, the final enjoyment of God in Heaven. These things do not pass away but, will remain with us forever!”
One Minute Reflection – 9 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart” – The Memorial of St John Marie Baptiste Vianney (1786-1859) – Readings: Deuteronomy 10: 12-22; Psalm 147: 12-15, 19-20; Matthew 17: 22-27
“But that we may not offend them, go to the sea, drop in a hook and take the first fish that comes up. Open its mouth and you will find a coin worth twice the temple tax. Give that to them for me and for you …” – Matthew 17:27.
REFLECTION – “This coin was not in Jesus’ house but happened to be in the mouth of a fish in the sea. This too, I think, was a result of God’s kindness. It was caught and came up on the hook belonging to Peter, who was the fisher of men. That which is figuratively called a fish was caught, in order that the coin, with the image of Caesar, might be taken from it, that it might take its place among those which were caught by them who have learned to become fishers of men. Let him, then, who has the things of Caesar render them to Caesar, that afterwards he may be able to render to God the things of God.
But since Jesus is the image of God the unseen and did not have the image of Caesar (for there was nothing in Him that had anything to do with the prince of this world), He, therefore, took the image of Caesar from a suitable place, in the sea, so as to pay it to the kings of the earth, as the contribution of Himself and His disciple. Jesus did this so that those, taking the half-shekel, might not suppose Jesus to be in debt either to them, or to the kings of the earth. For He paid the debt, one He had never taken on, or possessed, or used to buy anything, or made His personal possession, to prevent the image of Caesar ever being alongside the image of the invisible God” – Origen Adamantius of Alexandria (c 185-253) Priest, Theologian, Exegist, Writer, Apologist, Father – Commentary on Matthew.
PRAYER – Almighty and merciful God, by Your grace, St John Vianney was remarkable for his zeal as priest and shepherd. Help us, by his example and prayers, to win our brethren for Christ by our love and to share with them in eternal glory. Through our Lord Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 9 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart” – The Memorial of St Jean Marie Baptiste Vianney (1786-1859)
I Love You, O My God By St Jean Marie Baptiste Vianney (1786-1859)
I love You, O my God and my only desire is to love You until the last breath of my life. I love You, O my infinitely lovable God and I would rather die loving You, than live without loving You. I love You, Lord and the only grace I ask, is to love You eternally My God, if my tongue cannot say in every moment that I love You, I want my heart to repeat it to You as often as I draw breath. Amen
Saint of the Day – 9 August – Saint Maurilio of Rouen (c.1000–1067) Archbishop of Rouen from 1055 to 1067, Monk, Abbot, Hermit, Writer, Reformer. Born in c 1000 in the Diocese of Rheims, France and died on 9 August 1067 of natural causes. Also known as – Maurilius, Maurille.
Contemporaries praised his saintly character which gained him respect from his fellow clergy. He was also known for his scholarly interests and knowledge. He was a benefactor of the Abbeys of Saint-Ouen, Jumièges, Le Tréport and Saint-Ymer. Along with Blessed Lanfranc (c 1005-1089), he convinced the future St Anselm to take monastic vows in 1060. As Archbishop, he built a larger Church to replace Rouen Cathedral. He also held at least one provincial Synod – the 1063 Synod of Rouen, and perhaps held another ecclesiastical Council sometime between 1055 and 1063
Maurilio was born in Rheims, into a noble family. He studied at the episcopal school in Liège and was Ordained there. Later he studied in Saxony. After his studies were completed he was appointed as the Administrator of the Halberstadt Cathedral school. He entered the Benedictine Abbey of Fécamp in Normandy as a Monk. It seems that, after some time, he asked his Abbot for permission to lead a hermitic life and went to Italy to isolate himself, where he devoted himself to prayer and manual work;. He was accompanied by the Monk Gerbert, who would later become an Oblate of Saint Wandrille. The fame of his virtue reached the ears of the Marquis Bonifacio, who ordered Maurilio to assume the post of Abbot of Santa Maria in Florence but the Monks there, were dissatisfied with the rigour of the new Abbot, wanted to poison him, Maurilio, accompanied by Gerberto, returned to Fécamp.
The same year he attended a Council and another later in Caen. These Councils were summoned chiefly against the marriage of Priests; Together with Duke Guillermo, he held a Synod, – the 1063 Synod of Rouen, consisting of both, ecclesiastical and secular authorities to impose “the truce of God”, a medieval institution, created by the Church to impose periods of peace between families, councils, feudal lords, rivalry among themselves and to organise the fight against banditry.
Rouen Cathedral
He was one of the most important ecclesiastics of his time and wrote against Berengario. He built the Rouen Cathedral in 1063 and the Jumièges Abbey Church in 1067. His death is wrapped in a pious legend but Jumièges Abbey recording his death on 9 August. He was buried in Rouen Cathedral. After his death, the archbishopric was offered to Lanfranc, who refused the office. His tomb was destroyed by the Huguenots in 1562.
Bl John Talbot St Marcellian of Civitavecchia St Maurilio of Rouen (c.1000–1067) Bishop Bl Michal Tomaszek St Nathy St Numidicus of Carthage St Phelim Bl Richard Bere St Romanus Ostiarius St Rusticus of Sirmium St Rusticus of Verona St Secundian of Civitavecchia St Stephen of Burgos Bl Thomas Palaser St Verian of Civitavecchia Bl Zbigniew Adam Strzalkowski — Martyrs of Civitavecchia: Three Christians martyred together in the persecutions of Decius. We know little more than the names – Marcellian, Secundian and Verian. 250 near Civitavecchia, Italy.
Martyrs of Constantinople: 10 saints: A group of ten Christians who were arrested, tortured and executed for defending an icon of Christ in defiance of orders from Emperor Leo the Isaurian. We know the names of three, but nothing else about them – Julian, Marcian and Mary. They were beheaded in Constantinople.
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: Bl Antonio Mateo Salamero Bl Faustino Oteiza Segura Bl Florentín Felipe Naya Bl Florentino Asensio Barroso Bl Francisco López-Gasco Fernández-Largo Bl Guillermo Plaza Hernández Bl Joan Vallés Anguera Bl José María Garrigues Hernández Bl Josep Figuera Rey Bl Josep Maria Aragones Mateu Bl Julián Pozo Ruiz de Samaniego Bl Mateo Molinos Coloma Bl Narcís Sitjà Basté
AnaStpaul 
You must be logged in to post a comment.