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 9: O Blessed Mother Assumed into Heaven, after years of heroic martyrdom on earth, we rejoice that thou hast at last been taken to the throne prepared for thee in Heaven by the Holy Trinity. Lift our hearts with thee in the glory of thy Assumption above the dreadful touch of sin and impurity. Teach us how small earth becomes when viewed from Heaven. Make us realise, that death is the triumphant gate through which we shall pass to thy Son and that someday, our bodies shall rejoin our souls in the unending bliss of Heaven. From this earth, which we tread as pilgrims, we look to thee for hope and help. In honour of thy Assumption into Heaven, we ask for this favour: ……………………………….. (Mention your request) At the hour of our death, lead us safely to the presence of Jesus to enjoy the vision of God for all eternity together with thee. O Queen Assumed into Heaven, pray for us, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen
Thought for the Day – 14 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The New Life
“Anyone who takes life seriously in the Christian sense, will regard it as a difficult journey towards perfection and towards God. This journey will be, at the same time, painful and joyful. On the way, there will be trouble, which will sadden us and vices, which will impede our progress. Our falls and defeats will cause us to be disheartened. But, there will also be the grace of God to enlighten and encourage us. It is our own loss if we sit down lazily on the side of the road, which should lead us to Heaven. It is even more disastrous if we acknowledge defeat and lay down the spiritual weapons of prayer and renunciation, in order to surrender ourselves to sin or to indifference. Everyday we should say to ourselves in the presence of God – A new life is beginning … in You, by Your grac and for You! Amen”
Quote/s of the Day – 14 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – Readings: Joshua 24: 14-29; Psalm 16: 1-2a and 5-8, 11; Matthew 19: 13-15
God, Our Father
“Let the children come to me, do not prevent them”
Matthew 19:14
“Whoever has seen me, has seen the Father.”
John 14:9
“So, my brothers, let us pray as God our master has taught us. To ask the Father in words His Son has given us, to let Him hear the prayer of Christ ringing in His ears, is to make our prayer one of friendship, a family prayer. Let the Father recognise the words of His Son. Let the Son who lives in our hearts, be also on our lips. We have Him as an Advocate for sinners, before the Father, when we ask for forgiveness for ours sins, let us use the words given by our Advocate. He tells us – Whatever you ask the Father in my name, He will give you. What more effective prayer could we then make, in the name of Christ, than in the words of His own prayer?”
St Cyprian of Carthage (c 200- c 258) Bishop, Father of the Church and Martyr
An excerpt from his “On the Lord’s Prayer”
“Immediately after rising and throughout the day, all make the Sign of the Cross and renew their trust in God: to be strengthened by the power of the Father, to be enlightened by the wisdom of the Son and to be sanctified by the love of the Holy Spirit. And as they bless themselves, they may say: Of myself I can do nothing, with God I can do everything, I want to do everything for love of God.”
From the Rule of the Pallottines
Our life is: “To breathe God in and out. To find God in everything. To reveal God to all. To radiate the presence of God.”
My God, In Your Infinite Love By St Vincent Pallotti (1795-1850)
“My God, in Your infinite love You created me according to Your image and likeness. You gave me a free will. Help me to use Your gifts and improve myself so as to become totally Your living image, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, an image of Your infinite qualities and perfections. Amen
One Minute Reflection – 14 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – Readings: Joshua 24: 14-29; Psalm 16: 1-2a and 5-8, 11; Matthew 19: 13-15
“Let the children come to me, do not prevent them” – Matthew 19:14
REFLECTION – “God is the source and origin of all things and because it is in Him that, as it is written, “we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28), it is most certainly, also from Him that we possess all the love with which we love our children. The whole universe and all humankind are offspring of their Creator and so, by means of the love that causes us to love our children, He wants us to comprehend how much He loves His own children. Since it is written that: – “the invisible attributes of God have been able to be understood and perceived in what he has made” (Rm 1:20), so He has wanted to make us understand His love for us, through the love He makes us have for our own works. And just as it is written that He wanted “all fatherhood in heaven and on earth to take its name from him” (Eph 3:15), so He has wanted us to recognise in Him a father’s love towards us.
What am I saying? A father’s? His love is far greater than a father’s, as these words of our Saviour in the Gospel prove: “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son” for the life of the world (Jn 3:16). And the Apostle Paul also says: “God did not spare his own Son but handed him over for us all. How will he not also give us everything else along with him?” (Rm 8:32). – Salvianus of Marseilles (c 400-c 480) Priest, Abbot, Ecclesiastical writer – Of God’s Government.
PRAYER – God almighty Father, grant that we may be instruments of welcome and of that love with which Jesus, Your Son, embraces the littlest ones. May we be a society of love and of holy parenting of all children, especially those most in need. Holy Mother, teach us and guide us in prayer and love of God and neighbour. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 14 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary”
O Immaculate Heart of Mary, Heart of Love and Mercy
O Most Blessed Mother, heart of love, heart of mercy, ever listening, caring, consoling, hear our prayer. As your children, we implore your intercession with Jesus your Son. Receive with understanding and compassion the petitions we place before you today, especially those so deep in our heart. We are comforted in knowing your heart is ever open to those who ask for your prayer. We trust to your gentle care and intercession, those whom we love and those who are sick or lonely or hurting. Help all of us, Holy Mother, to bear our burdens in this life until we may share eternal life and peace with God forever. Amen
Saint of the Day – 14 August – Saint Werenfridus OSB (Died c 780) Priest, Confessor, Monk, Missionary in Frisia. Born in England and died in c 780 at Arnheim, Netherlands. Patronages – against gout, against arthritis and stiff joints, of vegetable gardeners, of Arnheim, Netherlands, Elst, Netherlands and Westervoort, Netherlands. Additionl Memorials in different parts of the Netherlands – 27 August and 8 November. Also known as – Werenfrid, Werenfried.
Werenfried (Latinised – Werenfridus) means: – “keep the peace.” The name is made up of two Germanic words: weer (meaning to keep) and fried (meaning peace).
Werenfridus was an Englishman by birth and was probably born in the kingdom of Northumbria. He forsook country and friends, to dedicate himself wholly to the service of God and his fellow creatures. He went to Ireland, where he served God in solitude and recollection. He is said to have been one of those twelve apostolic men belonging to the English nation, who were destined for a missionary career.
With their leader St Willebrord, these were sent out of Ireland by St. Egbert. They were destined to carry the word of life to the Frisons, Saxons and other pagans in the German territories. . The exact time of St. Werenfridus arrival there, is not known. He was one of those Gospel preachers, however, to whom the Netherlanders are indebted for their Christian teaching. About St Willibrord – https://anastpaul.com/2018/11/07/saint-of-the-day-7-november-st-willibrord-c-658-739-apostle-to-the-frisians/
He particularly planted the faith and Church of Christ in the Isle of Batavia or Betuwe. He likewise converted the inhabitants of Medemblik, Durostadt, Elst, and Westerwort. His admirable virtues were very remarkable. And as he planted the Faith, so too he planted vegetables and taught others to do so too – hence his patronage of vegetable gardeners.
The writer of his Acts assures us, that it was impossible to express how rich he was in all good works and how careful he had been in administering comfort to the afflicted. He was incomparable for his kindness while he was an exemplar of charity towards the poor. He was assiduous in his watching, and rigorous in his fasting. He was diligent in prayer and he excelled in all devotion. In fine, he was conspicuous for all virtues. Great success attended his labours in gaining souls to Christ.
In a good old age, he received the reward of his labour. He departed some time around 780. Because the inhabitants of Elst and Westervoort could not agree on where he should be buried, they decided that he should decide for himself and so his coffin was placed in a boat that was washed down the Rhine and came to rest in Elst, where it was interred. The Overbetuwe municipal Coat of Arms depicts this event, see below. There formerly stood a collegiate Church dedicated to God in his name. This was much frequented, because miracles were often wrought within it by the Saint’s intercession.
The body of Saint Werenfridus remained in Elst until the time of the Reformation. It was feared that the body would be destroyed or removed by the Protestants. Therefore, he was transferred in 1664 to the Jesuit Church in Emmerich, which is located in Germany.
St. Werenfridus Feast is kept as a Double in the Diocese of Utrecht, on the 27th day of August. The 14th was the day of his decease, however, according to the best accounts. There are many Churches sprinkled around Holland and Germany dedicated to him.
The Vigil of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary – 14 August:
Mention is made of this vigil, with fasting, by Pope Nicolas I, who was the Pope in the year 858. It is recorded that on this day, Angels were heard, near the City of Soissons, singing this anthem:
“Felix namque es, sacra Virgo Maria, et omni laude dignissima, quia ex te ortus est Sol justitiae, Christus Deus noster.”
Vigils were kept on the evening before each feast day from the earliest days of the Church. On that evening all of the faithful would gather together to prepare themselves for the feast they were about to celebrate. This might also include listening to readings from the Scriptures and a sermon on the topic by a Priest. Mass would then be celebrated on the feast day and the fast would be broken. It is said that both Saint Augustine and Saint Jerome practiced and fully supported, the idea of the vigil. The Vigil of the Assumption would have been one of the Church’s most important vigils.
“Of the glory and felicity of the Saints in the beatific vision Saint Paul says with Isaias (I Cor. 2,9; Is. 64, 4), that neither have mortal eyes seen, nor ears heard, nor can it enter into the heart of man what God has prepared for those who love Him and who hope in Him. In accordance with this Catholic truth, we should not wonder at what is related of Saint Augustine, the great light of the Church, that, in setting out to write a book on the glory of the blessed, he was visited by his friend, Saint Jerome, who had just died and entered into the glory of the Lord and was admonished by his visitor, that he would not be able to compass his design; since no tongue or pen of man could describe the least part of the blessings enjoyed by the Saints in the Beatific Vision. Such is the testimony of Saint Jerome; and if through holy Scriptures we had no other information than that this glory is eternal, it would be beyond all our comprehension. For, however much of our intellect may expand, it will never comprehend eternity and ,as this is infinite and boundless, it is inexhaustible and incomprehensible, how much soever it may be known and loved. Just as God, the Infinite and the Almighty, created all things, without being thereby exhausted and even if He had created endless worlds ever anew, would remain still infinite and immutable; so also, although seen and enjoyed by countless Saints, He will remain an infinite source of new knowledge and love; for in creation and in glory, all creatures participate in Him only to a limited extent, each according to its condition, while He, in Himself, is without limitation or end.
If on this account the glory even of the least of the Saints is ineffable, what shall we say of the glory of the most Blessed Mary, since among the Saints she is the most holy and she by Herself is more like to her Son than all the Saints together, and since her grace and glory, exceed those of all the rest, as those of an Empress or Sovereign over her vassals?” – From the writings of Abbot Giovanni Battista Orsini (c 1450-1503) (the 39th Grand Master of the Order of the Knights Hospitaller from 1467 to 1476).
St Athanasia of Timia St Callistus of Todi St Demetrius of Africa St Domingo Ibáñez de Erquicia St Eberhard of Einsiedeln St Eusebius of Palestine
St Eusebius of Rome (Died 357) Priest, Confessor. “At Rome, the birthday of the blessed Priest Eusebius, who for the defence of the Catholic Faith, was shut up in a room of his own house by the Arian Emperor, Constantius, where constantly persevering in prayer for seven months, he rested in peace. His body was removed by the Priests, Gregory and Orosius and buried in the cemetery of Cllistus on the Appian Way.” – Roman Martyrology. His Life: https://anastpaul.com/2020/08/14/saint-of-the-day-14-august-saint-eusebius-of-rome-died-357-priest-confessor/
St Fachanan of Ross St Francisco Shoyemon Bl Juliana Puricelli St Marcellus of Apamea Bl Sanctes Brancasino St Ursicius of Nicomedia St Werenfridus OSB (Died c 780) Priest, Monk, Missionary __
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: 11 Beati • Blessed Ángel de la Red Pérez • Blessed Antonio María Martín Povea • Blessed Basilio González Herrero • Blessed Ezequiél Prieto Otero • Blessed Joaquín Frade Eiras • Blessed Jocund Bonet Mercadé • Blessed José García Librán • Blessed Ricardo Atanes Castro • Blessed Segundo Pérez Arias • Blessed Vicente Rubiols Castelló
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