Quote/s of the Day – 26 November – The Memorial of St Leonard of Port Maurice OFM (1676-1751)
“I believe, that were it not for the Holy Mass, at this moment, the world would be in the abyss, unable to bear up, under the mighty load of its iniquities. Mass is the potent prop that hold the world on its base.”
“What graces, gifts and virtues the Holy Mass calls down!”
“Oh Most Sacred Name, Name of peace, Balsam of life, which is the centre of all the sighs, of the most fervent lovers of Jesus. The Sign of those who truly love Jesus is to bear Jesus imprinted in the heart and to name often and with devotion, the Most Holy Name of Jesus.”
One Minute Reflection – 26 November – “Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory” – Readings: Daniel 7: 2-14; Daniel 3: 75-81; Luke 21: 29-33 – The Memorial of St Sylvester Gozzolini OSB Silv. (1177– 1267)
“Consider the fig tree” – Luke 21:29
REFLECTION – “The earth that we see does not satisfy us; it is but a beginning; it is but a promise of something beyond it; even when it is gayest, with all its blossoms on and shows most touchingly what lies hid in it, yet it is not enough. We know much more lies hid in it than we see. A world of Saints and Angels, a glorious world, the palace of God, the mountain of the Lord of Hosts, the heavenly Jerusalem, the throne of God and Christ, all these wonders, everlasting, all-precious, mysterious, and incomprehensible, lie hid in what we see. What we see is the outward shell of an eternal Kingdom and on that Kingdom we fix the eyes of our faith.
Shine forth, O Lord, as when, on Thy Nativity, Thine Angels visited the shepherds; let Thy glory blossom forth, as bloom and foliage on the tree,; change with Thy mighty power this visible world into that divine world, which, as yet we see not, destroy what we see, that it may pass and be transformed into what we believe. Bright as is the sun and the sky and the clouds; green as are the leaves and the fields; sweet as is the singing of the birds – we know that they are not all and we will not take up with a part, for the whole. They proceed from a centre of Love and Goodness, which is God Himself but they are not His Fullness; they speak of Heaven but they are not Heaven; they are but as stray beams and dim reflections of His Image; they are but crumbs from the table!” – St John Henry Newman C.O. (1801-1890),Priest, Theologian (The Invisible World » PPS, vol. 4, no.13)
PRAYER – Lord God, creator of all Light and creator of all good, grant that we may look up to You always and know that by Your Light and your goodness we are safe in this world of corruption. May the Light of our Lord Jesus, make the path He has set out bright and clear and may the prayers of St Sylvester Gozzolini be a help in our struggle. Lead us, Lord, in Your kindness and mercy to our heavenly home. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 26 November – The Memorial of St Leonard of Port Maurice OFM (1676-1751)
Forgive Me, Good Jesus By St Leonard of Port Maurice (1676-1751)
Lord, I confess that up until now I have not lived as a Christian. I am not worthy to be numbered among Your elect. I recognise that I deserve to be damned but Your mercy is great and, full of confidence in Your grace, I say to You that I wish to save my soul, even if I have to sacrifice my fortune, my honour, my very life, as long as I am saved. If I have been unfaithful up to now, I repent, I deplore, I detest my infidelity, I ask You humbly to forgive me. Forgive me, good Jesus and strengthen me, that I may be saved. I ask You not for wealth, honour or prosperity, I ask You for one thing only, to save my soul. Amen
Saint of the Day – 26 November – Saint Sylvester Gozzolini OSB Silv. (1177– 1267) Priest, Abbot, Founder of the Silvestrini Congration, Mystic, gifted with the charism of prophecy and miracles, but also subject to violent attacks by the devil. Born in 1177 in Osimo, Marche, Italy and died on 26 November 1267 at Monte Fano, Fabriano, Italy of natural causes aged 90. Also known as – Silvestro, Sylvester of Osimo.
Sylvester was born of a noble family at Osimo in the Marches of Ancona and in his boyhood was remarkable for his love of study and his good conduct. As a youth, he was sent by his father to Bologna to study jurisprudence but was admonished by God to devote himself to sacred learning. Thus he abandoned the study of law for that of theology and Holy Scripture, giving long hours daily to prayer. This incited his father to anger, which Sylvester patiently endured when his father would not speak to him for ten years. On account of his remarkable virtue, the Canons of Osimo elected him an honorary member of their chapter, in which position he benefited the people by his prayers, his example and his sermons.
While assisting at the funeral of a nobleman, his relative, who had been unusually handsome, he looked into the open coffin and seeing the corpse all deformed, said to himself: “What this man was, I am now; what he is now, I shall be hereafter.“ As soon as the funeral was over, reading these words of our Lord: “If any one will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me,” he retired into solitude in order to attain greater perfection.
There he gave himself up to watching, prayer and fasting, often eating nothing but raw herbs. The better to conceal himself from men he frequently changed his place of abode;and at length settled at Monte Fano, which, though near to Fabriano, was at that time, a desert. There he built a Church in honour of the most holy father St Benedict and founded the Congregation of Sylvestrians, under the Rule and Habit shown him by St.Benedict in vision.
Satan, roused to envy, strove in many ways to terrify his Monks, making assaults by night at the Monastery gates. But the man of God repressed the enemy’s attacks with such vigour, that the Monks, recognising their father’s sanctity, were more and more confirmed in their holy purpose.
Sylvester was remarkable for the spirit of prophecy and other gifts, which he guarded by deep humility. This so stirred up the devil’s envy that he cast the saint headlong down the oratory stairs and well nigh killed him but the blessed Virgin at once graciously restored him to health. In gratitude for this benefit, Sylvester showed her the tenderest unfailing piety to the end of his life.
In 1247 he obtained from Pope Innocent IV, at Lyons, a Bull confirming his Order and before his death, founded a number of Monasteries.
He died at the age of ninety years, renowned for sanctity and miracles in1267. He was Beatified in1269 by Pope Clement IV who also added him to the Martyrology) and Canonised in 1598 by Pope Clement VIII. His body was disinterred and placed in a Shrine (1275-85) and is still honoured in the Church of Monte Fano. In 1890, the Sovereign Pontiff Leo XIII, extended his Office and Mass to the universal Church, with the rank of Double (third-class feast in the 1960 reform of Pope John XXIII), therefore, reducing today’s memorial to the status of a commemoration, as well as that of Saint Peter of Alexandria, who shares today as his Feast. In 1970, both these were removed altogether and relegated to the local calendars. These wonderful Saints were packed away in dark storage where no-one ever venerates or prays to them for their holy intercession.., but you and I will pray the Collect below and remember .him ..
Collect: May the intercession, O Lord, of blessed Sylvester, the Abbot, recommend us to Thee; that what we cannot hope for through any merits of our own, we may obtain by his prayers. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen
Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van Westrozebeke / Our Lady of Westrozebeke, Staden, West Flanders, Belgium (1482) – 26 November, Third Sunday of June:
On 26 November 1382, opposing armies camped around the Village of Westrozebeke: rebels recently victorious in Ghent vs. Louis II, King of Flanders and French troops brought in to help him. The residents congregated at a forest Chapel to beg the Virgin’s help. At the battle the next day, the rebels fled after their leader was killed. Afterward, a red silk thread encircling the area the King’s forces had occupied, with seven knots equally spaced along it and crosses where the ends met, was discovered – this was interpreted as a sign of the Virgin’s protection. The silk thread was soon distributed for relics and in its place, eight Chapels were built – seven to honour each of Mary’s Sorrows, where the knots had lain and a larger one to honour the Holy Cross. In 1384, Louis II’s son-in-law Philip II of Burgundy, instituted an annual procession and Mass in thanksgiving for the victory. Many pilgrims sought out the circuit of eight Chapels and the help of Our Lady of Roosebeke (“rosy stream“), especially sufferers from the streptococcal skin infection erysipelas, known as St Anthony’s fire in English but as wondroos (“rosy wound“) in Dutch. And they continued to frequent the old forest Chapel of Our Lady of the Fountain, near a spring with waters believed to cure eye diseases. The annual pilgrimage continued for centuries. The faithful from the Provincial Capital of Bruges, brought new clothes for Our Lady’s Statue, while those from Menen, to the south, came in thanksgiving for their deliverance from an epidemic in the early 1500s. In 1566, iconoclasts destroyed the Statue. Believers installed a new one in 1584. During World War I, another miracle came to light. In 1916, when Germans torpedoed the ferry “Sussex” as it crossed the English Channel toward France, sailors from Westrozebeke prayed to Our Lady and were spared. But their Village was not so fortunate: it was destroyed during the war. Our Lady’s beloved Statue, which had been moved away for safekeeping, returned afterwards and was installed in the new Church of St Bavo on 13 June1924.
St Bavo’s Church
Now part of the Municipality of Staden, Westrozebeke holds a 10-day festival in July, starting on the third Sunday, when firemen throw roses from the Church tower. The religious portion culminates in Our Lady’s Pageant on the following Saturday, with a procession and Mass in St Bavo’s Church, where roses encircle the Statue of Our Lady.
Bl Albert of Haigerloch St Alypius Stylites St Amator of Autun St Basolus of Verzy St Bellinus of Padua St Bertger of Herzfeld St Conrad of Constance St Ðaminh Nguyen Van Xuyên Bl Delphine of Glandèves St Egelwine of Athelney
St Magnance of Ste-Magnance St Marcellus of Nicomedia Bl Marmaduke Bowes St Martin of Arades St Nicon of Sparta Bl Pontius of Faucigny St Sabaudus of Trier St Siricius, Pope St Stylianus St Sylvester Gozzolini OSB Silv. (1177– 1267) Priest, Abbot, Founder St Tôma Ðinh Viet Du St Vacz — Martyrs of Alexandria – 7+ saints: A group of approximately 650 Christian priests, bishops and laity martyred together in the persecution of Maximian Galerius. We have the names and a few details only seven of them – Ammonius, Didius, Faustus, Hesychius, Pachomius, Phileas and Theodore. The were born in Egypt and were martyred there in c 311 in Alexandria, Egypt.
Martyrs of Capua – 7 saints: A group of seven Christians martyred together. The only details about them to survive are the names – Ammonius, Cassianus, Felicissimus, Nicander, Romana, Saturnin and Serenus. They were martyred in Capua, Campania, Italy, date unknown.
Martyrs of Nicomedia – 6 saints: A group of six orthodox Christians martyred by Arians. Few details have survived except their names – Marcellus, Melisus, Numerius, Peter, Serenusa and Victorinus. Martyred in 349 in Nicomedia, Bithynia, Asia Minor (modern Izmit, Turkey).
Thought for the Day – 25 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Storms of Life
“The Evangelist describes how Jesus got into a boat one day, along with His Apostles and set out across the lake of Genesareth. Suddenly a great storm arose, so furious, that the waves covered the tiny vessel and threatened to submerge it. The Apostles were terrified and turned to Jesus but, He was asleep. They woke Him, crying out: “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” He sat up and said to them: “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then, He rebuked the wind and the sea and immediately all was calm again. His followers were astonished. “What manner of man is this,” they asked one another, “that even the wind and the sea obey him?” (Mt 8:23-26; Mk 4:36-49; Lk 8:22-25).
We also are often subjected to the tempests of life. Sometimes, these storms, are purely interior, as when our lower impulses threaten to overcome our good resolutions and to submerge our purity of soul. In these serious crises, we should turn humbly and fervently to Jesus for help. Sometimes perhaps, Jesus will seem to be asleep and deaf to our anguished entreaties. But it is never so! He simply wishes to test us, as He tested His Apostles on the lake of Genesareth.
We must persevere. We must tell Him that we do not wish to lose His grace, that we do not wish to fall into sin but desire to go on loving Him. If our prayers are humble and insistent, we may rest assured, that after our moment of trial, Jesus Christ will speak to us. At the sound of His Voice, the tempest will be stilled and there will come, a great calm. Then, we shall experience the peace, which only God can give.
Quote/s of the Day – 25 November – Readings: Daniel 6: 12-28; Psalm: Daniel 3: 68-74; Luke 21: 20-28
“Stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.”
Luke 21:28
“So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father, who is in heaven…”
Matthew 10:32
“Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
Matthew 24:13
“Sheltered under the name of Jesus Christ, I do not fear these pains ….”
St Lawrence (Died 258) Martyr
“When insults have no effect on us, when persecutions and penalties, have no terror for us, when prosperity or adversity, has no influence on us, when friend and foe, are viewed in the same light… do we not come close, to sharing, the serenity of God?”
St Aelred of Rievaulx (1110-1167) “St Bernard of the North”
“Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Luke 21:36
“Life is short, Death is certain and the world to come is everlasting.”
One Minute Reflection – 25 November – Readings: Daniel 6: 12-28; Psalm: Daniel 3: 68-74; Luke 21: 20-28 – The Memorial of St Catherine of Alexandria (Died c 305)
“Stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.” – Luke 21:28
REFLECTION – “The powers of heaven will be moved.” What does the Lord mean by the powers of heaven if not the Angels and Archangels, Thrones, Dominations, Rulers and Powers? (Col 1,6). At the coming of the severe Judge, they will appear visibly before our eyes… “Then they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds with great authority and majesty.” In other words, they are going to see, in power and majesty, Him Whom they chose not to hear in a state of humility… He said these things about the condemned; words of consolation for the elect follow at once: “When these things begin to take place, look up and lift up your heads because your redemption is drawing near.” Truth is exhorting His elect by saying: “When the disasters of the world become more frequent… let your hearts exult! While the world, which is not your friend, is coming to an end, the redemption you have sought ,is coming near.!”
Those who love God are ordered to rejoice and be merry at the world’s end. They will soon find Him Whom they love, while what they have not loved is passing away. It should be far from the hearts of all the faithful who long to see God to grieve over the disasters of a world, for they know, these very disasters, are soon to end. It is written that: “Whoever wishes to be a friend of this world, makes himself an enemy of God” (Jas 4,4). Someone who does not rejoice as the end of the world approaches, testifies, that he is its friend and this itself convicts him, of being God’s enemy!
PRAYER – Lord God, creator of all Light and creator of all good, grant that we may look up to You always and know that by Your Light and your goodness we are safe in this world of corruption. May the Light of our Lord Jesus, make the path He has set out bright and clear and may the prayers of St Catherine of Alexandria be a help in our struggle. Lead us, Lord, in Your kindness and mercy to the banquet which awaits us. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 25 November – “Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory”
Prayer for the Faithful Departed By St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
O God of the Spirits of all flesh, O Jesu, Lover of souls, we recommend unto Thee, the souls of all those Thy servants, who have departed with the sign of faith and sleep the sleep of peace. We beseech Thee, O Lord and Saviour, that, as in Thy mercy to them, Thou became man, so now, Thou would hasten the time and admit them to Thy Presence above… May the heavens be opened to them and the Angels rejoice with them … May all the Saints and elect of God, who in this world suffered torments for Thy Name, befriend them, that, being freed from the prison beneath, they may be admitted into the glories of that Kingdom, where, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, Thou lives and reigns, one God, world without end … Eternal rest give to them, O Lord. And may perpetual light shine upon them. Amen
Saint of the Day – 25 November – Blessed Beatrice d’Ornacieux O.Cart (c 1260–1303) Virgin, Carthusian Nun, Mystic, Founded a Monastery at Eymeu. Born in c1260 in Ornacieu, Dauphine (in the southeastern area of modern France and died on 25 November 1303 at the Monastery of Eymeu, Valence, France of natural causes. Also known as – Beatrice di Ornacieu, Beatrice of Eymeu, Beatrix… Additional Memorials – 27 November (Diocese of Grenoble, France), 13 February (Diocese of Valence, France).
The Roman Martyrology states: “In the territory of Valence in France, Blessed Beatrice d’Ornacieux, Virgin of the Carthusian Order, who, famous for her love for the Cross, lived and died in extreme poverty in the Monastery of Eymeu which she founded.”
Beatrice, of noble birth, was born in the Castle of the village in Ornacieu in the Dauphiné, a historical region of south-eastern France of which Grenoble is the Capital.
In 1273, when she was about 13 years of age, she entered the Charterhouse of Parménie, thus adopting the Rule of life of Saint Bruno. St Bruno had founded the Monastery in 1084, where, according to the ancient texts, he distinguished himself for his devotion to the Passion of Christ.
From this intense devotion arose a love for sufferings, to sanctify herself and to understand a little of the sufferings of Christ. It is said that Beatrice “loved” tribulation, as only the saints know how to and thus transform themselves into a close unity with Christ and offer themselves as a means of redemption with Him.
In 1301 she was sent to found a new Monastery in Eymeu, in the Diocese of Valence with two of her Carthusian companions, Luisa Alleman of Grésivaudan and Margaret of Sassenaye. Later other young woman joined her, despite the extreme poverty in which they lived.
Beatrice experienced visions for many years of the Blessed Virgin and of Christ. But the devil too attempted to overcome her virtue. She alternated between mystical ecstasies and persecutions of the Evil One.
Beatrice died on 25 November 1303, (some say 1309). When the other two religious also died, their bodies were translated to Parménie and kept until 1901 in the Sanctuary of the Olivetani; currently they are in the Church of Rancurel.
Beatrice’s cult was approved by Pope Pius IX on 15 Apri 1869.
Madonna del Sasso / Our Lady of the Rock, Fiesole, Tuscany, Italy (1028) – 25 November:
The Abbot Orsini wrote: “Our Lady of the Rock, in the territory of Fiesole, in Tuscany. This image is placed in a rock, where two shepherds retired to pray; Our Lady ordered them to build a Church in this place.”
On the Feast of the Visitation in 1028 two young twin sisters, while they were guarding their flock, sought protection under a rock. The Virgin Mary holding the Infant Jesus in her arm, appeared to them in a cloud. She reassured them and told them that she desired a Church to be built there, then asks them to alert their father. He went to that place and the Virgin appeared to him and reiterates her request. The inhabitants of the village flocked to the site. Many of them also saw the Virgin. The ecclesiastical authorities approved the construction of a Sanctuary dedicated to Our Lady of Rock. The construction had just begun when Mary appeared to all present to thank them and encourage them to bring the work to completion. According to local legend, the Gospel was first preached at Fiesole (in the Province of Tuscany by Saint Romulus, a Disciple of Saint Peter during the days of the Christian persecutions. The Cathedral of Saint Romulus was built in 1028 by Bishop James Bavaro with materials taken from several other edifices – hence, the Shrine took the name Our Lady of the Rock. The little Church, now known as the Cathedral or Duomo of Saint Romulus, is in the Cathedral square – called the Shrine of the Primerana – is the one dedicated to Our Lady of the Rock. It was then enlarged in 1260, and again the following century. The bell tower dates from the year 1213. The Cathedral contains sculptures by Mino da Fiesole and the old Cathedral was once a Benedictine Abbey and had a large library, though that has long since been dispersed to other locations. The Abbey closed in 1778. Among other apparitions, too numerous to mention, is the one in which Mary warned Saint Andrew Corsini of his approaching death. During his lifetime, our Blessed Mother obtained from her Divine Son for Andrew the gifts of prophecy, miracles of healing, the conquest of hardened souls and many other conversions. The Cathedral of Fiesole is the resting place of a long list of Saints and illustrious churchmen, all of whom were devout clients of Our Lady.
Bl Adalbert of Caramaico St Alanus of Lavaur St Audentius of Milan Blessed Beatrice d’Ornacieux O.Cart (c 1260–1303) Virgin, Carthusian Nun. St Bernold of Ottobeuren Bl Conrad of Heisterbach Bl Ekbert of Muensterschwarzach
St Erasmus of Antioch Bl Garcia of Arlanza Bl Guido of Casauria St Imma of Wurzburg Bl Jacinto Serrano López St Jucunda of Reggio Aemilia Bl Maria Corsini Beltrame Quattrocchi St Mercurius of Caesarea St Moses of Rome Bl Santiago Meseguer Burillo — Martyrs of Africa – (13 saints): A group of 13 Christians murdered together for their faith in Africa, date unknown. The only details to have survived are their names – Claudian, Cyprian, Donatus, Felix, Januarius, Julian, Lucian, Marcian, Martialis, Peter, Quirianus, Victor and Vitalis.
Thought for the Day – 24 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Most Terrifying Passage in the Gospel
“The Teaching of Jesus Christ, bears the stamp of gentleness and kindness towards humanity, especially sinners. There is, however, one passage in the Gospel which inspires real dread. Let us quote it in full:
“When the Son of Man shall come in his majesty and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory and before him will be gathered, all the nations and he will separate them one from another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats and he will set the sheep on his right hand but the goats, on the left. Then the king will say to those on his right hand, ‘Come, blessed of my Father, take possession of the kingdom prepared for you, from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me to drink; I was a stranger and you took me in; naked and you covered me; sick and you visited me; I was in prison and you came to me… ‘Then he will say to those on his left hand, ‘Depart from me, accursed ones, into the everlasting fire, which was prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you did not give to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take me in; naked and you did not clothe me; sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick or in prison and did not minister to thee?’ Then he will answer them saying, ‘Amen I say to you, as long as you did not do it for one of these least ones, you did not do it for me.’ And these will go into everlasting punishment.” (CF Mt 25:31-46).
These are terrifying words, in the light of which each one of us has something with which to reproach himself!”
Quote/s of the Day – 24 November – The Memorial of St John of the Cross OCD (1542-1591) Doctor of the Church
“O blessed Jesus, give me stillness of soul in You. Let Your mighty calmness reign in me. Rule me, O King of Gentleness, King of Peace.”
“Never before has anyone spoken like this One.”
John 7:46
“God could answer: “My Son is My entire Locution and Response, Vision and Revelation, which I have already spoken, answered, manifested and revealed to you, by giving Him to you as a Brother, Companion, Master, Ransom and Reward…”
“A soul makes room for God by wiping away all the smudges and smears of creatures, by uniting its will perfectly to God’s, for to love is to labour, to divest and deprive oneself for God, of all that is not God When this is done, the soul will be illumined by and transformed in God.”
“Now that I no longer desire all, I have it all, without desire.”
“All our goodness is a loan; God is the owner; God works and His work is God.”
“At the end of your life, you will be judged by your love.”
St John of the Cross (1542-1591) Doctor of the Church
One Minute Reflection – 24 November – Readings Daniel 5: 1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28; Daniel 3: 62-67; Luke 21: 12-19 and the Memorial of St Colman of Cloyne (c 530 – c 600)
“You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives and friends and they will put some of you to death.” – Luke 21:16
REFLECTION – “Do you want to come to that life where you will be sheltered from error forever? Who does not want this? … We all desire life and truth but how are we to attain it? What path are we to follow? Certainly, we have not reached the end of the journey, yet we can already see it, … we yearn for life and truth. Christ is both one and the other. What is the way to it? “I am the way,” He says. To what will we come? “I am the truth and the life” (Jn 14:6).
This is what the Martyrs loved; this is why they looked beyond the love of present goods that pass away. Do not be astonished at their bravery: in them love overcame suffering. … Let us walk in their footsteps, our eyes fixed on Him, Who is both their Leader and ours. If we would come to so great a happiness, let us not be afraid of treading difficult paths. He Who has promised is true; He is faithful; He could not deceive us. …Why fear the hard road of suffering and tribulation?Our Saviour in person has trodden it!
You answer: “But that was Him, the Saviour!” Know that the Apostles passed that way too. Now you’re going to say: “But they were Apostles!” Yes, I know. But do not forget, that a great many people like yourself, have trodden it in their turn … women have trodden it, too … children, even young girls have gone that way. How could the road that so many passers-by have levelled, still be too hard?” – St Augustine (354-430) Great Western Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermon 306)
PRAYER – Shed Your clear light on our hearts O Lord, so that walking continually in the way of Your commandments, we may never be afraid, never be deceived or misled but by Your strength, stand firm in our faith. For Your Son, walks before us, beside us and behind us. The Holy Spirit of Your love fills us. Let nothing put us to shame . Grant that by the prayers of St Colman of Cloyne and all Your saints, we may be strengthened for the journey. Through our Lord Jesus, in the Holy Spirit, God eternally and forever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 24 November – The Memorial of St John of the Cross OCD (1542-1591) Doctor of the Church
Most Holy Mary By St John of the Cross (1542-1591) Doctor of the Church
Most holy Mary, Virgin of virgins, Shrine of the most Holy Trinity, joy of the Angels, sure Refuge of sinners, take pity on our sorrows, mercifully accept our sighs and appease the wrath of your most holy Son. Amen.
Saint of the Day – 24 November – Saint Colman of Cloyne (c 530 – c 600) Bishop, Monk, Founder and Patron of Cloyne Monastery from which the area took its name, converted by St Brendan the Navigator, Poet (one of the earliest known Irish Poets to compose his works in the vernacular). Born in c 530 in Munster, Ireland and died in 600 of natural causes. Patronage – the Diocese of Cloyne, Ireland. Also known as – Colman MacLenini, Colman Mac Lenine, Colman MacLenine.
According to the Book of Leinster, Colman, son of Lenin, was a descendant of the King of Munster. The year of his birth, which has not been ascertained exactly, is believed to have been 530
Colman, brought up in heathenism, adopted the profession of bard. He became attached to the Court of the King of Cashel and the range of his duties may be inferred from an ancient description of the order generally. Bards were historians, as well as poets; their duty was to record the deeds of the kings, chieftains and heroes; to register the genealogies and privileges of noble families, together with the bounds and limits of their lands and territories. He was engaged in these activities until about the forty-eighth year of his life.
In 570, a dispute as to the succession to the throne of Cashel took place between two relatives and a meeting was arranged between the rival candidates at which Saint Brendan the Navigator (c 484–c 577) and the son of Lenin, our Saint, were present. Through their influence, a compromise was effected by which Aodh-caomh was acknowledged as King. He was the first Christian King of Cashel. It was at this time, that the Shrine of Ailbe of Emly, which had been stolen, was discovered. Amongst those who found it, was Colman. Brendan said that it was not right that the hands which had held this Sacred relic should be defiled henceforth, thus it was ,that the son of Leinin offered himself to God. Brendan blessed him and gave him the name Colmánand (a name that corresponds to Colum, the equivalent of the Latin columbus, a dove).
Colman then went to the school of Saint Iarlaithe of Tuam and after his studies, he was Ordained by St Brendan. He is next mentioned as preaching to the heathen population in the east of County Cork. He is described as a “religious and holy presbyter, who afterwards became a famous bishop.” The Prince of Déise, in the present County of Waterford, presented his child to Colman for baptism. Colman baptised him Declan and urged his parents to educate him well in his faith. This child became Saint Declan.
Colman was given churches in Erry and Killenaule by Coirpre Cromm mac Crimthainn, King of Munster (Cashel), as well as lands in Cloyne. The Cloyne estate was large and contained some of the best land in the area.
Many places in the counties of Cork and Limerick are linked with the name of Colman but his earliest settlement appears to have been Cloyne. It is said that the ruins of St. Colman’s ancient oratory known as Colman’s Chapel, were still to be seen at the beginning of the last century. This small oblong building, situated in the grounds of Cloyne Cathedral and known as the Fire House, was the repository of St. Colman’s relics. Another tradition is that the Fire House was used for maintaining a Sacred Fire such as had been maintained by the nuns of St. Brigid in Kildare’s Holy Shrine.
Magraiden, who died in 1405, relates in his life of St. Brendan that “this Colman, son of Lenin, was distinguished amongst the saints by his life and learning. He was a Founder of the Church of Cloyne, a celebrated Cathedral in Munster”.
According to some historians St. Colman died on 24 November in 600..
There is also in the vicinity of the Town of Cloyne, a holy well dedicated to St Colman and which had become a place of pilgrimage and miracles.
Vierge Noire de Myans, / The Black Madonna of Myans, Montmélian, Chambéry, France (1248) 24 November:, 8 September:
The original Statue before restoration after the French revolution desecration
On 24 November 1248, a disastrous avalanche on Mont Granier buried whole towns and killed hundreds in Savoy. When word spread that the cataclysm had stopped short at the small Chapel of the Virgin near Myans, its Ebony Statue of the Virgin and Child from the 1100s, became a magnet of devotion. In 1452, Franciscans began building the Church they would maintain there for 300 years. In 1792, French revolutionaries attacked the Church and badly damaged the Black Virgin. The restored Statue, re-installed in the Church Crypt in 1855, was canonically crowned 50 years later. Our Lady of Myans is celebrated on 8 September, Feast of the Nativity of the Virgin and on 24 November in remembrance of this miracle.
The many pilgrims who visit can, in fact, on entering the Sanctuary, contemplate at first glance, two superimposed Churches. The only other Sanctuary to present this characteristic, is that of Bethlehem.
The Upper Sanctuary now known as Notre-Dame de Myans is also known as The Golden Virgin of Myans for surmounting the Sanctuary, stands the most magnificent Statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Gold, which was erected in memory of the collapse of Mount Granier and the miracle our Blessed Mother wrought in the town of Myans.
St Alexander of Corinth St Balsamus of Cava St Bieuzy of Brittany St Chrysogonus St Colman of Cloyne (530 – 606) Bishop Bl Conrad of Frisach St Crescentian of Rome St Eanfleda of Whitby St Felicissimus of Perugia St Félix Alonso Muñiz St Firmina of Amelia St Flora of Cordoba St Francisco Borrás Román St Hitto of Saint-Gall St Kenan of Damleag St Leopardinus of Vivaris Bl Maria Anna Sala St Marinus of Maurienne St Mary of Cordoba St Phêrô Võ Ðang Khoa St Pierre Rose Ursule Dumoulin Borie St Portianus of Miranda St Protasius of Milan St Romanus of Le Mans St Vinh-son Nguyen The Ðiem — Martyred in the Spanish Civil War – Martyred Carmelite Sisters of Valencia – 12 beati: • Blessed Antonia Gosens Sáez De Ibarra • Blessed Cándida Cayuso González • Blessed Clara Ezcurra Urrutia • Blessed Concepción Rodríguez Fernández • Blessed Daría Campillo Paniagua • Blessed Erundina Colino Vega • Blessed Feliciana de Uribe Orbe • Blessed Félix Alonso Muñiz • Blessed Francisco Borrás Román • Blessed Justa Maiza Goicoechea • Blessed María Concepción Odriozola Zabalía • Blessed María Consuelo Cuñado González • Blessed Niceta Plaja Xifra • Blessed Paula Isla Alonso
Thought for the Day – 23 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Have We Ever Abandoned Jesus?
“St John the Evangelist relates how, after the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves, Jesus Christ wished to make the people understand that He would give men bread which would be infinitely more precious; namely Himself, the Bread of Life, the Living Bread that has come down from Heaven. Since the crowd which surrounded Him still failed to understand, He added, “I Am, the Living Bread that has come down from Heaven. If anyone eat of this Bread, he shall live forever and the Bread that I will give, is my Flesh for the life of the world” (Jn 6:51).
At this stage, however, the Jews began to argue with one another, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” Jesus endeavoured to remove all doubt by His reply, “Unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, you shall not have life in you… He who eats My Flesh and drinks my blood, abides in me and I in him. As the living Father has sent me and as I live because o the Father, so he who eats Me, he also shall live because of me” (Cf Jn 6:48-58).
When they had heard these words in which Jesus foretold the sublime miracle of the Blessed Eucharist, some of the disciples began to murmur among themselves. “This is a hard saying. Who can listen to it?” (Jn 6:61). When Jesus saw that some of His closest followers were drawing away from Him, He turned to the twelve Apostles, “Do you also wish to go away?” He asked. It was then that Simon Peter made his memorable reply, “Lord, to whom shall be go? Thou hast the words of everlasting life.” (Jn 6:68-69).
We also may experience, at times, a sense of uncertainty concerning the words of Jesus Christ. There are such tremendous mysteries in the Christian religion. But, a religion which contained no mysteries could scarcely be true. There are mysteries of nature surrounding us and within us. How can we imagine that there are no mysteries in God, the supreme and most perfect Being? Could it be possible for our petty intellects fully to comprehend God in Himself and in His revelation? Let us bow our heads, therefore, before the mysteries of the Divinity. Let us adore God and repeat with St Peter: We cannot go away from You, O God because You have the words of everlasting life.”
Quote/s of the Day – 23 November – The Mmemorial of St Pope Clement I (Died c 101) Martyr, Apostolic Father
“Through Him, our gaze penetrates he heights of heaven and we see, as in a mirror, the most holy Face of God. Through Christ, the eyes of our hearts are opened and our weak and clouded understanding, reaches up toward the light.”
“This, beloved, is the way in which we found our salvation, Jesus Christ, the High Priest Who offers our gifts, the Patron and Helper in our weakness (Heb 10:20; 7:27; 4:15). It is through Him, that we look straight at the heavens above. Through Him, we see mirrored, God’s faultless and transcendent countenance. Through Him, the eyes of our heart were opened. Through Him, our unintelligent and darkened mind shoots up into the light. Through Him, the Master was pleased to let us taste the knowledge that never fades …”
“Charity unites us to God. There is nothing unkind in charity, nothing arrogant. Charity knows no schism, does not rebel, does all things in concord. In charity all the elect of God have been made perfect.”
“Look at the holy Apostles. It was by sinful jealousy that Peter was subjected to tribulation, not once or twice but many times; it was in that way, that he bore his witness before leaving us for his well-earned place in glory. And Paul, because of jealousy and contention, has become the very type of endurance rewarded. … In him we have one of the greatest of all examples of endurance. … [And] we too, are in the same arena and have the same conflict before us.”
“Let us fix our thoughts on the Blood of Christ and reflect how Precious that Blood is, in God’s eyes, inasmuch, as its outpouring for our salvation, has opened the grace of repentance to all mankind.”
One Minute Reflection – 23 November – Readings: Daniel 2: 31-45; Psalm: Daniel 3: 57-61; Luke 21: 5-11 – The Mmemorial of St Pope Clement I (Died c 101) Martyr, Apostolic Father, Papacy c 88 – c 101.
“See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he’ and ‘The time has come.’ Do not follow them!” – Luke 21:8
REFLECTION – “[Christ speaks:] I became useless to those who knew Me not, because I shall hide Myself, from those who possessed Me not. And I will be with those who love Me. All my persecutors have died and they, who trusted in Me, sought Me because I am living! I arose and am with them and will speak by their mouths. For they have rejected those who persecute them and I threw over them, the yoke of My love. Like the arm of the bridegroom over the bride (cf Sg 2,6), so is My yoke over those who know Me. And as the bridal feast is spread out by the bridal pair’s home, So is My love, by those who believe in Me.
I was not rejected, although I was considered to be so and I did not perish, although they thought it of Me. Sheol saw Me and was shattered and Death ejected Me and many with Me. I have been vinegar and bitterness to it and I went down with it as far as its depth. Death was released because it was not able to endure My Face.
And I made a congregation of living, among his dead (1P 3,19; 4,6) and I spoke with them, by living lips; in order that My word may not fail. And those who had died ran toward Me and they cried out and said, “Son of God, have pity on us. And deal with us according to Your kindness and bring us out from the chains of darkness. And open for us, the door by which we may go forth to You, for we perceive, that our death does not approach You. May we also be saved with You because You are our Saviour.”
Then I heard their voice and placed their faith in My Heart. And I placed My Name upon their forehead (Rv 14,1) because they are free and they are Mine! – Odes of Solomon (Hebrew Christian text from the beginning of the 2nd century) N° 42
PRAYER – Almighty, everliving God, the holiness of the Saints is Your glory. Let us rejoice in the memory of Saint Clement, Priest and Martyr of Christ Your Son. His life his teaching and his death bore witness to the mystery of faith. Grant us by his prayers, the courage and faith he manifested, to imitate Our Master in all things. We make our prayer through Him Who is the Light and the Power, with You Father and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 23 November – The Memorial of Blessed Miguel Pro – Martyr (1891-1927)
Heart Of Jesus By Blessed Miguel Pro – Martyr (1891-1927)
I believe, O Lord but strengthen my faith, Heart of Jesus, I love Thee but increase my love. Heart of Jesus, I trust in Thee but give greater vigour to my confidence. Heart of Jesus, I give my heart to Thee but so enclose it in Thee that it may never be separated from Thee. Heart of Jesus, I am all Thine but take care of my promise so that I may be able to put it into practice even unto the complete sacrifice of my life. Amen.
Saint of the Day – 23 November – St Pope Clement I (Died c 101) Martyr, Apostolic Father, Papacy c 88 – c 101. Born in Rome and Martyred at Chersonesus, Greece. The Liber Pontificalis states that Clement died in Greece in the third year of Emperor Trajan’s reign, or 101. Patronages – mariners, sailors, marble artisans, sick children, stonecutters, Diocese of Aarhus, Denmark, Dundee, Scotland, Steenwijk, Netherlands, Velletri, Italy. Also known as – Clement of Rome, Clemens Romanus. St Clement is listed by St Irenaeus and Tertullian as the fourth Bishop of Rome, holding office from 88 until his death. He is considered to be the first Apostolic Father of the Church, (those who provided a direct link between the Apostles and later generations of Church Fathers). one of the three chief ones together with St Polycarp and St Ignatius of Antioch. He has left one genuine writing, a letter to the Church of Corinth and many others have been attributed to him.
The Roman Martyrology states: “The birthday of Pope St Clement, who held the sovereign Pontificate, the third after the blessed Apostle Peter. In the persecution of Trajan, he was banished to Chersonesus, where, being precipitated into the sea with an anchor tied to his neck, he was crowned with Martyrdom. His body was taken to Rome, during the Pontificate of Nicholas I and placed with due honour, in the Church which had been previously built under his invocation.”
Few details are known about Clement’s life. Tradition suggests that Clement was the son of a Roman named Faustinus and that he joined the Church in Rome during its early years through the preaching of Saint Peter or Saint Paul. He went on to share in the missionary journeys of the Apostles, some believe he was one of the 72 or 70 disciples and may even have assisted the first Pope in running the Church on a local level.
Clement was said to have been Ordained by St Peter the Apostle and he is known to have been a leading member of the Church in Rome in the late 1st century. After the deaths of St Peter’s first two successors, the Saints Popes Linus and Cletus, Clement took up St Peter’s position of primacy in the Church around the year 88.
In his letter to the Church at Corinth in response to a dispute in which certain Presbyters of the Corinthian Church had been deposed, he asserted the authority of the Presbyters as rulers of the Church, on the ground that the Apostles had appointed them. His letter, which is one of the oldest extant Christian documents outside the New Testament, was read in Church, along with other Epistles, some of which later became part of the Christian canon. These works were the first to affirm the apostolic authority of the clergy.
St Clement has been identified as the Clement that Paul mentioned in Philippians 4:3: “And I entreat thee also, my sincere companion, help those women who have laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement and the rest of my fellow labourers, whose names are in the book of life.” (DR).
According to apocryphal acta dating to the 4th century at earliest, Clement was banished from Rome to the Chersonesus during the reign of the Emperor Trajan and was set to work in a stone quarry. Finding, on his arrival, that the prisoners were suffering from lack of water, he knelt down in prayer. Looking up, he saw a Lamb on a hill, went to where the Lamb had stood and struck the ground with his pickaxe, releasing a gushing stream of clear water. This miracle resulted in the conversion of large numbers of the local pagans and his fellow prisoners to Christianity.
St Clement by Tiepolo
As punishment, Clement was Martyred by being tied to an anchor and thrown from a boat into the Black Sea. Since then, that every year a miraculous ebbing of the sea revealed a divinely built Shrine containing his bones.
The Martyrdom of St Clement
The Inkerman Cave Monastery marks the supposed place of Clement’s burial in the Crimea. A year or two before his own death in 869, Saint Cyril (c 827–869), (brother of St Methodius) brought to Rome what he believed to be the relics of Saint Clement, bones he found in the Crimea buried with an anchor on dry land. They are now enshrined in the Basilica di San Clemente, one of the oldest Parish Churches in Rome. Other relics of Saint Clement, including his head, are claimed by the Kyiv Monastery of the Caves in Ukraine.
In works of art, Saint Clement can be recognised by having an anchor at his side or tied to his neck. He is most often depicted wearing papal vestments, including the Pallium and sometimes, with a Papal Tiara but more often with a Mitre. He is also sometimes shown with Papal symbols such as the Papal Crucifix and the Keys of Heaven. In reference to his Martyrdom, he often holds the palm of Martyrdom.
The St Clement’s Cross is also referred to as the Anchored Cross or Mariner’s Cross.
St Clement’s Cross
St Clement is among the Saints mentioned in the Church’s most traditional Eucharistic prayer, the Roman Canon.
La Conchita de Granada. Virgen de la Concepción / Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, Granada, Nicaragua (1721) – 23 November to 8 December:
Patron of Granada and of the Armies of Nicaragua – known as the “General” of the armies.
In 1721, women washing clothes in Lake Nicaragua saw a chest floating in but every time it drew near, waves pulled it back out. The women went to tell the Franciscan Friars. When they arrived and waded into the water, the chest floated up to their hands. On top were the words, “For the City of Granada.” Inside were two images of the Virgin (one of which was later given to the City of Masaya). Immediately, the Franciscan Friars carried the image to the Cathedral in procession. In 1856, the American Mercenary, William Walker invaded and proclaimed himself president of Nicaragua. On 23 November 1856, when he began to lose his private war in Central America, he left Granada, commanding the fire that almost completely destroyed the City Among the few objects recovered in good condition was the Sacred Statue of the Virgen de la Concepción, still in the Cathedral of Granada today.
Granada Cathedral
The Virgin is shown slaying a dragon with a spear, which is inscribed in the Title given her in 1862, “General of the Nicaraguan Army.” The army band plays in her honour on 28 November, the first day of the Novena, prior to the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on 8 December. The Statue is a one and a half meter tall wood carving,the Virgin Mary smiles gently – in her left arm the Child Jesus lies, while with his right hand he holds a spear that rests on the head of a serpent. The current spear is not the original spear, since William Walker stole the original which was solid silver. The Virgin’s feet rest on a half moon. In 1862, once the Nicaraguan National War had ended, General Tomas Martínez declared the Title of “General of the Nicaraguan Armies,” this Title was granted, considering that the Virgin had played “a decisive role in the great battles against the Mercenaries.” The Title of General makes the Blessed Virgin enjoy a salary for the reconstruction of the Church, in addition, the Title thus belonging to the armed forces, grants the Army a particular role in the celebrations of the Patron during the Novena and the Festivities in her honour on 8 December.
St Pope Clement I (Died c 101) Martyr, Apostolic Father, Papacy c 88 – c101(Optional Memorial)
St Adalbert of Casauria St Alexander Nevski St Amphilochius of Iconium St Augusta of Alexandria St Cecilia Yu Sosa St Clement of Metz Bl Detlev of Ratzeburg Bl Enrichetta Alfieri St Falitrus of Chabris St Faustina of Alexandria Bl Felícitas Cendoya Araquistain St Felicity of Rome St Gregory of Girgenti Bl Guy of Casauria St Jaume Nàjera Gherna St John Camillus the Good St Loëvan of Brittany St Lucretia of Mérida Bl Margaret of Savoy
St Mustiola of Chiusi St Paternian of Fano St Paulinus of Whitland St Rachildis of Saint-Gall St Severin of Paris St Sisinius of Cyzicus St Trudo of Hesbaye St Wilfetrudis of Nivelless
Thought for the Day – 17 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Influence of the Cinema, Radio, Television, [Internet]
“It is an unfortunate but undeniable fact, that man often employs new inventions and discoveries for evil, rather than for good purposes. The gifts of God ought to bring us closer to Him but, too often, they become, through our own fault, the means of separating ourselves further from Him. Everything is good and not only whatever God has created but also, whatever we, ourselves produce by a proper use of the facultis with which our Creator has endowed us.
“Every creature of God is good,” says St Paul, “and nothing is to be rejected…” (1 Tim 4:4). These words are still true of the countless inventions of our own era. The cinema, radio, television, [internet], are essentially good because they are gifts which God has brought into being through the agency of human intelligence and perseverance. But what use have we been making of them? Take, for instance, the cinema. It must be admitted that there are very few films today which are edifying or spiritually helpful. Most are positively bad and dangerous, especially to certain branches of the community. Moreover, as Pope Pius XI warned us, in his Encyclical, Vigilanti Cura, on this subject in 1936, many films, which would otherwise be quite harmless, are rendered dangerous because they are interspersed with various kinds of immorality.
Since the greatest evil for a Christian is the loss of God and this inevitably follows, the loss of grace and of the Faith, we must observe the following safeguards in our approach to the cinema: (1)We must stay away from any film which might represent a proximate occasion of mortal sin; (2) We must avoid films which are opposed to morals or to the Faith and must see that our families and dependents, do likewise; (3) We may attend films which are good or merely entertaining. It is better, however, not to go to the cinema too regularly, for to do so, would be a waste of time and could expose us to unforeseen risks. In any case, there are many other amusements, preferably open-air, which are much more beneficial to soul and body.”
Antonio Cardinal Bacci
Note: We are definitely capable of updating the wise words of dear Cardinal Bacci to accommodate the current era and infiltration of the above evils into virtually every moment of our lives – on our phones and computers.
One Minute Reflection – 17 November – Readings: 2 Maccabees 7: 1, 20-31; Psalm 17: 1, 5-6, 8b and 15; Luke 19: 11-28 and the Memorial of St Elizabeth of Hungary TOSF (1207-1231) Princess
“He called ten of his servants and gave them ten gold coins and told them, ‘Engage in trade with these until I return.’” – Luke 19:13
REFLECTION – “From this time onward, Elizabeth’s goodness greatly increased. She was a lifelong friend of the poor and gave herself entirely to relieving the hungry. She ordered that one of her Castles, should be converted into a Hospital in which she gathered many of the weak and feeble. She generously gave alms to all who were in need, not only in that place but in all the territories of her husband’s empire. She spent all her own revenue from her husband’s four principalities and finally, she sold her luxurious’ possessions and rich clothes for the sake of the poor.
Twice a day, in the morning and in the evening, Elizabeth went to visit the sick. She personally cared for those who were particularly repulsive; to some she gave food, to others clothing; some she carried on her own shoulders and performed many other kindly services. Her husband, of happy memory, gladly approved of these charitable works. Finally, when her husband died, she sought the highest perfection; filled with tears, she implored me to let her beg for alms from door to door.
On Good Friday of that year, when the Altars had been stripped, she laid her hands on the Altar in a Chapel in her own Town, where she had established the Friars Minor,and before witnesses, she voluntarily renounced all worldly display and everything that our Saviour in the gospel advises us to abandon. Even then, she saw that she could still be distracted by the cares and worldly glory which had surrounded her while her husband was alive. Against my will she followed me to Marburg. Here in the Town she built a hospice, where she gathered together the weak and the feeble. There she attended the most wretched and contemptible at her own table.
Apart from those active good works, I declare before God that I have seldom seen a more contemplative woman. When she was coming from private prayer, some religious men and women often saw her face shining marvelously and light coming from her eyes like the rays of the sun!
Before her death I heard her Confession. When I asked what should be done about her goods and possessions, she replied that anything which seemed to be hers, belonged to the poor. She asked me to distribute everything except one worn out dress in which she wished to be buried. When all this had been decided, she received the Body of our Lord. Afterward, until vespers, she spoke often of the holiest things she had heard in sermons. Then, she devoutly commended to God all who were sitting near her and as if falling into a gentle sleep, she died.” – Conrad of Marburg (1180-1233) Priest, Spiritual Director of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary (An excerpt from Letter).
PRAYER – Holy God and Father, grant us a strong Faith! Poor Your graces into our hearts that we may believe with all our hearts, minds and souls and that in believing, we may constantly raise our entire being to You in prayer and supplication, in prayer and adoration, in prayer and love. May the intercession of St Elizabeth of Hungary, a woman of deep prayer and charity from her youth, strengthen our perseverance and trust. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever, amen
Rescue Our Life, Lord By St Romanos the Melodist (c 490-c 556) Deacon, Hymnographer, Poet, Writer.
We implore You, O All-Holy, Long-Suffering, Life and Restoration, Source of goodness, look down from Heaven and visit all those who ever trust in You; rescue our life, Lord, from all constraint and affliction and, in the faith of Truth, guide us all, at the prayers of Your Immaculate Mother of God and Virgin, Save Your world and those in the world and spare us all, You Who, for us, became Man without change, only Lover of mankind. Amen
Saint of the Day – 17 November – Saint Hugh of Lincoln O.Cart. (1135-1200) Carthusian Monk, Bishop of Lincoln, England, Confessor, Exorcist, Diplomat, Social Reformer and Protector of the poor and unjustly treated. Born in c 1135 at Avalon Castle, Burgundy, France and died on 16 November 1200 at London, England of natural causes. Patronages – sick children, sick people, swans, shoemakers. Also known as – Hugh of Avalon, Hugh of Burgundy. St Hugh was the first Carthusian Monk to be Canonised.
The Roman Martyrology states of him today: “In England, St Hugh, Bishop, who was called from a Carthusian Monastery to the government of the Church of Lincoln. He ended his holy life in peace, renowned for many miracles.“
Hugh was born at the Château of Avalon of a noble family, the son of Guillaume, Duke of Avalon. His mother died when he was eight, years old and because his father was a soldier, he was sent away for his education. When his father returned from military excursions, he retired from the world to the Augustinian Monastery of Villard-Benoît, near Grenoble and took his son Hugh, with him.
In 1140 Hugh joined the Carthusian Order at the age of 20 at Grande Chartreuse. He was highly regarded for his intellectual ability, his integrity and kind and caring nature. In 1175, at the request of Henry II, he was sent to England to found the first English Charterhouse at Witham in Somerset, which he did in the face of obstacles of all kinds. It flourished so well under his care, that in 1181 the King chose him to be Bishop of Lincoln. Hugh was reluctant to leave the monastic life but agreed and moved to Lincoln in 1186. He set about rebuilding the part of the Cathedral which had been damaged in an earthquake the previous year.
The Diocese was vast and Hugh travelled ceaselessly on horseback, ministering to the needs of the people. He stayed at small diocesan manors, as he travelled through the countryside. The most central of these was what has become Buckden Towers which he built, halfway between Lincoln and London. As a Bishop, he was exemplary, constantly in residence or travelling within his Diocese, generous with his charity, scrupulous in the appointments he made. He raised the quality of education at the Cathedral school and began the restoration of the Cathedral, which had been damaged by fire.
Hugh was known for his love of justice and his kindness to the oppressed, children and animals. Throughout his ministry he tended to lepers and in 1190 he risked his life to protect a group of Jews from violence. He also upheld the rights of the peasants against the King’s harsh and unjust forestry laws. Although he was highly principled and outspoken, his conciliatory nature and sense of humour helped him to win over his opponents.
St Hugh exorcises a man possessed by the devil
As one of the premier Bishops of the Kingdom of England Hugh more than once accepted the role of diplomat to France for Richard and then for King John in 1199, the latter trip took great toll on his health. He Consecrated St Giles’ Church, Oxford, in 1200. There is a Cross consisting of interlaced circles cut into the western column of the tower that is believed to commemorate this. Also in commemoration of the Consecration, St Giles’ Fair was established and continues to this day each September. While attending a national Council in London, a few months later, he was stricken with an unnamed ailment and died two months later on 16 November 1200
Hugh was held in great affection by everyone from peasants to monarchs and on his death at the age of 60, he was greatly mourned. At his magnificent funeral the Kings of England and Scotland helped to carry the bier. He was buried in Lincoln Cathedral and Canonised on 18 February 1220 by Pope Honorius III.
St Hugh is usually depicted as a Bishop, sometimes as a Carthusian. In either case he is accompanied by a swan, the swan of Stow, Lincolnshire (site of a palace of the bishops of Lincoln) which had a deep and lasting friendship with the Saint, even guarding him while he slept. The swan would follow him about, and was his constant companion while he was at Lincoln.as it was reported that a fierce swan at his manor at Stow became very tame and attached to him, eating from his hand and yet, the swan would attack anyone else who came near Hugh!
At Avalon, a round tower in the Romantic Gothic style, was built by the Carthusians in 1895 in Hugh’s honour on the site of the castle where he was born.
Virgen del Milagro / Our Lady of the Miracle – Mazarrón, Murcia, Spain (1585) – 17 November :
The original Statue
17 November is a special day for the coastal Town of Mazarrón, the day the Fiesta del Milagro takes place. They have for their Mother and Patroness the Immaculate Conception, and it is She, who from generation to generation, has been attributed the protection of the people against the Berber invasion.
It was the year 1585 and in the early morning of 17 November witnesses assured that about fifty Berber pirates had docked in the port of Bolnuevo to loot . For no apparent reason they fled without carrying out their assault.
The processional Statue
As is clear from reports and records of eyewitnesses, the Virgin drove the Turkish pirates away, who in their flight, left their standard, which is still preserved and can be seen after a recent restoration. It is from this miraculous event that the Virgin became the Patron of the Town. Devotion to her has continued unabated and with immense love since 1585 and the commemoration of the miraculous event occurs every 17 November with a pilgrimage. The Blessed Virgin is the Queen and Lady of Mazarrón. always watching over the Town since time immemorial.
St Acisclus St Aignan of Orléans St Alphaeus of Palestine St Eugene of Florence St Eusebio Roldán Vielva St Florinus of Remüs St Giacinto Ansalone St Gregory of Tours
St Hugh of Lincoln O. Cart. (c 1135-1200) Bishop, Carthusian Monk St Hugh of Noara St Josefa Gironés Arteta St Juan de Castillo-Rodriguez St Laverius St Lazarus Zographos St Lorenza Díaz Bolaños St Namasius of Vienne Bl Salomea of Galicia Bl Sébastien-Loup Hunot St Thomas Hioji Nishi Rokuzaemon St Victoria of Cordoba Bl Yosafat Kotsylovsky St Zacchaeus of Palestine — Jesuit Martyrs of Paraguay – 3 saints
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: • Blessed Eusebio Roldán Vielva • Blessed Josefa Gironés Arteta • Blessed Lorenza Díaz Bolaños
AnaStpaul 
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