Fourth Sunday of Lent “Laetare Sunday” – 27 March – Our Lenten Journey with the Great Fathers – Galatians 4:22-31, John 6:1-15
“Mountains are round about Jerusalem; so the Lord is round about His people, both now and forever.” – Psalm 124:2
“When, therefore, Jesus had lifted up His eyes and seen, that a very great crowd had come to Him, He said to Philip, “Whence shall we buy bread that these may eat?”
John 6:5
“LORD JESUS how well I know You have no wish to allow these people here with me, to remain hungry but to feed them with the food You distribute and so, strengthened with Your food, they will have no fear of collapsing from hunger. I know, too, that You have no wish to send us away hungry, either… As you have said: You do not want them to collapse on the way, meaning, to collapse in the byways of this life, before reaching the end of the road, before coming to the Father and, understanding that You come from the Father…
OUR LORD TAKES PITY,then, so that none may collapse along the way… Just as He makes it rain on the just, as well as the unjust (Mt 5,45), so He feeds the just, as well as the unjust. Was it not thanks to the strength of the food, that the holy prophet Elijah, when he was collapsing on the way, was able to walk for forty days? (1Kgs 19,8). It was an Angel who gave that food to him but, in your case, it is Christ Himself Who feeds you. If you preserve the food you have received in this way, then you will walk, not forty days and forty nights… but for forty years, from your departure from the borders of Egypt, to your arrival in the land of plenty, the land where milk and honey flow (Ex 3,8)…
AND SO CHRIST shares out the foodstuffs and, there is no question, He wants to give it to all. He withholds it from no-one, for He provides for everyone. Nevertheless, when He breaks the loaves and gives them to the disciples, unless you hold out your hands to receive your portion, you will collapse along the way… This bread that Jesus breaks, is the Mystery of the Word of God: it increases as it is distributed. With only a few words Jesus has provided abundant nourishment for all peoples. He has given us His Words as bread and, while we are tasting them, they increase in our mouths… Even as the crowds are eating, the pieces increase and become more numerous, to such an extent, that, in the end, the leftovers are even more plentiful than the loaves that were shared.” – St Ambrose (c 340-397) Bishop of Milan, Great Father and Doctor of the Church (Commentary on the Gospel of Saint Luke, VI, 73-88).
Quote/s of the Day – 27 March – The Memorial of St John Damascene (676-749) – Father and Doctor of the Church
“In former times, God, Who is without form or body, could never be depicted. But now, when God is seen in the flesh conversing with men, I make an image of the God Whom I see. I do not worship matter; I worship the Creator of matter Who became matter, for my sake.”
“The Saints must be honoured as friends of Christ and children and heirs of God. Let us carefully observe the manner of life of all the Apostles, Martyrs, Ascetics and just men, who announced the coming of the Lord. And let us emulate their faith, charity, hope, zeal, life, patience under suffering and perseverance unto death, so that we may also share their crowns of glory.”
St John Damascene (676-749) Father and Doctor of the Church
One Minute Reflection – 27 March – Fourth Sunday of Lent “Laetare Sunday” – Galatians 4:22-31, John 6:1-15
“When the people, therefore, had seen the sign which Jesus had worked, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet Who is to come into the world..” – John 6:14
REFLECTION – “Governing the entire universe, is a greater miracle, than feeding five thousand people with five loaves of bread, yet no-one marvels at it. People marvel at the feeding of the five thousand, not because this miracle is greater but because, it is out of the ordinary. Who is even now providing nourishment for the whole world if not the God Who creates a field of wheat from a few seeds? Christ did what God does. Just as God multiplies a few seeds into a whole field of wheat, so Christ multiplied the five loaves in His Hands. For there was power in the Hands of Christ. Those five loaves were like seeds, not because they were cast on the earth but because, they were multiplied by the One Who made the earth.
This miracle was presented to our senses, in order to stimulate our minds… and so make us marvel at “the God we do not see because of his works, which we do see” (Rom 1,20). For then, when we have been raised to the level of faith and purified by faith, we shall long to behold, although not with our eyes, the invisible God Whom we recognise, through what is visible. This miracle was performed for the multitude to see; it was recorded for us to hear. Faith does for us, what sight did for them. We behold with the mind, what our eyes cannot see and we are preferred to them because of us it was said: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe” (Jn 20,29).” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of the Church (Homilies on Saint John’s gospel, 24).
PRAYER – Stay with us Lord Jesus, be our companion on our way. In Your mercy enflame our hearts and raise our hope, so that, in union with our brethren, we may share with each other Your food of life. Listen to the prayers of your Angels and Saints and as we entrust ourselves to the Blessed Virgin Mary, may she open our hearts to compassion and fraternal sharing. Through Your grace with God our Father and the Holy Ghost, forever and ever amen.
Our Morning Offering – 27 March – Fourth Sunday of Lent “Laetare Sunday”
God, my God, May I Always Abide in You By St John Damascene (675-749) Father and Doctor of the Church
God, my God, inextinguishable and invisible fire, You make Your Angels flaming fire. Out of Your inexpressible love, You have given me Your divine Flesh as food and through this communion of Your immaculate Body and precious Blood, You receive me as a partaker of Your divinity. Permeate all my body and soul, all my bones and sinews. Consume my sins in fire. Enlighten my soul and illumine my mind. Sanctify my body and make Your abode in me, together with Your blessed Father and All-Holy Spirit, that I may always abide in You, through the intercession of Your immaculate Mother and all Your saints. Amen
Saint of the Day – 27 March – Saint Augusta of Treviso (Died 5th Century) Virgin Martyr. Died by being beheaded by her father in the 5th century, The name Augusto means “consecrated.” Patronages – Ceneda, Italy and Serravalle, Italy. Also known as – Augusta of Ceneda, Augusta di Serravalle, Augusta of Tarvisium, Augusta the Martyr.
The “Acts” of St Augusta, that is, the reports about her life and Martyrdom, were written at the end of the 16th century by Minuccio de ‘Minucci of Serravalle,the Apostolic Protonotary and Secretary of Pope Clement VIII (1592-1605).
These “Acts” were sent to the editors of the volumes “De probatis sanctorum historiis” by Lorenzo Surio, a Carthusian and German hagiographer (1522-1578) and were included in volume VII of the edition printed in Cologne in Germany.
According to these “Acts,” Augusta was the daughter of Matruco, an Alemannic chief (Alemagna – Germany), who had conquered and subdued Friuli, Italy. He resided in Serravalle (the current ancient village of the City of Vittorio Veneto in Italy) and was a bitter enemy of the Christian religion.
Augusta secretly embraced the Christian Faith but her father learned of it anyway and had her arrested. Since she refused to apostatise, she was thrown into a prison and after various tortures, she was beheaded by her own father. Her body was found a few years later buried on a hill overlooking Serravalle, which took her name. A Church was built and was dedicated to her – a Church and Shrine, which became very popular with the inhabitants.
The 5th Century Chuch and the Hill of St Augusta
The Saint is also known as Augusta of Ceneda, a City located at the foot of the Belluno Prealps, in the Province of Treviso).
St. Augusta is depicted with the symbols of her Martyrdom, a toothed wheel for torture, her teeth that were torn from her, mouth and her palm. On the hill of St Augusta, there are still the remains of the castle of the grim father Matruco and the large Church dedicated to her.
The relics of Saint Augusta. Sanctuary of Santa Augusta, Vittorio Veneto, Italy.
Bl Aimone of Halberstadt St Amphilochius of Illyria St Alexander of Drizipara St Alexander of Pannonia St Alkeld the Martyr St Amator the Hermit St Augusta of Treviso (Died 5th Century) Virgin Martyr St Claudio Gallo St Cronidas of Illyria St Ensfrid of Cologne Bl Francesco Faà di Bruno Bl Frowin of Engelberg St Gelasius of Armagh
Martyrs of Bardiaboch: A group of Christians who were arrested, tortured and executed together for their faith during the persecutions of Persian King Shapur II. Martyrs. – Abibus, Helias, Lazarus, Mares, Maruthas, Narses, Sabas, Sembeeth and Zanitas. 27 March 326 at Bardiaboch, Persia.
Thought for the Day –26 March – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Human Soul
“Remember that every mortal sin means death to the soul, for it robs it of the supernatural life of grace, making it incapable of every good action and deserving of hell. If you committed one mortal sin, God could tire of you, as if you were an unproductive tree and put an end to your life, without giving you time to repent! Then, you would be lost for all eternity. This thought should never leave your mind, particularly in time of temptation. At such a time, turn to God with confidence, tell Him that you love Him and do not wish to offend Him at any price. Face death rather than sin.”
Saturday of the Third Week of Lent – 26 March – Our Lenten Journey with the Great Fathers –Daniel 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62, John 8:1-11
“Even though I walk in the dark valley, I fear no evil; for You are at my side, O Lord. With Your rod and Your staff that give me courage.” – Psalm 22:4
“Woman, where are they? Has no man condemned you? She said, No man Lord. Then Jesus said, Neither shall I condemn you. Go and from now on, sin no more.”
John 8:9-11
SEE, O READER, these Divine Mysteries and the mercy of Christ. When the woman is accused, Christ stoops His head but when the accusers retire, He lifts it up again, thus we see, that He would have no man condemned but all absolved.
BY THE WORDS, ‘Has no man condemned you?‘ He quickly overthrows all the quibbles of heretics, who say that Christ knows not the day of judgment. He Who says, ‘But to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give.’ says also in this place, ‘Has no man condemned you?‘ How is it that He asks concerning that, which He indeed saw? It is for our sakes that He asks, that we might know the woman was not condemned. And such is the way of the human mind, often to enquire, concerning that which we know.
THE WOMAN TOO answered, ‘No man, Lord‘, which is to say, ‘Who can condemn when Thou dost not condemn?‘ Who can punish another under such a condition as Thou hast attached to his sentence? The Lord answered her, ‘Neither do I judge thee!‘ Observe how He has modified His own sentence; that the Jews might have no ground of allegation against Him for the absolution of the woman but by complaining only, draw down a charge upon themselves – for the woman is dismissed not absolved and this because there was no accuser, not because her innocence was established. How then could they complain, who were the first to abandon the prosecution of the crime and the execution of the punishment?
THEN HE SAID TO HER who had gone astray, ‘Go, and sin no more’ He reformed the criminal, He did not absolve the sin. Faults are condemned by a severer sentence, whenever a man hates his own sin and begins the condemnation of it in himself. When the criminal is put to death, it is the person, rather than the transgression, which is punished but when the transgression is forsaken, the absolution of the person becomes the punishment of the sin.
WHAT IS THE MEANING then of, ‘Go and sin no more?’ It is this; Since Christ has redeemed you, suffer yourself to be corrected by Grace; punishment would not reform but only afflict you!” St Ambrose (340-397) One of the original four Fathers and Doctors of the Latin Church (Excerpt from Epistle 26 on the Woman taken in adultery).
Quote/s of the Day – 26 March – Saturday of the Third Week of Lent – Daniel 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62, John 8:1-11
“Go and from now on, sin no more”
John 8:11
“Prepare the way of the Lord make his paths straight” …
Luke 3:4
“You do not know when your last day may come. You are an ingrate! Why not use the day, today, that God has given you to repent?”
St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor of Grace
“What are you afraid of, you men of little faith? That He will not pardon your sins? But with His own hands He has nailed them to the cross. That you are used to soft living and your tastes are fastidious? But He knows the clay of which we are made (Gn 2:7). That a prolonged habit of sinning binds you like a chain? But the Lord loosens the shackles of prisoners. Or perhaps that angered by the enormity and frequency of your sins, He is slow to extend a helping hand? But where sin abounded, grace became superabundant (Rom 5,20). Are you worried about clothing and food and other bodily necessities so that you hesitate to give up your possessions? But He knows that you need all these things (Mt 6,32). What more can you wish? What else is there to hold you back from the way of salvation? ”
St Bernard (1091-1153) Mellifluous Doctor of the Church
One Minute Reflection – 26 March – Saturday of the Third Week of Lent – Daniel 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62, John 8:1-11
“Go and from now on, sin no more” – John 8:11
REFLECTION – “One after another all withdrew.” The two were left alone, the woman in need of mercy and Mercy. But the Lord, having struck them through with that dart of justice, deigned not to heed their fall but, turning His eyes away from them, “again he wrote with his finger on the ground.”
But when that woman remained alone and all had gone, He raised His eyes to her. We have heard the voice of justice; let us listen too to the voice of clemency… This woman expected to be punished by Him, in whom sin could not be found. But He, who had driven back her adversaries with the voice of justice, lifting the eyes of mercy to her, asked her: “Has no-one condemned you?” She answered, “No-one, Lord.” And He said: “Neither do I condemn you. I by Whom, perhaps, you were afraid of being condemned because you have found no sin in Me; neither do I condemn you.”
What is this, O Lord? Do you favour sins, then? Certainly not! But take note of what follows: “Go, henceforth sin no more.” The Lord did condemn, therefore but He condemned the sin, not the sinner… Let them be careful, then, those who love the goodness in the Lord but who fear His truthfulness… The Lord is gracious, the Lord is slow to anger, the Lord is merciful BUT the Lord is also just and the Lord is abounding in truth (Ps 85[86],15). He gives you time for amendment but you prefer to take advantage of the delay, rather than to reform your ways. Did you act wickedly yesterday? Be good today. Have you spent today in evil? At any rate change your behaviour tomorrow.
This, then, is the meaning of the words He addresses to this woman, “Neither do I condemn you but, having been made secure concerning the past, be on your guard in the future. I, for My part, will not condemn you, I have blotted out what you have done; keep what I have commanded, that you may gain what I have promised.” – St Augustine (354-430) Bishop, Father, Doctor of Grace –Tractate 33 on the Gospel of John, 5-8
PRAYER – O Infinite Goodness – Act of Contrition By St Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621) – Doctor of the Church
O my God, I am exceedingly grieved, for having offended Thee and with my whole heart, I repent of the sins I have committed. I hate and abhor them above every other evil, not only because, by so sinning, I have lost heaven and deserved hell but still more because I have offended Thee, O infinite Goodness, who art worthy to be loved above all things. I most firmly resolve, by the assistance of Thy grace, never more to offend Thee for the time to come and to avoid those occasions which might lead me into sin. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 26 March – Saturday of the Third Week of Lent
My Sorrowful Mother, Help Me to Bear My Crosses By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787) Doctor of the Church
My sorrowful Mother, by the merit of that grief which you felt at seeing your beloved Jesus led to death, obtain for me the grace to bear with patience, those crosses which God sends me. I will be fortunate if I also shall know how to accompany you with my cross until death. You and Jesus, both innocent, have borne a heavy cross and shall I, a sinner who has merited hell, refuse mine? Immaculate Virgin, I hope you will help me to bear my crosses with patience. Amen
Saint of the Day – 26 March – Saint Basil the Younger (Died c 952) Hermit, Mystic, Miracle-worker. Died c 952 near Constantinople (modern Istanbul, Turkey) of natural causes.
As a young man, Basil began living as a hermit near Constantinople. Courtiers of the Byzantine Emperor, alarmed at his appearance and fearful of his influence, had him arrested, questioned and tortured as a spy.
Basil would say only that he was a pilgrim and stranger on earth but he denounced their immoral lifestyles.
According to his hagiography, he survived their cruel tortures and being thrown to a lion and was unharmed, he was saved from an official drowning by two dolphins.
These miracles won him freedom. Thereafter, many of the faithful came to his hermitage for cures of body and soul prophecies, instruction and performance of numerous miracles. He was gifted with the charism of prophecy, able to see the future lives of those he counselled.
A Vita, written by one of Basil’s disciples, a pious layman named Gregory, includes many details on daily life in Constantinople and provides lengthy descriptions of Basil’s visions and prophecies.
St Basil the Younger (Died c 952) St Bathus St Bercharius
St Braulio (590-651) Bishop of Saragossa, Spain, Monk, Confessor, Reformer, Scholar, Advisor, Writer, eloquent Preacher, Apostle of Charity. Saint Braulio was friend and disciple to Saint Isidore of Seville (560-636) Doctor of the Church ) and a prolific writer of letters, hymns, martyrologies, hagiographies and history. He fought against heresy and provided both strength and encouragement in the faith to his congregation. Biography: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/03/26/saint-of-the-day-26-march-braulio-590-651/
St Eutychius of Alexandria St Felicitas of Padua St Felix of Trier (c 386–c 399) Bishop St Garbhan St Govan
St Ludger (c 742-809) Bishop, Missionary, Founder, Abbot, Writer. Following in the footsteps of the English missionary St Boniface, St Ludger, who was a native Netherlander, brought the faith to the people of Frisia in Holland and the Saxons of north-west Germany. He founded the Werden Abbey and was the first Bishop of Münster in Westphalia, Germany. About St Ludger: https://anastpaul.com/2019/03/26/saint-of-the-day-26-march-st-ludger-c-742-809/
St Maxima the Martyr St Mochelloc of Kilmallock St Montanus the Martyr St Sabino of Anatolia St Sincheall of Killeigh St Wereka
Martyrs of Rome – 5 Saints: A group of Christians Martyred together. The only details to survive are the names – Cassian, Jovinus, Marcian, Peter and Thecla. Rome, Italy, date unknown.
Thought for the Day – 25 March – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Why God Created Us
“We should ask the reason for everything which comes from the Hand of God. Have you ever seriously considered WHY you are in this world? It is certainly not for the sake of this passing earthly existence, for the sake of earning your living, or enjoying yourself. You know well, that the passing pleasures of this life do not satisfy the human heart and cannot be the final goal of life. Each one of us has a thirst for all that is infinite, eternal and perfect. God alone can satisfy this thirst. Just as we are created by God, so we are created for Him. Just as we came from God, so we are gradually travelling back towards Him, for He is the final goal of our earthly journey. We should meditate on this great truth which we were first taught in the Catechism, namely, that we were created to know, love and serve God on this earth and to be happy with Him forever in Heaven. Let us not allow ourselves to be dazzled by earthly beauty. God alone is the eternal beauty which will satisfy our hearts.”
Friday of the Third Week of Lent – 25 March – Our Lenten Journey with the Great Fathers – The Annunciation – Isaias 7:10-15, Luke 1:26-38
“Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.” – Luke 1:28,42
“And Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be to me according to your word.’”
Luke 1:38
“SO THE LORD NOW manifestly came to His own. Born by His own created order that He Himself bears, He by His obedience on the tree, renewed and reversed what was done by disobedience, in connection with a tree.
THE POWER of that seduction, by which the virgin Eve, already betrothed to a man, had been wickedly seduced, was broken when the Angel in truth brought good tidings to the Virgin Mary, who already, by her betrothal belonged to a man. For as Eve was seduced by the word of an Angel to flee from God, having rebelled against His Word, so Mary by the word of an Angel, received the glad tidings that she would bear God, by obeying His Word.
THE FORMER WAS SEDUCEDto disobey God and so fell but the latter, was persuaded to obey God, so that the Virgin Mary might become the advocate of Eve.
AS THE HUMAN RACE was subjected to death through the act of a virgin, so was it saved by a virgin, was precisely balanced by the obedience of Another. Then indeed, the sin of the first formed man was amended by the chastisement of the First Begotten, the wisdom of the serpent was conquered by the simplicity of the dove and the chains were broken, by which we were in bondage to death.” – St Irenaeus (130-202) Bishop of Lyons, Martyr, Father of the Church (Against Heresies, 5)
Quote/s of the Day – 25 March – The Annunciation – Isaias 7:10-15, Luke 1:26-38
“He Who is Infinite, Limitless, came to dwell in your womb; God, the Child Jesus, was nourished by your milk. You are the ever virginal Doorway of God; your hands hold your God; your lap is a throne raised up above the Cherubim… You are the wedding chamber of the Spirit, the “city of the living God, gladdened by the runlets of the stream,” that is to say, the waves of the Spirit’s gifts. You are “all fair, the Beloved” of God.”
St John Damascene (675-749) Father and Doctor of the Church
“And Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be to me according to your word.’”
Luke 1:38
“The price of our salvation is offered to you. We shall be set free at once, if you consent. In the eternal Word of God, we all came to be and behold, we die. In your brief response, we are to be remade. in order to be recalled to life.
… Answer quickly, O Virgin. Reply in haste to the Angel, or rather, through the Angel to the Lord. Answer with a word, receive the Word of God. Speak your own word, conceive the Divine Word. Breathe a passing word, embrace the Eternal Word!”
St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) The Last Father and the Mellifluous Doctor of the Church
Blessed Shall be Her Name Anonymous Author
Praise we the Lord this day, This day so long foretold, Whose promise shone with cheering ray On waiting saints of old.
The prophet gave the sign That those with faith might read; A Virgin, born of David’s line Shall bear the promised Seed.
Ask not how this should be, But worship and adore; Like her whom Heaven’s majesty Came down to shadow o’er.
She meekly bowed her head To hear the gracious word, Mary, the pure and lowly maid, The favoured of the Lord.
Blessed shall be her name In all the Church on earth, Through whom that wondrous Mercy came, The Incarnate Saviour’s Birth.
Jesus, the Virgin’s Son, We praise You and adore, Who are with God the Father One And Spirit evermore. Amen
One Minute Reflection – 25 March – The Annunciation – Isaias 7:10-15, Luke 1:26-38
“Hail, full of grace!” – Luke 1:28
REFLECTION – “The degeneration caused by sin had obscured the beauty of our original nobility. But when the mother of supreme Beauty is born, our nature finds its purity once more and sees itself moulded according to the perfect model, worthy of God (Gn 1,26)… We had all preferred the world below to that above. There no longer remained any hope of salvation. The state of our nature cried aloud to Heaven to come to the rescue… Then at last, in His good pleasure, the world’s Divine Artificer determined to make a new world appear, a different world full of harmony and youth.
Now was it not fitting, that a most pure virgin without stain, should place herself at the service of this mysterious plan first of all?… And where was this virgin to be found, if not in this woman, alone of her kind, chosen by the world’s Creator before all generations? Yes, she indeed is Mother of God, divinely named Mary, whose womb gave birth to God Incarnate and whom, He Himself had supernaturally prepared, as His Temple…
In this way, then, the design of the Redeemer of our race was to bring about a birth and, as it were, a new creation to replace the one that went before. Therefore, just as in Paradise, He had taken a litle clay out of the pure and spotless earth, to fashion the first Adam (Gn 2,7), so, at the moment of bringing about His Own Incarnation, He made use of another earth, so to speak, namely, this Pure and Immaculate Virgin, chosen from among all other beings He had created. It is in her that He, Adam’s Creator, has remade us in our very substance and become a new Adam (1Cor 15,45), that the old might be saved by the new and eternal.” – St Andrew of Crete (660-740) Bishop (Sermon 1 for the Nativity of the Mother of God ; PG 97, 812).
PRAYER – The Angelus V. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary. R. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit. Hail Mary, full of grace, The Lord is with Thee; Blessed art thou among women, And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us sinners, Now and at the hour of our death. Amen V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord. R. Be it done unto me according to thy word. Hail Mary, etc. V. And the Word was made Flesh. R. And dwelt among us. Hail Mary, etc. V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. LET US PRAY Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts, that we to whom the Incarnation of Christ Thy Son was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection. Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 25 March – The Annunciation
O Mary, My Hope! By St John Damascene (675-749) Father and Doctor of the Church
I salute you, O Mary! you are the hope of Christians. Receive the prayer of a sinner, who loves you tenderly, honours you in a special manner and places in you the whole hope of his salvation. From you I have my life. You reinstate me in the grace of your Son: you are the sure pledge of my salvation. I beseech of you, therefore, to deliver me from the burden of my sins, dispel the darkness of my mind, banish from my heart the love of the world, repress the temptations of my enemies and so rule my whole life, that by your means and under your guidance, I may obtain everlasting happiness in heaven. Amen
Saint of the Day – 25 March – St Lucia Filippini (1672-1732) Virgin, Religious Sister, Founder of the Religious Teachers Filippini for whom she founded countless schools all over Italy, she concentrated too on raising her students to continue the work within their families in order to strengthen familt life and the role and dignity of woman. Born on 13 January 1672 at Cornetto, Tuscany, Italy and died on 25 March 1732 of cancer at Montefiascone, Italy. Patronage – the Religious Teachers Filippini. Also known as – Lucy Filippini.
Lucia was the fifth and youngest child of Filippo Filippini and Maddalena Picchi. She had not yet reached her first birthday when her mother died and was buried in the Church of San Marco. Her father, whom she loved dearly, also died six years later and was buried in the Church of Santa Margherita in Corneto. Now orphaned, Lucia went to live with her aunt and uncle. As a child Lucy would prepare small altars and pray devoutly. It was soon clear that she possessed a precocious intelligence, an inclination toward the spiritual life and a modesty that was truly angelic. Her vision was set on God. Notwithstanding her aristocratic upbringing, she always conducted herself with modesty and its practice.
At times Lucia would seek for a serene atmosphere in the nearby Benedictine Nuns’ Monastery of Santa Lucia. Lucia visited frequently, drawn there by her desire to be among those, whose lives and goodness she admired. It was here that she received her First Communion. Here, too, Lucia received the spiritual nourishment of which she never had enough and listened attentively to the explanations of the Divine Mysteries. The grace she felt can be understood from the joy and enthusiasm expressed later as she led and instructed others. She spoke with much fervour and her words of compassion and love, brought tears to the eyes of her companions. They were a prelude to Lucia’s future mission.
When Cardinal Mark Anthony Barbarigo made his first pastoral visit to Corneto, he made a lasting impression on Lucia and she followed him to Montefiascone. Entrusting herself to the Cardinal’s guidance, Lucia was eager to leave behind all worldly things. She had a special devotion to Our Lady, her spiritual Mother and throughout her life, her deep love for Mary and her faith, sustained her. Cardinal Barbarigo envisioned her as a key factor to bring about a rebirth of Christian living. He had already begun by establishing a seminary where young priests might study and train for the ministry of the Word.
The next step was to develop a Christian conscience and encourage the practice of virtue in the home; this he resolved to do by opening schools for young ladies, particularly the children of the poor, in whom he saw hope for the future. Lucia would head the schools they founded to promote the dignity of womanhood and help influence a healthy family life. Together they looked ahead to fulfilling their generous, ardent and profound mission of faith and charity. In 1692, teachers were trained to staff the rapidly expanding schools.
The young ladies of Montefiascone were taught domestic arts, weaving, embroidering, reading and Christian doctrine. Twelve years later the Cardinal devised a set of rules to guide Lucia and her followers, in the religious life. Fifty-two schools were established during Lucia’s lifetime. As the Community grew, it attracted the attention of Pope Clement XI who, in 1707, called Lucia to Rome to start schools, which he placed under his special protection. Here she completed the work of founding the schools.
To complement the work of the schools, Lucia and her Teachers conducted classes and conferences for women, who were strengthened in their faith as they took part in prayer, meditation and good works. Her focus for the social apostolate was to encourage her Teachers to minister to the needs of the poor and the sick . Her method of teaching attracted widespread attention. The social apostolate was an extension of the classroom. She testified that the young ladies were the co-ordinating element that underlies family life: ‘Having learned in school those things that were necessary, they repeat them to parents and relatives at home and thus become so many young teachers.’
Lucy died at sixty years of age on 25 March 1732, on Feast of the Annunciation. For three centuries, the example of Christian womanhood that marked the lives of her Teachers and students was recognised by Holy Mother Church. On 22 June 1930, Lucia Filippini was declared a Saint of the Church by Pope Pius XI and her Statue was given the last available niche in the Basilica of Saint Peter in Rome. Her statue can be seen in the first upper niche from the main entrance on the left (south) side of the nave of St Peter’s. The Institute, which bears the name of Lucia Filippini, owes its birth to the Cardinal who loved schools and to the Holy Teacher, who committed her entire life to the educative-apostolic mission.
Bl Everard of Nellenburg Bl Herman of Zahringen St Hermenland St Humbert of Pelagius Bl James Bird Bl Josaphata Mykhailyna Hordashevska St Kennocha of Fife St Lucia Filippini (1672-1732) Religious Sister, Founder.
St Matrona of Barcelona St Matrona of Thessaloniki St Mona of Milan St Ndre Zadeja St Nicodemus of Mammola Bl Pawel Januszewski St Pelagius of Laodicea Bl Placido Riccardi St Procopius St Quirinus of Rome Bl Tommaso of Costacciaro
262 Martyrs of Rome: A group 262 ChristiansMmartyred together in Rome. We know nothing else about them, not even their names.
Quote/s of the Day – 24 March – Thursday of the Third Week of Lent – Jeremias 7:1-7, Luke 4:38-44
“And the crowds were seeking after Him and they came to Him and tried to detain Him, that He might not depart from them. But He said to them, To the other towns too I must proclaim the kingdom of God, for this is why I have been sent.”
Luke 4:42-43
“Christ has no body on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes through which, the compassion of Christ, looks out to the world. Yours are the feet, with which, He is to go about doing good. Yours are the hands, with which, He is to bless others now.”
St Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) Doctor of the Church
Great convert Teacher of the Faith Who never ceased from preaching Christ, Saint Paul impart to us your zeal, That we may reach the joys unseen.
All glory to the Trinity, Forever honour, sov’reignty, To God Almighty be all praise, Beginning and the End of all. Amen
Thursday of the Third Week of Lent – 24 March – Our Lenten Journey with the Great Fathers – Jeremias 7:1-7, Luke 4:38-44
“The eyes of all look hopefully to You, O Lord,and You give them their food in due season. You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.” – Psalm144:15-16
“Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him and he laid his hands on everyone of them and healed them. And demons also came out of many, crying, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak because they knew that he was the Christ.”
Luke 4:40-41
“BUT OBSERVE AGAIN, I pray, how great is the efficacy of the touch of His holy flesh. For It both drives away diseases, of various kinds and a crowd of demons and overthrows the power of the devil and heals a very great multitude of people, in one moment of time. And although able to perform these miracles by a word and the inclination of His will, yet, to teach us something useful, He also lays His hands upon the sick. For it was necessary, most necessary, for us to learn, that the holy flesh which He had made His own, was endowed with the activity of the power of the Word, by His having implanted in it, a godlike might. Let It then take hold of us, or rather let us take hold of It, by the mystical “Giving of thanks,” that It may free us also from the sicknesses of the soul and from the assault and violence of demons.
HE WOULD NOT PERMIT the unclean demons to confess Him, for it was not fitting for them to usurp the glory of the Apostolic office, nor with impure tongue, to talk of the mystery of Christ. Yea! although they speak ought that is true, let no-one put credence in them – for the light is not known by the aid of darkness, as the disciple of Christ teaches us, where he says, “For what communion hath light with darkness? or what consent hath Christ with Beliar?” – St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Father and Doctor of the Incarnation
One Minute Reflection – 24 Marcr – Thursday of the Third Week of Lent – Jeremias 7:1-7, Luke 4:38-44 and the Feast Dy of St Gabriel the Archangel
“At that time, Jesus rose from the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a great fever and they besought Him for her.” – Luke 4:38
REFLECTION – “Now Simon’s mother-in-law was kept in her bed sick with a fever.” May Christ come to our house and enter in and by His command, cure the fever of our sins. Each one of us is sick with a fever. Whenever I give way to anger, I have a fever. There are as many fevers as there are faults and vices. Let us beg the Apostles to intercede for us with Jesus, that He may come to us and touch our hand. If He does so, at once our fever is gone. He is an excellent Physician and truly the Chief Physician. Moses is a physician. Isaias is a physician. All the Saints are physicians but He is the Chief Physician.” – St Jerome (343-420) Father & Doctor of the Church (Homilies on the Gospel of Mark 75).
PRAYER – O God, Who, out of all the Angels, chose the Archangel Gabriel to announce the mystery of Your Incarnation, mercifully grant that we, who keep his feast on earth, may have him as our patron in Heaven. Who lives and reigns with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
Our Morning Offering – 24 March – Thursday of the Third Week of Lent
Behold Me, O Sweet Lord, Behold Me! By St Aelred of Rievaulx O.Cist. (1110-1167)
Behold me, O Sweet Lord, behold me! For I hope. that in Your Loving Kindness, O Most Merciful One, You will behold me, either as a loving Physician to heal, a kind Teacher to correct, or an indulgent Father to pardon… confident in Your Sweet Powerful Mercy and most Merciful Power, I ask, in virtue of Your Sweet Name and of the Mystery of Your Sacred Humanity that, mindful of Your Kindness and unmindful of my ingratitude, You forgive me my sins and heal the languors of my soul. Amen
Saint of the Day – 24 March – The Archangel Saint Gabriel. The name GABRIEL is a Hebrew name generally translated “strength of God” more accurately “my strength is in God” or “God is my strength.” Gabriel appeared to the prophet Daniel (Dan 8:16; 9:21), to the priest Zachary to announce the forthcoming birth of Saint John the Baptist (Luke 1:11, 19) and to the Blessed Virgin Mary to announce the birth of Our Saviour (Luke 1:26.). His Feast Day is celebrated today 24 March. PATRONAGES – Ambassadors, Telecommunication workers, Radio and Television Broadcasters, Messengers and Couriers, Postal workers, Clerical workers, Diplomats, Stamp Collectors, Portugal, Santander in the Cebu Province in the Philippines.
Saint Gabriel, the Archangel Abbot Prosper Guéranger OSB (1805-1875)
So far in the Church’s Calendar, we have not met with any Feast in honour of the Holy Angels. Amidst the ineffable joys of Christmas Night, we mingled our timid but glad voices with the Hymns of these heavenly Spirits, who sang around the Crib of our Emmanuel. The very recollection brings joy to our hearts, saddened as they now are by penitential feelings and by the near approach of the mournful anniversary of our Jesus’ Death. Let us, for a moment, interrupt our sadness, and keep the Feast of the Archangel Gabriel. Later on, we shall have Michael, Raphael, and the countless host of the Angel Guardians but today, it is just that we should honour Gabriel. Yes, a day hence and we shall see this heavenly Ambassador of the Blessed Trinity coming down to the Virgin of Nazareth, let us, therefore, recommend ourselves to him and beseech him to teach us how to celebrate, in a becoming manner, the grand Mystery of which he was the Messenger.
Gabriel is one of the first of the Angelic Kingdom. He tells Zachary, that he stands before the Face of God (St. Luke 1:11,19.). He is the Angel of the Incarnation because it is in this Mystery, which apparently is so humble, that the power of God is principally manifested and, Gabriel signifies the strength of God. We find the Archangel preparing for his sublime office, even in the Old Testament. First of all, he appears to Daniel, after this Prophet had had the vision of the Persian and Grecian Empires and, such was the majesty of his person, that Daniel fell on his face trembling (Dan 7:17). Shortly afterwards, he appears again to the same Prophet, telling him the exact time of the coming of the Messias: Know thou and take notice: that from the going forth of the word to build up Jerusalem again, unto Christ the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks (Ibid. 9:25), that is, sixty-nine weeks of years.
Follower Francesco Solimena The Archangel Saint Gabriel appears to the Prophet Daniel
When the fulness of time had come and Heaven was about to send the last of the Prophets, he, who after preaching to men the approach of the Messias, is to show him to the people, saying: Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, Gabriel descends from Heaven to the temple of Jerusalem and prophesies to Zachary the birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1:13), which was to be followed by that of Jesus Himself.
St Gabriel appears to Zachary – Fra Angelico
Six months later on, the holy Archangel again appears on the earth and this time it is Nazareth that he visits. He brings the great message from Heaven. Angel as he is, he reveres the humble Maid, whose name is Mary. He has been sent to her by the Most High God, to offer her the immense honour of becoming the Mother of the Eternal Word. It is Gabriel that receives the great Fiat, the consent of Mary and when he leaves this earth, he leaves it in possession of Him, for Whom it had so long prayed, in those words of Isaias: Drop down Dew, O ye Heavens (Is. 14:8.)!
The hour at length came, when the Mother of the Emmanuel was to bring forth the Blessed Fruit of her virginal Womb. Jesus was born amidst poverty but Heaven willed that His Crib should be surrounded by fervent adorers. An Angel appeared to some Shepherds, inviting them to go to the Stable near Bethlehem. He is accompanied by a multitude of the heavenly army, sweetly singing their hymn: Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men of good will! Who is this Angel that speaks to the Shepherds and seems, as the chief of the other blessed Spirits that are with him? In the opinion of several learned writers, it is the Archangel Gabriel, who is keeping up his ministry as Messenger of the Good Tidings (St. Luke 2:10).
Lastly, when Jesus is suffering His Agony in the Garden of Gethsemani, an Angel appears to Him, not merely as a witness of His suffering but that He might strengthen Him, under the fear his Human Nature felt at the thought of the Chalice of the Passion He was about to drink (Ibid. 22:42, 43.). Who is this Angel? It is Gabriel, as we learn, not only from the writings of several holy and learned authors,but also, from a Hymn which the Holy See has permitted to be used in the Liturgy. …
These are the claims of the great Archangel to our veneration and love; these are the proofs he gives of his deserving his beautiful name, the Strength of God. God has employed him in each stage of the great work, in which he has chiefly manifested his power, for Jesus, even on his Cross, is the Power of God (1 Cor. 1:21.), as the Apostle tells us. Gabriel prepares the way for Jesus. He foretells the precise time of His Coming; He announces the birth of His Precursor; he is present at the solemn moment when the Word is made Flesh; he invites the Shepherds of Bethlehem to come to the Crib and adore the Divine Babe and when Jesus, in his Agony, is to receive Strength from one of His own creatures, Gabriel is found ready in the Garden of Gethsemani, as he had been at Nazareth and Bethlehem.
The Angel of the Agony John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
Jesu! by that shuddering dread which fell on Thee; Jesu! by that cold dismay which sicken’d Thee; Jesu! by that pang of heart which thrill’d in Thee; Jesu! by that mount of sins which crippled Thee; Jesu! by that sense of guilt which stifled Thee; Jesu! by that innocence that girded Thee; Jesu! by that sanctity that reign’d in Thee; Jesu! by that Godhead which was one with Thee; Jesu! spare those souls which are so dear to Thee; Who in prison, calm and patient, wait for Thee; Hasten, Lord, their hour and bid them come to Thee; To that glorious Home, where they shall ever gaze on Thee. Amen
O holy Angel who didst strengthen Jesus Christ our Lord, come and strengthen us also, come and tarry not!
The Archangel Saint Gabriel The Feast of Saint Gabriel was included by Pope Benedict XV in the General Roman Calendar in 1921, for celebration on 24 March.
St Agapitus of Synnada St Aldemar the Wise St Bernulf of Mondovi Bl Bertha de’Alberti of Cavriglia Bl Bertrada of Laon Bl Brian O’Carolan St Caimin of Lough Derg St Cairlon of Cashel
St Pigmenius of Rome St Romulus of North Africa St Secundus of North Africa St Seleucus of Syria St Severo of Catania St Timothy of Rome
Martyrs of Africa – 9 Saints: A group of Christians murdered for their faith in Africa, date unknown. The only details about their that survive are the names – Aprilis, Autus, Catula, Coliondola, Joseph, Rogatus, Salitor, Saturninus and Victorinus. .
Martyrs of Caesarea – 6 Saints: A group of Christians Martyred together in the persecutions of Diocletian. We know little else but six of their names – Agapius, Alexander, Dionysius, Pausis, Romulus and Timolaus. They were martyred by beheading in 303 at Caesarea, Palestine.
Thought for the Day – 23 March – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Christian Formation of Character
“When Jesus offered Himself as our Divine Model, He used these words, “Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart” (Mt 11:29). Humility and gentleness are essential attributes of the Christian character. Whoever does not succeed in acquiring them is bulding upon sand! He will be a torment to others as well as to himself. Jesus indicates this also, for after He has said: “Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart,” He adds, “and you will find rest for your souls” (Ibid). In other words, He tells us, that it is only on this condition that we shall find spiritual peace. When we have modelled our character on His humility and gentleness, we shall be inflamed with the love of God and of our neighbour. Only then shall we have succeeded in acquiring a character which is genuinely and deeply Christian.”
Wednesday day of the Third Week of Lent – 23 March – Our Lenten Journey with the Great Fathers – Exodus 20:12-24, Matthew 15:1-20
“Have pity on me, O Lord, for I am languishing; heal me, O Lord.” – Psalm 6:3
“… This people honours me with their lips but their heart is far from Me … ”
Matthew 15:7
“GREAT IS THE MERCY that Jesus Christ has shown us. The first benefit that we owe to His mercy, is that we, who are living, do not sacrifice to dead gods or worship them but have, through Christ, attained a knowledge of the Father. What else is knowledge of the Father but the recognition of His Son, through Whom this knowledge comes to us? He Himself declares: – Everyone who acknowledges Me, I in My turn will acknowledge in the presence of the Father. This then will be our reward if we acknowledge Him through Whom we have been saved. But how shall we show that we acknowledge Him? By doing what He says, by not disobeying His commands and by honouring Him. not only with our lips but with our whole heart and our whole mind. For He says in Isaiahs This people pays me lip service but its heart is far from me.
LET US NOT ONLY CALL HIM LORD, for that will not save us. Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will be saved, He warns but only the man who does what is right. So then, brothers, let us show our faith in Him by our deeds, by loving one another, by not committing adultery, by not finding fault with one another, or being envious. Instead, let us be chaste, merciful and kind. We should also have compassion for one another and, not be covetous. We have to prove that we believe in Him by performing such actions as these and by avoiding whatever is contrary to them, since we fear God rather than men. Should we fail to do so, we have the Lord’s warning:- If you do not keep my commandments, even though I had pressed you to my heart, I will thrust you away from me and say to you: Out of my sight, you whose deeds are evil; you are complete strangers to me.
THEREFORE, MY BROTHERS, let us enter the lists in the knowledge that the contest is imminent. Many men travel far to contend for a crown that soon fades, yet not all of them win but only those who have strained every nerve and competed fairly. Let us so contend, that we may all be crowned. Let us run a straight course in the race of the Christian life, setting out in great numbers to take part in it and then striving for the crown with all our might. Even if we are not all able to win, at least let us draw near to victory.
NOW, WE MUST SURELY KNOW, that even when the contest is for a wreath that lasts but a day, if anyone is found to be breaking the rules, he is flogged and driven off the racecourse. What do you suppose, then, will be the fate of the man who breaks the rules in the contest of the Christian life? Of those who have not kept the seal of their Baptism unbroken, Scripture says: The worm does not die and the fire is never extinguished. They will be a spectacle to all men.” – Anonymous Ancient Christian Writer – ACW (An excerpt from a Second Century Homily).
Quote/s of the Day – 23 March – Wednesday day of the Third Week of Lent – Exodus 20:12-24, Matthew 15:1-20
“But the things that proceed out of the mouth, come from the heart and it is they that defile a man.”
Matthew 15:18
“The sky and the earth and the waters and the things that are in them, the fishes and the birds and the trees are not evil. All these are good; it is evil men who make this evil world.”
“What is reprehensible, is that while leading good lives themselves and abhorring those of wicked men, some, fearing to offend, shut their eyes to evil deeds instead of condemning them and pointing out their malice.”
One Minute Reflection – 23 March – Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent – Exodus 20:12-24, Matthew 15:1-20
“Hypocrites, well did Isaias prophesy of you, saying, ‘This people honours me with their lips but their heart is far from Me and in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrine, the precepts of men.’ ” – Matthew 15:7
REFLECTION – “The law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has freed you from the law of sin and death” (Rm 8:2) … Saint Paul says that the Law of Moses has been given to prove our weakness and not just to prove it but, to increase it and thus force us to find the Doctor. … “Where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more” (Rm 5:20; cf. 3:20) … But why did the first Law, written with the Finger of God (Ex 31:18), not give us the essential assistance of grace? Because it was written on tablets of stone, not the tablets of flesh, that are our hearts (2 Cor 3:3) ….
It is the Holy Spirit Who writes “the Law of the Spirit of life” not on stone but in the heart; this Law of the Spirit of life that is in Jesus Christ in Whom the Passover has been celebrated in truth (1 Cor 5:7-8), has delivered you from the law of sin and death. Do you want to have proof of the manifest and certain difference separating the Old Testament from the New? … Hear what the Lord spoke by the mouth of one of the prophets. … ”I will place my law within them and write it upon their hearts” (Jr 31:33). So if God’s Law is written in your heart, it does not bring forth fear [as at Sinai] but pours a secret sweetness into your soul.” – St Augustine (354-430) Bishop of Hippo, Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermon 155, 6 ).
PRAYER – Breathe in Me, O Holy Spirit By St Augustine (354-420)
Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy. Act in me, O Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy. Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, that I love but what is holy. Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy. Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy. Amen
AnaStpaul 
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