Thought for the Day – 10 February – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
SELF-LOVE
“There are three tiny blossoms which can scarcely be seen – those of the corn, the olive and the vine. Nevertheless, from these we receive grain, oil and wine – three very precious commodities. These three little blossoms are almost invisible in comparision with other larger flowers, such as that of the magnolia which do not yield any useful fruit. They should present us with a starting-point for meditation. Would we like our actions to be valuable in the sight of God and bring forth good fruit?
Let us be humble and suppress love of self. Then God will look on us with favour. He will give us His grace and make fertile the work which we do purely for Him. “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble” (Is 4:6).
Quote of the Day – 10 February – St Scholastica (c482-543) Twin sister of St Benedict (c482-547)
“When she heard her brother refuse her request, the holy woman joined her hands on the table, laid her head on them and began to pray. As she raised her head from the table, there were such brilliant flashes of lightning, such great peals of thunder and such a heavy downpour of rain that neither Benedict nor his brethren could stir across the threshold of the place where they had been seated. Sadly he began to complain: “May God forgive you, sister. What have you done?” “Well,” she answered, “I asked you and you would not listen, so I asked my God and He did listen. So now go off, if you can, leave me and return to your Monastery.” …
(St Pope Gregory the Great (540-604) on St Scholastica)
“I asked you and you would not listen, so I asked my God and He did listen.”
One Minute Reflection – 10 February – St Scholastica (c482-547) Virgin Nun, St Benedict’s twin – 2 Corinthians 10:17-18; 11:1-2, Matt 25:1-13 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“… Behold the Bridegroom comes.” – Matthew 25:6
REFLECTION – “Behold the time is now here for us, dearest brethren, when we are to “sing of kindness and judgement to the Lord” (Ps 100:1). This is the Lord’s Coming, the arrival of the Lord of all, Who comes and is to come (Apoc 1:8). But how and where is He to come? How and when is He coming? Has He not said: “I fill the Heaven and the earth?” (Jer 23:24). How, then is He, Who fills Heaven and earth, coming to Heaven and earth? Listen to the Gospel: “He was in the world and world was made by Him and the world did not know Him“ (Jn 1:0). Therefore, He was both present and absent ,at the same time – present in that He was in the world; absent because the world did not know Him… How could He, Who was not recognised, not be far away, He, in Whom people did not believe, Who was not feared, Who was not loved?…
He comes, then, so that He, Who was not known might be recognised; He in Whom no-one believed might be believed; He, Who was not loved might be loved. He, Who was present according to His nature, is coming in His mercy… Think on God a little and see what it means that He should transfer so great a might; how He humbles so great a power, weakens so great a strength, makes feeble so great a wisdom! Was this a requirement of justice towards us? Most certainly not!…
In truth, my Lord, not my righteousness but Thy mercy guided Thee; not Thy necessity but my need. As Thou hast said: “My mercy is established in the heavens” (Ps 89[88],3). Rightly so, for our neediness abounds on earth. That is why “I shall sing forever of Thy love, O Lord,” which Thou manifested at Thy coming. When He showed Himself humble in His humanity, powerful in His miracles, strong against the tyranny of the demons, gentle in His welcome of sinners: all these things came from His mercy, all came from His inmost goodness. That is why “I shall sing Thy love, O Lord“ made known at Thy First Coming. And rightly so, for “the earth is filled with the mercy of the Lord” (Ps 118:64).” – St Aelred of Rielvaux (1110-1167) Cistercian Monk [Sermon for Advent (Durham collection)].
PRAYER – O God, Who, to show us the way of innocence, caused the soul of Thy Virgin, blessed Scholastica, to fly up to heaven in the likeness of a dove, grant us, through her merits and prayers, to live innocently, so that we may be found worthy to reach everlasting joys. Through tesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
Our Morning Offering – 10 February – Friday of Septuagesima Week
May We Confess Your Name to the End By St Cyprian of Carthage (200-258) Bishop and Martyr Apostolic Father of the Church
Good God, may we confess Your Name to the end. May we emerge unmarked and glorious from the traps and darkness of this world. As You have bound us together, by charity and peace and as together, we have persevered under persecution, so may we also rejoice together in Your heavenly kingdom. Amen
Saint of the Day – 10 February – Blessed Hugh of Fosse OPraem (c1093-1164) Priest of the Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré, also known as the Premonstratensians, the Norbertines and the White Canons. Hugh was one of St Norbert’s first disciples and later became the first Abbot of Prémontré, Born at Fosse, Belgium and died in 1164 of natural causes. Also known as – Hugues. Beatified on 13 July 1927 by Pope Pius XI.
He was born at Fosses-la-Ville in what is now Belgium around the year 1093. He seems to have been orphaned early in life and was educated at the collegiate Church of St Feuillien at Fosses. Upon Ordination, he was made Secretary to Burchard, the Bishop of Cambrai. Whilst accompanying the Bishop through Valenciennes, Hugh and Burchard happened upon St Norbert who was there preaching. St Norbert came to visit the Bishop and was led into the Episcopal presence by a Cleric.
The Bishop, looking at him standing there with bare frozen feet and dressed in rough clothing, absolutely amazed and dumbfounded, fell upon his neck with a gasp and cried out: “Oh Norbert, who would ever have believed or even thought this of you!” The Cleric who had admitted Norbert, wondered about the Bishop’s affection for him and asked the reason. The Bishop answered: “This man whom you see, was brought up with me in the Court of the King, a man noble and abounding in delights, to such a degree that he refused my Bishopric when it was offered to him.” Hearing this, the Cleric’s eyes filled with tears, both because he saw his master weeping but also because, he longed for a similar way of life. Secretly he discovered when and where Norbert would be continuing his journey.
But Norbert was suddenly seized by a serious illness while still in the City. The Bishop kindly tended his illness, daily visiting him, both himself and through the members of his Court. The aforementioned Cleric was among those visitors and when Norbert grew stronger he approached him and promised to accompany him in his profession and journey. Norbert thanked God thinking that the man was going to set out with him right away. But when the Cleric stated that he first wanted to set his affairs in order, Norbert was troubled at his words and said only: “Ah, brother, if this is of God, it will not be undone.” The Cleric left, promising to return and, disposing of his possessions, a little later did return, henceforth to follow the man of God. The name of that cleric was Hugh.
After returning to Norbert’s side, Hugh followed St Norbert on his many journeys over northern Europe and was present at the foundation of Prémontré in 1120. Hugh was made the first Prior of the Abbey and when Norbert took up his appointment of Archbishop of Magdeburg, Hugh became the first Abbot.
As Abbot, Hugh laid the foundations of the legislative and liturgical life of the Order. He organised the system of General Chapters, wrote the first Statutes of the Order and organised the various liturgical offices. He was also devoted to the education and training of his clerics and governed the Order during those early years of rapid expansion.
Known especially for his humility, Hugh never signed his name with ‘Abbot’ but only as ‘Servant of God and Norbert.’ Having laboured so hard for the good of the Order, Hugh died at Prémontré on 10 February 1164. In 1279 his Relics were moved to the High Altar of the Abbey Church of Prémontré and in 1660, given more elaborate furnishings. With the coming of the Revolution Hugh’s Relics were safely hidden in a number of locations until they found a place at the Abbey of Bois-Seigneur-Isaac.
In 2010, his Relics finally found a permanent home in Rome, at the Generalate of the Order. How appropriate that the first Abbot of Prémontré, should now ever be close to his successors.
Prayer: Almighty eternal God, Who always calls new men, so that they might make Thy way known to others, we humbly entreat Thee, through the merits and intercession of Thy Abbot, Blessed Hugh that by praying and working, we may build up Thy people into one. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who lives and reigns with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God forever and ever. Amen.
St Desideratus of Clermont St Erluph of Werden Blessed Hugh of Fosse OPraem (c1093-1164) Priest of the Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré, also known as the Premonstratensians, the Norbertines and the White Canons. Bl Paganus Bl Paul of Wallachia Bl Pierre Frémond St Porfirio St Prothadius of Besançon St Salvius of Albelda St Silvanus of Terracina St Soteris the Martyr St Troiano of Saintes St Trumwin of Whitby
Martyred Soldiers in Rome: A group of ten Christian soldiers who were Martyred together for their faith. We know little more about them but four of their names – Amantius, Hyacinth, Irenaeus and Zoticus. • 120 at Rome, Italy. They were buried on the Via Lavicana outside RomeAmantius, Hyacinth, Irenaeus, Zoticus.
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