Thought for the Day – 18 July – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Our Dominant Passion
“We can conquer our predominant passion by the following means: (a) Fervent prayer. (b) A daily Examination of Conscience ,in the course of which we shall discover, whether we have made any progress, in the way of perfection and, shall renew our good resolutions. (c) Weekly, or at least, fortnightly Confession. (d) Daily, or at least, frequent Communion. (e) Avoidance of the occasions of sin and employment of the necessary means to overcome sin. (f) The performance of good actions which, are opposed to our predominant passion. (g) Determination to fight and to conquer because we are convinced that it is absolutely necessary to do so.
There can be no half measures, for the only alternative to victory is defeat! If we are conquered, we shall be slaves of passion in this life and shall be everlastingly unhappy in the next.”
Quote/s of the Day – 18 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus” – St Camillus de Lellis MI (1550-1614) “The Giant of Charity,” Confessor, Priest and Founder the Order of the Ministers of the Sick, or simply as the “Camillians”
“Why are you afraid? Do you not realise that this is not your work but mine?”
Christ on the Cross speaking to Saint Camillus
“Lord, forgive this great sinner. Give me time to do penance. No more world, no more sins!”
One Minute Reflection – 18 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus” – St Camillus de Lellis MI (1550-1614) Confessor, Priest and Founder, “The Giant of Charity.” – 1 John 3:13-18, John 15:12-16 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“This is My commandment that you love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love than this no man hath that a man lay down his life for his friends.” – John 15:12-13
REFLECTION – “We cannot truly love God without loving our neighbour, nor can we truly love our neighbour without loving God. This is why… the Holy Spirit was given a second time to the disciples. First it was given by the Lord while He was still dwelling on earth and later while he was watching over us in Heaven (Jn 20:22; Acts 2). He was given to us on earth that we may love our neighbours, from Heaven that we may love God. Why first on earth and later from Heaven – except for the reason given us openly by John: “How can anyone, who does not love his brother, whom he sees love God Whom he does not see?”
So let us love our neighbours, my friends, let us love the one who is near us, so that we may be able to attain the love of the One, Who is above us! Let our hearts reflect on what our neighbours hold up to God, so that they may be found completely worthy to rejoice in God with them. Then shall we reach the happiness of the heavenly multitude, the happiness of which we have received an assurance from the Holy Spirit. Let us move forward toward that goal where we shall be happy without end, with all our love. There is the holy community of heavenly citizens, there is the sure and solemn observance, there untroubled rest, there the true peace which is no longer dependent on us but given to us through our Lord Jesus Christ (Jn 14:27).” – St Gregory the Great (540-604) Pope, Father and Doctor of the Church (Excerpt Sermons on the Gospel No 30).
PRAYER – O God, Who endowed St Camillus with a special gift of charity for the help of souls struggling in their final agony, pour upon us, we beseech Thee, by his merits, the spirit of Thy love, so that at the hour of our death, we may be found worthy to overcome the enemy and attain the heavenly crown. Through Jesus 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 – 18 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus”
Hail, Sweet Jesus! Prayer to Christ in His Passion and Death By St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor of the Church
Hail, sweet Jesus! Praise, honour and glory be to Thee, O Christ, Who, of Thou own accord, embraced death, and recommending Thyself to Thy heavenly Father, bowing down Thy venerable Head, did yield up Thy Spirit. Truly thus giving up Thy life for Thy sheep, Thou hast shown Thyself, to be the Good Shepherd. Thou died, O Only-begotten Son of God. Thou died, O my beloved Saviour, that I might live forever. O how great hope, how great confidence have I reposed in Thy Death and Thy Blood! I glorify and praise Thy Holy Name, acknowledging my infinite obligations to Thee. O good Jesus, by Thy bitter Death and Passion, give me grace and pardon. Give unto the faithful departed, rest and life everlasting. Amen
Saint of the Day – 18 July – St Philastrius of Brescia (c330-c387) Confessor, the 7th Bishop of Brescia, Italy, Defender of the True Faith against heretics, most particularly he fought zealously against the Arian heretics, Miracle-worker, he was one of the Bishops present at a Synod held in Aquileia in 381. Born in c330 in Spain and died in c387 of natural causes. St Philastrius’ Relics are venerated in the Crypt of Saint Apollonius in the Cathedral of Brescia, Italy. Also known as – Filastrius, Philaster.
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Brescia, the birthday of St Philastrius, Bishop of that City, who, in speech and writing combated heretics, especially the Arians, from whom he suffered much. Finally, he died in peace, renowned for miracles.”
WE know nothing of this Saint’s beginnings and his home, only that he quitted it and the house and inheritance of his ancestors, like Abraham, the more perfectly to disengage himself from the ties of the world.
He lived in perfect continency and often passed whole nights in meditating on the Holy Scriptures. Being Ordained Priest, he travelled through many provinces to oppose the infidels and heretics, especially the Arians, whose fury was, at that time, formidable over the whole Church. His zeal and lively faith gave him courage to rejoice with the apostles in suffering for the truth and to bear in his body, the marks of the stripes which he received by a severe scourging which he underwent for Jesus Christ. At Milan he vigorously opposed the endeavours of Auxentius, the impious Arian wolf, who laboured there, to destroy the flock of Christ and, our Saint was its strenuous guardian before St Ambrose was made Bishop of that City.
He afterwards went to Brescia and, finding the inhabitants of that place savage and barbarous, almost entirely ignorant in spiritual things, yet desirous to learn, he took much pain to instruct them and had the comfort to see his labours crowned with incredible success. He rooted out the tares of many errors and cultivated this wild soil with such assiduity that it became fruitful in good works.
Being chosen the 7th Bishop of this See, he exerted himself in the discharge of all his pastoral functions with such vigour as even to outdo himself and the authority of his high dignity added the greater weight to his endeavours. He was not quite equal in learning to the Ambroses and Augustins of that age but what was wanting in that respect, was abundantly made up by the example of his life, his spirit of perfect humility and piety and his unwearied application to every pastoral duty. Philastrius is an instance of what eminent service and may be capable of achieving in the Church, when they are joined with a heroic degree of virtue.
Brescia Cathedral
To caution his flock against the danger of errors in faith, he wrote his Catalogue of Heresies. He, everywhere breathes an ardent zeal for the Catholic faith. St. Gaudentius extols his profound humility, his meekness, and sweetness towards all men, which was such that it seemed natural to him to repay injuries only with kindness and favours and, he never discovered the least emotions of anger. By his charity and patience, he gained the hearts of all men. In all he did, he sought no interest but that of Jesus Christ and regarding with contempt all earthly things, he pursued and valued only those that are eternal.
Being most mortified and sparing in his diet and apparel, he seemed to know no other use of money than to employ it in relieving the poor and he extended his liberality, not only to all that were reduced to beggary but also, to tradesmen and all others, whom he often generously enabled to carry on, or when expedient, to enlarge their business. Although he communicated himself with surprising charity and goodness to all sorts of persons of every age, sex and condition, he seemed always to receive the poor with particular affection.
He trained many pious and eminent disciples, among whom are named St Gaudentius, his successor as Bishop of Brescia and one Benevolus, who, in his lifetime, was a true imitator of the Apostles. St Augustine met our St Philastrius at Milan with St Ambrose in the year 384. He died soon after, and before St Ambrose, his Archbishop, who after his death placed St Gaudentius in the See of Brescia. This Saint solemnised every year, with his people, the day on which his master, St Philastrius, passed to glory and always honoured it with a panegyric but of these discourses only the fourteenth is extant.
St Symphorosa and her seven sons / Also known as – The Martyrs of Tivoli – 8 Saints: A widow, St Symphorosa and her seven sons ( Crescens, Eugene, Julian, Justin, Nemesius, Primitivus and Stracteus) Martyred in Tivoli, Italy in the 2nd-century persecutions of Hadrian.
St Aemilian of Dorostorium St Alanus of Sassovivo St Alfons Tracki Blessed Angeline of Marsciano Bl Arnold of Amiens St Arnold of Arnoldsweiler St Arnoul the Martyr
St Goneri of Treguier St Gundenis of Carthage Bl Herveus St Marina of Ourense St Maternus of Milan St Minnborinus St Pambo of the Nitrian Desert St Philastrius of Brescia (c330-c387) Bishop St Rufillus of Forlimpopoli
Martyrs of Silistria – 7 Saints: Seven Christians who were Martyred together. No details about them have survived but the names – Bassus, Donata, Justus, Marinus, Maximus, Paulus and Secunda. They were martyred in Silistria (Durostorum), Moesia (in modern Bulgaria), date unknown.
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