Thought for the Day – 22 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“Month of the Holy Rosary” The Our Father Our Daily Bread
“In the Pater Noster, Jesus instructs us to ask for our daily bread – that is, for sufficient bread for today, not for tomorrow. In this way, He warns us not to be too preoccupied with the future but, to trust in Providence and accept, from God’s hands, from day to day, whatever is necessary for us. God is our Father and loves us as His children. Knowing this, why should we worry about the future?
We are in the hands of God, Who looks after all His children. Let us entrust ourselves completely to His care. This does not mean that we should indulge in any kind of fatalism, expecting everything from God and doing nothing ourselves. We cannot and should not expect unnecessary miracles. We are under an obligation to work because work, is the result of and the punishment for, sin. It enable us to co-operate with God in His work of creation and has ben ennobled and sanctified by Jesus Christ, Who chose to be “the carpenter’s son,” (Mt 13:55) and a carpenter Himself (Cf Mk 6:3). We should work, therefore but, should not worry!
When we have done everything of which we ae capable, we should leave the rest to Divine Providence.”
Quote/s of the Day – 22 October – The 21st Sunday after Pentecost – Ephesians 6:10-17, Matthew 18:23-35 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“‘Thou wicked servant! I forgave thee all thy debt because thou entreated Me. Should not thou then have had compassion also on thy fellow-servant, even as I had compassion on thee?’ ”
Matthew 18:32-33
“… Every man is both debtor and creditor… A beggar asks you for alms but you, too, are God’s beggar, for when we pray we are all beggars of God. We stand – or rather, prostrate ourselves – at our Father’s door (cf Lk 11:5); we beseech Him with groans, anxious to receive a grace from Him and this grace is God Himself! What does the beggar ask of you? Bread. And what is it that you are asking of God but Christ, Who said: “I am the Living Bread come down from Heaven” (Jn 6:51).”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace
“If you wish God to know that you are hungry, know that another is hungry. If you hope for mercy, show mercy. If you look for kindness, show kindness. If you wish to receive, … give. If you ask for yourself, that which you deny to others, your asking is a mockery!”
St Peter Chrysologus (400-450) Father & Doctor of the Church
“You must be reconciled to your enemies, speak to them, as if they had never done you anything but good, all your life, keeping nothing in your heart but the charity, which the good Christian should have, for everyone, so that we may all appear with confidence, before the tribunal of God.”
One Minute Reflection – 22 October – “The Month of the Most Holy Rosary and of the Angels” – The 21st Sunday after Pentecost – Ephesians 6:10-17, Matthew 18:23-35 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“‘Thou wicked servant! I forgave thee all thy debt because thou entreated Me. Should not thou then, have had compassion also on thy fellow-servant, even as I had compassion on thee?’ ” – Matthew 18:32-33
REFLECTION – “Every man is God’s debtor and each has his brother in debt to him. Indeed, who could be without debt towards God, if not Him, in Whom is found no sin? And who could not have a debtor in his brother, if not he, whom no-one has ever offended? Thus every man is both debtor and creditor… A beggar asks you for alms but you, too, are God’s beggar, for when we pray we are all beggars of God. We stand – or rather, prostrate ourselves – at our Father’s door (cf Lk 11:5); we beseech Him with groans, anxious to receive a grace from Him and this grace is God Himself. What does the beggar ask of you? Bread. And what is it that you are asking of God but Christ, Who said: “I am the Living Bread come down from Heaven” (Jn 6:51). Do you want to receive pardon? Then, show pardon. “Forgive and you will be forgiven.” Do you want to receive? “Give and gifts will be given to you” (Lk 6:37-38) …
Thus, we ought to be ready to forgive all the wrongs done to us, if we wish God to forgive us too. Truly, if we consider our sins and think over the offences we have committed, I do not know how we can sleep, without feeling the burden of our debt weighing down upon us! And this is why we make our requests to God each day. Each day our prayers strike His ears; each day we prostrate ourselves, saying: “Forgive us our debts, as we ourselves forgive those who are in debt to us.” Which of your debts would you like to have remitted? All of them or only some? You are going to reply – All! So do the same for your debtor then!” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (Sermon 83).
PRAYER – Grant us, Thou servants, O Lord God, we beseech Thee, to enjoy lasting health of mind and body and, by the intercession of glorious and blessed Mary, ever Virgin, may we be delivered from present sorrow and partake to the full of eternal happiness. 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 – 22 October – The 21st Sunday after Pentecost
O Jesus, Sweetest Love, Come Thou to Me (1940) By Fr Francis Xavier Lasance (1860–1946)
O JESUS, sweetest Love, come Thou to me. Come down in all Thy beauty unto me. Thou Who didst die for longing of me And never, never more depart from me. Free me, O beauteous God, from all but Thee; Sever the chain that holds me back from Thee; Call me, O tender Love, I cry to Thee; Thou art my all! O bind me close to Thee. O suffering Love, Who hast so loved me; O patient Love, Who wearies not of me. Thou alone O Love! Thou weary not of me! Ah! Weary not till I am lost in Thee, Nay, weary not, till I am found in Thee. Amen
Saint of the Day – 22 October – Saint Valerius of Langres (Died c411) Archdeacon Martyr. Valerius worked under the saintly Bishop Desiderius of Langres (c307-c356). Died by being beheaded on 22 October c411 near Besancon, France. Also known as – Valière, Valier, Vallier, Valerio. Celebrated on 23 October in the Town named after him, Saint-Vallier
There are different opinions regarding the timescale of the Martyrdom of our Saint . Some believed that it was during the invasion uner Emperor Gallienus (253-68), when the Germanic King Crocus (c260-306) invaded Gaul. Crocus is described as the King of the Vandals. In 260 he led a revolt against the Roman Empire and advanced to Clermont, possibly as far as Ravenna.
The Church historian Louis de Tillemont (1637-1698) believes that St Desiderius was killed on 23 May 411 and his Deacon, St Valerius a few months later, at a time when the country was subject to violence and plundering by invading forces.
After the death of Bishop St Desiderius, Valerius hurriedly gathered the remnants of the Christian congregation and fled by night to the banks of the river Saône. After several months of wandering through the forests, he arrived at Port-Abucin or Port-sur-Saône. This trading Town had made a fortune because it was the last port when going up the Saône.
As soon as the barbarians crossed the Rhine, the Roman road from the Rhine to Langres via Belfort, Luxeuil and Purgerot enabled them to reach Langres and thence to the heart of Gaul in less than four days. The Vandals under Crocus occupied this place, after the conquest of Langres and there they seized Archdeacon Valerius. He was beaten with sticks, pierced with iron nails and finally beheaded on 22 October 411.
The Christians nearby buried his body in the place where he had suffered Martyrdom. His cult spread rapidly in the region. St Desiderius’ successor, as the Bishop of Langres, heard of all the miraculous events which occurred at Valerius’ intercession and immediately proceeded to build a Church on the site of his Martyrdom at Port-sur-Saône.
Saint-Vallier
The Church was remarkable for its size and beneath it lay a crypt which became famous throughout the Country because of all the miracles which happened there. This old Basilica from the 5th Century disappeared and was first replaced by a modest Chapel and in 1836 the current three-nave Basilica was built in the village now called Saint-Vallier. Every year his Feast is celebrated with a great festival on 23 October.
Many Parishes in the Diocese of Chaumont and Langres chose Valerius as their Patron Saint – in Franche-Comté there are three of them, in Doubs and eight in Haute-Saône, among them Barges, Semmadon and Saint-Vallier near Beaujeu.
St Abericus Marcellus St Alodia of Huesca St Apollo of Bawit St Benedict of Macerac St Bertharius of Monte Cassino St Cordula
St Donatus of Fiesole (Died 874) Bishop of Fiesole, Confessor, Irish Nobleman, Monk, Priest, Poet, Writer, Scholar, Professor, Adviser to Emperors Louis the Pious and Lothair I, Founder of San Martino a Mensola Abbey and leader of two military expeditions against the Saracens. His Life: https://anastpaul.com/2020/10/22/saint-of-the-day-22-october-st-donatus-of-fiesole-died-874/
Bl Esclaramunda of Majorca St Hermes of Adrianople St Ingbert St Leothade of Auch
St Moderan of Rennes St Nepotian of Clermont St Nunctus of Mérida St Nunilo of Huesca St Philip of Adrianople St Philip of Fermo St Rufus of Egypt St Symmachus of Capua St Valerius of Langres (Died c411) Archdeacon Martyr St Verecundus of Verona
Martyrs of Heraclea – 4 Saints: A group of four clerics in Heraclea (modern Marmara Ereglisi, Turkey) who were arrested in the persecutions of Diocletian. They were imprisoned, abused and ordered to turn over all the Scriptures they had hidden from authorities; they refused and were executed together. Martyrs. – Eusebius, Hermes, Philip and Severus. They were burned at the stake in 304 in Adrianople (modern Edirne, Turkey).
Martyrs of Adianople: Blessed Alexander Blessed Anna Blessed Elisabeth Blessed Glyceria Blessed Heraclius Blessed Theodota
You must be logged in to post a comment.