Thought for the Day – 9 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
INDULGENCES
“Indulgences, therefore, are an aid to repentance for sin, not a substitute for it. In granting them, the Church is only imitating the merciful spirit of Jesus Christ, Who was always compassionate towards sinners.
Let us do our best to make profitable use of the Church’s generosity on our own behalf and, on behalf of the Faithful Departed. Let us observe the necessary conditions in order to gain as many Indulgences as possible.
Every morning, we should make the intention of gaining all the indulgences which we can, during the day.”
Quote/s of the Day – 9 November – Dedication of The Archbasilica of the Most Holy Saviour
“Like the deer yearns for running streams, so my soul is yearning for Tbee, my God; my soul is thirsting for God, the living God.”
Psalm 41:2-3
One of the most beautiful attributes of the Basilica is the octagonal (8-sided) Baptistery. There one reads:
“Here is born a people of noble race, destined for Heaven, whom the Spirit brings forth in the waters He has made fruitful. Mother Church conceives her offspring by the Breath of God and bears them virginally in this water. Hope for the Kingdom of Heaven, you who are reborn in this font. Eternal life does not await those who are only born once. This is the Spring of Life which waters the whole world, taking its origin from the Wounds of Christ. Sinner, to be purified, go down into the holy water. It receives the unregenerate and brings him forth a new man. If you wish to be made innocent, be cleansed in this pool, whether you are weighed down by Original Sin or your own. There is no barrier between those who are reborn and made one, by the one font, the one Spirit and the one Faith. Let neither the number nor the kind of their sins, terrify anyone – once reborn in this water, they will be holy.”
One Minute Reflection – 9 November – “The Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory” – Dedication of The Archbasilica of the Most Holy Saviour – Apocalypse 21:2-5, Luke 19:1-10 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“… For this day, I must abide in thy house.” – Luke 19:5
REFLECTION – “Some people are very like Zacchaeus. They desire to see Jesus as He is. All power of reason and all natural light, are too short and small for this, so they run ahead of all crowds and all the multiplicity of creatures. Through faith and love, they climb up to the highest part of their mind, where their spirit lives in its freedom, devoid of images and obstacles. It is there that Jesus is seen, known and loved in His Divinity, for there, He is always present, to the free and exalted spirit which has risen above itself in love of Him. Jesus there flows forth with a fullness of grace and favours.
But He says to all: “Come down quickly, for the exalted freedom of the spirit cannot be maintained, except through lowly obedience of mind. You must know and love Me, as both God and a human being, higher than all and lower than all! You will savour Me when I raise you up above all things and above yourself to Myself and, when you lower yourself beneath all things and beneath yourself, to Me and for My sake. Then, I will have to come to your house and remain living with you and in you and you with Me and in Me!”
When these persons know, taste and feel this, they come down quickly in great disdain of themselves and, with a humble heart and true displeasure, regarding their life and all their works, they say: “Lord, I am not worthy – but I am truly unworthy – that I should receive Thine glorious body in the blessed Sacrament, into the sinful house of my body and soul. But be gracious to me, Lord and have mercy on my poor life and all my transgressions.” – Blessed Jan van Ruysbroeck (1293-1381) Canon Regular (A Mirror of Eternal Blessedness).
PRAYER – O God, Who for us bring each year the recurrence of the Consecration day of this Thy holy temple and always bring us back safely to the Sacred Rites, hear the prayers of Thy people and grant that, whoever enters this temple to pray for blessings., may rejoice in having obtained whatever he sought. 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 – 9 November – “The Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory”
My God! I Recommend to Thee … Prayer for the Holy Souls in Purgatory By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor
My God! I recommend to Thee, the souls of my relatives, my benefactors, my friend, my enemies and of those, who are in Purgatory on my account. I recommend to Thee, the souls of Evangelical labourers, of Religious and Priests and especially of those, who had charge of my soul. I recommend to Thee, the souls of those, who were most devout to the Passion of Our Lord, to the Blessed Sacrament, to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the souls, who are most abandoned, those, who suffer most and those, who are nearest to the entrance into Paradise. Amen.
Saint of the Day – 9 November – Saint Benignus of Armagh (Died 467) Bishop, Disciple of and Successor to St Patrick (c386-461) as the Bishop, Musician, Also known as – “Patrick’s Psalm Singer” Benignus of Ireland, Benen of….
Benignus was the son of Sesenen a pagan Irish chieftain. He was Baptised into the Catholic Faith by St Patrick and became his favourrf disciple and, in around 450, his administrative assistant in the Diocese of Armagh and upon St Patrick’s death in 461, becoming the Bishop there.
He had a gentle and lovable disposition and was named Benen (Latinised as Benignus). He followed St Patrick in all his travels and helped him in all his evangelisation and with missionary work, especially assisting him in the formation of Choirs for Liturgical music. From his musical talents he was known as “Patrick’s Psalm Singer.”
As Benignus had been trained by St Patrick in sacred learning from his youth and was well versed in the language and culture of his native land, he was appointed Secretary to the Commission of Nine which had been directed to compile the Brehon Laws, (Laws governing everyday life) a few years before
Armagh Cathedral of St Patrick West Aisle Window- St Benignus places flowers on the sleeping St Patrick
Benignus also contributed materials for the “Psalter of Cashel” and the “Book of Rights.” He was present at the Synod which passed the Canon recognising the “See of the Apostle Peter” as the final court of appeal in difficult cases – this Canon is to be found in the Book of Armagh.
He established a Monastery in today’s Drumbannon and also in today’s Kilbonane. During the Eastertide of 433, St Patrick clashed with King Laoghaire at Tara, over Religion and legend has it that a trial by fire was proposed. A pagan and Benignus were tied inside a burning timber building; the pagan was reduced to ash while St Benignus was untouched. At this point, Christian teaching was established throughout the region. St Benignus resigned hisBishopric in 467 and died at the end of that same year.
The ruins of St Benignus’ foundation of the Monastery of Kilbennan in East Galway.
The Martyrology of Marianus O’Gorman refers to “bright Benignus, a dear scion” on this day but he has a fuller entry in the Martyrology of Donegal which Archbishop John Healy quotes below. This extract on Saint Benignus/Benen has been taken from his 1905 book “The Life and Writings of Saint Patrick.”
“BENIGNUS, i.e., Benen, son of Sescnen, disciple of Patrick and his successor, that is, Primate of Ard-Macha (Armagh). He was of the race of Cian, son of Oilioll Olum. Sodelbh, daughter of Cathaoir, son of Feidhlimidh Firurghlais, of Leinster, was his mother. The holy Benen was benign, was devout – he was a virgin without ever defiling his virginity; for, when he was psalm-singer at Ard-Macha along with his master, St Patrick, Earcnat, daughter of Daire, loved him and she was seized with a disease, so that she died suddenly and Benen brought consecrated water to her from Patrick and he shook it upon her and she arose alive and well and she loved him spiritually afterwards and she subsequently went to Patrick and confessed all her sins to him and she offered her virginity afterwards to God, so that she went to Heaven and the name of God, of Patrick and of Benen, was magnified through it.”
Armagh Cathedral of St Patrick West Aisle Window- St Benignus places flowers on the sleeping St Patrick
St Agrippinus of Naples St Alexander of Salonica St Aurelius of Riditio St Benignus of Armagh (Died 467) Bishop, Disciple of and Successor to St Patrick
St Eustolia
Blessed Gabriel Ferretti OFM (1385-1456) Priest, Friar of the Order of Friars Minor, Provincial Superior, Mystic. renowned missionary Preacher. He was zealous in the restoration and establishment of new Convents. He was an ancestor to both Cardinal Gabriele Ferretti and Blessed Pope Pius IX, having been descended from a long noble lineage. Patronage – Ancona. His body is incorrupt. He was Beatified on 19 September 1753 by Pope Benedict XIV. Biography: https://anastpaul.com/2021/11/09/saint-of-the-day-9-november-blessed-gabriel-ferretti-ofm-1385-1456/
Blessed George Napper (1550-1610) Priest Martyr Beatified by Pope Pius XI on 15 December 1929
St Pabo St Sopatra St Theodore Stratelates St Ursinus of Bourges St Vitonus of Verdun
Martyrs of Constantinople – 3 Saints: A group of ten Christians who tried to defend an image of Jesus over the Brazen Gate of Constantinople from an attack by Iconoclasts during the persecutions of Emperor Leo the Isaurian. The group of was seized by soldiers, condemned by judges for opposing the emperor, and Martyred. The only details that have survived are three of their names – Julian, Marcian and Maria. They were martyred in 730 at Constantinople (modern Istanbul, Turkey).
AnaStpaul 
You must be logged in to post a comment.