Thought for the Day – 28 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Value of An Hour
“Let us now contemplate the fact that our eternity can and may depend on a single hour! Within an hour, the repentant thief was converted and gained Heaven. In one hour, Mary Magdalene, St Paul and many other Saints, finally yielded to the grace of God and set out on the road to sanctity.
There are vital hours in our lives too. It will be disastrous for us if we ever let the hour of grace slip away neglected! Let us listen when God calls us and let us be generous with Hinn, as He has been infinitely generous towards us. If we behave in this manner, we need never fear the hour of death. It will still be the hour on which our eternity depends but, it will be an eternity of everlasting happiness.”
Quote/s of the Day – 28 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The Holy Innocents, Martyrs – Apocalypse 14:1-5, Matthew 2:13-18 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Then Herod … killed all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all the borders …”
Matthew 2:16
“Whoever says he abides in Christ, ought to walk, even as Christ walked …”
1 John 2:6
The 15th Century English Carol commemorates the slaughter of the Holy Innocents. Known as the Coventry Carol:
Lully, Lullay, thou little tiny child. Bye, bye, lully, lullay. Lullay thou little tiny child Bye, bye, lully, lullay
O sisters, too, how may we do, For to preserve this day, This poor Youngling for whom we sing Bye, bye lully, lullay
Herod the King, in his raging, Charged he hath this day, His men of might, in his own sight, All young children to slay.
Then woe is me, poor child, for thee And ever mourn and say; For thy parting neither say nor sing, Bye, bye lully, lullay.
A Prayer to the Holy Martyrs to Obtain Their Protection By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)
O thou blessed Princes of the heavenly Kingdom! Thou who sacrificed to the Almighty God, the honours, the riches received, in return, the unfading glory and never-ending joys of Heaven! Thou who art secure in the everlasting possession of the brilliant Crown of glory which thy sufferings have obtained! Look with compassionate regard upon our wretched state in this vale of tears, where we groan in the uncertainty of what maybe our eternal destiny. And from that Divine Saviour, for Whom, thou suffered so many torments and Who now repays thee with such unspeakable glory, obtain for us that we may love Him, with all our heart and receive in return, the grace of perfect resignation, under the trials of this life, fortitude, under the temptations of the enemy and perseverance, to the end. May thy powerful intercession obtain for us that we may one day, in thy blessed company, sing the praises of the Eternal God and even as thou now do, face-to-face, enjoy the Beatitude of His Vision! Amen
One Minute Reflection – 28 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The Holy Innocents, Martyrs – Apocalypse 14:1-5, Matthew 2:13-18 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“When Herod realised that he had been deceived by the Magi, he became furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity, two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the Magi.“” – Matthew 2:16
REFLECTION – “Why, Herod, do you fear when you hear a King is born? He has not come to dethrone you but to overthrow the devil. But you fail to understand, you take fright and fall into a fury. Because you lost the single child you were seeking, you become the cruel murderer of the many. Neither the weeping mothers’ love, nor the mourning of fathers weeping for their sons, nor the screams and howling of the children themselves, holds you back. You massacre these little ones in their bodies because fear is killing you, in your heart. And you think that, if you achieve your end, you will live on for a long time, whereas it is Life itself you are trying to kill! He Who is the source of grace, Who is both small and great, Who is lying in a manger, causes your throne to topple. He accomplishes His design through you, without your knowing it. He gathers together the children of your enemies and makes of them, children of adoption.
These little ones died for Christ without knowing it; their parents weep for the death of Martyrs. Although they were unable to speak, Christ made them capable of being His Witnesses. See how this King reigns. Already He is setting free and bestowing salvation. But as for you, Herod, you are oblivious of what is happening, you take fright and fall into a rage. And when you get annoyed with a little Child, you are already placing yourself at His service without realising it.
How great the gift of grace is! What are the merits by which these children won the victory? They could not yet speak but already, they are confessing Christ. Their little bodies are as yet unable to engage in combat but already, they are carrying off the Palm of Victory.” – St Quodvultdeus (Died c 453) Father, Bishop at Carthage from c437-c450 (Second sermon on the Creed).
PRAYER – O God, Whose praise the Innocents, Thy Martyrs, this day proclaimed, not by speaking but by dying, put to death in us all the wickedness of sin, so that the faith which our tongue professes, may be proclaimed also by our life.Through the same 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). We praise You, O God, we acclaim You as Lord, the white-robed army of Martyrs praise You. (From the Te Deum).
Our Morning Offering – 28 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The Feast of Holy Innocents, Martyrs
Salvete Flores Martyrum! Hail, Ye Little Martyr Flowers! By Prudentius (c348 – c413) (Aurelius Prudentius Clemens) The Renowned Poet
All Hail! ye infant Martyr flowers, Cut off in life’s first dawning hours. As rosebuds snap’t in temptest strife, When Herod sought Thy Saviours life.
Thou, tender flock of lambs, we sing, First victims slain for Christ Thy King. Beside the very altar, gay With palms and crowns, ye seem to play.
All honour, laud and glory be, O Jesu, Virgin-born, to Thee; All glory, as is ever meet, To Father and to Paraclete.
Salvete Flores Martyrum is the Office Hymn for Lauds on the Feast of the Holy Innocents (28 Dec). Its stanzas are drawn from Prudentius’ Epiphany Hymn, Cathemerinon and were
Saint of the Day – 28 December – Blessed Johannes Riedgasse O.Praem. (Died 1600) Abbot, Priest and Friar of the Premonstratensians or Norbertines, Born sometime in the 16th Century in Germany and died there of natural causes in 1600.
Johannes joined the Premonstratensians, who are also called the Norbertines after their Founder, Saint Norbert of Xanten (c1080-1134), or White Canons after the colour of the Order’s Habit. He became a Canon Regular in their Monastery Obermarchtal in Swabia (now in the state of Baden-Württemberg).
In 1591, Johannes was elected Abbot and he held this office until his death. Despite his many duties, the exemplary Abbot participated day and night with the brothers in the choir prayer.
The blessed Reformer Servatius de Lairvelz (1560-1631), who made canonical visitations to Obermarchtal, was very impressed with Johannes’ piety and observence and governance of the Rule of the Order in his Monastery. This led to Johannes himself, being appointed as Visitor in his region, responsible for checking on other houses and helping their dedication.
According to tradition, during his last illness he received a vision of the blessed Ulrich, a predecessor as Abbot.
He died a holy death in 1600. He is honoured as Blessed by the Premonstratensians with a memorial day today, 28 December.
St Anthony of Lérins (c428-c520) Monk, Hermit, Miracle-worker. The Roman Martyrology states: “Commemoration of Saint Anthony, a Monk, who, a man distinguished by grace and preparation, after having led a solitary life, retired, by now an old man in the Monastery of Lérins in Provence, where he piously fell asleep in the Lord.” Biography: https://anastpaul.com/2021/12/28/saint-of-the-day-28-december-saint-anthony-of-lerins-c-428-c-520/
BL Claudia Weinhardt St Conindrus St Domitian the Deacon St Domnio of Rome St Eutychius Bl Gregory of Cahors St Iolande of Rome Blessed Johannes Riedgasse O.Praem. (Died 1600) Abbot
Bl Nicolas Mello Bl Hermann of Heidelberg Bl Otto of Heidelberg St Romulus St Simon the Myroblite St Theonas of Alexandria St Theodore of Tabenna St Troadius of Pontus
Martyrs of Africa – 3 Saints: Three Christians murdered together in Africa for their faith. The only details to survive are their names – Castor, Rogatian and Victor.
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