Thought for the Day – 29 July – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)
HUMILITY Meditations for a Month
Models of Humility: The Saints
Some Saints excelled in one virtue, some in another but all were pre-eminent in humility. The heroes of the Church of God, whether under the Old or the New Dispensation, were marked off from the heroes of paganism by their humility. Thus, Abraham described himself as dust and ashes. Job, in the presence of God, expressed his abhorrence of himself. David, when visited by the Hand of God, thanks Him for having humbled him. Daniel declares that to him belongs shame and confusion of face. If, even without the example of Jesus and Mary before them, these Saints were so humble, what ought you to be? !
The Saints of the New Testament are still more conspicuous for their humility. Saint Paul believed and declared himself to be the chief of sinners. Saint Bernard expressed his astonishment that God should work miracles by the hands of one so vile as he. Saint Dominic, before entering a City, used to pray that he might not bring down judgements upon it for his sins. Saint Philip Neri used to invent ingenious methods of drawing down ridicule upon himself! Saint Francis Borgia, when someone by accident, spat in his face, merely remarked that he could not have found a more suitable place to spit upon. Compare the humility of these saints with your pride and humble yourself before God.
The Saints were not exaggerated in their sentiments. They said, with truth that, if God had given to the greatest of sinners the graces given to them, they might perhaps have been far holier than they. Think of the graces given you. How often you have abused and rejected them! If the Saints could lament over graces lost, how ought you to humble yourself for your ingratitude?
Quote/s of the Day – 29 July – St Martha, Sister of Saint Lazarus and Saint Mary of Bethany – 2 Corinthians 10:17-18; 11:1-2, Luke 10:38-42
“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things and yet, only one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the best part and it will not be taken away from her.”
Luke 10:41-42
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where rust and moth consume and where thieves break in and steal but lay up for yourselves, treasures in Heaven …”
Matthew 6:19-20
“Sell what you possess and give alms. Make for yourselves purses which do not grow old, a treasure unfailing in Heaven, where neither thief draws near, nor moth destroys.”
Luke 12:33
“Pray in the spirit and sentiment of love, in which the royal Prophet said to Him, ‘Thou, O Lord, art my portion.’ Let others choose to themselves, portions among creatures, for my part, Thou art my portion, Thou alone I have chosen for my whole inheritance.”
St Augustine of Canterbury (Died c605) “The Apostle to the English”
“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”
St Isidore of Seville (c 560-636) Father & Doctor of the Church
“Man, my friends, was created and placed upon this earth, chiefly and exclusively, in order to reach God; the rest of creation helps him reach that goal.”
One Minute Reflection – 29 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood” – St Martha, Sister of Saint Lazarus and Saint Mary of Bethany – 2 Corinthians 10:17-18, 11:1-2; Luke 10:38-42 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things and yet, only one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the best part and it will not be taken away from her.” – Luke 10:41-42
REFLECTION – “You already know, I believe that these two women, both of whom were dear to our Lord, both worthy of His Love and both His disciples. .., These two women then, are an image of two forms of life: the life of this world and the life of the world to come; the life of work and the life of rest; the life of care and life in blessedness; life in time and life in eternity.
Two forms of life – let us reflect on them at greater length. Consider what this life here below is composed of – I am not referring to a blameworthy life .., a life of debauchery and impiousness; no, that which I am talking of, is a life of work, burdened by trials, troubles and temptations, of a life without blame, the life that was very much like that of Martha … Evil was wholly absent from this house, with Martha as with Mary and, if there had been any, our Lord’s arrival would have dispersed it. And so, two women lived there, both of whom welcomed the Lord, two admirable, upright lives, one composed of work, the other of rest … One was a life of work but free from compromise – the hazard of a life devoted to action; the other, was free from indolence – the hazard of a life of rest. There, we have two lives and the very Source of Life …
Martha’s life is our own world; Mary’s life, the world we are waiting for. Let us live this one in uprightness, so that we may gain the other, in its fullness. What do we already possess of that life here below? … At this moment precisely, we are leading the life to come to a certain extent – you have gathered together, away from matters of business, apart from family cares and are present here to listen. When you act like this, then you resemble Mary. And that is easier for you than for me, who has to speak! What I am saying, however, I am drawing from Christ and this food is Christ’s Food. For He is the Bread shared by all of us and, for this reason, I am living in communion with you.” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (Sermon 104).
PRAYER – Graciously hear us, God our Saviour, that as we rejoice in the festival of blessed Martha, Thy Virgin, so may we be nourished by the food of her heavenly teaching as to be enlightened by the fervour of her dedicated holiness.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).
Our Morning Offering – 29 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood”
Grant Me, My God By St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) Angelic Doctor, Common Doctor
Make my heart watchful, O God, so that no vain thoughts may distract it from Thee. Make it noble, so that it may never be seduced by any base affection. Make it steadfast, so that troubles may not dismay it. Make it free, so that it may not yield to the onslaughts of passion. Grant me, my God, the intelligence, to understand Thee, the love, to seek Thee, the wisdom, to find Thee, words, to please Thee, the perseverance, to wait faithfully for Thee and, the hope of embracing Thee, at last. Grant that I, a repentant sinner, may bear Thy chastisements with resignation. Poor pilgrim which I am, may I draw on the treasury of Thine grace and may I one day, be eternally happy with Thee in Heavenly glory! Amen.
Saint of the Day – 29 July – Saint Lupus of Troyes (c383-c479) Bishop and Confessor, Defender – defended the City from the devastating fury of the Huns and strenuously fought the rampant heretical climate. He was also a friend of Bishop St Euphronius of Autun (Died c473). Born in Toulouse, Alsace, around 383 and died c479 in Troyes of natural causes. Patronages – against demonic possession, against epilepsy, against paralysis, of Benevento, and San Lupo, Italy and of Troyes, France. Also known as – Leu, Lou, Loup, Lupo.
St Sidonius Apollinaris (c430 – 489) called him “The Father of Fathers and Bishop of Bishops, the Chief of the Gallican Prelates, the Rule of Manners, the Pillar of Truth, the Friend of God and the Intercessor to Him for men.”
The Roman Martyrology reads: “At Troyes, in France, St Lupus, Bishop and Confessor who accomopanied the blessed St Germanus to England to combat the Pelagian heresy and by assiduous prayers, defencded the City of Troyes from the fury of Attila, who was debastating all of France.”
Lupus was the son of a wealthy nobleman, Epirocus of Toul. It is believed that Lupus was the brother of St Vincent of Lérins (Died c445) Monk, Ecclesiatical Writer. Having lost his parents when he was an infant, Lupus was brought up by his uncle Alistocus. He was brother-in-law to St Hilary of Arles (c400-449), as he had married one of Hilary’s sisters, Pimeniola. He held a number of estates in Maxima Sequanorum and worked as a lawyer. After six years of marriage, he and his wife parted by mutual consent to dedicate themselves to God’s service.
Lupus sold his estate and gave the money to the poor. He entered Lérins Abbey, a community founded and led by St Honoratus of Arles (c350-c429), where he stayed about a year. In 427 Honoratus was named as the Archbishop of Arles and St Hilary accompanied him to his new See. Lupus then retired to Macon where he came to the attention of St Germanus of Auxerre (c378 – c448) , who appointed him as the Bishop of Troyes. He was reluctant to assume this high and demanding office and at first declined but eventually relented.
In the autumn of 429, the Council of Arles, at the request of the Bishops of Britain, sent Lupus and Germanus to combat Pelagianism. As such, Lupus is remembered in Wales as Bleiddian and appears in early Welsh Literature. He is particularly venerated at Llanblethian in the Vale of Glamorgan.
The two Saints returned to Gaul just after Easter in the spring of 430 having achieved great success in countering and instruction against the Pelagianist heresy.
In 451, hearing of the advancing Huns, after praying for many days, Lupus, dressed in full Episcopal regalia, went to meet Attila at the head of a procession of the Clergy. Attila was so impressed with Lupus that he spared the City. Attila went onto lose the Battle of Châlons. Lupus then encountered an extremely fraught and difficult problem, when Attila asked the Bishop to accompany him and his army afterthe loss at Châlons, believing that Lupus’ presence would spare his army from extermination. Of course, Lupus had to decline. Many doubt the veracity of the account of the Attila incident. However, the historical kernel it contains is that Troyes was spared being sacked by Attila’s army and that its inhabitants considered this a miraculous deliverance by the intercession and bravery of St Lupus!
St Lupus was the Bishop of Troyes for fifty-two years and died at Troyes in c479. His Relics are enshrined in Troyes Cathedral.
His cult in Benevento, Italy and in his own Diocese, dates to at least the 9th-10th Centuries. Already in the 9th Century, there existed in Benevento a Benedictine Abbey named after him, whose Abbots exercised spiritual and temporal jurisdiction over the fortified village of San Lupo (Archdiocese and Province of Benevento). When, in 1450, Pope Nicholas V suppressed the Abbey, its assets and jurisdiction were annexed to the metropolitan Chapter which, since then, has honoured our holy Bishop as its illustrious Patron.
Statue in Troyes
In San Lupo, Italy, our Saint is celebrated from 27-29 July each year with processions, Holy Mass and many festivities.
St Antony St Beatrix of Rome Bl Beatrix of Valfleury St Callinicus of Paphlagonia St Faustinus of Rome St Faustinus of Spello St Felix of Rome St John the Soldier Bl José Calasanz Marqués St Kilian of Inishcaltra St Lek Sirdani
St Lupus of Troyes (c383-c479) Bishop and Confessor Bl Mancius of the Cross St Olaf II St Olaus of Sweden Bl Petrus of Saint Mary St Pjetër Çuni St Prosper of Orleans St Rufo of Rome St Seraphina St Serapia of Syria St Sulian
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