Thought for the Day – 9 February – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)
Meditations on “The Great Truths” From “The Devout Year” By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)
9th Day –The Necessary Dispositions
If thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be lightsome. (St Matthew vi:22)
In order to make a good use of the various means afforded us, of making progress towards true happiness, we must consider what should be our state of mind, respecting them.
+1. We must be on the watch, that our inclinations do not run away with us. Most of the foolish things we do are the result of acting on impulse, of being led by our inclinations, of being influenced by wounded self-love. How many a golden opportunity of merit, we have missed because, we would not patiently accept that which wounded or hurt our self-esteem!
+2. We must try to make ourselves ready, to accept, whatever God sends, whether painful or pleasant. We must take willingly and cheerfully, sickness, pain, unkindness, neglect, failure, poverty and, although nature may cry out against it, yet, we must keep our will united to God’s, so as to be always able to say – ‘Not my will be done, O my God but Thine.‘
+3. We must try to look on the bright side of everything. There is nothing in the world which does not possess a bright side! This will make us always patient and, what is more, always happy. We shall acquire a facility for ignoring or passing over the painful side of things, to look at the joyful and hopeful. Do I try to do this, or do I often grumble and repine? Offer to God your willingness to endure whatever He sees to be good for your soul.
Quote/s of the Day – 9 February – St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) “The Pillar of Faith” “Doctor of the Incarnation,” Bishop,Confessor, Father and Doctor, of the Church
“Young man, I say to thee, arise!” Luke 7:14
“Even for restoring the dead to life, the Saviour did not stop at acting by Word alone, although it was the bearer of Divine Commands. For such a surpassing work, He took His own Flesh as His assistant – if one might put it that way – that He might show, that it has the power to give life and, that He might cause it to be seen that it is entirely One with Him. … Thus, He not only conferred to His Word the power to raise the dead but He even touched the dead, to show that His Body is Life-giving and, through His Flesh, He caused life to pass into their corpses. If the touch alone of His Sacred Flesh restores life to a corrupting body, what profit shall we not discover in His Life-giving Eucharist when we make of it our food? It will wholly transform into its own property which is immortality, those who participate in it.”
“At that time, the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them forth …” Luke 10:1
“By saying that He is sending them as the Father has sent Him, therefore, He summarised, in a few words, the character of the Apostles’ mission. In this way, they would know that they were bound to call sinners to repentance, to heal the sick, whether of body or soul and in all their dealings as stewards, not by any means to follow their own will but the will of Him Who sent them and, finally, to save the world, insofar as it received the teachings of the Lord.”
“He who abides in Me and I in Him, the same bears much fruit” John 5:5
“We are preserved in being, if we grow onto Him and cling fast to the holy commandment, which has been handed down to us and, if we are eager to keep the blessing of nobility, that is to say, if we never consent, in any way, to “grieve the Holy Spirit” (Eph 4:30), Who has come to dwell in us and, through Whom, we believe, God has made His home in us. … For just as the vine-stock supplies and distributes, the virtue of its own inherent natural quality to the shoots, so, too, the Only-Begotten Word of God, implants, in His people, a sort of affinity with His own nature and that of the Father. By the gift of the Spirit, they are united with Him by every kind of holiness. He nourishes them, so that they become devout and He moves them to knowledge of all virtue and good works.”
“That anyone could doubt the right of the holy Virgin to be called the Mother of God, fills me with astonishment. Surely she must be the Mother of God, if our Lord Jesus Christ is God and she gave birth to Him!”
One Minute Reflection – 9 February – St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) “The Pillar of Faith” “Doctor of the Incarnation,” Bishop,Confessor, Father and Doctor, of the Church – Colossians 3:12-17 – Matthew 13,24-30 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then has it weeds?” – Matthew 13:27
REFLECTION – “It is not only sheep who abide in the Church, nor do only clean birds fly there to and fro. But amongst the grain other seed is sown, for “amidst the neat grain-fields, burrs and weeds and barren oats, lord it in the land” (Virgil’s Georgics). What is the farmhand to do? Root up the darnel? In that case the whole harvest is destroyed, along with it!
Everyday the farmer diligently drives away the birds, by making a noise or by frightening them with scarecrows … Nevertheless, he suffers from the raids of nimble roes or the wantonness of wild asses; on the one hand, rodents convey the grain to their underground barns, on the other, ants, in a moving column, ravage the crop. This is how things are! No-one who has land is free from care.
While the Householder slept, the enemy sowed tares; when the servants hastened to root them up, the Master prevented them, reserving for Himself the separation of wheat and chaff. … No-one, before the Day of Judgement, can take Christ’s winnowing fan in hand, no-one can pass judgement on another, whoever they might be.” – St Jerome (343-420) Priest, Translator of Sacred Scripture, Father & Doctor of the Church (The Dialogue against the Luciferians).
PRAYER – King of heaven and earth, Lord God, rule over our hearts and bodies this day. Sanctify us and guide our every thought, word and deed according to the commandments of Your law, so that now and forever, Your grace may free and save us. Teach us Lord to walk in the ways of the Cross of Your Son, our Saviour, longing for and rejoicing always in our heavenly home as St Cyril of Alexandria so lovingly and willingly inspires us to do. Through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God, forever, amen. (Collect)
Our Morning Offering – 9 February – “The Month of the Most Holy and Blessed Trinity” – Feast of St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) “The Pillar of Faith” “Doctor of the Incarnation”& “Seal of all the Fathers” Bishop,Confessor, Father and Doctor, of the Church.
Adapted from a sermon preached by St Cyril, Archbishop of Alexandria, presiding as representative of the Holy See at the Ecumenical Council of Ephesus, in 431. In refuting Nestorianism, he is called “Doctor of the Incarnation.”
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God By St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Father & Doctor of the Church
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God, Virgin and Mother! Morning Star, perfect vessel. Hail, O Mary, Mother of God, Holy Temple in which God Himself was conceived. Hail, O Mary, Mother of God, Chaste and pure dove. Hail, O Mary, Mother of God, who enclosed the One Who cannot be encompassed in your sacred womb. Hail, O Mary, Mother of God, From you flowed the true light, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Hail, O Mary, Mother of God, Through you the Conqueror and triumphant Vanquisher of hell, came to us. Hail, O Mary, Mother of God, Through you, the glory of the Resurrection blossoms. Hail, O Mary, Mother of God, You have saved every faithful Christian. Hail, O Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen
Saint of the Day – 9 February – Saint Teilo (6th Century) Bishop of Llandaff, Wales. Welsh born in Penally, Wales and died at his See of Llandaff. Most Welsh sources confirm that Teilo was a close relative of St David, spiritual student of St Dyfrid and St Paulinus of Wales. Patronages – against fever, of horses, of apple orchards, farms and farmers, the City and Diocese of Cardiff (Capital of Wales), the Town of Saint-Thélo in Brittany, France . Also known as – Teilio, Teilus, Thelian, Teilan, Teilou, Teliou, Elidius, Eliud, Dillo, Dillon. The festival in honour of Saint Teilo is observed at different times of the year at different locations. In Wales and at Saint-Thélo, on 9 February; at Dol, on 29 November and on 25 November in the rest of the Churches in Brittany. Following 1752, however, his fair at Llandeilo in Wales, was not observed on the 9th but eleven days later on the 20th February or on the Sunday following that date.
St Teilo was probably born at Penally, near Tenby in Pembrokeshire, Wales, around the year 500. Although there are conflicting reports about his early life, he was thought to be a cousin of the national Patron of Wales, St David.
He received his education at institutions directed by Saints, one being St Dyfrid, who he succeeded as the Bishop of Llandaff, founding the very first Church in Llandaff, where the Cathedral stands today. He was also educated by St Paulinus of Wales at a place thought to be Whitland in Carmarthenshire. Here he is thought to have made contact with his cousin and became a close companion St David.
He travelled extensively, including Brittany, Rome and Jerusalem and to St David’s in north Pembrokeshire, where David founded his Monastery. Teilo too founded a Monasteries in Llandeilo (the name of the Town literally means ‘Church of St Teilo’), the place with which he is most associated and at Penally. Penally Abbey was located on the pilgrims’ trail to St David’s.
Legend has it that Teilo went on pilgrimage to Jerusalem with Saints David and St Padarn around the year 518. Three seats, one decorated ornately in gold, one of bronze and one of cedar, were erected in their honour in readiness for their Ordination as Bishops by the Bishop of Jerusalem. The legend has it that the humble Teilo chose the simple wooden seat.
A plague of Yellow Fever devastated parts of Wales in the year 547. Teilo and his followers fled, firstly to Cornwall and then to Brittany, where they were welcomed by St Samson of Dol. It is thought that Teilo and Samson planted a grove of apple-bearing trees between Dol and Cai, where the apple groves are still known as the groves of Teilo and Samson and still bear fruit today.
At Landaul in Brittany, Teilo is considered the Patron Saint of apple trees and the town of Saint-Thélo in Brittany which bears his name. At St. Teilo’s Church, one of the stained glass windows, shows an apple tree in honour of St Teilo.
Teilo returned from Brittany to Llandaff. He died on 9 February, most likely in the year 560. After his death he became one of the most venerated Saints in Wales. Several sites in Wales claim to house his remains. A tomb of St Teilo is located in Llandaff Cathedral while a part of his skull is kept in the South Chapel.
At least 25 Churches and schools in Wales, Brittany, Cornwall and Devon are dedicated to him.
St Attracta of Killaraght St Brachio of Auvergne St Cuaran the Wise St Didymus of Membressa St Donatus the Deacon St Eingan of Llanengan St Emilian of Membressa St Lassa of Membressa Bl Marianus Scotus St Maro St Nebridius of Egara St Nicephorus of Antioch St Poëmus of Membressa St Primus the Deacon
St Raynald of Nocera (c1150-1217) Bishop of Nocera, Umbria, Italy, Hermit, Monk, Abbot. His body is incorrupt. The Roman Martyrology reads: “In Nocera Umbra, St Rainaldo, Bishop, formerly a Camaldolese Monk of Fonte Avellana, who, while carrying out the Episcopal office, firmly preserved the habits of monastic life.” The Ascetic Bishop: https://anastpaul.com/2022/02/09/saint-of-the-day-9-february-saint-raynald-of-nocera-c-1150-1217/
St Romanus the Wonder Worker St Ronan of Lismore St Sabino of Abellinum
St Sabinus of Canosa (c461–566) Bishop, Confessor, Monk, Papal Legate, Miracle-worker, graced with the charism of prophecy, Defender of the Faith against heretics, friend of Saint Benedict of Nursia, builder of Churches and Monasteries, following the Benedictine discipline of Ora et labora. His Zealous and Devoted Life: https://anastpaul.com/2021/02/09/saint-of-the-day-9-february-saint-sabinus-of-canosa-c-461-566-bishop/
St Teilo (6th Century) Bishop of Llandaff, Wales
Martyrs of Alexandria: An unknown number of Christians who were massacred inthe 4th Century Alexandria, Egypt by Arian heretics for adhering to the true Faith.
Martyrs of Membressa: A group of 44 Christians Martyred together. We know little else about them some names – Ammon, Didymus, Emilian, Lassa, Poemus They were Martyred in Membressa in Africa.
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