Passionate Catholic.
Being a Catholic is a way of life - a love affair "Religion must be like the air we breathe..."- St John Bosco
Prayer is what the world needs combined with the example of our lives which testify to the Light of Christ.
This site, which is now using the Traditional Calendar, will mainly concentrate on Daily Prayers, Novenas and the Memorials and Feast Days of our friends in Heaven, the Saints who went before us and the great blessings the Church provides in our Catholic Monthly Devotions.
This Site is placed under the Patronage of my many favourite Saints and especially, St Paul.
"For the Saints are sent to us by God
as so many sermons.
We do not use them, it is they who move us
and lead us, to where we had not expected to go.”
Charles Cardinal Journet (1891-1975)
This site adheres to the pre-Vatican II Catholic Church and all her teachings. .
PLEASE ADVISE ME OF ANY GLARING TYPOS etc - In June 2021 I lost 100% sight in my left eye and sometimes miss errors. Thank you and I pray all those who visit here will be abundantly blessed. Pax et bonum! 🙏
Our Morning Offering – 13 January – The Octave Day of the Epiphany
Prayer to do the Will of God By St Francis of Assisi (c 1181-1226)
Almighty, eternal, just and merciful God, grant us in our misery, the grace to do for You alone what we know You want us to do and always to desire, what pleases You. Thus, inwardly cleansed, interiorly enlightened and inflamed by the fire of the Holy Spirit, may we be able to follow in the footprints of Your beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. And, by Your grace alone, may we make our way to You, Most High, Who live and rule in perfect Trinity and simple Unity and are glorified God all-powerful, forever and ever. Amen
Saint of the Day – 13 January – Saint Remigius of Rheims (c 438-533) “Apostle of the Franks,” Bishop of Rheims, Lord Chancellor of France, renowned Scholar and Rhetorician, Missionary and zealous Preacher of the Gospel for the glory of the Kingdom of God, miracle-worker. Born at Cerny-en-Laonnois, near Laon, Picardy, in c 438 and died on 13 January 533 of natural causes. Patronages – against epidemics, against fever, against plague, against religious indifference, against snakes, against throat pain, of France, Dhuy, Belgium, Rheims, France, Archdiocese and City, Arignano, Italy. Also known as – Remigius of Reims, emi…, Remigio…, Remigiusz…, Romieg…, Rémi…, Rémy… Additional Memorials – 1 October (translation of relics), 15 January (France, General Calendar), 3rd Sunday in September (Arignano, Italy).
The Roman Martyrology states: “In Rheims, still in Belgian Gaul, now in France, deposition of St Remigius, Bishop – after King Clovis was initiated into the Sacred Baptismal font and the Sacraments of faith, he converted the Franks to Christ and, after more than sixty ‘ years of Episcopate, he left this life remarkable for holiness.”
Remigius was born, into the highest levels of Gallo-Roman society. He was the son of Emilius,Ccount of Laon and of Celina, daughter of the Bishop of Soissons, which Clovis had conquered in 486. From a very early age his intelligence and aptitude for oratory garnered the admiration of teachers and classmates. He studied at RHeims and soon became so noted for his learning and sanctity and his high status, that he was elected Bishop of Rheims at age 21, although still a layman . He was both Lord Chancellor of France and Référendaire of France.
The story of the return of the sacred vessels (most notably the Vase of Soissons), which had been stolen from the Church of Soissons, testifies to the friendly relations existing between him and Clovis, King of the Franks, whom he converted to Christianity with the assistance of Saint Vedast (Vedastus, Vaast, Waast) and Saint Clotilde, the Burgundian Princess who was wife to Clovis. Even before he embraced Christianity, Clovis had showered benefits upon Remigius and the Christians of Rheims and after his victory over the Alamanni in the battle of Tolbiac (probably 496), he requested Remigius to baptise him at Rheims (25 December 496) in the presence of a large company of Franks and Alamanni; according to Saint Gregory of Tours, 3,000 Franks were baptised with Clovis.
St Remigius baptises Clovis I, by the Master of Saint Gilles, c 1500
The work of this man of only twenty-one years of age, in heading such an important Episcopal See, soon revealed the wisdom of this choice. In his famous Historia Francorum, St. Gregory of Tours writes: “St. Remigius was a Bishop of considerable knowledge who, at first, had been steeped in the study of rhetoric but who, so distinguished himself by his holiness that he equalled Sylvester in miracles.”
King Clovis granted Remigius stretches of territory, in which Remigius established and endowed many Churches. He erected Bishoprics at Tournai; Cambrai; Thérouanne, where he personally Consecrated the first Bishop in 499; Arras, where he installed St Vedast and Laon, which he gave to his niece’s husband Gunband. In 530, he Consecrated Medardus, Bishop of Noyon. Remigius’ brother Principius, was Bishop of Soissons and also corresponded with Sidonius Apollinaris, whose letters give a sense of the highly cultivated courtly literary style all three men shared.
The chroniclers of “Gallia Christiana” record that numerous donations were made to Remigius by the Frankish nobles, which he presented to the Cathedral at Rheims.
The charity and kindness of the young prelate soon won over the hearts of the faithful, whom he served devotedly—comforting all those who sought his help with material alms or with consolation and guidance for the soul. However, without neglecting the care of those belonging to the flock of Christ, through Baptism, St. Remigius burned with the desire to conquer new souls.
Although Remigius did not attend any of the Church Councils, in 517 he held a Synod at Rheims, at which after a heated discussion he converted a Bishop of Arian views.
His work in the missionary field of present day Belgium was not always successful, especially in regard to the nobles of the area. Many missionaries would have become discouraged in face of this apparent failure but not the Bishop of Rheims. Steeled by virtue, his soul possessed the mettle of a hero and the confidence of a prophet. Far from disheartening him, the death of the King of the region of Belgium, emboldened the strong-willed prelate.
Childeric left his son Clovis as successor—a 15 year-old adolescent, whom the Franks promptly proclaimed King. It became indispensable to win his friendship from the start and to instil in the youth a holy respect for the Church and its representatives.
Accordingly, Remigius sent him a letter that combined the affection of a father and the authority of a teacher: “In the first place, you must take care that the discernment of the Lord does not abandon you and that your merit remains at the height to which your humility has led you, since, according to the proverb, the actions of men are judged by their end. You should surround yourself with councillors of whom you can be proud. Do good, be chaste and honest. Show yourself to be filled with deference toward your Bishops and always have recourse to their advice. […] Divert yourself with the youths but deliberate with the elders and if you desire to reign, show yourself worthy to do so.”
This letter was the first step of a long journey that led the young King to the Baptismal font in the Cathedral of Rheims.
Many years followed for our Saint of zealous missionary work to announce the Gospel to those who are neither king nor prince, as well as diplomatic guidance of the King and his kingdom. In the final years of his life, God willed that the venerable brow of the Bishop that had been encircled by a halo of glory, be crowned with suffering – his body was bent under numerous illnesses that did not, however, dampen his enthusiasm or lessen his charity. Finally, in 533, Remigius surrendered his soul to God at the age of 96, after seventy years of Episcopal ministry.
Few authentic works of Remigius remain: his “Declamations” were elaborately admired by Sidonius Apollinaris, in a finely turned letter to Remigius, but are now lost. Four letters survive in the collection known as the Epistulae Austrasicae: one containing his defence in the matter of Claudius, two written to Clovis and a fourth to Bishop Falco of Tongres. A brief “Vita” was formerly ascribed to St Venantius Fortunatus. Another, was written by Ignatius, Bishop of Reims. A Commentary on the Pauline Epistles (edited Villalpandus, 1699) is not his work but that of St Remigius.
Remigius’ relics were kept in the Cathedral of Rheims, whence Hincmar had them translated to Épernay during the Viking invasions and thence, in 1099 to the Abbey of Saint-Rémy.
List of Churches dedicated to Saint Remigius:
Saint Remigius Church – a Roman Catholic church in Simpelveld, The Netherlands. Long Clawson – an Anglican church in the village of Long Clawson, Leicestershire. Stoke Holy Cross – an Anglican church in the village of Stoke Holy Cross in South Norfolk Seething Norfolk. Church of England round tower church dedicated to St Margaret and St Remigius. Saint Remigius Church, a Roman Catholic church in Haacht, Belgium.
St Agrecius of Trier St Andrew of Trier St Berno of Cluny St Ðaminh Pham Trong Kham St Designatus of Maastricht St Elian of Brittany St Emil Szramek St Enogatus of Aleth St Erbin of Cornwall
Blessed Francesco Maria Greco (1857-1931) Priest and Founder with Servant of God Raffaela De Vincentis (Sr Maria Teresa De Vincenti (1872-1936) of the Little Workers of the Sacred Hearts, Professor of Dogmatic Theology and Sacred Scripture, Apostle of Charity, devotee of Eucharistic Adoration, the Blessed Virgin and the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts. Blessed Francesco’s Life: https://anastpaul.com/2019/01/13/saint-of-the-day-13-january-blessed-francesco-maria-greco-1857-1931/
Bl Francisca Inés Valverde González St Giuse Pham Trong Ta St Glaphyra St Gumesindus of Córdoba St Hermylus Bl Hildemar of Arrouaise Bl Ida of Argensolles Bl Ivetta of Huy
St Leontius of Caesarea St Luca Pham Trong Thìn Bl María Francisca Espejo y Martos Bl Matteo de Lana St Peter of Capitolíade St Remigius of Rheims (c 438-533) Bishop “Apostle of the Franks” St Servusdei of Córdoba St Stephen of Liège St Stratonicus
Quote/s of the Day – 12 January – The Memorial of St Aelred of Rievaulx (1110-1167) “St Bernard of the North”
“If Saul, who “breathed murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord” … was the object of such mercy … that he was “caught up to the third heaven, whether in the body or out of the body,” it is not surprising, that the holy Mother of God – who stayed beside her Son through all the trials He endured, from His cradle onwards – should have been lifted up to Heaven, even in her body and exalted high above the Choirs of Angels.”
“Charity may be a very short word but with its tremendous meaning of pure love, it sums up man’s entire relation to God and to his neighbour.”
“Faith is not even a virtue, unless it is expressed by love; nor is hope, unless it loves what it hopes for.
And if we look more closely, do we not see, that temperance is only love, that no pleasure can seduce?
that prudence, is only love, that no error can mislead;
that fortitude is only love, courageously enduring adversity
and that justice, is only impartial love. mitigating the injustices of this life?
Charity, therefore, begins with faith, is exercised through the other virtues but achieves perfection in itself.”
St Aelred of Rievaulx O. Cist. (1110-1167) “St Bernard of the North”
Thought for the Day – 12 January – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
HELL 1
“In whatever you do, remember your last days and you will never sin.” (Eccl 7:36)
“The meditation considered, by the masters of the spiritual life, to be the most useful for rousing the soul from sin, or from a state of torpor, is that on the last things, in other words, on what will happen to us at the end of life. Amongst these last things, hell is the most terrifying. Yet, if the mercy of God did not sustain us, we could fall into hell at any moment. St John Chrysostom meditated on hell everyday. All the Saints have found in this meditation, the first steps on the way to perfection. Remember, that a single mortal sin, would merit hell for us! In that moment, the sinner could have been already hurled into the abyss of torments. Let us imagine, that we are there …. and, that the goodness and mercy of God has released us from those everlasting, all-devouring flames. If this should happen, all the sacrifices, which virtue demands, would seem so easy and pleasant. How ready we should be to do anything, sooner than return to that chasm of eternal sorrow!”
One Minute Reflection – 12 January – Seventh day in the Octave of Epiphany, Readings: Romans 12:1-5; Luke 2:42-52 and the Memorial of St Benedict Biscop OSB (c 628-690)
“When Jesus was twelve years old …” – Luke 2:42
REFLECTION – “The public teaching of the Lord, had as we read, its beginnings from His twelfth year, for herein should be foreshadowed the number of those announcing the faith that was to be preached. Nor was it that He was heedlessly unmindful of His parents according to the flesh, who in the flesh was filled with grace and wisdom, that He was found in the temple after three days but ,for a sign that was believed dead, would present Himself to our faith, risen in heavenly glory and divine honour, after the three days of that triumphal passion.
“How is it that you sought me. Did you not know that I must be about my Father’s business.” (Lk 2:49) There are two generations in Christ: the one is Paternal, the other Maternal; that which is Paternal is more Divine, the Maternal, that whereby He has stooped to our need and benefit. And, therefore, what was accomplished in the manner above nature, above age, above what was usual, must not be ascribed to His human excellence but must be referred to the power of His Divinity. Elsewhere, His Mother pleads with Him for a miracle, here she requires of Him a reason, since she still looks to the things that are human. But while here, He is described as being but twelve years old, there, He is spoken of as having disciples. See how the Mother has learnt to know her Son, so that she seeks a miracle from Him now, in His full strength, Who was astonished at this wonder in His Boyhood.” – St Ambrose (340-397) Great Latin Father and Doctor of the Church (Writings Octave of the Epiphany).
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. Sanctify our hearts, minds and actions with Your power, that all we are, may speak of Your Light. May the prayers of the Blessed Virgin our Mother and the ever-zealous St Benedict Biscop, bring us to peace and confidence. We make our prayer through Your Son, our Lord Jesus, in union with the Holy Spirit, one God for all eternity, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 12 January – Seventh day in the Octave of Epiphany, “Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus” and the Memorial of St Aelred of Rievaulx (1110-1167) “St Bernard of the North”
Behold Me, O Sweet Lord, Behold Me! By St Aelred of Rievaulx O.Cist. (1110-1167)
Behold me, O Sweet Lord, behold me! For I hope. that in Your Loving Kindness, O Most Merciful One, You will behold me, either as a loving Physician to heal, a kind Teacher to correct, or an indulgent Father to pardon… confident in Your Sweet Powerful Mercy and most Merciful Power, I ask, in virtue of Your Sweet Name and of the Mystery of Your Sacred Humanity that, mindful of Your Kindness and unmindful of my ingratitude, You forgive me my sins and heal the languors of my soul. Amen
Saint of the Day – 12 January – Saint Arcadius of Mauretania (Died c 302) Martyr, Hermit. Died by being slowly hacked to death one joint, appendage and limb at a time in c302 at Caesarea, Mauritania (near modern Algiers).
Tradition states that he was a prominent citizen of Caesarea in Mauretania Caesariensis (present-day Cherchell),. He was also a devout Christian and desiring to avoid the forced veneration of the pagan gods, retired to the countryside as a Hermit.
But his absence at the public sacrifices being noted, soldiers were dispatched to find and arrest him. But, instead of Arcadius, they found a relative and there, despite his protests, that he did not know where Arcadius was, they arrested him in place of Arcadius.
Hearing of his relative’s arrest, Arcadius returned to the City and immediately presented himself before the Governor.
He was arrested and suffered a grisly death. His limbs were cut off, joint by joint, until all that remained were his trunk and head. According to his legend, as Arcadius looked around at all the pieces of himself, hacked off and lying on the ground, he could still speak and cried out, “You are happy, my members. Now you truly belong to God. You have all been sacrificed to Him.”
St Bernard of Corleone St Caesaria of Arles St Caroticus Bl Emmanuel d’Abreu St Eutropius St Ferreolus of Grenoble Bl John Gaspard Cratz St John of Ravenna Bl Lucia of Valcaldara
St Probus of Verona St Quinctus the Soldier St Satyrus St Tatiana of Rome St Tigrius St Victorian of Asana Bl Vincent da Cunha
Martyrs of Africa – 44 Saints: A group of 44 Christian soldiers murdered together for their faith in Africa. The only details that survive are four of their names – Castulus, Modestus, Rogatus and Zoticus.
Martyrs of Ephesus – 42 Saints: Forty-two monks martyred at a monastery in Ephesus (modern Turkey) during the persecutions of the Iconoclast Byzantine Emperor Constantine V. Their names have not come down to us. Martyred c 762.
Martyrs of Iona – 38 Saints: Thirty-eight monks martyred in Iona, Ireland. Their names have not come down to us. They were Martyred in 750 at Iona, Ireland.
Thought for the Day – 11 January – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Particular and General Judgements
“How consoling, on the other hand, the last judgement will be for those who have led good lives. They will see God looking upon them with love and mercy and will hear from Him the wonderful invitation: “Come, blessed of my Father, take possession of the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Mt 25:35).
On the day of the general judgement, these words willl be repeated for the confusion of the wicked and the consolation of the good.
Now that we have considered both sides of the picture, let us think deeply about it. We shall have to render an account for all the evil we have done, of all the good things we did badly or from distorted motives, of all the good actions we omitted to do and of all the time we wasted. Let us examine our consciences carefully before God, our supreme Judge. Let us form whatever firm and worthwhile resolutions which seem to be demanded by the circumstances of our lives. Remember that, as we have lived, so shall we die and we shall be judged accordingly.”
Quote/s of the Day – 11 January – Sixth Day within the Octave of Epiphany
“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart and you will find rest for yourselves…”
Matthew 11:29
“May He, Who is the Track of the runners and the Reward of the winners, lead and guide you along it – He, Christ Jesus!”
Bl Guerric of Igny O.Cist (c 1080-1157)
“Christ acts like a loving mother. To induce us to follow Him, He gives us Himself as an example and promises us a reward in His kingdom.”
St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) Evangelical Doctor
“When He takes away what He once lent us, His purpose is to store our treasure elsewhere, more safely and bestow on us, those very blessings, that we ourselves would most choose to have.” (From A Letter to His Mother)
St Aloysius Gonzaga SJ (1568-1591)
“How long are you going to be deaf to His call? Or are you going to lose your soul, which Jesus Christ bought at the price of His Precious Blood?”
One Minute Reflection – 11 January – Sixth Day within the Octave of Epiphany
“He went down with them and came to Nazareth and was obedient to them and his mother kept all these things in her heart.” – Luke 2:51
REFLECTION – “Consider the most prudent woman Mary, Mother of true Wisdom, as the pupil of her Son. For she learned from Him, not as from a child or man but as from God. Yes, she dwelt in meditation on His words and actions. Nothing of what was said or done by Him, fell idly on her mind. As before, when she conceived the Word itself in her womb, so now does she hold within her, His ways and words, cherishing them as it were in her heart. That which she now beholds in the present, she waits to have revealed with greater clarity, in the future. This practice she followed as a rule and law through all her life.” – St Bede the Venerable (673-735) Father and Doctor of the Church (Exposition of the Gospel of Luke)
PRAYER – All-powerful, eternal God, splendour of true light and never-ending day, let our striving for Your kingdom not fall short through selfishness or fear, may the universe be alive with the Spirit and our homes be the pledge of the world redeemed. May our hearts be eternally longing for that time alone with You, our one true Love. May our worldly duties be such, that they never impede our progress in devotion and may the intercession of our Holy Mother and all the Saints, be a strength and a comfort. Through Jesus, our compassionate and loving Redeemer, with the Holy Spirit, one God with You forever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 11 January – Sixth Day within the Octave of Epiphany
O Adorable Infant By St Alphonsus de Liguori
O Adorable Infant I should not dare to present myself before Thee, did I not know that Thou, Thyself invitest me to approach Thee. It is I, by my sins, who made Thee shed so many tears in the stable of Bethlehem but since Thou art come upon earth. to pardon penitent sinners, vouchsafe to pardon me. I sincerely repent of having despised Thee, my Lord and my God, Who art so good and hast loved me so much. Thy grace that I ask, is that I may love Thee henceforth, with all my heart. Inflame my soul entirely with Thy Holy Love. I love Thee, O my God, Who hast become an Infant for me. Grant that I may never cease to love Thee O Mary, my Mother! thou art all-powerful by yhy prayers; I ask but one favour of Thee, namely, that Thou wilt pray to Jesus for me. Amen.
Saint of the Day – 11 January – Saint Pope Hyginus (Died 142) Papal Ascension c 138. Born in Athens, Greece and died in 142 in Rome, Italy. Also known as – Hygin, Igino.
Tradition holds that during his Papacy he determined the various prerogatives of the clergy and defined the grades of the ecclesiastical hierarchy. Hyginus also instituted Godparents at Baptism to assist the baptised during their Christian life. In addition, he decreed, that all Churches be Consecrated.
Not much is recorded in historical documents about Hyginus’ biographical details, other than, that he was born in Greece. The City of Rome, as the centre of the Empire, drew many different people from the corners of the Empire and was subsequently a very diverse place. Many of these earliest Popes reflected this diversity—a sharp distinction from the medieval Popes who were nearly uniformly of Italian descent.
St Irenaeus says, that the gnostic Valentinus came to Rome in Hyginus’ time, remaining there until St Anicetus became Pontiff
Cerdo, another Gnostic and predecessor of Marcion of Sinope, also lived at Rome in the reign of Hyginus but, by confessing his errors and recanting, he succeeded in obtaining re-admission into the Church. However, he eventually degenerated back into heresy and was expelled from the Church. The Liber Pontificalis also relates, that Pope Hyginus organised the hierarchy and established the order of ecclesiastical precedence.
The ancient sources contain no information as to his having died a martyr. At his death he was buried on the Vatican Hill, near Saint Peter’s Tomb.
Madonna della Vetrana / Our Lady of the Vetrana(Castellana Grotte, Bari, Puglia, Italy (1691) – 11 January:
In Castellana from time immemorial, there was a small Chapel dedicated to the Mother of God which contained a miraculous Fresco which was greatly revered ,after the Madonna had rid the region of the plague in the seventeenth century. Since then, the Shrine became a destination for faithful pilgrims reaping countless miracles, which the Virgin Mother obtained from her Divine Son.
In late 1690 the Church was almost ruined when a serious incident came to disturb the Castellana and the surrounding area. A serious disease spread, carrying death and mourning. Casimiro wrote in 1726. “This evil that made a great slaughter among the people, once attacked, all six children of Hadrian (Count of Conversano) and his wife Isabel Caracciolo. He who loved his wife and children, seeing this danger, resorted to the intercession of the Virgin … All his family was spared from evil. “ Two good priests’ recourse to the intercession of Saint Mary of the Vetrana and on 11 January 1691 one of them heard a voice that ordering the scourge to cease. “The Lady also expressed her desire to expand the Church.“ “So – continues Casimiro – “the Castellana people in recognition of the benefits received from the Virgin, immediately agreed to rebuild and expand the Church of St Maria della Vetrana.” The work lasted only a year and all the citizens of the Castellana took part.
Castellana, began to be known around the world after 23 January 1938, when Prof. Franco Anelli, a Caver, discovered a karst cave system. In 1959 because of this fascinating underground world, Castellana changed its name to ‘Castellana Grotte.‘
The festivities and celebrations on 11 January
St Alexander of Fermo St Anastasius of Suppentonia
St Boadin of Ireland St Breandan of Ireland (the name is not an error) St Eithne St Fedelemia Bl Francis Rogaczewski St Francisca Salesia Aviat St Honorata of Pavia St Pope Hyginus (Died 142) Papal Ascension c 138 St Leucius of Alexandria St Leucius of Brindisi St Liberata of Pavia St Lucius the Soldier St Luminosa of Pavia St Mark the Soldier St Michael of Klopsk St Palaemon St Paldo St Peter Balsam St Peter of Alexandria St Peter of Anea St Peter the Soldier
Thought for the Day – 10 January – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Death of the Sinner as Opposed to the Death of the Just
“Now that we have witnessed these contrasting scenes, let us examine ourselves in the presence of God. Let each of us ask: What will be my fate? If we can rank ourselves amongst the just, let us thank God. We are not there on our own merits. “By the grace of God, I am what I am” (1 Cor 15:10).
Perhaps we need only reproach ourselves with some deficiency or weakness but, have at the same times, a strong desire to serve God and a great love for Him. In this case, we can take heart. We can cast ourselves into the merciful arms of God. But, if on the other hand, we are hardened and habitual sinners, then woe betide us! Perhaps this meditation is the last grace which God will bestow on us!”
Quote/s of the Day – 10 January – “Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus”
“People who associate the name of Christian with a dishonest life, injure Christ… If God’s Name, is blasphemed by bad Christians, it is praised and honoured, on the other hand, by the good: “For in every place, we are the aroma of Christ” (2 Cor,14-15). And it is said in the Song of Songs: “Your name is oil poured out” (1,3).”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace
“The Name of Jesus is the purest and holiest, the noblest and most indulgent of names, the Name of all blessings and of all virtues, it is the Name of the God-Man, of sanctity itself.”
St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) Mellifluous Doctor of the Church
“Sacrilegious tongues blaspheme the God who preserves their existence! … you should be damned forever and, instead of thanking Him for His goodness, you, at the very time that He bestows His favours upon you, YOU blaspheme His Holy Name!”
St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor
One Minute Reflection – 10 January – The Fifth Day within the Octave of Epiphany, Readings: Romans 12:1-5; Luke 2:42-52
“After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions…” Luke 2:46
REFLECTION – ”Because He was a small child, He is found “in the midst of teachers,” sanctifying and instructing them. Because He was a small child, He is found “in their midst,” not teaching them but “asking questions.” He did this because it is appropriate to His age, to teach us what befits boys, even if they are wise and learned. They should rather hear their teachers than want to teach them and not show off with a display of knowledge. He interrogated the teachers, not to learn anything but to teach them by His questions. From one fountain of doctrine, there flow, both wise questions and answers. It is part of the same wisdom, to know what you should ask and what you should answer. It was right for the Saviour first to become a master of learned interrogation. Later He would answer questions according to God’s reason and Word.” – Origen (c 185-253) Priest, Theologian, Father(Homilies on the Gospel of Luke, 19).
PRAYER – Holy Father, trusting in the motherly intercession of Mary Most Holy, Queen of Families and under the powerful protection of St Joseph, her spouse, grant we pray, that we may dedicate ourselves tirelessly to this beautiful mission which You have placed in our hands, as mothers and fathers of Your children. Strengthen us to protect and guide them in Your ways. Through the prayers of our Holy Mother and the Guardian of Your divine Son and of His Church, in union with Jesus Christ our Lord and the Holy Spirit, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 10 January – The Fifth Day within the Octave of Epiphany
O Child, So Worthy of Our Love, I Offer Thee My Heart (O Grant Me that Gold, Incense and Myrrh Which I Lack) By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor
O Child so worthy of our love, I see You lying on the straw in this cave, so poor and despised. Yet faith teaches me, that You are my God come down from heaven for my salvation. I acknowledge You as my Sovereign Lord and Saviour, as such I proclaim You, yet, I have nothing at all to offer You. I am without Love’s Gold, since I have given my love to the things of this world – I have only loved my own whim, rather than loving You, so infinitely worthy of love. I am without Prayer’s Incense, since I have lived wretchedly without thinking of You. I have no Myrrh of Mortification since, so as not to forsake some paltry pleasures, I have so often saddened Your infinite goodness. So what am I to offer You? O my Jesus, I offer You my heart, soiled and naked as it is. Take it and change it, for You have come down to us to wash our guilty hearts with Your Blood and so transform us from sinners into saints. O grant me that Gold, Incense and Myrrh which I lack. Grant me the Gold of Your Holy Love; grant me the Incense which is the spirit of prayer; grant me Myrrh, the willingness and strength to deny myself in all that displeases You… O holy Virgin, you welcomed those devout Magi Kings with keen affection and satisfied them. Deign to welcome and comfort me also, I, who come, following their example, to visit and offer myself to your Son Amen.
Saint of the Day – 10 January – Blessed Pope Gregory X TOSF (1210-1276) Bishop of Rome 1272 and Ruler of the Papal States until his death. He was elected on 1 September 1271 following the longest election in the history of the Church and ascended the throne on 27 March. He was a Third Order Franciscan. Born Teobaldo Visconti, in 1210 in Piacenza, Italy and died on 10 January 1276 at Arezzo, Italy of a fever. He was Beatified on 8 July 1713 by Pope Clement XI.
Teobaldo Visconti, a member of the illustrious Visconti family of Piacenza, was born in the City in 1210. In his youth, he was distinguished for his extraordinary virtue and his progress in his studies, especially of the Canon Law, which he began in Italy and pursued at Paris and lastly, at Liege. He was Archdeacon of this last Church, when he received an order from the Pope to preach the Crusade for the recovery of the Holy Land. Incredible were the pains which he took in executing this commission and in reconciling the Christian Princes, who were at variance.
When the Crusade faltered, a tender compassion for the distressed situation of the servants of Christ in those parts, moved the holy Archdeacon of Liege to undertake a dangerous pilgrimage to Palestine, in order to comfort them, and at the same time to satisfy his devotion by visiting the holy places.
In the interim, the See of Rome had been vacant for almost three years, from the death of Clement IV, in November 1268, the Cardinals, who were assembled at Viterbo, could not reach an agreement in the choice of a Pope. By common consent, they referred the election to six amongst them, who, on 1 September in 1271, nominated Teobald, the Archdeacon of Liege. Upon the news of his election, he prepared himself to return to Italy. Nothing could be more tender and moving than his last farewell to the disconsolate Christians of Palestine, whom he promised, in a most solemn manner, never to forget.
He arrived at Rome in March 1272 and was first Ordained Priest, then Consecrated Bishop and Crowned. He took the name of Gregory X and, to procure the most effectual succour to the Holy Land, called a General Council to meet at Lyons, where Pope Innocent IV had held the last in 1245. The fourteenth General Council, the second of Lyons, was opened in that City in May, 1274, in which were assembled five hundred Bishops and seventy Abbots.
The Council was closed by the fifth and last session, on 17 July. The more our holy Pope was overwhelmed with public affairs, the more watchful he was over his own soul and the more earnest in the interior duties of self-examination, contemplation and prayer. He spoke little, conversing assiduously in his heart with God; he was very abstemious in his diet and most rigorous to himself in all things. By this crucified life, his soul was prepared to taste the hidden manna which is concealed in the divine word, with which he continually nourished it, in holy meditation.
After the Council, he was taken up in measures for carrying out its decrees, particularly those relating to the Crusade in the East. By his unwearied application to business and the fatigues of his journey, in passing the Alps on his return to Rome, he contracted a distemper, of which he died at Arezzo, on 10 January, in 1276, three years and nine months after his Consecration and four years, four months, and ten days after his election. His name was inserted in the Roman Martyrology, published by Benedict XIV and he was Beatified on 8 July 1713, by Pope Clement XI.
Madonna del Pianto / Madonna of the Lament or the Weeping Madonna, Rome, Italy (1546) – 10 January:
On 10 January1546, two men quarreled violently near the street Shrine of the Madonna del Portico d’Ottavia, on via Arco dei Cenci near the Roman Ghetto. One begged the other to spare him for love of the Virgin Mary, then stabbed that man in the back when he hugged him in forgiveness. The image of the Virgin wept three days. The 15th-century fresco was then moved into the nearby Church of San Salvatore de Cacabariis.
The old entrance to the church at Via Santa Maria del Pianto.
In 1612 the Church reconstruction began and in 1616 the image was re-installed and the Church re-dedicated to the Weeping Madonna. The event is commemorated in a fresco, the Madonna of the Lament, over the high Altar. There is also the painting of the Miracle of the Weeping Madonna opposite the organ on one of the two sides of the Altarpiece. Mother and Child were crowned on 20 May 1643. The ancient image is a representation of Mary nursing the Child.
St Aldo of Carbonari St Pope Agatho Bl Anna of the Angels Monteagudo St Arcontius of Viviers Bl Benincasa of Cava St Dermot of Inis Clothrann St Domitian of Melitene Blessed Pope Gregory X TOSF (1210-1276) Bishop of Rome 1272-1276 Bl Giles of Lorenzana
St Maurilius of Cahors St Nicanor of Cyprus St Paul the Hermit (c 230-342) The First Desert Hermit “In Thebais, the birthday of St Paul, the first Hermit, who lived alone in the desert from the sixteenth to the one hundred and thirteenth year of his age. His soul was seen by St Anthony Abbot, carried by Angels among the choirs of Apostles and Prophets. His Feast is celebrated on the 15th day of this Month. (Roman Martyrology)”
Thought for the Day – 9 January – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Death
“Death, like suffering, is the result of sin: “Through sin death” (Rom 5:12). But, it is more than a punishment for sin. It is also a liberation for the just who, like St Francis of Assisi, look upon death as the good sister, who will come one day to set them free and unite them with Christ in everlasting happiness. “Desiring to depart and to be with Christ …” (Phil 1:33).
Death is certainly a fearful thing. It is the violent separation of the soul from the body. The mere thought makes us tremble, for our eternal happiness, or misery, depends on this moment. But, if we lead good Christian lives, if we strive with the help of divine grace to avoid sin and to do what is good, death is no longer terrible. Death is now reward. It is the paradise which awaits us. Even in the mystery of death, the Justice of God is interwoven with His Mercy. As He punishes us in order to correct us, so, He makes us die, in order to bestow on us, the joys of Heaven.”
Quote/s of the Day – 9 January – Sunday withi the Octave of Epiphany and the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
“ … The family is not made for society; rather, it is society, which is made for the family.”
“Christian mothers, if only you knew the future of distress and peril, of shame ill-restrained, that you prepare for your sons and daughters in imprudently accustoming them, to live hardly clothed and in making them lose the sense of modesty, you should be ashamed of yourselves! and of the harm done the little ones whom heaven entrusted to your care, to be reared in Christian dignity and culture.”
“Below the knee, halfway down the arm and two finger widths below the collarbone.”
“Since God has given the family its existence, its dignity, its social function, it must answer to God for them. Its rights and its privileges are inalienable … It has the duty, primarily, before God and secondarily, before society, to defend, to vindicate and to promote effectively, these rights and these privileges, not only for its own good but, for the glory of God and the welfare of the community.”
“There is no surer means of calling down God’s blessing upon the family, than the daily recitation of the Rosary.”
One Minute Reflection – 9 January – Sunday withi the Octave of Epiphany and the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Readings: Colossians 3:12-17, Luke 2:42-52
“He went down with them and came to Nazareth and was obedient to them” – Luke 2:51
REFLECTION – “In saying to Joseph – “Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife” (Mt 1:20), the Angel was not mistaken. … The address as “wife” was neither empty nor false, for this Virgin was the happiness of her husband, in a way, that was all the more perfect and admirable, in that she became a mother without the participation of that husband, fecund, without him but faithful to him. It was because of that genuine marriage, that they both merited to be called “the parents of Christ” – not only she as “His Mother” but also he, as “his father,” insofar as he was husband of Christ’s Mother, father and husband spiritually, not according to the flesh. Both of them – he only by the spirit, she even in the flesh – are parents of His Humility, not of His Nobility, parents of His Weakness, not of his Divinity. Look in the Gospel, which cannot lie – His Mother said to Him: “Son, why have you done this to us? See how your father and I, have been searching for you anxiously.”
As for Him, wanting to show that He also had a Father, besides them, who had conceived Him without a mother, answered them: “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I had to be in my Father’s house?” And so, that no-one should think that in speaking thus, He was denying His parents, the Evangelist added: “He went down with them to Nazareth and was subject to them.” … Now why did He subject Himself to those who were so inferior to His Divine Nature? Because, “humbling himself, he took on the nature of a slave” (Phil 2:7), according to which, they were His parents. If they had not been united by a true marriage, even without carnal intercourse, they could not both have been the parents of that nature of a servant.
So, taking Christ’s genealogy from Joseph – a husband in chastity, he was father in the same way. … Are you saying that he did not conceive Jesus through the operation of nature? Well then, what the Holy Spirit operated, He did for them both. For Joseph was “a just man,” Matthew tells us (1:19). Both husband and wife were just. The Holy Spirit dwelt within their mutual justice and gave each of them, a Son!” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (Marriage and concupiscence 1,11; Sermon 51)
PRAYER – God, our Father, in the Holy Family of Nazareth, You have given us the true model of a Christian home. Grant, that by following Jesus, Mary and Joseph in their love for each other and in the example of their family life, we may come to Your home of peace and joy. We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, God, now and forever, amen.
Saint of the Day – 9 January – Blessed Julia of CertaldoOSA (1319-1367) Laywoman, Third Order Augustinian, Recluse, Ascetic, Mystic living a life of prayer and penance. Born in 1319 at Certaldo, Italy as Giulia and died on 9 January 1367 of natural causes. Patronages – of the City and Diocese of Certaldo, Augustinian tertiaries, Against the plague/epidemics. all sickness, ailments. Also known as – Giulia della Rena da Certaldo, Julia della Rena.
The Roman Martyrology states of her today: “In Certaldo in Tuscany, Blessed Giulia della Rena, of the Third Order of Saint Augustine, who lived alone for God in a narrow cell next to the Church.“
Julia was born in Tuscany, near Certaldo, in 1319, of a family of noble origin. After being orphaned at a young age, she entered the service of the Tinolfi family in nearby Florence, There, having come into contact with the Augustinians and their spirituality, she took on the habit of the secular Third Order Augustinians when she was not yet twenty. She was professed in 1388 at the Church of the Holy Spirit.
But the tumult in Florence caused her to return home to Certaldo where she rescued a child from a burning building. This act of charity and heroism brought her unwanted fame and attention. Julia, feeling drawn to a more radical and austere vocation, decided to take refuge in a small room attached to the Augustinian Church of Sts Michael and James. She had little in her small cell save for a two little windows and a Crucifix. The windows opened, one into the Church to attend the sacred mysteries, the other towards the outside, to receive the food that popular piety would send her.
Julia would never leave her little “hermitage.” She lived there, segregated from the world for thirty years, following the long path of asceticism and mysticism to the end. Penance and prayer filled her day, as she sought daily to unite herself to Christ and to do penance and mortification, for all the sins of the world.
The people of Certaldo and the surrounding area, were devoted to this holy woman and took it upon themselves to assist her material existence with victuals and whatever she needed. The popular tradition tells, that even the children ran to her aid in large numbers, bringing her something to eat and that Julia, grateful and smiling, reciprocated with beautiful fresh flowers in any season of the year, even when the ground was covered with snow!
Nothing more is known about Julia, except that she was greatly revered by her fellow citizens for the life of piety she lived . It was as if she “belonged” to them as family.
Julia died around the year 1367. Her cult developed immediately after her passing, since the dedication of an Altar in the same Church where she had lived and where her body had been interred dates to 1372. Since 1506, the Certaldese Municipality contributed to the feast in honour of the Blessed, whose intercessory protection was attributed, several times, for the liberation from contagions diseases and the plague.
His mortal remains are venerated in Certaldo in the Church of Sts James and Philip, which once belonged to the Augustinians and where her Feast is celebrated with great honour each year, as the Patron of the region.
Her cult from time immemorial, was confirmed by Pope Pius VII on 18 May 1819 raising her to the Altars as Blessed Julia of Certaldo and inserting her name in the Roman Martyrology.
To celebrate the Bicentennial of the death of Blessed Julia, on 9 January 2019, the Bishop, Monsignor Andrea Migliavacca, launched a year of devotion to the protector of Certaldo, with a solemn Procession and Holy Mass to pay homage to Blessed Julia, Supported by the Municipality of Certaldo, a full year of exhibitionsm devotions and events began.
During the celebration, the new silver Reliquary, made for the occasion thanks to the gift of silver by the people of Certaldo and the new banner of the Opera Beata Giulia Apostolate was inaugurated and blessed. In addition, a votive lamp was lit, which burnt next to the Altar of the Blessed Julia, for the whole of 2019.
St Agatha Yi Bl Antony Fatati St Brithwald of Canterbury St Eustratius of Olympus Bl Franciscus Yi Bo-Hyeon St Honorius of Buzancais Bl Józef Pawlowski
Blessed Julia of Certaldo OSA (1319-1367) Recluse, Laywoman, Third Order Augustinian
Bl Kazimierz Grelewski St Marcellinus of Ancona St Marciana Bl Martinus In Eon-min St Maurontius St Nearchus St Paschasia of Dijon
St Peter of Sebaste (c 340-c 391) Bishop of Sebaste in Lesser Armenia. Member of the glorious family of Saints – He was the younger brother of Basil of the Great, Gregory of Nyssa, the famous Christian Hermit Naucratius and Macrina the Younger and a close friend of Gregory of Nazianzen, all Saints. Of course, Basil and Gregory of Nazianzen are both Doctors too. About St Peter: https://anastpaul.com/2021/01/09/saint-of-the-day-9-january-st-peter-of-sebaste-c-340-c-391-bishop/
St Philip Berruyer St Polyeucte St Teresa Kim St Waningus of Fécamp (Died c 688) Monk, Abbot
Martyrs of Africa – 21 Saints: A group of 21 Christians murdered together for their faith in the persecutions of Decius. The only details to survive are 14 of their names – Artaxes, Epictetus, Felicitas, Felix, Fortunatus, Jucundus, Pictus, Quietus, Quinctus, Rusticus, Secundus, Sillus, Vincent and Vitalis. They were Martyred in c 250. Martyrs of Antioch – 6 saints: A group of Christians Martyred together during the persecutions of Diocletian – Anastasius, Anthony, Basilissa, Celsus, Julian and Marcionilla.
Thought for the Day – 8 January – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Apostolate of Suffering
“Suffering has a still further purpose. Besides bearing the role of an apostolate in our own lives, it can also be an apostolate for others. We can offer our sufferings and sorrows to God, not only for our own spiritual advancement but, also for the expiation of the sins of the human race, for our enemies, for the persecutors of the Church, for the Church itself and for all the other suffering members of the Mystical Body of Christ. In this way, we can accomplish great good and can acquire merit before God.
As a result of our offering, who knows how many hearts hardened in sin, or how many souls forgetful of Heaven, may be touched by the grace pof God?
Let us suffer with Jesus. He alone can ease our pain and make it meritorious for ourselves and for many others!”
Quote of the Day – 8 January – The Third Day within the Octave of Epiphany and the Memorial of St Apollinaris the Apologist (Died 2nd Century)
“Although we acknowledge virtue to be the richest treasure of the soul of man, we take little pains about it; passionately seek the things of this world, are cast down and broken, under every adversity and curb and restrain our passions only by halves!”
“We, therefore, grossly deceive ourselves, in not allotting more time, to the study of divine truths. It is not enough barely to believe them and let our thoughts, now and then, glance upon them. That knowledge, which shows us Heaven, will not bring us to the possession of it and will deserve punishments, not rewards, if it remain slight, weak and superficial. By serious and frequent meditation, it must be concocted, digested and turned into the nourishment of our affections, before it can be powerful and operative enough, to change them and produce the necessary fruit in our lives. For this, all the Saints, affected solitude and retreats from the noise and hurry of the world, as much as their circumstances allowed them.”
One Minute Reflection – 8 January – The Third Day within the Octave of Epiphany, Readings: Titus 3:4-7; Luke 2:15-20
“But Mary kept all these words, pondering them in her heart.” – Luke 2:19
REFLECTION – “Often, it seems to us, Mary forgot to eat and to drink, keeping vigil in order to think about Christ, to see Christ in His flesh. She burned with love of Him and passionately loved to serve Him. She often did what the Song of Songs sings about: “I was sleeping, but my heart kept vigil.” (Song 5:2) Even when she was resting, she continued to dream of Him who filled her thoughts throughout the day. Whether she was keeping vigil or resting in peace, she always lived in Him, was always occupied with Him.
Where her treasure was, there also was her heart (Mt 6:21); where her glory was, there also was her mind. She loved her Lord and her Son with all her heart, with all her mind, with all her strength (Mt 22:37). She saw with her eyes, touched with her hands, the Word of Life (1 Jn 1:1). How blessed was Mary, to whom it was given to embrace Him who embraces and nourishes everything! How happy was she who carried Him, who carries the universe (Heb 1:3), she who nursed a Son, who gives her life, a Son who nourishes her and all beings on earth (Ps 145:15).
The One, Who is the Wisdom of the Father, put His arms around her neck, the One, Who is the Strength, that gives movement to everything, sat in her arms. He, Who is the Rest of souls, (Mt 11:29) rested on her motherly breast. How gently He held her in His hands, peacefully looked at her, He ,Whom the angels wish to contemplate (1 Pet 1:12) and He gently called her, He ,Whom every being calls upon when in need. Filled with the Holy Spirit, she held Him close to her heart … She never had enough of seeing Him or of hearing Him, Whom “many prophets and kings wished to see … but did not see.” (Lk 10:24) Thus Mary grew evermore in love and her mind was unceasingly attached to divine contemplation.” – St Amadeus of Lausanne (1108-1159) Bishop (Homily on Mary, 4).
PRAYER – Lord open our hearts to Your grace. As You brought joy to the world through the Incarnation of Your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, grant that through the prayer of His Ever-Virgin Mother, our hearts too may grow in virtue and love by learning to reflect constantly on His commandments and counsels. We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.
AnaStpaul 
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