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! 🙏
Thought for the Day – 24 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
A Christmas Novena IX The Holy Family – Jesus
“We have in the Holy Family, the highest possible models of perfection – Jesus, Mary and Joseph. As God, Jesus is essentially holy. By means of the Hypostatic Union, this sanctity is transmitted also to His human nature. The holiness of Jesus was only gradually revealed as He grew older because He wished to be like us in everything, save in sin. As the Gospel says, He “advanced in wisdom and age and grace before God and men” (Lk 2:52). Jesus gave us an example of holiness which we should find easier to imitate because it was eternally increasing all the time. He offered us, as an example, the kind of sanctity which has its beginning and foundation in utter humility and detachment from worldly goods. “Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart” (Mt 11:29).
Socrates advised his followers to have few desires and to desire these as little as possible, in order to remain content, for the man who is full of desires is always uneasy and restless. This human counsel is very true but, it is incomplete. It recommends detachment from earthly things but fails to teach the ardent and practical desire for supernatural things. Jesus Christ teaches us both. After He has urged us to become gentle and humble like Himself, after He has told us not to worry about the future and not to fret about what to wear and what to eat, He points out the way in which Providence clothes the lilies of the filed and feeds the birds of the air. Then He adds: “Seek the kingdom of God and all these things shall be given you besides” (Cf Lk. 12:22-31).
We must limit and moderate our desire for earthly goods, therefore but, should ardently yearn to love God, to serve and obey Him in this life and to enjoy Him forever in Heaven. This is what the Infant Jesus wishes to teach us.”
Quote/s of the Day – 24 December – The Nativity of the Lord, Mass at Midnight
The Burning Babe St Robert Southwell SJ (1561-1595) Priest and Martyr
As I in hoary winter’s night stood shivering in the snow, Surprised I was with sudden heat which made my heart to glow; And lifting up a fearful eye to view what fire was near, A pretty Babe all burning bright did in the air appear; Who, scorchëd with excessive heat, such floods of tears did shed As though His floods should quench His flames which with His tears were fed. Alas, quoth He but newly born in fiery heats I fry, Yet none approach to warm their hearts or feel My fire but I! My faultless breast the furnace is, the fuel ,wounding thorns, Love is the fire and sighs, the smoke, the ashes, shame and scorns; The fuel, justice layeth on and mercy blows the coals, The metal in this furnace wrought, are men’s defiled souls, For which, as now on fire I am, to work them to their good, So will I melt into a bath, to wash them in My Blood. With this He vanished, out of sight and swiftly shrunk away, And straight I called unto mind that it was Christmas day.
Verses from the Shepherds’ Hymn Richard Crashaw (c 1612-1649) Canon of the Holy House of Loreto
WE saw Thee in Thy balmy nest, Young Dawn of our eternal day; We saw Thine eyes break from the East, And chase the trembling shades away: We saw Thee and we blest the sight, We saw Thee by Thine own sweet Light.
Poor world, said I, what wilt thou do To entertain this starry stranger? Is this the best thou canst bestow— A cold and not too cleanly manger? Contend, the powers of heaven and earth, To fit a bed for this huge birth.
Proud world, said I, cease your contest, And let the mighty Babe alone; The phoenix builds the phoenix’ nest, Love’s architecture is His own. The Babe, whose birth embraves this morn, Made His own bed ere He was born.
I saw the curl’d drops, soft and slow, Come hovering o’er the place’s head, Off’ring their whitest sheets of snow, To furnish the fair Infant’s bed. Forbear, said I, be not too bold; Your fleece is white, but ’tis too cold.
I saw th’ obsequious Seraphim Their rosy fleece of fire bestow, For well they now can spare their wings, Since Heaven itself, lies here below. Well done, said I but are you sure Your down, so warm, will pass for pure?
No, no, your King ‘s not yet to seek Where to repose His royal head; See, see how soon His new-bloom’d cheek ‘Twixt mother’s breasts is gone to bed! Sweet choice, said we; no way but so, Not to lie cold, you sleep in snow!
She sings Thy tears asleep and dips Her kisses in Thy weeping eye; She spreads the red leaves of Thy lips, That in their buds yet blushing lie. She ‘gainst those mother diamonds tries The points of her young eagle’s eyes.
Welcome—tho’ not to those gay flies, Gilded i’ th’ beams of earthly kings, Slippery souls in smiling eyes— But to poor shepherds, homespun things, Whose wealth ‘s their flocks, whose wit ‘s to be Well read in their simplicity.
Yet, when young April’s husband show’rs Shall bless the fruitful Maia’s bed, We’ll bring the first-born of her flowers, To kiss Thy feet and crown Thy head. To Thee, dread Lamb! whose love must keep The shepherds, while they feed their sheep.
To Thee, meek Majesty, soft King Of simple graces and sweet loves! Each of us his lamb will bring, Each his pair of silver doves! At last, in fire of Thy fair eyes, Ourselves become our own best sacrifice!
The Midnight Hour (Fr or Br) Frederick M Lynk, SVD
The Virgin Mother kneels upon the floor And holds her Baby in her arm, Her heart is gladder than her lips can say, To keep her newborn Baby snug and warm, A Babe more sweet and fair and dear Than any rosebud in the bright sunshine, Whose little eyes look straight into her own, O, blessed maid, God’s Son is also thine.
‘Twas holy midnight, when He came to earth: As pours a sun ray through a limpid glass, Not leaving any mark upon its face; A drop of dew upon the fresh green grass, A little star that fell upon her lap, A cooing Babe, that seeks her virgin breast. The hopes of all the sin-cursed world Upon this Baby’s eyelids rest.
And ever since the midnight hour is holy, And millions of human hearts are stirred, To wonderment and love for Him, Who came, To save the world, God’s own Incarnate Word. He came in darkness, He who was The Light, His Godhead shone from clear blue Baby eyes, The curse of earth’s first sin, was lifted then, That midnight hour re-opened paradise!
One Minute Reflection – 24 December – “Month of the Immaculate Conception” – “Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel” – The Nativity of the Lord, Mass at Midnight – Readings: Isaiah 62:1-5, Psalms 89:4-5, 16-17, 27, 29, Acts 13:16-17, 22-25, Luke 2:1-14
Know today that the Lord will come – in the morning you will see His glory.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel! May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life.
“For today in the city of David, a saviour has been born for you, who is Messiah and Lord.” – Luke 2:11
REFLECTION – “Brethren, now we have been told about the miracle, let us turn aside to see this unusual sight as Moses did (Ex 3:3) – in Mary, the burning bush is not consumed, the Virgin gives birth to the Light, without defilement … Let us then run to Bethlehem, the town of the Good News! If we are real shepherds, staying awake on our watch, then it is to us that the voice of the angels is addressed, announcing a great joy … “Glory to God in the highest for peace is coming down to earth!” There where, only yesterday, there was nothing but misfortune, battlefields and exile, now earth receives peace for today “Truth shall spring out of the earth and justice shall look down from heaven” (Ps 84[85]:12). Behold the fruit earth gives to humankind, in reward for the goodwill reigning among men (Lk 2:14). God is joined to man, to raise man to the stature of God.
At this news, my brethren, let us go to Bethlehem to behold … the mystery of the crib, a child wrapped in swaddling clothes rests in a manger. A Virgin, after giving birth, His undefiled Mother, embraces her Son. Let us repeat the words of the prophet along with the shepherds: “As we have heard, so we have seen in the city of our God.” (Ps 47[48]:9)
But why does our Lord seek shelter in this cave at Bethlehem? Why is He sleeping in a manger? Why does He participate in Israel’s census? My brethren, He who brings liberty to the world, comes to be born into our slavery to death. He is born in this cave to reveal Himself to us, who are immersed in darkness and the shadow of death. He rests in a manger because ,He is the One Who makes grass grow for the cattle (Ps 104[103],14). He is the Bread of Life who feeds us with a spiritual food that we too might live in the Spirit… What more joyful feast is there than that of today? Christ, the Sun of Justice (Mal 3,20), comes to illumine our night. What had fallen, is raised up again, what was overcome, is now set free… what was dead is restored to life… Let us all sing today with one voice over all the earth: “Death came through one man, Adam, today salvation has come through one man (cf Rom 5,17)” … St Gregory of Nyssa (c 335–c 395) Bishop, Father of the Church (Sermon on the Nativity).
PRAYER – Almighty God, Your Incarnate Word fills us with the new Light, He brings to men. Let the light of faith in our hearts shine through all that we do and say. And may the Immaculate Virgin Mother of our Saviour, be ever near to help and protect us. Through Christ, our Lord and Saviour, with the Holy Spirit, one God with You, now and for all time and eternity, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 24 December – Vigil of the Nativity of the Lord/Mass at Midnight
Silent Night, Holy Night! Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht! By Father Joseph Mohr (1792-1818)
Silent night, holy night! All is calm, all is bright, Round yon Virgin Mother and Child! Holy Infant so tender and mild, Sleep in heavenly peace, Sleep in heavenly peace.
Silent night, holy night! Son of God, how the light Radiates love from Thy heavenly face, At the dawn of redeeming grace, Jesus, Lord at Thy birth, Jesus, Lord at Thy birth.
Saint of the Day – 24 December – Saint Irmina of Oehren (Died c 716) Virgin Princess, Nun, Abbess, Founder and Co-founder of 2 Monasteries, benefactress of St Willibrord, the great Missionary Saint of Germany. Died c 716 at the Monastery of Weissenburg, Germany of natural causes. Patronages – Trier, City and Diocese. Also known as – Irmina of Trier, Irmina of Treves, Irma…Ermina… Hermione… Ymena… Additional Memorials – 3 January in Luxembourg, 30 January in the Diocese of Trier, Germany.
The Roman Martyrology states: “In Trier in Austrasia, in Germany, Saint Irmina, Abbess of the Monastery of Öhren, who, a virgin consecrated to God, gave Saint Willibrord a small Monastery she founded in her villa in Echternach and was a generous giver of her goods.”
Various traditions exist of her parentage but what is certain is that she came from one of the most powerful families in the Merovingian kingdom.
According to many versions of Irmina’s biography, when she was fifteen years old, she was engaged to marry a man named Count Hermann but just before they were to marry, he was killed by one of his servants, who “admired Irmina and could not bear that his master should have he,”
Irmina’s father was ready to marry her to another man but she chose to become a Nun instead, a decision he supported, building her a Convent in Oeren, which was eventually named after her and where she later became its second Abbess. She was succeeded as Abbess by her sister, Saint Modesta.
Statue of Saint Irmina at the cCnvent in Echternach
In 697, Irmina donated lands to help co-found, with Saint Willibrord the Convent in Echternacht. Historian Jamie Kreiner called the founding of the Echternacht Convent “a co-operative venture” between Willibrord and Irmina’s family, who later promised to protect the Convent and its holdings after Willibrord promised fidelity to them in 706.
Another document reports that Irmina was “generous to both Celtic and Saxon missionary Monks“. Irmina died in c 716 at the Monastery at Weissenburg, which was also founded by her father
24 December – Vigil of the Nativity of the Lord/Mass at Midnight Midnight Mass is the first liturgy of Christmastide that is celebrated on the night of Christmas Eve, traditionally beginning at midnight when Christmas Eve gives way to Christmas Day. This popular Christmas custom is a jubilant celebration of the Mass in honour of the Nativity of Jesus Christ.
Saint Thomas Aquinas wrote a commentary on these words and explained in his Summa Theologiae, “And from this ,the Mass derives its name … the deacon on festival days ‘dismisses’ the people at the end of the Mass, by saying: ‘Ite, missa est,’ that is, the victim [Jesus] has been sent to God through the angel, so that it may be accepted by God.”
St Adam the Patriarch St Adela of Pfalzel Bl Alberic of Gladbach Bl Brocard of Strasbourg St Bruno of Ottobeuren St Caran of Scotland St Delphinus of Bordeaux
Bl Peter de Solanes Bl Venerandus of Clermont — • Blessed Dionysius Roneo • Blessed Philip Claro • Blessed Giulio Pons • Blessed Peter of Valladolid
Blessed Mercedarian Sisters – (6 beati): Six cloistered Mercedarian nuns at the convent of Vera Cruz in Berriz, Spain. Noted for their devotion to the rules of the Order and for their deep prayer lives. • Blessed Anna Maria Prieto • Blessed Anna de Arrano • Blessed Orsola de Larisgoizia • Blessed Maguna Mary • Blessed Margaret • Blessed Mary of the Assumption Sarria
Martyred Maidens of Antioch – (40 saints): A group of forty virgins martyred in the persecutions of Decius. None of their names have come down to us. They were martyred in 250 in Antioch, Syria.
Martyrs of Tripoli – (6 saints): A group of Christians martyred together, date unknown. The only details that have survived are six of the names – Drusus, Lucian, Metrobius, Paul, Theotimus and Zenobius. They were martyred in Tripoli, Libya.
Thought for the Day – 23 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
A Christmas Novena VIII What Jesus Wants From Us
“Let us contemplate Jesus lying on a rough pallet of straw in the manger. When we see Him looking at us, let us ask ourselves what it is that He requires of us. In fact, He wants many things from us. First of all, He wants us to weep for our sins and to promise, never to fall again, as long as we have the assistance of His grace, for which we should pray continually. For this, He has become man and has entered into the world. For this He will work miracles, preach His doctrine and shed His Precious Blood on the Cross. All this He will do to redeem us from sin and to win Heaven for us.
If we return to the path of sin, we destroy the divine work of redemption, inasfar as it applies to ourselves. We make Christ’s passion, death and resurrection useless in our case. We brush aside the chain of favours with which His love has girdled us – the Gospel, the Sacraments and the Church, our good mother who is always at our side to instruct and direct us, to rescue us from peril and, to distribute to us, the gifts of her divine Founder. When we sin, we commit an act of base ingratitude to Jesus and accomplish our own eternal ruin.
The Infant Jesus longs for us to give our hearts to Him. Since He has given us His own, why should we be unwilling to give ours to Him? Who or what can we love, if we do not love Jesus? Nothing else is capable of giving us peace of soul and resignation in suffering. Jesus alone can bestow these gifts on us, as long as we love and follow Him and abandon ourselves completely to His Holy Will.”
“And so, when God’s birth is proclaimed to you, keep silent. Let Gabriel’s word be held in your mind for nothing is impossible to this glorious Majesty, who humbled Himself for us and was born of our humanity.”
St Ephrem (306-373) Father & Doctor
“In adoring our Saviour’s birth, it is our origin that we celebrate. Christ’s temporal generation is the source of the Christian people, the birth of His Mystical Body. All of us encounter in this Mystery, a new birth in Christ.”
St Pope Leo the Great (400-461) Father & Doctor of the Church
“He came from Him, from Whom He did not depart, going forth from Him, with Whom He stayed, so that without intermission, He was wholly in eternity, wholly in time, wholly was He found in the Father when wholly in the Virgin, wholly in His own Majesty and in His Father’s, at the time when He was wholly in our humanity. ”
One Minute Reflection – 23 December – O Emmanuel – Readings: Malachi 3:1-4, 23-24, Psalms 25:4-5,8-9, 10 and 14, Luke 1:57-66
The Lord is at hand, come, let us adore Him.
O Emmanuel, King and Lawgiver Desire of the nations, Saviour of all people, Come and set us free, Lord, our God!
“Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed and he spoke blessing God.” – Luke 1:64
REFLECTION – “When John, his son was born, among his neighbours there was concern about what name he should be given. Writing tablets were offered to his father, so that he himself could put down the name that he had decided upon, so that he might express, in writing, what he could not, in speech. Then, in a wonderful manner, when he had taken the tablets in order to begin writing, his tongue was loosened, the written word gave way to speech and he did not write “John” but spoke it. Consider, then, the merit of the holy Baptist: he gave his father back his voice, he restored the faculty of speech to the priest. Consider, I say, his merit – John unloosed the mouth that the angel had bound. What Gabriel had closed, the little child unlocked. When John is born, the father suddenly becomes a prophet or priest, speech attains its use, love receives an offspring, the office recognises the priest.” – St Maximus of Turin (Died c 420) Bishop of Turin (Sermon 6)
PRAYER – Almighty God, now that the birth of Your Son is drawing near, we pray that Your eternal Word, Who took flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary and came to dwell amongst men, will show Your unworthy people, the greatness of His love. And by the intercession of His Holy Mother, may we be granted Your grace. Through Emmanuel, our Lord, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever, amen.
O Come, O come, Emmanuel And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here Until the Son of God appear. Refrain: Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel!
O come, Thou Wisdom, from on high And order all things far and nigh, To us the path of knowledge show And teach us in her ways to go. Refrain
O come, o come, Thou Lord of might, Who to thy tribes on Sinai’s height In ancient times did give the law, In cloud, and majesty and awe. Refrain
O come, Thou Rod of Jesse’s stem, From ev’ry foe deliver them That trust Thy mighty power to save And give them vict’ry o’er the grave. Refrain
O come, Thou Key of David, come And open wide our heav’nly home, Make safe the way that leads on high, That we no more have cause to sigh. Refrain
O come, Thou Dayspring from on high And cheer us by thy drawing nigh. Disperse the gloomy clouds of night And death’s dark shadow put to flight. Refrain
O come, Desire of nations, bind In one the hearts of all mankind. Bid every strife and quarrel cease And fill the world with heaven’s peace. Refrain
The favourite O Come, O Come Emmanuel carol was originally written in Latin text in the 12th Century. The author of the words and composer to the music of O Come, O Come Emmanuel is unknown. It is, however, believed that the melody was of French origin and added to the text a hundred years later. The Latin was translated into English by John Mason Neale in 1851.
Saint of the Day – 23 December – Saint Ivo of Chartres (c 1040-1115) Bishop of Chartres, France from 1090 until his death, Confessor, Reformer, Defender of the Faith, Lawyer, Canon Lawyer, Teacher and Theologian, Writer. Born in c 1040 at Beauvais, France as Yves and died on 23 December 1115 of natural causes. Patronage – Canonists, Canon Lawyers. Also known as – Yves, Yvo, Ives.
The Roman Martyrology states: “In Chartres in France, Saint Ivo, Bishop, who re-established the Order of the Canons and did much work and wrote to promote harmony between the clergy and the civil powers and for the good of the Church.”
Ivo was born around 1040 near Beauvais (Rouen) to Ugo d’Auteuil and Ilmenberga, wealthy parents who gave him a good basic education, increased by the studies he continued at the University of Paris , already a great cultural centre at that time.
He continued his studies in theology in the Abbey of Le Bec in Normandy, where he met Saint Anselm of Canterbury, the great scholastic theologian. as a fellow student and as his teacher, the future Bishop, then a Monk, Lanfranc of Pavia, who became the Archbishop of Canterbury in 1070. Here he was Ordained as a Priest.
Ivo was then appointed Canon of Nesles in Picardy but after a few years he was recalled to Beauvais by Bishop Guido, who entrusted him with the direction of the newly founded Monastery of the Canons Regular of Saint-Quentin. Ivo became its guide from 1078 to 1090. Here Ivo established himself as one of the best teachers in France. St Quentin’s came to be known as a great school of theology. Ivo was skeptical of religious excess and always stressed moderation in practice.
He was about 50 years old when the clergy and faithful people of Chartres, where construction of the grandiose Gothic Cathedral would begin a few years later designated Ivo as their Bishop, replacing the deposed Godfrey accused of simony.
Goffred appealed to Rome but Pope Urban II ruled against him and confirmed the investiture of Ivo. His election to the See of Chartres was also confirmed by the King of France Philip I. At that point it was the Archbishop of Sens, Richer who opposed it, not having been consulted in the Roman trial against Godfrey. Ivo then, decided to go directly to the Pope, who, in the meantime, had had to leave Rome to take refuge in Capua, fleeing the army of the German Emperor Henry IV (1050 – 1106) engaged in the fight for investitures, already against the Pope Gregory VII his predecessor and it was in Capua, towards the end of 1090, that Pope Urban II Consecrated him Bishop of Chartres.
His strong faith, piety,and principles led to some troubles for him during his twenty-five year episcopacy at Chartres .The first years were marked by the clash with the French King Philip I, who had contracted an adulterous marriage with Bertranda of Montfort. Ivo opposed this and thus aroused the anger of the King who had him put in prison for many months. After his release, Ivo resumed his protests, both against the King and against the Bishops who were in favour of the adulterous relationship of the King and failed to defend Church doctrine. Finally, in 1095, Ivo resorted to Rome, so that the partisans of the King were rebuked and the King himself, was excommunicated. In this same year, Pope Urban II came to France to attend the Council of Clermont , where the foundations of the first Crusade were laid. Ivo was also present at this Council, as well as at that of Poitiers in 1100.
Bishop Ivo, continued the fight against Royal abuse, until in 1104. King Philip I separated from Bertranda and was re-admitted into the Catholic community by the new Pope Paschal II. In 1107 Ivo received Pope Paschal II in Chartres who was on a visit to France.
Ivo was always a staunch defender of Papal authority and a strenuous protagonist in the struggle between the Papacy and the Empire, particularly in regard to the investitures of Bishops, Ivo also had to enter into conflict with his Chapter, for his reforming ideas, a Chapter that was largely supported by King Louis VI the Successor of Philip. In 1114, a Papal Bull decreed in Ivo’s favour, confirming his stance and supporting the Church against the state.
Ivo died on 23 December 1115 in Chartres and was immediately raised to the Altars, particularly in the Dioceses of Beauvais and Chartres, which honoured and venerated him with great devotion. On 18 December 1570, Pope Pius V Canonised him and granted his Office to the Canons Regular and Pope Benedict XIV added his name to the Martyrology.
Ivo was a prolific writer but is most known for his canonical works: the Decretum,, composed in 1094 the Panormia (in Latin and Greek) of the following year the Tripartite composed between 1094 and 1096 All three compilations contain texts of the Holy Scriptures , letters of Popes, texts of Roman law, texts of the Fathers of the Church and finally, Canons of the Councils .
Twenty-four sermons are known , almost all pronounced in Synods and Councils, on dogmatic, disciplinary or liturgical topics and from these writings, his profound knowledge of the Sacred Scripture and of the liturgical texts is evident.. He always professed a great attachment to the teaching of the Church and everyone of his writings abounds with doctrinal citations. His fame was notable and the care with which his writings have been preserved testifies to the honour with which he is held.
There are also 288 letters from the saintly Bishop, full of canonical and theological consultations, administrative practices, interventions in the big business of his time, which allow us to know the progress of the Gregorian Reform, implemented by means of the episcopal competence and zeal that distinguished him and an insight into the history of the Church and of France in his time.
His works are replete with treatments of charity and dispensation in a pastoral manner regarding the Holy See. He believed that caritas was the solution for sin and not harsh punishment without contrition. This theme is most evident in his Prologus, which is most often compared to the teachings of the Church Fathers than those of the scholars of his day. Paul’s message of loving one’s fellow man as one would oneself, is particularly prevalent in Ivo’s works:
“He was called to teach. His lesson was love. It was all that mattered.“
It is also believed, that St Ivo’s teachings influenced the final agreement of the Concordat of Worms in 1122.
Notre-Dame de Ardilliers de Saumur / Our Lady of Ardilliers, Saumur, Anjou, France (1454) – 23 December:
Our Lady of Ardilliers, located at Saumur, in Anjou, France. Its name is illustrious throughout France, as well on account of the concourse of people who were attracted there, as from a fountain which cured several maladies. This image represents Our Lady of Pity, who holds in her arms her dead Son, whose head is supported by an Angel. Notre Dame Ardilliers has a Statue, a fountain and a Church dedicated to Our Ladye. In 1454 a farmer, while ploughing his field, discovered in the “ardille” ( meaning “clay” – a word which will give its name, according to the legend, to Notre-Dame-des-Ardilliers) a stone Statuette of about thirty centimeters high representing a Pietà . The peasant took it home. On two occasions he discovered the Pietà had returned to its place of discovery, near a fountain already known for its beneficial virtues. From then on, devotions began. It was placed in a niche under a stone arch at its place of discovery. Jean Olivier , Bishop of Angers , laid the foundations of the Notre-Dame-des-Ardilliers Chapel in Saumur on1 August 1534 in the presence of Jean de Castagnier, Mayor of Saumur and Guillaume Bourdeau, Alderman. Msgr Gabriel Bouvery , Bishop of Angers, Consecrated the new Church on 30 July1553 Crowds of people were attracted to the Shrine and its name was illustrious throughout that country, for there Our Lady cured many maladies. The Sanctuary attained magnificent proportions as successive additions were made, notably by Cardinal Richelieu. Devotion to Our Lady became widespread as many miracles occurred. Mary’s clients at Ardilliers number such illustrious persons as Louis XII, Anne of Austria, Marie de Medici, Henrietta of England, Cardinal Richelieu and others. The Founders of the Sulpician Company went there for inspiration; Saint Louis de Montfort begged blessings and Mary’s help on the Institute of the Fathers of the Holy Ghost and the Daughters of Wisdom he was about to found. Cities placed themselves under the protection of Notre-Dame des Ardilliers and promised annual pilgrimages. During the Revolution the Church and Shrine were despoiled of their treasures but not destroyed and the image was left unharmed. In 1849 the ravages of time necessitated the renovation of the Chapel and pilgrimages became more frequent than ever.
And today? We hardly speak of the Pilgrimages to Ardilliers but guided tours of the remarkable architectural continue. In July and August, except on Sundays, the Association Patrimoine Religieux en Saumurois, in partnership with the City of Saumur, provides guided tours of the Notre-Dame des Ardilliers Chapel. We are very saddened aren’t we, that this former great Marian Shrine has become today, above all a tourist destination. So why shouldn’t one of our readers launch a Pilgrimage to Notre-Dame des Ardilliers. This would justify its second name, Notre-Dame de Bon Retour, Our Lady of Good Return.
St Besa of Egypt Bl Bincema St Dagobert II of Austrasia Bl Epifanio Gómez Alvaro St Frithbert of Hexham Bl Hartmann of Brixen Bl Herman of Scheda Bl James Aymerich St Ivo of Chartres (c 1040-1115) Bishop, Confessor St John Cirita St John Stone St Joseph Cho Yun-ho St Mardonius of Rome St Mazota of Abernethy St Migdonius of Rome
St Servulus (Died c 590) Layman, Beggar, paralysed by Palsy from birth. Saint Servulus was a perfect model of submission to the divine Will; it would be difficult to offer a more consoling example to persons afflicted by poverty, illnesses and the other miseries of life. It is Saint Gregory the Great who narrates for us his edifying story. St Servulus’ Life of devotion: https://anastpaul.com/2020/12/23/saint-of-the-day-23-december-saint-servulus-died-c-590/
Martyred Dominicans of Santander – (9 beati) – Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: • Blessed Bernardino Irurzun Otermín • Blessed Eleuterio Marne Mansilla • Blessed Eliseo Miguel Lagro • Blessed Enrique Cañal Gómez • Blessed Enrique Izquierdo Palacios • Blessed Epifanio Gómez Alvaro • Blessed José María García Tabar • Blessed Manuel Gutiérrez Ceballos • Blessed Miguel Rodríguez González • Blessed Pedro Luís y Luís
Martyrs of Crete – (10 saints): A group of ten Christians who died in the persecutions of Decius. They were – • Agathopus • Basilides • Cleomenes • Eunician • Euporus • Evaristus • Gelasius • Saturninus • Theodulus • Zeticus They were martyred in 250 on the island of Crete.
Thought for the Day – 22 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
A Christmas Novena VII Prayer and Dedication
“Let us kneel once more before the crib. Like other newborn infants, Jesus is sometimes asleep and sometimes awake, sometimes crying and sometimes smiling. Often His tiny eyes silently watch Mary and Joseph. Surely, this seems a useless existence for Almighty God. But we know that it is not purposeless. This is the first great lesson which God wishes to give to the proud and corrupt human race. It is the lesson of humility, prayer and total dedication to God.
To outward appearances, Jesus is behaving like any other baby. Internally, however, His soul is hypostatically united to the Eternal Word and dwells in the Presence of the Heavenly Father, Whom He loves with a burning and infinite love. Heart and soul, He offers Himself as a holocaust on behalf of sinful humanity and implores His Heavenly Father, to enlighten minds darkened by error, to strengthen weak human wills and to make all men holy. It may well be said, that already, in the silence and obscurity of the cradle, Jesus has begun to redeem the world, for every one of His human-divine actions has an infinite value. Whether He is awake or asleep, crying or smiling, He offers Himself silently to His Eternal Father as a holocaust of propitiation for our sins.
Let us adore the Divine Infant, therefore and thank Him for the priceless gift of our Redemption, which is already accomplished in the silence and obscurity of the manger. Let us implore the grace to love Him and to imitate Him more closely.
As we kneel before the Infant Jesus, let us beseech Him to enable us to grasp the truth of these reflections. Let us take more care of our soul than we do of our external talents and possessions. May God occupy the foremost place in our minds and may He be the principal object of our thoughts, desires and affections. Let us imitate the humble recollection and ardent love for God of the Holy Infant. Like Him, let us offer ourselves entirely to God. Let us ask Him to make us like Him, in complete acceptance of the Divine Will, especially when we are in trouble or in pain, for in this way, we shall be able to show God how sincerely we love Him.”
Quote of the Day – 22 December – Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Advent, O Rex Gentium/O King of all Nations,
“If you want, the Virgin will come walking down the road pregnant with the Holy and say: “I need shelter for the night. Please take me inside your heart. My time is so close.” Then, under the roof of your soul, you will witness the sublime intimacy, the Divine, the Christ, taking birth forever. As she grasps your hand for help, for each of us is the midwife of God, each of us. Yes, there, under the dome of your being, does creation come into existence eternally– through your womb, dear pilgrim–the sacred womb of your soul! As God grasps our arms for help; for each of us is His beloved servant never far. If you want, the Virgin will come, walking down the street, pregnant with Light and sing!”
St John of the Cross (1542-1591) Mystical Doctor of the Church
One Minute Reflection – 22 December – “Month of the Immaculate Conception” – Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Advent, O Rex Gentium/O King of all Nations, Readings: Samuel 1:24-28; First Samuel 2: 1, 4-8; Luke 1:46-56
The Lord is at hand, come let us adore Him.
O KING OF ALL NATIONS and keystone of the Church come and save man, whom You formed from the dust!
“My spirit rejoices in God my saviour” – Luke 1:47
REFLECTION – “My soul magnifies the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.”. The first interpretation of these words is undoubtedly to acknowledge the gifts granted to her, to Mary in particular, by God. But then she recalls the universal blessing with which God never ceases to surround the human race.
The soul glorifies the Lord, when it consecrates all its inner powers on praising and serving God and when, by its submission to the divine commands, it proves that it never loses sight of His power and majesty. The spirit rejoices in God, its Saviour, when it places all its joy in the remembrance of its Creator, from Whom it hopes for eternal salvation. Without doubt, these words exactly express the thought of all the Saints but it was most especially fitting they should be spoken by the blessed Mother of God, who, filled with a special privilege, burned with a wholly spiritual love for the One she had the joy of conceiving in her flesh. More than any other Saint she had good reason to rejoice in Jesus – that is to say, in her Saviour – because He Whom she acknowledged to be the Eternal Author of our salvation, would in time, as she knew, be born in His own flesh and with such authenticity, that in one and the same Person her Son and her God, would be truly present…
Hence it is a praiseworthy and salutary custom, whose fragrance perfumes Holy Church, when everyday at Vespers, we sing the Canticle of the Virgin. We may well expect from this, that the souls of the faithful, by so often calling to mind the Lord’s Incarnation, will be enflamed with even greater fervour and that, such a frequent reminder of His Holy Mother’s example, will strengthen them in virtue. And Vespers is the best time to come back to this song, since our souls, tired by the day and drawn this way and that by the day’s thoughts, need to come back together again, when the hour of rest draws near, so that they may find, once more, their singleness of focus.” – St Bede the Venerable (673-735) Monk, Father and Doctor of the Church (Homilies on the Gospel, I, 4 ; CCL 122, 25f)
PRAYER –The Magnificat The Canticle of Mary Luke 1:46-55
My soul glorifies the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God, my Saviour He looks on His servant in her lowliness Henceforth, all ages will call me blessed: The Almighty works marvels for me, holy is His Name! His mercy is from age to age, on those who fear Him. He puts forth His arm in strength and scatters the proud-hearted. He casts the mighty from their thrones and raises the lowly. He fills the starving with good things, sends the rich away empty. He protects Israel, His servant, remembering His mercy, the mercy promised to our fathers, to Abraham and his sons forever. Amen.
Saint of the Day – 22 December – Saint Flavian of Acquapendente (Died 363) Martyr, Married Layman, Prefect of Imperial Rome, Husband of Saint Dafrosa, Father of Saint Bibiana and Saint Demetria. The Roman Martyrology states: “At Rome, ex-Prefect, who, under Julian the Apostate, was condemned to be branded for Christ and banished to Aquae Taurinae, where he gave up his soul to God in prayer.”
Saint Flavian, the father of two holy daughters, Bibiana and Demetria and the husband of Saint Dafrosa, was a descendant of a noble Roman family. His incomparable talents, great knowledge and holy life, made him so beloved and esteemed, not only by the people but also by Constantine the Great, that the latter raised him to the high office of Governor of Rome. The duties of this exalted dignity he fulfilled untiringly but, at the same time, neglected nothing that his faith demanded of him, on the contrary, his principal thought was to disseminate more and more the Catholic Faith among his subjects. Those who had already embraced Christianity he endeavoured to assist whenever an opportunity presented itself. After the death of Constantine the Great, his son Constantius, persuaded by his wicked Empress, favoured the Arian heresy and persecuted the Catholics, almost as much as had formerly been done, by the heathen Emperors.
Flavian endeavoured to strengthen the Catholics in their faith and to defend the divinity of Jesus Christ against the Arian blasphemies. This zeal made him hateful to the Emperor and, as neither promises, nor menaces, had any power to change him, he was divested of the high office which he had filled for so many years, to the satisfaction of all Rome. Flavian was not cast down but rather, rejoiced because, for the sake of the true Faith, he suffered so great a loss and no less ignominy. . The Officers whom Julian had appointed to apprehend and torture the Christians, took no notice of this for some time, as Flavian was still greatly esteemed on account of his high rank and the dignity, of the office with which he had been invested but at last, they informed the tyrant of it.
The latter commanded his new Governor, Apronian, to apprehend Flavian immediately and either force him to abandon his faith, or to take his life, by the most cruel tortures. Apronian obeyed the order, Flavian was seized and brought before him. The Governor endeavoured to persuade him to forsake his faith but Flavian said fearlessly: “I am a Christian and will remain a Christian and, further, I consider it the greatest honour to give, not only all I possess but also my life, for the honour of Christ.” The Governor, greatly embittered, sentenced him to be dispossessed of his nobility and placed in the rank of the most abject slaves, which, to a high-minded man, must have been more cruel than death. Hence, they tore off the insignia of his nobility and of his former high office from his body and, with a red-hot iron, burned a mark on his forehead. The pain was great, the ignominy and disgrace much greater but Flavian bore it cheerfully. “I receive,” said he, “this disgrace as the greatest honour that was ever bestowed upon me.” Apronian would have tortured him still more but as he knew that Flavian was highly esteemed on account of the faithfulness with which he had laboured for the public, he desisted, fearing a revolt. He deprived him, therefore, of all his possessions, and sent him into banishment, giving orders to those who were to transport him, to torment him on the road in every possible manner, in order that misery and grief might soon kill him. Flavian received the sentence of his banishment with the same joy that he had manifested at the preceding ignominy.
The most difficult sorrow for him to bear ,was to leave his spouse and his two daughters, as he foresaw that they would not be treated better than he had been. But this, also, he bore heroically and placing them under the protection of the Most High, he went into his banishment, guarded by a troop of soldiers, who delighted in obeying the orders of Apronian and maltreated him most cruelly. Not much better was the treatment which he received at the place to which he was exiled, where he soon ended his life. His only comfort was prayer, which so greatly supported him that, notwithstanding the hardships he endured, he was never seen looking downcast but always joyful. It was also in prayer that he closed his holy life for, one day, when conversing with God, his head sank quietly upon his breast and his heroic soul became free. He was, indeed, worthy to be placed among the greatest martyrs of the holy Church; as what he had suffered for his faith will appear to many much harder to endure than the bodily martyrdom of so many other Saints.
Notre-Dame de Chartres / Our Lady of Chartres, (Pèlerinage de Chartres / The Chartres Pilgrimage) Mother of Youth (1935): also known as the Pilgrimage of Christendom, has been gathering thousands of people on the Solemnity of Pentecost for a three-day trek from the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris to the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Chartres.
Our Lady of Chartres, or Notre-Dame de Chartres, is a beautiful Gothic style Cathedral located in Beauce, France, which is about 80 kilometres southwest of Paris. This Cathedral, which was first built in the time of the Apostles, was demolished several times over the centuries. It was re-erected in its present state by Saint Fulbert, the fifty-fifth Bishop of Chartres at the end of the 12th Century into the beginning of the 13th century. The Pilgrimage was inspired by French-Catholic writer Charles Péguy, who made a solitary Pilgrimage from Notre Dame of Paris to the Marian Sanctuary of Chartres in 1912, covering more than 136 kilometres in four days, 14-17 June, to ask the intercession of the Virgin Mary to help his ill son. He undertook the same Pilgrimage a year later, shortly before losing his life on the battlefield at the beginning of World War I in 1914.
The student’s Pilgrimage to Chartres started in 1935 with a group of fifteen young men and girls of the Sorbonne, who sacrificed their Pentecostal holidays in prayer to the Holy Spirit and to Mary. They marched 100 kilometres to the Shrine in Chartres and prayed there together. The next year there were 36 who went and in the following year 150. Then the war came but during the eight hard years that followed, the Pilgrimages were not deserted. The numbers increased, until in 1948, about 6,500 students formed a line to march to Mary. Most of the Pilgrims were in their early twenties or late teens, from the universities, colleges and schools of Paris and the Provinces, although some were from foreign countries. The number of unbelievers, atheists and Communists has always been high even among the students; while Protestants and Jews also make up a goodly portion of the number (very much like the Santiago de Compostela). Some come out of curiosity, some following the persistent urgings of a friend; some for the sport of hiking, or to answer an invitation to test their grit and endurance but whatever their reasons for starting, few end, without a definite spiritual “joy.” Many make the Pilgrimage in bare feet over gravel roads; the sick and crippled go, too. In our day there are thousands, perhaps 10,000 Pilgrims who walk through the French countryside to Chartres. Their trek is an open act of faith and reparation, something almost never seen in modern times.
In making the Chartres Pilgrimage, these young people help to give France a new birth of devotion to Mary; something new and spotless has been born as in the warmth of endless glorious Saints – re-lit in the hearts of young moderns. France must now place her hope in youth, the youth of France and the youth of the Church, through Our Blessed Mother, Mary the Lady of Chartres. Although this is primarily a Pentecost Pilgrimage, many smaller groups commence a Pilgrimage on 22 December to be in time for Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve and, in fact, all year round. Below, a French flag displaying the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus with ‘Hope and Salvation of France.’ A Priest hears confession while other Pilgrims participate in Adoration in the background (at the final campsite of the pilgrimage in Gas, France, about 12 miles from Chartres).
St Abban of New Ross Bl Adam of Saxony St Amaswinthus of Málaga St Athernaise of Fife St Bertheid of Münster St Chaeremon of Nilopolis St Flavian of Acquapendente (Died 363) Martyr Layman St Honoratus of Toulouse
Martyrs of Ostia – (3 saints): A group of Christians martyred together. The only details about them to survive are three names – Demetrius, Florus and Honoratus. They were martyred at Ostia, Italy.
Martyrs of Rhaitu – (43 saints): 43 monks martyred by Blemmyes, in Raíthu, Egypt, date unknown.
Martyrs of Via Lavicana – (30 saints): A group of 30 Christians martyred together in the persecutions of Diocletian. c 303 in Rome, Italy and were buried between two bay trees on the Via Lavicana outside Rome.
Thought for the Day – 21 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
A Christmas Novena VI The Silence of the Divine Infant
“Jesus Christ is the Eternal Word of God, made man, the infinite and substantial image of the Divine Intellect. Nevertheless, the Divine Infant, Whom we adore in the stable at Bethlehem, is mute and silent. The voluntary humiliation of the Son of God is such, that He, the Word of God, cannot utter a single human syllable. By this chosen silence, however, He teaches us many things. In the first place, He teaches us humility and self-denial. He teaches us, moreover, to recollect ourselves in the Presence of God, so that it may be easier for us to speak with Him and for Him, to make known what He requires of us. The silence of prayer brings forth divine consolations and inspirations to holiness,
Do we love to be silent? It is not necessary to become hermits but, it is essential, from time to time, to place ourselves quietly in the Presence of God. God cannot be heard through the noise and confusion of the world, whereas, He speaks clearly to the soul, which seeks the silence of prayer. In any case, if we go about looking for the gossip and idle chatter of the world, it is almost impossible not to offend God. “Avoid profane and empty babblings,” St Paul urges us, “for they contribute much to ungodliness” (2 Tim 2:16). “If anyone does not offend in word,” adds St James, “he is a perfect man” (Js 3:2). “The tongue is a little member,” he continues but, goes onto emphasis that it is capable of doing either a great deal of good or a great deal of harm. “With it, we bless God the Father and, with it, we curse men, who have been made after the likeness of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. These things, my brethren ought not to be so” (Js 3:5-10).
There are two main lessons which we should learn, therefore, from the silence of the Divine Infant. We should learn to love recollection and, we should learn to make proper use of the gift of speech, which can be an equally powerful weapon, in the cause of good, or, in the cause of evil!”
Quote/s of the Day – 21 December – O Oriens/O Radiant Dawn – “Month of the Immaculate Conception” – Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Advent, Readings: Songs 2: 8-14 or Zephaniah 3: 14-18a; Psalm 33: 2-3, 11-12, 20-21; Luke 1: 39-45
“Having confidence in you, O Mother of God, I shall be saved. Being under you protection, I shall fear nothing. With your help, I shall give battle to my enemies and put them to flight, for devotion to you, is an arm of Salvation.”
St John Damascene (676-749) Father and Doctor of the Church
“O Mary, you give assistance to everyone endeavouring to rise to God!”
St Bridget of Sweden (c 1303 – 1373)
“At the mention of this name [the Blessed Virgin Mary], the Angels rejoice and the devils tremble. Through this invocation, sinners obtain grace and pardon.”
St Peter Canisius SJ (1521-1397) Doctor of the Church
“Wherefore, in the same holy bosom of His most chaste Mother, Christ took to Himself flesh and united to Himself, the spiritual Body formed by those who were to believe in Him. Hence Mary, carrying the Saviour within her, may be said, to have also carried, all those. whose life was contained in the life of the Saviour. Therefore, all we, who are united to Christ and, as the Apostle says, are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones (Eph 5:30), have issued from the womb of Mary, like a body united to it’s Head.”
St Pius X (1835-1914) Pope from 1903 to 1914 Encyclical “Ad diem illum laetissimum” #10-11
One Minute Reflection – 21 December – O Oriens/O Radiant Dawn – “Month of the Immaculate Conception” – Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Advent, Readings: Songs 2: 8-14 or Zephaniah 3: 14-18a; Psalm 33: 2-3, 11-12, 20-21; Luke 1: 39-45
The Lord is at hand, come let us adore Him.
O Radiant Dawn, Splendour of Eternal Light, Sun of Justice! Come and shine on those who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death.
“Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” – Luke 1:41-42
REFLECTION – “Everyday we devoutly greet the most Blessed Virgin Mary with the angel’s greeting and we usually add: Blessed is the fruit of thy womb. After she was greeted by the Virgin, Elizabeth added this phrase as if she were echoing the salutation of the Angel – Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb. This is the fruit of which Isaiah spoke – On that day the shoot of the Lord shall be splendid and radiant—the sublime fruit of earth. What is this fruit but the holy one of Israel, the seed of Abraham, the shoot of the Lord, the flower arising from the Root of Jesse, the fruit of life, Whom we have shared?
Blessed surely in seed and blessed in the shoot, blessed in the flower, blessed in the gift, finally blessed in thanksgiving and praise, Christ, the Seed of Abraham, was brought forth from the seed of David into the flesh.
He alone among men is found perfected in every good quality, for the Spirit was given to Him without measure so that He alone could fulfill all justice. For His justice is sufficient for all nations, according to the Scriptures. As the earth brings forth its buds and as the garden germinates its own seed, so the Lord God shall bring forth justice and praise before all the nations. For this is the shoot of justice, which the flower of glory adorns with its blessings when it has grown. But how great is this glory? How can anyone think of anything more glorious, or rather, how can anyone conceive of this at all? For the flower rises from the root of Jesse. you ask: “How far?” Surely it rises even to the highest place because Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father. His magnificence is elevated above the heavens, so that He, the issue of the Lord, is splendid and glorious, the sublime fruit of earth.
But what is our benefit from this fruit? What other than the fruit of blessing from the blessed fruit? From this seed, this shoot, this flower, surely the fruit of blessing comes forth. It has come even to us; first as a seed it is planted through the grace of pardon, then germinated with the increase of perfection and finally, it flowers in the hope or the attainment of glory. For the fruit was blessed by God and in God, so that God may be glorified through it. For us, too, the fruit was blessed, so that blessed by God, we may be glorified in Him through the promise spoken to Abraham. God made the fruit a blessing for all nations.” – Baldwin of Forde O.Cist ( c 1125– 1190) Cistercian Abbot, Bishop, then Archbishop of Canterbury ( An excerpt from A Sermon on the ‘Hail Mary’).
PRAYER – In Your goodness Lord, as we rejoice at the coming of Your Son in flesh and blood like ours, grant that when He comes again in glory, we may receive the gift of eternal life. And may His Blessed and Immaculate ever Virgin Mother, cast upon us a look of mercy and intercede on our behalf. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God now and for all eternity, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 21 December – “Month of the Immaculate Conception” – Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Advent
Hail Mary, the Angelic Salutation
The Hail Mary/Ave Maria
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Áve María, grátia pléna, Dóminus técum. Benedícta tū in muliéribus, et benedíctus frúctus véntris túi, Iésus. Sáncta María, Máter Déi, óra pro nóbis peccatóribus, nunc et in hóra mórtis nóstrae. Ámen.
Today, Catholics may wish to thank St Peter Canisdius (1521-1397), for this Doctor of the Church gave us the second half of the Hail Mary prayer.
This 16th-century Saint, known as the second Apostle of Germany, followed in the giant footsteps of St Boniface, who evangelised Germany a thousand years earlier. He was also active at the Council of Trent and wrote much on the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The first half of the Hail Mary, of course, comes from Scripture. What many Catholics don’t know, is that the second half of this Catholic prayer is due to the intervention of St Peter Canisius at the Council of Trent. St Peter began adding onto the scriptural part of the Hail Mary, the “Holy Mary Mother of God pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.” It was Trent that officially accepted this addition to the prayer and included it in their famous Catechism of the Council of Trent in 1566.
Saint of the Day – 21 December – Blessed Daniel of the Annunciation OdeM (13th Century-possibly) Friar of the Order of Our Lady of Mercy and the Redemption of the Captives, commonly called the Mercedarians. Also known as Daniele dell’Annunziata.
Sadly, we have almost no information of this Blessed not even the confirmed dates of his life.
Daniel was a Mercedarian Friar at the Monastery of Santa Maria della Pace in Naples, Italy. He was a staunch defender of the freedom of the Church from state control and of his Order.
Monastery of Santa Maria della Pace
He was known for personal piety and strict adherence to his Order’s rule and orthodox Christian doctrine.
Notre-Dame de Saint-Acheul / Our Lady of Saint Acheul, Amiens, France, founded by Saint Firmin, Bishop (4th Century) – 21 December:
The Church containing the Shrine of Our Lady of Acheul, was located near Amiens. In fact, Saint Acheul was once considered the Mother-Church of the Cathedral of Amiens and was sometimes called the “Old Cathedral of Amiens,” although this is no longer the case, as there is now a larger Cathedral Church in Amiens. The Church stands on the very place where once a Roman temple stood, and tradition tells that Saint Firminus (Died 303) was the Apostle of Amiens, arriving there before the close of the third century after Christ. It is said that by the eloquence of his preaching and the number of his miracles, Saint Firminus (or Saint Firmin) converted many idolaters to the True Faith and Baptised three thousand men in forty days. The early Church, built around the year 300, contained the remains of the Martyred Saint. This Church was devastated repeatedly by the invasions of the Normans, and was finally totally destroyed in 1218. The relics of Saint Firmin were transferred to the Cathedral of Amiens during the Middle Ages. The Shrine of the Virgin of Saint Acheul, is noteworthy for a singular miracle – an apparition which occurred during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The celebrant, after the Consecration, saw a hand appear from within a luminous cloud and the hand of Christ took the Sacred Host and dropped it into the Chalice. Some of the faithful present likewise witnessed the same thing – a certain skeptic was brought to his knees in humble acceptance of the fact, that the Holy Sacrifice is truly the same as that of Calvary. The armorial bearings of the Abbey of Saint-Acheul, displays a hand in remembrance of this miracle.
The Altar to Our Lady at the Cathedral
The present Cathedral of Saint Acheul was not finished until the fifteenth century. After the erection of the new Cathedral at Amiens, Saint Acheul was known as the Church of Our Lady of Acheul. Miracles took place frequently and pilgrimages continued. The Church of Saint Acheul was destroyed by a natural phenomenon, probably a strong storm, in about the year 1751. It was rebuilt and completed in 1760. A few short years later, during the Terror of the French Revolution, the Church was used as a stable. Today, the Church is protected as an historical monument, the decree given in 1969. The Abbey buildings are now occupied by a private party but the Church is used as a Parish Church.
St Anrê Tran An Dung St Baudacarius of Bobbio St Beornwald of Bampton Bl Bezela of Göda Blessed Daniel of the Annunciation OdeM Mercedarian Friar(13th Century?) St Dioscorus
St Festus of Tuscany St Glycerius of Nicomedia St James of Valencia St John of Tuscany St John Vincent St Micah the Prophet St Phêrô Truong Van Thi St Severin of Trèves (Died c 300) Bishop, Confessor Bl Sibrand of Marigård St Themistocles of Lycia
Thought for the Day – 20 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
A Christmas Novena V The Swaddling Clothes of the Divine Infant
“Mary, like other mothers in those days, wrapped the Infant Jesus in swaddling clothes. The Divine Child quietly offered this new humiliation to His heavenly Father. He saw prefigured in these bands, the ropes with which He would be bound in the garden of Gethsemane, even after He had given sinful humanity, His celestial teaching, example and miracles and finally, His own Body inthe Sacrament of the Eucharist. He saw in them too, the chains with which He would be secured to the pillar, in order to be scourged in the Praetorium of Pilate among the jeers and insults of the onlookers. He saw in them, finally, the cords with which, after having been condemned to the ignominious death of the Cross, He would be tied, while being led to the place of execution on Mount Calvary. Filled with infinite love for stricken humanity, the Heart of the Divine Infant offered all this, in advance, to His Father in heaven.
Are we making any effort to return such great love? Like Jesus, we are often obliged to endure, both physical and moral anguish. Have we the resignation to offer it all to Jesus, or do we squander our opportunities in useless complaining or in acts of impatience and rebellion? We shall have to go on suffering anyway but, in the latter case, we may have to suffer even more and shall lose all merit in the sight of God.
Let us kneel down before the Holy Infant wrapped in His swaddling clothes and, let us promise to endure everything for His sake and in reparation for our sins.”
Quote/s of the Day – 20 December – Monday of the Fourth Week of Advent, Readings: Isaiah 7: 10-14; Psalm 24: 1-6; Luke 1: 26-38
“And Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be to me according to your word.’”
Luke 1:38
“The price of our salvation is offered to you. We shall be set free at once, if you consent. In the eternal Word of God, we all came to be and behold, we die. In your brief response, we are to be remade. in order to be recalled to life.
… Answer quickly, O Virgin. Reply in haste to the Angel, or rather, through the Angel to the Lord. Answer with a word, receive the Word of God. Speak your own word, conceive the Divine Word. Breathe a passing word, embrace the Eternal Word!”
St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) The Last Father and the Mellifluous Doctor of the Church
The Annunciation By Fr Thomas Merton (1915-1968)
Ashes of paper, ashes of a world Wandering, when fire is done: We argue with the drops of rain!
Until one comes Who walks unseen Even in elements we have destroyed. Deeper than any nerve He enters flesh and bone. Planting His truth, He puts our substance on. Air, earth and rain Rework the frame that fire has ruined. What was dead is waiting for His Flame. Sparks of His Spirit spend their seeds, and hide To grow like irises, born before summertime. These blue thinas bud in Israel.
The girl prays by the bare wall Between the lamp and the chair. (Framed with an angel in our galleries She has a richer painted room, sometimes a crown. Yet seven pillars of obscurity Build her to Wisdom’s house, and Ark and Tower. She is the Secret of another Testament She owns their manna in her jar.)
Fifteen years old – The flowers printed on her dress Cease moving in the middle of her prayer When God, Who sends the messenger, Meets His messenger in her Heart. Her answer, between breath and breath, Wrings from her innocence our Sacrament! In her white body God becomes our Bread.
It is her tenderness Heats the dead world like David on his bed. Times that were too soon criminal And never wanted to be normal Evade the beast that has pursued You, me and Adam out of Eden’s wood. Suddenly we find ourselves assembled Cured and recollected under several green trees.
Her prudence wrestled with the Dove To hide us in His cloud of steel and silver: These are the mysteries of her Son. And here my heart, a purchased outlaw, Prays in her possession Until her Jesus, makes my heart Smile like a flower in her blameless hand.
Fr Thomas Merton (1915-1968), Trappist Monk and Priest. Thomas Merton expressed his vision in his poetry, novels, essays, devotionals and autobiographical writings.
One Minute Reflection – 20 December – Monday of the Fourth Week of Advent O Clavis David/O Key of David – Readings: Isaiah 7: 10-14; Psalm 24: 1-6; Luke 1: 26-38
The Lord is at hand, come let us adore Him.
O KEY OF DAVID, and Sceptre of the House of Israel, who opens and no-one shuts, who shuts and no-one opens. Come and bring forth the captive from his prison, he who sits in darkness and in the shadow of death.
“Hail, full of grace!” – Luke 1:28
REFLECTION – “This woman will be the Mother of God, the door to Light, source of Life; she will reduce to oblivion the judgement that weighed on Eve. “The rich among the people seek the face” of this woman, “the kings of the nations shall pay her homage”, they shall “offer gifts”…, yet the glory of the Mother of God is an interior glory: the fruit of her womb.
O woman, so worthy of love, thrice happy, “blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” Daughter of David the king and Mother of God, King of the universe, masterpiece in whom the Creator rejoices…: you are to be nature’s full achievement. For you, life is not yours; you were not born for yourself alone but your life is to be God’s. You came into the world for Him, you will serve for the salvation of all people, fulfilling God’s design established from the beginning: the Incarnation of the Word and our own divinisation. Your whole desire is to feed on the words of God, to be strengthened by their sap, like “a green olive tree in the house of God,” “like a tree planted by running water,” you are the “tree of life” who “yielded its fruit in due season”…
He Who is Infinite, Limitless, came to dwell in your womb; God, the Child Jesus, was nourished by your milk. You are the ever virginal Doorway of God; your hands hold your God; your lap is a throne raised up above the Cherubim… You are the wedding chamber of the Spirit, the “city of the living God, gladdened by the runlets of the stream”, that is to say, the waves of the Spirit’s gifts. You are “all fair, the Beloved” of God.” – St John Damascene (675-749) Monk, Theologian, Father and Doctor of the Church (Homily on the Nativity of the Virgin, # 9 ; SC 80) [( Biblical references : Ps 44[45],13; 71[72],11.10; Mt 2,11; Lk 1,42; Is 62,5; Ps 51[52],10; 1,3; cf Gn 2,9, Rv 22,2; cf Ez 44,2; Ps 79[80],2; cf Sg 1,4; Ps 45[46],5; Sg 4,7].
PRAYER – Lord, at the Angel’s message, Mary, the Immaculate Virgin, became the temple of God and was filled with the light of the Holy Spirit, when she received Your divine Word. Grant that, after her example, we may humbly and steadfastly follow Your will. Through Christ the Incarnate Word, our Lord and Saviour, with the Holy Spirit, one God for all ages, amen.
Saint of the Day – 20 December – Saint Philogonius of Antioch (Died 324) Bishop, Widower, Lawyer, Patriarch of Antioch. Defender of the true Faith against Arianism, in fact, he was one of the first to publicly denouce the hereby, Defender of the people against persecution, Ascetic. Died in 324 of natural causes. Patronage – of Lawyers.
The Roman Martyrology states: “In Antioch in Syria, St Philogonius, Bishop, who, a Lawyer, called by God to govern this Church one day, started together with the Bishop St Alexander and other companions ,the fight for the Catholic faith against Arianism and full of merit, he rested in the Lord. St John Chrysostom celebrated him in a famous commendation.”
Philogonius was a successful Lawyer and Advocate, at the Bar of Antioch. He was known for his eloquence, moral integrity and Christian Faith. He married and had a daughter, but became a Monk and Ascetic after his wife died.
The celebrated and holy Philogonius lived in the reign of Constantine the Great. After having finished his studies, he practised law but in such a manner that he might serve as a model to all in a similar calling. He never undertook any lawsuit before he had thoroughly examined the case and, being entirely frank with those who desired his assistance, he never pleaded a cause which seemed unjust. Nothing could deter him from what he thought right, neither fear of those above him, nor promises nor gifts. The poor he served gratis, and he defended, both by word and writing, the widow and the orphan against the power of the great, never refusing his counsel to those whose means allowed but a small recompense or none at all. Love for his neighbour was to him a greater incentive to work than eagerness to gain temporal goods.
How high these noble qualities raised him in the estimation of the people was especially manifest, when after the death of the Bishop, they were choosing a worthy Successor to their late shepherd. The entire people insisted on having him as Bishop, who, until then, had with so much kindness and justice, assisted them in their temporal affairs. The voice of the people was regarded as the voice of God, and Philogonius was Consecrated Bishop of Antioch.
He administered his sacred functions in the most zealous manner. Saint John Chrysostom, who preached a magnificent sermon on Saint Philogonius, says himself, that to speak worthily in his praise surpassed all eloquence. Licinius, at that period, persecuted the Christians and Philogonius did his utmost to protect them. He animated them to constancy, and taught them not to allow either the loss of their temporal goods, nor other sufferings to separate them from Christ, or to leave the true Church, as they would deprive themselves of their eternal possessions, and would have nothing to expect but the pains of hell. By frequent representations of the unending joys of heaven and the torments of hell, he strengthened his flock so effectually in the true faith, that they were willing to suffer poverty and tortures and even death, rather than leave it. When it happened that one would apparently forsake the true faith through fear of martyrdom, the holy man, though deeply grieved, spoke neither harshly nor unkindly to him but, with a heartfelt compassion, represented the greatness of his sin, exhorted him to do penance and atone for his error and encouraged him to constancy. When he saw that his admonitions were heeded, he greatly rejoiced and always treated the penitent with kindness, without ever reproaching him for his fault, or even alluding to it.
When the persecution of Licinius had ceased, Arius began to disseminate his heresy. No shepherd could be more solicitous to protect his sheep from an attack of wolves than Saint Philogonius was to keep the heresy from his people and retain them in the faith of Christ. Arius confessed that Philogonius had been his strongest adversary and had opposed him most effectually. The holy Bishop explained the wickedness of the new heresy and refuted it as well in public sermons as in private discourses, by which he greatly benefited his flock. Besides this, he zealously endeavoured to uproot all abuses that had crept in and to plant in the hearts of all, a hatred of sin and a love of virtue. Towards this end he directed all his exhortations, which had great influence over the people, as he supported his precepts by the example of his virtue. His conduct was so blameless, that even his enemies could find no fault in it.
He was greatly devoted to prayer, and always sought refuge in it when he was in affliction. He allowed no comfort to his body, not even necessary rest. He guarded his sheep day and night and the result was, that it was said of the Church at Antioch, that true virtue and piety reigned among all classes of people. Saint Chrysostom compares it to a well cultivated and fruitful garden, cleansed from thorns and brambles and says. that it showed the indefatigable care of him who had governed it.
The Almighty wished, at last, to give the promised reward to His true and faithful servant. A sickness, apparently of no consequence, prepared his way. The thought of the labours he had undergone in his functions during his life, for the honour of God and the salvation of souls, gave him inexpressible comfort in his last hour and the hope of going to Heaven gave him the most ardent desire to die and rest in God. This wish the Almighty granted, to the great grief of the people of Antioch.
Saint John Chrysostom preached a beautiful eulogy on St Philogonius.
Notre-Dame de Bon Retour à Île-Molène / Our Lady of Molene, France (1075) – 20 December
The Abbot Orsini wrote: “The Shrine of Our Lady of Molene is in the Abbey of the Order of Saint Benedict in Langres. It was founded on the 20th of December, 1075, by Saint Robert who was the Abbot.”
The Benedictine Monastery in the Diocese of Langres founded by Saint Robert was actually the famous Molesme Abbey. As the Abbot Orsini mentioned, it was indeed founded by Saint Robert, henceforth known as Saint Robert of Molesme O.Cist (1028-1111), in the year 1075. He had been the Abbot of Saint Michael Abbey but left and founded a new Abbey when they refused to accept his necessary reforms. Saint Robert was born in the year 1029 and had a deep, childlike devotion to the Mother of God – by reason of a vision his mother saw, before Robert was born – and he instilled the same into the hearts of his Monks. Saint Robert’s holiness attracted many sincere men to join him, and as many of them were also noblemen, they provided Saint Robert with the financial means necessary to build a magnificent Abbey. Among those who flocked to Saint Robert was St Bruno of Cologne, who was the future Founder of the Carthusian Order. When Saint Robert died in the year 1111, he was buried in the Ahurch at the Abbey he founded. St Alberic, Robert’s Successor, decided that the Order should be dedicated to Mary. According to legend, Mary bestowed on Alberic a white mantle; for that reason, the Monks changed their black habit and wore white. All their Churches were dedicated to the Virgin and each had its Mary Altar before which the office of Mary was chanted every Saturday. The Church and Monastery were destroyed and any remaining property stolen in 1472 during the war between Burgundy and France. The Huguenots burned what had been rebuilt the following century during the French Wars of Religion. The end came during the French Revolution when the Abbey was suppressed and the buildings and Church destroyed. The small Church pictured is the Church of Sainte-Croix, built in the 13th century as a Chapel for the novices at the Abbey. Even this building was damaged in 1940 during combat between the French and German troops and some of that damage can still be seen. However, this is now a thriving Parish with an annual pilgrimage to honour Our Lady. The Grotto above and below, stands in the open field previously the site of the Monastery. The Abbey site has been an historical monument since 1985. The once thriving community is gone and the site now is only accessible by prior arrangement. The Monastery seal pictured the Virgin Mary crowned.
St Attala of Strasbourg St Bajulus of Rome St Crescentius of Africa St Dominic of Brescia
St Eugene of Arabia St Gabriel Olivares Roda St Hoger of Hamburg-Bremen Bl John de Molina St Julius of Gelduba Bl Lorenzo Company St Liberatus of Rome St Macarius of Arabia St Malou of Hautvillers
AnaStpaul 
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