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! 🙏
Quote/s of the Day – 19 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary”
“If we would please this Divine Infant, we too must become children, simple and humble. We must carry to Him, flowers of virtue, of meekness, of mortification, of charity. We must clasp Him in the arms of our love.”
St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor
“Our Lord is begotten virginally, from all eternity, in the bosom of His Heavenly Father. He shares in the One Divinity of His Eternal Father, without dividing it or fracturing the Divine Simplicity. He remains One same God with Him. The most holy Virgin produced her Son, Our Lord on earth, as He is produced by His Father eternally in Heaven that is, virginally. There is one important difference, however, she brought Him forth from her womb and not in her womb, for once He left it He will no more return there but His Heavenly Father begets Him from His bosom and in His bosom and He will remain there eternally!”
(The Coming of the Divine Infant 24 December 1613 Sermon for Christmas Eve)
St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor of the Church
One Minute Reflection – 19 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Ferial Day – Philippians 4:4-7; John 1:19-28 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/ –
“I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord” – John 1:23
REFLECTION – “Brethren, before anything else we ought to reflect on the grace of solitude, the blessedness of the desert which, from the beginning of this time of salvation, has deserved to be consecrated to the peacefulness of the Saints. Indeed, the desert was made holy for us by the voice of John, he, who cried out in the desert, who preached there and administered the baptism of repentance. Even before him, the greatest of the Prophets had always made a friend of solitude as being something which assisted the Spirit. However, an incomparably greater grace of holiness became attached to this place, when Jesus followed John there. Before preaching to the repentant in his turn, Jesus considered He ought to prepare a place, in which to receive them; He went into the desert for forty days so as to consecrate a new life in this renewed location … and this, not so much for His Own Sake, as for those who would dwell in the desert afterwards.
So then, if you have decided on the desert, remain there and wait for Him Who will save you from your feebleness of spirit and the tempest … The Lord will satisfy there, you who have followed Him, even more wonderfully than He satisfied the crowd who followed Him into it (Lk 4:42) … At that very moment, you imagine Him to have long forsaken you, even then, mindful of His goodness, He will Come to console you and will say: “I remember you, moved with pity for your youth and your first love, when you followed Me into the desert,” (Jer 2:2). The Lord will turn your desert into a paradise of delights, while you will proclaim (like the Prophet) that the glory of Lebanon has been given to Him, the beauty of Carmel and Sharon (Is 35:2) … Then, from the fullness of your heart, your hymn of praise will rise: “Let them give thanks to the Lord, for His wondrous deeds to the children of men! He has satisfied the longing soul and filled the hungry with good things,” (Ps 106:8).” – Bl Guerric of Igny (c1080-1157) Cistercian Abbot (4th Sermon for Advent).
PRAYER – Put forth Thy power, O Lord, we beseech Thee and delay not and with Thy great might, come to our aid, so that what is hindered by our sins, maybe hastened by Thy merciful goodness. Who livest and reignest with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
Our Morning Offering – 19 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary”
Creator Alme Siderum Creator of the Starry Frame 7th Century Advent Hymn
Creator of the starry frame; Eternal Light of all who live; Jesu, Redeemer of mankind, An ear to Thy poor suppliants give.
When man was sunk in sin and death, Lost in the depth of Satan’s snare, Love brought Thee down to cure our ills, By taking of those ills a share.
Thou for the sake of guilty men, Causing Thine own pure blood to flow, Didst issue from Thy Virgin-shrine, And to the Cross a Victim go.
So great the glory of Thy might, If we but chance Thy Name to sound, At once all Heaven and Hell unite In bending low with awe profound.
Great Judge of all, in that last day, When friends shall fail and foes combine, Be present then with us, we pray, To guard us with Thy arm divine.
To God the Father and the Son, All praise and power and glory be, With Thee, O holy Comforter, Henceforth through all eternity.
Also known as Advent Hymn, this translation of the Latin hymn Creator Alme Siderum (Pope Urban VIII’s 1632 revision of the 7th Century Hymn Conditor alme siderum) was first published in Fr Edward Caswall’s Lyra Catholica,
Saint of the Day – 19 December – Saint Gregory of Auxerre (c455-c540) Bishop and Confessor who reigned as the Bishop of that Diocese for nearly 13 years. Probably born in France in c455 and died in Auxerre, France in c540 of natural causes.
The Roman Martyrology reads: “At Auxerre, St Gregory, Bishop and Confessor.”
A Window in Auxerre Cathedral showing an ancient Bishop which might be our St Gregory
Saint Gregory was the 12th Bishop of Auxerre. In the chronology of Bishops, he was placed after Saint Theodosius and before Saint Optatus.
If Saint Theodosius is mentioned at the first Council of Orléans in 511 and Saint Optatus had a very short Episcopate around 530, the pastoral government of our Gregory also appears within those dates.
He appears in the first catalogue of bishops compiled in the year 875, by the canons Rainogala and Agaldo, considered quite truthful by later historians, even if doubts were raised about the chronology before the 7th Century.
In the ancient text “Gesta Episcopurum Autissiodorensium” it is reported that Gregory governed the Diocese of Auxerre for twelve and a half years and died at the age of eighty-four. It is said that he died on 19 December of an unspecified year and was buried in the Crypt of Saint Germanus. His seven-line Epitaph, painted in the 12th Century on a pillar of the Crypt, is now almost completely erased.
In 1635, Bishop Dominique Séguier exhumed and recognised his remains. The Roman Martyrology lists his Feast Day as today, 19 December.
A portion and ceiling of the Crypt at Auxerre Cathedral
St Adelaide of Susa (c1014-1091) Countess, Married Laywoman, mother of 5, widowed 3 times. Born in c1014 in Turin, Italy and died on 19 December 1091 also in Italy. Adelaide made donations to the Monasteries of Turin, founded the Monastery of Santa Maria at Pinerolo and received communication from many leading Ecclesiastical dignitaries of the day. She also furthered the processes of reform within the Church hierarchy. Her Life: https://anastpaul.com/2023/12/19/saint-of-the-day-19-december-saint-adelaide-of-susa-c1014-1091-widow/
St Boniface of Cilicia Bl Cecilia of Ferrara St Fausta of Sirmium St Gregory of Auxerre (c455-c540) Bishop and Confessor St Jaume Boguñá Casanovas St Johannes Gogniat St Josep Albareda Ramoneda
Blessed Mercedarian Fathers – (6 Beati): A group of Mercedarian Friars noted for their dedication to the Order’s Rule, for their continuous prayer life and their personal piety. Blessed Bartolomeo of Podio Blessed Giovanni of Verdera Blessed Guglielmo de Gallinaris Blessed Guglielmo of Prunera Blessed Pietro of Benevento Blessed Pietro of Gualba
Martyrs of Nicaea – (4 Saints): A group of Christians Martyred together. The only surviving details are four of their names – Darius, Paul, Secundus and Zosimus. They were martyred at Nicaea, Bithynia (modern Izmit, Turkey).
Martyrs of Nicomedia – 5 Saints: A group of Christians Martyred together in the persecutions of Diocletian. We know little more than the names of five – Anastasius, Cyriacus, Paulillus, Secundus and Syndimius. They were martyred in 303 at Nicomedia, Asia Minor.
Thought for the Day – 18 December – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)
Meditations for Advent From “The Devout Year” By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)
The Uncertainty of His Coming
+1. Ever since Our Lord’s Ascension into Heaven , His servants have watched for His return, crying out: “Come , O Lord Jesus, come quickly!” In the days of the Apostles, in the early ages of the Church, in mediæval times , men believed that His Coming was close at hand. In these later days, it is true, the expectancy is not as immediate as it once was but, the very fact that we think the world has still [a time] to run, may be an indication that the end is not far away. Can I, from my heart, offer the prayer that His coming may not be long delayed?
+2. Men sometimes tell us, when six thousand years have passed, the world will have run its course and Christ will return to Judge the living and the dead. It may be so but rash indeed is he, who ventures thus to fix the time for it is Our Lord Himself Who tells us: “Of that day and that hour knoweth no man, nor the Angels of God but the Father only.” One of the essential characteristics of that day will be its suddenness. Hence, learn the importance of being always ready and then you will be always safe and at peace.
+3. We may not live until the Second Coming of Christ surprises the world but, we shall liveuntil the day which is the call for us to Judgement. That day is not far off; it may be very near and the chance is, it will either come unexpectedly, or will be preceded by a time which will be but a poor time for preparation. I must be prepared now, I must always be prepared, for the moment when I hear the Voice of God summoning me and then, the sooner that time comes, the better for me.
Quote/s of the Day – 18 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The Feast of Our Lady of Expectation
“ By a woman, came the flood of our ills and by a woman too, our blessings, have their spring.”
St Gregory Thaumaturgus (c213-c270) “the Wonder-Worker,” Bishop, Confessor
“And Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be to me according to thy word.’”
Luke 1:38
“The price of our salvation is offered to thee. We shall be set free at once, if thou consent. In the eternal Word of God, we all came to be and behold, we die. In thy 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 thine 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
“She saw herself raised to the highest dignity that ever was or will be, for although it should please God to create anew many worlds, He could never make a pure creature be greater than the Mother of God. Our Lady humbled herself and acknowledged herself unworthy of being raised to the high dignity of Mother of God, therefore, she was made to be His Mother, for she had no sooner uttered the protestation of her littleness, than, having abandoned herself to Him, by an act of incomparable charity, she became the Mother of the Most High, Who is the Saviour of our souls!”
One Minute Reflection – 18 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Ember Wednesday – The Feast of Our Lady of Expectation – Isaias 7:10-15; Luke 1:26-38 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Hail, full of grace!” – Luke 1:28
REFLECTION – “The degeneration caused by sin had obscured the beauty of our original nobility. But when the mother of supreme Beauty is born, our nature finds its purity once more and sees itself moulded according to the perfect model, worthy of God (Gn 1:26)… We had all preferred the world below, to that above. There no longer remained any hope of salvation. The state of our nature cried aloud to Heaven to come to the rescue … Then, at last, in His good pleasure, the world’s Divine Artificer determined to make a new world appear, a different world full of harmony and youth.
Now was it not fitting, that a most pure virgin without stain, should place herself at the service of this mysterious plan, first of all?… And where was this virgin to be found, if not in this woman, alone of her kind, chosen by the world’s Creator before all generations? Yes, she indeed, is Mother of God, divinely named Mary, whose womb gave birth to God Incarnate and whom, He Himself had supernaturally prepared, as His Temple…
In this way, then, the design of the Redeemer of our race was to bring about a birth and, as it were, a new creation to replace the one which went before. Therefore, just as in Paradise, He had taken a little clay out of the pure and spotless earth, to fashion the first Adam (Gn 2:7), so, at the moment of bringing about His Own Incarnation, He made use of another earth, so to speak, namely, this Pure and Immaculate Virgin, chosen from among all other beings He had created. It is in her that He, Adam’s Creator, has remade us in our very substance and become a new Adam (1 Cor 15:45), that the old might be saved by the New and Eternal!” – St Andrew of Crete (660-740) Bishop (Sermon 1 for the Nativity of the Mother of God ; PG 97, 812).
PRAYER – O God, Who, by the message of an Angel, willed to take flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary, grant that we, Thy suppliants, who believe her to be truly, the Mother of God, may be helped by her intercession with Thee. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
Our Morning Offering – 18 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The Feast of Our Lady of Expectation
Awaiting Baby Jesus Traditional Catholic Advent Prayer
My heart is beating, filled with joy, awaiting Mary’s Baby Boy. For with this Child, we embrace the birth of God’s most precious grace. Baby Jesus, soon to come! For us comes the Promised One. Baby Jesus, God’s own Son, Thou will be the Chosen One to lead Thy flock unto salvation. Our eternal life awaits. The birth of Jesus brings us nearer Heaven’s Holy Gates. Sing with joy and count the days, for soon to come, the Lord we’ll praise. Rejoice that Jesus will soon arrive, the Messiah and our faith alive. Amen
Saint of the Day – 18 December – Saint Samthann (Died 739) Virgin, Abbess of the Monastery she had founded, Clonbroney. Born in Ireland and died at her Convent Clonbroney in 739. Also known as – Samthan, Samthana, … of Clonbroney.
The ‘Life of Samthann’ is known mainly from an early 14th-Century manuscript. Below is taken from this ‘Life of Saint Samthann’ from a translation by two Irish Priests, Fathers Diamuid O’Laoghaire and Peter O’Dwyer:
Samthann’s father’s name was Diamramus and her mother’s Columba. As she matured her foster-father, Cridan, King of the Ui Coirpri, gave her in marriage to a nobleman. Before the marriage solemnities were celebrated, the nobleman saw, at midnight, something like a ray of the sun, extended through the roof of the house, onto the bed in which Samthann was sleeping with the King’s two daughters. Amazed by the unusual vision of light at such an hour, he rose immediately and, advancing toward his spouse’s bed, found that her face was illumined by that ray. He was very happy to be gifted with a spouse who was surrounded by heavenly light.
The following night, when the solemnities had been celebrated, both were entering the marriage bed, as is customary … but before the consumation of the marriage, … tiredness overcame Cridan. Then Samthann gave herself to prayer, knocking at the doors of Divine Mercy beseeching God might keep her virginity unblemished. And God heard her prayer, for at about midnight that Town in which they lived seemed to outsiders to be on fire. A flame of extraordinary magnitude was seen ascending from the mouth of the holy virgin to the roof of the house. A mighty cry was raised outside in the Town and those who were asleep within, were awakened. Together, they hastened to extinguish the fire.
In the meantime the holy virgin Samthann hid herself in a cluster of ferns nearby. The fire vanished immediately without doing any damage. When morning came, her foster-father, the King, set out to look for her. When he found her, she begged him to change his decision and allow her to marry her only true Spouse, the King of Heaven. Then the King said, “We offer you to God, the Spouse Whom you choose.” Then she, with her husband’s permission, entered the Monastery of the virgin Cognat where she remained for a time.
Later Samthann became the Abbess of the Convent of Clonbroney. Many miracles were attributed to her. When a worker hired by Samthann to build an Oratory silently wished for himself and his co-workers, a feast of forty bread loaves with butter, cheese and milk, he was soon awed to see this dream meal brought to them.Smiling at his astonishment, Samthann said to him, “The thought of your heart is fulfilled, is it not?”
St Samthan had founded Clonbroney (Cluain-Bronach) Abbey in County Longford, a house which refused large donations, for fear of losing the simplicity of their lives.
Her cultus was promoted by Saint Virgilius of Salzburg. Her name is in both the Litany and the Canon of the Irish Stowe missal which had been compiled in thelate 8th or early 9th Century.
Christmas Novena to the Christ Child – Day Three:THE THIRD DAY
The Monthly Novena to the Infant of Prague – LINK : The Third Day
Our Lady of the Expectation – This Feast originated in Spain. When the Feast of the Annunciation (25 March) was transferred to 18 December because of the regulation forbidding Feasts in Lent, it remained on this date after the Annunciation was again celebrated on its original date. It impressed on the faithful, the sentiments of the Blessed Virgin as the time of her delivery approached. More about the Feast here: https://anastpaul.com/2018/12/18/the-feast-of-our-lady-of-expectation-18-december/
St Mawnan of Cornwall – He is lincluded in various calendars in the British Isles. A Town in the County of Cornwall is named for him. No reliable information about his life has survived. St Rufus of Philippi+ St Samthann (Died 739) Virgin, Founder Abbess St Theotimus of Laodicea– Martyr. No further information has survived.
Mercedarians Redeemers – Also known as “Blessed Redentori.” A group of Mercedarian Friars who worked together, under the leadership of Saint Peter de Amer, to ransom prisoners and minister to them after. Blessed Bernardo de Pratis Blessed Giacomo de Lara Blessed Louis Gasco Blessed Peter de Quesada Blessed Peter of Barcelona Blessed William de Quadres
Martyrs of Northwest Africa – 42 Saints: Mercedarian Redeemers – 6 beati – These are a group of Mercedarian Friars who worked together, under the leadership of Saint Peter de Amer, to ransom (e.g., redeem) prisoners and minister to them after.
Thought for the Day – 17 December – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)
Meditations for Advent From “The Devout Year” By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)
The Signs of His Coming
+1. One of the signs of the Second Coming of Our Lord being nigh at hand, will be that no-one will expect it. All the world will be satisfied that things will go on as hitherto for many a century and they will ask – “Where is the promise of His Coming?” In this too, the life of the individual is often a miniature of the history of the world. Christ comes again to many an nexpecting soul when sudden death, through some accident or nsuspected disease, carries off, in a moment, the man who thought he had long years to live. “Blessed is he whom his Lord, when He cometh shall find watching.”
+2. Another warning of Our Lord’s approach will be the coming of Antichrist. He will be one, whose authority and power will be a counterfeit of the Vicar of Christ. His distinguishing marks will be overweening pride, hatred of the Catholic Church, widespread dominion, spirit of rebellion which will enlist, in his service, all who revolt against the authority which comes from God . Examine yourself to see if there lurks in you, any of this dislike of lawful authority and pray for the grace of loyalty to men, for God’s sake.
+3. Before Our Lord’s Coming, there will be a terrible persecution of he servants of God. In these days, when there is an ever-increasing spirit of tolerance, it is difficult to understand this. But under the spirit of what is called ‘religious liberalism or ecumenism!‘ lurks a deadly hatred of the Church of Christ. It breaks out from time to time, as in the French Commune. It slumbers but now it blazes up again. Pray for grace to withstand all the assaults of the persecutor!
Quote/s of the Day – 17 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Ferial Day – Philippians 4:4-7; John 1:19-28 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“The Lord is near. Have no anxiety …”
Philippians 4:5-6
“In adoring our Saviour’s birth, it is our origin 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
“May He, Who is the Track of the runners and the Reward of the winners, lead and guide you along it – He, Christ Jesus!”
Blessed Guerric of Igny (c1080-1157) Cistercian Abbot
One Minute Reflection – 17 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The Third Week of Advent – Ferial Day – Philippians 4:4-7; John 1:19-28 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/ – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“He it is Who is to come after me, Who has been set above me, the strap of Whose sandal I am not worthy to loose. ” – John 1:27
REFLECTION – “When the whole universe was overshadowed by the darkness of the devil and sins’ gloom dominated the world, a new Sun, Christ our Lord, willed in these last days, when night was nearly over, to shine forth the first rays of a new day. But before this Light appeared, that is to say, before the “Sun of righteousness” (Mal 3:20) arose, God had already announced it, like a first gleam through his Prophets: “I sent My Prophets before the Light” (Jer 7:25). Later, Christ Himself, put forth His Rays – that is to say, His Apostles – to make His Light shine out and fill the universe with His Truth, so that none might be lost in darkness…
But so as to finish doing our necessary tasks, before the Sun of this world arises, we mortals anticipate the Light with our lamps. Likewise, Christ the Sun, also has His Lamp to precede His coming, as the Prophet says: “I have prepared a Lamp for My Anointed” (Ps 131:17). And Our Lord shows us what this lamp is, when He says with regard to John the Baptist: “He was a burning, shining light.” And John himself said, as though he were the feeble glimmering of a lantern being carried on ahead: “But One is coming, Who is stronger than I and I am not worthy to undo His sandal strap. He will Baptise you in the Holy Spirit and in fire” (Lk 3:16). And at the same time, knowing that his light was to be eclipsed by the Sun’s Rays, he prophesied: “He must increase; I must decrease” (Jn 3:30). Indeed, just as the glow of a lantern fades away at the coming of the Sun, so the baptism of repentance, preached by John, faded before the coming of the grace of Christ.” – St Maximus of Turin (Died c420) Bishop. Father (Sermon 62, 26).
PRAYER – Put forth Thy power, O Lord, we beseech Thee and delay not and with Thy great might, come to our aid, so that what is hindered by our sins, maybe hastened by Thy merciful goodness. Who livest and reignest with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
Saint of the Day – 17 December – St Briarch (Died 627) Abbot, Priest, Missionary, Founder of the Monastery of Bourbriac from which a village grew (Briarch Village), Hermit Born in Ireland and died in 627 in Bourbiac, France of natural causes. Patronages – against epilepsy, against mental illness, against headaches. Also known as – Briarch of Brittany, Briach…Briac…Briachus…Briag…Briagenn…Briarch of Bourbriac.
In the 6th Century, the Benedictines spread throughout Europe, Monks who lived according to the Rule of Saint Benedict, based on prayer and work. Even in Ireland, the ideas of the Italian Monk captured the interest of many young men.
This is the case of the Saint celebrated today – the nobleman Briarch. He abandoned luxury, wealth and a brilliant career and left his native Island home, to go to Wales. Here, his monastic life began under the guidance and direction of St Tual (Died c560) The young nobleman, who had become a Priest, decided to cross the sea once again and reached Brittany in North-west France, which at that time was called Armorica.
Briaco was not alone; he was accompanied by seventy fellow Monks. In this area, the Priest built a Monastery around which a village was born, the current French City of Bourbriac (Briarch Village).
In the Monastery, the Monks prayed, cultivated the land, copied the Sacred Scriptures and other Latin and Greek spiritual works by hand and welcomed the many in need of food, care and protection. The Monks also taught the locals how to cultivate the fields and how to read and write. Monasteries thus become places of peace and work for many desperate people fleeing from invasions.
After some time, Briarch wished to embrace solitude in order to grow in sanctity and to unite himself to God. He took refuge in the forest and lived as a Hermit. He prayed, fasted and immersed himself in mediationon. His isolation did not mean, however, running away from people, towards whom Briarch was always kind.
Celebrating St Briarch today on his Feast
In fact, during his stay in the forest, many miracles occurred due to his intercession. He made a sick person wear his habit and immediately a miraculous cure occurred. Another individual, suffering from obsessive thoughts which caused him to suffer great anxiety, was healed by the prayers of the Irish Hermit. On another occasion, a man, bitten by a poisonous snake, was immediately saved from death by the intervention of Briarch.
On the facade of the St Briac Church at Saint-Briac-sur-Mer
Briarch then undertook another journey, this time as a Pilgrim to Rome to meet Pope Pelagius II and to visit the holy places. On his return however in 627, he stopped in the South of France, in Arles, some sources say he died here and others that he did reach his beloved Monastery in Brittany, where he died.
Briarch is buried in the Church of Bourbriac. There is still a Sarcophagus from the Merovingian period, probably the stone coffin in which he was laid to rest. Under the Church is the Crypt from the 11th Century, probably built as Briarcc’s final resting place, where believers could venerate him without disturbing the service in the Church above. A spring can still be seen near the Church.
A pardon (penitential procession) is held on Ascension Day. On that occasion, the Reliquary of St Briarch, in the form of a bust is carried around the former Monastery grounds. There are numerous Churches, Towns, Villaes, regions named after St Briarch in France.
The Reliquary of St Briarch used in the Pardon Procession
St Begga of Ardenne (c613-693) Widow, Mother of 3 children, Founder of Churches and a Monastery of which she became the first Abbess. Patronages – Ardenne, against stuttering and of stutterers. he Roman Martyrology reads: “At Ardenne, at the Seven Churches, St Begga Widow, sister of St Gertrude of Nivelles.” St Begga’s Holy Life: https://anastpaul.com/2023/12/17/saint-of-the-day-17-december-saint-begga-of-ardenne-c613-693-widow/
St Briarch (Died 627) Abbot St Judicaël St Maxentiolus St Modestus of Jerusalem
Martyrs of Eleutheropolis – (60+ Martyrs-Beati): Approximately 60 Christian soldiers in the imperial Roman army of emperor Heraclius; they were murdered as a group for their faith by invading Saracen Muslims. We know the names of two of them – Calaoicus and Florian. 638 in Eleutheropolis (Beit Jibrin), Palestine.
Thought for the Day – 16 December – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)
Meditations for Advent From “The Devout Year” By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)
The Second Coming of Christ
+1. When the Apostles on Mount Olivet were gazing after their Master Who had just ascended into Heaven, two Angels stood by them and announced to them that He, Who had just vanished from their sight would return in like manner Our Lord Himself had already declared – He would Come Again with power and great glory and would sit upon the throne of His glory. At the sound of His approach, the dead will rise from their graves to meet Him and, the nations of the world, who have not accepted His sway, will be filled with unspeakable terror and dismay. What will be the dispositions with which I shall rise again to meet Christ? What would they be now, if He were to Come today?
+2. The object of His Coming will be to judge the living and the dead. All which is now hidden, will be made manifest before the world. All the secret thoughts and whispered words and actions, concealed from the eyes of men, will then be made manifest. How should I like to have all my base and low motives dragged to light, all my unkind words revealed to those against whom they were spoken, all those actions of which I cannot myself think,. without shame, proclaimed so all may behold them?
+3. Our Lord will Come, radiant in majesty and glory, to crush His enemies under His feet and reward His faithful soldiers and servants. How great then will be the ignominy and shame of the mighty men of earth if they have not bowed their neck to the King of kings! How full of joy will be the hearts of all who have humbled themselves before Him! How will they be beautiful beyond compare and honoured before His holy Angels! Learn now to humble yourself under the yoke of Christ!
Quote/s of the Day – 16 December – 2 Corinthians 1:3-7; Matthew 16:24-27 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“For he who will save his life, will lose it and he who will lose his life for My sake, will find it. ”
Matthew 16:25
“He who findeth his life, shall lose it and he, who shall lose his life for Me, shall find it. ” Matthew 10:39
“My dear child, accept this cross from God and bear it – it will turn into a truly lovable cross, if you would hand these trials over to God, accept them from Him with true abandonment and thank God for them: “My soul magnifies the Lord” in everything (cf Lk 1:46). Whether God takes or gives, the Son of Man must be raised up on the Cross … Dear child, leave all that behind; rather, give your attention to true abandonment … and think about accepting to bear the cross of temptation, rather than going in search of spiritual sweetness … Our Lord has said: “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him take up his cross and follow Me” (Lk 9:23).”
Fr JohannesTauler OP (c1300-1361) Dominican Priest and Friar, renowned Preacher and Theologian
“Since happiness is nothing else than the enjoyment of the Supreme Good and the Supreme Good is above us, no-one can enjoy happiness, unless he rises above himself.”
St Bonaventure (1221-1274) Seraphic Doctor of the Church
“My soul, live henceforward amid the scourges and the thorns of thy Saviour and there, as a nightingale in its bush, sing sweetly: Live Jesus, Who didst die that my soul might live! Ah, Eternal Father! What can the world return Thee for the gift Thou hast made it of Thy only Son? Alas! to redeem a thing so vile as I, the Saviour delivered Himself to death and, unhappy me! I hesitate to surrender my nothingness to Him, Who has given me everything!”
One Minute Reflection – 16 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – St Eusebius of Vercelli (c283-371) Bishop, Confessor – 2 Corinthians 1:3-7; Matthew 16:24-27 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow Me.” – Matthew 16:24
REFLECTION – “In achieving the mystery of His Love, the Lord “took the form of a servant” and, for us, “deigned to humble Himself even to the death of the Cross” (Phil 2:8). He did this so that, through the lowliness which all could see, He might secretly achieve, for us, that hidden eminence amongst the dwellers of Heaven. Only realise, from what we first fell and you will become aware, that by the design of God’s Wisdom and Love, we are being refashioned for Life. In Adam, we fell through pride and, in Christ, we are humbled, that we may dissolve the sin of that ancient crime, by obedience to the opposite virtue. So, we who by proud conduct, have sinned, win approval by humble service.
Therefore, let us rejoice and glory in Him, Who made us both His battle and His victory, when He said: “Have confidence, for I have overcome the world” (Jn 16:33) … He, Who is unconquered, will fight for us and conquer in us. Then the prince of this darkness shall be cast out (cf Jn 12:31). He is not, to be sure, expelled from the world but from the individual, for when faith enters us, we shut him out and provide a place for Christ…
Let orators keep their eloquence, philosophers their wisdom, rich men their wealth and kings their kingdoms. Christ is our Glory, Property and Kingdom! Our wisdom lies in the “foolishness of our preaching,” our strength, in the weakness of the flesh, our glory, in the stumbling block of the Cross (cf 1 Cor 1:21).” – St Paulinus of Nola (355-431) Bishop, Father of the Church (Letter 38:3-4.6).
PRAYER – O God, Who gladden us with the annual festival of blessed Eusebius, Thy Martyr and Bishop, mercifully grant that, as we venerate the anniversary of his Martyrdom, we may also rejoice in his protection.Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
Our Morning Offering – 16 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary”
O Jesus, Dear Holy Child By St Thérèse of the Child Jesus (1873 – 1897)
O Jesus, dear Holy Child, my only treasure, I abandon myself to Thy every whim. I seek no other joy than that of calling forth Thy sweet Smile. Vouchsafe to me, the graces and the virtues of Thy Holy Childhood, so that, on the day of my birth into Heaven, the Angels and Saints may recognise in Thy Spouse, Thérèse of the Child Jesus. Amen
Saint of the Day – 16 December – Blessed Raynald de Bar O.Cist. (Died 1150) Abbot of the Citeaux Abbey and a personal friend of St Bernard. Born in Bar-sur-Seine, France and died at Citeaux Monastery on 16 December 1150. Also known as – Rainald, Renaud, Raynard, Reinard or Rainhard.
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Blessed Raynald of Bar[a] was the 5th Abbot of Cîteaux from 1134 until his death. He succeeded the deposed Guy. Under Raynald, the Cistercian Order prospered and grew.
Raynald was the 2nd son of Count Milo II of Bar-sur-Seine and Matilda of Noyers. He became a Monk at Clairvaux Abbey and a personal friend of St Bernard.
Raynald is generally credited with compiling the Instituta Generalis Capituli Apud Cistercium, the earliest collection of the decisions of the Cistercian General Chapter and may also be credited with the shorter Capitula, a summary and re-arrangement of the Instituta.
St Beoc St Dominic Dosso Bl Elizabeth of Saint Francis
St Everard of Friuli (c815-867) Duke, Count, Soldier, Founder of Churches and a Monastery. In contrast to his soldiering life, St Everard was a peacemaker, a humble and loving Master with a social conscience, striving always to free serfs, wherever possible or at least to free them from their burdens and assisting the poor and needy in all their deprivations. His Humble Life: https://anastpaul.com/2021/12/16/saint-of-the-day-16-december-saint-everard-of-friuli-c-815-867/
St Irenion (Died 389) Bishop No further information can be found Bl James of Tunis St Jean Wauthier St Macarius of Collesano
Martyred Women of North-West Africa: A large group of women Martyred in the persecutions of Hunneric, Arian King of the Vandals. 482 in North-West Africa.
Martyrs of Ravenna – 4 Saints: A group of Christians Martyred together. Four names and no other information has survived – Agricola, Concordius, Navalis and Valentine. c 305 at Ravenna, Italy.
Thought for the Day – 15 December – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)
Meditations for Advent From “The Devout Year” By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)
Rejoice Always!
+1. St Paul goes beyond the mere command to rejoice and to rejoice in the Lord; he bids us to rejoice always! Is this possible? Yes, it is quite possible. If it were not, the Apostle would not have imposed it upon us. It is not easy because, our self-love and our selfishness destroy joy. But the Saints, who had driven self-love out of their hearts, found it a pleasant and an easy task, to be always joyful. If we desire the same, we must do our best to rid ourselves of this hindrance to our joy.
+2. How are we to accomplish this task? It must be a gradual one. It is to be arrived at by many acts of submission to the Will of God and to the will of others, when opposed to our own and the submission, must have for its motive, not the intellectual conviction that what we ourselves desire is in itself inferior but, the determination to submit, for the sake of submission and, as an act of reverence to God. We must be willing to submit, both will and intellect, to those set over us, without complaining or questioning their command. Do I do so?
+3. When this painful process is over and when, at length we begin to learn the happiness of giving up our own will to the will of others we soon begin to receive the reward of our self-conquest. We acquire, by degrees, an undisturbed calm of soul and an increasing strength of will, as the fruits of our victory over self and, above all, a happy consciousness that we have been learning the lesson of conforming our will to the Will of God, in which the happiness of Heaven consists.
Quote/s of the Day – 15 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Gaudete Sunday, The Third Sunday of Advent – Philippians 4:4-7; John 1:19-28 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Gaudéte in Dómino semper”
“Rejoice in the Lord always”
Philippians 4:4
“ Rejoice, O star which goes before the Sun. Rejoice, O womb of the Incarnate God. Rejoice, for through you, all creation is renewed, Rejoice, for through you, the Creator became a Baby. Rejoice, O Virgin and Bride!”
Hymn to Mary (c Fifth Century)
“O Infinite God and only love of my soul, I thank Thee for having given me Thy Son. For the sake of this same Son, accept me and bind me with chains of love to my Redeemer. Amen ”
St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor
One Minute Reflection – 15 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The Octave Day of the Immaculate Conception – The Third Sunday of Advent “Gaudete” Sunday –Philippians 4:4-7; John 1:19-28 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“[One is standing] in the midst of you, … Whom you do not know.” – John 1:26
REFLECTION – “The Lord is near.Have no anxiety [at all]” (Phil 4:5-6). This is what God the Father says in the Prophet Isaiah: “I am bringing on My Justice,” – that is to say, His Son; “My Salvation shall not tarry. I shall put Salvation within Zion and give to Israel My glory” (46:13). It is what today’s Gospel says: “One is standing in your midst, One Whom you do not know” Mediator between God and men, a Man (1Tim 2:5), Christ Jesus, arises in the camp of this world, to fight the devil. As victor, He rescues man and reconciles him with God our Father. But you do not know Him!
“Sons have I raised and reared but they have disowned Me. An ox knows its owner and an ass, its master’s manger. But Israel does not know Me and My people have not understood” (Is 1:2-3). How close the Lord is to us! And we do not know Him! “I have fed My children with My Blood,” He says to us, “as a mother feeds her children with her milk. I have raised the human nature I have taken, to which I am united, above the Choirs of Angels.” Could He show us greater honour? “And they have rejected Me. See whether there is any sorrow like Mine” (Lam 1:12) …
So, then, “have no anxiety at all,” for it is anxiety concerning material things which makes us forget the Lord!” – St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) Franciscan, Doctor of the Church (Sermons for Sundays and Feast days, 3rd Sunday of Advent).
PRAYER – Put forth Thy power, O Lord, we beseech Thee and delay not and with Thy great might, come to our aid, so that what is hindered by our sins, maybe hastened by Thy merciful goodness. Who livest and reignest with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
Our Morning Offering – 15 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The Octave Day of the Immaculate Conception
O Purest of Creatures, Sweet Mother, Sweet Maid By Fr Frederick W Faber C.Orat. (1814-1863)
O Purest of creatures, sweet Mother, sweet maid, The one spotless womb wherein Jesus was laid! Dark night hath come down on us, Mother! and we Look out for thy shining, sweet Star of the Sea!
Deep night hath come down on this rough-spoken world, And the banners of darkness are boldly unfurled; And the tempest-tossed Church,— all her eyes are on thee; They look to thy shining, sweet Star of the Sea!
He gazed on thy soul, it was spotless and fair, For the empire of sin—it had never been there; None ever had owned thee, dear Mother but He. And He blest thy clear shining, sweet Star of the Sea!
Earth gave Him one lodging; t’was deep in thy breast, And God found a home where the sinner finds rest; His home and His hiding-place, both were in thee, He was won by thy shining, sweet Star of the Sea!
Saint of the Day – 15 December – Saint Adalbero (c958- 1005) Bishop of Verdun and Metz, France, Reformer, founder of Churches and Monasteries, Apostle of those in need, he led an ascetic and devout life. Born in c958 in Upper Lorraine in France and died in Metz on 14 December 1005 of natural causes. Also known as – Adalbéron, also: of Upper Lorraine, Adalbero of Verdun.
Metz Cathedral
Adalbero son of Duke Frederick I of Upper Lorraine and Beatrice, a sister of the Frankish King Hugh Capet, was educated in the Benedictine Monastery in Gorze near Metz. In 984 he became the Bishop of Verdun as Adalbero I and, in the same year, the Bishop of Metz . He was praised for his friendly nature, his ascetic lifestyle and his generosity. In Metz and Lorraine, he promoted the reforms of Cluny in the Monasteries and in Metz, he founded the Abbey of Saint-Symphorien. When a plague struck the city of Metz, he turned his bishop’s palace into a hospital and also cared for victims of the plague himself.
In 999, Adalbero was given the Castle – on the site of the present Palace – in Saarbrücken and with it the rule over the City and its surroundings by Emperor Otto III. In the jubilee year 1000, he made a pilgrimage to Rome . After his return, he fell ill with gout and, at the end of his life, he gave his money to Churches and to the poor.
Saarbrücken Palace with a Statue of St Adalbero on the left
Octave Day of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Christmas Novena to the Divine Infant Jesus by St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori – BEGINS on 16 December: This Novena is translated from the Italian of Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori and was first published in 1758. Although this Novena is intended, primarily as a preparation for the Feast of our Lord’s Nativity, it can be used with spiritual profit at any time of the year, as a devotion in honour of the Infant Jesus. This translation by the Redemptorists of the UK.
AND/OR: December, naturally being the Month of the Divine Infant, is a wonderful time to begin this Monthly practice: The Monthly Novena to the Infant Jesus of Prague From 16 to 24 December (and of every Month on the same dates).
St Maximinus of Micy St Offa of Essex St Paul of Latros St Silvia of Constantinople St Urbicus
St Valerian of Abbenza (c377-c457) Confessor, Bishop. The Roman Martyrology this day states: “In Africa, the holy Bishop Valerian, who, being upwards of eighty years old, in the persecution of the Vandals, under the Arian King Genseric, was asked to deliver the Sacred vessels of the Church and, as he constantly refused, an order was issued to drive him, all alone, out of the City and all were forbidden to allow him to stay, either in their houses or on their land. For a long time, he remained lying on the public roads in the open air and thus, in the confession and defence of the Catholic verity, closed his blessed life.” Pray for Us, Holy St Valerian: https://anastpaul.com/2023/12/15/saint-of-the-day-15-december-saint-valerian-of-abbenza-c377-c457-
Martyrs of North Africa – 7 Saints: A group of Christians Martyred together for their faith in North Africa. The only details about them that survive are their names – Caelian, Candidus, Faustinus, Fortunatus, Januarius, Lucius and Mark.
Martyrs of Rome – 22 Saints: A group of 22 Christians Martyred together in the persecutions of Valerian. The only details we have are five of their names – Antonius, Irenaeus, Saturnin, Theodorus and Victor. c 258 in Rome, Italy.
Thought for the Day – 14 December – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)
Meditations for Advent From “The Devout Year” By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)
Rejoice!
+1. The time of preparation is a mingled period of penance and of joy. Of penance, by reason of our sins which have removed us so far away from God; of joy, at the prospect of being brought near to Him once more through Jesus Christ. On mid-Advent, as on mid-Lent Sunday, it is the joyful side of the matter which comes before us. More than this, joy is insisted upon as a duty. It seems strange that the command to rejoice should be necessary. Do not all men love joy and seek after it unbidden? One thing it shows, God desires that we should be full of joy. Thank Him for this merciful intention and try to carry it out.
+2. Yet it is not all kinds of joy which are recommended to us. There are many kinds of joy which the Apostle would be far from recommending. To rejoice in the world is but a sorry kind of joy, on account of its transitory character. Gaudete in Domino, says the Apostle – “Rejoice in the Lord.” This is the only lasting joy and the only joy which is really worth the possession.
+3. What does St Paul mean by rejoicing in the Lord? He means the joy which is the result of such a love of God as makes us simply wish that His Will should be done in all things and, which feels positive joy, in seeing the accomplishment of the Divine Will, quite apart from any personal advantage or disadvantage which may accrue to ourselves. This is the secret of true joy, for then, that which befalls ourselves, is a matter of indifference to us. Be it wealth or woe, success or failure, we rejoice in it simply because it is what God has ordained for us . This is the meaning of Our Lord’s words – “ Your joy, no man taketh from you.”
AnaStpaul 
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