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! 🙏
To Thee, O Master Morning Offering By St Macarius the Wonder-Worker (Died 850)
To Thee, O Master, who loves all mankind I hasten on rising from sleep. By Thy mercy, I go out to do Thy work and I make my prayer to Thee. Help me at all times and in all things. Deliver me from every evil thing of this world and from pursuit by the devil. Save me and bring me to Thy eternal Kingdom, For Thou art my Creator, Thou inspire all good thoughts in me. In Thee is all my hope and to Thee I give glory, now and forever. Amen
Saint of the Day – 23 August – St Flavian of Autun (5th Century) Bishop of Autun in France. Also known as – Flavichonus, Flavinian, Flavius, Flaviano, Flavio.
Flavian was a Bishop of Autum who presumably lived in the 5th Century. In the chronology of the Bishops of the Diocese recorded in the 6rd Century, he was believed to be placed in the twelfth place, while recent studies places him in the twenty-second place after Saint Euphronius, historically attested in 475 and before Saint Pragmatius, documented in 517.
We know nothing about Saint Flavian, since the existence of this Bishop is attested only through his name. Most historians identify him with the Bishop of Autun, Flavichonus, remembered in the Life of Heptadius of Cervon, a contemporary of King Clovis.
In many texts he is believed to have governed the Diocese after the death of Saint Euphronius which occurred in the year 490.
The memory of Saint Flavian is remembered and celebrated, both in the Hieronymian Martyrology and in the Roman Martyrology on 23 August.
St Philip Benizi OSM (1233-1285) Confessor, Co-Founder (one of the Seven Holy Founders of the Order of Servants of Mary) OSM, Servite Priest Genera\Superior, Reformer, Preacher, Medical Doctor. St Philip was Beatified on 8 October 1645 by Pope Innocent X and Canonised on 12 April 1671 by Pope Clement X – he was the first Servite to be Canonised. Born on15 August (Feast of the Assumption and the day that the Blessed Virgin appeared to the first of the Founders of the Servite Order) 1233 at district of Oltrarno, Florence, Italy -and died on 22 August (Octave of the Assumption i.e. the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary) 1285 at Todi, Italy). This Amazing Life: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/08/23/saint-of-the-day-23-august-st-philip-benezi/ AND: https://anastpaul.com/2022/08/23/saint-of-the-day-23-august-st-philip-benizi-osm-1233-1285-confessor/
St Abbondius of Rome St Altigianus St Apollinaris of Rheims St Archelaus of Ostia St Asterius of Aegea St Claudius of Aegea St Domnina of Aegea St Eleazar of Lyons St Eonagh St Flavian of Autun (5th Century) Bishop Bl Giacomo Bianconi of Mevania St Hilarinus St Ireneus of Rome St Lupo of Novi St Luppus
St Marcian of Saignon, France – Priest, Founder and the first Abbot of the Benedictine Abbaye Saint Eusebe, the Abbey of St Eusebius. Unfortunately we do not even know the year of his birth or of his death but we do know the day of death was 23 August. The Little We Know of His Life: https://anastpaul.com/2023/08/23/saint-of-the-day-23-august-st-marcian-of-saignon-abbot/
St Maximus of Ostia St Minervius of Lyons St Neon of Aegea St Quiriacus of Ostia St Theonilla of Aegea St Timothy of Rheims
Martyrs of Agea – 4 Saints: A group of Christian brothers, Asterius, Claudius and Neon, denounced by their step-mother who were then tortured and Martyred in the persecutions of Pro-consul Lysias. They were crucified in 285 outside the walls of Aegea, Cilicia (in Asia Minor) and their bodies left for scavengers.
Thought for the Day – 22 August – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)
CHARITY Meditations for a Month
Charity in Heaven – The Final Meditation
Some virtues will not enter into the door of the Celestial Paradise, inasmuch as, they imply some sort of imperfection, in the nature of him, who possesses them or, the circumstances among which he lives. Such are faith, hope, prudence and so forth. However, one virtue is not only welcome in Heaven,but, reigns there supreme. The very atmosphere of Heaven is nothing else, than an atmosphere of charity. To the Saints and Angels, it is the very breath of their life. It is the light which enlightens the celestial City.
When we read that the glory of God enlightens the Heavenly Jerusalem and that the Lamb is the Light thereof, Saint John is speaking of that Charity with which God has identified Himself and which shone amongst men in Christ our Lord. Each Saint in Heaven, will shine with a radiance proportioned to his charity and will enjoy happiness, the extent of which, will be commensurate with his charity. When I shall be judged by the standard of charity, shall I be found fit for Heaven at all?
Charity is, moreover, the Queen of Heaven and, therefore, may be identified with Our Lady, who, next to her Divine Son, was its earthly ideal. This is why she is the Mother of Mercy and why, we fly to her protection in all our troubles. She reigns supreme in Heaven and her Sovereignty is due to her charity. This is why she is the most powerful of all our intercessors, the most loving, the most compassionate, the most tender and, the most full of pity for sinners. To thee then, O Mother of Charity, I will fly and will beg of thee, to obtain for me, from thy Divine Son, more and more of His unspeakable Charity!
Quote/s of the Day – 22 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” and the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Octave Day of the Assumption – Ecclesiasticus 24:23-31, John 19:25-27 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Woman, behold thy son. … Behold thy mother.”
John 19:26-27
“And from that hour, the disciple took her to his own.” John 19:27
“ As His last will and testament, He committed, to His beloved heir, the care of His Mother… The Church fell to Peter, Mary to John. This bequest belonged to John, not only by right of kinship but too, because of the privilege, love had bestowed and the witness, his chastity bore… It was fitting that none other than the beloved of her Son, should minister to the Mother of the Lord… Providence too arranged, very conveniently that he who was to write a Gospel, should have intimate conferences with her, who knew about them all, for she had taken note from the beginning, of everything that happened to her Son and “treasured all the words concerning Him, pondering them in her heart” (Lk 2:19).”
Blessed Guerric of Igny O. Cist. (c1080-1157) Cistercian Abbot
“In the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I trust. Look to the Star, call upon Mary! In danger, in difficulty or in doubt, think of Mary, call upon Mary. Keep her name on your lips, never let it pass out of your heart.”
St Bernard (1090-1153) Mellifluous Doctor of the Church
O Immaculate Heart of Mary By St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302)
O Immaculate Heart of Mary, I have nothing in myself to offer thee which is worthy of thee but what thankgiving I ought I to pay thee, for all the favours which thou hast obtained for me from the Heart of Jesus! What reparation ought I to make thee for all my tepidity in thy service! I desire to return thee love for love, the only good which I possess, is the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which thou, thyself hast given me. I offer thee this Treasure of Infinite Price, I cannot do more and thou dost not deserve less, at my hand but, receiving from me, this Gift most Precious in thy sight, be pleased, I beseech thee, to accept too, my poor heart which I here offer to thee and I shall be forever blessed! Amen.
One Minute Reflection – 22 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary”and the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Octave Day of the Assumption – Ecclesiasticus 24:23-31; John 19:25-27 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Behold, thy mother” – John 19:27
REFLECTION – “The glorious Virgin paid our ransom as a courageous woman who loved with the compassionate love of Christ. In Saint John it is said: “When a woman is in labour she is sad that her time has come.” (Jn 16:21) The Blessed Virgin did not feel the pain which precedes childbirth because she did not conceive following the sin of Eve, against whom the curse was spoken. She felt her pain later – she gave birth under the Cross! Other women know bodily pain, she felt that of the heart. Others suffer from physical change; she, from compassion and love.
The Blessed Virgin paid our ransom as a courageous woman who loved the world and, above all the christian people, with merciful love. “Can a mother forget her infant or be without tenderness for the child of her womb?” (Isa 49:15) This can make us understand – the entire Christian people has come forth from the womb of the glorious Virgin! What a loving Mother we have! Let us take our Mother as our model and, let us follow her in her love. She had compassion for souls, to such an extent that she counted all material loss and every physical suffering as nothing. “(We) have been purchased … at a great price!” (1 Cor 6:20) – St Bonaventure (1217-1274) Franciscan, Cardinal Bishop of Albano, Theologian, Minister General of the Franciscans, Seraphic Doctor of the Church (The Seven Gifts of the Holy Ghost – Conference VI, 15-21).
PRAYER – Almighty, everlasting God, Who in the Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, prepared a dwelling place worthy of the Holy Ghost, graciously grant, that we, who are devoutly keeping the Feast of her Immaculate Heart, may be able to live according to Thy Heart. 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 – 22 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” and the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of our Most Blessed and Loved Mother Mary
I’ll Sing a Hymn to Mary By Father John Wyse (1825-1898) Irish Priest and Hymn writer
I’ll sing a hymn to Mary, The Mother of my God, The Virgin of all virgins, Of David’s royal blood. O teach me, Holy Mary, A loving song to frame, When wicked men blaspheme thee, To love and bless thy name.
O Lily of the Valley, O Mystic Rose, what tree, Or flower, e’en the fairest, Is half so fair as thee? O let me, tho’ so lowly Recite my Mother’s fame. When wicked men blaspheme thee, I’ll love and bless thy name.
O noble Tower of David, Of gold and ivory. The ark of God’s own promise, The gate of Heav’n to me. To live and not to love thee Would fill my soul with shame. When wicked men blaspheme thee, I’ll love and bless thy name.
When troubles dark afflict me In sorrow and in care, Thy light doth ever guide me O beauteous Morning Star. Lo, I’ll be ever ready Thy goodly help to claim, When wicked men blaspheme thee, To love and bless thy name.
The saints are high in glory, With golden crowns so bright; But brighter far is Mary, Upon her throne of light. Oh that which God did give thee, Let mortal ne’er disclaim; When wicked men blaspheme thee, I’ll love and bless thy name.
But in the crown of Mary, There lies a wonderous gem, As Queen of all the Angels, Which Mary shares with them; No sin hath e’er defiled thee, So doth our faith proclaim; When wicked men blaspheme thee, I’ll love and bless thy name.
And now O Virgin Mary My mother and my Queen, I’ve sung thy praise so bless me, And keep my heart from sin. When others jeer and mock thee, I’ll often think how I To shield my Mother, Mary, Would lay me down and die.
Saints of the Day – 22 August – St Timothy and Companions – they were + St Hippolytus of Porto and + St Symphorian of Autun. The three died at different times in different places but all on the same date, that is, 22 August – Martyrs.
The Roman Martyrology reads of these three today: St Timothy – “At Rome, on the Ostian road, the birthday of the holy Martyr, Timothy. After he had been arrested by Tarquinius, Prefect of the City and kept for a long time in prison, as he refused to sacrifice to the idols, he was scourged three times, subjected to the most severe torments and finally beheaded.”
St Hippolytus – “At Porto, St Hippolytus, Bishop, most renowned for learning. Having gloriously confessed the Faith, in the time of the Emperor Alexander, he was bound hand and foot, precipitated into a deep ditch filled with water and thus received the Palm of Martyrdom. His body was buried by the Christians at that place.”
St Symphorian – “At Autun, St Symphorian, a Martyr in the time of the Emperor, Aurelian. Refusing to offer sacrifices to the idols, he was first scourged then confined in prison and finally ended his Martyrdom by being beheaded.”
The Martyrdom of Saint Symphorian, by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres
Timothy (Timotheus), Hippolytus of Rome and Symphorian (Symphorianus, Symphorien), are three Martyrs who, although they were unrelated and were Martyred in different places and at different times, shared a common Feast day in the General Roman Calendar from at least the 1568 Tridentine calendar to the Mysterii Paschali (i.e. Paul VI – Vatican II).
Timothy of Antioch came to Rome in 310 and was Martyred in 311. He was cruelly beaten and quicklime was sprinkled over his torn flesh. At last he was beheaded.
On the same date at Ostia, Hippolytus, Bishop of Porto, was thrown into a hole filled with water and received the Crown of Martyrdom about 225.
Again on the same day, about 180, under the reign of Aurelian, Symphorian, who was still a young man, was beheaded at Autun. While he went to execution his mother said to him: “My son, my son, remember eternal life; look up to Heaven and see the One Who reigns there; life is not taken from thee, it is exchanged for a better one.”
Collect: Deny us not, Thy aid, O merciful Lord but listening to the prayers of Thy blessed Martyrs Timothy, Hippolytus and Symphorian, stretch forth over us, the Right Hand of Thy merciful forgiveness. 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).
St Timothy and Companions – they were + St Hippolytus of Porto and + St Symphorian of Autun. The three died at different times in different places – Martyrs
St Anthusa of Seleucia St Antoninus of Rome St Arnulf of Eynesbury St Athanasius of Tarsus Bl Bernard Perani St Dalmau Llebaría Torné St Epictetus of Ostia St Ethelgitha of Northumbria St Fabrician of Toledo St Felix of Ostia
St John Kemble (1599 – 1679) Martyr, Priest. Ordained in 1625, he returned to Monmouthshire and served more than 50 years as an itinerant Priest, winning admirers even among Protestants. After being dragged on a hurdle to Widemarsh Common, Kemble declared on the scaffold that he died for the religion that had made this country Christian and that he forgave all his enemies. He was then obliged to encourage the executioner, who had no stomach for his task. Life and Death: https://anastpaul.com/2018/08/22/saint-of-the-day-22-august-st-john-kemble-1599-1679-martyr/
St John Wall St Josep Roselló Sans St Julio Melgar Salgado St Maprilis of Ostia St Martial of Ostia St Maurus of Rheims St Philibert of Toledo Bl Richard Kirkman St Saturninus of Ostia Bl Simeon Lukach St Sigfrid of Wearmouth + St Symphorian of Autun
Thought for the Day – 21 August – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)
CHARITY Meditations for a Month
The Charity of Jesus Christ “The Charity of Christ surpasseth all knowledge”
(Ephesians 3:19)
In what did the Charity of Christ consist? (1) In an Infinite self-abasement for our sakes. From the Throne of God, He humbled Himself to the form of sinful man. (2) In a sacrifice of Himself which passes all comprehension. He gave up the Infinite joy of Heaven, for the sufferings of this vale of tears. (3) In the endurance of mental and bodily agony, of desolation and dereliction. One moment of these would have crushed the life out of the strongest of men.
Try to realise those familiar truths and see what a contrast your life is to His. What are the chief points of contrast? (1) Christ humbled Himself for the good of others. I seek to exalt myself at their cost. (2) Christ gave up His life of perfect happiness that He might make others happy. I am willing to sacrifice little or nothing, my aim is to make myself happy, not others. (3) Christ endured unspeakable agony to save men from the agony they well deserved. I complain of the least discomfort. As to giving up my joys and pleasures for others and enduring misery for their sakes, I would not even think of it.
Yet, I consider myself a good Christian and speak glibly of treading in the Footsteps of Christ. I expect to be admitted to Heaven as one of His friends and followers. What will He say to me when I present myself? Will He recognise in me, any likeness to Himself or any vestige of His Divine Charity? O my God, I must be very different from what I have been, if I am to present myself with confidence before Thee, as one whose charity is like to the Charity of Christ!
Quote/s of the Day – 21 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – St Jane Frances de Chantal VHM (1572-1641) Widow
“With God there is no need for long speeches. In Heaven the Angels utter no other wor than this: “HOLY.” This is their entire prayer and in paradise they are occupied with this single word as an act of homage, to the single Word of God, Who lives eternally…. In prayer, more is accomplished by listening, than by speaking.”
“May we love and serve the Lord reverently with a loving, filial fear of offending our heavenly Father and of displeasing Jesus, our Divine Beloved. As long as we are in this life, we would do well to follow the well-travelled ways to holiness. Fear of God is the first step on this path. We cannot maintain a truly productive desire of serving God unless we have a holy fear of displeasing Our Saviour and, of being negligent in responding to grace and inspirations. ”
“She was full of faith and yet, all her life long, she had been tormented, by thoughts against it. Nor did she once relax, in the fidelity God asked of her. And so, I regard her, as one of the holiest souls I have ever met on this earth.”
St Vincent de Paul (1581-1660)
(St Jane was a close friend of St Francis de Sales and St Vincent de Paul, both of whom guided and assisted her and her foundation, as Spiritual Advisors and Confessors.)
One Minute Reflection – 21 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – St Jane Frances de Chantal VHM (1572-1641) Widow – Proverbs 31:10-31′; Matthew 13:44-52 – – – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field; he who finds it, hides it and in his joy, goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” – Matthew 13:44
REFLECTION – “In my opinion, it would be unworthy of us to withdraw, even for a moment, from the contemplation of Christ. When we have lost sight of Him, even briefly, let us turn our mind’s regard back to Him, directing the eyes of our heart, as by a very straight line. For everything lies in the soul’s inner sanctuary. There, after the devil has been expelled and the vices no longer reign at all, the Kingdom of God can be established in us, as the Evangelist says: “For amen I say to you that the Kingdom of God is within you.”
But within us there can be nothing else than knowledge or ignorance of the truth and the love, of either the vices, or the virtues, by which we make ready a Kingdom in our hearts, either for the devil or for Christ.
The Apostle Paul also describes the characteristics of this Kingdom when he says: “For the Kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.” Thus, if the Kingdom of God is within us and the Kingdom of God is itself, righteousness and peace and joy, then, whoever abides in these things, is undoubtedly in the Kingdom of God … Let us lift up the eyes of our soul to that Kingdom which is endless joy!” – St John Cassian (c360-435) Monk, Theologian, Founder of Monasteries, Father of the Church, Disciple of St John Chrysostom (Conferences No 1).
PRAYER – Almighty and merciful God, Who endowed St Jane Frances, burning with love of Thee, with a wondrous strength of spirit through all the paths of life, in the way of perfection and willed through her, to ennoble Thy Church, by a new religious family, grant by her merits and prayers, that we who are aware of our weakness, may trust firmly in Thy power and, by the assistance of divine grace, overcome all obstacles in our way. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
Our Morning Offering – 21 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – Feast of St Jane Frances de Chantal (1572-1641)
Prayer of Abandonment By St Jane Frances de Chantal (1572-1641)
O sovereign goodness of the sovereign Providence of my God! I abandon myself forever to Thy arms. Whether gentle or severe, lead me henceforth whither Thou will. I will not regard the way through which Thou will have me pass but keep my eyes fixed upon Thee, my God, who guides me. My soul finds no rest without the arms and the bosom of this heavenly Providence, my true Mother, my strength and my rampart. Therefore I resolve with Thy Divine assistance, 0 my Saviour, to follow Thy desires and Thy ordinances, without regarding or examining why Thou does this rather than that but I will blindly follow Thee, according to Thy Divine will, without seeking my own inclinations. Hence I am determined to leave all to Thee, taking no part therein, save by keeping myself in peace in Thy arms, desiring nothing, except as Thou incites me to desire, to will, to wish. I offer Thee this desire, 0 my God, beseeching Thee to bless it. I undertake all it includes, relying on Thy goodness, liberality and mercy, with entire confidence in Thee, distrust of myself, and knowledge of my infinite misery and infirmity. Amen.
Saint of the Day – 21 August – Blessed Conrad Probus of Toul OFM (c1220-1297) Bishop of Toul, Papal Legate, Defender of the Church against secular interference. Born in c1220 in Tübingen, Wurttemberg (in modern Germany) and died on 2 May 1297 in onstanz, Germany of natural causes. Also known as – Konrad, Probus, … of Tübingen, Conrad Probus.
Conrad, later called Probus, was a Bishop of Toul in France, between 1269 AND 1279.
The central nave completed by Blessed Conrad
In 1245. although his qualities and his life of piety earned him the attention of his Bishop, he decided to become a Religious in the congregation of the Friars Minor.
We know that Pope Nicholas III, his fellow Friar of the Minors and friend, entrusted him with numerous missions, appointing him the Bishop of Toul in Lorraine, on 4 October 1279.
In the list of Bishops of Toul, his name is listed when the Diocese was vacant between the years 1269-1279. Conrad had to defend the rights of the Church against the City Officials. In 1285, having emerged victorious in various disputes, he built the central nave and the smaller ones of the Cathedral of Toul.
St Bonosus St Camerinus of Sardinia St Cameron St Cisellus of Sardinia St Cyriaca
Blessed Conrad Probus of Toul OFM (c1220-1297) Bishop St Euprepius of Verona St Fidelis of Edessa St Theogonius of Edessa St Gracia of Lérida St Hardulph St Joseph Nien Vien St Leontius the Elder St Luxorius of Sardinia St Maria of Lérida St Maximianus the Soldier St Maximilian of Antioch St Natale of Casale Monferrato St Paternus of Fondi St Privatus of Mende St Quadratus of Utica
Thought for the Day – 20 August – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)
CHARITY Meditations for a Month
The Charity of God
Among all the Divine perfections, charity is the only one with which God our Lord absolutely identifies Himself. We do not read in the Word of God that God is power, or God is wisdom but, we do read and this not once only, that God is Charity (John 4:8, 26). God, therefore, desires that this aspect of His Divine Nature should be continually before our minds and that we should dwell on His Love for us, more than on any other of His attributes.
When God appeared on earth, it was but natural that the perfection, most characteristic of His Divine Nature, should manifest itself most clearly, through the veil of His Humanity, that, among the qualities acquired, by His Sacred Humanity, from the Hypostatic Union, the foremost should be that with which He most completely identifies Himself. Who can study our Lord’s Life on earth, without recognising, above all, His unbounded Charity and the intensity of His Love for us?
We notice another phase of this Love in Jesus Christ which helps us to acquire great confidence in the Love of God. His Charity was, above all, a Charity to sinners. He had a sort of preference for them; they were His friends and companions. He sought them out and His Charity to them knew no bounds. From this, we clearly learn, the true nature of God’s Charity to man. God Loves sinners now, He has always Loved them and He will always Love them as He Loved them when he was on earth. What confidence I should derive for myself from this thought and what charity and commiseration, should I derive for others!
Quote/s of the Day – 20 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – Feast of St Bernard (1090-1153) Confessor, Father and Doctor
“ They are there at your side, then, not just with you but for you. They stand beside you to protect and help you. What return will you make to the Lord for all the good He has done for you? (Ps 115:31). It is to Him, alone, we should give thanks and honour for their aid; it is He, Who has commanded them. “Every perfect gift,” (Jas 1:17) comes from Him alone. But we are, on no account, to fail in thanksgiving regarding the Angels, in view of the great charity, with which they obey Him and the great need we have of their assistance!”
“Nevertheless, small though we be and long and dangerous though the road may be which remains for us to travel, what do we have to fear under so good a guardian?… The Angels are faithful, wise and powerful – what have we to fear? Let us only follow them and hold fast to them and we shall abide under the protection of the God of Heaven!”
“But what shall we offer, brothers, what shall we give Him for all the benefits He has given us? He offered the most precious Victim He possessed for our sake; in truth, He could not have had anything more precious. So let us, too, do what we can, let us offer Him the best we have, that is to say, ourselves! He offered Himself, so who are you, to hesitate to offer yourself?”
“God, to Whom Angels submit themselves and Who Principalities and Powers obey, was subject to Mary and not only to Mary but Joseph too, for Mary’s sake … God obeyed a human creature; this is humility without precedent. A human creature commands God! it is sublime beyond measure!
jesu Dulcis Memoria Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee! By St Bernard (1090-1153) Father and the Mellifluous Doctor of the Church
Jesus, the very thought of Thee With sweetness fills the breast! Yet sweeter far Thy face to see And in Thy presence rest.
No voice can sing, no heart can frame, Nor can the memory find, A sweeter sound than Jesus’ Name, The Saviour of mankind.
O hope of every contrite heart! O joy of all the meek! To those who fall, how kind Thou art! How good to those who seek!
But what to those who find? Ah! this nor tongue, nor pen, can show The love of Jesus, what it is, None but His loved ones know.
Jesus! our only hope be Thou, As Thou our prize shall be; In Thee be all our glory now And through eternity. Amen
One Minute Reflection – 20 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – Feast of St Bernard (1090-1153) Confessor, Father and Doctor – Ecclesiasticus 39:6-14; Matthew 5:13-19 – Scripture
“You are the light of the world.” – Matthew 5:14
REFLECTION – “In his epistle, Saint John rightly states: ‘God is Light‘ and “whoever remains in God” is “in the Light, just as God Himself is in the Light” (1 Jn 1:5,7; 3:24). Because we have had the good fortune to be freed from the darkness of error, we should always “walk in the Light” like “children of the Light” (Eph 5:8)… And so the Apostle Paul says: “Among them you shine as Lights in the world, holding fast the Word of Life” (Phil 2:15-16). But if we do not do this, it will be clear that we are, so to speak, covering up and shading this essential Light by our lack of faith…
Therefore, that shining Light which has been lit, for our salvation must always shine in us. For we possess the lamp of the heavenly commandments and of the spirit of grace, of which David said: “Thy law is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Ps 118:105)… We must not, then, hide this lamp of the law and of faith but should always set it up on the Church, as on a lampstand, for the salvation of many. In this way, we too may enjoy the Light of Truth itself and all who believe. may be enlightened.” – St Chromatius of Aquilaea (Died c407) Bishop, Father of the Church (Homilies on Saint Matthew’s Gospel No 5).
PRAYER – O God, Who gave to Thy people, blessed Bernard, as a minister of salvation, grant, we beseech Thee, that we, who cherished him on earth as a teacher of life, may be found worthy to have him as an intercessor in Heaven. 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 – 20 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – Feast of St Bernard (1090-1153) Confessor, Father and Doctor
O Blessed Lady, Mediatrix and Advocate By St Bernard (1090-1153) Father and Doctor of Light
Our Mediatrix and Advocate O blessed Lady, you found grace, brought forth the Life, and became the Mother of Salvation. May you obtain the grace for us to go to the Son. By your mediation, may we be received by the One Who through you, gave Himself to us. May your integrity compensate with Him for the fault of our corruption and may your humility, which is pleasing to God, implore pardon for our vanity. May your great charity cover the multitude of our sins and may your glorious fecundity confer on us, a fecundity of merits. Dear Lady, our Mediatrix and Advocate, reconcile us to your Son, recommend us to Him and present us to your Son. By the grace you found, by the privilege you merited, by the Mercy you brought forth, obtain for us the favour we ask of you, O blessed Lady. Amen
Saint of the Day – 20 August – St Maximus of Chinon (5th Century) Priest, Abbot, Confessor, Founder of a Monastery on the river Vienne, later dedicated to him, today the Collegiate Church of Saint-Mexme , Miracle-worker. He was buried in this Monastery.Maximus had been a disciple of Saint Martin of Tours (315-397), he would, therefore, have died in the first half of the 5th Century. Also known as – Massimo, Mexme.
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Chinon, St Maximus, Confessor, disciple of the the blessed Bishop, Martin.”
The little we know of our Saint today comes from St Gregory of Tours(538-594) who, in his “De Gloria Confessorum” dedicated a Chapter to this disciple of St Martin of Tours, who, in order to keep his sanctity hidden, left Touraine, where he was born and lived, to go as a simple Monk to the Monastery of Ile-Barbe in Lyons.
But even here the sanctity and wisdom of his person attracted the attention of the inhabitants of the area, who did not leave him alone in his prayers and deliberately hidden and contemplative life, therefore, he decided to return to his own region.
Crossing the river his boat sank but Maximus was able to reach the shore without difficulty, also saving the book of the Gospels, the Chalice and the Paten which he had with him.
Returning to Touraine in Aquitaine (a historical region of central France, largely in the Loire basin), he founded a Monastery in Chinon on the Vienne which later took his name. It was destroyed by the Normans and rebuilt in the 10th Century.
St Gregory of Tours tells us that while the Castle of Chinon was besieged by the Visigoth enemies, around 446, the holy Abbot obtained, with his intense prayers, torrents of rain to fall, thus aiding the population of Chinon, who had been isolated from the main water supplies. The rain allowed cisterns and containers to be filled. Thus the siege of Chinon was lifted.
This episode is illustrated in the Saint-Etienne Church in Chinon by a stained glass window by master glassmaker Lobin, see below.
Saint Maximus, in this window, is covered with the famous Cope – the Cope called “of Saint Mexme ” – which was offered to the head of the Canons of the Collegiate Church of Saint-Maximus in the 12th Century by Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, who is said to have brought it back from the second Crusade.
St Mexme liberator of Chinon in 446 Church of St. Stephen of Chinon
Kept at the Musée des Amis du Vieux Chinon, this Cope is made of silk and gold and dates from the end of the 11th Cr beginning of the 12th.
Chained cheetahs, trees of life stylised according to a Byzantine motif, falcons, jackals, representation of the sacred fire, it is surmounted by an inscription woven in the Kufic language indicating: “Happiness to its owner.”
Maximus is believed to have died shortly after the siege of Chinon at the age of over 85. His liturgical celebration on 20 August in the Roman Martyrology. In Chinon, where he was a tireless Abbot and shepherd he is especially venerated. He died in an unspecified year.
Maximus is also mentioned in the ‘Vita’ and the ‘Miracula’ written in the 9th Century but they add nothing historical to the that which St Gregory of Tours has given us.
Monastery of St Maximus now the Collegiate Church of Chinon
In the Church of Rivière, the legend of Saint Maximus is transcribed on three panels which are located at the Entrance to the Church, on the wall of the Pulpit, near the Confessional.
A legend dating from the 13th Century tells of an conversation between the great St Martin of Tours and our St Maximus which took place here in this “ancient Church of the Lady and Virgin Mary, in the middle of the meadow.” A site which the ‘old Gauls’ called the ‘Rives‘ (Rivière).
St Brogan St Burchard of Worms St Christopher of Cordoba St Cristòfol Baqués Almirall St Gobert of Apremont St Haduin of Le Mans St Heliodorus of Persia St Herbert Hoscam St Leovigild of Cordoba St Lucius of Cyprus St Maximus of Chinon (5th Century) Priest, Abbot, Confessor,
Thought for the Day – 19 August – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)
CHARITY Meditations for a Month
Charity, Our Protection “Charity shall Cover a multitude of Sins”
One of the characteristics of charity is that it always looks to the bright side of things. It seeks to bring out all that is good in others while concealing their sins. It does not notice their sins. It does not allude to their sins unnecessarily, whether they are committed directly against man or against God. It has a happy knack of forgetting their sins or seeming to forget them. It covers their sins from the eyes of men and even seeks to obliterate them before God by the prayers it offers for the offender. Is this my spirit? Do I not rather cover the virtues of others and disclose their faults?!
In this respect, it is especially true that we shall be treated as we treat others. “With what judgement you judge, you shall be judged,” says our Lord. If we pass the severe sentence of harsh criticism onto others, our sentence will be severe. If we make little of their faults and much of their virtues, God will do the same to us. What utter folly to prepare for ourselves a harsh verdict at the tribunal of Christ, by our condemnation of others here below!
On the other hand, Charity shall cover a multitude of sins. If we have been always men of charity, it is wonderful how God will seem to have forgotten our many sins. The poor whom we have helped will pray for us, those whom we have comforted in sorrow, will say kind things on our behalf and our charitable judgeement of others, will find its counterpart in God’s judgement of us. Our sins will be concealed and disappear under the mantle of our charity. Is my charity such as this to cover my sins?
Quote/s of the Day – 19 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – the Feast St John Eudes (1601-1680) Confessor, “The Apostle of Two Hearts”
“Let us … give ourselves to God, … and beg Him to destroy in us, the life of the world of sin and to establish His Life within us.”
“Any innovation in matters of faith, is extremely harmful and injurious and utterly damnable!”
“A man is no true Christian if he has no devotion to the Mother of Jesus Christ.”
One Minute Reflection – 19 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – St John Eudes (1601-1680) Confessor, “The Apostle of Two Hearts” – – Sirach 31:8-11; Luke 12:35-40 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Blessed are those servants, whom the Master, on His return, shall find watching.” – Luke 12:37
REFLECTION – “It is now fitting we should consider the time of our Lord’s coming. He came, as you know, not in the beginning, nor in the midst of time but in the end of it. This was no unsuitable choice but a truly wise dispensation of Infinite Wisdom, Who, aware that the sons of Adam are inclined to ingratitude, ordained that He would not come to their aid, until they were in the greatest need.
Truly, “it was evening and the day was far spent” and the “Sun of Justice” had almost set (Lk 24:29; Mal 3:20); only a faint ray of its light and heat remained on earth. The Light of Divine knowledge was very small, and, as iniquity abounded, so the fervour of charity grew cold (Mt 24:12). No Angel appeared; no Prophet spoke. The angelic vision and the prophetic spirit alike, had passed away, both hopelessly baffled by the obduracy and obstinacy of humankind. Then, it was that the Son of God said: “Behold, I come” (Ps 39:8; Heb 10:7). And “while all things were in quiet silence and night was in the midst of its swift course, Thy Almighty Word leaped down from Heaven, from Thy Royal throne” (Wis 18:14-15). As the Apostle Paul says: “When the fullness of time had come, God sent His Son” (Gal 4:4).” – St Bernard (1090-1153) Cistercian Abbot, Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermon 1 of Advent).
PRAYER – O God, Who wondrously enkindled St John, Thy Confessor, to promote the religious veneration of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary and through him, willed to found new religious families in the Church, grant, we beseech Thee that we may honour his holy merits and may learn from the example of his virtues. 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 – 19 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – Feast of St John Eudes (1601-1680) Confessor, “The Apostle of Two Hearts”
A Magnificat By St John Eudes (1601-1680) A Hymn of Praise and Thanksgiving to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and to the Holy Heart of Mary
My soul doth magnify the admirable Heart of Jesus and Mary And my spirit rejoices in Thou great Heart. Jesus and Mary have given me their Heart, This immense Heart, in order that all in me May be performed in its love.
Infinite praise to them, for their ineffable gift. This Heart infinitely merciful, has done great things for me. It has possessed me from the womb of my mother. Infinite thanksgiving for Thou ineffable gifts.
The abyss of my misery has called on the abyss of His Mercy. Infinite thanksgiving for His ineffable gifts. This Heart infinitely meek has presented me With blessings of its sweetness. Infinite thanksgiving for His ineffable gifts. Amen
Saint of the Day – 19 August – St Donatus of Sisteron (Died 535) Priest, Confessor, Hermit, Miracle-worker. Born in Orleans, France and died in c535 of natural causes in Provence at the foot of Mount Lure. Also known as – Donatus of Mount Lure, Donato of… Additional Memorial – 18 August on some calendars.
The Roman Martyrology reads: “In the neighbourhood of Sisteron in France, the blessed St Donatus, Priest and Confessor. Being from his very infancy endowed with the grace of God in an extraordinary manner, he lived the life of an Anchorite for many years and after having been renowned for glorious miracles, he went to Christ.”
Donatus was originally from Orléans in France. After completing his sacred studies, he was Ordained a Deacon and then he was raised to the sacred Priesthood.
After undertaking a pilgrimage to the Shrine of St Martin of Tours, seeking a more perfect imitation of a life of sanctity, he decided to settle alone in the vicinity of Sisteron, at the foot of Mount Lure.
Wonderful miracles surround his life. One of these involves a pagan called Celsus, who had persecuted the holy Hermit, converted because his daughter was miraculously cured by our Saint.
Donatus died around 535, assisted by his friend Marius, the Abbot of Val Benoit. The anniversary falls on 19 August.
A Benedictine Monastery was erected in the 12th Century on Mount Lure, near the Tomb of Saint-Donatus.
St Andrew the Tribune St Badulf of Ainay St Bertulf of Luxeuil St Calminius St Credan of Evesham St Donatus of Sisteron (Died 535) Priest, Hermit St Elaphius of Châlons St Guenninus Bl Guerricus
Blessed Jordan of Pisa OP (c 1255–1311) Dominican Friar, Theologian, Professor, renowned Preacher, Founder of the Confraternity of the Holy Redeemer at Pisa, Visionary, Marian devotee, promoter and daring innovator of the vernacular Italian language as a ‘church’ language and a tool for evangelisation. On 23 August 1833, Blessed Jordan’s cultus was confirmed by Pope Gregory XVI and in 1838 he was Beatified by Pope Gregory XVI. His Life: https://anastpaul.com/2019/08/19/saint-of-the-day-blessed-jordan-of-pisa-op-c-1255-1311/ St Julius of Rome
St Louis of Toulouse OFM (1274-1297) Prince and Bishop, Neapolitan Prince of the Capetian House of Anjou, Franciscan Friar and Priest, Apostle of Prayer, of Penance and of the poor and the sick. He had received the last sacraments on the Feast of the Assumption of Our Lady and on the 19th of August, 1297, while pronouncing the holy name of Mary, he yielded his soul to God. Because of the many miracles that were wrought at his tomb, he was Canonised as early as 1317, during the lifetime of his mother. Lovely St Louis: https://anastpaul.com/2020/08/19/saint-of-the-day-19-august-saint-louis-of-toulouse-ofm-1274-1297-prince-and-bishop/St
St Magnus of Anagni St Magnus of Avignon St Magnus of Cuneo St Marianus of Entreaigues St Marinus of Besalu St Magino of Tarragona St Mochta St Namadia of Marsat St Rufinus of Mantua St Sarah the Matriarch St Sebaldus St Thecla of Caesarea St Timothy of Gaza
Blessed Urban II (1042–1099) Bishop of Rome, Abbot, Confessor – after 1969 his Feast was moved to 29 July. The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Rome, Blessed Urban II, Pope, who followed in the footsteps of St Gregory VII, in his zeal for learning and religion and fired the Crusaders with enthusiasm for the recovery of the holy places in Palestine, from the power of the infidels. The veneration paid to him from time immemorial Pope Leo XIII, approved and confirmed.” Biography: https://anastpaul.com/2019/07/29/saint-of-the-day-29-july-blessed-pope-urban-ii-c-1035-1099-bishop/
Martyrs of Nagasaki – 15 Beati: A group of missionaries and their laymen supporters who were executed for spreading Christianity in Japan. They are: Antonius Yamada, Bartholomaeus Mohyoe, Iacobus Matsuo Denji, Ioachim Díaz Hirayama, Ioannes Miyazaki Soemon, Ioannes Nagata Matashichi, Ioannes Yago, Laurentius Ikegami Rokusuke, Leo Sukeemon, Ludovic Frarijn, Marcus , kenoshita Shin’emon, Michaël Díaz Hori, Paulus Sankichi, Pedro de Zúñiga, Thomas Koyanag., They were beheaded on 19 August 1622 at Nagasaki, Japan and Beatified , 7 May 1867 by Pope Pius IX.
Thought for the Day – 18 August – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)
CHARITY Meditations for a Month
The Gratitude of Charity “We love Him because He first Loved us”
Perfect charity loves God for His Own sake, independently of any thought of ourselves. However, perfect charity, is preceded and accompanied by, a charity which has, at least, an indirect reference to ourselves. The love of God, first springs up within our hearts because, of the Love which He has shown to us. We think of all He has done for us and we recognise therein, a clear proof of His Love. Love begets love and we cannot help being drawn towards One, Who has, thus gratuitously, manifested towards us, a charity to which we owe all which is really precious in our lives and all the good gifts we possess. How then can we fail to be attracted towards Him, Who has shown such Love for us?
This love of gratitude, is not the same, as the love of concupiscence and, not the same, as the pure love of friendship. It most resembles the latter and always enters into it. Without some sort of gratitude, friendship would be mere admiration; the personal element necessary to love, would be wanting. When a Saint dwells with rapture on the Divine perfections, there is always present to his mind, a remembrance of all God has done for him. Do I, with gratitude, ever recount to myself all God has done for me?
This element of charity is present in the charity of the Saints in Heaven. Their song will not only be, “We give Thee thanks because, Thou hast taken to Thyself, great glory and hast reigned” but also “because Thou hast redeemed us to God in Thine own Blood.” The song, I must seek to sing in my heart, here on earth says, “Thanks to God, first for His great glory and then for His goodness and love to me.”
Quote/s of the Day – 18 August – Pentecost XIII – Galatians 3:16-22; Luke 17:11-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Were not ten made clean? And where are the other nine?”
Luke 17:17
“While He is judged, Wisdom remains silent and the Word says nothing. His enemies despise and Crucify Him … Those, to whom yesterday, He gave His Body as food, watch from a distance as He dies. Peter, the first of the Apostles, is the first to flee. Andrew also took flight and John, who rested at His side, did not prevent the soldier from piercing that side with a lance. The Twelve fled – they did not say one word in His favour, they, for whom He is giving His Life. Lazarus is not there, he, whom He called back to life. The blind man did not weep for Him Who opened his eyes to the light and the crippled man, who could walk thanks to Him, did not run to Him. Only a bandit who was crucified next to Him confessed Him and called Him his King! O thief, precocious blossom from the tree of the Cross, first fruit of the wood from Golgotha!””
St Ephrem (306-373) Father and Doctor of the Church
“ For man’s lowliness, is his gratitude and, God’s greatness, is His Mercy.”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace
Daily Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Prayers to the Sacred Heart 1936 – 15th Edition, Dublin
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, filled with infinite love, broken by our ingratitude and pierced by our sins, yet loving us still, accept the Consecration we make to Thee, of all that we are and all that we have. Take every faculty of our souls and bodies, only day by day draw us, nearer and nearer to Thy Sacred Heart, and there, as we shall hear the lesson, teach us Thy Holy Way. Amen
One Minute Reflection – 18 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – Pentecost XIII –Within the Octave of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin – Galatians 3:16-22; Luke 17:11-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Where are the other nine?” – Luke 17:17
REFLECTION – “In our own day we see many people at prayer but, unfortunately, we see none of them turning back to give thanks to God … “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine?” As I think you will remember, it was in these words that our Saviour complained about the lack of gratitude of the other nine lepers. We read that they knew well how to make “supplications, prayers, petitions” since they lifted up their voices, crying out: “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” But they lacked the fourth thing required by the Apostle Paul: “thanksgiving” (1Tm 2:1) for they did not turn back nor give thanks to God.
We see still more in our own day ,people who implore God for what they lack but a mere handful who seem to be grateful for the blessings they have received. There is no harm in imploring Him but what causes God not to grant our prayers, is His finding us lacking in gratitude. After all, perhaps it is even an act of mercy on His part, to hold back from the ungrateful, what they are asking for, so that they may not be judged all the more rigorously, on account of their ingratitude! … For, it is sometimes out of mercy that God holds back His mercy! …
So you see, not all those who are healed of the leprosy of this world, I mean their manifest complaints, profit by their cures. Indeed, many are secretly afflicted with an ulcer worse than leprosy, all the more dangerous, in that it is more interior. That is why it was correct that the Saviour of the world should ask, where the other nine lepers were, since sinners avoid cures. So, too, after his sin, God questioned the first man: “Where are you?” (Gn 3:9).” – St Bernard (1090-1153) Cistercian Abbot, Father and Doctor of the Church (Various sermons No 27).
PRAYER – O Lord, we beseech Thee, forgive the transgressions of Thy servants and, forasmuch as by our own deeds, we cannot please Thee, may we find safety through the prayers of the Mother of Thy Son and our Lord. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
AnaStpaul 
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