Our Morning Offering – 1 November – “The Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory”
I Salute Thee, All ye Holy Angels and Saints of God By St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302)
I salute thee through the Heart of Jesus, O all ye holy Angels and Saints of God. I rejoice in thy glory and I give thanks to our Lord for all the benefits which He has showered upon thee. I praise Him and glorify Him and offer thee, for an increase of thou joy and honour, the most gentle heart of Jesus. Deign, therefore, to pray for me that I may become, like thee, according to the Heart of God. Amen.
Saint of the Day – 1 November – Saint Austremonius (3rd-4th Century) Bishop of Clermont, France, and Apostle of Auvergne, Missionary. Born in the 3rd Century and died in the early 4th Century of natural causes. Patronage – the Archdiocese of Clermont. Also known as – Austromoine, Stramonius, Stremonius.
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Clermont in Auvergne, France, Saint Austremonius, the first Bishop of that City.”
Stained glass of St Austremonius at the Church of Saint-Eutrope in Clermont
Most of what is known about our Saint Austremonius, is deduced from a few brief sentences in the writings of St Gregory of Tours. According to this authorit, he was one of the seven Bishops sent from Rome into Gaul during the years in the mid 3rd Century.
Stained glass of St Austremonius at the Church of Saint-Eutrope in Clermont
He laboured tirelessly for the conversion of the pagans in Auvergne and is believed to have been the first Bishop of Clermont. Another tradition states that Austremonius was martyred by a Jewish rabbi for converting the man’s son, however this is not repeated in the Martyrology.
Also sent to preach the Gospel in Gaul were Gatien to Tours, Trophimus to Arles, Paul to Narbonne, Saturninus to Toulouse, Denis to Paris and Martial to Limoges.
At Clermont St Austremonius converted the Senator Cassius of Clermont and the pagan priest Victorinus. He also sent St Serenus to Thiers, St Marius to Salers and Antoninus into other parts of Auvergne, to further the evangelisation of Gaul. A tradition states that Saint Austremonius instructed St Nectarius of Auvergne to Christianise the peoples living on the plain of Limagne.
Austremonius was a contemporary of the three Bishops of Aquitaine, who attended the Council of Arles in 314.
Statue of St Austremonius, Apostle and Bishop of Auvergne. Church Saint-Austremonius at Issoire, Auvergne, France.
Veneration of Saint Austremonius found its origin in a biography of the Saint written in the 10th Century in the Abbey of Mozac, where his body was transferred in 761. The Vita was rewritten and amplified by the Monks of Issoire, who retained the Saint’s head as a Relic. There is a further elaborated Vita of the late 11th Century. The tomb was opened in 1197.
Crypt at the Abbey of Mozac, a former Cluniac Monastery near Riom in Auvergne, France.
St Gregory of Tours, who was born in Auvergne in 544 and was well versed in the history of that country, looks upon St Austremonius as one of the seven envoys who, about evangelised Gaul. He relates how the body of our Saint was first interred at Issoire, being there the object of great veneration, before the body, though not the head, was translated to Clermont, where he is greatly venerated as the Patron of that Diocese.
Statue of St Austremonius at the Abbey Church of Mozac
November “The Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory”
All Saints Day – (a Holy Day of Obligation) Instituted to honour all the saints, known and unknown. It owes its origin in the Western Church to the dedication of the Roman Pantheon in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the Martyrs by Pope Saint Boniface IV in 609, the anniversary of which was celebrated at Rome on 13 May. Pope Saint Gregory III Consecrated a Chapel in the Vatican Basilica in honour of All Saints, designating 1 November as their feast. Pope Gregory IV extended its observance to the whole Church. It has a Vigil and Octave and is a Holy Day of Obligation – the eve is popularly celebrated as Hallowe’en. Patronage – Arzignano, Italy. ABOUT: https://anastpaul.com/2019/11/01/solemnity-of-all-saints-1-november/ AND: https://anastpaul.com/2018/11/01/1-november-solemnity-of-all-saints/ AND: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/11/01/1-november-the-feast-of-all-the-saints/
St Austremonius (3rd-4th Century) Bishop and Apostle of Auvergne St Benignus of Dijon St Cadfan St Caesarius of Africa St Caesarius of Damascus St Ceitho St Cledwyn of Wales Bl Clemens Kyuemon St Cyrenia of Tarsus St Dacius of Damascus St Deborah the Prophetess St Dingad Bl Dionysius Fugixima St Floribert of Ghent St Gal of Clermont St Genesius of Lyon St Germanus of Montfort St Harold the King St James of Persia St John of Persia St Julian of Africa St Juliana of Tarsus St Lluís Estruch Vives St Marcel of Paris St Mary the Slave St Mathurin St Meigan St Nichole St Pabiali of Wales Bl Pere Josep Almató Ribera Auras St Peter Absalon Bl Peter Paul Navarra Bl Petrus Onizuka Sadayu St Rachel the Matriarch
Thought for the Day – 31 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“Month of the Holy Rosary” “Pray for Us … at the Hour of Our Death”
“We have come to the end of this month, which we have dedicated to Mary and her blessed Rosary. Let us remember, however, that apart from this Month of October, we should dedicate our whole lives to her, up to our final moment of death. We are always in need of Mary’s patronage and intercession with God. Let us always have recourse to her, therefore, especially in danger and in suffering but, most especially, at the decisive moment of death, for this is the moment on which eternity depends. This day will arrive sooner or later but, it will certainly come, “at an hour that you do not expect” (Lk 12:40).
In the second part of the Hail Mary, the Church places on our lips, these words of supplication: “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen.” How many times we have recited this prayer?! But do we ever think of death? Let us remember that a mediation on death is the most valuable lesson in life. One day, we shall find ourselves face-to-face with God, drawing our last breath on earth. It may be on a sick bed, it may be in the middle of a street – we do not know. It may be after a long illness at the end of which we are comforted by the Holy Sacraments and blessed by a Priest, or it may be quite unexpected. But, it is certain that death will come. Let us aim, therefore, at being always prepared, so that it may not come when we have no good works to offer and when our hearts are full of ourselves and of worldly interests. Like Mary, let us lead lives of holiness and we shall be sure to die holy deaths. Let us beseech our heavenly Mother to be by our side at that final moment to sustain us in the conflict and to consign our souls to her divine Son, Jesus. Amen.”
Quote/s of the Day – 31 October – “The Month of the Most Holy Rosary and of the Angels” – Goodbye October
“Be constant in secret prayers which God, Who indeed sees in secret, rewards in the open. Hold fast to this exercise of a most excellent way of life. that you may find hidden treasure in the day of need.”
St Basil the Great (329-379) Father and Doctor of the Church
“… [I] resolved to recite a Rosary for anyone who caused me trouble. Then I heard the Voice from the Tabernacle say, ‘Your prayers for those who mortify you, are very pleasing to Me. In exchange, I am ready to grant you many graces.‘”
St Serafino of Montegranaro (1540-1604)
TOP 10 Practical Guide to Holiness
Go to Mass with deepest devotion.
Spend a half hour to reflect upon your main failing and make resolutions to avoid it.
Do daily spiritual reading for at least 15 minutes, if a half hour is not possible.
Say the Rosary everyday.
Also daily, if at all possible, visit the Blessed Sacrament and toward evening, meditate on the Passion of Christ for a half hour.
Conclude the day with evening prayer and an examination of conscience over all the faults & sins of the day.
Every month make a review of the month in confession.
Choose a special Patron every month and imitate that Patron in some special virtue.
Precede every great feast with a novena, that is, nine days of devotion.
Try to begin and end every activity with a “Hail Mary.”
Bl Francis Xavier Seelos (1819-1867)
My Oldest Friend By John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
My oldest friend, mine from the hour When first I drew my breath, My faithful friend, that shall be mine, Unfailing, till my death….
Mine when I stand before the Judge, And mine, if spared to stay Within the golden furnace, till My sin is burn’d away.
And mine, O Brother of my soul, When my release shall come, Thy gentle arms shall lift me then, Thy wings shall waft me home.
One Minute Reflection – 31 October – “The Month of the Most Holy Rosary and of the Angels” – Vigil of All Saints – Apocalypse 5:6-12, Luke 6:17-23 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“And He, lifting up His eyes on His disciples, said: Blessed are you …” – Luke 6:20
REFLECTION – “Lord Jesus Christ, to teach us the summit of virtue, You ascended the mountain with Your disciples and taught them the Beatitudes and highest virtues, promising them the rewards applicable to each. Grant that my weakness may hear Your Voice, that I may apply myself, through their practice, to acquire the merit of the virtues, so that by Your Mercy, I may receive the promised reward. As I consider the payment, do not let me refuse the effort of the labour. Make my hope of eternal salvation, sweeten the bitterness of the cure, inflaming my soul with the splendour of Your work. Out of the wretched person I am, create one of the blessed; from the blessedness here below, lead me, by Your Grace, to the blessedness of the homeland.
Come, Lord Jesus Christ, in search of Your servant, seeking Your erring and exhausted sheep. Come, Spouse of the Church, in search of Your lost coin. Come, Father of mercies, welcome the prodigal son returning to You. Come, then, Lord, for You are the only One, able to call back the sheep that has strayed, to find the lost drachma, to reconcile the runaway son. Cone, that there may be salvation on earth and joy in Heaven! Turn me towards Youself and grant that I may carry out a true and perfect repentance, so that I may become an occasion for joy, among the Angels. Sweetest Jesus, I pray You, by the immensity of Your Love for me, a sinner, grant that I may love You alone, above all things, that I may be consoled by none but You, my sweetest God!” – Ludolph of Saxony (c1300-1378) Monk, Theologian, Writer, Dominican then a Carthusian (Prayers to Jesus Christ).
PRAYER – Multiply Thy grace upon us, O Lord our God and grant that by following in holiness of life, those whose glorious festival we anticipate, we may attain to their bliss. 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 – 31 October – “The Last Day Month of the Most Holy Rosary and of the Angels”
O Mother Blest By St Alphonsus Maira Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor of the Church Trans. Fr Edmund Vaughn C.SS,R, (1827 – 1908 )
O Mother blest, whom God bestows On sinners and on just, What joy, what hope thou givest those Who in thy mercy trust. Thou are clement, thou are chaste, Mary thou art fair, Of all mothers, sweetest best, none with thee compare.
O heavenly Mother, mistress sweet! it never yet was told that suppliant sinner left thy feet, unpitied, unconsoloed. Thou are clement, thou are chaste, …
O Mother, pitiful and mild, Cease not to pray for me; For I do love thee as a child, And sigh for love of thee. Thou art clement, thou art chaste, …
Most powerful Mother, all men know Thy Son denies thee nought; Thou askest, wishest it, and lo! His power thy will hath wrought. Thou art clement, thou art chaste, …
O Mother blest, for me obtain, Ungrateful though I be, To love that God who first could deign To show such love for me. Thou art clement, thou art chaste, Mary, thou art fair. Of all mothers, sweetest, best, None with thee compare.
Saint of the Day – 31 October – Saint Arnulf of Novalesa OSB (Died c840) (Ordo Sancti Benedicti – OSB) Monk, Martyr. Also known as – Arnolfo, Arnulfo. Additional Memorial – 13 March on some calendars.
A Benedictine Monk
Arnulf was a Benedictine Monk in the Benedictine Monastery of Novalesa in Piedmont, Italy. It was located at the foot of the Alps and at the mouth of the Susa Valley on the Italian side of Mont Cenis in the Piedmont region of Northern Italy and boasted a large community of 500 Monks.
Arnulf is said to have been murdered around 840 by the Saracens, the medieval term for Muslims. His and Saint Heldrad ‘s Relics were transferred to the Parish Church in Novalesa upon the arrival of the French troops in 1794. His memorial day is 31 October, together with St Heldrad (on the Benedictine calendar) but St Heldrad is remembered on 13 March on the universal calendar.
The still active Abbey today
Some sources date his Martyrdom to the early 10th Century, which seems likely. In 906 Italy was invaded by the Saracens. A group of them moved from Frassineto (near today’s Saint-Tropez) in the direction of the Monastery in Novalesa. Abbot Donniverto heard of the impending danger, so together with most of the Monks he made it to safety in the Church of Sts Andrew and Clement (today’s Consolata) in Turin and brought with him the most sacred, indispensable and valuable objects as well as manuscripts from the library. The Saracens looted the Monastery and set fire to the buildings.
Some Monks from Novalesa had sought shelter in the Monastery of Oulx in the Susa Valley on the present border with France but there they were discovered and slaughtered. Two Monks escaped, Saints Justus and Flavian, who hid in a cave in the Arbour above Beaulard. From there they saw the Martyrdom of their brothers and that Angels brought their souls to Heaven. Then, they decided to go down into the Valley again and join their fellow brothers, where they too suffered Martyrdom. The Novalesa Monastery was rebuilt only in the 11th Century.
Vigil of All Saints Day or All Hallow’s Eve: Eve of the Feast of All Hallows, that is, All Saints Day. Halloween is a day on which many quaint customs are revived. It is popular in the United States and Scotland and in the US has become the second largest secular holiday of the year.
St Wolfgang of Regensburg (c934 –994) “The Great Almoner,” Bishop, Monk, Missionary, Ascetic, Apostle of Charity. He is regarded as one of the three great German Saints of the 10th Century, the other two being Saint Ulrich and Saint Conrad of Constance. He was Canonised in 1052 by Pope Leo IX. St Wolfgang’s life: https://anastpaul.com/2019/10/31/saint-of-the-day-31-october-saint-wolfgang-of-regensburg-c-934-994/
Thought for the Day – 30 October– Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“The Month of the Most Holy Rosary” Prayer and Our Lady
“Mary’s was a life of constant prayer. It is a thousand tmes more necessary, that ours, should be the same. We are so weak and so prone to temptation, that we are always in danger of falling into sin. “Without me, you can do nothing,” (Jn 15:5) Jesus tells us. “I am the vine, you are the branches. If anyone does not abide in me, he shall be cast outside as the branch and wither.” (Ibid). “Ask and it shall be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened to you ” (Mt 7:7). In short, Jesus asks us to pray. He wants us to pray because He wants to give us His graces.
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We cannot object that it is impossible for us to pray all the time because we have to work and fulfil other obligations. The work, which has first claim on us, is the service of God, which is prayer. Secondly, we can pray in tbe course of our daily work and of our different occupations, by offering to God, everything which we do. No matter what we are doing, we can raise our minds to God in an act of love and so remain always, close to Him.
It is not our work which prevents us from praying constantly but our attachment to worldly things, our excessive love for ourselves and of other creatures. We must avoid these distractions, if we wish to live like Mary in a continual state of prayer. ”
Quote/s of the Day – 30 October – Philippians 1:6-11, Matthew 22:15-21 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Therefore, render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God, the things that are God’s.”
Matthew 22:21
“… Caesar required his image on every coin but God has chosen man, whom He has created, to reflect His glory!”
“I shall reflect the image of God in that I feed on love; grow certain on faith and hope; strengthen myself, on the virtue of patience; grow tranquil by humility; grow beautiful by chastity; am sober by abstention; am made happy by tranquillity and am ready for death, by practising hospitality.”
ACW – Ancient Christian Writer Incomplete Work on Matthew
One Minute Reflection – 30 October – Resumed Mass of Sunday – Philippians 1:6-11, Matthew 22:15-21 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore, render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God, the things that are God’s.” – Matthew 22:20-21
REFLECTION – “Just as this coin bears the image of Caesar, so our soul is in the image of the Blessed Trinity, as one of the Psalms says: “The light of Thy countenance, has been imprinted upon us” (4:6 LXX) … Lord, the light of Your countenance that is to say, the light of Your grace that sets Your image within us and makes us become like You, has been imprinted upon us, imprinted in our rational faculty which is the highest power of our soul and receives this light as wax receives the mark of a seal. God’s countenance is our reason because, just as we recognise someone by his face, so we recognise God through the mirror of reason. However, this reason has been deformed by human sin, since sin sets us against God. The grace of Christ has put our reason right. Hence, the Apostle Paul says to the Ephesians: “Be renewed in your minds” (4:23). The light in question, in the Psalm [above], is thus the grace which restores God’s image imprinted in our nature …
The whole Trinity has marked mankind with Its likeness. With the memory it resembles the Father; with the understanding it resembles the Son; by love, it resembles the Holy Ghost … From the beginning of creation man was made “in the image and likeness of God” (Gn 1:26). The image in his understanding of Truth, the likeness in his love of virtue. The light on God’s countenance is thus, the grace which justifies us and brings to light, once again, our created image. This light constitutes man’s whole good, his true good; it sets its mark on him, just as the emperor’s image marked the coin.That is why the Lord adds: “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s.” It was as if He said: “Just as you repay Caesar with his image, so repay God with your soul, beautified and marked by the light of His countenance.”– St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) Franciscan, Evangelical Doctor of the Church (Sermons for Sundays and Feasts of the Saints).
PRAYER – O God, our refuge and our strength, the very source of holiness, heed the devout prayers of Thy Church and grant that what we seek in faith, we may obtain in fact. 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 – 30 October – Resumed Mass of Sunday –
May the Heart of Jesus be the King of My Heart! By St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor of Charity
May Thy Heart dwell always, in our hearts! May Thy Blood ever flow, in the veins of our souls! O Sun of our hearts, Thou givest life to all things, by the rays of Thy goodness! I shall not go, until Thy Heart has strengthened me, O Lord Jesus! May the Heart of Jesus be the King of my heart! Blessed be Go forever! Amen
Saint of the Day – 30 October – Blessed John Slade (Died 1583) Layman Martyr, Tutor. Born in Manston, Dorsetshire, England and died by being hanged, drawn and quartered on 30 October 1583 at Winchester, England. Beatified on 15 December 1929 by Pope Pius XI. Additional Memorials – 29 October as one of the Martyrs of Douai, 1 December as one of the Martyrs of Oxford University.
The Roman Martyrology: “At Winchester in England, blessed John Slade, Martyr, who was hanged on the gallows and cruelly disemboweled for having refused the power of Queen Elizabeth I in spiritual matters.”
This window resides at the Winchester Catholic Cathedral. Below is Archbishop John Henry King – Photographer “Granpic” on Flickr
John Slade attended the New College, Oxford until, being expelled for being Catholic, he travelled to Douai to continue his study of Civil Law. However, since as a Catholic he was not permitted to practice the role of a Lawyer in England, he became a Tutor to the children of a gentleman’s household in Dorset.
On 30 October 1583, the Blessed John Slade, a Tutor from Dorset, was arrested as a “very dangerous Papist” and imprisoned in Winchester prison with Blessed John Bodey (1549-1583). They were held in iron shackles as “dangerous” prisoners. They were condemned in April, 1583 accused of High Treason for denying the Royal Supremacy over the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ. There was, apparently, a protest against this Sentence claiming it to be unjust and illegal, leading to a retried. But, the two holy men were condemned again—at Andover, Hampshire, in August 1583.
After the Second Trial – Blessed John Bodey wrote, on behalf of Blessed John Slade and himself to a leading protestant theologian, one with whom he had prior discussions and debates:
“We consider that iron for this cause, borne on earth, shall surmount gold and precious stones in Heaven. This is our mark this is our desire. In the mean season we are threatened daily and do look still, when the hurdle shall be brought to the door. I beseech you, for God’s sake that we want not the good prayers of you all for our strength, our joy and our perseverance unto the end. … From our school of patience the 16th September 1583.”
Our Martyr today, Blessed John Slade, led from Winchester Prison to the public Square, knelt beside the Gallows which had been erected there, drew the Sign of the Cross on it, kissed it and then said, as he climbed the steps:
“I have come here to die for the Faith of all generations!”
A few days later the Blessed John Bodey too was hanged. Before dying he kissed the rope that had been placed around his neck exclaiming: “Jesus! Jesus! Jesus!”
St Germanus of Capua (Died c 541) Bishop of Capua, Italy, Confessor, Papal Legate. St Germanus was a close friend of St Benedict of Nursia. The Roman Martyrology states: St Germanus, Bishop and Confessor, a man of great sanctity, whose soul, at the hour of death, was seen by St Benedict taken to heaven by angels. His Life: https://anastpaul.com/2020/10/30/saint-of-the-day-30-october-saint-germanus-of-capua-died-c-541/
St Herbert of Tours Blessed John Slade (Died 1583) Layman Martyr
St Lucanus of Lagny St Marcellus the Centurion St Marcian of Syracuse St Maximus of Cumae St Nanterius of Saint-Mihiel Bl Raymond of Cardona St Saturninus of Cagliari St Serapion of Antioch St Talarica of Scotland Bl Terrence Albert O’Brien St Theonestus of Philippi (Died 425) Bishop, Martyr St Zenobia of Aegea St Zenobius of Aegea
Martyrs in Africa: A group of 100 to 200 Christians murdered in the early persecutions and about whom we know nothing except that they died for their faith.
Thought for the Day – 29 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“Month of the Holy Rosary” “Mary, Our Hope”
“These expressions of confidence in Mary’s powerful intercession, should not lead us astray, however. They hold good with absolute certainty, only for those who have true devotion to Mary. Even if they are sinners, such clients of Mary, must have at least the good intention of changing their lives and never offending God again. Sin and sincere devotion to Our Lady, cannot co-exist! “Relinquish every intention of sinning.” St Gregory VII wrote to the Princess Matilde, “and you will find Mary more eager to help you than any earthly mother” (Lib 1, Ep 47).
We should ask, furthermore, for spiritual favours first of all. Later we can ask for temporal favours, if they are to our spiritual advantage.
Finally, if we are to have a true devotion to Mary, we must love and imitate her. as well as pray to her. Anyone who sincerely tries to do all this, is certain of salvation!”
Quote/s of the Day – 29 October – Christ the King – Colossians 1:12-20. John 18:33-37
“Wake up then, believer and note what is stated here: “In my Name.” That [Name] is Christ Jesus. Christ signifies King, Jesus signifies Saviour. Therefore, whatever we ask for that would hinder our salvation, we do not ask in our Saviour’s Name and yet, He is our Saviour, not only when He does what we ask but also, when He does not. When He sees us ask anything to the disadvantage of our salvation, He shows Himself our Saviour by not doing it. The physician knows whether what the sick person asks for, is to the advantage or disadvantage of his health. And [the physician] does not allow what would be harmful to him, although the sick person himself, desires it. But the physician looks to his final cure.”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace of the Church
“The Kingdom of Heaven, says the Gospel, is like a mustard seed … Christ is the Kingdom of Heaven! Sown like a mustard seed in the garden of the Virgin’s womb, He grew up into the Tree of the Cross, whose branches, stretch across the world … Christ is the Kingdom because all the glory of His Kingdom, is within Him. Christ is a Man because all humanity is restored in Him. Christ is a Mustard Seed because the infinitude of Divine greatness, is accommodated to the littleness of flesh and blood!”
St Peter Chrysologus (c 400-450) “Golden Words” Father & Doctor of the Church
Jesus is Our King By Estelle White (1925-2011) Convert, Musician, Hymnist.
Crown Him, the Virgin’s Son, The God Incarnate born, Whose arm those crimson trophies won Which now His brow adorn. Awake, my soul, and sing Of Him Who died for thee; And hail Him as thy glorious King Through all Eternity.
Crown Him, the Lord of Love; Behold His bands and side,– Rich wounds, still visible above In beauty glorified: No Angel in the sky Can fully bear that sight, But downward bends His burning eye At mysteries so bright.
Crown Him, the Lord of Peace, Whose power a sceptre sways From pole to pole, that wars may cease, Absorbed in prayer and praise: His reign shall know no end, And round His pierced feet Fair flowers of Paradise extend Their fragrance ever sweet.
One Minute Reflection – 29 October – Christ the King – Colossians 1:12-20. John 18:33-37 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“My Kingdom is not of this world. If my Kingdom were of this world, My servants would certainly strive that I should not be delivered to the Jews …” – John 18:36
REFLECTION – “ Listen everyone, Jews and Gentiles… Listen all the kingdoms of the earth! I am not preventing you from ruling over this world, “My Kingdom is not of this world.” (Jn 18:36) So do not be afraid with that senseless fear which seized Herod when My birth was announced to him… “No,” the Savior says, “My Kingdom is not of this world.” May you not be made cruel by fear. It is true that the Son of God, speaking of the Father, says in a prophecy: “Through Him, I was established as King on Zion, His holy mountain.” (Ps 2:6) But that Zion and that mountain, are not of this world.
And what is His Kingdom? It is they who believe in Him, those to whom He says: “You are not of the world, just as I Am not of the world.” But He, nevertheless, wants them to be in the world; He prays to His Father: “I am not asking Thee to take them out of the world but, to protect them from the evil one.” (Jn 17:15) For He did not say: “My Kingdom is not in this world,” but rather: “It is not OF this world.If My Kingdom were OF this world, My followers would be fighting to keep Me from being handed over.”
For His Kingdom really is here on earth until the end of the world, until the harvest of weeds mingled with the good seed (Mt 13:24.)… ButHis Kingdom is not from here, for He is like a traveller in this world. To those over whom He reigns, He says: “You do not belong to the world but I have chosen you out of the world.” (Jn 15:19) So they did belong to this world when they were not yet His Kingdom and they belonged to the prince of this world (Jn 12:3)… All who are born of Adam’s sinful race belong to this world; all who were reborn in Jesus Christ belong to His Kingdom and no longer belong to this world.For “God has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of His beloved Son.” (Col 1:13).” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace(Tractate 115 on the Gospel of John ) [Translated from the French].
PRAYER – Almighty and eternal God, Who willed to restore all things in Thy beloved Son, the King of the Universe, graciously grant that the peoples of the earth torn asunder by the wound of sin, may submit to His most gentle rule. Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
Our Morning Offering – 29 October – Christ the King
Alone With None but Thee, My God Attri. St Columban (543-615)
Alone with none but Thee, my God I journey on my way, what need I fear when Thou art near, O King of night and day? More safe am I within Thy hand than if a host should round me stand.
My destined time is known to Thee, and death will keep his hour; did warriors strong around me throng, they could not stay his power. No walls of stone can man defend when Thou Thy messenger dost send.
My life I yield to Thy decree and bow to Thy control in peaceful calm, for from Thine arm no power can wrest my soul, could earthly omens e’er appal a man that heeds the heavenly call?
The child of God can fear no ill, His chosen, dread no foe; we leave our fate with Thee and wait Thy bidding when to go, ’tis not from chance our comfort springs, Thou art our Trust, O King of kings.
Saint of the Day – 29 October – Saint Theodore of Vienne (Died c575) Priest, Monk, Founder Abbot of the Monastery of Saint Laurence , Recluse, Miracle-worker. Spiritual student of Saint Caesarius of Arles (470-542). Born in Arcisse, near Saint-Chef, Dauphiné, France and died in c575 in the Church of Saint Lawrence, in Vienne, France of natural causes. Also known as – Chef, Theudère, Theudar, Teuderio, Teodario, Theuderius, Theodorius.
The Roman Martyrology states: “At Vienne, the departure from this world of blessed Theodore, Abbot.”
Theodore, a young man of one of the best families of the City of Vienne, by the interior call of the Holy Ghost, forsook the world and. having long exercised himself in the most perfect practices of a monastic life. under the direction of Saint Cæsarius at Arles, returned to his own country and, being joined by several disciples, built for them first cells and afterwards a Monastery near the City of Vienne in Dauphine.
It was a custom in the most regular Monasteries that the Hebdomadarian Priest who celebrated the community Mass, spent the week in which he discharged that function, in the closest retirement in his cell and in holy contemplation and austere penance, both that he might be better prepared to offer daily, the tremendous Sacrifice, and that he might more faithfully, acquit himself of his mediatorship, between God and his people.
It was also a peculiar custom in the sixth Century at Vienne that a Monk was chosen, of whose sanctity the people entertained a high opinion, who should voluntarily lead the life of a recluse, being walled up in a cell and spending his whole time in fasting, praying and weeping, to implore the Divine mercy in favour of himself and his country. This practice would have been an abuse and superstition, if any person, relying on the prayers of others, were themselves more remiss in prayer or penance. Saint Theodore was chosen for this penitential state, which obligation he willingly took upon himself and discharged with so much fervour as to seem desirous to set no bounds to his tears and mortifications. An extraordinary gift of miracles made his name famous in the whole country.
Theodore died about the year 575 and was buried in the Monastery of Saint Laurence which he had founded. His Relics were translated to a collegiate Church of which he is the Titular Patron and which gives the name of Saint Chef to the Village where it stands, eight leagues from Vienne. This Saint is named in the Roman Martyrology.
Entrance to the Church of St Theodore
Saint Theodore is celebrated in the Diocese of Grenoble-Vienne on 29 October. The Village of Sainte-Chef was originally called Sainte-Theudère but the Village may be called Sainte-Chef today because of a tradition that the head (The French word ‘chef’ comes from Latin ‘caput’ [head]) of the Saint was kept there.
Christ the King: “Therefore, by our Apostolic authority, we appoint the Feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King, annually, on the last Lord’s day in the Month of October, that is to say, on the Sunday which immediately precedes the Feast of All Saints, to be observed everywhere in the world. Likewise we enjoin, that the dedication of the human race to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus be annually renewed upon that selfsame day.”
St Abraham of Rostov St Anne of Mount Olympus St Colman of Kilmacduagh St Dodone of Wallers-en-Fagne St Donatus of Corfu St Ermelinda of Meldaert St Eusebia of Bergamo St Felician of Carthage St Honoratus of Vercelli St John of Autun St Kennera St Mary of Edessa St Narcissus of Gerona
St Sigolinus of Stavelot St Stephen of Cajazzo St Terence of Metz St Theodore of Vienne (Died c575) Abbot St Zenobius of Sidon
Martyrs of Douai – 160 Saints and Beati: 160 Priests, Laymen and Religious who studied at the English College in Douai, France, then returned to minister to covert Catholics in England during a period of government persecution of the Church and were murdered for their work.
Martyrs of Lucania – 4 Saints: A group of Christians executed together for their faith. Only their names have survived – Felician, Hyacinth, Lucius and Quintus. Their Martyrdom occurred in Lucania, southern Italy.
Thought for the Day – 28 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“Month of the Holy Rosary” “The Refuge of Sinners”
“Mary is called, the Star of Sea because, as St Thomas Aquinas says, “even as sailors are guided into port, by means of a star, so Christians are guided towards Heaven, by means of Mary, .” (Opuse, 7). This absolute guarantee of the protection of our heavenly Mother, should increase our trust in her and lead us to turn towards her in every difficulty and temptation. It should not, however, result in an unhealthy attitude of spiritual inactivity, a passive dependence on Mary’s favours, without any co-operation on our part. Such behaviour would be the height of filial ingratitude. Mary will certainly save repentant sinners who have recourse to her but she cannot pay any attention to hardened sinners, who pray to her with their lips, while their hearts remain steeped in sin. We must have complete confidence in her but, we must also have a sincere intention of raising ourselves under her protection, from the slavery of sin, to the friendship of God.”
Quote/s of the Day – 28 October – The Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles
“… It was their vocation to call sinners to repentance, to heal those who were sick, whether in body or spirit, to seek in all their dealing, never to do their own will but the will of Him who sent them and, as far as possible, to save the world by their teaching.”
St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Bishop, Father & Doctor of the Church
Prayer to Sts Simon and Jude From the Liturgical Year, 1903
Great evils surround us! is there any hope left to the world? The confidence of thy devout clients proclaims thee, O Jude, the Patron of desperate cases and for thee, O Simon, this is surely the time to prove thyself Zelotes, full of zeal. Deign, thou both, to hear the Church’s prayers and aid her, with all thy Apostolic might, to re-animate faith, to rekindle charity and to save the world! Amen
One Minute Reflection – 28 October – Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles – Ephesians 4:7-13, John 15:17-25 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“The servant is not greater than his Master. … If they kept My Word, they will also keep yours. ” – John 15:20
REFLECTION – “Just as those, who have been trained in agriculture cut up the land with the plough and then, bury the seed in the furrow and do not rely any further on their own skill but rather, leave the rest to the power and favour of God — I mean the germination of the seed which is buried in the earth and nourishing it, up to perfect fruit, — so too, I think, the interpreter of the noblest truths ought only to sow the Word and leave the rest to God.
The Saviour, therefore, gives His advice in this matter to His disciples as a medicine, for lack of spirit and a cure for listlessness. For, He says, do not ever choose to shy away from continuing to teach, even if some of those, who have once been admonished, should nullify the teaching that has been given to them. Rather, finding that even My Words are often not received by many, do not strive to surpass My reputation. Instead, follow in My footsteps and do not become discouraged!” – St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Bishop, Father and Doctor of the Church – (Commentary on the Gospel of John, 10)
PRAYER – O God, Who has given us a way of coming to know Thy Name through Thy blessed Apostles Simon and Jude, grant us to honour their everlasting glory, by becoming more holy and to become more holy by honouring it. 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 – 28 October – Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles
Exsultet Orbis! Let the World Rejoice! Unknown Author
Now let the earth with joy resound, And Heaven the chant re-echo round; Nor Heaven nor earth too high can raise The great Apostles’ glorious praise.
O ye who, throned in glory dread, Shall judge the living and the dead, Lights of the world forever more! To you the suppliant prayer we pour.
Ye close the Sacred Gates on high. At your command apart they fly. O loose for us the guilty chain We strive to break and strive in vain.
Sickness and health your voice obey, At your command they go or stay. From sin’s disease our souls restore; In good confirm us more and more.
So when the world is at its end. And Christ to Judgment shall descend, May we be called, those joys to see Prepared from all eternity.
Praise to the Father, with the Son, And Holy Spirit, Three in One; As ever was in ages past And so shall be while ages last. Amen
(Roman Breviary for the Common of Apostles) An Office Hymn that was traditionally prescribed for Vespers and Lauds on the Feasts of Apostles and Evangelists outside Easter time. The Hymn is found as early as the tenth century in a hymnal of Moissac Abbey.
Saint of the Day – 28 October – Saint Gaudiosus of Naples (Died c453) Bishop of Abitinae in North Africa, Monk and founder of a Monastery where he introduced the Rule of St Augustine. Born Septimius Celius Gaudiosus in Tunisia, North Africa and died in exile in c455 at Naples in Italy of natural causes. Also known as – Gaudiosus of Abitinae, Gaudiosus the African.The image often used for our Saint is actually St Guadiosus of Brescia. I have found no image of today’s Saint.
The Roman Martyrology reads: “At Naples, St Gaudiosus, an African Bishop, who came to Campania because of the persecution of the Vandals and closed his holy career peacefully in a Monastery near that City.”
Tomb of St Gaudiosus
Gaudiosus, fled North Africa during the persecutions of Genseric, King of the Vandals, in a ship without sails or oars but which miraculously arrived safely in Naples carrying the precious cargo of other exiled Clergy, including the Bishop of Carthage, St Quodvultdeus and arriving in Naples in around 439,
Gaudiosus settled on the hill of Capodimonte, where he built a Monastery named the Caponapoli Monastery where he introduced the Rule of St Augustine. He is accredited with bringing to his new home, part of the Relics of St Restituta, the Virgin Martyr of Tunisia which are now kept in the early Basilica dedicated to her and which has been incorporated into the Naples Cathedral.
When Gaudiosus died between 451 and 45, he was buried in the Cemetery outside the City walls of Naples. His tomb soon began to arouse devotion. From that time onwards, the early Christian underground Cemetery expanded and gradually became the Catacombs of St Gaudiosus.
The Catacombs of San Gaudiosus are the second largest in Naples and includes both early Christian and 17th Century elements. The entrance to the underground burial site is inside the Basilica St Maria della Sanità, beneath the High Altar.
Main crypt below the High Altar of Santa Maria della Sanità.
On one side of the Catacombs there is the intensity of the early Christian elements, such as the Tombs of St Gaudiosus and Quodvultdeus. The walls are decorated with valuable frescoes and mosaics of the 5th and 6th Centuries which feature widely used Symbols in the early Christian era, such as the fish, the lamb and grapes with branches. On the other side are the special graves reserved for nobles, dating to the 17th Century, when the Catacombs resumed the function of a burial site.
Lord of Miracles/Señor de los Milagros de Nazarenas – A mid-17th-century painting of the Crucifixion that is venerated in Lima, Peru and its celebration involves one of the largest processions in the world. It was painted by an unnamed African taken to Peru as a slave from what is now Angola. Above the Cross is the Holy Spirit and God the Father. Below and to the right of Jesus, is His mother, the Virgin Mary with her heart pierced by a sword of sorrow. Kneeling and weeping at the foot of the cross is St Mary Magdalene. The name originated on 13 November 1655 when everything around it was destroyed in an earthquake that left the painting standing and undamaged. Christ is shown enduring the pain of Crucifixion. Every year in October, hundreds of thousands of devotees from all races and economic backgrounds participate in a procession honouring the image through the streets of Lima. Boulevards are decorated in purple on 18,19 and the final Feast 28 October to celebrate the Lord of Miracles.
St Abdias of Babylon St Abraham of Ephesus St Alberic of Stavelot St Anastasia the Elder St Anglinus of Stavelot St Cyril of Rome St Cyrilla of Rome St Diomedes the Younger St Dorbhene of Iona
St Ferrutius St Gaudiosus of Naples (Died c453) Bishop St Genesius of Thiers Bl Germain of Talloires St Godwin of Stavelot St Maria Ascuncion St Remigius of Lyons St Rodrigo Aguilar Aleman St Salvius of Amiens
Martyrs of Avila – 3 Saints: Two sisters and a brother who, during a period of persecution, fled Talavera de la Reina, Spain, were caught and executed. Martyrs: Christeta, Sabina and Vincent. 303 in Avila, Spain.
Thought for the Day – 27 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“Month of the Holy Rosary” “Hail Mary … Holy Mary”
“The Angel’s greeting was later completed by the salavation of St Elizabeth. As soon as Elizabeth saw the Blessed Virgin coming to visit her, she cried out in humble veneratin: “Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb!” (Lk 1:42).
In the first part of the Hail Mary, then, we pay her the words of the Gospel, the highest tributes ever accorded to any human creature, proclaiming her to be full of grace, blessed among women and Mother of the Redeemer. The second part, which was later added by the Church, (composed and proposed by St Peter Canisius 1521-1597) Doctor of the Church), is a heartfelt supplication addressed to Mary as the Mother of God and our Mother. “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, amen.” It would be hard to find a more touching plea. We ask our heavenly Mother to intercede for us now – because we have such great need of her assistance in this vale of tears and temptations. May she be always by our side, to shelter us beneath her mantle!”
Quote/s of the Day – 27 October – Vigil of Saints Simon and Jude – 1 Corinthians 4:9-14, John 15:1-7 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Abide in Me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abide in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me.”
John 15:4
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with thy whole heart and with thy whole soul and with thy whole mind.”
Matthew 22:37
“Be strengthened in Almighty God and in the power of His might, for with His help, nothing is difficult. Throw off the heavy load of your own will, cast aside the burden of sin and gird yourselves as valiant warriors! Forget what you are leaving behind; strain forward to the great things before you. I tell you that every place where you set foot, shall be yours. For the Spirit, Who goes before your face is Christ the Lord. He will carry you to the topmost peak in the arms of His Love.”
St Francis of Assisi (c1181-1226)
“If, because of your preaching, men lay aside enmities, forgive injuries, avoid occasions of sin and scandals and reform their conduct, you may say that the seed has fallen on good ground. But to God alone, give all the glory and acknowledge yourselves, ever unprofitable servants.”
St Louis Bertrand (1526-1581)
“Amongst all loves, God’s is so to be preferred that we must always stand prepared in mind, to forsake them all for that alone!”
St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor of the Church
(Treatise on the Love of God, Book 10, Chapter 7)
“[Jesus] is our only Master, Who must teach us; our only Lord, on Whom we must depend; our only Head, to Whom alone we should belong; our only Model, Whom we should imitate; our only Physician, Who must heal us; our only Shepherd, Who must feed us; our only Way, Who must lead us; our only Truth, Whom we must believe; our only Life, Who must be our life and our sole sufficiency in all things that, in Him, we may have all in All. Except the Name of Jesus, there is no other name given under Heaven, whereby we must be saved and apart from Jesus Christ, God has given us no other foundation of our salvation, our perfection and our glory! ”
One Minute Reflection – 27 October – “The Month of the Most Holy Rosary and of the Angels” – Vigil of Saints Simon and Jude – 1 Corinthians 4:9-14, John 15:1-7 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Abide in Me and I in you.” – John 15:4
REFLECTION – “[Jesus] is our only Master, Who must teach us; our only Lord, on Whom we must depend; our only Head, to Whom alone we should belong; our only Model, Whom we should imitate; our only Physician, Who must heal us; our only Shepherd, Who must feed us; our only Way, Who must lead us; our only Truth, Whom we must believe; our only Life, Who must be our life and our sole sufficiency in all things that, in Him, we may have all in All. Except the Name of Jesus, there is no other name given under Heaven, whereby we must be saved and apart from Jesus Christ, God has given us no other foundation of our salvation, our perfection and our glory: “for other foundations, no man can lay but that which is laid which is Christ Jesus” (1 Cor 3:11). Every house which is not built upon this firm Rock, is founded on the shifting sands and will inevitably fall, sooner or later. Every soul who is not united with Christ, as a branch to the stem of the vine, will fall off, wither and become fit only for the fire. If we are in Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ in us, we need not fear damnation; neither Angels in Heaven, nor men on earth, neither demons in hell, nor any other creature, can harm us because they cannot separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus (cf. Rm 8:38-39).” – St Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716) Priest, Renowned Preacher, Founder of Religious Communities [Treatise on the true devotion to the Blessed Virgin (Article one; First Truth)]
PRAYER – Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord God, unto all Thy servants, that they may remain continually in the enjoyment of soundness, both of mind and body and by the glorious intercession of the Blessed Mary, always a Virgin, maybe delivered from present sadness and enter into the joy of Thine eternal gladness. 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).
AnaStpaul 
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