Quote/s of the Day – 25 January – Feast of the Conversion of St Paul, Apostle – Acts 9:1-22, Matthew 19:27-29 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
Acts 9:4.
“So Saul was led to Ananias – the ravaging wolf is led to the sheep. But the Shepherd, Who guides everything from Heaven above, reassures him… “Do not fear, I will show him what he will have to suffer, for My Name’s sake” (Acts 9:16). What wonder is this! The wolf is led, a captive, to the sheep… The Lamb who died for the sheep, teaches it not to be afraid any more!”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of the Church
“Now Paul rejoices with Stephen, with Stephen he enjoys the brightness of Christ; he exults with Stephen, he reigns with Stephen. There, where Stephen arose, the first, stoned under Paul’s very eyes, there too, Paul has risen with the help of Stephen’s prayers!”
St Fulgentius of Ruspe (c 462 – 533) Bishop in North Africa
“Yet I live, no longer I but Christ lives in me; insofar as I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, Who has loved me and given himself up for me.”
Galatians 2:20
“It is possible that, as he lay dying, Stephen looked up at Saul and uttered his last prayer for this sincere and honest young Jew, who had been led astray by the prejudice and passion of the mob. … Let us endeavour too, to suffer, pray and work for the conversion of our fellowmen, so many of whom, are wandering in the darkness of error or struggling in the clutches of vice. Let us try, by our sufferings, prayers and good example, to draw down God’s grace on our unhappy brothers. If we succeed, we shall share in the merits of their good actions and we shall have ensured our own everlasting salvation.”
One Minute Reflection – 25 January – Feast of the Conversion of St Paul, Apostle – Acts 9:1-22, Matthew 19:27-29 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” – Acts 9:4.
REFLECTION – “From Heaven’s height Christ’s Voice overturned Saul. He received a command to carry out his persecutions no more and fell face downwards to the ground. He had first to be knocked down and afterwards raised up – first struck, then healed. For Christ would never have come to live in him, if Saul had not died to his former life of sin. Cast down to the earth in this way, what was it he heard? “Saul, Saul, why are thou persecuting Me? It is hard for thou to kick against the goad” (Acts 9:4-5). And he replied: “Who are you, Lord?” Then the voice from on high continued: “I am Jesus of Nazareth, Whom thou art persecuting.” The members are still on the ground, while the Head cries out, from the heights of Heaven. He is not saying: “Why art thou persecuting My servants?” but “Why art thou persecuting Me?”
And Paul, who had put all his energy into his persecutions, is already preparing to obey: “What do Thou want me to do?” The persecutor is already transformed into the preacher, the wolf has become a sheep, the enemy, a defender. Paul learns what he is to do – if he has become blind, if this world’s light is held back from him for a while, it is so as to make the light within shine in his heart. Light is taken away from the persecutor, so that it may be given to the preacher; at the very moment he no longer saw anything of this world, he saw Jesus. This symbolises the believer – those who believe in Christ, must fix the eyes of their soul on Him, without paying attention to outward things…
So Saul was led to Ananias – the ravaging wolf is led to the sheep. But the Shepherd, Who guides everything from Heaven above, reassures him… “Do not fear, I will show him what he will have to suffer, for My Name’s sake” (Acts 9:16). What wonder is this! The wolf is led, a captive, to the sheep… The Lamb who died for the sheep, teaches it not to be afraid any more!” – St Augustine (354-430) Bishop, Father and Doctor of Grace of the Church (Sermon 279).
PRAYER – O God, Who taught the whole world by the preaching of Thy blessed Apostle Paul, grant, we beseech Thee that we, who today celebrate his conversion, may draw closer to Thee, by way of hia example.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).
One Minute Reflection – 22 January – St Vincent of Saragossa (Died 304) Protomartyr of Spain and St Anastasius the Persian (Died 628) Martyr – The Third Sunday after the Epiphany – Romans 12:16-21, Matthew 8:1-13 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Lord, I am not worthy … ”- Matthew 8:8
REFLECTION – “When the Gospel was read, we heard Jesus praise our faith in an act of humility. When the Lord Jesus, you remember, promised He would go to the centurion’s house to heal his servant, the man replied, “I am not worthy that Thou should enter under my roof but only say the word, and he will be healed”. By calling himself unworthy, he showed he was worthy to have Christ enter, not within his walls but within his heart…
There would, after all, have been no great benefit if the Lord Jesus had entered within his walls and had not been in his bosom. Christ, the teacher of humility, by both word and example, had, you may remember, sat down in the house of a certain proud Pharisee called Simon (Lk 7:36). And although He was sitting in his house, there wasn’t anywhere in his heart, where the Son of man might lay His Head (Lk 9,58)… But into this centurion’s house, He did not enter, yet, he took possession of his heart…
So this man’s faith is discerned and praised in an act of humility. He said, “I am not worthy that Thou should enter under my roof” and the Lord said, “Amen I tell you, I have not found such great faith in Israel”… The Lord had come to Israel according to the flesh, that is, to the Jews, there first to seek the sheep that were lost (Lk 15:4)… We, as human beings, can assess the faith of human beings – from the outside; He, Who could look inside, Whom no-one could deceive, bore witness to the faith of this man and on hearing his humble words, He gave him a clean bill of health!” – St Augustine (354-430) Bishop of Hippo, Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermon 62).
PRAYER – Give heed to our humble prayers, O Lord, that we who know we are guilty of our own sin, may be saved by the intercession of Thy blessed Martyrs Vincent and Anastasius.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 – 21 January – The Third Sunday after the Epiphany
Give Me Thyself, O My God By St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace
Give me Thyself, O my God, give Thyself to me. Behold I love Thee and if my love is too weak a thing, grant me to love Thee more strongly. I cannot measure my love to know how much it falls short of being sufficient but let my soul hasten to Thy embrace and never be turned away, until it is hidden in the secret shelter of Thy Presence. This only do I know, that it is not good for me when Thou art not with me, when Thou art only outside me. I want Thee in my very self. All the plenty in the world which is not my God, is utter want. Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 18 January – Feast of the Chair of the Apostle, St Peter at Rome – 1 Peter 1:1-7, Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Matthew 16:16
“Upon this rock I will build My Church”
Matthew 16:18
“… May grace and peace be yours in abundance, through knowledge of God and of Jesus Our Lord…”
2 Peter 1:2
“So Peter wept and wept bitterly; he wept so hard that he washed away his offence with his tears. And you, too, if you would win pardon, wipe out your guilt with tears. At that very moment, in that same hour, Christ will look at you. If some kind of fall happens to you, then He, the ever-present witness of your intimate life, looks at you to call you back and cause you to confess your lapse. Then do as Peter did, who thrice said: “Lord, you know that I love you” (Jn 21:15). He denied three times and three times he also confessed. But he denied by night; he confessed in broad daylight.”
St Ambrose (340-397) Father and Doctor of the Church
“Yes, the Apostle chosen to be His co-worker, merited to share, the same Name as Christ. They built the same Building together – Peter does the planting, the Lord gives the increase and it is the Lord, too, Who sends those, who will do the watering (cf 1 Cor 3:6f).”
St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor of the Church
“It is good to admire the fidelity of St Peter and the designs of Divine Providence in making him the visible Head of the Church but, it is far better, to follow his example. His love for Jesus, led him to leave his family and his fisherman’s trade, in order to follow Our Lord. It led him to undertake long voyages, to endure imprisonment and to face Martyrdom. What can we do for the love of Jesus? Remember that, if love is to be sincere, it must be generous and effective. … He was not satisfied, until he was hanging upon the cross like his Divine Master and could prove his love for Jesus by a Martyr’s death.”
Thought for the Day – 16 January – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Christian Friendship
“Forget the series of useless and often academic questions which the philosophers asked concerning the nature of friendship. Cicero’s definition, however, is worth recording because it is not far from the Christian concept of friendship. Friends, he says, are those who are united by a bond of affection and of agreement in matters of spiritual and human importance. True friendship is the result of a mysterious and mutual attraction between two persons, who grow to know, respect and love one another (De Amicitia VI).
Thus, friendship would be fleeting and even dangerous, if it were nourished by the body rather than by the soul. The soul is eternal. Therefore, its love is lasting and passes on into eternity. The body, like the flowers in the fields, is pleasing for a while, then fades and dies. St Augustine tells us, in his Confessions that he was passionately attached to a young man of his own age, who was blooming with the flower of adolescence. But he adds, immediately, that this was not a genuine friendship because it did not spring from the charity which the Spirit of God pours into our hearts (Confessions IV, 4:7). These so-called, particular friendships, should be avoided as dangerous and contrary to Christian teaching.”
Thought for the Day – 13 January – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
HEAVEN
“God desires our salvation. “God wishes all men to be saved” (1 Tim 2:4). We are all aspiring to Heaven. We shall not be denied the grace of God, as long as we ask for it with confidence and perseverance. St Augustine tells us that Paradise is ours, if we wish: “You are not called to embrace the earth but, to prepare yourselves for Heaven; not to the successes of this world, nor to a short-lived and transient prosperity but, to eternal life, together with the Angels” (Serm 296 6:7).
Contemplate that true and everlasting happiness. Let us direct towards it, our intentions and desires and all our work! Then the day will come when we shall be really happy for all eternity.”
Quote/s of the Day – 10 January – Within the Octave of Epiphany – Isaias 60:1-6, Matthew 2:1-12 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Behold, the star which they had seen in the east, went before them until it came and stood over where the Child was…”
Matthew 2:9
“The night is passed and the day is at hand. Let us, therefore, cast off the works of darkness and put on the armour of Light.”
Romans 12:12
“I implore you to live with me and, by believing, to run with me; let us long for our Heavenly Country, let us sigh for our Heavenly Home, let us truly feel that here, we are strangers. What shall we then see? Let the gospel tell us: In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. You will come to the fountain, with whose dew you have already been sprinkled. Instead of the ray of Light which was sent through slanting and winding ways, into the heart of your darkness, you will see the Light Itself, in all its purity and brightness. It is to see and experience this Light that you are now being cleansed. … It has been good for us to share the common Light, good to have enjoyed ourselves, good to have been glad together. When we part from one another, let us not depart from Him!”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace
Prayer of Blessed Severinus Boethius (c 475-524) Martyr
“O Father, enable our minds, to rise to Thy ineffable dwelling place. Let us find the light and direct the eyes of our soul to Thee. Dispel the mists and the opaqueness of the earthly mass and shine out with Thy splendour. Thou art the serene and tranquil abode of those who persevere in their goal of seeing Thee. Thou art, at the same time, the Beginning, the Vehicle, the Guide, the Way and the Goal. Amen.”
“Run with eager desire to this Source of Life and Light, all you who are vowed to God’s service. Come, whoever you may be and cry out to Him, with all the strength of your heart. O indescribable Beauty of the most high God and purest Radiance of Eternal Light! Life that gives all life, Light that is the Source of every other light, preserving, in everlasting splendour, the myriad flames that have shone before the throne of Thy Divinity from the dawn of time!”
Quote/s of the Day – 9 January – The Holy Family – Within the Octave of Epiphany – Colossians 3:12-17, Luke 2:42-52 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“But put on the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Romans 13:14
“You are walking now by faith, still on pilgrimage in a mortal body away from the Lord but He, to Whom your steps are directed, is Himself the sure and certain Way for you – Jesus Christ, Who, for our sake became man. For all who fear Him, He has stored up abundant happiness which He will reveal to those who hope in Him, bringing it to completion, when we have attained the reality which, even now, we possess, in hope. Set your hearts on heavenly things, not the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, your Life, appears, then you too will appear with Him in glory.”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace
“And His Mother kept all these words in her heart.”
Luke 2:51
“Consider the most prudent woman Mary, Mother of true Wisdom, as the pupil of her Son. For she learned from Him, not as from a child or man but as from God. Yes, she dwelt in meditation on His words and actions. Nothing of what was said or done by Him, fell idly on her mind. … That which she now beholds in the present, she waits to have revealed with greater clarity, in the future.”
St Bede the Venerable (673-735) Father and Doctor of the Church
“And as for that in the good ground they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart and bring forth fruit with patience.”
Luke 8:15
“The more you devote yourself, to study of the Sacred utterances, the richer will be your understanding of them, just as the more the soil is tilled,, the richer is the harvest.”
St Isidore of Seville (c 560-636) Father & Doctor of the Church
Be Thou My Vision By St Dallan Forgaill (c 530- 598)
Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart; Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art. Thou my best thought by day or by night, Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my Light.
Be Thou my Wisdom and Thou my true Word; I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord. Thou my great Father, I Thy true son; Thou in me dwelling and I with Thee one.
Be Thou my battle-shield, sword for my fight, Be Thou my dignity, Thou my delight. Thou my soul’s shelter, Thou my high tower. Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.
Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise, Thou mine inheritance, now and always. Thou and Thou only, first in my heart, High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.
High King of Heaven, my victory won, May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Son, Heart of my heart, whatever befall Still be my vision, O ruler of all.
Quote/s of the Day – 7 January – Within the Octave of Epiphany
“If the Magi had come in search of an earthly King, they would have been disconcerted at finding that they had taken the trouble to come such a long way for nothing. Consequently, they would have neither adored, nor offered gifts. But since they sought a Heavenly King, although they found in Him, no signs of royal pre-eminence, yet, content with the testimony of the Star alone, they adored – for they saw a man and they acknowledged God!”
St John Chrysostom (347-407) Father and Doctor of the Church
“Although many kings of the Jews had been born and died, none of them did the Magi seek to adore. And so, they who came from a distant foreign land, to a kingdom which was entirely strange to them… But they had learnt that such a King was born that by adoring Him, they might be sure of obtaining from Him, the salvation which is of God.”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace
“What are you doing, O Magi? Do you adore a little Babe, in a wretched hovel, wrapped in miserable rags? Can this Child be truly God? … Are you become foolish, O Wise Men … Yes, these Wise Men have become fools that they may be wise!”
St Bernard (1090-1153) Father and Doctor of the Church
Quote/s of the Day – 5 January – “The Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus” – Vigil of the Epiphany –
“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 Lord, although He was God, became man. He suffered for the sake of those who suffer, He was bound for those in bonds, condemned for the guilty, buried for those who lie in the grave but He rose from the dead and cried aloud: “Who will contend with Me? Let him confront Me.” I have freed the condemned, brought the dead back to life, raised men from their graves. Who has anything to say against Me? I, He said, Am the Christ, I have destroyed death, triumphed over the enemy, trampled hell underfoot, bound the strong one and taken men up to the heights of Heaven. I Am the Christ. Come, then, all you nations of men, receive forgiveness for the sins which defile you. I Am your Forgiveness. I Am the Passover which brings salvation. I Am the Lamb Who was immolated for you. I Am your Ransom, your Life, your Resurrection, your Light, I am your Salvation and your King. I will bring you to the heights of Heaven. With My own Right Hand I will raise you up and I will show you the Eternal Father.”
St Melito of Sardis (Died c 180) Bishop, Father
“Listen! the reason He is called Saviour is because, for all those to whom He is united, He gains salvation. Now salvation means, to be delivered from all ills and, at the same time, to find all blessings forever – Life instead of death, Light in place of darkness and, instead of the slavery of the passions and unworthy deeds, the complete freedom granted to all those, who are united to Christ, Saviour of all beings. Thus they will possess, without being able to lose it, all joy, all happiness, all blessedness (…) that that none can ever know, or conceive, or see, if not sincerely and ardently attached to Christ.”
Quote/s of the Day – 30 December –The Sixth Day of the Octave of Christma – “The Month of the Divine Infant and the Immaculate Conception”
“… Let us keep the Feast, not after the manner of a heathen festival but after a Godly sort; not after the way of the world but in a fashion above the world; not as our own but as belonging to Him Who is ours, or rather as our Master’s; not as of weakness but as of healing; not as of creation but of re-creation.”
St Gregory of Nazianzen (330-390) Archbishop of Constantinople Father and Doctor of the Church
“Awake, mankind! For your sake God has become man. Awake, you who sleep, rise up from the dead and Christ will enlighten you. I tell you again, for your sake, God became man.”
St Augustine 354-430) Great Latin Father and Doctor of the Church
“Taking up the newborn Emmanuel, Mary beheld a Light incomparably fairer than the sun and saw a Fire that water cannot quench. She received, in the covering of flesh Whom she had borne, the Light Who enlightens all things and she was worthy, to carry in her arms, the Word Who carries the universe!” ”
St Amadeus of Lausanne (1108-1159) Bishop, Cistercian Monk
(Homilies in praise of the Blessed Virgin Mary, IV, SC 72)
Quote/s of the Day – 27 December – St John the Apostle and Evangelist, the Beloved – Ecclesiasticus 15:1-6, John 21:19-24 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Peter, therefore, seeing him, said to Jesus, Lord and what of this man?”
John 21:21
“ So, to Peter is said: “Follow me.” Of the other, however; “If I wish him to remain until I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me.” What is the meaning of this? How much can I know of it? How much can I understand? What is it?–unless this: “You are to follow me, imitating me in suffering temporal evils. Let him remain until I come, bringing eternal rewards.”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace
“The love of Jesus is noble and generous, it spurs us onto do great things and excites us to desire always that which is most perfect. Love will tend upwards and is not to be detained by things beneath. Love will be at liberty and free from all worldly affections… for love proceeds from God and cannot rest but in God above all things created. The lover flies, runs and rejoices, he is free and not held. He gives all for all and has all in all because he rests in One sovereign Good above all, from Whom all good flows and proceeds”
One Minute Reflection – 23 December – “The Month of the Divine Infant and the Immaculate Conception” – Friday of the Fourth Week of Advent – 1 Corinthians 4:1-5, Luke 3:1-6 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Prepare the way of the Lord” – Luke 3:4
REFLECTION – “I speak out in order to lead Him into your hearts but He does not choose to come where I lead Him, unless you prepare the way for Him. To prepare the way means, to pray well – it means thinking humbly of oneself. We should take our lesson from John the Baptist. He is thought to be the Christ, he declares he is not what they think. He does not take advantage of their mistake to further his own glory.” … St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of the Church
PRAYER – Almighty God, now that the birth of Your Son is drawing near, we pray that Your eternal Word, Who took flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary and came to dwell amongst men, will show Your unworthy people, the greatness of His love. And by the intercession of His Holy Mother, may we be granted Your grace. Through Emmanuel, our Lord, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever, amen.
Saint of the Day – 23 December – Bl essed Hartmann OSA (c 1090-1164) Bishop of Brixen, in South Tyrol, Italy, from his appointment in 1140 until his death, Monk of the Hermits of St Augustine, Reformer of the Clergy, Advisor and Confessor to the Holy Roman Emperor, Leopold I, Miracle-worker. Blessed Hartmann’s name means: “the strong man.” Born in c 1090 at Oberpolling, Bavaria, Germany and died in 1164 of natural causes. Patronages – the City and Diocese of Brixen, in Italy, the Diocese of Bolzano-Bressanone, Italy, of Pregnant women, for a good yield of the vineyards. Also known as – Armand, Artmanno, Althochdt, Harmannu. Hartmann was Beatified on 11 February 1784 by Pope Pius VI.
Hartmann came from the Bavarian nobility. He was educated by Augustinian Canons in the St Nikola Monastery in Passau. He entered the Order , was Ordained to the Priesthood. iN 1122, it was Salzburg’s Archbishop Conrad, who decided to reform his Priests and chose Hartmann to lead a group of Priests under the Rule of Saint Augustine. In 1128, Hartmann was appointed as the Prior of an Augustinian Monastery at Herren-Chiemsee, which position he held until 1133.
The Monasteries flourished under Hartmann’s direction and, in 1136, the collegiate Church in Klosterneuburg was completed and Consecrated. Hartmann was Advisor and Confessor to Emperor Frederick I, whom he tried to serve without betraying his loyalty to the Pope.
Church of the Klosterneuburg Nonastery
Blessed Hartmann (left) and Margrave Leopold III in front of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Christ Child, on the main gate of the Klosterneuburg collegiate Church
In 1140 he was appointed as the Bishop of Brixen, by Pope Innocent II and, as such, received his Episcopal Consecration a short while after. He was installed shortly thereafter and dedicated himself to the reform of Priests in the Diocese, as well as acting as a benefactor to Religious Orders, with a particular emphasis on the introduction of the Order of Saint Benedict into the Diocese.
For Hartmann, a flourishing monastic life was the basis for the restoration of Ecclesiastical discipline and thus, for a religious growth in sanctity. In the conflicts surrounding the Papal election of 1159, Hartmann sided with Pope Alexander III against Emperor Frederick I.
Blessed Hartmann explains the construction plan, to the two co-founders of the Neustift Monastery, Count Reginbert von Säben and his wife Christina. This is the ceiling fresco, n the Neustift collegiate Church, Painted by Matthäus Günther. in 1735-36.
Hartmann himself led an exemplary ascetic life, wearing sackcloth under a plain robe, instead of fullEepiscopal garments. He encouraging discipline in the Clergy and helped the poor and needy. With the assistance of the wealthy Canon Richer, he built the hospice for travellers and pilgrims, on the “Insula Sanctae Crucis” – “the Island of the Holy Cross” – on the site of today’s Seminary – and in 1157, he Consecrated the hospital Chapel.
Painting in the Church in Oberpolling near Passau
We have some information on Hartmann’s miracles but I have found nothing regarding his Patronage of pregnant women. A legend tells how Hartmann stopped on a journey in Longostagno – a district of Ritten near Bozen and refreshed his overheated face in a bowl of water. A woman whose face was badly swollen and bruised, also washed in this water and was instantly relieved of her ailment. Another legend tells that Hartmann hid from robbers in the tower of the Church in Antholz in Pustertal and lost the iron chain with which he flogged himself everyday. When the chain was later found, it unfolded miraculous powers and a fountain sprang up next to the tower,which still flows today and bears his name. The fountain on the Alm near Nova Levante on the Catinaccio Mountains which offered undrinkable water,, he made pure.
Hartmann was already venerated as a Saint during his lifetime. He died of a stroke after taking a too hot bath the day before Christmas Eve .
Statue in the Cathedral in Brixen
Hartmann’s grave was in the Chapel of the hospice he founded on the Island of the Holy Cross in Brixen. It was a popular place of pilgrimage, today the tomb is in the Chapel of the Seminary. Before 1200 a Canon from Neustift wrote his Vita There are also Relics in the collegiate Church in Novacella near Brixen.
Quote/s of the Day – 20 December – “The Month of the Divine Infant and the Immaculate Conception”
“He became small because you were small – understand how great He is and you will become great along with Him. This is how houses are built, how the solid walls of a building are raised. The stones brought to construct the building increase, you, too, increase, understanding how great Christ is and how He, who appeared to be small, is great, very great indeed…”
St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor of the Church
“If we would please this Divine Infant, we too must become children, simple and humble. We must carry to Him, flowers of virtue, of meekness, of mortification, of charity. We must clasp Him in the arms of our love.”
St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor
Quote/s of the Day – 9 December – Within the Octave of the Immaculate Conception
“Mary, having merited to give flesh to the Divine Word and thus, supply the price of our redemption that we might be delivered from eternal death, therefore, she is more powerful than all others, to help us gain eternal life.”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace
“Through a woman, [Eve] a curse fell upon the earth; through a woman, [Mary] there returned to the earth, a blessing!”
St Peter Damian (1007-1072) Doctor of the Church
“O daughter of King David and Mother of God, the universal King. O Divine and living object whose beauty has charmed God the Creator; your whole soul is completely open to God’s action and attentive to God alone. … Your womb will be the abode of the one whom no place can contain. Your milk will provide nourishment for God, in the little Infant Jesus. Your hands will carry God and your knees will serve as a throne for Him that is more noble than the throne of the Cherubim. … You are the temple of the Holy Spirit, the city of the living God, made joyous by abundant flowers, the sacred flowers of Divine grace. You are all-beautiful and very close to God, above the Cherubim and higher than the Seraphim, right near God Himself! Amen”
St John Damascene (675-749) Father and Doctor of the Church
The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
“The One Who is the Wisdom of the Father, put His arms around her neck, the One Who is the strength, which gives movement to everything, sat in her arms. He, Who is the rest of souls, (Mt 11:29) rested on her motherly breast. … Filled with the Holy Spirit, she held Him close to her heart … She never had enough of seeing Him or of hearing Him … Thus Mary, grew evermore in love and her mind was unceasingly attached, to Divine contemplation.”
One Minute Reflection – 2 December – St Bibiana (Died c 361) Virgin Martyr – Sirach 51:13-17, Matthew 13:44-52.– Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“So shall it be at the end of the world. The Angels shall go out and shall separate the wicked from among the just. And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” – Matthew 13:49-50
REFLECTION – “Our Lord was an example of incomparable patience. He bore with a “devil” among His disciples even to His Passion (Jn 6,70). He said: “Let them grow together until the harvest lest you uproot the wheat when you pull out the weeds” (cf. Mt 13,29f.). As a symbol of the Church, He preached that the net would bring back to shore, namely the end of the world, every kind of fish, both good and bad. And He made it known, in various other ways, whether openly or in parables, that there would always be a mixture of good and bad. But, nevertheless, He stresses, that we have to protect the Church’s discipline when He says: “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother” (Mt 18,15)…
Yet today, we see people who think of nothing but stern commandments, who order that troublemakers be reproved, ‘not giving what is holy to the dogs,’ treating, like the publicans, ‘anyone who despises the Church, cutting off the scandalous member from the body‘ (Mt 7,6 ; 18,17 ; 5,30). Their stormy zeal so troubles the Church, that they pull out the weeds before their time and their blindness makes of them enemies, of the unity of Jesus Christ…
Take care not to let these presumptuous thoughts enter our hearts, trying to separate ourselves from sinners, so as not to be soiled by contact with them, wanting to form a band of pure and holy disciples. We will achieve nothing but breaking up our unity, under the pretext of not associating with the wicked. To the contrary, let us remember the parables of Scripture, their inspired words, their striking examples, where we are shown that, until the end of the world and the day of judgement, the bad will always be mingled amongst the good in the Church, without their participation in the Sacraments being harmful to the good, so long as these latter, have not played a part in their sins.” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (On Faith and Works – Excerpt ch 3-5)
PRAYER – O God, giver of all good gifts, Thou Who in Thy servant, Bibiana, joined the flower of virginity with the palm of Martyrdom, by her intercession unite our hearts to Thee in charity, so that, saved from all dangers, we may obtain the rewards of eternal life. 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).
Quote/s of the Day – 1 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception” – Romans 13:11-14, Luke 21:25-33 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“When these things begin to come to pass, look up and lift up your heads because your redemption is at hand.”
Luke 21:28
“And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather, be afraid of him, who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Matthew 10:28
“Elizabeth says: ‘Blessed are you because you have believed.’ You also are blessed, because you have heard and believed. A soul that believes, both conceives and brings forth the Word of God and acknowledges His works.”
St Ambrose of Milan (340-397) Great Latin Father and Doctor of the Church
“Wherever you are on earth, however long you remain on earth, the Lord is near, do not be anxious about anything!”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace
“He is present to the eyes of the mind, making Himself seen by those who have a pure heart and conversing with them. So pursue your path …. Do not hinder the Lord’s narrow way with your dragging feet. Hitch up your garment and be ready for action, look up and do not burden yourself with those oppressive loads which are your evil desires. For anyone who is accomplishing the journey from earth to Heaven, it is enough to diligently pursue one’s path without assuming extra weight. … ”
St Theodore the Studite (759-826) Monk and Theologian at Constantinople
One Minute Reflection – 29 November – Vigil of the Feast of St Andrew – Romans 13:11-14, Luke 21:25-33 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“But put on the Lord Jesus Christ.” – Romans 13:14
REFLECTION – “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh and its desires, so that you may be clothed with the Life of Him, Whom you have put on in this Sacrament. You have all been clothed with Christ by your Baptism in Him. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor freeman, there is neither male nor female, you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Such is the power of this Sacrament: it is a Sacrament of new lifewhich begins here and now, with the forgiveness of all past sins and will be brought to completion, in the resurrection of the dead. You have been buried with Christ by Baptism into death, in order that, as Christ has risen from the dead, you also may walk in newness of life.
You are walking now by faith, still on pilgrimage in a mortal body away from the Lord but He, to Whom your steps are directed, is Himself the sure and certain Way for you – Jesus Christ, Who, for our sake became man. For all who fear Him, He has stored up abundant happiness which He will reveal to those who hope in Him, bringing it to completion, when we have attained the reality which, even now, we possess, in hope.
This is the octave day of your new birth. Today is fulfilled in you, the sign of faith that was prefigured in the Old Testament by the circumcision of the flesh, on the eighth day after birth. When the Lord rose from the dead, He put off the mortality of the flesh; His Risen Body was still the same Body but it was no longer subject to death. By His Resurrection, He consecrated Sunday, or the Lord’s day. Though the third after His Passion, this day is the eighth after the Sabbath and thus also, the first day of the week.
And so, your own hope of resurrection, though not yet realised, is sure and certain because you have received the Sacrament or sign of this reality and have been given the pledge of the Spirit. If, then, you have risen with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your hearts on heavenly things, not the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, your Life, appears, then you too will appear with Him in glory.” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (An excerpt from: Sermon 8 – On the Paschal Octave).
PRAYER – Put forth Thy power, O Lord, we beseech Thee and come, that with Thee as our protector, we may be rescued from the impending danger of our sins and with Thee as our deliverer, may we obtain our salvation .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).
One Minute Reflection – 28 November – The First Week of Advent – Romans 13:11-14, Luke 21:25-33 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“The night is passed and the day is at hand. Let us, therefore, cast off the works of darkness and put on the armour of Light.” – Romans 12:12
REFLECTION – “We Christians are the light, at least by comparison with unbelievers. Thus the Apostle says: For once you were darkness but now you are Light in the Lord; walk then as sons of the Light. And elsewhere he says: The night is far spent, the day is drawing near. Let us, therefore, lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armour of Light; let us walk uprightly as in the day.
Nevertheless, since the days in which we are now living are still dark, compared to the Light which we shall see, hear what the Apostle Peter says. He speaks of a Voice that came from the Supreme Glory and said to the Lord Christ: You are My beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased. This Voice, he says, we heard coming from Heaven, when we were with Him on the holy mountain. Because we, ourselves, were not present there and did not hear the Voice from Heaven, Peter says to us: And we possess a more certain prophetic word to which you do well to attend, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the Morning Star rises in your hearts.
When, therefore, our Lord Jesus Christ shall come and, as the Apostle says, bring to Light things hidden in darkness and make plain the secrets of the heart, so that everyone may receive his commendation from God, then lamps will no longer be needed. When that day is at hand, the prophet will not be read to us, the book of the Apostle will not be opened, we shall not require the testimony of John, we shall have no need of the Gospel itself. Therefore, all Scriptures will be taken away from us, those Scriptures which, in the night of this world, burned like lamps, so that we might not remain in darkness.
When all these things are removed, as no longer necessary for our illumination and when the men of God by whom they were ministered to us, shall themselves, together with us, behold the true and dear Light, without such aids, what shall we see? With what shall our minds be nourished? What will give joy to our gaze? Where will that gladness come from which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, which has not even been conceived by the heart of man? What shall we see?
I implore you to live with me and, by believing, to run with me; let us long for our heavenly country, let us sigh for our heavenly home, let us truly feel that here, we are strangers. What shall we then see? Let the gospel tell us: In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. You will come to the fountain, with whose dew you have already been sprinkled. Instead of the ray of Light which was sent through slanting and winding ways, into the heart of your darkness, you will see the Light Itself, in all its purity and brightness. It is to see and experience this Light that you are now being cleansed. Dearly beloved, John himself says, we are the sons of God and it has not yet been disclosed what we shall be but we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him because we shall see Him as He is.
I feel that your spirits are being raised up with mine to the heavens above but the body which is corruptible, weighs down the soul and this earthly tent, burdens the thoughtful mind. I am about to lay aside this book and you are soon going away, each to his own business. It has been good for us to share the common Light, good to have enjoyed ourselves, good to have been glad together. When we part from one another, let us not depart from Him!” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (An excerpt from his Treatise on John, 35).
PRAYER – O God, Who, by the message of an Angel, willed to take flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary, grant that we, Thy suppliants, who believe her to be truly the Mother of God, maybe assisted by her intercession with Thee. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
Quote/s of the Day – 22 November – St Cecilia Died 3rd Century) Virgin Martyr – Ecclesiasticus 51:13-17, Matthew 25:1-13 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“But the wise took oil in their vessels”
Matthew 25:4
“The Apostle says, “I will show you a still more excellent way.” “If I speak with the tongue of mortals and of angels but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” This is charity. It is “that way above the rest,” which is, with good reason, signified by the oil. For oil swims above all liquids. Pour in water and pour in oil upon it, the oil will swim above. If you keep the usual order, it will be uppermost, if you change the order, it will be uppermost. “Charity never fails!”
“Love the Lord and so, learn to love yourselves that when, by loving the Lord, you shall have loved yourselves, you may securely love your neighbour as yourselves. … So then, have faith with love. This is the “wedding garment!”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace
“Charity is the sweet and holy bond which links the soul with its Creator; it binds God with man and man with God.”
St Catherine of Siena OP (1347-1380) Doctor of the Church
“My dear souls, let us recognise, I pray you, Christ’s infinite charity towards us in the institution of this Sacrament of the Eucharist. In order that our love be a spiritual love, He wills a new heart, a new love, a new spirit for us. It is not with a carnal heart but with a spiritual one, that Christ has loved us with a gratuitous love, a supreme and most ardent love, by way of pure grace and charity. Ah! One needs to love Him back with one’s whole, whole, whole, living, living, living and true, true, true heart!”
St Lawrence of Brindisi(1559-1619)
“Humility and charity are the two master chords – one, the lowest; the other, the highest; all the others are dependent on them. Therefore, it is necessary, above all. to maintain ourselves in these two virtues, for observe well, that the preservation of the whole edifice depends on the foundation and the roof!”
St Vincent de Paul (1581-1660)
“A word or a smile, is often enough, to put fresh life into a despondent soul.”
St Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face (1873-1897) Doctor of the Church
One Minute Reflection – 22 November – St Cecilia Died 3rd Century) Virgin Martyr – Ecclesiasticus 51:13-17, Matthew 25:1-13 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“But the wise took oil in their vessels” – Matthew 25:4
REFLECTION – “It is some great thing, some exceedingly great thing, that this oil signifies. Do you think it might be charity? If we try out this hypothesis, we hazard no precipitate judgement. I will tell you why charity seems to be signified by the oil. The Apostle says, “I will show you a still more excellent way.” “If I speak with the tongue of mortals and of angels but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” This is charity. It is “that way above the rest,” which is, with good reason, signified by the oil. For oil swims above all liquids. Pour in water and pour in oil upon it, the oil will swim above. If you keep the usual order, it will be uppermost, if you change the order, it will be uppermost. “Charity never fails!” … St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor (Sermon 93).
PRAYER – O God, Who gladden us by the annual feast of blessed Cecilia, Thy Virgin and Martyr, grant, we beseech Thee, that we may by virtuous conduct follow her, whom we venerate in this sacred rite. 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).
One Minute Reflection – 16 November – St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302) Virgin – 2 Corinthians 10:17-18; 11:1-2, Matthew 25:1-13 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Five of them were foolish and five were wise…” – Matthew 25:2
REFLECTION – “So then let us understand, dearly beloved, that this parable relates to us all, that is, to the whole Church together, not to the clergy only, of whom we spoke yesterday, nor to the laity only but generally to all. Why then are the virgins, five and five? These five and five virgins, are all Christian souls together. But that I may tell you what, by the Lord’s inspiration I think, it is not souls of every sort but such souls as have the Catholic Faith and seem to have good works in the Church of God. Yet, even of them it is said, “Five are wise and five are foolish.”
Every soul, which enlivens a body, is denoted by the number five because it makes use of five senses. For there is nothing of which we have perception by the body, except through this fivefold gate, either by sight, or hearing, or smelling, or tasting or touching. Whoever abstains from unlawful seeing, unlawful hearing, unlawful smelling, unlawful tasting and unlawful touching, by reason of blamelessness, is here called by the name of virgin.” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (Sermon 93).
PRAYER – O God, Who prepared a pleasing dwelling place for Thyself in the heart of blessed Gertrude the Virgin, by her merits and intercession, mercifully wipe away all sinful stain from our heart and grant that we may enjoy her companionship. 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).
One Minute Reflection – 13 November – The Twenty Third Sunday after Pentecost – St Didacus de Alcalá de Henares) OFM (c 1400-1463) Confessor and the Feast of All Saints of the Augustinian Order – Philippians 3:17-21; 4:1-3, Matthew 9:18-26 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Behold .a certain ruler came up and adored him, saying: Lord, my daughter is even now dead but come, lay Thy hand upon her and she shall live. ” – Matthew 9:18
REFLECTION – “The hour is coming, in which all that are in their graves ,shall hear His Voice and shall come forth” (Jn 5,28)… We have read in the Gospel, of three dead persons who were raised to life by the Lord and, let us hope, to some good purpose. For surely the Lord’s deeds are not merely deeds but signs… We were listening with wonder… in the reading of the Gospel, how Lazarus was restored to life (Jn 11). If we turn our thoughts to the still more wonderful works of Christ, everyone who believes, rises again – if we all consider and understand that more horrifying kind of death which everyone who sins dies.
But every man is afraid of the death of the flesh; few, of the death of the soul! …Man, destined to die, labours to avert his dying and yet, man, destined to live forever, labours not, to cease from sinning! … Oh that we could arouse men and be ourselves aroused along with them, to be, as great lovers of the life that abides, as men are of that, which passes away.! … Who has had it said to him: “Be off to sea, if you would escape with your life” and has delayed to do so? Who has had it said to him: “Set to work if you would preserve your life” and has continued a sluggard? It is but little that God requires of us that we may live forever and we neglect to obey Him?! …
If, then, the Lord in the greatness of His grace and mercy, raises our souls to life that we may not die forever, we may well understand, that those three dead persons whom He raised in the body, have some figurative significance of that resurrection of the soul, which is effected by faith.” – St Augustine (354-430), Father and Doctor of Grace of the Church (Sermons on Saint John’s Gospel, no.49, 1-3).
PRAYER – Almighty, eternal God, Who in Thy wondrous providence, choose the weak things of the world to overcome the strong, mercifully grant unto us Thy humble servants that, by the loving prayers of blessed Didacus, Thy Confessor, we may be found worthy to be raised unto the everlasting glory of 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).
Fiesta del Patronato de Nuestra Señora / Feast of the Patronage of Our Lady (1679):
Statue of Our Lady in Barcelona Cathedral
This Feast was first permitted by Decree of the Sacred Congregation of Rites, on 6 May, 1679, for all the Provinces of Spain, in memory of the victories obtained over the Saracens, heretics and other enemies, from the sixth century to the reign of Philip IV. Pope Benedict XII ordered it to be kept in the Papal States on the third Sunday of November. To other places it is granted, on request, for a Sunday in November, to be designated by the ordinary. The Office is taken entirely from the Common of the Blessed Virgin and the Mass is the “Salve sancta parens”. In many places the Feast of the Patronage of Our Lady, is held with an additional title of Queen of All Saints, of Mercy, Mother of Graces.
St Didacus de Alcalá de Henares) OFM (c 1400-1463) Confessor, Lay Brother of the Order of Friars Minor, Hermit, Mystic. Months passed before it was possible to bury Brother Didacus, so great was the number of people who came to venerate his remains. Not only did his body remain incorrupt but it diffused a pleasant odour. After it was laid to rest in the Franciscan Church at Alcalá de Henares, astounding miracles continued to occur at his tomb. Pope Sixtus V, himself a Franciscan, Canonised Brother Didacus in 1588. About this lovely Sainst: https://anastpaul.com/2021/11/13/saint-of-the-day-13-november-saint-didacus-ofm-c-1400-1463/
St Frances Xavier Cabrini (1850-1917) Mother Cabrini, was an Italian-American religious sister, who founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, that was a major support to the Italian immigrants to the United States, Cardinal Mundelein of Chicago officiated at her funeral and in 1938 also presided at her beatification by Pius XI. She was canonised by Pius XII in 1946. She lies buried under the altar of the chapel of Mother Cabrini High School in New York City.(Memorial for the United States only ) – her Universal Feast Day is 22 December. Biography: https://anastpaul.com/2017/12/22/saint-of-the-day-22-december-st-frances-xavier-cabrini-m-s-c-1850-1917/
All Saints of the Augustinian Order: On 13 November – St Augustine’s Birthday, we celebrate the Feast of All Saints of the Augustinian Order. On this day we call to mind the many unsung brothers and sisters of the Augustinian family who have “fought the good fight” and celebrate now, in Heaven. Let us pray for one another that we too may one day join in the “unceasing chorus of praise” with all our Augustinian brethren in Heaven.
All Saints of the Benedictine & Cistercian Orders: Those interested in the Benedictine family may be interested to know that today, within the Benedictine liturgical tradition, is traditionally celebrated the Feast of All Saints of the Benedictine Order – In Festo Omnium Sanctorum Ordinis S.P.N. Benedicti. The Cistercians — who also follow the Rule of St Benedict — likewise observe this day for All Saints of their Order. (On a related note, the Benedictines also traditionally observe 14 November as All Souls of their Order.
All Benedictine Saints
St Benedict and St Bernard -1542
All Saints of the Premonstratensian Order or the “Norbertines.” The Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré, also known as the Premonstratensians, the Norbertines and, in Britain and Ireland, as the White Canons , are a Roman Catholic religious order of canons regular founded in Prémontré near Laon in 1120 by Saint Norbert, who later became Archbishop of Magdeburg. Premonstratensians are designated by O.Praem. following their name. St Norbert was a friend of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux and so was largely influenced by the Cistercian ideals as to both the manner of life and the government of his order. Aside from St Norbert there are at present fifteen saints of the Order who have been Canonised or have had their immemorial cults confirmed by the Holy See. St Norbert (c 1080-1134) “Defender of the Eucharist” and “Apostle of the Eucharist” – Bishop, Confessor, Founder. Patron for peace, invoked during childbirth for safe delivery, of infertile married couples. St Norbert here: https://anastpaul.com/2017/06/06/saint-of-the-day-6-june-st-norbert/
St Norbert
All Saints of the Norbertines
All Deceased Dominican Brothers and Sisters
St Abbo of Fleury St Amandus of Rennes St Amanzio St Beatrix of Bohemia St Brice of Tours (Died 444) Bishop St Caillin St Chillien of Aubigny St Columba of Cornwall St Dalmatius of Rodez St Devinicus St Eugenius of Toledo St Florido of Città di Castello St Gredifael St Himerius St Homobonus of Cremona St Juan Ortega Uribe Blessed Leone of Assisi OFM (Died 1271)Priest and Friar of the Friars Minor, Companion, Secretary and Confessor of St Francis. St Leoniano of Vienne St Maxellendis St Mitrius St Pope Nicholas I St Paterniano St Quintian of Rodez Bl Robert Scurlock Bl Warmondus of Ivrea
Martyrs of Caesarea – 5 Saints: A group of Christians murdered for their faith in the persecutions of Diocletian, Galerius Maximian and Firmilian. – Antoninus, Ennatha, Germanus, Nicephorus and Zebinas. 297 at Caesarea, Palestine.
Martyrs of Ravenna – 3 Saints: A group of Christians murdered together in the persecutions of Diocletian. The only information about them that has survived are three names – Solutor, Valentine and Victor. c 305 in Ravenna, Italy.
Martyrs of Salamanca – 5 Saints: The first group of Christians exiled, tortured and executed for their adherence to the Nicene Creed during the persecutions of the Arian heretic Genseric. – Arcadius, Eutychianus, Paschasius, Paulillus and Probus. Born in Spain and Martyred in 437. Their relics are at Medina del Campo, Spain.
Quote/s of the Day – 12 November – St Martin I, Pope (598-655) Martyr – 1 Peter 5:1-4; 5:10-11, Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee but My Father Who is in Heaven.”
Matthew 16:17
“If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.” Jesus turned and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter, your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well.”
Matthew 9:21-22
“But whom do you say that I Am?”
Luke 9:20
“Our pilgrimage on earth cannot be exempt from trial. We progress by means of trial. No-one knows himself except through trial, or receives a crown, except after victory, or strives, except against an enemy or temptations.”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace
“What determines that the gifts of God dwells in us, is the measure of each one’s faith. Because it is to the extent that we believe, that the enthusiasm to act is given us. And so those who act, reveal the measure of their faith proportionate to their action, they receive their measure of grace according to what they have believed. …”
St Maximus the Confessor (c 580-662) Monk and Theologian
“All our goodness is a loan; God is the owner; God works and His work is God.”
St John of the Cross (1542-1591) Doctor of the Church
The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; He descended into hell; on the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Amen
Saint of the Day – 9 November – Blessed Gratia of Cattaro OSA (1438-1508) Lay Brother of the Hermits of St Augustine, sailor, Born 27 October 1438 at Mul, Cattaro, Dalmatia (modern Kotor, Montenegro) and died on 9 November 1508 in Murano, Italy of natural causes. Gratia was known for his humility, spirit of penance, love of the Eucharist and for his zealous hard labour. Also known as – Gratia of Kotor, Gracija, Grazia. Gratia was Beatified in 6 June 1889 by Pope Leo XIII (cultus confirmed).
Gratia was born in 1438 in the small town of Mula on the coast of Dalmatia near Cattaro (Kotor), not far from present-day Albania. He followed in the footsteps of his father ,who was a sailor and visited many port cities, being particularly drawn by the beauty of Venice. One day, after hearing a sermon of Simon of Camerino in the Augustinian Church of Saint Stephen in that City, he entered the Order as a brother and took the name Gratia, out of gratitude to God for the many gifts he had received. Simon of Camerino had founded a community near Padua where the Friars lived in absolute poverty while ministering at a Shrine dedicated to our Lady. Here Gratia lived a life of prayer and penance and devoted his energies toward the construction of the monastery and the cultivation of its garden.
Later, when Simon established the Friary of Saint Christopher in Venice, Gratia was transferred there, where he was greatly loved by the people and sought after by them for his prayer and counsel. Here he died on 8 November 1508. Within the Church of Saint Christopher, a marble monument was erected to his memory by a Senator of the City, while Gratia’s remains were eventually taken back to Mula. Pope Leo XIII confirmed his cult in 1889.
Gratia might have been considered a belated vocation in his day, earning a living by the hard labour of an itinerant sailor. Following his entrance into religious life, he continued to use his natural gifts in the service of God and his community and by his simple but genuine demeanour, drew others to also recognise, the grace of God at work in their lives.
Four Crowned Martyrs: Saint Castorus, Saint Claudius, Saint Nicostratus and Saint Simpronian. Skilled stone carvers in the 3rd century quarries. Martyred when they refused to carve an idol of Aesculapius for Diocletian. They were drowned in the River Sava in 305. Patronages – against fever, cattle, sculptors, stone masons, stonecutters.
St Adeodatus I, Pope (Died 618) Bishop of Rome from 19 October 615 to 8 November 618 St Clair of Tours St Cybi of Caenarvon St Drouet
All Saints of the Diocese of Evry: A regional memorial of all the Saints and Beati of the calendar who have a connection to the Diocese of Evry-Corbeil-Essonnes, France. • Blessed Isabella of France, founded the Longchamp monastery • Blessed Nicolas Gaudreau, pastor of Vert-le-Petit • Blessed Pierre Bonse, pastor of Massy • Our Lady of Good Guard, patron saint of the diocese, venerated in Longpont-sur-Orge, France • Saint Corbinian, born in Saint-Germain-lès-Arpajon • Saint Denis of Paris, evangelizer of part of Essonne and revered ni Longpont-sur-Orge • Saint Eloi, who lived in Chilly-Mazarin • Saint Germain of Paris • Saint William of Bourges, son of Count Baldwin IV of Corbeil • Saint William of Aebelholt, pastor of Brunoy • Saint Wulfran of Sens, born in Milly-la-Forêt • Blessed Nativelle, vicar of Longjumeau • Blessed René Le Bris, pastor of Bris-sous-Forges • Saint Spire of Bayeux, whose relics are in Corbeil in the cathedral that bears his name All Saints of Wales
Feast of the Holy Relics – 5 November – From the Liturgical Year, 1901.
Relics of the Passion conserved in the Roman Basilica of Santa Croce in Jerusalem
Had we Angels’ eyes, we should see the earth as a vast field sown with seed for the Resurrection. The death of Abel opened the first furrow and ever since, the sowing has gone on unceasingly, the wide world over. This land of labour and of suffering, what treasures it already holds laid up in its bosom! And what a harvest for Heaven, when the Sun of Justice, suddenly darting forth His rays, shall cause to spring up, as suddenly from the soil, the elect ears ripe for glory! No wonder that the Church herself blesses and superintends, the laying of the precious grain in the earth.
But the Church is not content to be always sowing. Sometimes, as though impatient of delay, she raises from the ground the chosen seed she had sown therein. Her infallible discernment preserves her from error and, disengaging from the soil the immortal germ, she forestalls the glory of the future. She encloses the treasure in gold or precious stuffs, carries it in triumph, invites the multitudes to come and reverence it; or, she raises new temples to the name of the blessed one and assigns him the highest honour of reposing under the Altar, whereon she offers to God, the tremendous Sacrifice.
Religuary of St Anthony of Padua
“Let your charity understand,” explains St Augustine (Aug. Sermo cccxviii, de Stephano Mart. V): “it is not to Stephen we raise an Altar in this place but of Stephen’s relics, we make an Altar to God. God loves these Altars and, if you ask the reason – Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints (Ps. cxv, 15).” In obedience to God “the invisible soul has quitted its visible dwelling. But God preserves this dwelling; He is glorified by the honour we pay to this lifeless flesh and, clothing it with the might of His Divinity, He gives it the power of working miracles” (Aug. Sermo cclxxv, de Vincentio Mart. II). Hence the origin of pilgrimages to the Shrines of the Saints.
Left–Adoration of the Holy Cross by the Saints in Heaven; Right– Reliquary of St Stephen
“Christian people,” says St Gregory of Nyssa, “wherefore are you assembled here? A tomb has no attractions, nay, the sight of its contents inspires horror! Yet, see what eagerness to approach this sepulchre! So great an object of desire is it, that a little of the dust from around it is esteemed a gift of great price. As to beholding the remains it conceals, that is a rare favour and an enviable one, as those can testify who enjoy the privilege: they embrace the holy body as though it were yet alive, they press their lips and their eyes upon it, shedding tears of love and devotion. What emperor ever received such honour ”(Greg. Nyssa de Theodoro Mart)?”
“Emperors!” rejoins St John Chrysostom; “as the porters at their gates, such have they become with regard to poor fishers. The son of the great Constantine deemed he could not pay a higher honour to his father, than to procure him a place of sepulture in the porch of the fisherman of Galilee” (Chrys. in Epist. II. ad Cor. Hom. xxvi). And again, concluding his commentary on St Paul’s admirable Epistle to the Romans, the golden-mouthed Doctor exclaims: “And now, who will grant me to prostrate myself at Paul’s sepulchre, to contemplate the ashes of that body which, suffering for us, filled up what was wanting of the sufferings of Christ? The dust of that mouth, which spoke boldly before kings, and, showing what Paul was, revealed the Lord of Paul? The dust of that heart, truly the heart of the world, more lofty than the heavens, more vast than the universe, as much, the heart of Christ as of Paul and wherein might be read, the book of grace, graven by the Holy Spirit? Oh! that I might see the remains of the hands, which wrote those Epistles; of the eyes, which were struck with blindness and recovered their sight for our salvation; of the feet which traversed the whole earth! Yes. I would fain contemplate the tomb where repose these instruments of justice and of light, these members of Christ, this temple of the Holy Ghost. O venerable body, which, together with that of Peter, protects Rome more securely, than all ramparts” (Chrys. in Epist. ad Rom. Hom. xxxii)
Chains of St Peter
The wrist bone of St Paul held in Goza, Malta
In spite of such teachings as these, the heretics of the sixteenth Century profaned the tombs of the Saints, under pretext of bringing us back to the doctrine of our forefathers. In contradiction to these strange reformers, the Council of Trent expressed the unanimous testimony of Tradition, in the following definition, which sets forth the theological reasons of the honour paid by the Church, to the relics of Saints:,
“Veneration ought to be shown, by the faithful, to the bodies of the Martyrs and other Saints, who live with Jesus Christ. For they were His living members and the temples of the Holy Ghost; He will raise them up again to eternal life and glory and through them, God grants many blessings to mankind. Therefore, those who say that the relics of the Saints are not worthy of veneration, that it is useless for the faithful to honour them, that it is vain to visit the memorials or monuments of the Saints, in order to obtain their aid, are absolutely to be condemned and, as they have already been long ago condemned, (Conc. Nic. II. cap. vii), the Church now condemns them once more” (Conc. Tird. Sess. xxv. De invocatione, veneratione et reliquiis Sanctorum).
AnaStpaul 
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