Our Morning Offering – 15 June – Trinity Sunday Patris et Filii Concordi – Pentecost I
Patris et Filii Concordia Come Holy Ghost, Love of Father and Son. By St Bede the Venerable (673-735) Father and Doctor of the Church
O COME to me, my only Hope, O Lord my God. Come to me, true Light, Father, Almighty God. Come, Light from Light, both Word and Son of God, God Almighty. Come Holy Ghost, Love of Father and Son, One God Almighty. Come One Almighty God, Father and Son and Holy Ghost.
Teach faith, stir up hope, pour out love. Thy will is present with me (yet not from me but from Thee) to leave the world and the earth and to seek the Heavens. But this will is a feeble feather, without Thy help. Give wings of faith that I might fly on high to Thee. Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 14 June – St Basil the Great (329-379) Bishop of Caesarea, Confessor, Father and Doctor of the Church.
“No Christian should think of himself as his own master but each should rather so think and act, as though given by God, to be slave to his fellow brothers and sisters.”
“A person who wishes to become the Lord’s disciple must repudiate a human obligation, however honourable it may appear, if it slows us, ever so slightly, in giving the wholehearted obedience we owe to God.”
“I tell you, this man went back to his home justified, rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled but he who humbles himself, will be exalted” Luke 18:14
“Be on your guard, therefore and bear in mind, this example of severe loss, sustained through arrogance. … Never place yourself above anyone, not even great sinners. Humility often saves a sinner, who has committed many terrible transgressions!”
“Through the Holy Spirit comes our restoration to paradise, our ascension into the Kingdom of Heaven, our return to the adoption of sons, our liberty to call God, Our Father, our being made partakers of the grace of Christ, our being called children of Light, our sharing in eternal glory and, in a word, our being brought into a state of all “fulness of blessing,” both in this world and in the world to come, of all the good gifts that are in store for us, by promise hereof, through faith, beholding the reflection of their grace, as though they were already present, we await the full enjoyment.”
One Minute Reflection – 14 June – “The Month of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus” – Ember Saturday – Pentecost Satuirday – Romans 5:1-5. – Luke 4:38-44 – St Basil the Great (329-379) Bishop, Confessor, Father and Doctor of the Church – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“And devils went out from many, crying out and saying: Thou art the Son of God. And rebuking them He suffered them not to speak; for they knew that He was Christ.” – Luke 4:41
REFLECTION – “The soul who loves God is never satisfied, yet, to speak of God is bold indeed, our minds are very far from so great a matter … The further one goes in the knowledge of God, the more one feels one’s powerlessness. This is what it was like for Abraham, this, too, was what it was like for Moses, even though they were able to see God – insofar as that is humanly possible – both made themselves least of all. Abraham referred to himself as “dust and ashes” Moses said of himself that he was stumbling and slow in speech (Gn 1827; Ex 4:10). In fact, he was giving testimony; the feebleness of his tongue gave voice to the greatness of Him, Whom his mind grasped. We speak about God, not as He Is but, insofar as we can grasp Him.
As for you, if you want to say or understand something about God, leave your bodily nature behind, forsake your bodily senses … Raise your mind above all created things and contemplate the Divine Nature, it is there, immutable, indivisible, inaccessible light, shining glory, most desirable goodness, inimitable beauty, by which the soul is wounded but unable to worthily put into words.
There is the Father, the Son and Holy Ghost … The Father is the principle of all things, the Cause of being of all that is, Origin of living creatures. He is the one from Whom flows the Source of Life, Wisdom, Power, the Image Who perfectly resembles the invisible God; the Son, begotten of the Father, living Word, Who is God and turned towards the Father (1 Cor 1:24; Heb 1:3; Jn 1:1). From this Name ‘Son’ we learn that He shares the same nature; He is not created through an order but unceasingly shines out from within His Own substance, one with the Father from all eternity, equal to Him in goodness, partaking in His glory … And when our intellect has been purified of all earthly passions and, has set aside every sensible creature, like a fish which rises from the depths to the surface, given back to the purity of its creation, it will then see the Holy Ghost where the Son and the Father are to be found. This Spirit, being of the same essence ,according to its nature, likewise possesses every good: goodness, uprightness, holiness, life … Just as burning belongs to fire and shining to light, so one can no more take away from the Holy Ghost the task of making holy or giving life, than of goodness and uprightness.” – St Basil the Great (329-379) Bishop, Confessor, Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermons on Faith).
PRAYER – We beseech Thee, O Lord, hear our prayers which we offer on the festival of blessed Basil, Thy Confessor and Bishop and through his intercessory merits, who had the grace to serve Thee worthily, absolve us from all our sins. 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).
DIVINE Heart of JESUS, convert sinners, save the dying, set free the holy souls in Purgatory.Indulgence 300 Days Everytime – St Pius X, 11 September, 1907.
Quote/s of the Day – 13 June – St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) Cpmfessor, Evangelical Doctor of the Church
“ Do you wish to have God always in your mind? Be just as He made you to be. Do not go seeking another “you.” Do not make yourself otherwise than He made you. Then you will always have God in mind.”
“Charity is the soul of faith and makes it alive; without love, faith dies!”
Prayer to St Anthony of Padua for the Restoration of Things Lost or Stolen
O Blessed St Anthony! the grace of God has made thee a powerful advocate in all necessities and the Patron for the restoration of things lost or stolen. To thee I turn today, with childlike love and heartfelt confidence. Oh, how many thousands hast thou miraculously aided in the recovery of lost goods! Thou wast the counsellor of the erring, the comforter of the afflicted, the healer of the sick, the raiser of the dead, the deliverer of the captive, the refuge of the afflicted. To thee do I hasten, O Blessed St Anthony. Help me in my present affliction. I recommend that which I have lost to thy care, in the secure hope that thou wilt restore it to me, if it be to the greater glory of God and to the spiritual benefit of my soul. I pray too that I may praise and thank thee, in time and eternity, for thy glorious intercession on my behalf. Amen
“Assumption” Poem by Saint Anthony (1195-1231) Evangelical Doctor of the Church
O how wondrous is the dignity of the glorious Virgin! She merited to become the mother of Him who is the strength and beauty of the Angels and the grandeur of all the Saints.
Mary was the seat of our sanctification, that is to say, the dwelling place of the Son Who sacrificed Himself for us.
“And I shall glorify the place where my feet have stood.” The feet of the Saviour signify His human nature. The place where the feet of the Saviour stood was the Blessed Mary, who gave Him His human nature.
Today the Lord glorifies that place, since He has exalted Mary above the choirs of the Angels. That is to say, the Blessed Virgin, who was the dwelling of the Saviour, has been assumed bodily into Heaven.
Our Morning Offering – 13 June – “The Month of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus” – The Feast of St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) Cpmfessor, Evangelical Doctor of the Church
Sweet Jesus, Thy Name is Joy By St Anthony of Padua OFM (1195-1231) Doctor of the Church
Sweet Jesus, is there anything sweeter than Thee? To remember Thee is more delightful than everything else. Thy Name is joy – it is the true Gate of our Salvation. What else are Thou, Jesus, if not our Saviour? Be our Redeemer. Give us the virtues of hope and love, just as Thou hast given us faith, our primary joy. Give us the words which we need to praise Thee always. With the help and through the prayers of Thy Mother. Thou Who art blessed throughout the ages. Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 11 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” – Feast of St Barnabas the Apostle, Martyr, The “Son of Encouragement” – Acts 11:21-26; 13:1-3; Matthew 10:16-22.– Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Behold I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves. Be, therefore, wise as serpents and simple as doves. ”
Matthew – 10:16
“Go you also into My Vineyard.”
Matthew 20:7
“You did not choose Me but I chose you…”
John 15:16
“That is amazing grace! For what were we before Christ had chosen us besides being wicked and lost? What then has He chosen in those who are not good? You cannot say, I am chosen because I believed. For if you believed in Him, you had already chosen Him. Nor can you say, before I believed I did good works and, therefore, was chosen. For what good work is there before faith when the Apostle says, “Whatever is not of faith is sin?” What is there for us to say, then but that we were wicked and were chosen, that by the grace of having been chosen, we might become good?”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace
“Day by day follow God’s path, keeping Him closely attached to you by His promise. In fact, He Himself said, through the mediation of His Apostles, to all those who seek His will and His testimonies that He would be with them until the end of the world (Mt 28:20) where paths and footsteps will be unknown (cf Ps 76:20), as the divine David said in his songs. Yet, in an invisible way, 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 …. ”
St Theodore the Studite (759-826) Abbot, Confessor, Father of the Church
Quote/s of the Day – 10 June – “The Month of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus” – Pentecost Tuesday
Nunc, Sancte, nobis Spiritus Come, Holy Ghost, Who ever One By St Ambrose (340-397) Trans John Henry Newman (1801-1890) Trans 1836
Come, Holy Ghost, Who ever One Art with the Father and the Son. Come, Holy Ghost, our souls possess With Thy full flood of holiness.
In will and deed, by heart and tongue, With all our powers, Thy praise be sung. And love, light up our mortal frame, Till others catch the living flame.
Almighty Father, hear our cry Through Jesus Christ our Lord most high, Who with the Holy Ghost and Thee Doth live and reign eternally.
“He who abides in Me and I in Him, the same bears much fruit” John 5:5
“We are preserved in being, if we grow onto Him and cling fast to the holy commandment, which has been handed down to us and, if we are eager to keep the blessing of nobility, that is to say, if we never consent, in any way, to “grieve the Holy Spirit” (Eph 4:30), Who has come to dwell in us and, through Whom, we believe, God has made His home in us. … For just as the vine-stock supplies and distributes, the virtue of its own inherent natural quality to the shoots, so, too, the Only-Begotten Word of God, implants, in His people, a sort of affinity with His own nature and that of the Father. By the gift of the Spirit, they are united with Him by every kind of holiness. He nourishes them, so that they become devout and He moves them to knowledge of all virtue and good works.”
“Virtues are formed by PRAYER. PRAYER preserves temperance. PRAYER suppresses anger. PRAYER prevents emotions of pride and envy. PRAYER draws the Holy Ghost, into the soul and raises man to Heaven.”
Prayer for the Gifts of the Holy Ghost By St Bonaventure (1221-1274) Seraphic Doctor of the Church
We beg the All-Merciful Father through Thee, His Only-Begotten Son, made Man for our sake, Crucified and Glorified for us, to send upon us, from His treasure-house, the Spirit of Sevenfold Grace, Who rested upon Thee in all His fullness.
The Spirit of Wisdom, enabling us to relish the fruit of the tree of life, which is indeed Thyself. The Gift of Understanding, to enlighten our perceptions. The Gift of Prudence, enabling us to follow in Thine Footsteps. The Gift of Strength, to withstand our adversary’s onslaught. The Gift of Knowledge, to distinguish good from evil, by the light of Thine holy teaching. The Gift of Piety, to clothe ourselves with charity and mercy. The Gift of Fear, to withdraw from all ill-doing and live quietly in awe of Thy Eternal Majesty.
These are the things for which we petition. Grant them for the honour of Thy Holy Name, to which, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, thanksgiving, renown and Lordship, forever and ever. Amen
One Minute Reflection – 8 June – “The Month of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus” – Pentecost Sunday – Acts 2:1-11 – John 14:23-31 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“But the Paraclete, the Holy Ghost, Whom the Father will send in My Name, He will teach you all things and bring all things to your mind, whatsoever I shall have said to you.” – John 14:26
REFLECTION – “The Apostles were sitting there in the Cenacle, the Upper Room, waiting for the Holy Ghost’s coming. Like torches, they were present there, ready and waiting to be set alight by the Holy Ghost so as to illumine the whole creation with their teaching… They were there like farm hands carrying seed in their coat pocket, waiting for the order to go out and sow. They were there like sailors whose boat is tied up in the harbour of the Son’s commandment and who are waiting for the gentle wind of the Spirit. They were there like shepherds who have just received their staff from the Chief Shepherd of the fold and who are waiting for the flock to be divided among them.
“And they began to speak in different tongues as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.” O Cenacle, kneading trough into which has been thrown the leaven, leavening the whole world! O Cenacle, mother of all the Churches, who have witnessed the miracle of the burning bush (Ex 3). O Cenacle, amazing Jerusalem with a wonder far greater than that of the burning furnace which astonished the inhabitants of Babylon (Dn 3). The fire of the furnace burned all those around it but protected those in its midst – the flames of the Cenacle gather together those outside who wish to see them, while bringing comfort to those who receive them. O fire, whose coming is word, whose silence is light! O fire, establishing hearts in thankfulness!…
Some people, who were opposed to the Holy Ghost, said: “These people have had too much new wine; they are drunk.” Indeed, you speak truly! However, it is not as you think it is. It is not wine from the vineyard they have drunk. It is a new wine which flows from Heaven – a wine newly pressed on Golgotha. The Apostles caused it to be drunk and thus, they inebriated all creation. This is wine which was pressed on the Cross!” – St Ephrem (306-373) Deacon in Syria, Father and Doctor of the Church [Added by Pope Benedict XV in 1920] – (On the outpouring of the Holy Ghost).
PRAYER – O God, Thou Who on this day have taught the hearts of the faithful by the Light of the Holy Spirit, grant us by that Holy Spirit Himself, to know what is right and ever to rejoice in His consolation. 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 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Ferial Day – St Rita of Cascia (1386-1457) Widow, Stigmatist – Patron of Impossible Causes – James 1:17-21 – John 16:5-14 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“If I go, I will send Him to you.” – John 16:7
REFLECTION – “The Holy Ghost is simple in being. His powers are many. They are entirely present everywhere and in everything. He is distributed but does not change. He is shared yet remains whole.
Consider the analogy of the sunbeam – each person on whom its kindly light falls, rejoices! as if the sun existed for him alone, yet it illumines land and sea and is master of the atmosphere. In the same way, the Spirit is given to each one who receives Him as if he were the possession of that person alone, yet He sends forth sufficient grace to fill the entire universe. Everything which partakes of His grace is filled with joy according to its capacity—the capacity of its nature, not of His power.” – St Basil the Great (329-379) Father and Doctor of the Church
PRAYER – Grant us, Thy servants, O Lord God, we beseech Thee, to enjoy lasting health of mind and body; and by the intercession of glorious and blessed Mary, ever Virgin, may we be delivered from present sorrow and partake to the full of eternal happiness. 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 – 21 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary”
“Hail full of grace!”
Luke 1:28
“By a woman came the flood of our ills and, by a woman too, our blessings have their spring.”
St Gregory Thaumaturgus (c213-c270) “the Wonder-Worker” Bishop, Confessor, Father
“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) Bishop, Father and Doctor of the Church
“The Blessed Virgin was chosen to be the Mother of God and, therefore, it is not to be doubted, but that God fitted her for it by His graces.”
St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) Doctor Angelicus / Doctor Communis
“Give thanks to Almighty God Who resists the proud and gives grace to the humble and offer Him all the glory that this Maiden accorded to His Majesty by her practice of the richest humility during her childhood and throughout the rest of her life.”
One Minute Reflection – 20 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – St Bernadine of Siena OFM (1380-1444) “Apostle of the Most Holy Name of Jesus” Confessor – Ecclesiasticus 31:8-11 – Matthew 19:27-29 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“… Shall receive a hundredfold and shall possess life everlasting.” – Matthew 19:29
REFLECTION – “The possessions which we have, are not our own:, God has given them to us to cultivate and He wishes us to render them fruitful and profitable … Always deprive yourself, therefore, of some part of your means, giving them to the poor with a willing heart … It is true that God will return it to you, not only in the next world but also in this, for there is nothing which makes a person prosper, in temporal matters, as much as almsgiving. But until such time as God shall repay it, you will always be impoverished to that extent. Oh! how holy and rich is the impoverishment which is caused by almsgiving.
Love the poor and poverty, for by this love you will become truly poor, since, as Scripture says: “We become like the things that we love” (cf Hos 9:10). Love makes those who love, equal to one another: “Who is weak and I am not weak?” says St Paul (2 Cor 11:29). He might have said: “Who is poor, with whom I am not poor?” For love made him become, such as those whom he loved. If, then, you love the poor, you will be truly participating in their poverty and poor like them. Now, if you love the poor, be often among them; be pleased to see them in your house and to visit them in theirs; associate willingly with them; be glad that they are near you in the Churches, in the streets and elsewhere. Be poor in speech with them, speaking to them as their equal but be rich in deed, giving them of your goods, as one who possesses more abundantly.
Will you do even more? … Become a servant of the poor; go to serve them … with your own hands … and at your own expense. This service has more glory in it than a throne!” – St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Bishop of Geneva and Doctor of the Church (Introduction to the devout life, Part three Ch 15).
PRAYER – O Lord Jesus, Who bestowed on blessed Bernardine, T Thy Confessor, an unusual love for Thine Holy Name, we beseech Thee, by his merits and intercession, graciously pour upon us the spirit of Thy love. Who livest and reignest with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
One Minute Reflection – 19 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – St Pope Celestine V (1210-1296) – 1 Peter 5:1-4; 5:10-11 – Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Upon this rock I will build My Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven and, whatever you loose on earth, shall be loosed in Heaven.” … Matthew 16:18-19
REFLECTION – “Peter was to receive on deposit, the keys of the Church, or rather the keys of Heaven and, he should see himself entrusted with the numerous people. What did the Lord actually say to him? “Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven” (Mt 16:19). For Peter had a somewhat abrupt character; if he had been without sin what sort of forgiveness would the disciples have received from him? This is why Divine Grace allowed him to fall into a certain fault, in order that his own trial should make him benevolent towards others. Do you see how God can let someone fall into sin; this Peter, the leader of the Apostles, the unshakable foundation, indestructible rock, first in the Church, impregnable harbour, unshakable tower — this same Peter, who had said to Christ: “Even though I should have to die with Thee, I will not deny Thee” (Mt 26:35), Peter who, by a divine revelation, had confessed the truth: “Thou are the Christ, the Son of the Living God” (Mt 16:16). … But as I said, God arranged it in this way and allowed Peter to sin because He had it in mind, to confer numerous people upon him and He feared, that his roughness, joined to his impeccability, might make him unsympathetic towards his brothers. He gave way to sin so that, remembering his own failure and the kindness of the Lord, he might testify to others, a grace of philanthropy in accord with the Divine design conceived by God. The fall had been permitted to the one who was going to see himself entrusted with the Church, the Pillar of the Church, the Harbour of the Faith; the fall had been permitted to Peter, the Doctor of the Universe, in order that, the forgiveness received, might remain the foundation of love for others.” – (Attr) St John Chrysostom (347-407) Bishop of Constantinople, Father and Doctor of the Church (On the Apostle Peter and the Prophet Elijah).
PRAYER – O God, Who raised blessed Peter Celestine to the lofty dignity of Supreme Pontiff and taught him to prefer self-abasement instead; mercifully grant that by his example, we may look upon all worldly things as naught and may be worthy to reap, in joy, the rewards promised to the humble.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).
Quote/s of the Day – 18 May – Easter IV – James 1:17-21 – John 16:5-14 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“If I go not, the Paraclete will not come to you but if I go, I will send Him to you. ”
John16:7
“This is the order of our faith, the foundation of the edifice and the support of our conduct – God, the Father, uncreated, uncontainable, invisible, One God, the Creator of all – this is the first article of our faith. And the second article – the Word of God, the Son of God, Christ Jesus our Lord, Who was revealed by the Prophets according to the character of their prophecy and according to the nature of the economies of the Father, by Whom all things were made and Who, in the last times, to recapitulate all things, became a Man amongst men, visible and palpable, in order to abolish death, to demonstrate life and to effect communion between God and man. And the third article – the Holy Ghost, through Whom the Prophets prophesied and the Patriarchs learnt the things of God and the righteous, were led in the path of righteousness and Who, in the last times, was poured out in a new fashion upon the human race, renewing man, throughout the world, to God.”
St Irenaeus (130-202) Martyr, Father of the Church
“He pours light into our minds, arouses our desire and gives us strength… As the soul is the life of the body, so the Holy Ghost is the life of our souls.”
St Peter Damian (1007-1072) Bishop, Father and Doctor of the Church
“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 … ”
St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) Evangelical Doctor of the Church
One Minute Reflection – 18 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Easter IV – St Venantius (Died c 250) Martyr – James 1:17-21 – John 16:5-14 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“But I tell you the truth, it is expedient to you that I go; for if I go not, the Paraclete will not come to you but if I go, I will send Him to you.” – John16:7
REFLECTION – “The Holy Ghost is the Wheat which comforts us along the road to the fatherland, the Wine which gives us joy in tribulation, the Oil which sweetens life’s sorrows. This threefold support, was needed by the Apostles who had to go out to preach through the whole world. This is why Jesus sends the Holy Ghost to them. They are filled with Him – filled, so that no impure spirits might gain entrance into them; when a container is completely full, nothing else can enter into it.
The Holy Ghost “will teach you.” (Jn 16:13) so that you can know; He will prompt you. so that you can will. He gives both knowledge and will add to this our “ability,” according to the measure of our strength and we shall be temples of the Holy Ghost (1 Cor 6,:9).” – St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) Franciscan, Doctor of the Church – Sermons
PRAYER – O God, Who made this day holy by the triumph of blessed Venantius, Thy Martyr, listen to the prayers of Thy people and grant that we, who honour his noble deeds, may imitate the constancy of his faith. 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 – 17 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – St Paschal Baylon OFM (1540-1592) Confessor – Sirach 31:8-11 – Luke 12:35-40 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks.” – Luke 12:35-36
REFLECTION – “God, the Word, stirs up the lazy and arouses the sleeper. For indeed, someone who comes knocking at the door is always wanting to come in. But it depends on us, if He does not always enter, or always remain. May your door be open to Him Who comes; open your soul, enlarge your spiritual capacities, that you may discover the riches of simplicity, the treasures of peace and sweetness of grace. Expand your heart; run to meet the Sun of that Eternal Light that “enlightens everyone” (Jn 1,9). It is certain that this true Light shines for all but, if anyone shuts their windows, then they themselves shut themselves off from this Eternal Light.
So, even Christ remains outside, if you shut the door of your soul. It is true that He could enter but He does not want to use force, He does not put those who refuse under pressure. Descended from the Virgin, born from her womb, He shines throughout the universe to give Light to all. Those who long to receive the Light which shines with an everlasting brightness, open up to Him. No night comes to intervene. Indeed, the sun we see each day gives way to night’s darkness but the Sun of Justice (Mal 3:20) knows no setting for Wisdom is not overcome by evil.” – St Ambrose (340-397) Bishop of Milan and Father and Doctor of the Church – 12th Sermon on Psalm 118
PRAYER – O God, Who endowed blessed Paschal, Your Confessor, with a wondrous love for the Sacred Mysteries of Your Body and Blood, mercifully grant that we may be found worthy to share in the same spiritual abundance, which he received in this Divine Banquet. Who lives and reigns with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
Thought for the Day – 16 May – The Imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)
Extracts from The Imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary By Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471) Imprimatur 17 February 1947
SERMON (V) Duty
I. Duty is a harsh word, when it designates the obligation which binds a man to his post. It becomes a word full of sweetness, when it is applied to the voluntary attentions which the heart suggests for a loved one. Our duties to Mary should be of this type. These duties, extremely pleasing, are those of a son to his mother, of a friend to his friend.
The thought of Heaven is a force, as the thought of love is an allurement. To raise one’s thoughts, is to raise oneself completely –Altius cogita (think higher).
II. It is in the life of the soul, as in the present life; to think well, is the beginning of doing well. To have great thoughts is to prepare for great actions. Mary’s example, in this case, is more than a demonstration, it is an attraction and an aid. Mary, says the Gospel, kept all these things in her heart. As Pascal said, great thoughts come from the heart, it is they that create the action. Too often has mysticism been reproached as being only a dream. The mysticism of the Imitation, is an action, for it is perfection!
III. This action is arduous and often discouraging; besides, the soul begs Mary for confidence to be able to attain the goal of the spiritual life which is Heaven.
MEDITATION The Beauties of Mary
The dream of every soul would be to see Mary in her heavenly splendour – Dante had this dream and tried to translate it into his Paradise. He represents Mary to us under the symbol of an aureole of pure gold and he refers to her only, by the names of flowers and nature – “blooming rose” “lily full of whiteness”, “perfumed stem” “fragrant tree”, “singing lyre” “sparkling sapphire” “soaring flame” “arc which riseth.” He sees her only in the midst of flowers, surrounded by stars, crowned with splendours. For him, she epitomises, all which is charming here below in the being of a young girl, a virgin. The grace which extends itself in reflections, the beauty which radiates in magnificence, the love which gushes forth in transport. Before this dazzling vision, the poet lowers his eyes and kneels with arms extended. So, it seems, we too should do in order to contemplate the beauties of Mary.
“Now raise thy view” St Bernard then says to him, “unto the visage most resembling Christ – for, in her splendour only, shalt thou win the power to look on Him!” Mary, indeed, is beautiful, as all souls are beautiful by the reflection of Christ in them!
Practice: Imitate the Saints, who wore the shield and insignia of Mary, like the Scapular and the Rosary.
Thought: The remembrance of Mary is an aid and a support – “Adjuvat et sublevat – it aids and consoles.”
Fr & Dr Célestin Albin de Cigala (1865-1928) Faculty of Paris (1947) Doctor of Theology and Philosophy
Quote/s of the Day – 16 May – Sirach 44:16-17.22-23:45,3.7.15 – Matthew 25,14-23 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“And he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more.
Matthew 25:16
“ Well done, good and faithful servant … Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.” Matthew 25:23
“The parable of the talents is about all those who, instead of providing assistance to their brethren with their goods, their advice or, in some other way, live only for themselves … Jesus wants to show us, our Lord’s long patience in this parable but, He also alludes, it seems to me, to the final resurrection … In the first place, the servants who give an account of their dealings unequivocally acknowledge that which comes from their Master’s gift and, that which is the fruit of their stewardship. Someone who, for the sake of the other, has received the grace of word and teaching but does not put it to use, will have this grace taken away. But someone, who uses wisely and zealously, the grace received, will receive an even more abundant grace!”
St John Chrysostom (347-407) Father & Doctor of the Church
“What dost thou have that thou hast not received?”
One Minute Reflection – 16 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – St Ubaldus Baldassini (c1085-1160) Bishop and Confessor –Sirach 44:16-17.22-23:45,3.7.15 – Matthew 25:14-23 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Well done, good and faithful servant … Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”- Matthew 25:21
REFLECTION – “The Word of the Father, Only-begotten Son of God, Sun of Justice (Mal 3:20), is the great Merchant Who has brought us the price of our redemption. It is a truly precious exchange which we can never value sufficiently, when a King, Son of the King Most High, has become the Coin, the Gold has paid our dues, the Just Man is given for the sinner. Truly unmerited mercy, perfectly disinterested love, astonishing goodness … it is a completely disproportionate purchase, in which the Son of God is delivered up for the servant, the Creator is put to death for the one He has created, the Lord is condemned for His slave.
O Christ, these are Thine Works, Thou Who descended from Heaven’s brightness into our hellish darkness, to bring Light to our gloomy prison. Thou came down from the Right Hand of the Divine Majesty, into our human misery, to redeem the human race, Thou Who descended from the Father’s glory, to death on the Cross, to triumph over death and its author. Thou art the only One and there is no other but Thee, Who could have been drawn to redeem us through Thine Own Goodness…
Let all the merchants of Teman (Bar 3:23) withdraw from this place … it is not they but Israel [Thy] beloved whom [Thou hast] chosen, Thou Who hide these mysteries from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to those babes and humble servants of Thine (Lk 10:21) … O Lord, I willingly embrace this purchase since it concerns me!… I remember all the things Thou hast done, Thou Who desire that I should keep them alive … Therefore, I shall profit by this talent which Thou hast lent to me until Thy return and will stand before Thee with great joy. O God, grant that I may then hear these sweet words: “Well done, good and faithful servant! Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord” (Mt 25:21).” – St Bernard O.Cist. (1091-1153) Cistercian Monk, known as the Last Father and the Mellifluous Doctor of the Church (Selected sermons, no 42: The Five Purchases).
PRAYER – Mercifully give us Thine help, we beseech Thee, O Lord and by the intercession of blessed Ubaldus, ThyConfessor, stretch over us the Right Hand of Thy mercy against all wickedness of the devil. 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.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).
Quote/s of the Day – 14 May – The Octave Day of the Patronage of St Joseph
“Saint Joseph was the just man: by his constant fidelity -an effect of justice; by his perfect discretion – a sister to prudence; by his upright conduct – a mark of strength and by his inviolable chastity – a flower of temperance.”
St Albert the Great (1200-1280) Doctor of the Church
“To all fathers of families, Joseph is verily the best model of paternal vigilance and care. In the most holy Virgin Mother of God, mothers may find an excellent example of love, modesty, resignation of spirit and the perfecting of faith. And in Jesus, Who was subject to His parents, the children of the family, have a Divine Pattern of obedience which they can admire, reverence and imitate.”
Pope Leo XIII (1810-1903)
Apostolic Letter, “Breve Neminem Fugit” 1892
“As the Church of Christ is prefigured in the rites and ceremonies of the Old Law, so too, the chief personages who centre around Our Lord in the Redemption of the world, are foreshadowed in the Old Testament . We trace the outlines of Our Lady’s graces in Esther, Jahel, Bethsabee, Judith. So too, St Joseph’s place in the new dispensation, is anticipated in the place of the Patriarch Joseph at the Court of Pharaoh. Thus it is that, God, in His Love for His chosen ones, paves the way for them centuries before. From the beginning, He has prepared their work and the throne they are to earn in Heaven by their labours and sufferings for Him.”
Quote/s of the Day – 13 May – St Robert Bellarmine SJ (1542-1621) Bishop, Confessor, Doctor of the Church
“It is granted to few, to recognise the true Church, amidst the darkness, of so many schisms and heresies and, to fewer still, so to love the Truth which they have seen, as to fly to it’s embrace!”
“A Pope who is a manifest heretic automatically (per se), ceases to be Pope and Head, just as he ceases, automatically, to be a Catholic and a Member of the Church. Wherefore, he can be judged and punished by the Church. This is too, the teaching of all the ancient Fathers.”
“Charity is that, with which no man is lost and without which, no man is saved.”
“Freedom of belief is pernicious, it is nothing but the freedom to be mistaken.”
“It seems unbelievable that a man should perish in whose favour Christ said to His Mother: ‘Behold thy son’, provided that he has not turned a deaf ear to the words, which Christ addressed to him: ‘Behold thy Mother!’”
“When we appeal to the throne of grace, we do so through Mary, honouring God by honouring His Mother, imitating Him, by exalting her, touching the most responsive chord in the Sacred Heart of Christ, with the sweet name of Mary!”
Custodes Hominum Psallimus Angelos Praise We the Guardian Angels of Men By St Robert Bellarmine SJ (1542-1621) Archbishop of Capua, Theologian Doctor of the Church
Angel-guardians of men, spirits and powers we sing, Whom our Father hath sent, aids to our weakly frame, Heavenly friends and guides, help from on high to bring, Lest we fail through the foeman’s wile.
He, the spoiler of souls, Angel-traitor of old, Cast in merited wrath out of his honoured place, Burns with envy and hate, seeking their souls to gain Whom God’s mercy invites to Heaven.
Therefore, come to our help, watchful ward of our lives: Turn aside from the land, God to thy care confides Sickness and woe of soul, yea and what else of ill Peace of heart to its folk denies.
Now to the Holy Three praise evermore resound: Under Whose Hand Divine resteth the triple world Governed in wondrous wise, glory be Theirs and Might While the ages unending run. Amen
This Hymn by St Robert Bellarmine,was added to the Roman Breviary in 1608, by command of Pope Paul V. It is for Vespers in the Office for “the Holy Guardian Angels. Double of the second class,” 2 October..
St Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621) Doctor of the Church
One Minute Reflection – 13 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – St Robert Bellarmine SJ (1542-1621) Bishop, Confessor, Doctor of the Church – Wisdom 7:7-14 – Matthew 5:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“But he who shall do and teach, he shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.” – Matthew 5:19
REFLECTION – “The Lamp on the lampstand is our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the Father’s true Light “Who enlightens everyone coming into the world” (Jn 1:9) in other words, the Father’s Wisdom and Word. Having accepted our flesh, He truly became and was called, the “Light of the world.” By our faith and devotion, He is honoured and exalted in the Church. In this way, He is made visible to all nations and shines out for “all the people in the house,” namely the whole world, as He said: “They do not light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand where it gives light to all in the house” (Mt 5:15).
As we have seen, Christ calls Himself a Lamp. God by nature, He became flesh according to the plan of salvation – a Light held within the flesh, as if in a vase… This is what David was thinking when he said: “Your Word is a Lamp to my feet and a Light for my path” (Ps 118:105). Since He causes the darkness of ignorance and the evil of men to vanish, my Saviour and my God, is called a Lamp in Scripture. And since He is the only one able to obliterate the darkness of ignorance and disperse the shadows of sin, He has become the way of salvation for all. He leads towards the Father, all those who, through understanding and virtue, walk with Him along the path of the commandments, as on a road of righteousness.
The Lampstand is Holy Church because the Word of God shines out through her preaching. This is how the beams of its Truth, can enlighten the whole world… On one condition, however, as long as it is not hidden under the letter of the Law. Anyone who clings to Scripture according to the letter only, is living according to the flesh; he is placing the Lamp under a bushel basket. But when, to the contrary, the Church is set on the lampstand, it enlightens everyone.” – St Maximus the Confessor (580-662) Abbot and Theologian, Father (Question 63 to Thalassius)
PRAYER – O God, Who endowed blessed Robert, Your Bishop and Doctor, with wondrous learning and virtue to repel the deceits of error and to defend the rights of the Apostolic See, grant, by his merits and intercession, that we may ever grow in love of truth and that the hearts of the erring may return to the unity of Your Church. 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).
Rose Petals raining down on Pentecost Sunday in St Mary and the Martyrs (Pantheon), Rome
St Abban (Died c520) Irish Hermit who served the Lord inAbbington, England, Founded a Monastery.
St Agnes of Poitiers (Died 588) Abbess
St André-Hubert Fournet (1752-1834) “The Good Father” – Priest and Co-Founder with St Jeanne-Élisabeth Bichier des Ages of the Congregation of the Daughters of the Cross, Apostle of the poor, needy, children and the aged. Until his old age, the Good Father kept an expression of simplicity and humility. In the sun of God’s love, the transfiguration of his being continued in deep holiness, charity, humility and zeal. After the approval of 2 miracles, he was Beatified on 16 May 1926 by Pope Pius XI and Canonised on June 1933 by the same Pope, after a further 2 miracles. About “The Good Father” St André-Hubert : https://anastpaul.com/2020/05/13/saint-of-the-day-13-may-saint-andre-hubert-fournet-1752-1834-the-good-father/
St Anno of Verona St Argentea of Cordoba St Euthymius the Illuminator Bl Fortis Gabrielli Bl Gerard of Villamagna Bl Gemma of Goriano St Glyceria of Trajanopolis
Blessed Julian of Norwich (c1342-c 1416) (aged 73–74) Anchorite, Mystic, Writer, Ascetic, Spiritual director. At the time of Julian’s death, people from all over Europe travelled to her room, or cell, to ask her advice. Everyone recognised that she was close to God. The Church never formally declared her a saint but through the ages, people have called her “Blessed.” Lived in Love: https://anastpaul.com/2019/05/13/saint-of-the-day-13-may-blessed-julian-of-norwich-c-1342-c-1416/
St Lucius of Constantinople St Mael of Bardsey Bl Magdalen Albrizzi St Merewenna of Rumsey St Mucius of Byzantium St Natalis of Milan St Onesimus of Soissons St Servatus of Tongres St Valerian of Auxerre
Martyrs of Alexandria: A group of Christians Martyred in the Church of Theonas, Alexandria, Egypt by order of the Arian Emperor Valens. Their names have not come down to us. 372 in Alexandria, Egypt.
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Quote/s of the Day – 12 May – Wisdom 5:1-5; John 4:46-53.
“And himself believed and his whole house.”
John 4:53
“You did not choose Me but I chose you…”
John 15:16
“That is amazing grace! For what were we before Christ had chosen us besides being wicked and lost? What then has He chosen in those who are not good? You cannot say, I am chosen because I believed. For if you believed in Him, you had already chosen Him. Nor can you say, before I believed I did good works and, therefore, was chosen. For what good work is there before faith when the Apostle says, “Whatever is not of faith is sin?” What is there for us to say, then but that we were wicked and were chosen, that by the grace of having been chosen, we might become good?”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace
“So that our minds might be free of these illusions, the Word invites us to shake this deep sleep from the eyes of our soul, so that we might not slip away from the true realities, by becoming attached to that which has no consistency. That is why He suggests that we be watchful when He says: “Let your loins be girt about and your lamps burning …” (Lk 12:35) For when the light shines before our eyes, it chases sleep away and, when our loins are held tight by a belt, they prevent the body from succumbing to it… The person who has fastened on the belt of temperance lives in the light of a pure conscience; the trust of a child illuminates his life like a lamp… If we live in this way, we will enter a life like that of the Angels!”
St Gregory of Nyssa (c335–c395) Father of the Church (Brother of St Basil the Great)
Our Morning Offering – 12 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary”
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God By St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Father & Doctor of the Church
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God, Virgin and Mother! Morning Star, perfect vessel. Hail, O Mary, Mother of God, Holy Temple in which God Himself was conceived. Hail, O Mary, Mother of God, Chaste and pure dove. Hail, O Mary, Mother of God, who enclosed the One Who cannot be encompassed in your sacred womb. Hail, O Mary, Mother of God, From you flowed the true light, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Hail, O Mary, Mother of God, Through you the Conqueror and triumphant Vanquisher of hell, came to us. Hail, O Mary, Mother of God, Through you, the glory of the Resurrection blossoms. Hail, O Mary, Mother of God, You have saved every faithful Christian. Hail, O Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen
One Minute Reflection – 10 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – St Antoninus OP (1389-1459) – – Sirach 44:16-27; 45:3-20 – Matthew 25:14-23 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“To one He gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one—to each according to his ability. Then he went away. Immediately …” – Matthew 25:15
REFLECTION – “One of the servants said: “Lord, Thou entrusted to me five talents” and another mentioned two. They acknowledge that they had received, from Him, the means to carry out their duties well; they give witness to their great gratitude and render their accounts to Him. What does the Master reply? “Well done, My good and faithful servant (for it is the property of kindness to notice one’s neighbour); you have been faithful in small matters, I will set you over great; enter into the joy of your Lord.” Thus Jesus refers to entire blessedness.
As for him who only received one talent, he went off and buried it. “This good for nothing servant, throw him into the darkness outside, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.” So you see, it is not just the thief, the miser, the wrongdoer, who will be punished at the end, it is also the person who fails to do good!… Indeed, what are those talents? They are the power each one holds, the authority one enjoys, the fortune one possesses, the teaching one is able to give and anything else of a similar kind. So let no-one come and say, I have nothing but one talent, I cannot do anything. For even with only one talent you can act in a praiseworthy manner!” – St John Chrysostom (347-407) Bishop of Constantinople, Father & Doctor of the Church (Sermons on St Matthew’s Gospel No 78:2-3)
PRAYER – O Lord, may the merits of Antoninus, Your Confessor and Bishop, help us and just as we praise You for the wonders You have wrought in him, so may we glory in Your mercy toward us. T hrough 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 – 10 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary”
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.
Quote/s of the Day – 9 May – St Gregory Nazianzen (330-390) Bishop, Confessor, Father and Doctor of the Church
“Let us become like Christ, since Christ became like us. He assumed the worse that He might give us the better; He became poor that we, through His poverty, might be rich.”
“The very Son of God, Older than the ages, the Invisible, the Incomprehensible, the Incorporeal, the Beginning of beginning, the Light of light, the Fountain of Life and Immortality, the Image of the Archetype, the Immovable Seal, the Perfect Likeness, the Definition and Word of the Father: He it is, Who comes to His Own Image and takes our nature, for the Good of our nature and unites Himself to an intelligent soul for the good of the soul, to purify like by Like.”
“Grace is given, not to those who speak [their faith] but to those, who live their faith!”
“Remember God more often than you breathe.”
“Give something, however small, to the one in need. For it is not small to one, who has nothing. Neither is it small to God, if we have given what we could.”
One Minute Reflection – 9 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – St Gregory Nazianzen (330-390) Bishop, Confessor, Father and Doctor of the Church – Sirach 39:6-14 – Matthew 5:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“I am not come to destroy but to fulfil.” – Matthew 5:17
REFLECTION – “Grace which was formerly veiled, so to speak, in the Old Testament, has been fully revealed in the Gospel of Christ by a harmonious disposition of the times, just as God usually disposes of everything with harmony … But within this wonderful harmony, we notice a great difference between the two ages. On Sinai, the people did not dare draw near the place where the Lord was giving His Law; in the Upper Room, the Holy Ghost comes down on all those assembled there, while waiting for the fulfilment of the promise (Ex 19:23; Acts 2:1). In the first instance, the Finger of God inscribed the laws on tablets of stone but now, it is in human hearts where He writes it (Ex 31:18; 2 Cor 3:3). Formerly the Law was written without and brought fear to sinners but now, it has been given to them within, to make them righteous …
Indeed, as the Apostle Paul says, everything written on the stone tablets, “you shall not commit adultery, you shall not kill. .. you shall not covet” and whatever other commandments there may be, are summed up in this saying: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself. Love does no evil to the neighbour; hence, love is the fulfilment of the Law” (Rm 13:9f.; Lv 19:18) … This charity has been “poured into our hearts through the Holy Ghost Who is given to us” (Rm 5:5).” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (On the spirit and the letter, 28-30).
PRAYER – O God, Who gave to Your people, blessed Gregory, as a minister of salvation, grant, we beseech You, that we, who cherished him on earth as a teacher of life, may be found worthy to have him as an intercessor in Heaven. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
St Gregory Nazianzen (330-390) Archbishop of Constantinople, Father, Doctor, Confessor, Theologian, Philosopher, Orator, Poet, Writer, he is remembered as the “Trinitarian Theologian.” He is widely considered one of the most accomplished rhetorical stylist of the patristic age. Along with his great friends and colleagues, the brothers St Basil the Great and St Gregory of Nyssa, he is known as one of the Cappadocian Fathers. The Cappadocia region, in modern-day Turkey, was an early site of Christian activity, with several missions by St Paul in this region. The Roman Martyrology states of him today: “At Naziazus, the birthday of St Gregory, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, surnamed “The Theologian” because of his remarkable knowledge of divinity. At Constantinople, he restored the Catholic Faith, which was fast waning and repressed the rising heresies.” Wonderful St Gregory: https://anastpaul.com/2022/05/09/saint-of-the-day-9-may-st-gregory-nazianzen-330-390-great-father-and-doctor-of-the-church/ AND: (In 1969, St Gregory’s Feast was combined with that of St Basil the Great – “Two Bodies one Spirit” and was then celebrated on 2 January). Their lives here: https://anastpaul.com/2019/01/02/saint-s-of-the-day-2-january-st-basil-the-great-329-379-and-st-gregory-of-nazianzen-330-390-two-bodies-one-spirit/
St Banban the Wise St Beatus of Laon St Beatus of Lungern St Brynoth of Scara St Dionysius of Vienne Bl Fortis Gabrielli St Gerontius of Cervia
Blessed Giovanni Benincasa of Montepulciano OSM (1375-1426) Religious Friar of the Servite Order, Hermit, Mystic, Penitent. His Beatification received formal approval from Pope Pius VIII on 23 December 1829. His Devout Life
St Giuse Hien St Gorfor of Llanover
St Gregory of Ostia St Hermas of Rome Isaiah the Prophet St John of Châlon
Blessed Thomas Pickering (c1621-1679) Martyr, Benedictine Lay Brother. He was one of the 107 Martyrs of England and Wakes. They were Beatified by Pope Pius XI on 15 December 1929 and is, therefore, remembered with them all on 4 May. In character, he was described, as the most charitable and sweet-tempered of men. His Life and Death: https://anastpaul.com/2021/05/09/saint-of-the-day-9-may-blessed-thomas-pickering-osb-c-1621-1679-martyr/
St Vincent (Died c950) Abbot of Montes
Martyrs of Persia: 310 Christians murdered together for their faith in Persia. No details about them have survived.
20 Mercedarian Martyrs of Riscala: 20 Mercedarian friars who were murdered by Huguenot heretics for refusing to denounce their faith. 16th century at the Santa Maria convent at Riscala, France.
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