One Minute Reflection – 29 October – Tuesday of the Thirtieth week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 13:18-21
Again he said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch of dough was leavened.” … Luke 13:20
REFLECTION – “Our Lord next puts forward the parable of the yeast. “Just as yeast communicates its invisible force to the whole lump of dough, so will the force of the Gospel transform the whole world, by means of the apostles’ ministry… Don’t ask me: ‘What can we twelve, miserable sinners do in face of the whole world?’ This is precisely the vast difference between cause and effect, between a handful of men before a crowd, which will demonstrate the stunning effect of your strength. Isn’t it by mixing the yeast into the dough, by ‘hiding’ it as the Gospel says, that it transforms the whole lump? In the same way, apostles of mine, it is by being mixed into the great mass of peoples that you will impregnate them with your spirit and win victory over your adversaries. Even as it disappears into the mass, yeast does not lose its strength. To the contrary, it changes the whole dough’s nature. In the same way, your preaching will change all peoples. Therefore, be full of confidence”…
It is Christ who grants such great strength to this yeast… So don’t blame Him for the small number of His disciples – it is the strength of the message that is great… A spark is enough to change a few sticks of dry wood into a blaze that will afterwards set even all the green wood at the edge on fire.” … St John Chrysostom (c 345-407) Father & Doctor of the Church
PRAYER – True light of the world, Lord Jesus Christ, as You enlighten all men for their salvation, give us grace, we pray, to herald Your coming by preparing the ways of justice and of peace. Help us Lord, that we may sprout and bear fruit, fitting to grow and be a home of comfort to our neighbour. By the prayers of St Narcissus of Jerusalem, who bore the seed of Your Word to many, may we too be heralds of Your Kingdom. Through Jesus our Lord, Who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.
Thought for the Day – 28 October – Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles and Martyrs, Gospel: Luke 6:12-19
As the Father Sent Me, so I am Sending You
Saint Cyril of Alexandria (376-444)
Bishop, Father & Doctor of the Church
An excerpt from his Commentary on the Gospel of John
Our Lord Jesus Christ has appointed certain men to be guides and teachers of the world and stewards of His divine mysteries. Now He bids them to shine out like lamps and to cast out their light, not only over the land of the Jews but over every country under the sun and over people scattered in all directions and settled in distant lands. That man has spoken truly who said: No one takes honour upon himself, except the one who is called by God, for it was our Lord Jesus Christ who called His own disciples before all others to a most glorious apostolate. These holy men became the pillar and mainstay of the truth and Jesus said that He was sending them just as the Father had sent Him.
By these words, He is making clear, the dignity of the apostolate and the incomparable glory of the power given to them but He is also, it would seem, giving them a hint about the methods they are to adopt, in their apostolic mission. For if Christ thought it necessary to send out His intimate disciples in this fashion, just as the Father had sent Him, then surely, it was necessary, that they, whose mission was to be patterned on that of Jesus, should see exactly why the Father had sent the Son. And so Christ interpreted the character of His mission to us in a variety of ways. Once He said – I have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance. And then at another time He said – I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will but the will of Him who sent me. For God sent His Son into the world, not to condemn the world but that the world might be saved through Him.
Accordingly, in affirming that they are sent by Him just as He was sent by the Father, Christ sums up in a few words the approach they themselves should take to their ministry. From what He said, they would gather that it was their vocation to call sinners to repentance, to heal those who were sick, whether in body or spirit, to seek in all their dealing, never to do their own will but the will of Him who sent them and, as far as possible, to save the world by their teaching.
Surely it is in all these respects, that we find His holy disciples striving to excel. To ascertain this is no great labour, a single reading of the Acts of the Apostles or of Saint Paul’s writings is enough.
One Minute Reflection – 28 October – Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles and Martyrs, Gospel: Luke 6:12-19
And when it was day, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostle … Luke 6:13
REFLECTION – “Saint Paul said: “The weakness of God is stronger than all men” (1Cor 1:25). It is clear from this too that the gospel is divine. For whence did it strike twelve unlettered men to attempt such great enterprises, men who were living in marshes, or rivers, in desert places, who had never perhaps gone into a city or the public square? Whence did it strike them to array themselves against the whole world? That they were cowardly and unmanly, he who has written about them shows, inasmuch as he does not even deprecate nor try to gloss over their failings. This, in itself, is a powerful proof of the truth. What then does this man say about them? That after the innumerable miracles they had seen Christ work, when He was taken prisoner some fled, while the one who remained, although he was head over the rest, denied Him.
Here were men who failed to stand up to the Jews when Christ was alive. Yet when He died and was buried, they arrayed themselves against the whole world… Would they not have said to themselves: “What is this? He had not strength to save Himself, will He protect us? He did not defend Himself when He was alive, will He reach out His hand to us, now He is dead? When He was alive He did not conquer a single nation—shall we convince the whole world by speaking His name?”… Hence it is clear that, if they had not seen Him risen and received this mighty proof of His power, they would never have risked such a gamble.” … St John Chrysostom (c.345-407) Priest at Antioch then Bishop of Constantinople, Father & Doctor of the Church – Homily on the 1st letter to the Corinthians 4, 3
PRAYER – Lord God, You taught us to call upon Your name, through the preaching of the Apostles. Open our eyes each day, grant that we may see Jesus Your Son at our side, open our ears that we may hear His voice, open our mouths, that we may beg forgiveness and proclaim the good news, as we follow the way Your Son carved out for us. At the intercession of Sts Simon and Jude, may Your Church continue to grow and to hope in Your love. We make our prayer through Jesus our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.
Quote/s of the Day – 27 October – Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 18:9–14
“For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Luke 14:11
‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’
Luke 18:13
“If you wish to reach high, then begin at the lowest level. If you are trying to construct some mighty edifice in height, you will begin with the lowest foundation. This is humility. However great the mass of the building you may wish to design or erect, the taller the building is to be, the deeper you will dig the foundation. The building in the course of its erection, rises up high but he who digs its foundation, must first go down very low. So then, you see even a building is low before it is high and the tower is raised, only after humiliation.”
St Augustine (354-430)
Father & Doctor (Sermon 69)
“The three most important virtues are: humility, humility and humility.”
St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)
Doctor of the Church
“For it is well known, that, on the spiritual road, not to go on, overcoming self, is to go backwards and not to increase our gain, is to lose.”
St John of the Cross (1542-1591)
Doctor of the Church
“We are ever but beginning, the most perfect Christian, is to himself but a beginner, a penitent prodigal who has squandered God’s gifts and comes to Him, to be tried over again, not as a son but as a hired servant.”
One Minute Reflection – 26 October – Saturday of the Twenty Ninth week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 13:1-9 and the Memorial of Blessed Bonaventura of Potenza OFM Conv (1651-1711)
And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Lo, these three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and I find none. Cut it down, why should it use up the ground?’…Luke 13:7
REFLECTION – “The Lord also has something very fitting to say about a fruitless tree, “Look, it is now three years that I have been coming to it. Finding no fruit on it, I will cut it down, to stop it blocking up my field.” The gardener intercedes. This tree is the human race. The Lord visited this tree in the time of the patriarchs, as if for the first year. He visited it in the time of the law and the prophets, as if for the second year. Here we are now, with the gospel the third year has dawned. Now it is as though it should have been cut down but the Merciful One intercedes with the Merciful One. He wanted to show how merciful He was and so He stood up to Himself with a plea for mercy. “Let us leave it,” he says, “this year too. Let us dig a ditch around it.” Manure is a sign of humility. “Let us apply a load of manure, perhaps it may bear fruit.” Since it does bear fruit in one part and in another part does not bear fruit, its Lord will come and divide it. What does that mean, “divide it”? There are good people and bad people now in one company, as though constituting one body.” … St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor (Sermon 254)
PRAYER – Come to help us in our weakness, God of mercy, forgive the sins of Your people and as nothing we can do is worthy in Your sight, save us through the intercession of the Mother of our Lord, Jesus Christ. May the prayers of all your saints and we entreat Your servant, Blessed Bonaventura of Potenza to add his prayers on our behalf. We make our prayer through Jesus with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.
One Minute Reflection – 25 October – Friday of the Twenty Ninth week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 12:54-59 and the Memorial of Bl Thaddeus McCarthy (c 1455–1492)
“As you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge and the judge hand you over to the officer and the officer put you in prison.” … Luke 12:58
REFLECTION – “Now all of us, without exception, upon earth are guilty of offences, he who has a suit against us and accuses us, is the wicked Satan – for he is “the enemy and the exactor.” While, therefore, we are in the way, that is, ere yet we have arrived at the termination of our life here, let us deliver ourselves from him, let us do away with the offences of which we have been guilty, let us close his mouth, let us seize upon the grace that is by Christ, which frees us from all debt and penalty and delivers us from fear and torment, lest, if our impurity be not cleansed away, we be carried before the judge and given over to the exactors, that is, the tormentors, from whose cruelty no man can escape, yea, rather, who will exact vengeance for every fault, whether it be great or small.
Far removed from this danger are those who search for the time of Christ’s corning and are not ignorant of His mystery but well know that the Word, though He be God, has shone forth upon the inhabitants of earth in likeness as one of us, that freeing them from all blame, He may bless with exceeding happiness those who believe in Him and acknowledge Him as God and the Son of God, by Whom and with Whom to God the Father be praise and dominion, with the Holy Spirit, forever and ever, Amen” … St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444), Father & Doctor of the Church – Commentary on Luke (1859) Sermons 89-98.
PRAYER – Lord God, You fill us with Your grace and teach us true faith. Strengthen in our hearts that faith that no trials may quench the fire, that we may seek Your face in every moment and accept AND LIVE all of Your will. Send us Your Spirit to keep the fire blazing. May the humble love and intercession of Mary Mother of our faith, be our succour and may Blessed Thaddeus McCarthy intercede for us on our pilgrim way. Through Jesus Christ, Your Son our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.
Thought for the Day – 17 October – The Memorial of St Ignatius of Antioch (c 35 – 107) Father of the Church, Martyr
Tradition holds that St Ignatius was one of the many small children whom Jesus personally took in His arms and blessed. He was a student and follower of St John the Apostle. Simon Peter appointed St Ignatius to serve as Bishop of Antioch. His service and successes were great but perhaps inevitably, St Ignatius was arrested by Roman soldiers and taken to Rome, where he was sentenced to death at the Coliseum, for his Christian teachings, practices and faith.
Some of St Ignatius Letters to the Ephesians, Romans and others have survived. Many were modelled on the New Testament writings of St Paul, St Peter and St John.
From a letter to the Ephesians by Saint Ignatius of Antioch, bishop and martyr (Nn. 13-18,1: Funk 1, 183-187)
Have Faith in Christ and Love
Try to gather together more frequently to give thanks to God and to praise Him. For when you come together frequently, Satan’s powers are undermined and the destruction that he threatens, is done away with, in the unanimity of your faith. Nothing is better than peace, in which all warfare between heaven and earth is brought to an end.
None of this will escape you if you have perfect faith and love toward Jesus Christ. These are the beginning and the en – of life: faith the beginning, love the end. When these two are found together, there is God and everything else concerning right living follows from them. No-one professing faith sins, no-one possessing love hates. A tree is known by its fruit. So those who profess to belong to Christ will be known by what they do. For the work we are about, is not a matter of words here and now but depends on the power of faith and on being found faithful to the end.
It is better to remain silent and to be, than talk and not be. Teaching is good if the speaker also acts. Now there was one teacher who spoke and it was made and even what He did in silence is worthy of the Father. He who has the word of Jesus can truly listen also to His silence, in order to be perfect, that he may act through his speech and be known by his silence. Nothing is hidden from the Lord but even our secrets are close to Him. Let us then do everything in the knowledge that He is dwelling within us, that we may be His temples and He, God within us. He is and will reveal Himself, in our sight, according to the love we bear Him in holiness.
Make no mistake, my brothers, those who corrupt families will not inherit the kingdom of God. If those who do these things in accordance with the flesh have died, how much worse will it be if one corrupts, through evil doctrine, the faith of God for which Jesus Christ was crucified? Such a person, because he is defiled, will depart into the unquenchable fire, as will anyone who listens to him.
For the Lord received anointing on His head, in order that He might breathe incorruptibility on the Church. Do not be anointed with the evil odour of the teachings of the prince of this world, that he may not lead you captive away from the life that is set before you. But why is it that we are not all wise when we have received the knowledge of God, which is Jesus Christ? Why do we perish in our stupidity, not knowing the gift the Lord has truly sent us?
My spirit is given over to the humble service of the Cross which is a stumbling block to unbelievers but to us salvation and eternal life.
Quote/s of the Day – 17 October – The Memorial of St Ignatius of Antioch (c 35 – 107) Father of the Church, Martyr
“They abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer because they do not confess that the Eucharist is the flesh of our Saviour Jesus Christ, flesh which suffered for our sins and which that Father, in His goodness, raised up again. They who deny the gift of God are perishing in their disputes.”
“Pray that we will remain faithful to the teachings of the Risen Jesus.”
Our Morning Offering – 17 October – Thursday of the Twenty-eighth week in Ordinary Time, Year C and the Memorial of St Ignatius of Antioch (c 35 – 107) Father of the Church, Martyr and St Francois Isidore Gagelin (1799-1833) Priest and Martyr
A Martyr’s Prayer By St Ignatius of Antioch (c 35 – 107) Father of the Church, Martyr
I am the wheat of God,
and am ground by the teeth of the wild beasts,
that I may be found the pure bread of God.
I long after the Lord,
the Son of the true God and Father, Jesus Christ.
Him I seek, who died for us and rose again.
I am eager to die for the sake of Christ.
My love has been crucified
and there is no fire in me that loves anything.
But there is living water springing up in me
and it says to me inwardly,
“Come to the Father”
Amen
St Anstrudis of Laon
Bl Balthassar of Chiavari
Bl Battista de Bonafede
St Berarius I of Le Mans
St Catervus
St Colman of Kilroot
St Ethelbert of Eastry
St Ethelred of Eastry
St Florentius of Orange St Francois Isidore Gagelin (1799-1833) Martyr
Bl Gilbert the Theologian
St Heron of Antioch
Bl Jacques Burin
St John the Short/Dwarf
St Louthiern
St Mamelta of Persia
St Nothelm of Canterbury
St Richard Gwyn
St Rudolph of Gubbio
St Rufus of Rome
St Serafino of Montegranaro
St Solina of Chartres
St Zosimus of Rome
—
Martyrs of Nicomedia – 3 saints: A group of Christians martyred in the persecutions of Diocletian. The only details about them that have survived are their names – Alexander, Marianus and Victor. 303 in Nicomedia (in modern Turkey).
Martyrs of Valenciennes -5 beati: A group of Ursuline nuns martyred in the persecutions of the French Revolution.
• Hyacinthe-Augustine-Gabrielle Bourla
• Jeanne-Reine Prin
• Louise-Joseph Vanot
• Marie-Geneviève-Joseph Ducrez
• Marie-Madeleine-Joseph Déjardins
Martyrs of Volitani: A group of martyrs who were praised by Saint Augustine of Hippo. In Volitani, proconsular Africa (in modern Tunisia).
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War:
• BlessedFidel Fuidio Rodriguez
• BlessedJosé Sánchez Medina
• BlessedPerfecto Carrascosa Santos
• BlessedTársila Córdoba Belda de Girona
One Minute Reflection- 16 October – Wednesday of the Twenty-eighth week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 11:42-46 and the Memorial of St Marie Marguerite d’Youville (1701-1771)
“Woe to you Pharisees! for you love the best seat in the synagogues and salutations in the market places.”…Luke 11:43
REFLECTION – “Christianity is not a matter of persuading people of particular ideas but of inviting them to share in the greatness of Christ. So pray, that I may never fall into the trap, of impressing people, with clever speech but instead, I may learn, to speak with humility, desiring only to impress people with Christ Himself.”…St Ignatius of Antioch (c 35 – 107) Father of the Church, Martyr
PRAYER – Lord Jesus Christ, You wondrously revealed all of the deep treasures of Your Heart to Your saints. May their merits and example win us the grace to love You above all things and in all things so that we may make our abode in Your own Sacred Hea rt. With You, for You and in You, may we assist and love our neigh bour. Hear the prayers of St Marguerite d’Youville on our behalf dear Lord, we beg. Through Christ our Lord, in the union of the Holy Spirit, God who live and reign forever, amen.
One Minute Reflection – 15 October – Monday of the Twenty Eighth week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 11:29–32 and the Memorial of Blessed Roman Lysko (1914–1949) Priest and Martyr
“For they repented at the preaching of Jonah and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.” … Luke 11:32
REFLECTION – “Let us beware of losing all hope but let us also avoid giving in too easily to carelessness… Despair hinders those who have fallen, from getting up again and carelessness causes those who are standing, to fall… If presumption casts us down from the heights of heaven, despair casts us into the infinite depths of evil, whereas a little hope is enough to hold us back…
This is how Nineveh was saved. However, the divine judgement pronounced against the Ninevites was of a nature to throw them into confusion since it did not say: “If you repent you will be saved” but simply: “Three more days and Nineveh will be destroyed” (Jon 3:4). Nevertheless, neither the Lord’s threat, nor the prophet’s preaching, nor even the severity of the judgement… caused their confidence to fail. God wants us to draw a lesson, from this unconditional judgement that taught by this example, that we may resist despair as much as passivity… Besides, divine good will does not only reveal itself in the forgiveness granted to the repentant Ninevites.. the respite granted them, attests likewise, to His unutterable goodness. Do you imagine that three days would have been enough to wipe out so much wickedness? God’s good will is breaking out from behind these words and, besides, isn’t it the principal worker of the whole city’s salvation?
Let this example keep us from despairing. For the devil thinks of this form of weakness as his most successful weapon and, even when we sin, we could not give him greater pleasure than when we lose hope.” … St John Chrysostom (345-407) Father & Doctor
PRAYER – Eternal, almighty God and Father, teach us true sorrow and repentance. Grant us the grace of trust and hope in Your unfailing love, that we may resist despair as we face the sin of the world and the wiles of the evil one. As we walk always in the Light of Christ, Your Son, following His way, we may never fall into temptation. May the intercession of Your saints and martyrs, be always an assistance to us all. Mary, our Mother of merciful love and Blessed Roman Lysko, pray for us. Through Christ our Lord and the Holy Spirit, God for always and forever, amen.
Quote/s of the Day – 8 October – Tuesday of the Twenty Seventh week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Goaspel: Luke 10:38–42
“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”
Luke 10:42
“Our Lord’s words teach us that though we labour among the many distractions of this world, we should have but one goal. For we are but travellers on a journey without as yet a fixed abode, we are on our way, not yet in our native land, we are in a state of longing, not yet of enjoyment. But let us continue on our way and continue without sloth or respite, so that we may ultimately arrive at our destination.”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor (Sermo 103, 1-2, 6: PL 38, 613, 615)
“Action and contemplation are very close companions; they live together in one house on equal terms. Martha and Mary are sisters.”
St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)
Doctor of the Church
“In bustling about and busying herself, Martha risks forgetting — and this is the problem — the most important thing, which is the presence of the Guest… Most importantly He ought to be listened to. “
Thought for the Day – 30 September – The Memorial of Saint Jerome, Priest, Father and Doctor of the Church (347-419)
Ignorance of Scripture is Ignorance of Christ
Saint Jerome of Bethlehem
Priest and Great Western Father and Doctor of the Church
An excerpt from his Commentary on Isaiah
“I interpret as I should, following the command of Christ – search the Scriptures and seek and you shall find. Christ will not say to me what He said to the Jews: You erred, not knowing the Scriptures and not knowing the power of God. For if, as Paul says, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God and if the man who does not know Scripture does not know the power and wisdom of God, then ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.
Therefore, I will imitate the head of a household who brings out of his storehouse things both new and old and says to his spouse in the Song of Songs: I have kept for you things new and old, my beloved. In this way permit me to explain Isaiah, showing that he was not only a prophet but an evangelist and an apostle as well. For he says about himself and the other evangelists – How beautiful are the feet of those who preach good news, of those who announce peace. And God speaks to him as if he were an apostle – Whom shall I send, who will go to my people? And he answers: Here I am; send me.
No-one should think, that I mean to explain, the entire subject matter of this great book of Scripture, in one brief sermon, since it contains all the mysteries of the Lord. It prophesies that Emmanuel is to be born of a virgin and accomplish marvellous works and signs. It predicts His death, burial and resurrection from the dead as the Saviour of all men. I need say nothing about the natural sciences, ethics and logic. Whatever is proper to holy Scripture, whatever can be expressed in human language and understood by the human mind, is contained in the book of Isaiah. Of these mysteries the author himself testifies when he writes – You will be given a vision of all things, like words in a sealed scroll. When they give the writings to a wise man, they will say – Read this. And he will reply: I cannot, for it is sealed. And when the scroll is given to an uneducated man and he is told: Read this, he will reply: I do not know how to read.
Should this argument appear weak to anyone, let him listen to the Apostle – Let two or three prophets speak and let others interpret, if, however, a revelation should come to one of those who are seated there, let the first one be quiet. How can they be silent, since it depends on the Spirit who speaks through His prophets whether they remain silent or speak? If they understood what they were saying, all things would be full of wisdom and knowledge. But it was not the air vibrating with the human voice that reached their ears but rather, it was God speaking within the soul of the prophets, just as another prophet says: It is an angel who spoke in me and again, Crying out in our hearts, Abba, Father and I shall listen to what the Lord God says within me.”
Quotes of the Day – 30 September – The Memorial of Saint Jerome (347-419), Priest, Father and Doctor of the Church
St Jerome – Speaking of Holy Scripture
“The Scriptures are shallow enough, for a babe to come and drink, without fear of drowning and deep enough, for theologians to swim in, without ever reaching the bottom.”
“Make knowledge of the Scripture your love … Live with them, meditate on them, make them the sole object of your knowledge and inquiries.”
“A false interpretation of Scripture, causes, that the Gospel of the Lord, becomes the gospel of man, or, which is worse, of the devil!”
“It is worse still to be ignorant of your ignorance.”
St Jerome (347-419)
Great Western Father and Doctor of the Church
One Minute Reflection – 30 September – Monday of the Twenty Sixth week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 9:46–50 and The Memorial of St Gregory the Illuminator (c 257 – c 331)
“Whoever receives this child in my name receives me and whoever receives me, receives him who sent me, for he who is least among you all, is the one who is great.” … Luke 9:48
REFLECTION – “The passion and lust of pride attacked some of the holy apostles. The mere argument about who of them was the greatest is the mark of an ambitious person, eager to stand at the head of the rest. Christ, who did not sleep, knows how to deliver. He saw this thought in the disciple’s mind, springing up, in the words of Scripture, like some bitter plant. He saw the weeds, the work of the wicked sower. Before it grew up tall, struck its root down deep, grew strong and took possession of the heart, He tears up the evil by the very root. In what way does the Physician of souls amputate pride’s passion? How does He deliver the beloved disciple from being the prey of the enemy and from a thing hateful to God and man? “He took a child,” it says, “and set it by him.” He made the event a means of benefiting both the holy apostles themselves and us their successors. This illness, as a rule, preys upon all those who are in any respect superior to other people.
What kind of type and representation did He make the child He had taken? He made the child a representation of an innocent and humble life. The mind of a child is empty of fraud and his heart is sincere. His thoughts are simple. He does not covet rank and does not know what is meant by one man being higher than another is. Christ brought forward the child as a pattern of simplicity and innocence and set him by Him. He showed him as in an object lesson, that He accepts and loves those who are like the child. He thinks they are worthy of standing at His side, as being like-minded with Him and anxious to walk in His steps.” … St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Father and Doctor of the Church – Commentary on Luke, Homily 54
PRAYER – Dear and Holy God, let us offer You all our daily struggles against sin and evil. Grant us the strength to resist all forms of idolatry, to seek only You and never to allow the honour of this world to seduce us. Sustain us ever more with Your word and help us to find in it, the source of life. May the Prayers of St Gregory the Illuminator, help us on the path of holiness. We ask this through Jesus our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 30 September – Monday of the Twenty Sixth week in Ordinary Time, Year C and The Memorial of St Jerome (347-419) Father and Doctor of the Church
O Lord, show Your mercy to me By St Jerome (347-419)
O Lord, show Your mercy to me
and gladden my heart.
I am like the man on the way to Jericho
who was overtaken by robbers,
wounded and left for dead.
O Good Samaritan,
come to my aid.
I am like the sheep that went astray.
O Good Shepherd,
seek me out and bring me home
in accord with Your will.
Let me dwell in Your house
all the days of my life
and praise You for ever and ever
with those who are there.
Amen
Saint of the Day – 30 September – Saint Gregory the Illuminator (c 257 – c 331) – “Apostle to Armenia” and “Father of Armenia”- Bishop, First Patriarch of the Armenian Church, Missionary, Wonder-worker – born Grigor Lusavorich in c 257 and died in c 331 of natural causes. Also known as Gregory the Enlightener. Patronage – Armenia.
The life of Saint Gregory was first recounted in a biography dating to c 460 and the more or less contemporary History of the Armenians by Agathangelos. The saint’s was born in and around Parthia between 239 to 257. He was the son of Anak Partev the Parthian, who, being in the pay of the rival Sasanian Empire in Persia (224-651), infamously murdered the Armenian king Khosrov of Kadj. The Lusavorich family was both wealthy and influential but they were all wiped out by the revenging relatives of Khosrov. Fortunately for Gregory, he, the sole survivor of the purge, was whisked away by his nanny to the safety of Cappadoccia.
Gregory was raised as a Christian and attended a Greek Christian school. On returning to Armenia, Gregory gained a position as a palace functionary at the court of the Armenian king. There he protested the pagan religion of the period and refused to participate in its rites. The reigning monarch was Tiridates IV (Trdat III or IV), or Tiridates the Great as he would become known and he had the troublesome Gregory imprisoned, tortured and thrown into the terrible Khor Virap prison at Artashat. Known as the “pit of oblivion,” nobody ever returned from Khor Virap.
When out hunting, Tiridates often behaved like a beast, hence the legend that he was transformed into a boar. A King, who was loved by his people and especially his sister, Khosrovidought, tried in vain to return him to his senses. Khosrovidought had a dream, seeing Gregory coming out of the dungeon and healing her brother! This was especially ironic, as the illness had only manifested itself following the king’s orders to murder a group of Christian nuns who had fled persecution in Rome. Khosrovidought told the people at the Court of her dream and revealed that Gregory was living and was the only man in the world who could cure the King. As Tiridat’s condition worsened his courtiers went to the pit and to their great surprise heard a feeble “yes” to the question: “Gregory, are you still alive?” For St Gregory had been in the pit for 13 years! They lowered the rope and out came a man with a long beard and soiled clothes. But his darkened face was wrapped in an aura of light. After dressing him properly,they took him to the presence of Tiridat. Moved by a powerful force which he could not control, Tiridat knelt down before his prisoner. Gregory, putting his hands on the King’s head, prayed for him. There,upon Tiridat was cured and became a new man. He said to Gregory: “Your God is my Go, your religion is my religion.” Gregory lifted him up and embraced him. From that moment, until their death, they remained faithful friends and worked together, each in his own way for the establishment of the Kingdom of God in Armenia, beginning in the year 301.
Gregory first converted the people in the capital city and in its neighbourhood. There were no bishops or clergymen left in the country, because of the severe persecutions by Tiridat. Thus, Gregory could not find people in holy orders to baptise the neophytes. Gregory himself was still a layman. Therefore, the Royal Council decided to send Gregory back to Cæsarea to be ordained as a Priest and then Bishop of Armenia.
Armenia did became a Christian state and it was a momentous moment in the country’s history as the historian RG Hovannisian here explains:
“The conversion of Armenia to Christianity was probably the most crucial step in its history. It turned Armenia sharply away from its Iranian past and stamped it for centuries with an intrinsic character, as clear to the native population, as to those outside its borders, who identified Armenia almost at once as the first state to adopt Christianity.”
Armenia thus became the first nation to adopt Christianity as its official religion.
As soon as Gregory returned to Armenis as the first Bishop (Katholikos) he set about formally establishing the Christian Church. Tiridates gave Saint Gregory up to 15 provinces of territory to establish the Armenian Church. The old pagan temples were torn down and the sites were converted to Christian ones and the whole nation was obliged to embrace the new faith. Churches and monasteries sprang up everywhere, including at the Khor Virap, Gregory’s home for so long, which was eventually converted into a monastery. The Armenian aristocracy quickly followed the royal family’s example and many noble families converted to Christianity.
Later in life, Gregory retired to the seclusion of the cave of Mane in northwestern Armenia where he lived as an ascetic. Gregory died there of old age around 331. The former bishop’s remains were buried at Tordan on the Euphrates River in the western province of Daranaghik, although later his bones would become prized relics in various churches across the country.
St Gregory governed the Armenian Church for about 25 years. He diligently worked for the internal organisation of the Church. His descendants carried on his work, notably his younger son Aristakes, who, known for his asceticism, was the next bishop and who attended the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea in 325 as St Gregory was too old.
Many Churches were built in his honour but perhaps the most celebrated was the cathedral at Ani built by the great architect Trdat for King Gagik (1001-1010).
Saint Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral, Yerevan, (finished in 2001) contains the remains of St Gregory
He is commemorated as a Canonised Saint by all the ancient churches of the East and of the West, including the Greek Orthodox and the Roman Catholic Churches. The Armenian Church has set aside three holy days in honour of St Gregory, commemorating three of the main events of his life – firstly, his sufferings and entrance into the dungeon, secondly, His release from the dungeon and the conversion of Armenia to Christianity, thirdly, the discovery of his relics.
The Right Hand of Gregory the Illuminator in the museum of the Holy See of Cilicia at Antelias, Lebanon
On St Pope John Paul II’s historic trip in 2001 to Armenia to mark the 1700thof the conversion of the Armenian nation to Christianity, he became inspired by a visit to Khor-Virab where Saint Gregory was confined. As a result, a statue of Saint Gregory the Illuminator now stands (unveiled on 19 January 2005) in the Vatican’s last remaining niche along the walls of Saints leading to St Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Almost 2,5 metres tall, it is situate at the site where visitors wait to climb the cupola. Thousands of visitors now wait under the gentle gaze of St Gregory the Illuminator of Armenia. See the Statue below.
On 26 June 2016, Pope Francis visited Armenia and made a special pilgrimage to the Church and Monastery, where St Gregory’s pit was located. It is here, in one of the Armenian Church’s most sacred places, that Francis concluded his trip. After being welcomed by the Monastery’s superior, the he and the Pope made their way down the small stairs to the room where St Gregory had been held in captivity for 13 years. There, they lit a candle in veneration. They then entered the adjacent chapel in procession and prayed in Armenian and in Italian. Finally, the Pope and Abbot Karekin went out onto the terrace overlooking Ararat and released two doves, in the direction of the Biblical mountain, which is now beyond the border in Turkey.
St Amatus of Nusco
St Antoninus of Piacenza
St Castus of Piacenza
St Colman of Clontibret
Bl Conrad of Urach
St Desiderius of Piacenza
St Enghenedl of Anglesey
St Eusebia of Marseilles Saint Francis Borgia SJ (1510-1572) – Biography: https://anastpaul.com/2017/10/10/saint-of-the-day-10-october-st-francis-borgia-s-j-1510-1572/ (This post made on 10 October 2017, is on the incorrect date. His feast day was moved to today in 1969. Today, 30 September is the day of his death.)
Bl Frederick Albert Saint Gregory the Illuminator (c 257 – c 331)
St Honoratus of Canterbury
St Ismidone of Die
Bl Jean-Nicolas Cordier
St Laurus
St Leopardus the Slave
Bl Ludwik Gietyngier
St Midan of Anglesey
St Simon of Crépy
St Ursus the Theban
St Victor the Theban
—
Martyrs of Valsery Abbey: An unknown number of Premonstratensian monks at the Abbey of Notre-Dame de Valsery, Picardie, France who were martyred by Calvinists. They were martyred in 1567 at Valsery, Pircardy, France
Thought for the Day – 29 September – Twenty Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 16:19–31 and The Feast of Sts Michael, Gabriel and Raphael
And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy upon me and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ … Luke 16:24
St John Chrysostom explains the point of the parable, to his congregation, by having Abraham speak the following words about Lazarus, to the rich man.
“When you were living in your wealth, when you were free to see at your own will, you did not choose to see him. Why do you have such keen sight now? Was he not at your gate? How could you avoid seeing him? When he was near you, did you not see him and now, do you see him from a distance, even across such a chasm? … The man whom you passed by a thousand times, whom you did not want to see – now do you seek to have him sent to you for your salvation? …
And where are your cup bearers? … Where are your flatterers? Where is your vanity? Where is your presumption? Where is your buried gold? Where are your moth-eaten garments? Where is the silver which you valued so highly? Where are your ostentation and your luxury? They were leaves – winter seized them and they are all withered up. They were a dream – and when day came, the dream departed. They were a shadow – the truth came and the shadow fled away …
When we hear, let us be afraid, my beloved, lest we also see the poor and pass them by, lest instead of Lazarus there be many to accuse us hereafter.”
One Minute Reflection – 29 September – Twenty Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 16:19–31 and The Feast of Sts Michael, Gabriel and Raphael
The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus in his bosom. … Luke 16:22-23
REFLECTION – “Was that poor man welcomed by the angels solely on account of his poverty? And the rich man, was he delivered up to torment by fault of his wealth alone? No. Let us clearly understand that it was humility that was honoured in the poor man and pride condemned in the rich.
This is the proof, briefly, that it was not his wealth but his pride for which the rich man deserved his punishment. So then, the poor man was carried into the bosom of Abraham, yet Scripture says of Abraham that he had much gold and silver and was rich on earth (Gn 13:2). If every rich man is sent into torment, how is it that Abraham could precede the poor man so as to welcome him into his bosom? It was because, in the midst of his wealth, Abraham was poor, humble, respectful and obedient to all God’s commands. He held his riches in so little esteem that, when God asked it of him, he consented to offer in sacrifice the son for whom these riches were destined (Gn 22:4).
Learn to be poor and needy, then, whether you possess something in this world or whether you don’t possess anything. Because we find beggars full of pride and rich people who confess their sins. “God resists the proud” whether they are covered with silk or with rags but “he gives grace to the humble” (Jas 4:6) whether or not, they have possessions in this world. God looks at what is within, it is there He assesses, there He examines.” … Saint Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor of the Church – Discourses on the psalms, Ps 85 [86]; CCL 39, 1178
PRAYER – Dear and Holy God, let us offer You all our daily struggles against sin and evil. Grant us the strength to resist all forms of idolatry, to seek only You and never to allow the material goods of this world to seduce us . Sustain us ever more with Your word and help us to find in it, the source of life. Grant that the angels who always minister to You in heaven may defend us during our life on earth and protect us from evil. Grant this, through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, in union with the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen
One Minute Reflection – 28 September – Saturday of the Twenty-fifth week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 9:43–45 and the Memorial of St Lorenzo Ruiz (1600-1637) Martyr
“Let these words sink into your ears, for the Son of man is to be delivered into the hands of men.” But they did not understand this saying and it was concealed from them ... Luke 9:44-45
REFLECTION – “Of all Christ’s miracles and mighty acts, it is this one that far exceeds the limits of human wonder. It goes far beyond the weak power of the human mind to perceive or comprehend, how it is supposed to believe, that the divine majesty, that very Word of the Father (Jn 1:1) and Wisdom of God in which “all things were created, visible and invisible” (cf. Col 1:15), was held within the confines of the man who appeared in Judaea and, even more, that the Wisdom of God entered into the womb of a woman and was born a baby, who cried and wailed just like all little babies. And it is further reported that He suffered the anguish of death, as He Himself admitted by saying: “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death” (Mt 26:38 par) and in the end, He was led to that death which is reputed to be the most shameful among men, even though he did rise again on the third day…
To present this to human ears and explain it in words far surpasses our poor merits… Indeed the explanation of this mystery is probably beyond the grasp even of the whole creation of heavenly powers.” … Origen (c 185-253) Priest, Theologian, Father – Treatise on First Principles
PRAYER – Holy God, help me to amend my life constantly and be sincerely converted to You. Let me seek Your interests rather than my own and be ever more closely united with You. Send Your Spirit of understanding to enkindle our minds but most of all, fill us with Your grace of faith, that whether we understand or not, our love and obedience, is our only guide. St Lorenzo Ruiz, you obeyed to death for Christ, your beloved, please pray for us. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for all eternity, amen.
Quote/s of the Day – 24 September – Tuesday of the Twenty-fifth week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 8:19-21
But he said to them, “My mother and my brethren, are those, who hear the word of God and do it.”
Luke 8:21
“We recognise a tree by its fruit and we ought to be able to recognise a Christian by his action. The fruit of faith should be evident in our lives, for being a Christian is more than making sound professions of faith. It should reveal itself in practical and visible ways. Indeed it is better to keep quiet about our beliefs and live them out, than to talk eloquently about what we believe but fail to live by it.”
“A Christian is not his own master, since all his time belongs to God.”
St Ignatius of Antioch (c 35-c 108) Martyr
Father of the Church
“Look upon the face of the Crucified, who invites you to follow Him. He will be a Father, Mother– everything to you.”
One Minute Reflection – 22 September – Twenty Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 16:1–13 and the Memorial of St Ignatius of Santhia OFM Cap (1686-1770)
“You cannot serve God and mammon.” … Luke 16:13
REFLECTION – “A servant cannot serve two masters.” Not that there are two, there is only one Master. For even if there are some people who serve money, it has no inherent right to be a master, they themselves are the ones, who assume the yoke of this slavery. In fact, money has no rightful authority but constitutes an unjust bondage. That is why Jesus says: “Make friends for yourselves with deceitful money” so that by generosity to the poor we will win the favour of angels and saints.
The steward is not blamed. By this we learn that we are not masters but rather stewards of other people’s wealth. He was praised even though he was in the wrong because, in paying out to others in his master’s name he won support for himself. And how rightly Jesus spoke of “deceitful wealth” because love of money so tempts our desires with its various seductions that we consent to become its slaves. That is why He said: “If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another, who will give you what is yours?” Riches are alien to us because they exist outside of our nature, they are not born with us, they do not follow us in death. But Christ, to the contrary, belongs to us because He is life… So don’t let us become slaves of exterior goods because Christ is the only one we should acknowledge as our Lord.” … Saint Ambrose (340-397) – Bishop of Milan, Father and Doctor of the Church – Commentary on Saint Luke’s Gospel, 7, 244s SC 52
PRAYER – All-powerful, eternal God, splendour of true light and never-ending day, turn our ears and hearts to Your Word, that we may hear and live by the seed You have sown. May all that grows in us, be of Your good seed and yield fruit a hundredfold. Grant Lord, we pray, that by the prayers of St Ignatius of Santhia, we may be filled with courage and love and spread Your Word by our lives. We make our prayer through Jesus, our Lord and Word, with the Holy Spirit, one God with You, forever, amen.
Quote/s of the Day – 21 September – The Feast of St Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist- Today’s Gospel: Matthew 9:9–13
“Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
Matthew 9:11b
“Our Lord chose Matthew, the tax collector, to encourage his fellows to join Him. He looked on sinners, called them and brought them to sit beside Him. What a wonderful sight! Angels stand trembling while publicans, seated, rejoice. The angels are struck with awe before the Lord’s greatness while sinners eat and drink with Him. The scribes choke with hatred and indignation, the publicans rejoice because of His mercy. The heavens saw the sight and were filled with wonder, hell saw it and was maddened. Satan saw it and was enraged, death saw it and withered, the scribes saw it and were much troubled.”
St Ephrem (306-373) Father & Doctor of the Church
Commentary on the Gospel, or Diatessaron, 5, 17 (SC 121, p.115 rev.)
“The good news of the Gospel consists precisely in this – offering God’s grace to the sinner!”
“The Gospel of Matthew written in Hebrew or Aramaic is no longer extant but in the Greek Gospel that we possess, we still continue to hear, in a certain way, the persuasive voice of the publican Matthew, who, having become an Apostle, continues to proclaim God’s saving mercy to us. And let us listen to St Matthew’s message, meditating upon it ever anew, also to learn to stand up and follow Jesus with determination.”
One Minute Reflection – 21 September – The Feast of St Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist- Today’s Gospel: Matthew 9:9–13
“Follow me”.. Matthew 9:9
REFLECTIONS – “Jesus saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax office and he said to him: “Follow me.” He looked at him not with the eyes of the body but rather with the eye of interior pity. He saw a tax collector, and since He looked at him in pity and choosing him as a disciple, He said: “Follow me.” ‘Follow’ meant ‘imitate’ – not by the movement of his feet but rather by a change of life. For whoever says he is following Christ “ought himself to walk as Christ walked” (cf 1Jn ).
“Matthew rose and followed him.” It is not to be wondered at that the tax collector should leave the earthly gains he was looking after at the first command of the Lord and that, abandoning riches, he should join the company of Him who, he saw, had no wealth. For the Lord, who outwardly called him with words, through a hidden instinct secretly taught him to follow Him. By the gift of divine grace the Lord enlightened his mind to understand that He who on earth called him away from temporal interests, could in heaven give incorruptible treasures (cf Mt 6,20).
“And as Jesus sat at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples.” The conversion of one tax collector provided an example of penance and forgiveness to many tax collectors and sinners. In a wonderful and true sign of the future, he who was to become the apostle and teacher of the gentiles, brought with him to salvation, a multitude of sinners in the first moments of his conversion!” ... Saint Bede the Venerable (673-735) Father & Doctor of the Church – Homilies on the gospels I, 21 ; CCL 122, 149
PRAYER – Lord, You showed Your great mercy to Matthew the tax-gatherer by calling him to become Your Apostle. Supported by his prayer and example, may we always answer Your call and live in close union with You. We make our prayer, in union with God our Father and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. St Matthew, Apostle of Christ, pray for us, amen.
One Minute Reflection – 18 September – Wednesday of the Twenty Fourth week in Ordinary Tim, Year C, Gospel: Luke 7:31–35 and the Memorial of St Joseph of Cupertino (1603-1663)
“To what then shall I compare the men of this generation and what are they like? “…Luke 7:31
REFLECTION – “How long are we going to put off obeying Christ, who calls us into His heavenly Kingdom? Aren’t we going to purify ourselves? Won’t we resolve to forsake our customary way of life to follow the Gospel radically?… We claim to want the Kingdom of God yet without bothering to concern ourselves with the means of obtaining it.
What is more, in the conceitedness of our souls, without taking the least trouble to obey the Lord’s commandments, we think ourselves worthy to receive the same reward as those who have resisted sin to the death! But how could anyone sit and sleep at home during the time of sowing and then gather sheaves by the armful at harvest? Who has ever brought in the grapes without having planted and tended the vine? Fruit is for those who have toil, rewards and crowns for those who have conquered. Has anyone ever crowned an athlete who did not even strip to fight his opponent? And yet, not only must we win but we must also “fight according to the rules”, as the apostle Paul says, that is to say according to the commandments we have been given…
God is good but He is also just… “The Lord loves justice and right” (Ps 32:5), that is why, “of kindness and judgement I will sing” (Ps 100:1)… See how wisely the Lord exercises kindness. He is not gracious without consideration, nor does He judge without mercy for, “gracious is the Lord and just” (Ps 115:5). So don’t underestimate God – His love for men should not become a pretext for negligence on our part.” … St Basil the Great (329-379) Father & Doctor of the Church – Longer monastic Rules, prologue
PRAYER – Heavenly Father, help me to be holy in the way that You have laid out for me. Let me carry out my duties of my state of life to the full and grant me the grace to carry my crosses in honour of You. Only in You may I attain holiness, learning to give myself, my will, my heart and my soul only to You. St Joseph of Cupertino, you who were so disadvantaged, achieved by the grace of God, sanctity in this life and now behold His Face through all eternity. We ask for your intercession, through our Lord Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 18 September – Wednesday of the Twenty Fourth week in Ordinary Time, Year C
Steer the Ship of My Life, Lord By St Basil the Great (329-379) Father & Doctor of the Church
Steer the ship of my life, Lord,
to Your quiet harbour,
where I can be safe from
the storms of sin and conflict.
Show me the course I should take.
Renew in me the gift of discernment,
so that I can see the right direction
in which I should go.
And give me the strength
and the courage
to choose the right course,
even when the sea is rough
and the waves are high,
knowing that through enduring
hardship and danger in Your name
we shall find comfort and peace.
Amen
AnaStpaul 
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