Saint of the Day – 20 November – Blessed Maria Fortunata Viti OSB (1827-1922) Benedicitine Religious, Apostle of Eucharistic Adoration and of Prayer, the gift of prophesy and miracles – born on 10 February 1827 in Veroli, Frosinone, Italy as Anna Felicia Viti and died on 20 November 1922 in Veroli, Frosinone, Italy of natural causes. Patronages – against poverty, of the poor, against temptations, loss of parents, against mental illness and the mentally ill.
Anna Felicia Viti was born in Veroli, in Italy’s Province of Frosinone, on 10 February 1827. Her father was Luigi Viti, a landowner who was a gambling addict and a heavy drinker and her mother Anna, died when Maria was fourteen years old. The third eldest of nine children, Maria was burdened with the responsibility of raising the other children. In order to support her family, she worked as a housekeeper. Her father’s alcoholism grew worse and so Maria’s employment constituted the majority of the family’s income. For a while, she was wooed by a young man from Alatri but she decided to enter religious life instead.
Maria joined the Benedictines at the Monastery of San Maria de’Franconi in Veroli on 21 March 1851, at the age of 24. After her religious profession, she took the name Maria Fortunata.
She never went to school and remained illiterate and although she spent more than 70 years in the Convent, she never progressed beyond the office of housekeeper and there she grew in the vital spiritual virtue of humility. During her long life, she knew nothing but assiduous work and constant prayer. She invoked the Lord with such passion and devotion it would edify her fellow Sisters. Admiring the beauties of nature she would be in the habit of often exclaiming: “The Love and the Power of God!” which remained her favourite expression. She dedicated her prayers and sacrifices in particular for the needy, for derelicts and for the redemption of sinners.
Blessed Maria confided to her fellow Sisters, that the devil bothered her both day and night mocking her and hitting her in order to try her patience and humility. Her confessor, Father John Pasqualiti, wrote: “With tears in her eyes, Sister Fortunata confided to me that the devil insulted her with the most vile and crude expressions. Often he threatened and made life difficult for her but she never despaired. These insults became all the more frequent when the Saint was near her death. Many of these disturbances were also heard and witnessed by her fellow Sisters.” – Apparitions of Angels & Demons.
She died a holy death on 20 of November 1922. She was a wonderful example of humility.
After Sister Maria’s death, miracles were reported at her grave site. Also, reports of miracles were attested to during her lifetime, including certain episodes that proved her gift of prophecy. According to one story, she began to cry during Mass, because she had seen that the celebrating priest would leave his calling and she was filled with sorrow for him. She also predicted that another priest would leave the priesthood but that he would repent and come back. In addition, two women who had been healed of meningitis in their childhood attributed their cures to her prayers.
In 1935, her remains were transferred from a mass grave to the Abbey Church and the process of her Canonisation was begun. Sister Maria Fortunata was declared Venerable on 8 April 1964 by St Pope Paul VI and Beatified on 8 October 1967 by the same Pope.
St Agapius of Caesarea
Bl Ambrose of Camaldoli
St Ampelus of Messina
St Anatolius of Nicea
St Apothemius of Angers
St Autbodus of Valcourt
St Basil of Antioch
St Bernerio of Eboli
St Crispin of Ecija
St Dasius of Dorostorum
St Dorus of Benevento
St Edmund of East Anglia
St Eudo of Carméry
St Eustachius of Nicea
St Eval of Cornwall
St Felix of Valois
St Francis Xavier Can Nguyen
St Francisca Desamparados Honorata Lloret Martí
St Gaius of Messina
St Gregory Decapolites
St Hippolytus of Belley
St Humbert of Elmham
St Leo of Nonantula Bl Maria Fortunata Viti OSB (1827-1922)
St Maxentia of Beauvais
St Milagros Ortells Gimeno
St Nerses of Sahgerd and Companions
St Simplicius of Verona
St Sylvester of Châlons-sur-Saône
St Thespesius of Nicea
St Teonesto of Vercelli
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Martyred Sisters of the Christian Doctrine – 17 beati: A group of 17 religious sisters, members all of the Sisters of the Christian Doctrine, who were martyred in two different incidents in 1936 during the anti-Catholic persecutions of the Spanish Civil War.
They were Beatified on 1 October 1995 by St Pope John Paul II.
Martyrs of Antioch – 3 saints: Group of three Christians executed together for their faith. No details have survived except their names – Basil, Dionysius and Rusticus. They were martyred in Antioch (Antakya, Turkey).
Martyrs of Heraclea – 3 saints: A group of 43 Christians martyred together. The only details about them to survive are three of their names – Agapitus, Bassus and Dionysius. They were martyred in Heraclea, Thrace.
Martyrs of Turin – 3 saints: Three Christian martyrs whose original stories were lost, and somehow came to be associated with the Theban Legion. They are – Adventor, Octavius and Solutor. They were beheaded in 297 in Turin, Italy. Patronage – Turin, Italy.
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War:
Thousands of people were murdered in the anti-Catholic persecutions of the Spanish Civil War from 1934 to 1939.
• Blessed Ascensión Duart Roig
• Blessed Aurea Navarro
• Blessed Catalina Calpe Ibáñez
• Blessed Emilia Martí Lacal
• Blessed Francisca Desamparados Honorata Lloret Martí
• Blessed Gertrudis Rita Florència Surís Brusola
• Blessed Isabel Ferrer Sabrià
• Blessed Josefa Pascual Pallardó
• Blessed Josefa Romero Clariana
• Blessed Josepa Mongoche Homs
• Blessed María Antonia del Sufragio Orts Baldó
• Blessed Maria Dolors Llimona Planas
• Blessed María Isabel López García
• Blessed María Purificación Gómez Vives
• Blessed Milagros Ortells Gimeno
• Blessed Paula de San Antonio
• Blessed Teresa Jiménez Baldoví
• Blessed Teresa Rosat Balasch
Thought for the Day – 19 November – The Memorial of St Matilda/Mechtilde of Hackeborn (c 1241-1298)
Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Matilda and Gertrude of Helfta/the Great, became ardent devotees and promoters of Jesus’ heart after it was the subject of many of their visions. The idea of hearing the heartbeat of God was very important to medieval saints, who nurtured devotion to the Sacred Heart. Women such as Saint Matilda and Saint Gertrude perceived Jesus’ heart as the breast of a mother. Just as a mother gives milk to nourish her child, so Jesus in the Eucharist gives us His life blood.
In one vision, Mechtilde reported that Jesus said, “In the morning let your first act be to greet My Heart and to offer Me your own. Whoever, breathes a sigh toward Me, draws Me to himself.”
One of the visions recounted by Mechtilde states that Jesus having appeared to her, commanded her to love Him ardently and to honour His Sacred Heart in the Blessed Sacrament as much as possible. He gave her His Sacred Heart as a pledge of His love, as a place of refuge during her life and as her consolation at the hour of her death. From this time Mechtilde had an extraordinary devotion to the Sacred Heart and she received such great graces from It, that she was accustomed to say, that if she had to write down all the favours and all the blessings which she had received by means of this devotion, a large book would not contain them.
In another, Jesus Himself recommended the Gospel. Opening to her, the wound of His most gentle heart, He said to her: “Consider how great is my love – if you want to know it well, you will not find it expressed more clearly anywhere, than in the Gospel. No-one has ever expressed stronger or more tender feelings than these – As my Father has loved me, so have I loved you (John 15:9)”.
Her accounts of these visions were later compiled in the Liber Specialis Gratiae – The Book of Special Grace.
Quote of the Day – 19 November – Tuesday of the Thirty Third Week of Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 19:1–10 and the Memorial of St Matilda/Mechtilde of Hackeborn (c 1241-1298)
Devotion of the Three Hail Marys
St Matilda of Hackeborn was distressed over her eternal salvation and prayed that the Most Holy Virgin would assist her at the hour of death.
The Blessed Virgin appeared to her and reassured her, saying:
“Yes, I will! But I wish, for your part, that you recite three Hail Marys everyday, remembering, in the first, the power received from the Eternal Father, in the second, the wisdom received from the Son, with the third one, the love that has filled the Holy Spirit”.
The Blessed Virgin taught her to pray and to understand especially, how the Three Hail Mary’s, honour, the three persons of the Bles
One Minute Reflection – – 19 November – Tuesday of the Thirty Third Week of Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 19:1–10 and the Memorial of St Matilda of Hackeborn (c 1241-1298)
“Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” … Luke 19:6
REFLECTION – “Celine, what a mystery is our grandeur in Jesus. This is all that Jesus has shown us in making us climb the symbolic tree about which I was just talking to you. And now, what science is He about to teach us? Has He not taught us all? Let us listen to what He is saying to us: “Make haste to descend, I must lodge today at your house.” Well, Jesus tells us to descend. Where, then, must we descend? Celine you know better than I, however, let me tell you where we must now follow Jesus. In days gone by, the Jews asked our divine Saviour: “Master, where do you live?” And He answered: “The foxes have their lairs, the birds of heaven their nests, but I have no place to rest my head.” This is where we must descend in order that we may serve as an abode for Jesus. To be so poor that we do not have a place to rest our head. This is, dear Celine, what Jesus has done in my soul during my retreat. You understand, there is question here of the interior. (…)
What Jesus desires is that we receive Him into our hearts. No doubt, they are already empty of creatures but, alas, I feel mine is not entirely empty of myself and it is for this reason that Jesus tells me to descend. He, the King of kings, humbled Himself in such a way that His face was hidden and no one recognised Him and I, too, want to hide my face, I want my Beloved alone to see it, that He be the only one to count my tears, that in my heart at least He may rest His dear head and feel that there, He is known and understood!” … St Thérèse of the Child Jesus (1873-1897) Doctor of the Church
PRAYER – Look with favour on our prayer Lord and in Your saving love, may your light so penetrate the hidden places of our hearts, that we may become like You, pure and humble of heart. May no sordid desires darken our minds and may we be renewed and enlightened as we receive Your heavenly grace. Grant that the intercession of St Matilda of Hackeborn lead us to a new way of remorse and repentance as we learn from You, our Saviour. Through Christ, our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever, amen.
Saint of the Day – 19 November – Saint Mechtilde of Hackeborn (c 1241-1298) Benedictine Nun, Mystic, Teacher, Spiritual adviser, called “God’s nightingale” – also known as Saint Matilda of Hackeborn and of Helfta, sister of St Gertrude the Great – born in c 1241 at her family’s castle of Helfta near Eisleben, Saxony, Germany and died on 19 November 1298 at Helfta monastery of natural causes. Patronages – against blindness (one well-known miracle was healing the blindness of a nun).
Saint Mechtilde of Hackeborn’s life by Pope Benedict XVI
Catechesis given at his General Audience on 29 September 2010
Today I want to talk to you about St Matilda of Hackeborn, one of the great figures of the convent of Helfta, who lived in the 13th century. Her sister, St Gertrude the Great, tells of the special graces that God granted to St Matilda in the sixth book of Liber Specialis Gratiae (Book of Special Grace), which states : “What we have written is very little in comparison with what we have omitted. We are publishing these things solely for the glory of God and the usefulness of our neighbour, for it would seem wrong to us to keep quiet about the many graces that Matilda received from God, not so much for herself, in our opinion but for us and for those who will come after us” (Mechthild von Hackeborn, Liber specialis gratiae, vi, 1).
This work was written by St Gertrude and by another sister of Helfta and has a unique story. At the age of 50, Matilda went through a grave spiritual crisis, as well as physical suffering. In this condition, she confided to two of her sisters, who were friends, the special graces with which God had guided her since childhood. However, she did not know that they were writing it all down. When she found out she was deeply upset and distressed. However, the Lord reassured her, making her realise that all that had been written was for the glory of God and for the benefit of her neighbour (cf. ibid., II, 25; V, 20). This work, therefore, is the principal source to refer to, for information on the life and spirituality of our Saint.
With her, we are introduced into the family of Baron von Hackeborn, one of the noblest, richest and most powerful barons of Thuringia, related to the Emperor Frederick II, and we enter the convent of Helfta in the most glorious period of its history. The Baron had already given one daughter to the convent, Gertrude of Hackeborn (1231/1232 – 1291/1292). She was gifted with an outstanding personality. She was Abbess for 40 years, capable of giving the spirituality of the convent a particular hallmark and of bringing it to an extraordinary flourishing as the centre of mysticism and culture, a school for scientific and theological training. Gertrude offered the nuns an intellectual training of a high standard that enabled them to cultivate a spirituality founded on Sacred Scripture, on the Liturgy, on the Patristic tradition, on the Cistercian Rule and spirituality, with a particular love for St Bernard of Clairvaux and William of Saint-Thierry. She was a real teacher, exemplary in all things, in evangelical radicalism and in apostolic zeal. Matilda, from childhood, accepted and enjoyed the spiritual and cultural atmosphere created by her sister, later giving it her own personal hallmark.
Matilda was born in 1241 or 1242 in the Castle of Helfta. She was the Baron’s third daughter. When she was seven she went with her mother to visit her sister Gertrude in the convent of Rodersdorf. She was so enchanted by this environment that she ardently desired to belong to it. She entered as a schoolgirl and in 1258 became a nun at the convent, which in the meantime had moved to Helfta, to the property of the Hackeborns. She was distinguished by her humility, her fervour, her friendliness, the clarity and the innocence of her life and by the familiarity and intensity with which she lived her relationship with God, the Virgin and the Saints. She was endowed with lofty natural and spiritual qualities such as knowledge, intelligence, familiarity with the humanities and a marvellously sweet voice – everything suited her, to being a true treasure for the convent from every point of view (ibid, Proem.). Thus when “God’s nightingale”, as she was called, was still very young she became the principal of the convent’s school, choir mistress and novice mistress, offices that she fulfilled with talent and unflagging zeal, not only for the benefit of the nuns but for anyone who wanted to draw on her wisdom and goodness.
Illumined by the divine gift of mystic contemplation, Matilda wrote many prayers. She was a teacher of faithful doctrine and deep humility, a counsellor, comforter and guide in discernment. We read: “she distributed doctrine in an abundance never previously seen at the convent and alas, we are rather afraid that nothing like it will ever be seen again. The sisters would cluster round her to hear the word of God, as if she were a preacher. She was the refuge and consoler of all and, by a unique gift of God, was endowed with the grace of being able to reveal freely the secrets of the heart of each one. “Many people, not only in the convent but also outsiders, religious and lay people, who came from afar, testified that this holy virgin had freed them from their afflictions and that they had never known such comfort as they found near her. “Furthermore, she composed and taught so many prayers that if they were gathered together they would make a book larger than a Psalter” (ibid., VI, 1).
In 1261 a five year old girl came to the convent. Her name was Gertrude – She was entrusted to the care of Matilda, just 20 years of age, who taught her and guided her in the spiritual life until she not only made her into an excellent disciple but also her confidant. In 1271 or 1272, Matilda of Magdeburg also entered the convent. So it was that this place took in four great women two Gertrudes and two Matildas, the glory of German monasticism.
St Matilda instructing the novice, St Gertrude
During her long life which she spent in the convent, Matilda was afflicted with continuous and intense bouts of suffering, to which she added the very harsh penances chosen for the conversion of sinners. In this manner she participated in the Lord’s Passion until the end of her life (cf. ibid., VI, 2). Prayer and contemplation were the life-giving humus of her existence – her revelations, her teachings, her service to her neighbour, her journey in faith and in love have their root and their context here. In the first book of the work, Liber Specialis Gratiae, the nuns wrote down Matilda’s confidences pronounced on the Feasts of the Lord, the Saints and, especially, of the Blessed Virgin. This Saint had a striking capacity for living the various elements of the Liturgy, even the simplest and bringing it into the daily life of the convent. Some of her images, expressions and applications are at times distant from our sensibility toda, but, if we were to consider monastic life and her task as mistress and choir mistress, we should grasp her rare ability as a teacher and educator who, starting from the Liturgy, helped her sisters to live intensely every moment of monastic life.
Matilda gave an emphasis in liturgical prayer to the canonical hours, to the celebrations of Holy Mass and, especially, to Holy Communion. Here she was often rapt in ecstasy in profound intimacy with the Lord in His most ardent and sweetest Heart, carrying on a marvellous conversation in which she asked for inner illumination, while interceding in a special way for her community and her sisters. At the centre, are the mysteries of Christ which the Virgin Mary constantly recommends to people, so that they may walk on the path of holiness: “If you want true holiness, be close to my Son, He is holiness itself that sanctifies all things” (ibid., I, 40). The whole world, the Church, benefactors and sinners were present in her intimacy with God. For her, Heaven and earth were united.
Her visions, her teachings, the events of her life are described in words reminiscent of liturgical and biblical language. In this way it is possible to comprehend her deep knowledge of Sacred Scripture, which was her daily bread. She had constant recourse to the Scriptures, making the most of the biblical texts read in the Liturgy and drawing from them symbols, terms, countryside, images and famous figures. She had a special love for the Gospel – “The words of the Gospel were a marvellous nourishment for her and in her heart stirred feelings of such sweetness that, because of her enthusiasm, she was often unable to finish reading it….” The way in which she read those words was so fervent that it inspired devotion in everyone. “Thus when she was singing in the choir, she was completely absorbed in God, uplifted by such ardour that she sometimes expressed her feelings in gestures….”“On other occasions, since she was rapt in ecstasy, she did not hear those who were calling or touching her and came back with difficulty to the reality of the things around her” (ibid., VI, 1). In one of her visions, Jesus Himself recommended the Gospel to her; opening the wound in His most gentle Heart, He said to her: “consider the immensity of My love: if you want to know it well, nowhere will you find it more clearly expressed than in the Gospel. No one has ever heard expressed stronger or more tender sentiments than these: “As my father has loved me, so I have loved you (Jn 15: 9)'” (ibid., I, 22).
Dear friends, personal and liturgical prayer, especially the Liturgy of the Hours and Holy Mass are at the root of St Matilda of Hackeborn’s spiritual experience. In letting herself be guided by Sacred Scripture and nourished by the Bread of the Eucharist, she followed a path of close union with the Lord, ever in full fidelity to the Church. This is also a strong invitation to us to intensify our friendship with the Lord, especially through daily prayer and attentive, faithful and active participation in Holy Mass. The Liturgy is a great school of spirituality.
Her disciple, Gertrude, gives a vivid pictures of St Mechtilde of Hackeborn’s last moments. They were very difficult but illumined by the presence of the Blessed Trinity, of the Lord, of the Virgin Mary and of all the Saints, even Gertrude’s sister by blood. When the time came in which the Lord chose to gather her to Him, she asked Him let her live longer in suffering for the salvation of souls and Jesus was pleased with this further sign of her love.
Mechtilde was 58 years old. The last leg of her journey was marked by eight years of serious illness. Her work and the fame of her holiness spread far and wide. When her time came, “the God of majesty… the one delight of the soul that loves Him… sang to her: Venite vos, benedicti Patris mei…. Venite, o voi che siete i benedetti dal Padre mio, venite a ricevere il regno – Come, you who are blessed by my Father, come and receive the kingdom… and He united her with His glory” (ibid., VI, 8).
May St Mechtilde of Hackeborn commend us to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and to the Virgin Mary. She invites us to praise the Son with the Heart of the Mother and to praise Mary with the Heart of the Son: “I greet you, O most deeply venerated Virgin, in that sweetest of dews which from the Heart of the Blessed Trinity spread within you. I greet you in the glory and joy in which you now rejoice forever, you who were chosen in preference to all the creatures of the earth and of Heaven even before the world’s creation! Amen” (ibid., I, 45).
Our Lady of Divine Providence: The title of “Mary, Mother of Divine Providence” is often traced to her intervention at the wedding in Cana. Christ’s first public miracle was occasioned in part by the intercession of his mother. She helped through her foresight and concern to avoid an embarrassing situation for the newlywed couple. Our Lady of Providence is sometimes also identified as Queen of the Home.
Devotion to Our Lady of Divine Providence originated in Italy and spread to France and Spain. The devotion was brought to Puerto Rico in the early 1850s by the Servite Fathers. According to tradition, Philip Benizi (1233 – 1285) prayed to Mary for help in providing food for his friars and subsequently found several baskets of provisions left at the door of the convent. Our Lady of Providence was declared the patroness of Puerto Rico by Pope Paul VI on 19 November 1969. Her feast day is celebrated in many immigrant Puerto Rican communities.
Around 1580, the Italian painter Scipione Pulzone created a work titled “Mater Divinae Providentiae,” which depicted the Blessed Mother cradling the Infant Jesus. Devotion to Mary, Mother of Divine Providence in the first house of the Congregation of the Clerics Regular of St Paul (Barnabites) in Rome at San Carlo ai Catinari church began around year 1611, when one of the clerics travelled to Loreto to pray for assistance in finding the financial resources to complete the Church of San Carlo. Upon his return, they received the necessary assistance and the Barnabites began to promote devotion to Our Lady of Providence.
Pulzone’s painting was given to the Barnabites in 1663. It was placed on the altar of a chapel on the first floor of the Saint Charles rectory behind the main altar. In 1732, a copy of the painting was placed in a location adjacent to the main altar of the church of San Carlo ai Catinari in Rome, where it drew many faithful visitors.
In 1774, Pope Benedict XIV authorised the Confraternity of Our Lady of Providence, a lay organisation created for the purpose of promoting special works of Christian charity or piety. Pope Gregory XVI elevated it to an Archconfraternity in 1839. In 1888, Pope Leo XIII ordered the solemn crowning of the “Miraculous Lady” and approved the Mass and Office of Mary, Mother of Divine Providence. On 5 August 1896, Superior General of the Barnabites, Father Benedict Nisser decreed that every Barnabite have a copy of the painting in their home.
Patronage:
Our Lady of Providence is the patroness of the Barnabite Order.
Our Lady of Providence is the patroness of Indiana and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island. The chapel of Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester, Massachusetts is dedicated to Our Lady of Providence.
Our Lady of Divine Providence is the patroness of St Benedict’s Abbey in Atchison, Kansas.
Our Lady of Divine Providence is also the patroness of the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico.
Bl Alexandre Planas Saurí
St Atto of Tordino
St Azas of Isauria
St Barlaam of Antioch
St Ebbe of Minster-of-Thanet
Bl Eliseo García y García
Bl James Benefatti
St James of Sasseau
St Maximus of Caesarea
St Maximus of Rome St Matilda or Mechtilde of Hackeborn (c 1241-1298)
St Medana
St Nerses the Great
Obadiah the Prophet
St Pope Pontian St Raphael Kalinowski, OCD (1835-1907) Biography:
Thought for the Day – 18 November – The Memorial of Saint Odo of Cluny (c 880–942) Monk and Abbot
In the following passage, John of Salerno, Odo’s biographer, says he combined the power of his position as Abbot, with wry humour, to compel members of his entourage to behave charitably:
“The blind and the lame, Odo said, would be the doorkeepers of heaven. Therefore, no- one ought to drive them away from his house, so that in the future, they should not shut the doors of heaven against him. So if one of our servants, not being able to put up with their shameless begging, replied sharply to them or denied them access to the door of our tent, Odo at once rebuked him with threats. Then, in the servant’s presence, he used to call the poor man and command him, saying: “When this man comes to the gate of heaven, pay him back in the same way.” He said this to frighten the servants, so that they should not act in this way again, and that he might teach them to love charity.”
Perhaps Odo’s notion was not fictitious—that the poor we refuse or people we snub, will be our greeters after death.
Imagine that the person meeting us at heaven’s gate, will be the person we have offended most, now empowered to welcome or to reject us.
That thought, should make us hurry to be reconciled, with anyone we have hurt!
Let us run in haste and follow Odo’s bidding!
Quote/s of the Day – 18 November – The Memorial of Saint Odo of Cluny (c 880–942) Monk and Abbot
“My Lady, Mother of Mercy, who on this night gave birth to the Saviour, pray for me. May your glorious and unique experience of childbirth, O Most Devout Mother, be my refuge.”
“Jesus took upon Himself the scourging, that would have been our due, in order to save the creature, He formed and loves.”
“]This is the] sacrosanct mystery of the Lord’s Body, in whom the whole salvation of the world consists.”
Saint of the Day – 18 November – Saint Odo of Cluny (c 880–942) Monk and Abbot, Reformer – born in c 880 at Le Mans, France and died on 18 November 942 in Tours, France of natural causes while travelling to Rome, Italy. Patronage – for rain. He was buried in the church of Saint Julian but most of his relics were burned by Huguenots during the French Revolution.
St Odo’s life by Pope Benedict XVI
Catechesis given at his General Audience
on Wednesday, 2 September 2009
“Today, I present to you, the luminous figure of St Odo, Abbot of Cluny. He fits into that period of medieval monasticism which saw the surprising success in Europe of the life and spirituality inspired by the Rule of St Benedict. In those centuries, there was a wonderful increase in the number of cloisters that sprang up and branched out over the continent, spreading the Christian spirit and sensibility far and wide. St Odo takes us back in particular to Cluny, one of the most illustrious and famous monasteries in the Middle Ages, that still today, reveals to us, through its majestic ruins, the signs of a past rendered glorious by intense dedication to ascesis, study and, in a special way, to divine worship, endowed with decorum and beauty.
Ruins of Cluny
Odo was the second Abbot of Cluny. He was born in about 880, on the boundary between the Maine and the Touraine regions of France. Odo’s father consecrated him to the holy Bishop St Martin of Tours, in whose beneficent shadow and memory he was to spend his entire life, which he ended close to St Martin’s tomb. His choice of religious consecration was preceded by the inner experience of a special moment of grace, of which he himself spoke to another monk, John the Italian, who later became his biographer. Odo was still an adolescent, about 16 years old, when one Christmas Eve he felt this prayer to the Virgin rise spontaneously to his lips: “My Lady, Mother of Mercy, who on this night gave birth to the Saviour, pray for me. May your glorious and unique experience of childbirth, O Most Devout Mother, be my refuge” (Vita sancti Odonis, 1, 9: PL 133, 747). The name “Mother of Mercy”, with which young Odo then invoked the Virgin, was to be the title by which he always subsequently liked to address Mary. He also called her “the one Hope of the world … thanks to whom the gates of Heaven were opened to us” (In veneratione S. Mariae Magdalenae: PL 133, 721). At that time, Odo chanced to come across the Rule of St Benedict and to comment on it, “bearing, while not yet a monk, the light yoke of monks” (ibid., I, 14, PL 133, 50). In one of his sermons, Odo was to celebrate Benedict as the “lamp that shines in the dark period of life” (De sancto Benedicto abbate: PL 133, 725) and, to describe him as “a teacher of spiritual discipline” (ibid., PL 133, 727). He was to point out, with affection, that Christian piety, “with the liveliest gentleness commemorates him” in the knowledge that God raised him “among the supreme and elect Fathers of Holy Church” (ibid., PL 133, 722).
Fascinated by the Benedictine ideal, Odo left Tours and entered the Benedictine Abbey of Baume as a monk; he later moved to Cluny, of which in 927 he became abbot. From that centre of spiritual life, he was able to exercise a vast influence over the monasteries on the continent. Various monasteries or coenobiums were able to benefit from his guidance and reform, including that of St Paul Outside-the-Walls. More than once, Odo visited Rome and he even went as far as Subiaco, Monte Cassino and Salerno. He actually fell ill in Rome in the summer of 942. Feeling that he was nearing his end, he was determined and made every effort, to return to St Martin in Tours, where he died, in the Octave of the Saint’s feast, on 18 November 942. His biographer, stressing the “virtue of patience” that Odo possessed, gives a long list of his other virtues that include contempt of the world, zeal for souls and the commitment to peace in the Churches. Abbot Odo’s great aspirations were – concord between kings and princes, the observance of the commandments, attention to the poor, the correction of youth and respect for the elderly (cf. Vita sancti Odonis, I, 17: PL 133, 49).
He loved the cell in which he dwelled, “removed from the eyes of all, eager to please God alone”(ibid., I, 14: PL 133, 49). However, he did not fail also to exercise, as a “superabundant source”, the ministry of the word and to set an example, “regretting the immense wretchedness of this world” (ibid., I, 17: PL 133, 51). In a single monk, his biographer comments, were combined the different virtues that exist, which are found to be few and far between in other monasteries: “Jesus, in his goodness, drawing on the various gardens of monks, in a small space created a paradise, in order to water the hearts of the faithful from its fountains” (ibid., I, 14: PL 133,49). In a passage from a sermon in honour of Mary of Magdala the Abbot of Cluny reveals to us how he conceived of monastic life: “Mary, who, seated at the Lord’s feet, listened attentively to his words, is the symbol of the sweetness of contemplative life; the more its savour is tasted, the more it induces the mind to be detached from visible things and the tumult of the world’s preoccupations” (In ven. S. Mariae Magd., PL 133, 717). Odo strengthened and developed this conception in his other writings. From them transpire his love for interiority, a vision of the world as a brittle, precarious reality from which to uproot oneself, a constant inclination to detachment from things felt to be sources of anxiety, an acute sensitivity to the presence of evil in the various types of people and a deep eschatological aspiration. This vision of the world may appear rather distant from our own; yet Odo’s conception of it, his perception of the fragility of the world, values an inner life that is open to the other, to the love of one’s neighbour and in this very way, transforms life and opens the world to God’s light.
The “devotion” to the Body and Blood of Christ which Odo in the face of a widespread neglect of them which he himself deeply deplored, always cultivated with conviction deserves special mention. Odo was in fact, firmly convinced of the Real Presence, under the Eucharistic species, of the Body and Blood of the Lord, by virtue of the conversion of the “substance” of the bread and the wine.
He wrote: “God, Creator of all things, took the bread, saying that this was His Body and that He would offer it for the world and He distributed the wine, calling it His Blood”; now, “it is a law of nature that the change should come about in accordance with the Creator’s command” and thus “nature immediately changes its usual condition – the bread instantly becomes flesh and the wine becomes blood”; at the Lord’s order, “the substance changes” (Odonis Abb. Cluniac. occupatio, ed. A. Swoboda, Leipzig 1900, p. 121). Unfortunately, our abbot notes, this “sacrosanct mystery of the Lord’s Body, in whom the whole salvation of the world consists”, (Collationes, XXVIII: PL 133, 572), is celebrated carelessly. “Priests”, he warns, “who approach the altar unworthily, stain the bread, that is, the Body of Christ” (ibid., PL 133, 572-573). Only those who are spiritually united to Christ may worthily participate in His Eucharistic Body – should the contrary be the case, to eat His Flesh and to drink His Blood would not be beneficial but rather a condemnation (cf. ibid., XXX, PL 133, 575). All this invites us to believe the truth of the Lord’s presence with new force and depth. The presence in our midst of the Creator, who gives Himself into our hands and transforms us as He transforms the bread and the wine, thus transforms the world.
St Odo was a true spiritual guide both for the monks and for the faithful of his time In the face of the “immensity of the vices widespread in society, the remedy he strongly advised was that of a radical change of life, based on humility, austerity, detachment from ephemeral things and adherence to those that are eternal” (cf. Collationes, XXX, PL 133, 613). In spite of the realism of his diagnosis on the situation of his time, Odo does not indulge in pessimism: “We do not say this”, he explains, “in order to plunge those who wish to convert into despair. Divine mercy is always available; it awaits the hour of our conversion”(ibid., PL 133, 563). And he exclaims: “O ineffable bowels of divine piety! God pursues wrongs and yet protects sinners” (ibid., PL 133, 592). Sustained by this conviction, the Abbot of Cluny used to like to pause to contemplate the mercy of Christ, the Saviour whom he describes evocatively as “a lover of men”: “amator hominum Christus” (ibid., LIII: PL 133, 637). He observes “Jesus took upon Himself, the scourging, that would have been our due, in order to save the creature he formed and loves” (cf. ibid., PL 133, 638).
Here, a trait of the holy abbot appears that at first sight is almost hidden beneath the rigour of his austerity as a reformer – his deep, heartfelt kindness. He was austere but above all he was good, a man of great goodness, a goodness that comes from contact with the divine goodness. Thus Odo, his peers tell us, spread around him his overflowing joy. His biographer testifies that he never heard “such mellifluous words” on human lips (ibid., I, 17: PL 133, 31). His biographer also records, that he was in the habit of asking the children he met along the way to sing and that he would then give them some small token and he adds: “Abbot Odo’s words were full of joy … his merriment instilled in our hearts deep joy” (ibid., II, 5: PL 133, 63). In this way, the energetic, yet at the same time lovable medieval abbot, enthusiastic about reform, with incisive action nourished in his monks, as well as in the lay faithful of his time, the resolution to progress swiftly on the path of Christian perfection.
Let us hope that his goodness, the joy that comes from faith, together with austerity and opposition to the world’s vices, may also move our hearts, so that we too may find the source of the joy that flows from God’s goodness. Amen”
Thank you Papa Eneritus!
A story holds, that once Odo was writing a glossary to the life of St Martin written by Postumianus and Gallus. The book, however, was left in a cellar which was flooded with water during a rainstorm at night. The place where the book lay, was covered by a torrent but, the next day, when the monks came down to the cellar, they found that only the margin of the book was soaked through but all of the writing was untouched. Odo then told the monks, ‘Why do you marvel oh brothers? Know you not, that the water feared to touch the life of the saint?’Then a monk replied, ‘But see, the book is old and moth-eaten and has so often been soaked that it is dirty and faint! Can our father then persuade us that the rain feared to touch a book which in the past has been soaked through? Nay, there is another reason.’ Odo then realised that they were suggesting it was preserved because he had written a glossary in it but he then quickly gave the glory to God and St Martin.
Dedication of the Basilicas of Peter and Paul (Optional Memorial): From the twelfth century the Dedications of the Vatican Basilica of St Peter and the Basilica of St Paul on the Via Ostiense, have been celebrated on this day, as the anniversary of their dedication by St Pope Silvester and St Pope Siricius in the fourth century. In more recent times, this feast has been extended to the whole Roman Rite. As the anniversary of the Dedication of the Basilica of St Mary Major (5 August) honours the motherhood of Our Lady, so this Feast honours the memory of the two Princes of the Apostles. About this Feast: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/11/18/feast-of-the-dedication-of-the-basilicas-of-sts-peter-and-paul-at-rome-18-november/
St Amandus of Lérins
Bl Andreas Murayama Tokuan
St Anselm of Lérins
St Augusto Cordero Fernández
St Barulas
St Constant
Bl Cosmas Takeya Sozaburo
Bl Domingos Jorge
St Emiliano Martínez de La Pera Alava
St Esteban Anuncibay Letona
Bl Ferdinando Santamaria
St Francisco Marco Alemán
St Germán García y García
Bl Guilminus
Bl Ioannes Yoshida Shoun
St José María Cánovas Martínez
Bl Karolina Kózkówna
St Keverne
Bl eonard Kimura
St Mawes
St Maximus of Mainz
St Modesto Sáez Manzanares
St Mummolus of Lagny
St Nazarius of Lérins
St Noah the Patriarch St Odo of Cluny (c 880–942)
St Oriculus
St Patroclus of Colombier
St Romfarius of Coutances
St Romano of Antioch
St Teofredo of Vellaicum
St Thomas of Antioch
St Vidal Luis Gómara
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Martyred Visitationists of Madrid:
• Blessed Amparo Hinojosa Naveros
• Blessed Augusto Cordero Fernández
• Blessed Carmen Barrera Izaguirre
• Blessed Emiliano Martínez de La Pera Alava
• Blessed Esteban Anuncibay Letona
• Blessed Francisco Marco Alemán
• Blessed Germán García y García
• Blessed Inés Zudaire Galdeano
• Blessed José María Cánovas Martínez
• Blessed Josefa Joaquina Lecuona Aramburu
• Blessed Laura Cavestany Anduaga
• Blessed Martina Olaizola Garagarza
• Blessed Modesto Sáez Manzanares
• Blessed Vidal Luis Gómara
Thought for the Day – 17 November – The Third World Day for the Poor and The Memorial of St Elizabeth of Hungary (1207-1231)
“The poor acquire genuine hope, not from seeing us gratified by giving them a few moments of our time but from recognising in our sacrifice, an act of gratuitous love, that seeks no reward.
I encourage you to seek, in every poor person whom you encounter, his or her true needs, not to stop at their most obvious material needs but to discover their inner goodness, paying heed to their background and their way of expressing themselves and in this way to initiate a true fraternal dialogue.
For once, let us set statistics aside – the poor are not statistics to cite when boasting of our works and projects. The poor are persons to be encountered, they are lonely, young and old, to be invited to our homes to share a meal; men women and children who look for a friendly word. The poor save us because they enable us to encounter the face of Jesus Christ.” … Pope Francis Third World Day of Poor Message (Excerpt)
“Elizabeth was a lifelong friend of the poor and gave herself entirely to relieving the hungry. She ordered that one of her castles should be converted into a hospital in which she gathered many of the weak and feeble. She generously gave alms to all who were in need, not only in that place but in all the territories of her husband’s empire. She spent all her own revenue from her husband’s four principalities and finally she sold her luxurious possessions and rich clothes for the sake of the poor.”
From a letter by Fr Conrad of Marburg, spiritual director of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary
St Elizabeth of Hungary,
please Pray for the poor and homeless,
Pray for us all!
Quote/s of the Day – 17 November – The Third World Day of Prayer for the Poor and the Thirty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, Luke 21:5–19
So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.
John 13:14
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also lone one another …”
John 13:34
Blest are the Pure in Heart” – From the Breviary (A perfect hymn/prayer for the Feast of St Elizabeth of Hungary)
Blest are the pure in heart,
for they shall see our God,
the secret of the Lord is theirs,
their soul is Christ’s abode.
The Lord, who left the heavens,
our life and peace to bring,
to dwell in lowliness with men,
their pattern and their King.
Still to the lowly soul,
He does Himself impart
and for His dwelling and His throne,
chooses the pure in heart.
Lord, we Thy presence seek,
May ours this blessing be:
give us a pure and lowly heart,
a temple fit for Thee
Hope means to keep living amid desperation and to keep humming in the darkness. Hoping is knowing that there is love, it is trust in tomorrow it is falling asleep and waking again when the sun rises. In the midst of a gale at sea, it is to discover land. In the eyes of another it is to see that you are understood…. As long as there is still hope There will also be prayer…. And you will be held in God’s hands.
One Minute Reflection – 17 November – The Thirty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, Luke 21:5–19, The Third World Day of Prayer for the Poor and the Memorial of St Elizabeth of Hungary (1207-1231)
“By your perseverance you will secure your lives.” … Luke 21:19
REFLECTION – “That person has not yet attained perfect love and profound knowledge of Divine Providence who, in time of trial, when affliction befalls, does not have magnanimity but cuts himself off from love for the spiritual brethren.
The aim of Divine Providence is to re-unite by means of right faith and spiritual love, those who were cut asunder and scattered by evil. It was in order to “gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad” (Jn 11:52) that the Saviour suffered. So, someone who refuses to bear the burden of arduous circumstances and endure sorrows or suffer pain, walks outside the love of God and the aim of Providence. If “charity is patient and kind” (1Cor 13:4), does not the person who is fainthearted in sorrows, who bears malice against those giving offence, or who severs the love due to them, fall short of the aim of Divine Providence?… They are long-suffering who await the end of the trial and receive praise for what they have endured. “Whoever is slow to wrath abounds in wisdom” (Prv 14:29), for such a one, relates all that happens, to the ultimate end and, in its expectation, bears all afflictions. And the end, says the Apostle, is everlasting life (cf. Rm 6:22). “And this is eternal life, that they might know You, the only true God and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent” (Jn 17:3).” … St Maximus the Confessor (c 580-662) Monk, Theologian, Father – Fourth Century on Love, nos 16-18, 23-24
PRAYER – Holy God and Father, grant us a strong Faith! Poor Your graces into our hearts that we may believe with all our hearts, minds and souls and that in believing, we may constantly raise our entire being to You in prayer and supplication, in prayer and adoration, in prayer and love. May the intercession of St Elizabeth of Hungary, a woman of deep prayer from her youth, strengthen our perseverance and trust. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever, amen.
Saint of the Day – 17 November – Saint Hilda of Whitby (c 614–680) Abbess, Apostle of Charity, teacher, administrator and advisor, spiritual director, reformer – born in c 614 at Northumbria, England and died in 680 of natural causes – also known as St Hild. St Hilda was the founding abbess of the monastery at Whitby, which was chosen as the venue for the Synod of Whitby. An important figure in the Christianisation of Anglo-Saxon England, she was abbess at several monasteries and recognised for the wisdom that drew kings to her for advice. Patronages – learning and culture, poetry.
The source of information about Hilda is the Ecclesiastical History of the English People by St Bede the Venerable (673-735) Doctor of the Church, in 731, who was born approximately eight years before her death. He documented much of the Christian conversion of the Anglo-Saxons.
According to Bede, Hilda was born in 614 into the Deiran royal household. She was the second daughter of Hereric, nephew of Edwin, King of Deira and his wife, Breguswīþ. When Hilda was still an infant, her father was poisoned while in exile at the court of the Brittonic king of Elmet in what is now West Yorkshire. In 616, Edwin killed Aethefrith, the son of Æthelric of Bernicia, in battle. He created the Kingdom of Northumbria and took its throne. Hilda was brought up at King Edwin’s court.
In 625, the widowed Edwin married the Christian princess Æthelburh of Kent, daughter of King Æthelberht of Kent and the Merovingian princess Bertha of Kent. As part of the marriage contract, Aethelburh was allowed to continue her Roman Christian worship and was accompanied to Northumbria with her chaplain, St Paulinus of York, a Roman monk sent to England in 601 to assist Augustine of Canterbury. Augustine’s mission in England was based in Kent and is referred to as the Gregorian mission after the pope who sent him. As queen, Æthelburh continued to practice her Christianity and no doubt influenced her husband’s thinking as her mother Bertha had influenced her father.
In 627 King Edwin was Baptised on Easter Day, 12 April, along with his entire court, which included the 13-year-old Hilda, in a small wooden church hastily constructed for the occasion near the site of the present York Minster.
In 633 Northumbria was overrun by the neighbouring pagan King of Mercia, at which time King Edwin fell in battle. St Paulinus accompanied Hilda and Queen Æthelburh and her companions to the Queen’s home in Kent. Queen Æthelburh founded a convent at Lyminge and it is assumed that Hilda remained with the Queen-Abbess.
Hilda’s elder sister, Hereswith, married Ethelric, brother of King Anna of East Anglia, who with all of his daughters became renowned for their Christian virtues. Later, Hereswith became a nun at Chelles Abbey in Gaul (modern France). Bede resumes Hilda’s story at a point when she was about to join her widowed sister at Chelles Abbey. At the age of 33, Hilda decided instead to answer the call of Bishop St Aidan of Lindisfarne and returned to Northumbria to live as a nun.
Hilda’s original convent is not known except that it was on the north bank of the River Wear. Here, with a few companions, she learned the traditions of Celtic monasticism, which Bishop Aidan brought from Iona. After a year Aidan appointed Hilda as the second Abbess of Hartlepool Abbey. No trace remains of this abbey but its monastic cemetery has been found near the present St Hilda’s Church, Hartlepool.
In 657 Hilda became the founding abbess of Whitby Abbey, then known as Streoneshalh, she remained there until her death. Archaeological evidence shows that her monastery was in the Celtic style, with its members living in small houses, each for two or three people. The tradition in double monasteries, such as Hartlepool and Whitby, was that men and women lived separately but worshipped together in church. The exact location and size of the church associated with this monastery is unknown.
Whitby Abbey ruins
Bede states that the original ideals of monasticism were maintained strictly in Hilda’s abbey. All property and goods were held in common, Christian virtues were exercised, especially peace and charity. Everyone had to study the Bible and do good works.
Five men from this monastery later became bishops. Two, John of Beverley, Bishop of Hexham and Wilfrid, Bishop of York, were Canonised for their service to the Church at a critical period in its fight against paganism.
Bede describes Hilda as a woman of great energy, who was a skilled administrator and teacher. As a landowner she had many in her employ to care for sheep and cattle, farmin, and woodcutting. She gained such a reputation for wisdom that kings and princes sought her advice. However, she also had a concern for ordinary folk such as St Cædmon (memorial 11 February). He was a herder at the monastery, who was inspired in a dream to sing verses in praise of God. Hilda recognised his gift and encouraged him to develop it. Bede writes, “All who knew her called her mother because of her outstanding devotion and grace”. Read St Caedmon’s beautiful story and Hymn here: https://anastpaul.com/2019/02/11/saint-of-the-day-11-february-st-caedmon-died-c-680/
St Hilda and St Caedmon
The prestige of Whitby is reflected in the fact that King Oswiu of Northumberland chose Hilda’s monastery as the venue for the Synod of Whitby, the first synod of the Church in his kingdom. He invited churchmen from as far away as Wessex to attend the synod. Most of those present, including Hilda, accepted the King’s decision to adopt the method of calculating Easter currently used in Rome, establishing Roman practice as the norm in Northumbria. The monks from Lindisfarne, who would not accept this, withdrew to Iona and later to Ireland.
Hilda suffered from a fever for the last seven years of her life but she continued to work until her death on 17 November 680, at what was then the advanced age of sixty-six. In her last year she set up another monastery, fourteen miles from Whitby, at Hackness. She died after receiving viaticum and her legend holds that at the moment of her death the bells of the monastery of Hackness tolled. A nun there named Begu claimed to have witnessed Hilda’s soul being borne to heaven by angels.
A local legend says that when sea birds fly over the abbey they dip their wings in honour of Saint Hilda. Another legend tells of a plague of snakes which Hilda turned to stone, supposedly explaining the presence of ammonite fossils on the shore; heads were carved onto these ‘petrified snakes’ to honour this legend. In fact, the ammonite genus Hildoceras takes its scientific name from St Hilda. It was not unknown for local “artisans” to carve snakes’ heads onto ammonites and sell these “relics” as proof of her miracle. The coat of arms of nearby Whitby includes three such ‘snakestones’ and depictions of ammonites appear in the shield of the University of Durham’s College of St Hild and St Bede. A carved ammonite stone is set into the wall by the entrance to the former chapel of St Hild’s College, Durham, which later became part of the College of St Hild and St Bede.
St Hilda monument detail in Whitby. Note ammonites at feet.
St Hilda was never formally Canonised as her life is pre-congregation but the veneration of St Hilda from an early period is attested by the inclusion of her name in the calendar of St Willibrord, written at the beginning of the 8th century. According to one tradition, her relics were translated to Glastonbury by King Edmund, another tradition holds that St Edmund brought her relics to Gloucester.
St Acisclus
St Aignan of Orléans
St Alphaeus of Palestine
St Eugene of Florence
St Eusebio Roldán Vielva
St Florinus of Remüs
St Giacinto Ansalone
St Gregory of Tours St Gregory Thaumaturgus (c 213-c 270) Bishop St Gregory’s life:
St Hugh of Noara
St Josefa Gironés Arteta
St Juan de Castillo-Rodriguez
St Laverius
St Lazarus Zographos
St Lorenza Díaz Bolaños
St Namasius of Vienne
Bl Salomea of Galicia
Bl Sébastien-Loup Hunot
St Thomas Hioji Nishi Rokuzaemon
St Victoria of Cordoba
Bl Yosafat Kotsylovsky
St Zacchaeus of Palestine
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Jesuit Martyrs of Paraguay – 3 saints
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War:
• Blessed Eusebio Roldán Vielva
• Blessed Josefa Gironés Arteta
• Blessed Lorenza Díaz Bolaños
Thought for the Day – 16 November – The Memorial of St Edmund Rich of Abingdon (1175-1240) Archbishop of Canterbury
St Edmund’s best-known work in the Middle Ages was his Speculum Ecclesie. It’s a work on the contemplative life, offering (among other things) meditations on different moments in the life of Christ, aiming to help the reader to enter imaginatively into the scenes of His Passion and feel intense compassion for His sufferings. I don’t know whether people read the Speculum Ecclesie today, but most students of Middle English will have read a poem which survives as part of it. This is one of the earliest, shortest and most popular devotional poems in Middle English:
Nou goth sonne under wod,
Me reweth, Marie, thi faire rode.
Nou goth sonne under tre,
Me reweth, Marie, thi sone and thee.
Now goes the sun under the wood, I grieve, Mary, for your fair face. Now goes the sun under the tree, I grieve, Mary, for thy son and thee.
This short poem is designed to be a spur to meditation on the Crucifixion, perhaps at the appropriate hour of the day when the sun begins to set. Apparently very simple, the poem is dense with meaningful wordplay – as the sun sets behind the wood, so Christ the Son is shrouded in darkness on the wood of the cross, the tree; that is, the ‘rode’, which means both ‘face’ and ‘rood’ (cross). And here we have another pair of a mother and her son, and their strong emotional bond (like St Edmund himself and his mother). The poem encourages the reader to meditate and dwell on Christ’s Crucifixion by approaching the Son through the Mother, to feel compassion for His suffering as it is reflected in her grief (underlined by that wordplay on ‘rode’ – (His cross and her face). How wonderful it is that this poem should be associated with a saint whose mother was such an important presence in his life.
Back in Abingdon, the Catholic church is dedicated to him and to the Virgin Mary, the mother and bride who was so constant a presence in his spiritual life.
One Minute Reflection – 16 November – Saturday of the Thirty Second week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 18:1–8 and The Memorial of St Edmund Rich of Abingdon (1175-1240) Archbishop of Canterbury
“And will not God vindicate his elect, who cry to him day and night?” … Luke 18:7
REFLECTION – “ Pray at all times ” commands the apostle Paul (1 Th 5:17). Calling to mind this precept, Clement of Alexandria writes: “We have been commanded to praise and honour the Word, which we know to be our Savior and King and through Him, the Father, not on certain select days as others do but continually, our whole lives long and in every possible way.”
Amidst our daily occupations, at times when we overcome our egoistical tendencies, when we experience the joy of friendship towards others, at all such times, Christians must discover God. Through Christ and in the Holy Spirit, Christians gain intimacy with God the Father and run along the way, as they seek that kingdom which, although it is not of this world (Jn 18:36), is prepared for, in this world and begins in this world.
We need to go regularly to Christ in the Word and the Bread, in the Eucharist and prayer. And stay with Him frequently, as one stays with a friend, a truly alive person – just as Christ is, being risen… Christ, the risen Christ is our companion, our Friend. A companion who is only to be seen in the semi-darkness but whose reality fills our lives and makes us want His company permanently. “The Spirit and the Bride say: ‘Come!’ Let those who hear say: ‘Come!’ Let anyone who thirsts come forward and let those who desire it receive the gift of life-giving water… He who gives this testimony says: ‘Yes, I am coming soon!’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” (Rv 22:17.20).” … St Josémaria Escriva de Balaguer (1902-1975) – Sermon of 26/03/67 in ‘Es Cristo que pasa’
PRAYER – Holy Father, grant us a strong Faith! Poor Your graces into our hearts that we may believe with all our hearts, minds and souls and that in believing, we may constantly raise our entire being to You in prayer and supplication, in prayer and adoration, in prayer and love. May the intercession of St Edmund Rich of Abingdon, a man of deep prayer from his youth, strengthen our perseverance. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever, amen.
Saint of the Day – 16 November – Saint Edmund Rich of Abingdon (1175-1240) Archbishop of Canterbury, Confessor, Apostle of Prayer and Charity, Mystic, Doctor of Divinity/Theology, eloquent Preacher, Ascetic, highly regarded Professor lecturer, Reformer, Writer, peacemaker, social activist and negotiator. Born, it is thought, on 20 November c. 1175 at St Edmund’s Lane, Abingdon, Berkshire (now Oxfordshire), England and died on 16 November 1240 at Soisy-Bouy, Seine-et-Marne, France. Patronages – Abingdon, Oxfordshire, Roman Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth; St Edmund’s College, Cambridge; St Edmund Hall, Oxford, St Edmund’s College, Ware.
Of English birth, he became a respected lecturer in mathematics, dialectics and theology at the Universities of Paris and Oxford, promoting the study of Aristotle. Having already an unsought reputation as an ascetic, he was ordained a priest, took a doctorate in divinity and soon became known, not only for his lectures on theology but as a popular preacher, spending long years travelling within England, and engaging, in 1227 preaching the sixth crusade. Obliged to accept an appointment as Archbishop of Canterbury by Pope Gregory IX, he combined a gentle personal temperament with a strong public stature and severity towards King Henry III in defence of Magna Carta and in general of good civil and Church government and justice. He also worked for strict observance in monastic life and negotiated peace with Llywelyn the Great. His policies earned him hostility and jealousy from the king and opposition from several monasteries and from the clergy of Canterbury Cathedral. He died in France at the beginning of a journey to Rome in 1240.
St Edmund was born circa 1174, possibly on 20 November (the feast of St Edmund the Martyr), in Abingdon in Berkshire (now Oxfordshire), 7 miles south of Oxford, England. He was the oldest of four children.
“Rich” was an epithet sometimes given to his wealthy merchant father, Reynold. It was never applied to Edmund or his siblings in their lifetimes. His father retired, with his wife’s consent, to the monastery at Eynsham Abbey, leaving in her hands the education of their family. Her name was Mabel, she was a devout woman who lived an ascetic life and encouraged her children to do the same. Both her daughters took the veil.
Edmund may have been educated at the monastic school in Abingdon. He developed a taste for religious learning, saw visions while still at school and at the age of twelve took a vow of perpetual chastity in the Virgin’s church at Oxford. His early studies were in England but he completed his higher learning in France, at the University of Paris. He became a teacher about 1200, or a little earlier. For six years he lectured on mathematics and dialectics, apparently dividing his time between Oxford and Paris and helped introduce the study of Aristotle.
Edmund became one of Oxford’s first lecturers with a Master of Arts but was not Oxford’s first Doctor of Divinity. Long hours at night spent in prayer had the result that he often “nodded off” during his lectures. There is a long-established tradition that he utilised his lecture-fees to build the Lady Chapel of St Peter’s in the East at Oxford. The site where he lived and taught was formed into a mediaeval academic hall in his name and later incorporated as the college of St Edmund Hall.
His mother’s influence then led to his taking up the study of theology. Though for some time Edmund resisted the change, he finally entered upon his new career between 1205 and 1210. He spent a year in retirement with the Augustinian canons of Merton Priory, received ordination, took a doctorate in divinity and soon became known as a lecturer on theology and as an extemporaneous preacher. In this capacity he gained some reputation for eloquence. He spent the fees which he received in charity and refused to spend upon himself the revenues which he derived from several benefices. He often retired for solitude to Reading Abbey and it is possible that he would have become a monk if that profession had afforded more scope for his gifts as a preacher and expositor.
His spiritual fervour, eloquent and effective preaching led to miracles and conversions. He constantly encouraged the faithful to pray. “A hundred thousand people are deceived by multiplying prayers,” he said once. “I would rather say five words devoutly with my heart, than 5,000 which my soul does not relish with affection and intelligence.”
He was known for his great self-discipline – under his clothes, he wore a sackcloth pressed close to his skin by metal plates and he slept only a few hours at night in order to spend time in prayer and meditation. On one occasion, he was observed levitating, consumed in prayer.
In 1233 he was named the 46th Archbishop of Canterbury against his wishes. He advised King Henry III and presided at the king’s confirmation of the Magna Carta in 1237. Edmund was at the centre of relations between Rome and England and spoke truth to power on both sides. He admonished the king for having favourites in his court and travelled to Rome to urge reforms in the Church.
Because he was so truthful and did not vary from what he saw as just and right, many people found him inconvenient. Political movements forced Edmund’s resignation in 1240 and he moved to France and became a Monk. He died later that year and miracles at his grave were reported soon after his burial. His relics rest in the Reliquary Chapel in the Basilica. “I have sought nothing else but Thee, O God.” – St Edmund’s Dying Words.
In less than a year after Edmund’s death, miracles were wrought at his grave. Despite Henry’s opposition, he was Canonised only 6 years after his death, on 16 December 1246 by Pope Innocent IV. A few years later, the first chapel dedicated to him, St Edmund’s Chapel, was Consecrated in Dover, by his friend St Richard of Chichester (c 1197-1253), making it the only chapel dedicated to one English Saint by another.
Edmund’s body was never translated to Canterbury, because the Benedictine community there resented what they regarded as Edmund’s attacks on their independence. After his death he was taken back to Pontigny Abbey, where his main relics are now found in a baroque reliquary tomb dating to the 17th century.
An arm is enshrined in the Chapel of Our Lady of the Assumption at St Edmund’s Retreat on Enders Island off the coast of Mystic, Connecticut. The retreat is operated by the Society of the Fathers and Brothers of St Edmund.
In 1853, the fibula of the Edmund’s left leg was presented to St Edmund’s College, Ware,by Cardinal Wiseman. Many local cures of serious illnesses were attributed to the intercession of St Edmund, one of the earliest of these was of a student who nearly died after a fall in 1871. His complete healing led to the accomplishment of a vow to extend the beautiful Pugin chapel with a side chapel to honour the saint.
St Edmund’s silk chasuble, which Edmund had with him at his death, remains in a local church, with a stole and maniple. His works, Speculum Ecclesiae (Mirror of the Church)
and Provincial Constitution, are still relevant today. He holds the sad honour, of being the last Archbishop of Canterbury, to be Canonised. The Society of St Edmund, formed in his honour in France in the 1840s, operates from the US – you can read about them here: http://www.sse.org/history.html.
Patronage of Our Lady: Feast permitted by a 1679 decree of the Sacred Congregation of Rites for all provinces of Spain, in memory of the victories obtained there over infidels. Pope Benedict XIII granted it to the Papal States and it may now be celebrated with due permission by churches throughout the world.
Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn/Our Lady of Ostra Brama: is the prominent Catholic painting of the Blessed Virgin Mary venerated by the faithful in the Chapel of the Gate of Dawn in Vilnius, Lithuania. The painting was historically displayed above the Vilnius city gate; city gates of the time often contained religious artefacts intended to ward off attacks and bless passing travellers.
The painting is in the Northern Renaissance style and was completed most likely around 1630. The Virgin Mary is depicted without the infant Jesus. The artwork soon became known as miraculous and inspired a following. A dedicated chapel was built in 1671 by the Discalced Carmelites. At the same time, possibly borrowing from the Eastern Orthodox tradition, the painting was covered inexpensive and elaborate silver and gold clothes leaving only the face and hands visible.
In 1702, when Vilnius was captured by the Swedish army during the Great Northern War, Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn came to her people’s rescue. At dawn, the heavy iron city gates of the gate fell crushing and killing four Swedish soldiers. After this, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth Army successfully counter-attacked near the gate.
In the following centuries, the cult grew and Our Lady became an important part of religious life in Vilnius. This inspired many copies in Lithuania, Poland and diaspora communities worldwide. On 5 July 1927, the image was canonically crowned as Mother of Mercy. The chapel was visited by St Pope John Paul II in 1993. It is a major site of pilgrimage in Vilnius and attracts many visitors, especially from Poland.
St Afan of Wales
St Africus of Comminges
Bl Agnes of Assisi
St Agostino of Capua
St Alfric of Canterbury
St Anianus of Asti
St Céronne St Edmund Rich of Abingdon (1175-1240)
Bl Edward Osbaldeston
St Elpidius the Martyr
St Eucherius of Lyon
St Eustochius the Martyr
St Felicita of Capua
St Fidentius of Padua
St Gobrain of Vannes
St Ludre
St Marcellus the Martyr
St Othmar of Saint Gal
Bl Simeon of Cava
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Martyrs of Africa – (11 saints)
Martyrs of Almeria – (9 saints): Soon after the start of the Spanish Civil War in 1936, the Communist-oriented Popular Front had all clergy and religious arrested and abused as they considered staunch Christians to be enemies of the revolution. Many of these prisoners were executed for having promoted the faith and this memorial remembers several of them killed in the province of Almeria.
• Adrián Saiz y Saiz
• Bienvenido Villalón Acebrón
• Bonifacio Rodríguez González
• Diego Ventaja Milán
• Eusebio Alonso Uyarra
• Isidoro Primo Rodríguez
• Justo Zariquiegui Mendoza
• Manuel Medina Olmos
• Marciano Herrero Martínez
Beatification – 10 October 1993 by St Pope John Paul II
Saint of the Day – 15 November – Blessed Mary of the Passion (1839-1904) Religious, Foundress of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, Missionary – born as Hélène-Marie-Philippine de Chappotin de Neuville on 21 May 1839 in Nantes, Loire-Atlantique, France and died on 15 November 1904 in San Remo, Imperia, Italy of natural causes. Patron of the Order she founded. The Franciscan Missionaries of Mary were founded in British India in 1877 and is currently one of the largest religious institutes in the Church.
Born on 21 May 1839 in Nantes, France, into a noble Christian family, Hélène Marie Philippine de Chappotin de Neuville, in religion Mary of the Passion, showed from childhood eminent natural gifts and a deep faith.
In April 1856, during a retreat, she first experienced a call from God to a life of total consecration. The unforeseen death of her mother delayed its realisation. In December 1860, with the consent of the Bishop of Nantes, she entered the Poor Clares whose ideal of the simplicity and poverty of Saint Francis attracted her.
On 23rd January 1861, while still a postulant, she had a profound experience of God who invited her to offer herself as a victim for the Church and the Pope. This experience marked her for life. A short time after, having become seriously ill, she had to leave the monastery. When she was well again, her confessor directed her towards the Society of Marie Reparatrice. She entered with them in 1864 and on the following 15 August, in Toulouse, she received the religious habit with the name of Mary of the Passion.
In March 1865, while still a novice, she was sent to India, to the Apostolic Vicariate of Madurai, confided to the Society of Jesus. The Reparatrice sisters there had the task of formation of sisters of an autonomous congregation as well as being involved in other apostolic activities . It was there, that she pronounced her temporary vows on 3 May 1866.
Because of her gifts and virtues, she was nominated local superior and then, in July 1867, she was named provincial superior of the three convents of the Reparatrice. Under her guidance, the works of the apostolate developed, peace which had been somewhat disturbed by tensions which were already existing in the mission, was re-established and fervour and regularity flourished again in the communities.
In 1874, a new house was founded in Ootacamund in the Vicariate of Coimbatore, confided to the Paris Foreign Mission Society. However, in Madurai the dissensions became exacerbated to such an extent that, in 1876 some religious, among them Mary of the Passion, were driven to leave the Society of Marie Reparatrice, reuniting, at Ootacamund under the jurisdiction of the Vicar Apostolic of Coimbatore, Monsignor Joseph Bardou MEP.
In November 1876, Mary of the Passion went to Rome to regularise the situation of the twenty separated sisters and, on 6 January 1877, obtained the authorisation from Pius IX to found a new Institute which was to be specifically missionary and was to be called the Missionaries of Mary.
On the suggestion of the Congregation of Propaganda Fide, Mary of the Passion opened a novitiate in Saint-Brieuc in France, where very soon numerous vocations came along. In April 1880 and in June 1882, the Servant of God went to Rome to resolve the difficulties which were threatening to hinder the stability and growth of the young Institute. This latter journey, on June 1882, marked an important stage in her life, in fact, she was authorised to open a house in Rome and, through providential circumstances, she rediscovered the Franciscan direction which God had indicated to her twenty-two years previously. On 4 October 1882, in the Church of the Aracoeli, she was received into the Third Order of Saint Francis and thus began her relationship with the Servant of God, Fr Bernardin de Portogruaro, Minister General, who with paternal solicitude would support her in her trials.
In March 1883, due to latent opposition, Mary of the Passion was deposed from her office of Superior of the Institute. However, after an inquiry ordered by Pope Leo XIII, her innocence was fully acknowledged and at the Chapter of July 1884 she was re-elected.
The Institute of the Missionaries of Mary then began to develop rapidly. On 12 August 1885 the Laudatory Decree and that of affiliation to the Order of Friars Minor were issued. The Constitutions were approved ad experimentum on 17 July 1890 and definitively on 11 May 1896. Missionaries were sent regularly to the most perilous and distant places overcoming all obstacles and boundaries.
The zeal of the Foundress knew no bounds in responding to the calls of the poor and the abandoned. She was particularly interested in the promotion of women and the social question – with intelligence and discretion, she offered collaboration to the pioneers who were working in these spheres, which they appreciated very much.
Her intense activity drew its dynamism from contemplation of the great mysteries of faith. For Mary of the Passion, all led back to the Unity-Trinity of God Truth-Love, who communicates Himself to us through the paschal mystery of Christ. It was in union with these mysteries that, in an ecclesial and missionary dimension, she lived her vocation of offering. Jesus in the Eucharist was for her, “the great missionary” and Mary, in the responsibility of her role, traced out for her, the path of unconditional donation to the work of God. Thus she opened her Institute to the horizons of universal mission, accomplished in Francis of Assisi’s evangelical spirit of simplicity, poverty and charity .
She took great care, not only of the external organisation of the works but above all of the spiritual formation of the religious. Gifted with an extraordinary capacity for work, she found time to compose numerous writings on formation, whilst by frequent correspondence, she followed her missionaries dispersed throughout the world, relentlessly calling them to a life of holiness. In 1900 her Institute received the seal of blood through the martyrdom of seven Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, who were Beatified in 1946 and Canonised during the Great Jubilee of the year 2000. To be the spiritual mother of these missionaries who had known how to live to the shedding of their blood, the ideal proposed by her, was for Mary of the Passion, both a great sorrow, a great joy and a time of great emotion.
Worn out by the fatigue of incessant journeys and daily labour, Mary of the Passion, after a brief illness, died peacefully in San Remo on 15 November 1904, leaving more than 2,000 religious and eighty-six houses scattered about the four continents. Her mortal remains repose in a private oratory of the General House of the Institute of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary in Rome.
In February 1918, in San Remo, the Informative Process was opened for the Cause of Beatification and Canonisation. In 1941, the Decree on the writings was promulgated and, during the following years, numerous postulatory letters were addressed to the Holy See from all parts of the world in favour of the Cause of the Servant of God. After the Consultors had voted unanimously in its favour, the Decree for the Introduction of the Cause was published on 19 January 1979, with the approbation of His Holiness St John Paul II. On 28 June 1999 the Sovereign Pontiff St John Paul II solemnly promulgated the Decree on the heroicity of the virtues of Mother Mary of the Passion
On 5 March 2002, the healing of a religious, suffering from “pulmonary and vertebral TBC, Pott’s Disease”, was recognised as a miracle granted by God, through the intercession of the Venerable Mary of the Passion. On 23 April 2002, in the presence of the Sovereign Pontiff St John Paul II, the Decree opening the path for the Beatification of the Venerable Servant of God was promulgated. … Vatican.va
Bl Mary was Beatified 10 October 2002, Vatican City, by St Pope John Paul II.
Thought for the Day – 15 November – The Memorial of St Albert the Great OP (1200-1280), Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Do This in Remembrance of Me
Saint Albert the Great
Bishop and Doctor of the Church
An excerpt from Commentary on the Gospel of Luke
Do this in remembrance of Me. Two things should be noted here. The firs,t is the command that we should use this Sacrament, which is indicated when He says: Do this. The second, is that this Sacrament commemorates the Lord’s going to death for our sake.
Do this. Certainly He would demand nothing more profitable, nothing more pleasant, nothing more beneficial, nothing more desirable, nothing more similar to eternal life. We will look at each of these qualities separately.
This Sacrament is profitable because it grants remission of sins; it is most useful because it bestows the fullness of grace on us in this life. The Father of spirits instructs us in what is useful for our sanctification. And his sanctification is in Christ’s sacrifice, that is, when He offers Himself in this Sacrament to the Father for our redemption, to us for our use. I consecrate Myself for their sakes. Christ, who through the Holy Spirit offered Himself up without blemish to God, will cleanse our consciences from dead works to worship the living God.
Nor can we do anything more pleasant. For what is better than God manifesting His whole sweetness to us. You gave them bread from heaven, not the fruit of human labour but a bread endowed with all delight and pleasant, to every sense of taste. For this substance of Yours revealed Your kindness toward Your children and serving the desire of each recipient, it changed to suit each one’s taste.
He could not have commanded anything more beneficial, for thisSsacrament is the fruit of the tree of life. Anyone who receives this Sacrament with the devotion of sincere faith will never taste death. It is a tree of life for those who grasp it and blessed is he who holds it fast. The man who feeds on Me shall live on account of Me.
Nor could He have commanded anything more lovable, for this Sacrament produces love and union. It is characteristic of the greatest love to give itself as food. Had not the men of my tent exclaimed: Who will feed us with his flesh to satisfy our hunger? as if to say: I have loved them and they have loved Me so much, that I desire to be within them and they wish to receive Me so that they may become My members. There is no more intimate or more natural means for them to be united to Me and I to them.
Nor could He have commanded anything, which is more like eternal life. Eternal life flows from this Sacrament, because God, with all sweetness, pours Himself out upon the blessed.
St Albert the Great, Pray for Us that we may receive the Body of Christ with total faith, conviction and love!
Quote/s of the Day – 15 November – The Memorial of St Albert the Great OP (1200-1280) Doctor of the Church and of Bl Mary of the Passion FMM (1839-1904)
“The whole world is indebted to Jesus for His Passion. Similarly, all of us, are indebted to our Lady, for her compassion.”
“…By ourselves, we never could have accomplished our vocation. It is for this reason, that the exposed Holy Eucharist, has become our weapon, our banner and our sovereign strength to fight the Lord’s battles.”
“…Let us continue Immaculate Mary’s mission. All is included in it. May [we].. follow her example and be the handmaid of the Lord in everything, everywhere and always.”
One Minute Reflection – 15 November – Friday of the Thirty Second week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 17:26–37 and the Memorial of St Albert the Great OP (1200-1280) Doctor of the Church and of Bl Bl Mary of the Passion FMM (1839-1904)
“Whoever seeks to gain his life, will lose it but whoever loses his life, will preserve it. I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed, one will be taken and the other left.”…Luke 17:33-34
REFLECTION – “Today the Church, the Lord, with His goodness, tells each one of us, ‘Stop, stop, not every day will be so. Do not get used to this as if it were eternity. There will be one day that you will be taken, while the other one will remain, you will be taken, you will be removed.’ It means going with the Lord, thinking that our life will end.”…Pope Francis – Santa Marta, 17 November 2017
“It is by the path of love, which is charity, that God draws near to man and man to God. But where charity is not found, God cannot dwell. If, then, we possess charity, we possess God, for “God is Charity” (1 John 4:8) …
“We will not be proclaimed blessed on the altars in all probability but if we are faithful, in Heaven we will be proclaimed ‘blessed’ and that is enough for us. Let us try to merit this hour of eternal delights.” … Bl Mary of the Passion (1839-1904)
PRAYER – Lord God, You made St Albert great by his gift for reconciling human wisdom with divine faith. Help us so to follow his teaching that every advance in science may lead us to a deeper knowledge and love of You. May his prayers on our behalf be a succour to us all. We ask too for the intercession of the blessed Mary of the Passion that her zeal and perseverance may be the driving force of our lives. Through our Lord Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit, one God for all eternity, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 15 November – Friday of the Thirty Second week in Ordinary Time, Year C and the Memorial of St Albert the Great OP (1200-1280) Doctor of the Church
Supreme Lord and King of All! By St Albert the Great (1200-1280) Universal Doctor of the Church
We pray to Thee, O Lord, Who art the Supreme Truth, and all truth is from Thee. We beseech Thee, O Lord, Who art the highest Wisdom and all the wise depend on Thee, for their wisdom. Thou are the supreme Joy, and all who are joyous, owe it to Thee. Thou art the Light of minds and all receive their understanding from Thee. We love, we love Thee above all! We seek Thee, we follow Thee and we are ready to serve Thee. We desire to dwell under Thy Power for Thou art the King of all! Amen
St Anianus of Wilparting
St Arnulf of Toul
Bl Caius of Korea
St Desiderius of Cahors
St Eugene of Toledo
St Felix of Nola
St Findan
St Fintan the Missionary
St Gurias of Edessa
Bl Hugh Faringdon
Bl John Eynon
Bl John Rugg
Bl John Thorne
St Joseph Mukasa
St Joseph Pignatelli St Leopold III/Leopold the Good ( 1073 – 1136) Biography:
St Luperius of Verona
St Machudd of Llanfechell
St Malo of Aleth
St Marinus of Wilparting Bl Mary of the Passion FMM (1839-1904)
Bl Miguel Díaz Sánchez
St Paduinus of Le Mans
Bl Richard Whiting
Bl Roger James
St Shamuna of Edessa
St Sidonius of Saint-Saens
—
Martyrs of Hippo – 20 saints: 20 Christians martyred together and celebrated by Saint Augustine. The only details about them to survive are three of the names – Fidenziano, Valerian and Victoria. Hippo, Numidia (in north Africa).
Martyrs of North Africa – 3 saints: A group of Christians murdered for their faith in imperial Roman north Africa. The only details that have survived are the names of three of them – Fidentian, Secundus and Varicus.
One Minute Reflection – 14 November – Thursday of the Thirty Second week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 17:20–25 and the Memorial of Saint Joseph Maria Pignatelli SJ (1737 – 1811)
” … For behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.” … Luke 17:21
REFLECTION – “Is it difficult to faith to admit the word of Scripture concerning our connection with a world superior to us?… The world of spirits then, though unseen, is present, present, not future, not distant. It is not above the sky, it is not beyond the grave, it is now and here, “the kingdom of God is among us.” Of this the text speaks—”We look,” says St Paul, “not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen, for the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Cor 4:18)…
Such is the hidden kingdom of God and, as it is now hidden, so in due season it shall be revealed. Men think that they are lords of the world and may do as they will. They think this earth their property and its movements in their power, whereas… it contains Christ’s little ones, whom they despise and His Angels, whom they disbelieve and these, at length, shall take possession of it and be manifested. At present, “all things,” to appearance, “continue as they were from the beginning of the creation” and scoffers ask, “Where is the promise of His coming?”(2 Pt 3:4) but at the appointed time there will be a “manifestation of the sons of God” and the hidden saints “shall shine out as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” (Mt 13:43)
When the Angels appeared to the shepherds, it was a sudden appearance—“Suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of the heavenly host” (Lk 2:13). How wonderful a sight! The night, had before that, seemed just like any other night – they were keeping watch over their sheep, they were watching the night as it passed. The stars moved on—it was midnight. They had no idea of such a thing when the Angel appeared. Such are the power and virtue hidden in things which are seen and at God’s will, they are manifested.” … St John Henry Newman (1801-1890) Cardinal, founder of the Oratory in England, Theologian – PPS “The Invisible world” vol.4, no.13
PRAYER – Our Father, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done! Grant us Lord, a true knowledge of our salvation, so that freed from fear and from the power of our foes, we may serve You faithfully, all the days of our lives and thus attain eternal joy with You. May the prayers of St Joseph Pignatelli on our behalf, be a succour to us all. Through our Lord Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit, one God for all eternity, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 14 November – Thursday of the Thirty Second Weeek in Ordinary Time, Year C and the Memorial of St Joseph Maria Pignatelli SJ (1737 – 1811)
Prayer for Submission to Divine Providence By St Joseph Maria Pignatelli SJ (1737 – 1811)
My God, I do not know
what must come to me today.
But I am certain
that nothing can happen to me
that You have not foreseen, decreed
and ordained from all eternity.
That is sufficient for me.
I adore Your impenetrable
and eternal designs,
to which I submit with all my heart.
I desire, I accept them all
and I unite my sacrifice to that of
Jesus Christ, my Divine Saviour.
I ask in His name
and through His infinite merits,
patience in my trials
and perfect and entire submission,
to all that comes to me
by Your good pleasure.
Amen
Saint of the Day – 14 November – Saint Joseph Maria Pignatelli SJ (1737 – 1811) Religious Priest of the Society of Jesus, known as “Restorer of the Society of Jesus” and “The Second Founder of the Society of Jesus” – born as José María Pignatelli on 27 December 1737 in Zaragoza, Spain and died on 15 November 1811, aged 73, in Rome. Patronage – Jesuit Novices.
Saint Joseph Pignatelli was born in Saragossa, Spain, of noble descent. His mother died when he was six and his father moved with the younger children to Naples but within four years his father also died.
At twelve, Joseph returned with his younger brother, Nicholas, to Saragossa, where they studied at the Jesuit school. By special privilege, they resided in the Jesuit community. Living among the Jesuits convinced Joseph of his vocation and in 1753, he entered the novitiate at Tarragona and took his religious vows two years later. Joseph spent the following year at Manresa, doing classical studies, the next three years studying philosophy at Calatayud and the subsequent four years back at Saragossa, for his theology.
After Joseph was ordained in 1762, he taught grammar to young boys at his old school and assisted in its parish. He taught for four and a half years, visited the local prisons and ministered to condemned convicts about to be executed. This apostolate ended abruptly when in 1767, King Charles III expelled the Jesuits from his kingdom and confiscated their property, making five thousand Jesuits homeless with one royal stroke of the pen.
Fr Pignatelli was made the acting provincial over some 600 exiled Jesuits on board thirteen ships during their three months at sea before arriving at Bonifacio, on the southern tip of Corsica. Later they were taken away to Genoa. After travelling three hundred miles on foot, they arrived at Ferrara, in the Papal States, tired and exhausted but were welcomed by Fr Pignatelli’s cousin and future cardinal, Msgr Francis Pignatelli.
The princes of Europe were pressuring the Pope to suppress the Society. Although Clement XIII heroically withstood the pressure, his successor, Clement XIV crumbled beneath it and decreed the dissolution of the Society of Jesus. This meant, that Fr Pignatelli and 23,000 others were no longer Jesuits and were no longer bound by their vows.
Saddened by this decree, Fr Pignatelli moved to Bologna where he and his brother, Nicholas, also a Jesuit, continued to live the life of a Jesuit and for the next twenty four years (1773-1797) he kept in contact with his dispersed brethren. Meantime, in White Russia (today’s Belarus), the Jesuits survived, because the Russian Czarina, Catherine II did not carry out the suppression. When Fr Pignatelli heard about this, he obtained permission from Pope Pius XI to affiliate with the Russian Jesuit province. Meantime Ferdinand, Duke of Parma also entered into negotiations with White Russia and in 1793, three Jesuits came to his Duchy to open a house for the Society. Fr Pignatelli associated himself with this group and in 1797, at sixty, he also promised God poverty, chastity and obedience, just as he did in Spain in 1755.
Fr Pignatelli was made Master of novices in 1799 and in 1803, he was appointed provincial of Italy. When the Society was restored in the kingdom of the Two Sicilies, many former Jesuits came to them to be re-admitted and the Jesuit apostolate became active again.
Fr Pignatelli and the other Jesuits were expelled from Naples when Napoleon’s brother Joseph Bonaparte overran the country. They headed for Rome and were welcomed by Pope Pius VII. Within months of their arrival in Rome, the Jesuits set up a novitiate at Orvieto and were teaching in six diocesan seminaries. During the exile of Pope Pius VII and the French occupation of the Papal States, the Society continued untouched, owing largely to the prudence of Pignatelli, he even managed to avoid any oaths of allegiance to Napoleon. He also secured the restoration of the Society in Sardinia in 1807. Fr Pignatelli was already seventy and had been in exile for forty years when he came to Rome. He still cherished the hope that the Society would be restored throughout the world during his lifetime. His health was weakening and during his last two years, he suffered from frequent hemorrhages due to tuberculosis and was soon confined to bed.
Fr Pignatelli died peacefully and serenely on 15 November 1811 without seeing the end of the 41-year suppression. However, his dearest hope of seeing the entire Society restored was realised, when Pope Pius VII decreed it on 7 August 1814, three years after his death.
His remains rest today in a reliquary under the altar of the Chapel of the Passion in the Church of the Gesù in Rome.
This Shrine and window of St Joseph Pignatelli, is in the Church of the Gesù
The cause for Pignatelli’s Canonisation was introduced under Pope Gregory XVI. He was Beatified on 21 May 1933 by Pope Pius XI and was Canonised on 12 June 1954 by Venerable Pope Pius XII.
After St Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus, Pignatelli is arguably the most important Jesuit in its subsequent history, linking the two Societies, the old Society which was first founded in 1540 and the new Society which was founded forty years after it had been suppressed by Pope Clement XIV in 1773. Pignatelli can thus be rightly considered the saviour and restorer of the Society of Jesus.
During her long life, she knew nothing but assiduous work and constant prayer. She invoked the Lord with such passion and devotion it would edify her fellow Sisters. Admiring the beauties of nature she would be in the habit of often exclaiming: “The Love and the Power of God!” which remained her favourite expression. She dedicated her prayers and sacrifices in particular for the needy, for derelicts and for the redemption of sinners.
AnaStpaul 
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