Quote/s of the Day – 27 May – St Bede the Venerable (673-735) Confessor, Father and Doctor of the Church –
“Unfurl the sails and let God steer us, where He will.”
“He alone loves the Creator perfectly, who manifests a pure love for his neighbour.”
Grant us Your Light, O Lord By The Venerable St Bede (673-735) Father and Doctor of the Church
Grant us Your light, O Lord, so that the darkness of our hearts, may wholly pass away and we may come at last, to the Light of Christ. For Christ is that Morning Star, who, when the night of this world has passed, brings to His saints, the promised light of life and opens to them, everlasting day. Amen.
St Bede the Venerable (673-735) Father and Doctor of the Church
St Bede became known as “Venerable Bede or Bede the Venerable” (Latin: Beda Venerabilis) by the 9th Century because of his great devotion and holiness but this was not linked to consideration for sainthood. According to a legend, the epithet was miraculously supplied by Angels. It was first utilised in connection with St Bede, where he was grouped with others, who were called “venerable,” at two Ecclesiastical Councils, held at Aachen in 816 and 836. Paul the Deacon (c 720-c 796) Italian Monk, Writer, Historian, then referred to him as Venerable consistently. By the 11th and 12th Centuries, the title had become commonplace and it is rarely omitted today.
One Minute Reflection – 27 May – Saint Bede the Venerable (673-735) Confessor, Father and Doctor of the Church – 2 Timothy 4:1-8, Matthew 5:13-19
“You are the salt of the earth” – Matthew 5:13
REFLECTION – “Salt is useful for so many purposes in human life! What need is there to speak about this? Now is the proper time to say why Jesus’ disciples are compared with salt. Salt preserves meats from decaying into stench and worms. It makes them edible for a longer period. They would not last through time and be found useful without salt. So also Christ’s disciples, standing in the way of the stench that comes from the sins of idolatry and fornication; support and hold together, this whole earthly realm.” – Origen Adamantius (c 185-253) Priest, Theologian, Exegist, Writer, Apologist, Father – (Fragment 91).
PRAYER – O God, Who enlightened Your Church with the learning of blessed Bede, Your Confessor and Doctor, graciously grant that Your servants may ever be enlightened by his wisdom and helped by his merits. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
Saint of the Day – 27 May – Saint Bede the Venerable (673-735) Confessor, Priest, Monk, Father and Doctor of the Church (Added by Pope Leo XIII in 1899),
Today, … England brings forward her illustrious son, the Venerable Bede. This humble Monk, whose life was spent in the praise of God, sought his Divine Master in nature and in history but above all in Holy Scripture, which he studied with a loving attention and fidelity to Tradition. He, who was ever a disciple of the ancients, takes his place today among his masters, as a Father and Doctor of the Church.
He thus sums up his own life: “I am a Priest of the Monastery of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul. I was born on their land and ever since my seventh year, I have always lived in their house, observing the Rule, singing day by day in their Church and making it my delight to learn, to teach, or to write. Since I was made a Priest, I have written commentaries on the Holy Scripture for myself and my brethren, using the words of our venerated Fathers and following their method of interpretation. And now, good Jesus, I beseech Thee, Thou Who hast given me in Thy mercy, to drink of the sweetness of Thy Word, grant me now, to attain to the Source, the Fount of Wisdom,and to gaze upon Thee forever and ever.” (Bede, Hist. Eccl. cap. ult.)
The holy death of the servant of God was one of the most precious lessons he left to his disciples. His last sickness lasted fifty days and he spent them, like the rest of his life, in singing the Psalms and in teaching. As the Feast of the Ascension drew near, he repeated over and over again, with tears of joy, the Antiphon: O King of Glory, Who hast ascended triumphantly above the heavens, leave us not orphans but send us the Promise of the Father, the Spirit of Truth. He said to his disciples, in the words of St Ambrose: “I have not lived in such a way, as to be ashamed to live with you but I am not afraid to die, for we have a good Master.” Then returning to his translation of the Gospel of St John and a work, which he had begun, on St Isidore’s Day, he would say: “I do not wish my disciples to be hindered after my death, by error, nor to lose the fruit of their studies.”
On the Tuesday before the Ascension ,he grew worse and it was evident that the end was near. He was full of joy and spent the day in dictating and the night in prayers of thanksgiving. The dawn of Wednesday morning found him urging his disciples to hurry on their work. At the hour of Tierce they left him to take part in the procession made on that day (the last of the Rogation days), with the relics of the Saints. One of them, a youth, who stayed with him, said: “Dear Master, there is but one chapter left; hast thou strength for it?” “It is easy,” he answered with a smile, “take thy pen, cut it and write – but make haste.” At the hour of None, he sent for the Priests of the Monastery and gave them little presents, begging them to remember him at the Altar. All wept. But he was full of joy, saying: “It is time for me, if it so please my Creator, to return to Him Who made me out of nothing, when as yet I was not. My sweet Judge has well ordered my life and now, the time of dissolution is at hand. I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ. Yea, my soul longs to see Christ my King in His beauty.”
So did he pass this last day. Then came the touching dialogue with Wibert, the youth mentioned above. Dear master, there is yet one sentence more. Write quickly. After a moment – “ It is finished,” said the youth. “Thou sayest well,” replied the blessed man. “It is finished. Take my head in thy hands and help me face the Oratory, for it is a great joy to me to see myself facing that holy place where I have so often prayed.” When they had laid him on the floor of his cell, he said: “Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost” and when he had named the Holy Ghost, he yielded up his soul.
St Acculus of Alexandria St Antanansio Bazzekuketta St Barbara Kim St Barbara Yi
St Bruno of Würzburg (c 1005-1045) Bishop Prince, Imperial Chancellor of Italy from 1027 to 1034. Bruno rebuilt the existing Cathedral, constructed many new Churches and improved education, to which purpose he composed a well-known exegesis on the Psalms to which he appended an analysis of ten Biblical hymns, consisting of extracts from the writings of the Church Fathers. Under his direction the Cathedral school flourished. About St Bruno: https://anastpaul.com/2020/05/27/saint-of-the-day-27-may-st-bruno-of-wurzburg-c-1005-1045-bishop-prince/
Bl Dionysius of Semur Bl Edmund Duke St Eutropius of Orange St Evangelius of Alexandria St Frederick of Liège Bl Gausberto of Montsalvy St Gonzaga Gonza St James of Nocera Bl John Hogg St Julius the Veteran and Companions St Liberius of Ancona St Matiya Mulumba Bl Matthias of Nagasaki St Melangell St Ranulphus of Arras St Restituta of Sora and Companions Bl Richard Hill Bl Richard Holiday St Secundus of Troia
Nostra Signora di Caravaggio / Our Lady of Caravaggio, Lombardy, Italy (1432) – 26 May:
Title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary who appeared in an apparition on 26 May 1432 in the countryside outside Caravaggio, Lombardy, Italy. Giannetta de’ Vacchi Varoli was cutting hay in a field when the Virgin appeared. Mary requested penance from and a chapel built by the locals. A new spring of healing water appeared in the hay field. The apparition anniversary became a day of pilgrimage to the Shrine of Santa Maria del Fonte built at the site and devotion to the Madonna of Caravaggio spread through the region and eventually around the world. In 1879, Italians from Lombardy built a chapel for their settlement in southern Brazil. As it was the only sacred art that any of them possessed, they dedicated the Chapel to the Madonna di Caravaggio. Today the shrine hosts over a million pilgrims annually. Patronage – Diocese of Cremona, Italy.
St Alphaeus St Anderea Kaggwa Bl Andrea Franchi St Becan of Cork Bl Berengar of Saint-Papoul St Damian the Missionary St Desiderius of Vienne St Pope Eleuterus St Felicissimus of Todi St Fugatius the Missionary St Gioan Ðoàn Trinh Hoan St Guinizo of Monte Cassino St Heraclius of Todi Bl Lambert Péloguin of Vence
St Odulvald of Melrose St Paulinus of Todi St Peter Sanz St Ponsiano Ngondwe St Priscus of Auxerre and Companions St Quadratus of Africa St Quadratus the Apologist St Regintrudis of Nonnberg St Simitrius of Rome and Companions St Zachary of Vienne
Quote/s of the Day – 25 May – St Madeleine Sophie Barat RSCJ (1779-1865) Virgin, Religious, Foundress of the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
“Our Lord, Who saved the world, through the Cross, will only Work for the good of souls, through the Cross.”
“God does not ask of us, the perfection of tomorrow, nor even of tonight but only, of the present moment. ”
“More is gained by indulgence, than by severity.”
“Let us leave acts, not words. No-one will have time to read us.”
“Give only good example, to the children; never correct them, when out of humour or impatient. We must win them by an appeal to their piety and to their hearts. Soften your reprimands with kind words; encourage and reward them. That is, in short, our way of educating.”
One Minute Reflection – 25 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary” and the Memorial of St Pope Gregory VII (1015-1085) – 1 Peter 5:1-4; 5:10-11., Matthew 16:13-19
“Upon this rock I will build my church” – Matthew 16:18
REFLECTION – “Peter was to receive on deposit, the keys of the Church, or rather the keys of Heaven and, he should see himself entrusted with the numerous people. What did the Lord actually say to him? “Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Mt 16:19). For Peter had a somewhat abrupt character; if he had been without sin what sort of forgiveness would the disciples have received from him? This is why divine grace allowed him to fall into a certain fault, in order that his own trial should make him benevolent towards others. Do you see how God can let someone fall into sin; this Peter, the leader of the Apostles, the unshakable foundation, indestructible rock, first in the Church, impregnable harbour, unshakable tower — this same Peter who had said to Christ: “Even though I should have to die with you, I will not deny you” (Mt 26:35), Peter who, by a divine revelation, had confessed the Truth: “You are the Christ, Son of the Living God” (Mt 16:16). (…) But as I said, God arranged it in this way and allowed Peter to sin because, he had it in mind, to confer numerous people on him and he feared, that his roughness, joined to his impeccability, might make him unsympathetic towards his brothers. He gave way to sin so that, remembering his own failure and the kindness of the Lord, he might testify to others, a grace of philanthropy in accord with the divine design conceived by God. The fall had been permitted, to the one, who was going to see himself entrusted with the Church, the Pillar of the Church, the Harbour of the Faith; the fall had been permitted to Peter, the Doctor of the Universe, in order that, the forgiveness received, might remain the foundation of love for others.” – St John Chrysostom (347-407) Bishop of Constantinople, Father and Doctor of the Church – On the apostle Peter and the prophet Elijah
PRAYER – O God, the strength of those who trust in You, Who fortified blessed Gregory, Your Confessor and Pontiff, with the virtue of firmness to protect the freedom of the Church, grant us, by his example and intercession, bravely to overcome all evil. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
Saint of the Day – 25 May – St Madeleine Sophie Barat RSCJ (1779-1865) Virgin, Religious, Foundress of the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a worldwide religious institute of Teachers. Born on 12 December 1779 at Joigny, France and died on Ascension Thursday, 25 May 1865, aged 85 at Paris, France of natural causes. Patronage – Teachers. Her body is incorupt.
She was a delicate little girl, spoilt, bubbling over with life and intelligence. Born during the night of 13 December 1779 in the little Burgundian town of Joigny in the glimmer from a neighbour’s burning house, she was premature and so frail that she was Baptised at dawn. She was the third child in a family of craftsmen, barrel-makers and vine-growers, who lived comfortably enough, in a small house in the rue du Puits-Chardon (today, 11 rue Davier). When she was seven, she became the pupil of her brother Louis, eleven years her senior. He was teaching in the local college until he was old enough to be able to be Ordained Priest. Under his austere direction, she made astonishing progress in all her subjects, both secular and religious, yet she regretted hardly having time to play with friends her own age, even at the time of the grape harvest and traditional holiday in the country of vineyards! Her family’s Jansenistic severity, might have crushed and destroyed her liveliness but, fortunately, she kept her spontaneous vivacity and joyful character.
During the Revolution, Sophie was a courageous adolescent. She, who so loved study had to work as a seamstress and became an excellent embroidress. She had to be the link between her father, a good workman but illiterate and her mother, more refined, sensitive and cultured. Above all, she had to sustain the courage of her family when her brother was made prisoner by the revolutionaries and only escaped the guillotine by the intervention of providence. It was then that Sophie discovered devotion to the Sacred Heart and now, she put all her trust in the love of Christ.
Still very young, she gave proof of resolve and generosity, when her brother, liberated by the fall of Robespierre, asked her to come to Paris to continue her education. Certainly it cost her dearly to tear herself away from her mother’s tenderness but she was resolved to give herself entirely to God. The Revolution had closed all the Convents and her brother’s offer ,opened to her a way of renunciation and generosity. For five years she lived in Paris, a life of prayer and study, giving herself to catechising the children of the Marais quartier.
In 1800 her brother introduced her to Fr Varin who was trying to establish a congregation of religious women, founded on the spirituality of the Heart of Christ and vowed to education. She had wanted to enter Carmel but the appeal of Fr Varin made her reflect. The exceptional culture she had acquired, the needs of a society that was gradually coming out of the revolutionary torments and which lacked guidelines, were these not signs of the Will of God for her?
On 21 November 1800, in Paris, she made her first religious commitment. A year later, a first community was established at Amiens, of which she was soon named Superior. While for political reasons, the Congregation could only take the name of Society of the Sacred Heart in 1815. II spread gradually, to Grenoble, then to Poitiers where the first noviciate was opened. She was named Superior General at the age of twenty-six. Henceforward, Madeleine Sophie’s life merged with that of the Society of the Sacred Heart, which she governed. She crossed France and Europe, going wherever she was asked to found Boarding Schools. And she insisted on opening a free school, or sometimes an orphanage, alongside each one, to which poor girls came flocking, since at that time, there were no communal schools.
This long religious life from 1800 to 1865 was filled with prayer, work and suffering but also with deep joy.
First, prayer, intense and prolonged for seven hours, day and night sometimes. Faith in the Love of God, manifested in the Heart of Jesus, was so important for her, that what counted was to respond to this Love by adoration and making it known and loved by all, throughout the world.
This prayer animated her immense work and her entire life. To bring up children and young people one must first love them, seek to understand them, respect their budding personality, instruct them in awakening their faculties, exercising their judgement, affirming their will and developing in them, the sense of responsibility. It was in that spirit that she formed the Religious of the Sacred Heart to be Teachers. Her task was varied. She had to open schools, to negotiate with religious and civil authorities, buy or rent property, construct or adapt buildings. She also had to send groups of religious to various places, at a time when these had to assume almost single-handedly, all the tasks of teaching, administration and material work.
Once she had established Convents, she had to visit them. But journeys at that time, by coach hired with much trouble, were long, difficult and sometimes dangerous. There was also, a large correspondence to maintain, so as to keep in touch, advise and encourage. She opened 122 Convents. Several disappeared, suppressed as a result of war, persecution by hostile regimes or simply because, certain foundations had not been wise.
At her death in 1865, 89 of them were flourishing. Thousands of young people were being educated there, by 3,500 religious. These houses were dispersed throughout 16 countries of Europe, Africa, North and South America. In 1818, she had sent St Philippine Duchesne to the United States, where she opened the first schools in very hard conditions and in great poverty.
These results that might make one think of a triumphant development, should not create an illusion – they were only obtained in the midst of great trials and at the price of suffering,: long and repeated illnesses, epidemics which ravaged entire regions, decimating religious and pupils alike. 1350 Religious of the Sacred Heart died before their foundress. Political troubles, revolutions and persecutions, chased the religious from Northern Italy and Switzerland. Mother Barat was also faced with contradictions and even calumnies against herself and her work, dissensions at the interior of the Congregation, as a result of misunderstandings and incomprehension. Twice, from 1809 to 1815 and from 1839 to 1843, crises put in peril the very existence of the Society of the Sacred Heart. Madeleine Sophie rose above them all with her usual weapons – silence, humility and the prayer which united her ever more closely to Jesus Christ. From Him she drew an unshakeable hope and full forgiveness for those who made her suffer.
What can one say of the joys, which, on the other hand lightened her life – her union with God, the approbation and support of the Church, to which she was so deeply attached, the esteem and affection which responded to her loving devotedness, for she had a truly exceptional gift of communion with others and friendship.. She welcomed everyone in the same way – Ecclesiastical dignitaries, Princesses, men distinguished by their culture or their power, workmen, religious, pupils and their parents. She showed so much interest, such a quality of listening and sympathy that one left her conscious of having been understood and comforted. Her preferences were for the poor and the deprived, for whom she always had time, help and delicate attention.
In her old age, the only relaxation she allowed herself, was to see the Junior School of the Rue de Varenne, brought to see her by their mistress. They came across the garden to the Mother House, Boulevard des Invalides and sat round her under a great cedar tree, whence ensued joyous exchanges. Saint Madeleine Sophie listened to them, asked them questions, answered their questions and passed round sweets. It was mutual joy; for the children knew well who loved them.
Saint Madeleine Sophie died in Paris on 25 May, 1865. Ascension Day. She was buried in the cemetery at Conflans. In 1904, when the French Sisters were expelled by the Combes laws, her body was transferred to the Sacred Heart at Jette, Brussels. Since her Beatification in 1908 by St Pius X, her well-preserved body has been exposed in a Shrine. She was Canonised n 24 May 1908 by Pope Pius XI
Since 20 May 1998, her Shrine has been at 31 rue de l’Abondance 1210 Brussels. You can go there to pray to Saint Madeleine Sophie.
Today nearly 4,000 religious try to follow her example and continue her work. All over the world, thousands of pupils, former pupils and all sorts of people, benefit, often without knowing it,, from her influence, her holiness and her love. St Madelein Sophie Barrat, pray for our children, pray for us all! Thanks be to God, amen.
Our Lady the Nea/New Church of the Virgin Mary or New Church of St Mary, Mother of God, built by the Emperor Justinian the Good, Jerusalem (530) – 25 May:
The Abbot Orsini wrote: “Our Lady the Nea or New, at Jerusalem, built by the Emperor Justinian, at Jerusalem, in the year 530.”
The Emperor Justinian the Good, is justifiably famous for many achievements and among them his construction of the magnificent Church of the Holy Wisdom, the Hagia Sophia, which is now a mosque in Istanbul. There was once another Church, though, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, that must have been just as splendid and an architecture wonder, as is, the Hagia Sophia but this magnificent structure was destroyed by an earthquake.
Recent archeological excavations have uncovered the foundations of the Church, but there were also one of Justinian’s court historians, a man named Procopius of Caesarea, who wrote in great detail about the construction of the Nea Church of Our Lady the New, Mother of God:
“These things the Emperor Justinian accomplished by human strength and skill but he was also assisted by his pious faith, which rewarded him with the honour he received and aided him in this cherished plan. The Church required throughout, columns whose appearance would not fall short of the beauty of the building and of such a size, that they could resist the weight of the load which would rest upon them. However, the site itself, being very far from the sea, inland and walled about on all sides by hills, that were quite steep, made it impossible for those who were preparing the foundations to bring columns from outside.
But when the impossibility of this task was causing the Emperor to become impatient, God revealed a natural supply of stone, perfectly suited to this purpose, in the nearby hills, one which had either lain therein concealment previously, or was created at that moment. Either explanation is credible to those who trace the cause of it to God, for while we, in estimating all things by the scale of man’s power, consider many things to be wholly impossible, for God nothing in the whole world can be difficult or impossible. So, the Church is supported on all sides by a number of huge columns from that place, which in colour resemble flames of fire, some standing below and some above and others in the stoas which surround the whole Church, except on the side facing the east.
Two of these columns stand before the door of the Church, exceptionally large and probably second to no column in the whole world. Here is added another colonnaded stoa, which is called the narthex, I suppose because it is not broad. Beyond this is a court with similar columns, standing on the four sides. From this there lead doors to the interior, which are so stately, that they proclaim to those walking outside what kind of sight they will meet within. Beyond there is a wonderful gateway and an arch, carried on two columns, which rises to a very great height. Then as one advances, there are two semi-circles which stand facing each other on one side of the road which leads to the Church, while facing each other on the other side, are two hospices, built by the Emperor Justinian. One of these is destined for the shelter of visiting strangers, while the other is an infirmary for poor persons suffering from diseases.”
Ruins of the Columns
Archaeologists working in the region near Jerusalem, believe they have found this miraculous quarry. They have found a stone pillar that was cracked and, therefore, not used, in a field of similar stones. Although the field cannot be linked to the Nea, it does seem to prove, that the stone for the Church was available for the project.
Recent archeology confirms that the Church was very large for the time, at over 100 meters long and 52 meters wide and probably had 5 aisles. St Antoninus of Piacenza, who visited the Basilica in about 570, wrote: “with its great congregations of Monks and its guest houses for men and women. In catering for travellers, they have a vast number of tables and more than three thousand beds for the sick!”
. In 1977, archeologists, led by Professor Nachman Avigad, found a large Greek inscription above a Cross that confirmed that construction of the Church was attributed to the generosity of Emperor Justinian. At that time, a corner of the Church, outside the Old City walls, was incorporated into the Beth Shalom Garden. In the following years, investigative and preservation work continued and in 1988 the restored vaults were incorporated into the Garden of Redemption.
Emperor Justinian the Good
St Pope Gregory VII (1015-1085) Confessor, Bishop of Rome 22 April 1073 to his death in 1085, Monk, Priest, Reformer, Administrator, Adviser. Pope Gregory “was probably the most energetic and determined man ever to occupy the See of Peter and was driven by an almost mystically exalted vision of the awesome responsibility and dignity of the papal office” (Eamonn Duffy, Saints and Sinners: A History of the Popes). Biography: https://anastpaul.com/2018/05/25/saint-of-the-day-25-may-st-pope-gregory-vii-c-1015-1085/
St Agustin Caloca St Aldhelm of Sherborne Bl Antonio Caixal Bl Bartolomeo Magi di Amghiari St Canio St Cristobal Magallanes Jara St Denis Ssebuggwawo St Dionysius of Milan St Dunchadh of Iona St Egilhard of Cornelimünster Bl Gerardo Mecatti St Gerbald St Injuriosus of Auvergne St Iosephus Chang Song-Jib Bl James Bertoni Bl Juan of Granada St Leo of Troyes St Madeleine Sophie Barat RSCJ (1779-1865) Virgin, Religious, Foundress of the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. St Matthêô Nguyen Van Ðac Phuong St Maximus of Evreux Bl Nicholas Tsehelsky St Pasicrates of Dorostorum Bl Pedro Malasanch St Pherô Ðoàn Van Vân St Scholastica of Auvergne St Senzio of Bieda St Urban I, Pope St Valentio of Dorostorum St Victorinus of Acquiney St Winebald of Saint Bertin St Worad of Saint Bertin St Zenobius of Florence
Saint of the Day – 24 May – Blessed Philip of Piacenza OSA (Died 1306) Priest of the Order of the Hermits of St Augustine. Ascetic, Penitent, Miracle-worker.
Blessed Philip, a contemporary of St Nicholas of Tolentino OSA (1245-1305), was one of those who bore witness to the tradition of holiness, which the Order has had since its very beginnings.
The Anonymous Florentine in A Brief Life of Some Hermit Friars, offers the following information concerning Philip:
Friar Philip, who spent his ministry in the City of Piacenza, Italy, practiced an admirable asceticism. For he used an iron breastplate to subdue his flesh, instead of the wool or haircloth employed by other servants of God. It was, therefore, fitting for God to work miracles on his behalf. I heard what I am narrating from Friar Albertino of Cumi, who actually experienced it. More than once when I was a student at Genoa, he told me how he had recovered from a severe fever by commending himself to both the renowned miracle worker, Friar Philip and our Patron, Saint Augustine.
Friar Philip also freed Master William of Cremona, the present Prior General of the Order, from an infirmity of the leg. And he conferred the blessing of health on many other sick people, especially those suffering from melancholy. All this is well known at the Augustinian Monastery in Piacenza.
Philip lived and worked in the Augustinian Monastery of Saint Lawrence in Piacenza, Italy. After his death on 24 May 1306, the people remembered him and celebrated his memory. Since the suppression of religious houses in 1808, his body has been preserved and venerated, in the Cathedral Church of Piacenza.
Our Lady of China: Our Lady of China is a title for the Virgin Mary in China who is believed to have appear at the small village of Donglu in 1900. In Chinese she is called Zhōnghuá Shèngmǔ. She is also known as Our Lady of Donglu.
St Afra of Brescia Bl Benedict of Cassino
St David, King of Scotland (1085-1183) King David was a social and religious Reformer, a man of great administrative skills, apostle of charity and of holy piety. He transformed his Kingdom by the widespread introduction of Catholic Churches and Monasteries, thus also assisting in the international diplomatic influence of his country, it’s farming and agricultural wealth and it’s education. He was the main force and instrument of God in Christianising Scotland. St David’s life: https://anastpaul.com/2020/05/24/saint-of-the-day-24-may-st-david-king-of-scotland-1085-1183/
Bl Diego Alonso St Donatian of Nantes St Gennadius of Astroga St Hubert of Bretigny St Joanna the Myrrhbearer Bl John del Prado Bl John of Montfort Bl Juan of Huete Bl Louis-Zéphirin Moreau St Manahen St Marciana of Galatia St Meletius the Soldier Bl Nicetas of Pereslav St Palladia St Patrick of Bayeux Blessed Philip of Piacenza OSA (Died 1306) Priest of the Order of the Hermits of St Augustine St Rogatian of Nantes St Sérvulo of Trieste St Simeon Stylites the Younger
St Susanna Martyr (Died 2nd Century) One of a group of wives of 2nd century Martyred soldiers under the command of Saint Meletius. Following the death of the soldiers, the wives and children were Martyred, as well.
Bl Thomas Vasière St Vincent of Lérins St Vincent of Porto Romano
Martyrs of Istria: A group of early Martyrs in the Istria peninsula. We know little more than some names – Diocles, Felix, Servilius, Silvanus and Zoëllus.
Martyrs of Plovdiv: 38 Christians Martyred together in the persecutions of Diocletian and Maximian. We don’t even known their names. They were beheaded in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
Saint of the Day – 23 May – Saint Desiderius of Langres (c 307-c 356) Martyr, the Third Bishop of Langres, France. St Desiderius is a Cephalophores (one who picks up his head, after being beheaded and walks). Born in c 307 in Genoa, Italy and died by being beheaded in c 356 near Langres, France. Patronages – of the City and Diocese of Langres, of difficult or impossible situations, he is invoked for assistance for those seeking the truth, of Assago and Castelnuovo Scrivia both towns in Italy. Also known as – Desiderius of Genoa, Desiderio of…, Dizier of…, Didier of…, Désiré of… Additional Memorial – 19 January (translation of his relics).
The Roman Martyrology reads: “Near Langres in Lugdunense Gaul, now in France, the passion of St Desiderius, offering himself serenely for the good of the flock entrusted to him.”
Desiderius occupies the third place in the list of Bishops of Langres, it seems he was a native of the surroundings of Genoa and miraculously appointed to the Episcopal See of Langres.
A cleric from the aforementioned City named Varnacario, wrote an account of his Martyrdom at the beginning of the seventh century, based on local traditions. According to this account by Varnacario, the Bishop Desiderius was beheaded during an invasion of the Vandals in which he offered himself to save his flock.
A legend says that after his beheading, the holy Bishop, like so many other cephalophores, picked up his head and returned to the City, through a crack in the rock that had opened to let him pass, this opening is still shown today.
The City of Langres also remembers him on 19 January, the anniversary of the transfer of the relics of St Desiderius which occurred in 1315. His cult spread, not only in France but also in Italy, Switzerland, Germany. He is the Patron Saint of the City of Langres and many Churches in the Diocese are dedicated to him. His tomb was kept in a Benedictine Priory in the centre of the City.
In 1354, a famous brotherhood apostolate was founded in his honour to which Kings and Princes belonged. St Desiderius is invoked as a witness to the truth of the oaths and as a protector in difficult situations.
Rogation Day: Rogation Days are days of prayer and fasting in the Church. They are observed with processions and the praying of the Litany of the Saints. The major Rogation is held on 25 April, the minor Rogations are held on Monday to Wednesday, preceding Ascension Thursday. The word Rogation comes from the Latin verb rogare, meaning “to ask,” which reflects the beseeching of God, for the appeasement of His anger and for protection from calamities. Rogation Days began in the Fifth Century in France by St Mamertus (Died c 477) Archbishop of Vienne. His Life here: https://anastpaul.com/2019/05/11/saint-of-the-day-11-may-st-mamertus-died-c-475/
St Basileus of Braga St Desiderius of Langres (c 307-c 356) Bishop Martyr St Epitacius of Tuy St Euphebius of Naples St Eutychius of Valcastoria St Florentius of Valcastoria St Goban Gobhnena
Martyrs of Béziers: 20 Mercedarian Friars murdered by Huguenots for being Catholic. Martyrs. 1562 at the Mercedarian convent at Béziers, France.
Martyrs of Cappadocia: A group of Christians tortured and Martyred in the persecutions of Diocletian and Galerius. Their names and the details of their lives have not come down to us. They were crushed to death in c.303 in Cappadocia (in modern Turkey).
Martyrs of Carthage: When a civil revolt erupted in Carthage in 259 during a period of persecution by Valerian, the procurator Solon blamed it on the Christians, and began a persecution of them. We know the names and a few details about 8 of these martyrs – Donatian, Flavian, Julian, Lucius, Montanus, Primolus, Rhenus and Victorius. They were beheaded in 259 at Carthage (modern Tunis, Tunisia).
Martyrs of Mesopotamia: A group of Christians Martyred in Mesopotamia in persecutions by imperial Roman authorities. Their names and the details of their lives have not come down to us. They were suffocated over a slow fire in Mesopotamia.
Martyrs of North Africa: A group of 19 Christians Martyred together in the persecutions of the Arian Vandal King Hunneric for refusing to deny the Trinity. We know little more than a few of their names – Dionysius, Julian, Lucius, Paul and Quintian. c 430.
Saint of the Day – 22 May – St Basiliscus of Pontus (Died c 310) Martyr, Bishop of Comana in Pontus, Asia Minor (in modern Turkey) Died by beheading in c 310 in Comana, Pontus (in modern Turkey). Also known as – Basiliscus of Pontus, Basilicus, Basilisco.
The Roman Martyrology reads: “At Comana, in Pontus, under the Emperor Maximian and the Governor Agrippa, the holy Martyr Basiliscus, who was forced to wear iron shoes, pierced with heated nails and endured many other trials. Being at last decapitated and thrown into a river, he obtained the glory of Martyrdom.”
In our earliest sources Basiliscus is said to have announced in a vision at Comana, to the dying St John Chrysostom, the latter’s immediate entry into Heaven and to lead him home and to have identified himself as a Bishop of Comana, Martyred at Nicomedia under Maximian at about the same time as St Lucian of Antioch (who is reported by Eusebius to have been Martyred in 312 under Maximinus Daia).
In the seventh- or eighth-century Vitas of St John Chrysostom ascribed to George of Alexandria Basiliscus, makes the same appearance but identifies himself as a military Martyr. In this latter construction, he has a legendary Greek-language Passio, making him a Martyr at Comana under Maximian. In this version, Basiliscus was brought to a pagan temple to perform ritual sacrifice, which resulted, both in the temple’s being set afire by lightning and in the destruction of its idols, after which he was executed on this day, by decapitation and his body was thrown into the river Iris. Christians secretly retrieved the Saint’s remains and buried them in a freshly plowed field, where later a Martyrion or Shrine, was built in his honour. Thus far Basiliscus’ own Passio.
A related account under today’s date in a Byzantine menologion (the Greek version of the Martyrology) specifies, that he had been tortured by being forced to wear iron shoes studded with red-hot nails.
St Aigulf of Bourges St Atto of Pistoia St Aureliano of Pavia St Ausonius of Angoulême St Baoithin of Ennisboyne St Basiliscus of Pontus (Died c 310) Bishop
St Boethian of Pierrepont St Castus the Martyr St Conall of Inniscoel Bl Diego de Baja Bl Dionisio Senmartin St Emilius the Martyr St Faustinus the Martyr St Francisco Salinas Sánchez St Fulgencio of Otricoli Bl Fulk of Castrofurli Bl Giacomo Soler Bl Giusto Samper St Helen of Auxerre
St Lupo of Limoges St Marcian of Ravenna St Margaret of Hulme Bl Pedro of the Assumption St Quiteria St Romanus of Subiaco St Timothy the Martyr St Venustus the Martyr
Martyred in Japan John Baptist Machado Matthias of Arima Pedro of the Assumption
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: • Blessed Francisco Salinas Sánchez • Blessed José Quintas Durán
Saint of the Day – 21 May – Saint Godric of Finchale (c 1070-1170) Hermit, Merchant, Pilgrim, Hymnist, Spiritual Advisor to Saints, both great and small, friend of all animals. Born in c 1070 at Walpole, Norfolk, England and died in 1170 at Finchale, County Durham, England of natural causes, Also known as – Godrick
Godric’s life was recorded by a his contemporary, a Monk named Reginald of Durham. Several other Hagiographies are also extant. According to these accounts, Godric, who began from humble beginnings as the son of Ailward and Edwenna, “both of slender rank and wealth but abundant in righteousness and virtue,” was a pedlar, then a sailor and entrepreneur and may have been the captain and owner of the ship which conveyed King Baldwin I of Jerusalem to Jaffa in 1102.
After years at sea, Godric went to the Island of Lindisfarne and there experienced a vision of St Cuthbert. This encounter changed his life and, thereafter, he devoted himself to Christianity and service to God.
After many pilgrimages around the Mediterranean, Godric returned to England and lived with an elderly hermit named Aelric for two years. Upon Aelric’s death, Godric made one last pilgrimage to Jerusalem and then returned home, where he convinced Ranulf Flambard, the Bishop of Durham, to grant him a place to live as a Hermit at Finchale near the Monastery, by the River Wear. He had previously served as doorkeeper, the lowest of the minor orders, at the hospital Church of nearby St Giles Hospital in Durham. He is recorded to have lived at Finchale for the final sixty three years of his life, occasionally meeting with visitors approved by the Prior of Finchale Monaster, under whose care and obedience he lived and died. A Monk of that house was his Confessor, said Mass for him and administered him the Sacraments in a Chapel adjoining to his cell, which the holy man had built in honour of St John the Baptist.
Finchale Monastery today
As the years passed, his reputation grew, and St Thomas à Becket (Martyr) (1118-1170) and Pope Alexander III, both reportedly sought Godric’s advice as a wise and holy man.
Reginald of Durham.describes Godric’s physical attributes:
For he was vigorous and strenuous in mind, whole of limb and strong in body. He was of middle stature, broad-shouldered and deep-chested, with a long face, grey eyes most clear and piercing, bushy brows, a broad forehead, long and open nostrils, a nose of comely curve and a pointed chin. His beard was thick and longer than the ordinary, his mouth well-shaped, with lips of moderate thickness, in youth, his hair was black, in age as white as snow; his neck was short and thick, knotted with veins and sinews; his legs were somewhat slender, his instep high, his knees hardened and horny with frequent kneeling; his whole skin rough beyond the ordinary, until all this roughness was softened by old age.
This Statue resides at the Church named in his honour
For several years before his death, Godric was confined to his bed by sickness and old age. Father William of Newburgh OSA, Augustinian Priest and Historian, who visited him during that time, tells us that although his body appeared in a manner dead, his tongue was ever repeating the sacred names of the Three Divine Persons and, in his countenance, there appeared a wonderful dignity, accompanied with an unusual grace and sweetness. Having remained in his desert for sixty-three years, he was seized with his last illness and happily departed to his Lord on the 21st of May, 1170,
His body was buried in the Chapel of St John Baptist. Many miracles confirmed the opinion of his sanctity and a little Chapel was built in his memory by Richard, brother to Hugh Pidsey, Bishop of Durham.
St Godric is often remembered for his affinity with and kindness toward animals and many stories recall his protection of the creatures, who lived near his forest home. According to one of these, he hid a stag from pursuing hunters; according to another, he even allowed snakes to warm themselves by his fire.
Godric lived on a diet of herbs, wild honey, acorns, crab-apples and nuts. He slept on the bare ground.
Reginald of Durham recorded four hymns of St Godric. They are the oldest hymns in English for which the original musical settings survive. Reginald describes the circumstances in which Godric learnt the first hymn. In a vision, the Virgin Mary appeared to Godric “two maidens of surpassing beauty clad in shining white raiments,” at her side. They pledged to come to his aid in times of need and the Virgin herself, taught Godric a hymn of consolation, to overcome grief or temptation Saintë Marië Virginë.
The novel Godric (1981) by Frederick Buechner is a fictional retelling of his life and travels. It was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize.
Church of Our Lady of Mercy and St Godric of Finchale in Durham
St Adalric of Bèze Bl Adilio Daronch St Ageranus of Bèze St Ansuinus of Bèze St Antiochus of Caesarea Philippi
St Bairfhion of Killbarron St Berard of Bèze St Collen of Denbighshire
St Constantine the Great St Donatus of Caesarea St Eutychius of Mauretania
St Genesius of Bèze St Godric of Finchale (c 1070-1170) Hermit Bl Hemming of Åbo St Hospitius St Isberga of Aire Bl Jean Mopinot Bl Lucio del Rio St Mancio of Évora Bl Manuel Gómez González St Nicostratus of Caesarea Philippi
St Polieuctus of Caesarea St Polius of Mauretania St Restituta of Corsica St Rodron of Bèze St Secundinus of Cordova St Secundus of Alexandria St Serapion the Sindonite St Sifrard of Bèze Bl Silao St Synesius St Theobald of Vienne St Theopompus St Timothy of Mauretania St Valens of Auxerre St Vales St Victorius of Caesarea
Martyrs of Egypt: Large number of Bishops, Priests, Deacons and lay people banished when the Arian heretics seized the diocese of Alexandria, Egypt in 357 and drove out Saint Athanasius and other orthodox Christians. Many were old, many infirm and many, many died of abuse and privations while on the road and in the wilderness. Very few survived to return to their homes in 361 when Julian the Apostate recalled all Christians and then many of those later died in the persecutions of Julian.
Martyrs of Pentecost in Alexandria: An unspecified number of Christian clerics and lay people who, on Pentecost in 338, were rounded up by order of the Arian bishop and Emperor Constantius and were either killed, or exiled, for refusing to accept Arian teachings. 339 in Alexandria, Egypt.
Martyrs of Caesarea Philippi Antiochus Nicostratus
Martyrs of Mauretania Eutychius Polius Timothy Monks of Tibhirine Célestin Ringeard Christian de Chergé Christian Lemarchand Christophe Lebreton Michel Fleury Paul Dochier Paul Favre-Miville
Quote/s of the Day – 20 May – The Memorial of St Bernadine of Siena OFM (1380-1444) Confessor
“Was it not through the brilliance and sweet savour of this Name, that God called us into His marvelous light?”“
Jesus, Name Full of Glory By St Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444)
Jesus, Name full of Glory, Grace, Love and Strength! You are the Refuge of those who repent, our Banner of Warfare in this life, the Medicine of souls, the Comfort of those who mourn, the Delight of those who believe, the Light of those who preach the True Faith, the Wages of those who toil, the Cure of the sick. To You our devotion aspires, by You our prayers are received; we delight in contemplating You. O Name of Jesus, You are the Glory of all the Saints for Eternity. Amen
One Minute Reflection – 20 May – The Memorial of St Bernadine of Siena OFM (1380-1444) Confessor – Ecclesiasticus 31:8-11, Matthew 19:27-29.
“And everyone who has left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for My Name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold and shall possess life everlasting.” – Matthew 19:29
REFLECTION – “Seek for nothing, desiring to enter for love of Jesus, with detachment, emptiness and poverty in everything in this world. You will never have to do with necessities greater than those to which you made your heart yield itself – for the poor in spirit are most happy and joyful in a state of privation and he who has set his heart on nothing, finds satisfaction everywhere.
The poor in spirit (Mt 5:3) give generously all they have and their pleasure consists in being thus deprived of everything for God’s sake and out of love to their neighbour … Not only do temporal goods – the delights and tastes of the senses – hinder and thwart the way of God but spiritual delights and consolations also, if sought for or clung to eagerly, disturb the way of virtue.” – St John of the Cross (1542-1591) Carmelite, Doctor of the Church (Spiritual maxims, nos. 352, 355,356, 364; 1693 edition).
PRAYER – O Lord Jesus, Who bestowed on blessed Bernardine, Your Confessor, an unusual love for Your Holy Name, we beseech You, by his merits and intercession, graciously pour upon us the spirit of Your love. Who lives and reigns with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
Saint of the Day – 20 May – St Austregisilus of Bourges (c 551-624) Bishop of Bourges from 612 to 624. Priest, Monk, Abbot Born in c 551 in Bourges, France and died in 624 of natural causes. Patronage – Bourges, France. Also known as – Aoustrille, Austregesilio, Outril, Outrille.
Austregisilus was born of noble but not very wealthy parentsin Bourges and when he was about 24, he was sent to live at the Court of King Saint Guntram (died c 592).
There, according to his Vita, he was falsely accused of forging an authorisation for one of the Courtiers and was ordered to fight a duel to prove his innocence.
By Divine intervention, it is reported, his slanderer was kicked to death by his own horse on the morning the ordeal.
Austregisilus then left the Court, became a Monk and a Priest and was appointed Abbot of St Nicetius Monastery in Lyon.
He was Consecrated Bishop of Bourges on 13 February 612. In October 614 he attended a Synod which met at Paris and his name appears eighth in the list of 79 Bishops who signed the Decrees.
He is reported to have granted a hermitage at Bourges to St Amandus, who became his disciple and later became the zealous and effective missionary to Flanders, known as the “Apostle of Belgium.” He Ordained St Sulpitius the Pious as cleric of his Church, then Deacon and Priest and appointed him Director of his Episcopal school and finally his successor as Bishop of Bourges.
The French villages of Saint-Outrille and Saint-Aoustrille are named after him.
St Abercius Bl Albert of Bologna St Alexander of Edessa St Althryda St Anastasius of Brescia St Aquila of Egypt Bl Arnaldo Serra and Companions St Asterius of Edessa St Austregisilus of Bourges (c 551-624) Bishop St Basilla of Rome St Baudelius of Nîmes St Codrato
St Plautilla of Rome St Protasius Chong Kuk-bo St Rafaél García Torres St Talaleo of Egea St Thalalaeus of Edessa St Theodore of Pavia St Tomás Valera González
One Minute Reflection – 19 May – The Memorial of St Peter Celestine (1210-1296) Pope and Confessor – 1 Peter 5:1-4; 5:10-11, Matthew 16:13-19
“Upon this rock I will build my church” … Matthew 16:18
REFLECTION – “Nothing escaped the Wisdom and Power of Christ, the elements of nature lay at His service, spirits obeyed Him, Angels served Him. … And yet, out of all the world, Peter alone was chosen to stand at the head, for the calling of all the peoples and the oversight of all the Apostles and Fathers of the Church. Thus, even though there are many Priests and shepherds among the People of God, Peter governed them all in person, while Christ also governs them in the capacity of Head. …
The Lord asks all the Apostles what people think of Him and they all say the same thing, so long as they are making known the doubts deriving from human ignorance. But when the Lord demands to know, what the disciples themselves think, the first to confess the Lord, is he, who is the first in dignity of the Apostles. As he had said: “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God,” Jesus answers him: “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.” That is to say, blessed are you because my Father taught this to you. Earthly opinion has not led you astray but it is heavenly inspiration that has instructed you. It is not flesh and blood that enabled you to discover Me but He, Whose only Son I am.
“And so I say to you,” that is to say- just as my Father has manifested My Divinity to you, so, I Am making known your superiority to you. “You are Peter” namely, I am the unshakeable Rock, the Cornerstone who makes two peoples one (Eph 2:14), the foundation other than which, no-one can lay any other (1 Cor 3:11). But you also, you are rock, since you are impregnable by My Strength and, what I have by virtue of My Power, you have in common with Me, by the fact,, that you participate in it. “On this rock I will build my Church” … On the firmness of this foundation, He says, will I build an everlasting temple and my Church, whose summit is to reach to Heaven, will be raised on the strength of that faith.” … Saint Pope Leo the Great (400-461) Father and Doctor of the Church ( 4th sermon for the Anniversary of his Conse
PRAYER – O God, Who raised blessed Peter Celestine to the lofty dignity of Supreme Pontiff and taught him to prefer self-abasement instead; mercifully grant that by his example, we may look upon all worldly things as naught and may be worthy, to reap in joy, the rewards promised to the humble. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
Saint of the Day – 19 May – Saint Dunstan of Canterbury (909-988) Bishop of London, Worcester then Archbishop of Canterbury, Priest, Monk, Abbot. As Abbot, he was the principal agent in the restoration of English monasticism, following the devastation of the Viking invasions. He was renowned as a great Scholar, Painter, Musician and Metalsmith, Writer and Poet, as well as being a Counsellor of Kings and a zealous reforming Bishop. Born in 909 at Baltonsborough, Glastonbury, England and died on 19 May 988 at Canterbury, England of natural causes. Patronages – Armourers, blacksmiths, the blind and sight-impaired, bell-ringers, goldsmiths, silversmiths, jewellers, lighthouse keepers, locksmiths, musicians, swordsmiths, Diocese of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada.
St Dunstan was the son of Heorstan, Anglo-Saxon nobleman, born in the early 10th century near Glastonbury during the reign of King Athelstan. Northern Europe and the British Isles had been under attack and conquest from the Danes and Vikings for several centuries and many coastal communities and monasteries, had been destroyed by the invaders. As a young boy he was introduced to the Irish scholars who visited the renowned Monastery at Glastonbury.
After recovering from a near fatal illness, beloved to be leprosy, he pursued his studies with a zeal for knowledge and artistic skills. He became well known for his devotion and was summoned by his uncle Athelm, Archbishop of Canterbury, to enter his service. He soon became a favourite of King Aethelstan which aroused the envy of the King’s Court. St. Dunstan was accused of studying magic and heathen literature and was attacked by his enemies who bound, gagged him and threw him into a filthy pit . He escaped to Winchester and entered the service of the Bishop, another uncle, St Alphege. Following an illness caused by his treatment at Court, he was persuaded by his uncle to become a Monk.
Following his Ordination to the Priesthood by his uncle in 934, he returned to Glastonbury and built a cell alongside the Church of St Mary. His cell was tiny only 5 feet (150 cms) long by 2ft 6ins(75 cms) wide. At this time, the devil tempted him but Dunstan seized Satan’s face with his smith’s tongs.
In 940 after the death of King Aethelstan, he was summoned by the new King, Eadmund and appointed a Counsellor but again he was driven from the Court by jealous courtiers. After narrowly escaping death while hunting, the King remembered the harsh treatment that Dunstan had received at Court. At Glastonbury, he took St Dunstan by the hand, gave him a kiss of peace and led him to the Abbot’s throne.
In his position as Abbot of Glastonbury, St Dunstan set about recreating the monastic life and rebuilding the Abbey. He rebuilt the Church of St Peter, the cloister and reestablished the monastic enclosure. Only two years later, King Eadmond was assassinated, and was succeeded by Eadred. As Abbot of Glastonbury, Dunstan was appointed Guardian of the Royal treasure. The new King encouraged the spread of Christian devotion and observance and the expulsion of heathendom. Dunstan became deeply involved in secular politics and incurred the enmity of the West Saxon nobles, for denouncing their immorality and for urging peace with the Danes.
In 955, Eadred died and was succeeded by Eadwig. Different from his predecessor he was under the influence of two unprincipled women. After the coronation, Dunstan discovered the King with his two harlots and was again forced to flee from the Court in exile. He took refuge at a Benedictine Monastery in Ghent. He stayed in Ghent for a year, during which time he came into contact with the reformed continental monasticism which was to inspire his vision of Benedictine perfection.
In 957, the nobles, unable to endure the excesses of King Eadwig, drove him out. His successor Eadgar, asked St Dunstan to return and appointed him Archbishop of Worchester In the following year, the See of London became vacant and was conferred on Dunstan, who held it simultaneously with Worcester.
One of Eadwig’s final acts had been to appoint a successor to Archbishop Oda of Canterbury, who died on 2 June 958. The chosen candidate was Ælfsige of Winchester but he died of cold in the Alps as he journeyed to Rome to receive the Pallium. In his place. Eadwig then nominated the Bishop of Wells, Byrhthelm. However, as soon as Edgar became King, he reversed this second choice on the ground that Byrhthelm had not been able to govern even his first Diocese in a successful manner. The Archbishopric was then conferred on Dunstan.
In 960, Dunstan journeyed to Rome to receive the Pallium from Pope John XII. On his journey there, Dunstan’s acts of charity were so lavish as to leave nothing for himself and his attendants. His steward complained but Dunstan replied that they trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and all would be well..
On his return from Rome, Dunstan at once regained his position as virtual prime minister of the Kingdom. By his advice, Ælfstan was appointed to the Bishopric of London and Oswald, to that of Worcester. In 963, Æthelwold, the Abbot of Abingdon, was appointed to the See of Winchester. With their aid and with the ready support of King Edgar, Dunstan was able to implement his reforms in the English Church. The Monks were taught to live in a spirit of self-sacrifice and Dunstan actively enforced the law of celibacy. He forbade the practices of simony (selling ecclesiastical offices for money) and ended the custom of clerics appointing relatives to offices under their jurisdiction. New Monasteries were built and in some of the great Cathedrals, Monks took the place of the Secular Canons and Canons were obliged to live according to rule. The Parish Priests were compelled to be qualified for their office; they were urged to teach Parishioners not only the truths of the Christian faith but als, trades to improve their lives. The state saw reforms as well. Good order was maintained throughout the realm and there was respect for the law. Trained bands policed the north and a navy guarded the shores from Viking raids. There was a level of peace in the Kingdom unknown in living memory.
Dunstan’s influence under the new Monarch began to wane and he retired to Canterbury. His retirement at Canterbury consisted of long hours, both day and night, spent in private prayer, as well as his regular attendance at Mass and the daily Office. He visited the Shrines of St Augustine and St Æthelberht, and there are reports of a vision of angels who sang to him heavenly canticles. He worked to improve the spiritual and temporal well-being of his people, to build and restore Churches, to establish schools, to judge suits, to defend widows and orphans, to promote peace and to enforce respect for purity. He practised his crafts, made bells and organs and collated the books in the Cathedral library. He encouraged and protected European scholars who came to England, and was active as a Teacher in the Cathedral school.
On the Vigil of Ascension Day 988, it is recorded that a vision of angels warned he would die in three days. On the Feast day of Ascension itself, Dunstan celebrated Holy Mass and preached three times to the faithful. In this last address, he announced his impending death and wished his congregation well. That afternoon he chose the spot for his tomb, then went to his bed. His strength failed rapidly and on Saturday morning, 19 May, he caused the Clergy to assemble. Mass was celebrated in his presence, then he received Extreme Unction and the Viaticum and died. Dunstan’s final words are reported to have been, “He hath made a remembrance of His wonderful works, being a merciful and gracious Lord: He hath given food to them that fear Him.“
The English people accepted him as a Saint shortly thereafter. He was formally Canonised in 1029 Pope John XIX. That year, at the Synod of Winchester, St Dunstan’s feast was ordered to be kept solemnly throughout England
English literature contains many references to St Dunstan, for example, in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens and in this folk rhyme:
St Dunstan, as the story goes, Once pull’d the devil by the nose With red-hot tongs, which made him roar, That he was heard three miles or more.
Another story relates how Dunstan nailed a horseshoe to the Devil’s hoof when he was asked to re-shoe the Devil’s horse. This caused the Devil great pain and Dunstan only agreed to remove the shoe and release the Devil, after he promised never to enter a place where a horseshoe is over the door. This is the origin of the lucky horseshoe. Until St Thomas Becket’s fame overshadowed Dunstan’s, St Dunstan was the most popular Saint in England for nearly two centuries, having gained fame for the many stories of his greatness, not least among which, were those concerning his famed cunning in defeating the Devil. Eighteen Churches in England are named after St Dunstan, including two famous ones in the City of London, as well as a number of schools, hospitals and other institutions, including the Charity established to help those blinded as a result of war.
Dunstan had been buried in his Cathedral and when that building was destroyed by a fire in 1074, his relics were translated by Archbishop St Lanfranc to a tomb on the south side of the High Altar, in the rebuilt Canterbury Cathedral. The Monks of Glastonbury used to claim, that during the sack of Canterbury by the Danes in 1012, Dunstan’s body had been carried ,for safety, to their Abbey. This story was disproved by Archbishop William Warham, who opened the tomb at Canterbury in 1508. They found Dunstan’s relics still to be there. Within a century, however, his s=Shrine was destroyed during the English Reformation.
BEFORE YOU ASK: _ I have been unsuccessful in ascertaining the reason for St Dunstan’s Patronage of the Blind. All I have so far found is the result of his Patronage – the worldwide organisations under his Patronage which are dedicated to the care and assistance of the blind and sight-impaired. I will keep trying.
The image below is from the Manuscript known as the “Glastonbury Classbook” – it is a portrait of Christ,and the Monk kneeling beside Him is believed to be a self-portrait of St Dunstan. The text beside the Monk says: “Dunstanum memet clemens rogo, Christe, tuere / Tenarias me non sinas sorbsisse procellas” (‘I ask, merciful Christ, that You protect me, Dunstan; do not permit the Taenarian storms to swallow me‘). Then the Statue of St Dunstan beneath the above, is on his tomb in Canterbury Cathedral and shows him holding the Glastonbury Classbook – how lovely!
St Crispin of Viterbo St Cyriaca of Nicomedia and Companions St Cyril of Trèves St Dunstan of Canterbury (909-988) Bishop of London, Worcester then Archbishop of Canterbury St Evonio of Auvergne
Saint of the Day – 18 May – Saint Eric of Sweden (c 1120-1161) King of Sweden, Martyr, Confessor, Defender of the oppressed. Born in c 1120 and died on 18 May 1161 at Uppsala, Sweden by being beheaded as he left Holy Mass. Patronages – Sweden, the Capital of Sweden, Stockholm and of farmers. Also known as – Henry of Sweden, Eric The Lawgiver, Eric IX.
The only full account of Eric’s life is a Hagiographic dating from the late 13th century. It writes that Eric was of royal blood and was unanimously chosen King of Sweden. It also states that Eric reigned for ten years, which would put the beginning of his reign in c 1150. If this is correct ,he would have been a rival King to Sverker I, who had ascended the throne in c. 1132 and was murdered in 1156. At any rate, it is assumed that Eric was recognised in most Provinces after 1156. While his paternity is obscure, there is good evidence, that he strengthened his claims to the throne, by marriage to the Danish princess Christina Björnsdotter, a granddaughter of King Inge the Elder. They were blessed with four children.
Eric did much to consolidate Christianity in his realm. The only reliable source mentioning his reign is a Cistercian chronicle from c 1200. Quite contrary to the impression of pro-clerical policy of the Eric Hagiography, it says that King Eric and Queen Christina harassed the Monks of Varnhem Abbey in Västergötland. Some Monks left for Denmark where Vitskøl Abbey was founded in 1158. After this, however, Eric and Christina changed their stance and allowed Varnhem to be reorganised under Abbot Gerhard of Alvastra Abbey. An early 13th-century source adds that he made donations to Nydala Abbey in Småland.
Eric is attributed with the initial spread of the Church and the Christian faih into Finland, “which at this time was pagan and did Sweden great harm.” In an effort to conquer and convert the Finns, he led the First Swedish Crusade east of the Baltic Sea. “Then Eric the Saint asked the people of Finland to accept Christianity and make peace with him. But when they refused to accept it, he fought against them and conquered them by the sword, avenging the blood of the Christian men which they had spilled often and for a long time. And when he had scored such an honourable victory he prayed to God, falling on his knees with tears in his eyes. Then one of his good men asked why he cried, since he should rejoice over the honourable victory ,which he had won over the enemies of Jesus Christ and the holy faith. He then replied: I am happy and praise God since He gave us victory. But I greatly regret that so many souls were lost today, who could have gained eternal life if they had accepted Christianity.” Eric persuaded an English Bishop sT Henry of Uppsala to remain in Finland to evangelise the Finns, later becoming a martyr too.
Eric is portrayed as the ideal of a just ruler, who supported those who were oppressed by the mighty and expelled the rude and unfair from his Kingdom. He was responsible for codifying the laws of his Kingdom, which became known as King Eric’s Law (or the Code of Uppland). Additionally, it is believed that he established a monastic chapter in Old Uppsala, begun by Benedictines who had come from the Danish Abbey of Odense or from Vreta Abbey.
According to Eric’s Hagiography, the Devil inspired Magnus Henriksson, who wished to exercise his claims to the throne, in his machinations. He used gifts and grand promises to attract Swedish nobles, including “a mighty man in the kingdom”. If this is based on sound tradition it may mean that Magnus allied with Karl of the rival House of Sverker. This assumption is supported by a statement in a late medieval chronicle.
Unbeknownst to the King, the allies gathered a considerable army and accosted Eric near Uppsala when he attended Mass on the Feast of the Ascension in May 1160. The King, being informed of the approach of the enemy, heard Mass to the end, then armed himself and the few men at hand and went out to meet Magnus’ troops. He was pulled off his horse onto the ground by the swarming rebels, who taunted and stabbed him, then beheaded him.
St Eric at the Ascension Mass just before he was Martyred
A papal bull to his son, Canute I confirms that he was killed by unspecified enemies. The short chronicle in the Västgötalagen from c 1240 says: “The twelfth [King] was Eric. He was rashly killed in an unhappy moment. He always gave a good example while he lived and God rewarded him well. Now his soul is at rest with God and his Angels and his bones rest in Uppsala. And he has, with God’s help, made and manifested many precious miracles.”
Eric’s son Canute I, was eventually able to reclaim the throne and established the House of Eric as the ruling dynasty and used the memory of his father, to anchor the Christian faith and his regime.
The assassinated King Eric was buried in the Old Uppsala Church, which he had rebuilt. In about 1167, as his son began to take power, Eric’s body was enshrined. Eric’s son Canute encouraged veneration of his father as a Martyr. The miracle of a fountain springing from the earth where the King’s head fell became a site of pilgrimage. In 1273, a century after Canute consolidated Sweden, Eric’s relics and regalia were transferred to the present Cathedral of Uppsala, built on the Martyrdom site. The translation both displayed and extended, the depth of his religious cult. The Catholic Cathedral in Stockhol, is dedicated to Saint. King Eric.
St Eric’s Relics
St Eric is the Patron Saint of Sweden and of its capital, Stockholm and his crowned head is depicted in the City’s Coat of Arms.
Martyrs of Ancyra – 8 Saints: Seven nuns Martyred in the persecutions of Diocletian and the innkeeper who was executed for giving them a Christian burial: Alexandria, Claudia, Euphrasia, Julitta, Matrona, Phaina, Thecusa and Theodatus. c.304 in Ancyra, Galatia (in modern Turkey).
Quote/s of the Day – 17 May – The Memorial of St Paschal Baylon OFM (1540-1592) Confessor, “Seraph of the Eucharist,” “Saint of the Blessed Sacrament,” “Servant of the Blessed Sacrament.” Franciscan Lay Brother.
“Go to Jesus in The Most Blessed Sacrament with folded hands and say “take my hands, use them as Your hands Lord.”
“Go to Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament with a closed mouth and listen to Him, whispering to our soul and responding with “Yes Lord.”
“Go to Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament with a fiat and say, “Not my will but Your will be done Lord!”
“O Father Eternal God, Grant me faith and courage. Son, wisdom of the Father, grant me light and make me wise. Holy Spirit, beloved of Father and Son, inflame my heart and purify my soul, that I may approach this majestic Sacrament, with faith and love.”
Saint of the Day – 17 May – St Paschal Baylon OFM (16 May 1540 – 17 May 1592) Spanish Lay Brother “Seraph of the Eucharist,” “Saint of the Blessed Sacrament,” “Servant of the Blessed Sacrament,” Franciscan Lay Brother, Mystic…….. Also known as – Pasquale, PascaL. Paschal was Beatified on 29 October 1618 by Pope Paul V and Canonised on 16 October 1690 by Pope Alexander VIII. Pope Leo XIII[7] proclaimed the saint as the “Seraph of the Eucharist” as well as the Patron of Eucharistic congresses and affiliated associations.
The Roman Martyrology states: “At Villa Real near Valencia in Spain, Saint Pasquale Baylon, a religious of the Order of Friars Minor, who, always showing himself caring and kind to everyone, constantly venerated the Mystery of the Most Holy Eucharist with fervent love.”
Childhood and early years: Let’s start by saying that the Spanish name Pasquale, is of Christian origin and is also widely used in the feminine – Pasqualina. It was given to children born on Easter Sunday but its distant origins are Jewish (Pesach = passage) meaning the passage of the Jewish people through the Red Sea and the passage of the Angel of the Lord, who saved, the Jewish firstborns, by marking their houses with the blood of the lamb, to distinguish them from the Egyptians, who were destined for death, in the last plague of Egypt. However, this is not the case with Pasquale Baylon, who was born on 16 May 1540, the day of Pentecost (which is also called in Spanish, “Pascua de Pentecostés.” From his childhood, he showed a marked devotion to the Holy Eucharist, which would later become the centre of his entire religious life. He was a shepherd first of the family’s flock, then in the service of other masters. The solitude of the fields favoured meditation, his desire for continuous prayer. He also began to mortify his young body with long fasts and painful flagellations.
Franciscan vocation: At the age of 18 he asked to join the Convent of Santa Maria di Loreto, of the Reformed Franciscans called Alcantarini by St Peter of Alcantara, reformer of the Order. But he was not accepted, perhaps due to his young age. In order to remain in the vicinity of the Convent, he entered the service, again as a shepherd, of the very wealthy landowner, Martín García. Admired by this young employee, he proposed to adopt Paschal, sin order to make him his heir. However, Paschal refused this offer as he was more determined than ever to enter among the Friars of St. Francis. In 1560, he was admitted to the Convent of St Maria di Loreto, where he made his religious profession on 2 February 1564. He never wanted to ascend to the Priesthood, despite the favourable opinion of his superiors because he did not feel worthy.
Friar, Porter, Cook, gifted with holy wisdom: For years Paschal fulfilled the various services necessary to the convent, especially as a Porter, a task that he always carried out with great goodness. Although so young, he acquired a reputation for holiness, for his Christian virtues but also for the miraculous deeds attributed to him. He was truly “Pentecostal,” that is, favoured by the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit, including that of wisdom: he could read and write but he was not very cultured. Still, he was constantly asked for advice by many illustrious persons
On mission among the Calvinists: In 1576, even the Provincial Father of the Alcantarins of Spain, having to communicate urgently with the Father General residing in Paris, thought of sending Brother Paschal with the letter, knowing full well the serious difficulties of the journey, for the crossing of some French Provinces, which at that time were dominated by Calvinists. In fact, the Friar was made the object of continuous derision, insults, beatings. In Orléans, he too was in danger of death by stoning! There, Paschal had disputed with the Calvinist in regard to the Holy Eucharist debunking their false arguments.
“São Pascoal Bailão adora a Eucaristia” – Convento de São Pedro de Alcântara, Arenas de San Pedro (Espanha) – Foto: Francisco Lecaros
Seraph of the Eucharist: On returning from his delicate and dangerous mission, Paschal composed a small book of definitions and sentences on the Real Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and, on the divine power transmitted to the Roman Pontiff. As evidence of this great devotion, for which he was nicknamed “Seraph of the Eucharist,” we have received his personal thoughts and prayers, which he added to the collections of writings on Eucharistic themes.
Death: In order to acquire greater perfection, Paschal underwent continuous and heavy mortifications and increasingly numerous penances, to the point that his health was now compromised. On 17 May 1592, the day after his fifty-second birthday, Paschale died at the Convent of the Rosary in Villarreal, near Valencia. As had happened on the day of his birth, it was Pentecost! The funeral saw the participation of a crowd of faithful, who wanted to pay homage of heartfelt veneration to the body of the humble lay Franciscan Brother, whose holiness, fand miracles were well-known throughout the Catholic world.
Veneration and iconography: He was particularly revered in Naples, subject to Spanish domination. The cult was concentrated in two large and famous Franciscan Convents, once belonging to the Alcantarini but still existing – St Paschal a Chiaia and St Paschal Granatello. His name was given to generations of children, especially in Southern Italy. He was Beatified 26 years after his death, on 29 October 1618, by Pope Paul V and proclaimed a Saint on 16 October 1690 by Pope Alexander VIII. His remains, which were venerated with great devotion in Villarreal, were desecrated and dispersed during the Spanish Civil War; some were later recovered and returned to the City in 1952. Over the centuries, his passionate devotion to the Eucharist have inspired the many artists who have depicted him. Paschal usually appears in the act of adoring the Blessed Sacrament in a Monstrance.
Official and traditional Patronages: Pope Leo XIII, on 28 November 1897, proclaimed him Patron of Eucharistic Congresses and Associations. Popularly he is also considered Patron of cooks and pastry chefs, on the basis of his humble services carried out in the Convent – according to tradition, Paschal is the creator of the famous desert called Zabaglione, whose name evidently derives from him. Probably due to a resemblance in the sound of Paschal’s Surname (“St Paschal Baylonne”). Paschal is finally invoked by single women looking for a husband and by women in general.
St Paschal Baylon OFM (1540-1592) “Seraph of the Eucharist,” “Saint of the Blessed Sacrament,” “Servant of the Blessed Sacrament.” Franciscan Lay Brother, Mystic…….. A man remarkable for innocence of life and the spirit of penance. Pope Leo XIII declared him the heavenly patron of Eucharistic Congresses and Societies and Apostolates, formed in honour of the Most Blessed Sacrament. About this beautiful Saint: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/05/17/saint-of-the-day-17-may-st-paschal-baylon-o-f-m-1540-1592-the-seraph-of-the-eucharist/
St Heraclius of Noviodunum Bl Ivan Ziatyk St Madron of Cornwall St Maildulf of Malmesbury St Maw
St Paul of Noviodunum St Peter Lieou St Rasso of Grafrath St Restituta of Carthage St Silaus of Lucca St Solochanus of Chalcedon St Thethmar St Victor Roma
Martyrs of Alexandria – 3 Saints: Three Christians Martyred together; no details about them have survived except their names: Adrio, Basilla and Victor. 4th century Alexandria, Egypt.
Martyrs of Nyon: A group of Christians Martyred together in the persecutions of Diocletian. We know little more than three of their names: Aquilinus, Heradius and Paul. 303 at Noyon, Switzerland.
Saint of the Day – 16 May – St John Nepomucene (c 1345–1393) Priest, Martyr, Confessor and almoner.to the Queen of Bohemia – “The First Martyr of the Seal of Confession.” Born in c1345 in Nepomuk, Bohemia and died on 20 March 1393 (aged 47–48) at Prague . St John’s tongue is incorrupt and is kept in the Cathedral of St Vitus in Prague, Czech Republic. Patronages – Bohemia. – which includes the greater Czechoslovakia, Moravia and parts of Austria before various divisions; protection against slander, restoration of the good name of those slandered, help in confessing sins, for the protection of Priests and the Seal of Confession, San Juan, Batangas, Malibay, Pasay; Alfonso, Cavite; Moalboal, Cebu; San Remigio, Cebu; Cabiao; Spanish Navy. Also known as – John of Nepomuk, Nepomuc, Ioannes Nepomucenus, Johannes Nepomuk.
The Roman Martyrology states of him today: “At Prague in Bohemia, St John Nepomucene, a Canon of the Metropolitan Church, who, being tempted in vain to betray the secret of Confession, was cast into the river Moldaw and thus won the Palm of Martyrdom.”
Saint John Nepomucene, Priest and Martyr By Fr Francis Xavier Weninger SJ (1805-1888) (Excerpt)
John, whom, in our time, God has honoured with many miracles, received his surname from Nepomuc, a small town two miles from Prague, where he was born. His parents were plain people and had lived many years without issue. After having made a vow, however, in honour of the Blessed Virgin, whose miraculous picture is kept in a Cistercian Convent not far from Nepomuc, John was born to them. At the time of his birth, several stars were seen which floated down from heaven and rested upon the house of his parents. This event was interpreted and admired, as a prophecy of his future holiness. In his infancy, he fell dangerously ill but recovered after his parents had consecrated him to God, in the above-named place of pilgrimage.
As he grew, his greatest delight was to assist the Priests at Mass and he passed the whole forenoon in that sacred occupation, in the Cistercian Church. In his studies he made such rapid progress that he became Doctor of Divinity and Canon Law. After being Ordained Priest, he retired, for one month from all intercourse with men and prepared himself, by prayers, penances and purifying his soul, for his first Holy Mass. Soon after, he was commissioned to preach at Prague in the Church of our Lady, in the suburb and he did this with such eminent success, that the Archbishop raised him to the dignity of Canon and Preacher of the Cathedral, which functions he discharged until his death.
Wencelaus, at that period King of Bohemia, attended his sermons frequently, with his whole Court and esteemed the Saint highly. He offered him the See of Leimeritz and afterwards, the rich provostship of Wissherad but John refused both, hoping to do more good by preaching. Queen Jane, the wife of Wencelaus chose him for her Confessor and Almoner. The king, neglecting the affairs of the land, became, meanwhile, more and more, a slave to debauchery and drunkenness and added to the scandal which this gave to his people, by acts of the most unheard of cruelty. Not able to alter his conduct, either by exhortations or entreaties, the pious Queen, at last became silent, and endeavoured by prayer and other virtuous exercises, to inspire her husband with better thoughts and the fear of God. She frequently received the Holy Sacraments in order to give more power to her prayers and to be strengthened in patience. The wicked King regarded her frequent Confessions with mistrusting eyes, even suspecting that the Queen might have been as faithless to him, as he had been to her.
Hence, the desire to know what the Queen confessed was awakened in him and calling John into his presence, he, after long circumlocution and giving some feigned reasons, informed him of his wish, promising him all possible favours and honours. The Saint was at first stunned at so sacrilegious a demand and then explained to the King, the greatness of the crime, which a Priest would commit, if he revealed the least thing which had been told him, under the Seal of Confession, adding, that he would much rather die than become guilty of so terrible a crime.
The King dissimulated his anger at this reply, resolving to wait for another opportunity. He had not to wait long, for when, with unprecedented cruelty he had commanded that a cook, who had sent to the Royal table, a capon badly roasted, should be himself roasted alive on a spit and no-one dared to disobey the tyrant. Sohn, however, went to him and endeavoured to dissuade him from such barbarity. But instead of listening to the Saint, he gave orders to cast him into a dark, horrible dungeon and left him there a day without any food. After this, he sent the jailer to him with a message that he could save his life only by fulfilling the king’s desire. The Saint well understood the message and replied that he remained firm in what he had already said to the King. Wencelaus then determined to have recourse to kindness. He had the Saint liberated and informed, that he repented of his harshness and begged his pardon, at the same time requesting him to appear the following day at the Royal table, as a token of complete reconciliation. The Saint complied with the behest and appeared but no sooner had the King arisen from the table, than he repeated his godless desire, pressing the holy man, at first with great promises and then with cruel menaces. Seeing that neither the one nor the other were respected by John, he commanded that he should be again dragged to the dungeon and stretched upon the rack. To add to his suffering, he was, at the same time, burned with torches. The brave Martyr raised his eyes to Heaven and only repeated frequently the sacred names of Jesus and Mary. When he had been long tortured, the King, who was present, left and John was once more set at liberty.
He informed nobody of what had happened to him but as soon as his wounds were healed, he discharged his functions as he had hitherto done. As it was, however, revealed to him in a vision, that his silence would cost him his life, he bade farewell to his hearers on the Sunday before Ascension. His text was, “A little while and you shall not see me.” In this sermon he predicted the evils which would soon fall upon Bohemia, in consequence of new heresies and exhorted all to repentance and to constancy in the Catholic faith.
On the day before the festival of the Ascension, he made a pilgrimage to Bunzel where the miraculous image of the Blessed Virgin was honoured. Arriving there, he fervently recommended his approaching death-agony to the divine Mother. At evening, he returned to Prague. The King, leaning out of the window of his palace, saw him. Having given orders to bring the Saint before him, he addressed him with these shameless words: “Listen, parson! Thou wilt have to die, if thou dost not immediately tell me what the Queen confessed to thee. I vow to God, that thou shalt drink water!” The Saint repeated fearlessly his former words: “I will rather die a thousand times.” Hardly had this passed his lips, when the King commanded the holy man to be dragged into the adjoining apartment and kept there. As soon as night had come, he was led to the bridge that unites the old and new portions of Prague, and from thence cast into the Moldaw, in the year 1383.
Heaven did not allow this crime to be concealed for one single hour. An uncommonly bright light in the form of many stars was seen, which seemed to float upon the water and accompanying the holy body, remaining with it. All the people came running towards the river but could not explain the prodigy. The King himself was called by the Queen to witness the scene and looked at it in fear and trembling. When the next day dawned, the waters of the river were divided into two parts and in the midst was seen, lying on the sand, with a sweet smile upon his face, the body of the Saint. The Canons brought it, at first into the nearest Church but soon after, transferred it with imposing solemnities to the Cathedral.
From that day, date the honours which were paid to the Saint and which God approved by numberless miracles which were wrought at his tomb.
After the expiration of more than 300 years, the holy body was exhumed and the tongue of the Saint was found fresh without a sign of corruption. When, six years later, this tongue was shown to a deputation, sent by the Pope to verify the report, it suddenly swelled up before the eyes of all present and changed from dark red to purple, as though it were still, imbued with life.
The tomb and reliquary of St John, containing the incorrupt tongue
St Vitus Cathedral
Remarkable is the fact, that everyone who approached the tomb of the Saint, irreverently was sure to be punished with some public derision. Many examples of recent date have verified this.
In conclusion, it is to be remarked, that the intercession of Saint John Nepomuceno, may be requested with great benefit by those whose good name has been tarnished, or who are in danger of a public disgrace, as also by those who feel difficulties in confessing their sins. In our times this glorious Saint has become particularly renowned, not only on account of the incorruption of his tongue and the many miracles which have taken place at his shrine but also, on account of the many graces and benefits which the Almighty has bestowed upon those, throughout the whole Christian world, who with confidence ask his intercession. Many books are filled with the relation of these facts.
AnaStpaul 
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