Saint Zacchaeus the Publican, also known as Zaccheo, whose name means “pure, innocent”, was a chief tax-collector at Jericho, who climbed a tree in order to see Jesus because he couldn’t see over the crowd. Jesus decided to go to the man’s house, and when the locals grumbled that Christ was friendly with sinners, Zacchaeus showed his conversion by making retribution to any he had harmed, and by giving largely to charity.
Jesus invites Zacchaeus to come down from the sycamore tree
Many things are reported of him after this, including that he married Saint Veronica, that he became bishop of Caesarea in Palestine, and that he is Saint Amadour who was an early hermit in France. At Jericho there is a large, square tower, which by tradition is named the House of Zacchaeus.
Saint Amadour, also known as Amadour of Lucca, Amadour of Rocamadour, Amadoro, Amator, Amatore. In 1126 or 1162 (records vary), the body of this saint was found, possibly incorrupt, in a tomb with indications that the person had died about 1000 years earlier. No doubt for good reasons, people at the time decided that he was Saint Zacchaeus the Publican who changed his name when he converted to Christianity. Tradition records that he was a servant in the house of the Holy Family. He married St. Veronica, going with her to Gaul where they spread the Christian faith around Bordeaux. Amadour is also recorded as having gone to Rome to witness the martyrdom of Sts. Peter and Paul. He returned to Gaul and after the death of St. Veronica he became a hermit at Quircy, France, where he built a shrine to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
There is also a pilgrimage path closeby to his shrine, and some relics enshrined at the Saint Michelotto Franciscan convent.
The Vigil of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary – 14 August:
Mention is made of this vigil, with fasting, by Pope Nicolas I, who was the Pope in the year 858. It is recorded that on this day, Angels were heard, near the City of Soissons, singing this anthem:
“Felix namque es, sacra Virgo Maria, et omni laude dignissima, quia ex te ortus est Sol justitiae, Christus Deus noster.”
Vigils were kept on the evening before each feast day from the earliest days of the Church. On that evening all of the faithful would gather together to prepare themselves for the feast they were about to celebrate. This might also include listening to readings from the Scriptures and a sermon on the topic by a Priest. Mass would then be celebrated on the feast day and the fast would be broken. It is said that both Saint Augustine and Saint Jerome practiced and fully supported, the idea of the vigil. The Vigil of the Assumption would have been one of the Church’s most important vigils.
“Of the glory and felicity of the Saints in the beatific vision Saint Paul says with Isaias (I Cor. 2,9; Is. 64, 4), that neither have mortal eyes seen, nor ears heard, nor can it enter into the heart of man what God has prepared for those who love Him and who hope in Him. In accordance with this Catholic truth, we should not wonder at what is related of Saint Augustine, the great light of the Church, that, in setting out to write a book on the glory of the blessed, he was visited by his friend, Saint Jerome, who had just died and entered into the glory of the Lord and was admonished by his visitor, that he would not be able to compass his design; since no tongue or pen of man could describe the least part of the blessings enjoyed by the Saints in the Beatific Vision. Such is the testimony of Saint Jerome; and if through holy Scriptures we had no other information than that this glory is eternal, it would be beyond all our comprehension. For, however much of our intellect may expand, it will never comprehend eternity and ,as this is infinite and boundless, it is inexhaustible and incomprehensible, how much soever it may be known and loved. Just as God, the Infinite and the Almighty, created all things, without being thereby exhausted and even if He had created endless worlds ever anew, would remain still infinite and immutable; so also, although seen and enjoyed by countless Saints, He will remain an infinite source of new knowledge and love; for in creation and in glory, all creatures participate in Him only to a limited extent, each according to its condition, while He, in Himself, is without limitation or end.
If on this account the glory even of the least of the Saints is ineffable, what shall we say of the glory of the most Blessed Mary, since among the Saints she is the most holy and she by Herself is more like to her Son than all the Saints together, and since her grace and glory, exceed those of all the rest, as those of an Empress or Sovereign over her vassals?” – From the writings of Abbot Giovanni Battista Orsini (c 1450-1503) (the 39th Grand Master of the Order of the Knights Hospitaller from 1467 to 1476).
St Athanasia of Timia St Callistus of Todi St Demetrius of Africa St Domingo Ibáñez de Erquicia St Eberhard of Einsiedeln St Eusebius of Palestine
St Eusebius of Rome (Died 357) Priest, Confessor. “At Rome, the birthday of the blessed Priest Eusebius, who for the defence of the Catholic Faith, was shut up in a room of his own house by the Arian Emperor, Constantius, where constantly persevering in prayer for seven months, he rested in peace. His body was removed by the Priests, Gregory and Orosius and buried in the cemetery of Cllistus on the Appian Way.” – Roman Martyrology.
Notre-Dame-de-Gray / Our Lady de Gray, France (1602) – 30 July:
The Shrine of Notre-Dame-de-Gray, or Our Lady of Gray, is located near Besancon in Northern France near Franche-Comte. The Statue of Our Lady of Gray is made of an oak tree from Montaigu, has a dark wooden colour and is only 14.5 centimeters tall. It is much honoured in the country and there are many miracles and graces granted to petitioners that are attributed to Our Lady’s intercession at this shrine.
About five centuries ago, on a hill near Montaigu, a pious person placed a small statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary upon an old oak tree. The tree itself is believed to date from the time of the Druids and crested one of the hills in the Diocese of Malines. Soon the faithful began to come in crowds from throughout the region, for there were miraculous cures and various miracles granted to the pilgrims who invoked Mary under the name of Our Lady of the Oak.
In the year 1602 a small wooden chapel was built on the hill of Montaigu. The oak upon which the statue of Our Lady had once been displayed was now cut up into small pieces and carved by a local craftsman into statuettes of the same image. These statues were presented as a mark of respect to patrons of the shrine. Even the wood of the oak was considered almost a precious relic, for it had once touched the miraculous statue of the Blessed Virgin. Wherever they went these figures were enshrined with honour and it seemed as if Our Lady of Montaigu sent her favour, for her miraculous power went with them.
In the year 1613, a poor, seventy year old widow named Jeanne Bonnet de Salins made a pilgrimage to the shrine. She obtained a piece of the venerable old oak and took it to a sculptor named Jean Brange to carve into a statue similar to that of the original. On 4 April 1613, the Archbishop of Besancon blessed the Statue and allowed it to be exhibited for public veneration.
It is reported, that Jeanne Bonnet was rewarded by signal graces she obtained through Our Lady’s intercession. She intended to give the statue to a local church but, in 1616, yielded to the repeated entreaties of Father Gabriel Appremont, who wanted to have the image for the Capuchins of Gray. A special chapel was richly decorated to receive it. The news soon spread in the region of Gray and the faithful flocked to pay their respects to the new Madonna, Our Lady of Gray.
Our Lady of Gray holds in her right hand a gleaming sceptre of gold that a parishioner donated in the year 1807. It was at this time that the chapel – now a Basilica (see below), was undergoing reconstruction after the ravages of the French Revolution. There are also three semi-precious stones set in the front of the base of the statue that were given by grateful petitioners to the Blessed Virgin. Finally, the two gold crowns were created in 1909 on the occasion of the celebration of the coronation of the statue of Our Lady of Gray.
St Abdon Bl Antonio di San Pietro Bl Edward Powell St Ermengyth St Hatebrand St Julitta of Caesarea Blessed Manés de Guzmán OP (c 1168-1235) Dominican Priest and Friar, Brother of Saint Dominic
Bl Richard Featherstone St Rufinus of Assisi St Senen St Tatwine of Canterbury St Terenzio of Imola Bl Thomas Abel St Ursus of Auxerre Bl Vicenta Chavez-Orozco — Martyrs of Castelseras: Three Dominicans, two of them priests, one a novice, who were martyred together in the Spanish Civil War for refusing to renounce Christianity. • Joaquín Prats Baltueña • José María Muro-Sanmiguel • Zosimo Izquierdo Gil They were shot on 30 July 1936 at a farm house outside Castelserás, Teruel, Spain.
Martyrs of Tebourba – 3 saints: Three girls martyred together in the persecutions of Diocletian. We know little else about them but the names – Donatilla, Maxima and Secunda. 304 at Tebourba in North Africa.
The Martyrs of the Spanish Civil War: Bl Alejandro González Blanco Bl Eugenio García Tribaldos Bl Guillermo Álvarez Quemada Bl Juan Lanz Palanca Bl Luis Herrero Arnillas Bl Miguel Solas del Val Bl Pablo Díaz de Zárate y Ortiz de Zárate Bl Racardo Pla Espí Bl Sergio Cid Paz
If in other sacraments the Precious Blood is morally applied to the souls of those who receive them, in holy Communion it is physically communicated to body as well as soul. We have the wonderful privilege of being brought into bodily contact with the Precious Blood, whether it be under the species of wine in the chalice, or of bread in the Sacred Host. How pure our bodies should be if they are thus to touch the Source of all purity, the Holy of holies, the God Whose infinite purity is such that the very angels are not pure in His sight! How can we venture thus to touch Christ Himself? To receive the Precious Blood into our sinful and impure bodies?
Yet Christ Our Lord invites us to do so. In His inexplicable love for us, He desires us, asks us to receive His Precious Blood in holy Communion. Instead of saying, as he did to Mary, Touch Me not, He says, Drink, O My friends, and be inebriated, O my dearly beloved. Admire His divine condescension, and beware of presuming on His patience and His love.
How are we to account for Jesus’ willingness, nay, anxiety, to be thus received by sinful men. It is because in thus communicating Himself to us, He makes us more like to what He Himself is, and what He desires us to be. The Precious Blood imparts to our souls all heavenly gifts and graces if we receive it as we ought. O Jesus, grant that I may receive Thee frequently, fervently, with a complete oblation of my whole self!
Quote/s of the Day – 24 July – “Month of the Most Precious Blood” – Readings: Dan 3:84, 87, Dan 3:57, 1 Pet. 5:1-11, Luke 22:24-30
For whoever are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Rom 8:12-17
For since every virtue is a habit that is the principle of a good act, a virtue must needs be defined by means of the good act bearing on the matter proper to that virtue. Now the proper matter of justice consists of those things that belong to our intercourse with other men, as shall be shown further on. Hence the act of justice in relation to its proper matter and object is indicated in the words, “Rendering to each one his right,” since, as Isidore says, “a man is said to be just because he respects the rights [jus] of others.”
St Thomas Aquinas (Summa Theologica Question 58. Justice)
What sort of deeds then does he mean us to mortify? Those which tend toward wickedness, those which go after vice, which there is no other way of mortifying save through the Spirit. For by killing yourself you may put an end to the others. And this you have no right to do. But to these (you can put an end) by the Spirit only. For if This be present, all the billows are laid low, and the passions cower under It, and nothing can exalt itself against us.
St John Chrysostom (Homily 14 on Romans)
Against such the Lord complains by the prophet, saying, They have reigned, and not by Me; they have been set up as princes, and I knew it not Hosea 8:4. For those reign of themselves, and not by the Will of the Supreme Ruler, who, supported by no virtues, and in no way divinely called, but inflamed by their own desire, seize rather than attain supreme rule.
St Gregory the Great (Pastoral Rule, Book I)
Do you want to be happy, my friends? Fix your eyes on Heaven; it is there that your hearts will find that which will satisfy them completely. All the evils which you experience are the real means of leading you there.
St John Vianney
“No-one can have God as his father, if he does not have the Church as his mother… The Lord warned us of this when He said: “Whoever is not with me, is against me and whoever does not gather together with me, scatters.” The person who breaks the peace and concord of Christ, acts against Christ; the person who gathers together, outside of the Church, scatters the Church of Christ.”
St Cyprian of Carthage (On the unity of the Church)
Happy the man found without fault, who turns not aside after gain, nor puts his trust in money nor in treasures! Who is he, that we may praise him? For he has done wonders in his life. He has been tested by gold and come off safe, and this remains his glory forever; he could have sinned but did not, could have done evil but would not, so that his possessions are secure in the Lord, and the assembly of the Saints shall recount his alms.
This morning we buried my beloved mother with a mass, and in a beautiful old cemetery near her much loved parents. The (weather and the) outpouring of kindness and love was spectacular. Thank you for all your support and prayers!
Notre-Dame-de-la-Carole / Our Lady of la Carole, Paris (1418) – 3 July:
Roadside Shrines can still be seen in places all over Europe, though it is nothing like it used to be in the Middle Ages when these Shrines were extremely prevalent. They were public reminders of God and His Saints and were meant for the good of the general public, who would come upon the Shrine and pause for a moment to pray. They could be simple or somewhat elaborate, ranging from unadorned crosses to free standing towers or even small Chapels.
On 3 July in the year 1418, a Swiss soldier committed a sacrilege upon a Statue of the Blessed Virgin known as Our Lady of la Carole, or Our Lady of Carole. It was located at the corner of the Rue aux Ours, which was built in the 13th century and terminated at the hospital of Saint John, which is no longer in existence. The Rue aux Ours is now a short street that begins at Rue Saint-Martin and ends at the Boulevard Sebastopol in Paris, France. The soldier of the Duke of Burgandy’s troops, said to be a Swiss soldier, came upon the Shrine of the Blessed Virgin after having left a tavern where he had gambled away his money. He was probably intoxicated when he drew his sword and repeatedly struck the Statue of the Blessed Virgin with the weapon. The Statue of Our Lady of Carole then began to bleed profusely, as if made of flesh and blood and WAS wounded by the blows.
The citizens who had observed the sacrilege were outraged and followed the soldier as he fled from the scene of his crime. The man was eventually caught and apprehended and then brought before the Chancellor where he was sentenced to death for the outrage.
In remembrance of this incident and in expiation for the crime, there was a popular feast that took place on the Rue aux Ours every year. There were fireworks and a wax figure representing the sacrilegious wretch who had struck the image of the Blessed Virgin was set ablaze. This festival continued until the French Revolution brought an end to the traditional observance.
St Anatolius of Constantinople (Diedc 458) Bishop Bl Andreas Ebersbach Bl Barbara Jeong Sun-mae St Bladus St Byblig St Cillene St Dathus of Ravenna St Eusebius of Laodicea St Firminus St Firmus Bl Gelduin St Giuse Nguyen Ðình Uyen St Gunthiern St Guthagon St Heliodorus of Altinum St Hyacinth of Caesarea St Ioannes Baptista Zhao Mingxi St Irenaeus of Chiusi
St Maelmuire O’Gorman St Mark of Mesia St Mennone the Centurian St Mucian of Mesia St Paul of Mesia St Petrus Zhao Mingzhen St Philiphê Phan Van Minh St Raymond of Toulouse (Died 1118) Layman — Martyrs of Alexandria – 13 saints: Thirteen Christian companions marytred together. No details about them have survived but the names – Apricus, Cyrion (2 of), Eulogius, Hemerion, Julian, Julius, Justus, Menelaus, Orestes, Porfyrios and Tryphon (2 of). They martyred in Alexandria, Egypt, date unknown.
Martyrs of Constantinople – 24 saints: A group of 24 Christians martyred in the persecutions of Arian emperor Valens. We know little more than their names – Acacios, Amedinos, Ammonius, Ammus, Cerealis, Cionia, Cionius, Cyrianus, Demetrius, Eulogius (2), Euphemia, Heliodoros, Heraclios, Horestes, Jocundus, Julian, Martyrios, Menelaeus, Sestratus, Strategos, Thomas, Timotheos and Tryphon. They were martyred in c367 in Constantinople.
Theodotus and Companions – 6 saints: Six Christians who were imprisoned, tortured and martyred together in the persecutions of Trajan. Saint Hyacinth ministered to them in prison. We know nothing else about them but their names – Asclepiodotus, Diomedes, Eulampius, Golinduchus, Theodota and Theodotus. They were beheaded in c110, location unknown.
Saint Martinian of Rome was a member of the Praetorian Guard, the soldiers tasked with guarding the emperor. Assigned as the warden of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in the Mamertine Prison, the apostles converted him after a spring flowed miraculously in the prison. Peter then baptized him in these miraculous waters, which then led to Martinian’s own imprisonment within that very prison.
During his imprisonment, Martinian experienced visions and spiritual encounters that strengthened his resolve. Saint John the Baptist appeared to him, encouraging him in his suffering and reaffirming his faith. This spiritual encounter bolstered Martinian’s courage and determination to face martyrdom rather than renounce Christianity.
By order of the emperor Nero, Martinian was then tortured and beheaded. After his martyrdom with Paul, Lucina, a sympathizer, buried him in her own cemetery along the Aurelian Way. Pope Paschal I (817–824) translated the bones of the martyr to a chapel in the old Basilica of St. Peter. They still rest under the altar dedicated to him (and his fellow martyr, Processus) in the south transept of the present St. Peter’s Basilica.
Our Morning Offering – 2 July – “Month of the Precious Blood”
O God, Be With Us By St Benedict (c 480-547)
O God, from Whom to be turned, is to fall, to Whom to be turned, is to rise and in Whom to stand, is to abide forever, grant us in all our duties, Your help, in all our perplexities, Your guidance, in all our dangers, Your protection, and in all our sorrows, Your peace, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
One Minute Reflection – 2 July – “Month of the Most Precious Blood” – Readings: Genesis 23: 1-4, 19; 24: 1-8, 62-67, Psalms 106: 1b-2, 3-4a, 4b-5, Matthew 9: 9-13
“It is not the healthy who are in need of the physician but those who are sick” – Matthew 9:12
REFLECTION – “And by this I wish to know if you love the Lord God and me, His servant and yours – if you have acted in this manner – that is, there should not be any brother in the world, however much he may have possibly sinned, who, after he has looked into your eyes, would go away without having received your mercy, if he is looking for mercy. And if he were not to seek mercy, you should ask him if he wants mercy. And if he should sin thereafter, a thousand times, before your very eyes, love him more than me, so that you may draw him back to the Lord. Always be merciful to such as these …
If anyone of the brothers, at the instigation of the enemy, should sin mortally, he is bound by obedience to have recourse to his guardian. And all the brothers who might know that he has sinned are not to bring shame upon him or speak ill of him but let them show great mercy toward him and keep most secret, the sin of their brother; “because it is not the healthy who are in need of the physician, but those who are sick” (Mt 9:12) … And let the Custodian mercifully take care of him, as he would like to be taken care of, if he were in a similar position.
And if this brother falls into some venial sin, let him confess this to a brother who is a Priest. And if there is no Priest at hand, let him confess to his brother, until he has contact with a Priest who will absolve him canonically. And the brothers should have no power to enjoin any other penance, except this: “Go and sin no more!” (Jn 8:11). – St Francis of Assisi (1182-1226) Founder of the Friars Minor – Letter to a Minister of the Franciscan Order.
PRAYER – Lord Jesus Christ You showed Your great mercy to Matthew the tax-gatherer, by calling him to become Your Apostle. Supported by the intercession of the Your Mother and oursby and the prayers and example of Your Saints, may we always answer Your call, obey Your commandments, fulfil Your Will and thus live in close union with You. We make our prayer, in union with God our Father and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever.
Quote/s of the Day – 2 July – “Month of the Most Precious Blood” – Readings: Genesis 23: 1-4, 19; 24: 1-8, 62-67, Psalms 106: 1b-2, 3-4a, 4b-5, Matthew 9: 9-13
“It is not the healthy who are in need of the physician but those who are sick”
Matthew 9:12
“… Veiled in a human body, He was able to communicate with humans. He who wanted to assist the guilty hides the fact that He is a Judge. He who did not deny dignity to faithful servants, conceals his Lordship. He who desired the weak to be embraced by a parent’s love, covers His Majesty.”
St Peter Chrysologus (c 400-450) “Doctor of Homilies” Father and Doctor of the Church
” Indeed, the instant you say: “I have sinned against the Lord”, the response is given you: “Your sins are forgiven” (Mt 9:2). … Only do not keep away, or distance yourself, from He who has chosen you to sing and pray but all your life long, remain close to Him, either through pure confidence, or by a holy audacity and courageous confession.”
John of Karpathos (7th Century) Bishop
“My beloved Redeemer, how much did it cost You to raise me from the ruin, which I brought on myself through my sins? What can I do without Your grace? I can do nothing but pray that You will help me but even this prayer comes from the merits of Your suffering and death! O my Jesus, help me!”
St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787) Most zealous Doctor
“Lord Jesus Christ,Son of God, Have Mercy on me, a sinner.”
Saint Nicasius of Jerusalem, was born around 1135 in Sicily, Italy. The son of Roberto de Burgio and his wife Aldegonda, Nicasius descended from the Saracens on his father’s side and from the Normans on the mother’s. He joined the Knights Hospitaller with his brother, Ferrandino, and in 1185 they answered the call of Roger de Moulins and travelled to the Holy Land.
The Order of Saint John of Jerusalem (now known as the Order of Malta) was a monastic community founded to care for the sick and pilgrims traveling to the Holy Land. With the creation of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, the Order added a military side to its religious character, because it now had to defend pilgrims and the sick, together with the Holy Places and all of Christianity, as well as care for them. Care for the sick and pilgrims, commitment to Christian solidarity, justice and peace according to evangelical teaching, and the defense of the Christian faith were the basis of the Order. Nicasio and his brother took the three monastic vows of Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience.
As a captain, Nicasius fought in the defense of Acre, and during the battle he was captured by the Saracens. They demanded that he renounce his Christian faith and convert to Islam. But he remained steadfast and refused to renounce Christianity, choosing martyrdom over apostasy. He was decapitated in the presence of Saladin himself.
Saint Nicasius is particularly venerated in Caccamo, Italy. Numerous miracles were obtained there through the intercession of this glorious martyr, amongst them deliverances from the plague in 1575 and 1624. Saint Nicasius is invoked to free supplicants from terror, from infectious diseases, from maladies of the throat, neck, and lymph glands, and for the healing of scrofula.
1 July The Feast and the Month of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ
Epistle to the Hebrews 9,11-15
11 But Christ, being come an high Priest of the good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hand, that is, not of this creation: 12 Neither by the blood of goats or of calves, but by his own blood, entered once into the Holies, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and of oxen, and the ashes of an heifer, being sprinkled, sanctify such as are defiled, to the cleansing of the flesh: 14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who by the Holy Ghost offered himself unspotted unto God, cleanse our conscience from dead works, to serve the living God? 15 And therefore he is the mediator of the new testament: that by means of his death for the redemption of those transgressions which were under the former testament, they that are called may receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
Holy Gospel according to Saint John 19,30-35
30 Jesus therefore, when he had taken the vinegar, said: It is consummated. And bowing his head, he gave up the ghost. 31 Then the Jews (because it was the parasceve), that the bodies might not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day (for that was a great sabbath day), besought Pilate that their legs might be broken: and that they might be taken away. 32 The soldiers therefore came: and they broke the legs of the first, and of the other that was crucified with him. 33 But after they were come to Jesus, when they saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 But one of the soldiers with a spear opened his side: and immediately there came out blood and water. 35 And he that saw it hath given testimony: and his testimony is true. And he knoweth that he saith true: that you also may believe.
Saint Bonaventure (1221-1274)
Franciscan, Doctor of the Church
The Mystical Vine
They have not only pierced his hands and his feet but his side as well, and have opened up the inmost part of his most holy heart, already wounded by the lance of love. Oh how good and how pleasant it is to dwell in this heart! O my good Jesus, your heart is a true treasure, a pearl of great price which we found when we dug in the field of your body (cf Mt 13,44-45). Would anyone toss it aside? Rather will I give all I have in exchange, I will give up all my thoughts and desires to buy it, tossing all my preoccupations into the heart of my Lord Jesus and, undoubtedly, that heart will sustain me.
In his book, The Precious Blood, Father Frederick William Faber CO (1814-1863), calls St Paul ,the Doctor of the Precious Blood owing to his evident fondness of preaching on Ithis subject in his Epistles (Romans 3:25; Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 9:12 et al).
He recounts that the lives of the Saints are replete with devotion to the Precious Blood making special mention of St John Chrysostom, St Augustine, St Gertrude and St Catherine of Siena, the last whom he considered the Prophetess of the Precious Blood for putting emphasis on It as the solution to the ills of her times.
Constant Prayer to the Precious Blood of Jesus By St Catherine of Siena (1347-1380)
Precious Blood, Ocean of Divine Mercy, Flow upon us! Precious Blood, Most Pure Offering, Procure us every grace! Precious Blood, Hope and Refuge of sinners, Atone for us! Precious Blood, Delight of holy souls, Draw us! Amen
Father Faber also remarks that the Precious Blood makes us appreciate more, Christ’s redemption of mankind, His sacrifice and Passion. It makes us comprehend too, the beautiful doctrine and the august realities of the Blessed Sacrament, as we kneel in front of the Tabernacle, in humble adoration.
Over time, the Church gave Her blessing to the devotion by approving societies like the Missionaries of the Precious Blood; enriching confraternities like that of St Nicholas in Carcere, in Rome and that of the London Oratory; attaching Indulgences to prayers and Scapulars in honour of the Precious Blood and instituting commemorative Feasts of the Precious Blood, Friday after the fourth Sunday in Lent and, since Pius IX, the first Sunday of July. St Pius X assigned the date of 1 July to this Feast.
Saint of the Day – 30 June – Blessed Philip Powell OSB (1594 – 1646) Priest, Martyr, Benedictine Monk – born on 2 February 1594 in Tralon, Brecknockshire, England and died by being hang, drawn and quartered on 30 June 1646 at Tyburn, London, England. He is also remembered on 4 May with the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. Also known as – Philip Morgan, Philip Powel, Philip Prosser.
Philip Powell was the son of Roger and Catherine Powell (nee Morgan) and was brought up to the law by David Baker, afterwards Dom Augustine Baker OSB. At the age of sixteen he became a student in the Temple, London but went to Douai three or four years later to study for the Priesthood.
He was Ordained a Priest in 1618 and was professed a Monk on 15 August 1619, having studied under Dom Leander Jones OSB. He was next made Cellarer of St Gregory’s Monastery, Douai and then was sent on the English mission on 7 March 1622. He lived with Dom Baker OSB for sixteen months in Gray’s Inn Lane, London. For the following twenty years he was Chaplain to various families in Devon and Somerset until the Civil War broke out.
After serving as a Chaplain to Royalist troops, he tried to make his way to Monmouthshire in 1646. He was arrested off the Mumbles on 22 February 1646 by Capt Crowther, who kept him confined in his ship for two months in Penarth Roads and then sent him by sea to London. There he was confined in St Catherine’s Gaol, Southwark, where the harsh treatment he received brought on a severe attack of pleurisy.
His trial, which had been fixed for 30 May, did not take place till 9 June, at Westminster Hall. He was found guilty of being a Catholic Priest and was hanged, drawn and quartered at Tyburn.
It is recorded that when informed of his death sentence, Powell exclaimed “Oh what am I, that God thus honours me and will have me to die for His sake?” and called for a glass of sack (or sherry).
At the instance of the Common Council of London, his head and quarters were not exposed but were buried in the old churchyard at Moorfields.
The Martyr’s Crucifix, which had formerly belonged to Feckenham, last Abbot of Westminster, is preserved at Downside, with some of his hair and a cloth stained with his blood.
He was Beatified by Pope Pius XI on 15 December 1929.
Our Morning Offering – 30 June – “The Last day of the Month of the Sacred Heart” – Tuesday of the Thirteenth week in Ordinary Time
Consecration to the Sacred Heart By Pope Leo XIII (1810-1903) Pope from 1878-1903
Most sweet Jesus, Redeemer of the human race, look down upon us humbly prostrate before Thine altar. We are Thine and Thine we wish to be but, to be more surely united with Thee, behold each one of us, freely consecrates himself today to Thy most Sacred Heart.
Many indeed have never known Thee, many too, despising Thy precepts, have rejected Thee. Have mercy on them all, most merciful Jesus and draw them to Thy Sacred Heart. Be Thou King, O Lord, not only of the faithful, who have never forsaken Thee but also of the prodigal children, who have abandoned Thee, grant that they may quickly return to Thy Father’s house lest they die of wretchedness and hunger.
Be Thou King of those who are deceived by erroneous opinions, or whom discord keeps aloof and call them back to the harbour of truth and unity of faith, so that there may be but one flock and one Shepherd. Be Thou, King of all those who are still involved in the darkness of idolatry or of Islamism and refuse not to draw them into the light and kingdom of God. Turn Thine eyes of mercy towards the children of the race, once Thy chosen people – of old they called down upon themselves the Blood of the Saviour; may it now descend upon them, a laver of redemption and of life.
Grant, O Lord, to Thy Church, assurance of freedom and immunity from harm; give peace and order to all nations and make the earth resound from pole to pole with one cry: “Praise be to the divine Heart that wrought our salvation; to It be glory and honour forever.” Amen
The above prayer, composed by Pope Leo XIII was included in the 1899 encyclical Annum Sacrum issued by Leo XIII as he Consecrated the entire world to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The consecration was influenced by two letters written to the Holy Father by Blessed Sister Mary of the Divine Heart, who stated that in visions of Jesus Christ, she had been told to request the Consecration.
One Minute Reflection – 30 June – “The Last day of the Month of the Sacred Heart”
He said to them, “Why are you afraid, O men of little faith?” Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea and there was great calm. … Matthew 8:26
REFLECTION – “God is not at all displeased when, on occasion, you quietly complain to him. Don’t be afraid of saying to him: “Lord, why do you stand afar off? (cf. Ps 9:22 LXX) You know well that I love You and only long for Your love. Graciously come to my aid and do not abandon me.”
If your desolation continues and your anguish is unbearable, unite your voice to that Jesus, Jesus dying in affliction on the cross – say, as you beg the divine pity: “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” (Mt 27:46) But profit from this trial, firstly, so as to humble yourself even more, while reminding yourself, that we are not worthy of any consolations when we have offended God and then, so as to revive your confidence even more by reminding yourself that, whatever He may do or permit, God only has your well-being in mind and that, in this way, “all things work together for the good” (cf. Rm 8:28) of your soul. The more that trouble and discouragement besiege you, the more you should arm yourself with courage and cry out: “The Lord is my light and my help, who should I fear?” (Ps 26:1). Yes, Lord, it is You who enlighten me, You who will save me, in You I entrust myself, “in you I place my hope, I shall never be confounded” (Ps 30:2 LXX).
In this way, stand firm in peace, certain that “no-one has hoped in the Lord and been confounded” (Sir 2:11 Vg.), none have been lost after having placed their trust in God.” … St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) – Bishop and Doctor of the Church – What should we talk about with God? (from: ‘How to Converse Continually and Familiarly with God’).
PRAYER – Lord, You are the beginning and the end of all that we do, all that we are and all that we say. Lead us by the light of Your grace in complete trust and confidence and complete us with Your all-powerful help. Let Your light penetrate the hidden fears of our hearts and may our trust be complete. And may we always understand that our Mother, loves us and cares for us in all our needs. We worship You in Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever, amen.
Quote/s of the Day – 30 June – “The Last day of the Month of the Sacred Heart”
And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord, we are perishing.”
Matthew 8:25
“It is I, be not afraid”
John 6:20
“Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
John 14:27
“The waters have risen and severe storms are upon us but we do not fear drowning, for we stand firmly upon a rock. Let the sea rage, it cannot break the rock. Let the waves rise, they cannot sink the boat of Jesus.”
“Let the world be in upheaval. I hold to His promise and read His message, that is my protecting wall and garrison. What message? ‘Know that I am with you always, until the end of the world!’”
St John Chrysostom (347-407) Father and Doctor of the Church
“It is not a calm sky, beloved but the storm which tests a pilot’s skill. When the breeze is mild, even the poorest sailor, can manage the ship. But in the crosswinds of a tempest, we want the best pilot with all His skill.”
St Peter Chrysologus (c 406 – c 450) Father and Doctor of the Church
“Whoever has become a servant of the Lord, fears only his Master. But whoever is without the fear of God, is often afraid of his own shadow. Fearfulness is the daughter of unbelief. A proud soul is the slave of fear, hoping in itself, it comes to such a state, that it is startled by a small noise and is afraid of the dark.”
St John Climacus (579-649) Father of the Church
“O Heart of love, I put all my trust in Thee, for I fear all things, from my own weakness, but I hope for all things, from Thy Goodness.”
St Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690)
“…Therefore, never allow yourself to start brooding again but always be brave and trust. Serve your good Master with an open heart full of joy. The right way is to see all events and all obstacles in the spirit of faith as being in the hands of Our Lord and to hear Him say to you, on every occasion, as He did to the disciples ‘It is I. Do not fear. Have faith.’”
Thought for the Day – 30 June – “The Last Day of Month of the Sacred Heart” – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Devotion to the Sacred Heart
“When we consider it under it’s fundamental aspect as the cult of the love of God, rather than of the Incarnate Word, devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, is as old as Christianity, even though it is only in recent centuries, that it has assumed it’s present symbolism. “He who does not love, does not know God,” says St John, “for God is love” (1 Jn 4:8). “And we have come to know,” he continues “and have believed, the love that God has in our behalf. God is love and he who abides in love, abides in God and God in him” (1 Jn 4:16). This cult of the love of God, particularly of the love of God made man, vibrates throughout the pages of the Gospel and of the writings of the Apostles, especially of St John and of St Paul.
In the works of the Fathers, there are references to the Heart of Jesus, pierced with a lance, from which flowed all the infinite graces of the Church for our redemption. We are reminded of this in the Encylical, Haurietis Aquas, published by Pope Pius XII in the year 1956. But the specific cult of the love of God, as symbolised by the Heart of Jesus, was explicitly approved by the Church after Jesus Himself appeared in the year 1674 to St Margaret Mary Alacoque and showed her His Heart on fire with love for men.”
Our Morning Offering – 29 June – Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles
Decora Luce Aeternitatis What Fairer Light Attrib. to H Elphis (Died 493) Wife of Boethius c 477– 524) Trans. Msgr Ronald Knox (1888–1957)
What fairer light is this than time itself doth own, The golden day with beams more radiant brightening? The Princes of God’s Church this Feast day doth enthrone, To sinners heavenward bound their burden lightening.
One taught mankind its creed, one guards the Heavenly Gate, Founders of Rome, they bind the world in loyalty; One by the sword achieved, one by the cross his fate; With laurelled brows they hold eternal royalty.
Rejoice, O Rome, this day; thy walls they once did sign With princely blood, who now their glory share with thee. What city’s vesture glows with crimson deep as thine? What beauty else has earth that may compare with thee?
To God the Three in One eternal homage be, All honour, all renown, all songs victorious, Who rules both heaven and earth by one divine decree, To everlasting years in empire glorious. Amen
5th century Latin Hymn “Aurea Luce” attributed to H Elphis (Died 493), first wife of the Roman philosopher-poet Boethius (c475–c525). He would eventually be Martyred for his defence of the Faith against the Arian ruler: Theodoric. Msgr Knox, a convert from Anglicanism, was a noted Scholar, Author, Hymnist and Translator, becoming the Secretary to St Pius X. Under direction of his religious superiors, he re-translated the Latin Vulgate Bible into English from Hebrew and Greek sources. What Fairer Light is set to the tune, Decora Lux by the English Catholic Composer, Samuel Webbe (1740–1816).
In 1632, in accord with changes called for by the Council of Trent, Pope Urban VIII (1568-1644) revised the original text of Aurea Luce and divided it into two new Hymns for Lauds and Vespers: Decora Lux and Beate Pastor Petre. In the Liturgy of the Hours, What Fairer Light is used on 29 June, the Solemnity of Sts Peter and Paul, Apostles. The above is the Older version.
Thought for the Day – 29 June – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
St Peter, Prince of the Apostles St Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles
“It is good to admire the fidelity of St Peter and the designs of Divine Providence in making him the visible Head of the Church but, it is far better, to follow his example. His love for Jesus, led him to leave his family and his fisherman’s trade, in order to follow Our Lord.
It led him to undertake long voyages, to endure imprisonment and to face martyrdom.
What can we do for the love of Jesus? Remember that, if love is to be sincere, it must be generous and effective.
Secondly let us meditate on and imitate, the ardent and fearless faith of St Peter. He was not afraid to preach the teaching of Christ before the Sanhedrin. He was not afraid of Herod, who cast him into prison.
He was not afraid of the Roman Emperor, who caused him to be crucified. Our faith should be steadfast and lively, like his!
Finally, let us imitate Peter in his repentance. Although he loved Jesus very much and had such great faith in Him, in a moment of weakness and of imprudence, he denied Him three times. All his life, however, be wept bitterly for this sin. Whenever he heard a cock crowing, it was as if an arrow had pierced his heart.
He was not satisfied, until he was hanging upon the cross like his Divine Master and could prove his love for Jesus by a Martyr’s death.”
St Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles
We can learn many other virtues from St Paul, besides his zealous love for God and for his fellowmen. We can also learn from him, the virtues of humility and of apostolic fervour. The Apostle of the Gentiles reached such heights of sanctity, as to feel himself transformed into Christ Himself and to deserve to be taken up into the third Heaven, where he enjoyed a foretaste of eternal happiness.
Nevertheless, he considered himself unworthy to be called an Apostle and he realised, that all his gifts came to him from God.
“Not that we are sufficient of ourselves, to think anything as from ourselves but our sufficiency, is from God” (2 Cor 3:5).
Whenever we succeed in any project, we should think on the same lines because, it is only when we are humble and depend on the grace of God, that the success of our actions will redound to the glory of our Creator.If the cancer of ambition or of self-love, should corrupt our purity of intention, our work would not be blessed by God and would not make us worthy of everlasting life.
Let us repeat often: “All for You, with You and in You, my God.”
One Minute Reflection – 29 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” – Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles – Acts 12:1-11, Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in Heaven and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, it shall be loosed also in Heaven.” – Matthew 16:19
REFLECTION – “Bridegroom and Bride, that is Christ and the Church, are as one, be it in receiving confession or in bestowing absolution. All this makes clear why Christ had to tell each of us: “Go, show yourself to the priest” (Mt 8,4)… It follows that apart from Christ, the Church cannot grant forgiveness and that Christ has no will to forgive, apart from the Church. The Church’s authority to forgive extends only to the repentant, to those, that is, whom Christ has already touched; Christ, on His part, has no intention of regarding as forgiven, one who despises the Church.
Doubtless, Christ need accept no restraints to His power of Baptising, Consecrating the Eucharist, Ordaining Priests, forgiving sins and the like but, the humble and faithful Bridegroom, prefers to confer such blessings, with the co-operation of His Bride. “What God,” then, “has joined, let no man put asunder” (Mt 19,6). “I say this is a great mystery and refers to Christ and the Church” (Eph 5,32)… To remove the Head from the Body (Col 1,18) were to ruin the whole Christ, irreparably. Christ, apart from the Church, is no more the whole Christ, than the Church is complete, if separated from Christ. Head and Body go to make the whole and entire Christ.” – Bl Isaac of Stella (c 1100 – c 1170) Cistercian Monk, Abbot, Theologian, Philosopher (Sermon 11, §11-814).
PRAYER – O God, Who made this day holy by the Martyrdom of Thy Apostles Peter and Paul, grant Thy Church to follow in all things the teaching of those from whom she first received the faith. 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).
ALL PRAISE, honour and glory to the Divine Heart of JESUS.Indulgenced– 50 Days, once a day. 168 Pope Leo XIII, 14 June 1901.
“There are the gates of our true country, the two lights of the immense world. There Paul’s voice is heard like thunder; there Peter withholds or hurls the bolt . The former opens the hearts of men, the latter opens Heaven. Peter is the Foundation-stone, Paul the Architect of the temple where stands the Altar by which God is propitiated. Both together form a single Fountain, which pours out its healing and refreshing waters.”
St Venantius Fortunatus (c 530 – c 609) “The Troubadour of Christ”
“Yes, the Apostle chosen to be His co-worker, merited to share, the same Name as Christ. They built the same Building together – Peter does the planting, the Lord gives the increase and it is the Lord, too, Who sends those, who will do the watering (cf 1 Cor 3:6f).”
St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor of the Church
“These falls were both very great but there was this difference. One acknowledged his guilt; the other despaired. Yet, our Saviour had inspired in the heart of both, the same Peccavi [admission of guilt] (“I have sinned”) … From this time on, St Peter never ceased weeping, principally when he heard the cock crow at night and morning, for he remembered this crowing as the signal for his conversion. … Why then was Judas not converted? … Alas, did not this unhappy man know that Our Lord alone could give it to him, that He was the Saviour and held Redemption in His hands? … Certainly, he knew it but he did not wish, nor dare to ask pardon. ”
St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor Caritas
“He grieved for his three sins, not only on that sad night but throughout his life. St Clement (c35-c101 the third succeeding Pope after St Peter) writes that he wept so often that his tears wore two deep furrows in his cheeks and that, whenever he heard the cock crowing, the cry pierced his heart. He loved Jesus sincerely and passionately. If we really love Jesus as Peter did and are prepared to face death for His sake, as Peter was, then we may be sure that we shall never offend God again.”
Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness, of what you have seen and what you will be shown. I shall deliver you from this people and from the Gentiles, to whom I send you, to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may obtain forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those, who have been consecrated by faith in Me.”
Acts 26:16-18
“Yet I live, no longer I but Christ lives in me; insofar as I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, Who has loved me and given himself up for me.”
Please pray for the repose of the soul of Ann Stenvert. She died yesterday, fortified with the Sacraments of Holy Mother Church and wearing the Brown Scapular of Our Lady. And we know that the Blessed Virgin Mary is faithful to her promises!
Please also pray for Ann’s grieving family and friends who are coping with her sudden loss. But the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ transforms suffering and sorrow into many profound opportunities for Grace and salvation, if only we allow God to do so on His Holy Terms.
Eternal Rest grant unto her, O Lord. And let Perpetual Light shine upon her. May her soul and all of the souls of the faithfully departed, through the Mercy of God, Rest in Peace. Amen.
I was greatly blessed to be Ann’s pastor this past year. She bore the Light of Christ to countless souls that she touched through her prayers and steadfastness in the Truth of Christ and His One True Catholic Church, without any compromise with the popular errors against the Faith taught by so many wolves in shepherds’ clothing who are deceiving and leading so many souls into doctrinal and moral corruption. Lord have Mercy! But let us continue making sacrifices and praying for the conversion of heretics and sinners so that the Truth will set them free. The love of God and seeking the salvation of souls is what drove Ann on in the battle as a soldier for Christ. And so, let us always continue heeding the pleadings of Our Lady and her little devoted daughter and servant Ann, by praying the Rosary every single day.
Funeral arrangements for Ann are still pending. And if anyone would like to donate to help cover the costs for the Funeral and other bills that have taken the financially struggling Stenvert family by surprise, I encourage you to donate by contacting the Stenverts directly via a new PayPal account:
Every donation large or small will be most appreciated, including every big or little prayer.
And I have personally pledged to offer Masses for the repose of Ann’s soul. And I also pledge to remember all donors to the Stenverts in my private intentions at Mass. And I will offer a monthly Mass for all who donate monthly to the Stenverts, who promise to continue Ann’s holy work on the website.
+May God bless and reward you all. In JMJ, Fr David
+ Brethren, stand fast; and hold the traditions which you have learned, whether by word, or by our epistle.
-2 Thess. 2:14
Teach nothing new, but implant in the hearts of everyone those things which the Fathers of venerable memory taught with a uniform preaching. Whence, we preach nothing except what we have received from our forefathers. In all things, therefore, both in the rule of Faith and in the observance of discipline, let the pattern of antiquity be observed.
Hi guys, this is Ana’s daughter here. I know my mom promised to be back on the site yesterday, but while we were getting her computer set up, she had a stroke, suspected multiple strokes, and is now in the hospital. It’s looking bad, please pray for her, especially to the Blessed Virgin and St Paul. Thank you. I will keep you updated.
Saint of the Day – 12 May – Saint Cyril and 6 Companions (3rd Century) Martyrs of Rumania. Little is known of these Saints besides their staunch and holy sanctity never ceasing to declare Christ under immense torture and finally beheading. Grant us too the Grace we beseech Thee, Beloved Lord, never to cease defending Thee!
Information regarding Saint Cyril and his 6 companions, Martyred in Moesia (modern-day Rumania), is unfortunately fragmentary. Their liturgical feast is set today but the date of their Martyrdom remains uncertain, presumably in the 3rd Century.
The main sources mentioning these Saints are:
The Roman Martyrology: it places their commemoration on May 12th with the following entry: “At Galatz in Moesia, in modern Rumania, Saint Cyril, who was Martyred together with six companions.”
Apocryphal Acts
Ancient local traditions: passed down orally and then collected in manuscripts.
From the available sources, it is clear that Cyril was a fervent Christian who lived in Moesia. During a period of persecution, he and 6 companions were arrested and brought before the Roman Governor. They refused to renounce their faith and were subjected to various tortures. Finally, they were condemned to death and beheaded.
Saint of the Day – 4 May – Saint Venerius (Died 408) Bishop of Milan, Italy from c400 until his death in 408. St Venerius had been a Deacon under St Ambrose. He followed St Simplician in the office of Bishop. He conducted his pastoral ministry with the greatest diligence and tireless zeal.
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Milan, St Venerius, Bishop, whose virtues are attested by St John Chrysostom in the epistke which he wrote to St Venerius.”
Almost nothing is known about the life of St Venerius prior to his election as the Bishop of Milan. A late tradition, associates him with the noble Milanese family of the Oldrati. According to the 5th Century Historian and Biographer of St Ambrose, Paulinus, whose work is the only Life of St Ambrose based on a contemporary account and was written at the request of St Augustine. St Venerius was the Deacon assisting St Ambrose and he was present at the death of his beloved master in 397.
St Venerius was elected Bishop after the death of St Simplician in the winter between 400 and 401. He was already the Bishop of Milan when he received a request by a Council held on 18 June 401 at Carthage, to send Clerics from Milan to North Africa. One of the Clerics who was sent was actually our Paulinus mentioned above.
St Venerius is also known from a letter written to him by Pope Anastasius I concerning the condemnation of the heresy of the Origenists. Again, he is mentioned in a letter of the same Pope to St John II, Bishop of Jerusalem.
In 404 St Venerius, along with Pope Innocent I and St Chromatius, the Bishop of Aquileia, protested in support of St John Chrysostom who has been unjustly banned from Constantinople, writing in his favour to Honorius, the Western Emperor, who sent this letter to his brother, Arcadius, the Eastern Emperor. This intercession, however, availed nothing.
St Venerius died on 4 May 408 and was buried in the Church of Saints Nazarius and Celsus in Milan.
St Benedict Joseph Labre TOSF (1748-1783)– Known as the Beggar of Perpetual Adoration (1748-1783) Lay Penitent and Pilgrim – he “abandoned his country, his parents and whatever is flattering in the world, to lead a new sort of life, a life most painful, most penitential, not in a wilderness, nor in a cloister but in the midst of the world, devoutly visiting as a pilgrim the famous places of Christian devotion.” Canonised by Pope Leo XIII on 8 December 1881. Dearest St Benedict Joseph: https://anastpaul.com/2017/04/16/saint-of-the-day-16-april-st-benedict-joseph-labre/
Blessed Arcangelo Canetoli (1460-1513) Priest and Canon of the Canons Regular of the Congregation of the Most Holy Saviour at Bologna, Mystic gifted with the charism of prophecy and of many visions of the Blessed Virgin, Born in 1460 in Bologna, Italy and died on 16 April 1513 (aged 53) in Gubbio, Italy of natural causes. His body is incorrupt. Arcangelo was Beatified on 2 October 1748 by Pope Benedict XIV. Holy Arcangelo: https://anastpaul.com/2023/04/16/saint-of-the-day-16-april-blessed-arcangelo-canetoli-crssb-1460-1513-priest/
St Turibius (c402-c460) Bishop of Astorga in Spain, Hermit, Monk, Defender of the Faith against heresy, in particular, the heresy of Priscilian., Miracle-worker. Born in Astorga, Spain in c402 and died there in c460 of natural causes. Patronages – Diocese of Palencia, Diocese of Santander, Diocese of Astorga, all in Spain. The Roman Martyrology reads: “At Palencia, St Turibius, the Bishop of Astorga, Spain, who with the aid of Pope St Leo the Great, drove the heresy of Priscilian entirely out of Spain and, went to rest in the Lord with a great renown for miracles.” Zealous and Miraculous St Turibius: https://anastpaul.com/2024/04/16/saint-of-the-day-16-april-saint-turibius-of-astorga-c402-c460-bishop/
St Vaise Blessed William Gnoffi (1256-1317) Hermit
Martyrs of Corinth – 9 Saints: A group of nine Christians who were tortured and Martyred together in the persecutions of Decius. We know little more than three of their names – Callistus, Charisius and Leonide. They were thrown into the sea at Corinth, Greece c250.
Martyrs of Saragossa: Group of 18 Martyrs murdered in 304 in Saragossa, Spain in the persecutions of Diocletian and the prefect Dacean. We know little more than the names – Apodemus, Caecilian, Caius, Crementius, Engratia, Eventius, Felix, Fronto, Gaius, Julia, Lambert, Lupercus, Martial, Optatus, Primitivus, Publius, Quintilian, Saturnius (4 men of this name), Succesus and Urban. Their graves re-discovered in 1389 in the crypt under the Church of San Encrazia in Saragossa.
Saint of the Day – 4 April – St Hildebert (Died c752) Abbot and Martyr of the Monastery of St Peter in Ghent, modern Belgium, Martyred for his uncompromising defence of Sacred Images. Also known as – Emebert.
St Hildebert dedicated his life to the service of God. He embraced the monastic life and joined Monks at the Monastery of St Peter in Ghen. Below is a beautiful example of Sacred Images the Ghent Altarpiece by Jan van Eyck (1432). The Adoration of the Lamb at the end of the post is the lower section of the Altarpiece.
He was elected as the Abbot and unfailingly went to the defence of Sacred Images which had become a contentious issue. St Hildebert unwavering defence eventually led to his Martyrdom.
His death is not well documented but it is believed that he was killed due to the opposition he faced gy those destroying Sacred Images.
To this day, St Hildebert of Ghent is remembered and venerated, most particularly in Ghent.
Saint of the Day – 15 March – Saint Matrona (5th-6th Century) Virgin of Capua. Matrona was a Roman noblewoman , famous for having found the body of the first Bishop of Capua, Saint Priscus. Patronages – against intestinal epidemics and cholera.
Statue of St Matrona above the Altar containing her Relics in the Church of St Prisco
Matrona, a Roman noblewoman of Portuguese origin, was miraculously cured by Saint Prisco. Tradition tells us that the young lady suffering from a stomach disorder and went to the Campanian City of Capua and was cured whilst praying at the Tomb of the first Capuan Bishop which she had discovered.
Matrona remained there for the rest of her life, later honoured as a Saint and invoked against intestinal epidemics and cholera,
The small Chapel of St Matrona is a Shrine perhaps annexed to the primitive early Basilica dedicated to St Prisco. In the apse there is a marble oval Sarcophagus which acts as an Altar and which contained the remains of our Saint.
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