St Ephrem of Syria (306-373)– “The Harp of the Holy Spirit!” Father & Doctor of the Church, Deacon and Confessor, Exegesist, Writer, Poet, Hymnographer, Theologian, Teacher, Orator, Defender of the Faith – declared Doctor of the Church in 1920 by Pope Benedict XV. For 48 years (1920–1969), it was on 18 June, and this date is still observed in the Traditional Calendar. About St Ephrem! https://anastpaul.com/2017/06/09/saint-of-the-day-9-june-st-ephrem-of-syria-father-and-doctor-of-the-church/
St Abraham of Clermont St Alena of Dilbeek St Amandus of Bordeaux St Arcontius of Brioude St Athenogenes of Pontus St Calogero of Sicily St Calogerus of Fragalata St Calogerus the Anchorite St Colman mac Mici St Cyriacus of Malaga St Demetrius of Fragalata St Edith of Aylesbury
St Elpidius of Brioude St Equizio of Telese St Erasmo St Etherius of Nicomedia Bl Euphemia of Altenmünster St Fortunatus the Philosopher St Gerland of Caltagirone St Gregory of Fragalata Blessed Hermann of Floreffe O.Praem (Early 12th Century- 1193) Abbot and Canon of the Premonstratensians or Norbertines. St Guy of Baume St Jerome of Vallumbrosa St Marina of Alexandria St Marina of Bithynia Bl Marina of Spoleto
St Osanna of Northumberland St Osmanna of Jouarre St Paula of Malaga Bl Peter Sanchez
Hermits of Karden: A father (Felicio) and his two sons (Simplicio and Potentino) who became pilgrim to various European holy places and then hermits at Karden (modern Treis-Karden, Germany). (Born in Aquitaine (in modern France. ) Their relics transferred to places in the Eifel region of western Germany at some point prior to 930. They were canonised on 12 August 1908 by Pope Pius X (cultus confirmation).
Martyrs of Ravenna – 4 Saints: A group of four Christians Martyred together. We have no details but their names – Crispin, Cruciatus, Emilius and Felix. They were martyred in Ravenna, Italy, date unknown.
Martyrs of Rome – 3 Saints: Three Christians Martyred together . We have no details but their names – Cyriacus, Paul and Thomas. In Rome, Italy, date unknown.
Martyrs of Tripoli – 3 Saints: Three imperial Roman soldiers, at last two of them recent converts, who were imprisoned, tortured and executed for their faith. Martyrs – Hypatius, Leontius and Theodulus. They were Greek born and they died c135 at Tripoli, Phoenicia (in modern Lebanon).
Everyday unite your prayers and adorations with those of the Most Holy Virgin and of one of the nine choirs of Angels and Saints, to honour one of the dispositions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and to practise some virtue in its honour.
THE THIRD DAY
With the Blessed Virgin, the Thrones and the Holy Apostles.
Adore the Sacred Heart of Jesus, presenting to the Eternal Father our good works and our prayers and beseeching for our deficiencies, to the infinite Majesty of God.
Practice—Thank God for having given you so powerful a Mediator and endeavour to conform daily, more and more, to the sentiments of this Sacred Heart.
Prayer of St Alphonsus Liguori to the Sacred Heart
O Adorable Heart of my Jesus, Heart created expressly. for the love of men! Until now, I have shown towards Thee only ingratitude. Pardon me, O my Jesus. Heart of my Jesus, Abyss of Love and of Mercy, how is it possible, that I do not die of sorrow when I reflect on Thy Goodness to me and my ingratitude to Thee? Thou, my Creator, after having created me, hast given Thy Blood and Thy Life for me and, not content with this, Thou hast invented a means of offering Thyself everyday for me, in the Holy Eucharist, exposing Thyself to a thousand insults and outrages. Ah, Jesus, do Thou wound my heart with a great contrition for my sins and a lively love for Thee. Through Thy Tears and Thy Blood, give me the grace of perseverance in Thy fervent love, until I breathe my last sigh. Amen.
Quote of the Day – 17 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” – Friday within the Octave of Corpus Christi – 1 Corinthians 23-29, John 6:56-59.
O Divine Jesus! Lonely in So Many Tabernacles By St Pope Pius X (1835-1914) “Pope of the Blessed Sacrament”
O Divine Jesus! Lonely today in so many Tabernacles, without visitor or worshipper, I offer Thee my lonely heart. May it’s every beat be a prayer of love to Thee. Thou art ever watching under the Sacramental Veils, in Thou love, Thou never sleeps and Thou art never weary of Thy vigils for sinners. O Loving Jesus! O Lonely Jesus! may my heart be a lamp, the light of which shall burn and beam for Thee alone. Watch, Sacramental Sentinel! Watch for the weary world, for the erring soul and for Thy poor lonely child. O Jesus, my God, I adore Thee, here present in the Sacrament of Thy love. Amen
Indulgences: 100 days each time before the Tabernacle 300 days each time before the Blessed Sacrament Exposed (St Pope Pius X – 3 July 1908) Prayers to the Sacred Heart 15th Ed 1936
One Minute Reflection – 17 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” – Friday within the Octave of Corpus Christi – 1 Corinthians 23-29, John 6:56-59.
“This is the Bread that has come down from Heaven; not as your fathers ate the manna and died. He who eats this Bread shall live forever.”- John 6:59
REFLECTION – “It is wonderful that God rained manna on our fathers and they were fed with daily food from Heaven. And so it is written: Man ate the bread of angels. Yet, those who ate that bread all died in the desert. But the food that you receive, that living Bread which came down from Heaven, supplies the very substance of eternal life, and whoever will eat it, will never die, for it is the Body of Christ!
Consider now which is the more excellent – the bread of Angels or the Flesh of Christ, which is indeed the Body that gives Life. The first was manna from Heaven, the second is above the Heavens. One was of Heaven, the other is of the Lord of the Heavens; one subject to corruption if it was kept till the morrow, the other free from all corruption, for if anyone tastes of it with reverence, he will be incapable of corruption. For our fathers, water flowed from the rock; for you, Blood flows from Christ. Water satisfied their thirst for a time; Blood cleanses you forever. The Jew drinks and still thirsts but when you drink, you will be incapable of thirst. What happened in symbol is now fulfilled in reality.
If what you marvel at is a shadow, how great is the reality, whose very shadow you marvel at. Listen to this, which shows, that what happened in the time of our fathers was but a shadow. They drank, it is written, from the rock that followed them and the Rock was Christ! All this took place as a symbol for us. You know now what is more excellent – Light is preferable to its shadow, reality to its symbol, the Body of the Giver, to the manna He gave from Heaven.” – St Ambrose (340-397) Great Western Father and Doctor of the Church (An excerpt from On the Mysteries).
PRAYER – O God, Thou Who in this wondrous Sacrament have left us a memorial of Thy Passion, grant us, we beseech Thee, so to venerate the Sacred Mysteries of Thy Body and Blood, that we may ever experience, within us, the effect of Thy Redemption. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect). MAY the HEART of JESUS be loved everywhere.100 Days, Indulgence Once a day – Pope Pius IX 23 September 1860.
Our Morning Offering – 17 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart”
Be the Heart of My Heart By St John Eudes (1601-1680) Apostle of the Sacred Heart
O Heart all Lovable and all Loving of my Saviour, be the Heart of my heart, the Soul of my soul, the Spirit of my spirit, the Life of my life and the sole Principle of all my thoughts, words and actions, of all the faculties of my soul and of all my senses, both interior and exterior. Amen
St John Eudes is the Author of the Proper for the Mass and Divine Office of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ and the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin. St John was an ardent proponent of the Sacred Heart and dedicated himself to it’s promotion and celebration. The Masses he compiled for both the Sacred Heart of Jesus and for the Immaculate Heart of Mary, were both first celebrated during his lifetime. He preached missions across France, including Paris and Versailles, while earning recognition as a popular Evangelist and Confessor. St John Eudes was also a prolific writer and wrote on the two Holy Hearts despite opposition from the Jansenists.
Saint of the Day – 17 June – Saint Ranieri Scaccero (c 1117-1161) Confessor, Pilgrim, Monk, Musician, Penitent, Ascetic, Preacher, Miracle-worker. Born in c 1117 in Pisa, Italy and died on 17 June 1161 at the Abbey of Saint Vito, Pisa, Italy of natural causes. Patronage – of Pisa, Italy. Also known as – Ranieri of Pisa, Ranieri de Aqua, Rainer, Rainerius, Rainier, Raniero, Raynerius, Regnier.
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “In Pisa, Saint Raniero, poor man and pilgrim for Christ.”
Ranieri was the son of Gandulfo Scacceri, a prosperous merchant and shipowner of Pisa and Mingarda Buzzaccherini. In his youth, he was a travelling musician. He spent a wild and sinful youth as a wandering minstrel and musician, carousing all night, sleeping by day if at all.
It was at the age of 19 that Ranieri decided to radically change his life. One evening, while performing for a merry crowd in a castle,he met a Hermit named Alberto, from Corsica “who wore a cloak of animal hair, like a goat” and had entered the Pisan Monastery of St Vitus and had become renowned for his work for the poor. This meeting led Ranieri to embrace the Faith with conviction, he burned his fiddle, and gave up the life of a minstrel. Thus he place himself, at the service of God
Desiring to visit the Holy Land, Raineri set himself up as a merchant in order to pay for his fare. The business took him to many ports and he became wealthy. His travels eventually took him to the Holy Land, where, it is said, he had a vision by which he understood that his wealth was hindering him from devoting himself to God.
At the age of 23 he decided to live in absolute poverty: he got rid of all the riches and gave them to the poor and needy. His only concern remained to imitate his teacher, Jesus Christ, as best as possible. Wearing the robe of the penitent given to all the pilgrims who went to Mount Calvary, he spent a long period with the Hermits in the Holy Land, where he performed numerous miracles.
He punished his body with long fasts, normally abstaining from food everyday of the week except Thursdays and Sundays. His austerity was so excessive, his later biographer noted, that God had to tell him to eat! The renunciation of himself and the total service to God, allowed him to overcome the numerous temptations that the evil one never ceased attacking him with during his 13-year stay in the Holy Land.
Returning to Pisa in 1154 and entered the Monastery of Saint Andrew and subsequently that of Saint Vitus. and became a renowned Preacher. Ranieri was already then, surrounded by the fame of a saint. He continued to work miracles even in his hometown. The admiration of his fellow citizens would accompany him, until the last day of his life. Ranieri died seven years after his return from the Holy Land on Friday 17 June 1161. His body was carried in a triumph through the City to the Cathedral of Pisa, its resting place.
In the eyes of the Pisans, Ranieri was a saint already in life. Once he abandoned his earthly life, one of his disciples, the Canon Benincasa, undertook to write a Life of the Saint in 1162, a text that knew a great success . In 1755 it was translated by the Carmelite Friar ,Giuseppe Maria Sanminiatelli . In 1842 it was re-published in Pisa.
The Blessed Ranieri Frees the Poor from a Prison in Florence (1437-44)
In 1632 the Archbishop of Pisa, the local clergy, the Pisan Magistrate, with the announcement of the sacred Congregation of Rites, elected Ranieri as the main Patron of the City and the Diocese. In 1689 the transfer of his body was decided, which was definitively placed on the High Altar. During the night of the translation, the Pisans illuminated their houses to pay homage to the figure of their most beloved Saint. He was Canonised by Pope Alexander III.
In 1161 or 1162, a Pisan Canon, Benincasa, wrote a long and invaluable Vita of the Saint. He says Raineri resembled the Son of God through his life of strict imitatio Christi – imitation of Christ. Benincasa wrote that Ranieri demonstrated “a royal priesthood in Christ” of which Raineri and all the Baptised are a part.
Ranieri is generally portrayed as a bearded hermit in a hairshirt holding a Rosary or Crucifix; as a young pilgrim in a hairshirt carrying a banner with the Pisan Cross; as being raised up by devils; or as dying in a hairshirt.
St Himerius of Amelia St Hypatius of Chalcedon St Molling of Wexford St Montanus of Gaeta St Nectan of Hartland Bl Paul Burali d’Arezzo Bl Peter Gambacorta Bl Philippe Papon St Prior St Rambold of Ratisbon St Ranieri Scaccero (c 1117-1161) Pilgrim, Monk St Theresa of Portugal
Martyrs of Apollonia – 7 Saints: A group of Christians who fled to a cave near Apollonia, Macedonia to escape persecution for his faith, but were caught and executed. The names we know are – Basil, Ermia, Felix, Innocent, Isaurus, Jeremias and Peregrinus. They were beheaded at Apollonia, Macedonia.
Martyrs of Aquileia – 4 Saints: Four Christian Martyrs memorialised together. No details about them have survived, not even if they died together – Ciria, Maria, Musca and Valerian. c.100 in Aquileia, Italy.
Martyrs of Chalcedon – 3 Saints: Three well-educated Christian men who were sent as ambassadors from King Baltan of Persia to the court of emperor Julian the Apostate to negotiate peace between the two states, and an end of Julian’s persecutions of Christians. Instead of negotiating, Julian imprisoned them, ordered them to make a sacrifice to pagan idols and when they refused, had them executed. Their names were Manuel, Sabel and Ismael. They were beheaded in 362 in Chalcedon (part of modern Istanbul, Turkey) and their bodies burned and no relics survive.
Martyrs of Fez – 4 Beati: A group of Mercedarians sent to Fez, Morocco to ransom Christians imprisoned and enslaved by Muslims. For being openly Christian they were imprisoned, tortured, mutilated and executed. Martyrs – Egidio, John, Louis and Paul. They were martyred in Fez, Morocco.
Martyrs of Rome – 262 Saints: A group of 262 Christians Martyred in the persecutions of Diocletian. In c303 in Rome, Italy. They were buried on the old Via Salaria in Rome.
Martyrs of Venafro – 3 Saints: Three Christian lay people, two of them imperial Roman soldiers, who were converts to Christianity and were Martyred together in the persecutions of Maximian and Diocletian – Daria, Marcian and Nicander. They were beheaded c.303 in Venafro, Italy. By 313 a basilica had been built over their graves which were re-discovered in 1930. They are patrons of Venafro, Italy.
Everyday unite your prayers and adorations with those of the Most Holy Virgin and of one of the nine choirs of Angels and Saints, to honour one of the dispositions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and to practise some virtue in its honour.
THE SECOND DAY
With the Blessed Virgin, the Cherubim, and the Holy Prophets.
Adore the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which solicits, night and day, the mercy of God in our favour, and incessantly offers itself in sacrifice for the expiation of our sins.
Practice—Recall to your mind, in the bitterness of your soul, the enormity of your sins; implore this Sacred Heart to give you a true contrition for them and unite the sorrow which you endeavour to conceive, with that which our Lord experienced in His adorable Heart.
Prayer of St Alphonsus Liguori to the Sacred Heart
O Adorable Heart of my Jesus, Heart created expressly. for the love of men! Until now, I have shown towards Thee only ingratitude. Pardon me, O my Jesus. Heart of my Jesus, Abyss of Love and of Mercy, how is it possible, that I do not die of sorrow when I reflect on Thy Goodness to me and my ingratitude to Thee? Thou, my Creator, after having created me, hast given Thy Blood and Thy Life for me and, not content with this, Thou hast invented a means of offering Thyself everyday for me, in the Holy Eucharist, exposing Thyself to a thousand insults and outrages. Ah, Jesus, do Thou wound my heart with a great contrition for my sins and a lively love for Thee. Through Thy Tears and Thy Blood, give me the grace of perseverance in Thy fervent love, until I breathe my last sigh. Amen.
Thought for the Day – 16 June – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Feast of Corpus Christi
“This is the Feast of Jesus in the Blessed Eucharist. Let us enkindle in ourselves a more intense faith and love – let us adore and love Him on behalf of those who neglect to do so. Let us resolve to live a Eucharistic life.
Aspiration: I adore You at every moment, O Living Bread from Heaven, O most wonderful Sacrament.”
Quote/s of the Day – 16 June – Corpus Christi, The Most Holy Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ – 1 Corinthians 23-29, John 6:56-59.
“But when our kind and loving Father rained down the Word, He Himself, became spiritual nourishment to the good. … And then, we are to throw out the old and carnal corruption, our old diet, receiving in exchange a totally new diet — Christ Himself, as we ingest Him for Him to remain hidden there. Then, with our Saviour enshrined in our souls, as it were, we can correct the affections of our flesh.”
St Clement of Alexandria (150-215) Father of the Church
“He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood, abides in Me and I in him.”
John 6:57
“This bread you see on the Altar, consecrated by the word of God, is the Body of Christ. This cup consecrated by the word of God, or rather its contents, is the Blood of Christ. In these two elements our Lord desired to hand over, for our veneration and love, His Body and Blood, shed for the remission of our sins. If you have received them with a good disposition, then you are what you have received. As the apostle Paul declares: “We are, all of us, one bread, one body” (1 Cor 10,17)…”
St Augustine (354-430) Bishop, Father, Doctor of Grace
Source of all we have or know, feed and lead us here below. Grant that with Your saints above, Sitting at the feast of love, We may see You face to face.
Amen Alleluia!
Lord Jesus Christ, in the Most Blessed Sacrament, we Adore and Love You!
( The last Verse of the Lauda Sion, the Eucharistic Hymn/Sequence By St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
“Spiritual Communion is an ardent desire to receive Jesus in the Holy Sacrament and a loving embrace, as though we had already received Him.”
St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) Doctor of the Church
“It is enough for us to love Him and to be ready to keep His commandments. Such an act of sincere and effective love for Jesus, will cause Him to enter and to remain in our hearts, even after the sacramental species has been consumed. This is Spiritual Communion, which consists mainly in the yearning for Jesus. “I have come to cast fire upon the earth and what will I but, that it be kindled” (Lk 12:49).”
Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Act of Spiritual Communion By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor
I desire, good Jesus, to receive Thee in Holy Communion and since I cannot now receive Thee in the Blessed Sacrament, I beseech Thee to come to me spiritually and to refresh my soul with Thy sweetness. Come, my Lord, my God and my All! Come to me and never let me ever again be separated from Thee by sin. Teach me Thy blessed ways, help me with Thy grace to imitate Thy example, to practise meekness, humility, charity and all the virtues of Thy Sacred Heart. My divine Master, my one desire is to do Thy will and to love Thee, more and more. Help me, that I may be faithful to the end, in Thy service. Bless me in life and in death, that I may praise Thee, forever in heaven, Amen
One Minute Reflection – 16 June – Corpus Christi, The Most Holy Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ – 1 Corinthians 23-29, John 6:56-59.
“He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood, abides in Me and I in him..” – John 6:57
REFLECTION – “Or think of it this way: Whereas people desire meat and drink to satisfy hunger and thirst, real satisfaction is produced, only by that meat and drink that make the receivers of it, immortal and incorruptible. He’s talking here about the fellowship of the saints where there is peace and unity, full and perfect. Therefore, our Lord has chosen, for the types of His Body and Blood, things that become one out of many.
Bread is a quantity of grains united into one mass, wine a quantity of grapes squeezed together. Then He explains what it is to eat His Body and drink His Blood: “He that eats my flesh and drinks my blood dwells in me and I in him.” So then, to partake of that Meat and that Drink, is to dwell in Christ and Christ in you. Whoever does not dwell in Christ and in whom, Christ does not dwell, neither eats His Flesh nor drinks His Blood; rather, he eats and drinks the Sacrament of it, to his own damnation!” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (Tractates on the Gospel of John, 26).
PRAYER – O God, Thou Who in this wondrous sacrament have left us a memorial of Thy Passion, grant us, we beseech Thee, so to venerate the Sacred Mysteries of Thy Body and Blood, that we may ever experience, within us, the effect of Thy Redemption. 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). EUCHARISTIC Heart of JESUS, model of the priestly heart, have mercy on us. COR JESU Eucharisticum, cordis sacerdotalis exemplar, miserere nobis. – Indulgence 300 Days, Everytime – Raccolta 177 St Pius X, 11 September 1907.
Our Morning Offering – 16 June – Corpus Christ, The Most Holy Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ
Lauda Sion Salvatorem Sion, Lift Up thy Voice and Sing (Excerpt) By St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) Doctor Angelicus / Doctor Communis
Sion, lift thy voice and sing, Praise thy Saviour and thy King, Praise with hymns thy Shepherd true, Dare thy most to praise Him well, For He doth all praise excel, None can ever reach His due.
Special theme of praise is Thine, That true living Bread divine, That life-giving flesh adored, Which the brethren twelve received, As most faithfully believed, At the Supper of the Lord.
Let the chant be loud and high, Sweet and tranquil be the joy Felt to-day in every breast; On this festival divine Which recounts the origin Of the glorious Eucharist.
St Thomas Aquinas wrote the Liturgy for Corpus Christi when Pope Urban IV added the Solemnity to the universal Church’s Liturgical calendar in 1264. He provided a great sequence, one of the great poems chanted or recited before the proclamation of the Gospel. Lauda Sion is one of only four medieval sequences which were preserved in the Roman Missal published in 1570 following the Council of Trent (1545–1563)—the others being Victimae Paschali Laudes (Easter), Veni Sancte Spiritus (Pentecost) and Dies irae (requiem masses). (A fifth, Stabat Mater, would later be added in 1727.) Before Trent, many feasts had their own sequences. The existing versions were unified in the Roman Missal promulgated in 1570. The Lauda Sion is still sung today as solemn Eucharistic hymn, though its use is optional in the post-Vatican II Ordinary form. As with St Thomas’s other three Eucharistic Hymns, the last few stanzas of the Lauda Sion are often used alone, in this case, to form the “Ecce Panis Angelorum”.
By Fr Francis Xavier Weninger, SJ (1805-1888) (Excerpt)
The same reason which caused the Festival of the Holy Trinity, induced the Catholic Church to institute the Feast of Corpus Christi, which we celebrate today. She requires that we shall confess and renew today, the faith which we have in the Blessed Eucharist and that we bestow, all possible honours, upon the Most Holy Sacrament and give due thanks to our Saviour for its institution. In order that this just requirement of the Church may be more fully complied with, we shall here give some explanation of the above reasons.
In regard to the first reason, the following are the facts, which the Church especially desires to call to our memory by this joyous festival. Our dear Saviour, on the same evening when His bitter suffering for the Redemption of man began, instituted the Blessed Eucharist, out of His immeasurable love for us. In it, He is truly and substantially present with Body and Doul, with Flesh and Blood, as God and Man, under the form of bread and wine. Under the form of bread, not only His Holy Body but also, His Holy bBood is present – because a living body cannot exist without blood. Hence he receives it, who partakes of Holy Communion only in th,e form of bread, not less than he who receives it in two forms, as the pPriests, when they say Holy Mass. The latter partake of Holy Communion under two forms, in order that the Passion and Death of our Saviour, during which His Blood flowed from His wounds, might be more vividly represented.
From the moment that the Priest speaks the prescribed holy words, in the name of Christ, over the bread and wine, the Lord is present in the Holy Sacrament. Bread and wine change their substance, miraculously, into the true Body and Blood of the Saviour, in such a manner, that all that remains of the bread and wine, is their form, colour and taste. The Presence of Christ lasts as long as the bread and the wine are unconsumed. It is further to be considered, that our Lord is present in a small host as well as in a large one, as well in a portion of a Host, as in a whole one. Hence, he who receives an entire host, has no more than he who receives only a part of one, the latter has just as much as the former. The same is the case with those, who by inadvertence, receive more than one Host, while others receive only one. It is only to be remarked that in case a Consecrated Host is broken or divided, the Holy Body of the Saviour, is not broken nor divided but, the form of the bread only: even as Christ will not again die, so His Holy Body can neither be broken nor divided. All these points are Articles of Faith in the Catholic Church and are explained in sermons, in religious instructions and in many books and are especially demonstrated, by the Word of God. All true Catholics believe this without any doubt, as the Almighty, Who is Eternal and Infallible Truth, has revealed it and, as that Church assures us, which, on account of the Assistance of the Holy Ghost, promised to her by Christ, cannot err.
Those who are not Catholics teach in many points quite differently. They especially reject the Real Presence of Christ in the form of bread and wine and also, the Transubstantiation of these latter, into the Real Body and Blood of the Lord. They maintain it to be impossible, that bread and wine can be changed into the Body and Blood of Christ, or that Christ can be Really Present at the same time, in so many different places, in so small a compass, as the Holy Host. If we ask them why they consider it impossible, they answer: “because we cannot conceive, cannot comprehend, how it can be possible.” But if they believe impossible all which they cannot understand, they must, besides many other Articles of Faith, reject the creation of the world; the Humanity and Resurrection of Christ; the Holy Trinity; because all these are just as inconceivable for the mind of man, as the Transubstantiation of the bread and wine and the substantial Presence of the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. It matters not, in Articles of Faith, whether we are able to comprehend them or not, so long as they are revealed by God.
That which the Almighty has revealed must be true, whether I can understand it or not – for He is Omniscient, hence Infallible and cannot be deceived, while our understanding, can as easily be deceived, as our senses. God is Truth, therefore, cannot deceive. He is Omnipotent, hence, He can do more than the human mind can comprehend. “With God all things are possible,” said Christ Himself. “Let us admit that God can do more than we are able to fathom,” says St Augustine, while St Cyril of Alexandria writes; “The Lord says by the prophet Isaias: ‘My counsel is not like yours, neither are my ways like your ways: for as the heaven is above the earth, so are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts.’ Cannot, therefore, the Works of Him, Who stands so high above us in Wisdom and Power, exceed in their Greatness the limits of our understanding?”
The same is taught by all the Holy Fathers. They also refer to many occurrences in nature, which, although we cannot comprehend them, nevertheless, take place. They speak of the creation of the world and say, if we believe that God created a whole world out of nothing, how can we hesitate to believe that He can change bread and wine, or that He can be Present in that form? The water at Cana was changed into wine – why then should He not possess the Power to transform bread and wine into His Holy Body and Blood? Truly, whoever believes that God is Omnipotent, Infallible and Infinite, cannot doubt this Article of Faith. We Catholics believe so and hence, we cannot doubt any of the abovementioned points of the True Faith. This faith we this day renew and confess publicly. The Catholic Church requires it and has, for this reason, instituted today’s Festival. She further demands that we unanimously, bestow today all possible honour upon the Blessed Sacrament and that we praise and glorify, with all the powers of our soul, the Saviour therein concealed. And is not this justly demanded of us? of us who firmly believe that our Lord is Present in His double nature, as God and as Man, in the Blessed Sacrament? All honour, all praise belongs to the true God! …
Everything connected with this ceremony, is intended to honour our Lord in every possible manner. The Church tries, by this public manifestation, to atone somewhat for the many and great wrongs to which the Blessed Sacrament is so frequently subjected, by heretics as well as by Catholics.
One cannot, without horror, think how this Sacred Mystery has been assailed and dishonoured in Centuries gone by and down to our days. A pious Christian dares not even relate the wrongs done to it, which are great enough to deserve hell! And what does our Saviour, concealed in the Blessed Sacrament, suffer from those who believe in His Presence? The irreverence and levity with which many Catholics conduct themselves, in the Presence of the Blessed Eucharist, tend to dishonour and disgrace our Saviour. The unworthy Communions which unhappily take place, offend Him in a most grievous manner. The misuse of the Body, especially of the tongue and mouth, which are so often sanctified by partaking of the True Body and Blood of Christ, cannot but excite the wrath of the Lord. For these, as well as other wrongs done to the Blessed Sacrament, the Church of Christ seeks to make amends by these Solemn Processions and by all the other pious exercises she has ordained for this festival and during the whole Octave. Hence, every pious Christian should be solicitous, to conform to the ordinances of the Church and not only assist in the Procession and all other devout exercises but also, endeavour to contribute to render them, what the Church desires.
Those who are not Catholics disapprove of everything that we do today in honour of the Blessed Sacrament and accuse us of idolatry, as we, according to them, worship bread. They say also that all that we do in this regard, cannot be agreeable to God because it was not ordained by Him. We, Catholics, are, however, not disturbed by this, for we know that we do not worship bread but Him Whom Three Wise Men worshipped in the Manger, namely, Jesus Christ, true God and Man. We know also, that although what we do this day in honour of the Blessed Sacrament is not, especially and expressly ordained in Holy Writ, still we are assured that a voluntary worship of it, is in accordance with reason and the laws of God, pleasing and agreeable to His Majesty. And this is made clear to us from the above-mentioned example of the three Wise Men and from the acts with which King David honoured the Most High, on the solemn return of the Ark of the Covenant; not to mention that Christ gave us a general Command to worship God, in the words: “The Lord Thy God shalt thou adore and Him only, shalt thou serve.” (Matth. iv.) This Command we fulfil today by our actions, as they all aim at one end, namely, the honour of the Lord, Who is concealed in the Blessed Sacrament. The more we are blamed and derided by the heretics for our adoration of the Holy Eucharist, the more fervent should we become in our zeal. When King David was derided by Michol, on account of his devotion at the return of the Ark of the Covenant, he said: “Before the Lord who chose me . . . . I will both play and make myself meaner than I have done and I will be little in my own eyes.” (II. Kings vi.)
We will still add in a few words, what the True Church further demands of us. We today give humble thanks to the Lord for the institution of the Blessed Eucharist. This is no more than our duty, for if we are obliged to thank God for the smallest benefit He confers upon us, we are surely under much greater obligation, when the benefit is great and of especial importance.
Who can tell, who can comprehend, the greatness of the benefit, which Christ Our Saviour and Lord bestowed upon us by the institution of the Blessed Eucharist. It is as great as it is unfathomable: great as He Who devised it; as Christ our Lord, true God and Man, the King of all Kings, the Lord of all, Who reigns. Great and inconceivable is the miracle by which the substance of bread and wine is changed into the substance of the Body and Blood of Christ and the Miraculous Presence of the Lord in the form of bread and wine. St Thomas de Aquin, calls the Blessed Sacrament a miracle and the greatest that Christ ever wrought! Amen Amen Alleluia, Praise be Thee Lord Jesus Christ in the Most Blessed and Life-giving Sacrament!
St Berthaldus St Ceccardus of Luni St Cettin of Oran St Colman McRhoi St Crescentius of Antioch St Cunigunde of Rapperswil St Curig of Wales St Cyriacus of Iconium (c 301-c 304) Child Martyr
Blessed Donizetti Tavares de Lima (1882-1961) Priest, Apostle of the poor, the elderly and the sick, miracle-worker, known to bilocate. A prophecy related to Vatican II: “No, no, Archbishop! We won’t see this disgrace (prophesying that they both would die soon) but it will come! This was not just a dream, nor a nightmare! The darkness will fall over this world! I beg you: don’t let them destroy the Altars!” An amazing life: https://anastpaul.com/2020/06/16/saint-of-the-day-16-june-blessed-donizetti-tavares-de-lima-1882-1961/
St Elidan St Felix of San Felice St Ferreolus of Besançon St Ferrutio of Besançon Bl Gaspare Burgherre St Graecina of Volterra St Ismael of Wales
St Maurus of San Felice St Palerio of Telese St Similian of Nantes Bl Thomas Redyng St Tycho of Amathus
Martyrs of Africa: A group of five Christians Martyred together. We know nothing else but the names – Cyriacus, Diogenes, Marcia, Mica, Valeria. They were martyred in an unknown location in Africa, date unknown.
Everyday unite your prayers and adorations with those of the Most Holy Virgin and of one of the nine choirs of Angels and Saints, to honour one of the dispositions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and to practise some virtue in its honour.
THE FIRST DAY
With the Blessed Virgin, the Seraphim and the Holy Patriarchs.
Adore often the Sacred Heart of our Lord Jesus Christ in the most Holy Sacrament, humble yourself before the Infinite Majesty of God the Father and offer, continually to Him, the purest and most profound homages.
Practice—Renew in your soul, the most lively sentiments of respect and adoration for God and frequently make these acts.
Prayer of St Alphonsus Liguori to the Sacred Heart
O Adorable Heart of my Jesus, Heart created expressly. for the love of men! Until now, I have shown towards Thee only ingratitude. Pardon me, O my Jesus. Heart of my Jesus, Abyss of Love and of Mercy, how is it possible, that I do not die of sorrow when I reflect on Thy Goodness to me and my ingratitude to Thee? Thou, my Creator, after having created me, hast given Thy Blood and Thy Life for me and, not content with this, Thou hast invented a means of offering Thyself everyday for me, in the Holy Eucharist, exposing Thyself to a thousand insults and outrages. Ah, Jesus, do Thou wound my heart with a great contrition for my sins and a lively love for Thee. Through Thy Tears and Thy Blood, give me the grace of perseverance in Thy fervent love, until I breathe my last sigh. Amen.
Thought for the Day – 15 June – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Divine Worker
“Work is both a right and an obligation, which belongs to all men. In the beginning of creation, however, work was a pleasure for the human race and the earth yielded its fruits easily and readily. “The Lord God took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden to till it and to keep it” (Gen 2:15). But after Adam’s sin of rebellion, nature, in its turn, rebelled against man. Work was no longer merely a pleasure but, a chastisement and a dire necessity too.
“Cursed be the ground because of you,” God said to Adam. “In toil shall you eat of it, all the days of your life; thorn and thistles shall it bring forth to you and you shall eat the plants of the field. In the sweat of your brow, you shall eat bread.” (Gen 3:17-19).
This commandment of God is binding upon everyone. Idleness is condemned as the source of evil. “Idleness is an apt teacher of mischief ” (Ecclus 33:29). Everyone must engage, in either mental or manual labour. These two kinds of work, complement one another and are equally dignified and necessary. A man who works with his hands should not envy the man who works with his intellect. The mental worker should not despise nor consider himself superior to the manual labourer. We are all brothers and have been placed wherever we are by the designs of Providence. For this reason, we should love and help one another.”
Quote/s of the Day – 15 June – The Memorial of St Vitus (c 290-c 303) and Companions, Martyrs – Wisdom 3:1-8, Luke 10:16-20
“But yet rejoice not in this, that spirits are subject unto you but rejoice in this, that your names are written in Heaven.”
Luke 10:20
“So also, you now indeed have sorrow but I will see you again and your heart shall rejoice. And your joy, no man shall take from you.”
John 16:22
“…We must all rejoice exceedingly, to be even the last, in the Kingdom of God!”
St Gregory the Great (540-604) Pope, Confessor, Father and Doctor “Father of the Fathers”
“From now on, then, if God has no need of your goods, neither does He have to give you this great thing, if you refuse to love Him, all He requires is love, without which nothing constrains His giving. Love, then and you will receive the Kingdom, love and you will possess it… Love God more than yourself and already, you begin to have what it is your desire to possess fully, in Heaven.”
St Anselm (1033-1109) Doctor magnificus Doctor Marianus
One Minute Reflection – 15 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart” – The Memorial of St Vitus (c 290-c 303) and Companions, Martyrs – Wisdom 3:1-8, Luke 10:16-20
“He who hears you, hears Me and he who rejects you, rejects Me and he who rejects Me, rejects Him Who sent Me.”…Luke 10:16
REFLECTION – “Someone, having listened to the verse: “Offer to God a sacrifice of praise” (Ps 50[49].14), said to himself: “I will go to Church every day when I get up and sing a morning hymn; then an evening hymn at the end of the day and then, in my own home, a third and fourth hymn. This is how I will make a sacrifice of praise everyday and offer it to my God.” It is good to do this if you do it in truth but beware of placing your confidence in what you do and fear lest, while your tongue is speaking eloquently before God, your life may be speaking badly… Take care you do not live evilly, while speaking well.”…St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor of the Church
PRAYER – Grant O Lord, we pray, that through the intercession of Thy Holy Martyrs Vitus, Modestus and Crescentia, Thy Church be not high-minded but grow in that humility which is pleasing to Thee, so that despising evil, she may practice whatever is good with unbounded charity. 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). “Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Thine.” – 300 Days, EVERYTIME. (Unless otherwise stated, e.g., “once a day,” a partial Indulgence may be gained any number of times in succession.) St Pope Pius X, 15 September 1905.
Our Morning Offering – 15 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart”
O Good Jesus, Make Me Live in Thee and for Thee By Pope Benedict XV (1854-1922)
O Most Sacred Heart of Jesus! O fount of every good! I adore Thee, I love Thee and sincerely repenting of my sins I present to Thee my poor heart. Give it back to me humble, patient, pure and in everything, conformed to Thy wishes. Make me, O good Jesus, live in Thee and for Thee. Protect me in dangers, comfort me in afflictions, grant me health of body, succour in my temporal needs, Thy blessing in all my works and the grace of a holy death. Amen
Indulgence – 100 days Once a day Pope Benedict XV 4 December 1916
Saint of the Day – 15 June – Saint Isfrid of Ratzeburg O.Praem (c 1115-1204) Bishop of Ratzeburg, Confessor, Spiritual advisor, Missionary, Mediator and Peacemaker, a renowned Administrator and gentle corrector of his flock, whom he protected against political abuses, Defender of the Pope and the Holy See. Istfrid also built and restored Churches and Monasteries and established many new Parishes. Born in c.1125 in Germany and died on 15 June 1204 at Ratzeburg, Holstein, Germany of natural causes, aged 89. Additional Memorial – 17 February in the Diocese of Osnabrück, Germany and the Archdiocese of Hamburg, Germany. Also known as – Isfried, Isfrido.
Isfrid was born around 1115 in Germany. Nothing is known about his early years. He entered the Order of the Premonstratensians, which is also called the Norbertines, after its founder, St Norbert of Xanten (1080-1134), or White Canons, after the colour of their habit.
Istfrid became a Canon in the Monastery in Cappenberg near Selm in Westphalia. In 1159 he was elected the first Prior of the Monastery of Jerichow near Berlin. There he built a magnificent Romanesque Church.
At the request of Henrik Löwe, Duke of Saxony, the Norbertines of Magdeburg had turned their attention to the conversion of the pagan Vendors, a common name for the Slavic tribes on the Elbe and the Baltic Sea. Saint Evermod was elected by Henrik Löwe, as the first Bishop of the restored Diocese of Ratzeburg in northern Germany. Upon the death of St Evermod, Istfrid was proposed as his successor. But strife over this election led to a two-year sedis vacancy. But the battle was ended through Henrik Löwe’s intervention and in 1180, Isfrid was finally elected, as the second Bishop of Ratzeburg. The medieval chronicle describes him as sanctus sancti successor – a saint who succeeds a saint.
St Isfrid on the right, with Sts Ludolph and Evermod, the three first Bishops of Ratzeburg.
Isfrid completed the construction of the Cathedral, which was begun by Evermod. He was known for his organisational skills and created many Parishes. He also worked tirelessly for the German colonisation of the land of the Vendians. Against himself, he tended to be strict in his penance but against the rebellious, he was a gentle judge and tried to convince them and win them over through his preaching. In 1190 he visited the Monastery of Floreffe in present-day Belgium, which had been destroyed by fire. According to Arnold of Lübeck, he succeeded in recalling all the Canons who had been scattered in all directions over the past year and a half. He restored the Monastery and Consecrated seven Altars in one day. The same year, he also Consecrated the Romanesque Church in Postel, a daughter house of Floreffe.
Isfrid was the Confessor and friend of Duke Henrik Löwe, a pious layman who enthusiastically supported Isfrid in his project to continue the missionary work of the invaders that Evermod had started. But Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa (1152-90; Emperor from 1155) wrongly took from Henrik his possessions and gave them to Bernhard of Anhalt. In the battle between the imperial party stauferne and the papal party, Isfrid took the side of the defeated Henrik Löwe, as he had once sworn allegiance to him, despite all threats and protests.
Isfrid also defended the rights of his people against the intrigues of Emperor Fredrik and his vassal, Bernhard of Anhalt. Bernhard punished anyone who disliked the Emperor’s policy towards the Pope or who sympathised with Duke Henrik. Isfrid bore these persecutions with dignity and patience until Henrik was finally reconciled with the Emperor, who returned to him the duchy. Isfrid remained Duke Henrik’s Confessor and spiritual guide and when Henrik was dying in 1195, Isfrid went to him to hear his Confession, give him absolution and the last Sacraments before he died on 6 August 1195. In the old annals of Stederburg, Isfrid is called, “a man who excelled in Christian wisdom, humility and strength.”
In 1195, the Canons at the Chapter in Schwerin, which was composed of both Saxons and Wends, could not agree on the election of a Bishop. Isfrid was asked by the Pope to mediate and judge between the candidates and the choice fell on Brunward, one of the first converts to receive the Episcopal honour.
Isfrid died on 15 June 1204 in Ratzeburg, aged 89 and was buried in the choir in his Cathedral, next to his predecessor St Evermod. His reputation for holiness spread rapidly and miracles continued to occur after his death. Pope Benedict XIII (1724-1730), confirmed his cult on 26 March and 12 April 1728, along with a number of other Premonstratensians.
His memorial day is the day of his death, 15 June. In the Diocese of Osnabrück he is commemorated on 17 February with two other Bishops of Ratzeburg, Saints Evermod (1154-1178) and Ludolf (1236-1250), both of whom, were PremonstratensianS. Because Ratzeburg in the state of Schleswig-Holstein is today located in the newly established Catholic Diocese of Hamburg (1995), the three holy Bishops were transferred from the calendar of the Diocese of Osnabrück to the calendar of the Archdiocese of Hamburg. He is depicted as a Bishop, with the water that turned into wine and with the blind man for whom he prayed that his sight be restored, which God approved.
St Vitus (c 290-c 303) – Martyr, One of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. Died aged 12-13 years of age. Patronages – against animal attacks, against dog bites, against epilepsy; epileptics, against lightning, against over-sleeping, against rheumatic chorea or Saint Vitus Dance, against snake bites, against storms, against wild beasts, of actors, comedians, dancers, dogs, Bohemia, Czech Republic, Serbia, 17 cities. His very short life: https://anastpaul.com/2017/06/15/saint-of-the-day-15-june-st-vitus/
St Abraham of Saint-Cyriacus St Achaicus of Corinth St Barbara Cui Lianshi St Benildis of Córdoba
St Bernard of Montjoux/Menthon CRSA (c 1020-1081) “Apostle of the Alps” Priest, Founder of a patrol that cleared robbers from the mountains and he established hospices for travellers and pilgrims. The large dogs, trained to search for lost victims in the mountains, are named for him. Patronages – Alpinists, Alps (proclaimed by Pope Pius XI on 20 August 1923), Campiglia Cervo, Italy, mountain climbers (proclaimed by Pope Pius XI on 20 August 1923), mountaineers, skiers, travellers in the mountains (proclaimed by Pope Pius XI on 20 August 1923). Biography: https://anastpaul.com/2018/06/15/saint-of-the-day-15-june-st-bernard-of-menthon-c-r-s-a-c-1020-1081-apostle-of-the-alps/
St Constantine of Beauvais St Domitian of Lobbes St Edburgh of Winchester St Eigil St Eutropia of Palmyra St Fortunatus of Corinth
St Hadelinus of Lobbes St Hesychius of Durostorum St Hilarion of Espalion St Isfrid of Ratzeburg O.Praem (c 1115-1204) Bishop, Confessor Bl Juan Rodriguez St Julius of Durostorum St Landelin of Crespin St Leonides of Palmyra St Libya of Palmyra St Lotharius of Séez St Melan of Viviers St Orsisius Bl Pedro da Teruel Bl Peter Snow St Pierre de Cervis
Bl Ralph Grimston St Tatian of Cilicia Bl Thomas Scryven St Trillo of Wales St Vaughen of Ireland
St Vouga of Lesneven
Martyr of Lucania – 11 Saints: Eleven Christians Martyred together. We known nothing else about them but the names – Anteon, Candidus, Cantianilla, Cantianus, Chrysogonus, Jocundus, Nivitus, Protus, Quintianus, Silvius, Theodolus in Lucania (modern Basilicata), Italy, date unknown.
REMINDER the NOVENA in HONOUR of the SACRED HEART of JESUS BEGINS Wednesday 15 JUNE
Feast Day: 19 days after Pentecost
Please join me in this most beautiful Novena to our Beloved Lord.🙏🧡
The Sacred Heart of Jesus is a special form of Devotion to the physical Heart of Jesus. It is the Love He shares for humankind, with the Father and the Holy Ghost . In the Eleventh and Twelfth Centuries, devotion to the Sacred Heart arose in Benedictine and Cistercian Monasteries. Passages from the published work “Vitis Mystica” inspired the devotion and were used by the Church for the lessons of the Second Nocturn of the Feast. From the Thirteenth to the Sixteenth Centuries, the Devotion was practiced by different Congregations such as Franciscans, Dominicans and Carthusians but remained an individual or private Devotion.
St John Eudes Orat. (1601-1680), established the Devotion publicly in the Seventeenth Century, gave it an Office and established a Feast for it. He shared Devotion to the Sacred Heart along with his Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Little by little the Devotions separated and the first Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, was celebrated on 31 August 1670. On 27 December 1673, on the Feast of St John the Beloved Apostle of the Heart of Our Lord, Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque VHM. (1647-1690), a Nun at the Visitation Convent in France, began to have visions of Jesus. He [Jesus] asked her to promote Devotion to His Sacred Heart, symbolic of His Love for humanity. Jesus attached twelve promises to those who practiced Devotion to His Sacred Heart including peace in families, consolation in time of trouble, abundant blessings and refuge at the hour of death. By Order of Pope Leo XIII in 1899, all of mankind was Solemnly Consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Jesus’ Sacred Heart is typically pictured as a flaming heart, pierced, surrounded by a Crown of Thorns and Bleeding. The wounds and thorns symbolise the manner of His Death and the fire represents His burning undying Love.
Quote/s of the Day – 14 June – The Memorial of St Basil the Great (329-379) Bishop of Caesarea, Confessor, Father and Doctor of the Church
“How long are we going to put off obeying Christ, Who calls us into His Heavenly Kingdom? Are WE NOT going to purify ourselves? WILL we NOT resolve to forsake our customary way of life to follow the Gospel radically?… We claim to want the Kingdom of God yet, without bothering, to concern ourselves, with the means of obtaining it?! What is more, in the conceitedness of our souls, without taking the least trouble to obey the Lord’s Commandments, we think ourselves worthy to receive the same reward, as those who have resisted sin, to the death!”
“Through Him, hearts are lifted up, the infirm are held by the hand and those who progress, are brought to perfection. He shines on those who are cleansed from every spot and makes them spiritual people, through fellowship with Himself. When a sunbeam falls on a transparent substance, the substance itself becomes brilliant and radiates light from itself. So too, the Spirit-bearing souls, illumined by Him, finally become spiritual themselves and their grace is sent forth to others. From this comes knowledge of the future, understanding of mysteries, apprehension of hidden things, distribution of wonderful gifts, heavenly citizenship, a place in the choir of Angels, endless joy in the presence of God, becoming like God and the highest of all desires – becoming God!”
St Basil the Great (329-379) Father and Doctor of the Church
One Minute Reflection – 14 June – The Memorial of St Basil the Great (329-379) Bishop of Caesarea, Confessor, Father and Doctor of the Church – 2 Timothy 4:1-8, Luke 14:26-35
“If anyone comes to Me, without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” – Luke 14:26
REFLECTION – “On another occasion, the Lord says, “Whoever comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, and wife and children and brothers and sisters and even his own soul, cannot be my disciple.” As a rule, this is more upsetting to the mind of new Christians, who are eager to begin at once, to live in accordance with the precepts of Christ. To those who do not fully grasp its meaning, it would seem contradictory…. He has condescended to call His disciples to the eternal Kingdom. He also called them brothers. In the Kingdom these relationships are transcended because, “there is neither Jew nor Greek, neither male nor female, neither slave nor freeman but Christ, is all things and in all.” The Lord says, “For in the resurrection, they will neither be married nor marry but will be as the Angels of God in Heaven.”
Whoever wishes to prepare himself now, for the life of that Kingdom, must not hate people but those earthly relationships, through which the present life is sustained, the temporary life that begins at birth and ends with death. Whoever does not hate this necessity, does not yet love that other life, in which there will be no condition of birth and death, the condition that makes marriages natural on earth.” – St Augustine (354-430) Bishop, Father, Doctor of Grace (Sermon on the Mount,15).
PRAYER – We beseech Thee, O Lord, hear our prayers which we offer on the festival of blessed Basil, Thy Confessor and Bishop and through his intercessory merits, who had the grace to serve Thee worthily, absolve us from all our sins. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect). Sweet Heart of Jesus, be my love.300 days ONCE A DAY – (Unless otherwise stated, e.g., “once a day,” a partial Indulgence may be gained any number of times in succession.) Pope Leo XIII 21 May.
Our Morning Offering – 14 June – The Memorial of St Basil the Great (329-379) Bishop, Confessor, Father and Doctor of the Church
O Christ, Our Master and Our God By St Basil the Great (329-379) Father and Doctor of the Church
O Christ, our Master and our God, King of the ages and Creator of all, I thank You for all the good things You have given to me and for the reception of your most pure and life-giving Mysteries. I pray You, therefore, O good Lover of humankind, keep me under Your protection, in the shadow of Your wings. Grant that with a pure conscience, until my last breath, I may worthily partake of Your Holy Things, for the forgiveness of sins and for life everlasting. For You are the Bread of Life, the Fountain of Holiness and the Bestower of Blessings and to You, we give glory together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and ever, Amen.
Saint of the Day – 14 June – St Basil the Great (329-379) – Bishop of Caesarea, Confessor, Father and Doctor of the Church, Theologian, Defender of True Faith against all heresies, outstanding Scholar, Preacher and Writer, he was filled with love and kindness for the poor and the sick, building a Hospital to assist the poor sick, Miracle-worker. Born in 329 at Caesarea, Asia Minor (modern Turkey) to the nobility, his was a pious family – his mother, father and four of his nine siblings, were Canonised, including Saint Gregory of Nyssa. Grandson of Saint Macrina the Elder. He died on 1 January 379 at Caesarea, Asia Minor of natural causes. Patronages – Cappadocia, Hospital Administrators, Monks, Reformers, Cessaniti in Italy, Russia.
The Roman Martyrology says of him today: “At Caesarea, in Cappadocia, the Consecration of St Basil, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, who was eminent for learning and wisdom in the time of the Emperor Valens. Being adorned with every virtue, he was a great light in the Church and defended her, with admirable constancy, against the Arians and Macedonians.”
St Basil the Great, Bishop of Caesarea, Confessor and Doctor of the Church By Fr Francis Xavier Weninger, SJ (1805-1888) (Excerpt)
St Basil, who is called by the Holy Church, the Great because he was truly so, not only in mind, eloquence and learning but also, in courage against the heretics, in zeal for the honour of God, in holiness and in miracles, was born in Cappadocia, of noble, rich but, at the same time, holy parents. He had three brothers who are also honoured as Saints. He studied the liberal arts at Csesarea, Constantinople and lastly at Athens: – in the last place he became acquainted with St Gregory Nazianzen. St.Porphyrius, who was superior of a Convent in Egypt, instructed him in Holy Writ.
After this, he visited the holy places and was on his return, Ordained Feacon by Bishop Meletius at Antioch and began to preach in that City and afterwards continued at Cassarea, not only with the fame of great wisdom but also, with indescribable benefit to his hearers. At the latter place he was Ordained Priest. When he, however, perceived that even the Bishop became jealous of him on account of the great reputation which he gained by his sermons, he fled secretly to a desert in the land of Pontus. There he lived several years with his friend Gregory, occupied in the study of Holy Writ, praying, fasting and watching. Many came to him, desirous to live more piously. The rules he gave them to regulate their conduct, were by no one kept more punctually than by himself. He also instructed the heathen inhabitants, of the surrounding places, in the true faith and converted many of them.
Some years later, Valens, an Arian, ascended the imperial throne and persecuted the Catholics most cruelly. When St Basil was informed of this, he left the desert, repaired to Cassarea, fearlessly opposed the heretics and strengthened the Catholics in their faith. Meanwhile the Bishop of that City died and Basil, much against his inclinations, became his successor. Invested with this dignity, he changed nothing in the austerity to which he had been accustomed while living in the desert but he used the opportunities offered to him, to be still more kind and charitable to the poor. A terrible famine took place at that time, by which many lost their lives. The holy Bishop sold all that he possessed and divided the money among the poor and exhorted others, in his sermons, to be charitable to the needy. The sick he nursed with admirable humility, in a hospital which he had built for them. He hesitated not ,to give them food with his own hands and to wash and bandage their wounds. But notwithstanding all these acts of pious kindness, he neglected not to combat the Arians, both with tongue and pen and to guard his flock from their ravages.
Valens, the Emperor, sent one of his chief officers to Caesarea to induce the Saint to join the Arians, or else to drive him out of the City. Modestus, the imperial officer, summoned Basil into his presence and addressed him haughtily, in the following words: “Why do you not comply with the Emperor’s wishes and confess yourself to belong to his faith?” Basil fearlessly replied: “Because the Lord, my God, Who is infinitely greater than your Emperor, forbids it.” “Do you not fear then,” said Modestus, “the power and wrath of the Emperor? He can deprive you of all your possessions, drive you from your country, make you suffer and languish and even take your life.” The holy man answered: “Whosoever possesses nothing, fears not that anything can be taken away from him. My Country is Heaven, out of which you cannot drive me. You cannot make me suffer long, as my body is so weak that his first blow will destroy my life. Death will be a favour to me, for it will bring me sooner to my God.” Modestus, astonished at the boldness of this answer, said: “Nobody has ever dared to speak to me in such a manner.” “This may be the case because you have never spoken to a Bishop,” said Basil; “for in cases like this, all Bishops speak as I do.” “I will give you this night,” said Modestus, “to consider the wishes of the Emperor.” “And I shall be the same tomorrow as today,” replied Basil, as he went away.
The Emperor himself was filled with admiration for the Saint, when he was informed of what had taken place but the heretics left him no peace, until he gave orders that Bishop Basil should be placed in a carriage during the night and secretly carried away. Everything was in readiness to execute the Emperor’s command, when suddenly the Empress and her son, a very young child, became dangerously sick. The physician despaired of their lives and the Emperor, thinking it was a punishment sent by God because of his evil intentions against the holy Bishop, sent hastily to him to request earnestly, that he would obtain from God the health of the mother and the child. Basil promised to comply with his wish, on the condition that the Emperor would promise, that the child should be Baptised and educated in the Catholic faith. The Emperor consented, Basil prayed and the Empress and the Prince entirely recovered in the same hour. Hardly, however, had the Saint left the Emperor, when the latter, breaking his promise, had the child christened by an Arian bishop but he was almost immediately punished, for the Prince became sick again and died!
Some time later, the Emperor, again incited against the Saint intended to banish him but when he sat down to sign the order, the chair suddenly broke under him. He rose, took three pens, one after the other but was not able to write his name. None of them gave any ink but all split in his hand, which itself began to tremble and lose all life. Hence, he tore the order and left the Saint undisturbed. Many other miraculous events took place in regard to this holy Bishop, to relate all of which, would occupy too much space; as also all the labour he performed for the salvation of his flock and to the benefit of the whole Church. Neither can we relate how much he wrote in defence of the True Faith, how valiantly he opposed the heretics, how carefully he guarded the faithful. To a steward of the Emperor, who dared to dispute with him about articles of faith, he gave an answer, which, by a slight change, would serve very well in our days, for many who deem themselves wiser than they are. “Your office is,” said he, “to attend to the soup in the kitchen and to see that it is not too much salted but not ,to dispute about articles of faith.“
St Ephrem saw the Holy Ghost in the form of a dove upon the shoulder of the Saint, whispering to him what to preach or to write. A Jew, who had crept secretly into the Church during Holy Mass, saw a beautiful child in the hands of the Bishop, when he raised the Consecrated Host, which miracle caused him to embrace Christianity. With another Jew, who had considerable medical knowledge, the Saint had frequent conversations in the hope of converting him to Christ. When Basil became dangerously sick, he called the Jewish physician into his presence and asked him what hope there was of his recovery. The Jew answered; “There is no hope– this very evening, the bishop will be a corpse.” “But what would you say,” said the Saint, “if I should still be alive tomorrow?” “It is impossible,” was the Jew’s reply; “if that should happen I will become a Christian.” “I will remind you of your promise,” said Basil and turning his heart to God, he prayed fervently that his life might be prolonged for the conversion of the Jew. And in fact, on the following day, the holy Bishop arose from his bed entirely recovered. The Jew came, saw the miracle and being already sufficiently instructed in the Christian faith, was led by the Saint into the Church and amidst a crowd of people, Baptised with his whole family. This being accomplished, the Saint returned to his bed, his sickness re-appeared and a happy death soon ended his earthly pilgrimage.
Before his end, he exhorted all present to remain constant in the true faith and zealous in the practice of virtue. After this, he saw a Host of Angels, who invited him to enter Heaven. His last words were; “Into Thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.” His happy death took place in the year of our Lord 379.
St Anastasius of Córdoba St Burchard of Meissen St Caomhán of Inisheer St Castora Gabrielli St Cearan the Devout Bl Constance de Castro St Cyprien St Cyriacus of Zeganea St Davnet St Digna of Córdoba St Dogmael of Wales St Elgar of Bardsey
St Nennus of Arran Bl Peter de Bustamante St Protus of Aquileia St Quintian St Richard of Saint Vannes St Rufinus of Soissons St Thecla St Theopista St Valerius of Soissons Bl Walter Eustace
Thought for the Day – 13 June – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
St Anthony
“St Anthony joined the Franciscan Order and joyfully set off for the coast of Morocco in search of Missionary labour and of Martyrdom. But, when he landed on African soil, he was struck down by a serious attack of malaria, which compelled him to return to his native land.
There is no foreseeing the designs of Divine Providence. The boat in which Anthony was travelling was battered by a tempest and had to go ashore in Italy. Henceforward, Italy was Anthony’s second fatherland. It was here, that he conducted his remarkable and fruitful apostolate and slowly accomplished his Martyrdom, by the daily struggle for perfection.
… We have all been called to a state of holiness. Perfection, moreover, is a gradual Martyrdom. … (Cf Pt 1)
Aspiration: Sacred Heart of my Jesus, my God, I love You above all things.”
AnaStpaul 
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