Quote/s of the Day – 18 February – “Month of the Most Blessed Trinity” – Septuagesima Weekday
ETERNAL LIFE
“And everyone who has left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for my name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold and shall possess life everlasting.”
Matthew 19:29
“He seemed to me, a very foolish man and very wretched, who will not increase his understanding while he is in the world and ever with and long to reach that endless life, where all shall be made clear.”
St Alfred the Great (849-899) King
“Eternal life flows from this Sacrament because God, with all sweetness, pours Himself out upon the blessed.”
St Albert the Great OP (1200-1280) Bishop of Regensburg Universal Doctor of the Church
“We must make our way towards eternity, never regarding what men think of us, or of our actions, studying only to please God.”
St Francis Borgia SJ (1510-1572)
“By giving yourself to God, you not only receive Himself in exchange but, eternal life as well!”
St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor Caritatis
“On the journey of this life to eternity, let me carry You in my heart, following Mary’s example, who bore You in her arms, during the flight to Egypt.”
St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor
One Minute Reflection – 14 February – “Month of the Most Blessed Trinity” – Septuagesima Weekday and the Memorial of St Simeon (Died c 106) Martyr, Bishop of Jerusalem, 1 Cor. 9:24-27; 10:1-5, Matthew 20:1-16
“Even so the last shall be first, and the first last; for many are called, but few are chosen.” – Matthew 20:16
REFLECTION – “In that hiring then,we shall all be equal and the first as the last and the last as the first because that Denarius is life eternal and in the life eternal all will be equal. For although through diversity of attainments, the saints will shine, some more, some less; yet as to this respect, the gift of eternal life, it will be equal to all. For that will not be longer to one and shorter to another, which is alike everlasting – that which hath no end will have no end either for thee or me. … In respect. to the living forever, this man will not live more than that, nor that one than this one. For alike without end will they live, though each shall live in his own brightness and the Denarius in the parable is that life eternal.
Let not him then who has received after a long time murmur against him who has received after a short time. To the first, it is a payment, to the other a free gift – yet the same thing is given alike to both.” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (Sermon on Matthew 20).
PRAYER – ALMIGHTY GOD, mercifully look upon our infirmities, that whereas we are afflicted by the burden of our sins, the glorious intercession of Thy Martyr and Bishop, blessed Simeon may be our succour and defence. Through Jesus Christ Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
Our Morning Offering -18 February – Septuagesima Weekday
Lord Jesus, Think on Me By St Synesius of Cyrene (375-430) Bishop of Ptolemais, Father
Lord Jesus, think on me and purge away my sin, from earth-born passions set me free, and make me pure within. Lord Jesus, think on me, With care and woe oppressed, let me Thy loving servant be and taste Thy promised rest. Lord Jesus, think on me, nor let me go astray, through darkness and perplexity point Thou the heav’nly way. Lord Jesus, think on me, that, when the flood is past, I may eternal brightness see and share Thy joy at last. Amen
St Synesius, a native of Cyrene, born circa 375. His descent was illustrious. His pedigree extended through seventeen centuries and in the words of Gibbon, “could not be equaled in the history of mankind.” He became distinguished for his eloquence and philosophy and as a statesman and patriot he took a noble stand. When the Goths were threatening his Country he went to the court of Arcadius and for three years, tried to rouse it to the dangers that were coming on the empire. But Gibbon says, ”The court of Arcadius indulged the zeal, applauded the eloquence and neglected the advice of Synesius.” In 410 he was made Bishop of Ptolemaïs (modern Libya) but much against his will. He died in 430. We have extant one hundred and fifty-five epistles and ten hymns written at different periods of his life.
Saint of the Day – 18 February – St Simeon (Died c 106) Martyr, Bishop of Jerusalem, son of Cleopas, was a Jewish Christian leader and the second Bishop of Jerusalem (62 or 70–106). Died by crucifixion in c 106. Aldo known as – Simon. Saint Simeon succeeded his kinsman, Saint James the Lesser, during the persecution of Christians in Jerusalem. He led the early Church in that City for nearly 50 years until his Martyrdom.
The Roman Martyrology states: “At Jerusalem, the birthday of St Simeon, Bishop and Martyr, who is said to have been the son of Cleopas and a relative of the Saviour according to the flesh. He was Consecrated Bishop of Jerusalem after St James, the kinsman of our Lord and in the persecution of Trajan, after having endured many torments, he consummated his Martyrdom. All who were present, even the Judge himself, were astonished that a man, one hundred and twenty years of age, could bear the torment of crucifixion with such fortitude and sonstancy.”
Cleophas, according to tradition, was Saint Joseph’s brother, making Saint Simeon the first cousin of Jesus.
Simeon is mentioned only three times in the Holy Scriptures, in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark and in the Acts of the Apostles. When Jesus preached in His hometown and was poorly received, Simeon was present:
“53 When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. 54 Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. 55 “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simeon and Judas? 56 Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57 And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.” 58 And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.” (Matthew 13: 53-58)
No doubt he was one of those brethren of Christ who are mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles as having received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. St Eusebius says that when the Jews massacred St James the Lesser, Simeon upbraided them for their cruelty. The Apostles and disciples afterwards met together to appoint a successor to James as Bishop of Jerusalem and they unanimously chose Simeon, who had probably assisted in the government of that Church.
In the year 66 civil war broke out in Palestine, as a consequence of Jewish opposition to the Romans. The Christians in Jerusalem were warned of the impending destruction of the City and appear to have been divinely ordered to leave it. Accordingly that same year, before Vespasian entered Judaea, they retired with St Simeon at their head, to the other side of the Jordan, occupying a small City called Pella.
After the capture and burning of Jerusalem, the Christians returned and settled among the ruins until the Emperor Hadrian afterwards entirely razed it. We are told by Eusebius that the Church here flourished greatly and that many Jews were converted by the miracles wrought by the Saints.
When Vespasian and Domitian had ordered the destruction of all who were of the race of David, St Simeon had escaped their search but when Trajan gave a similar injunction, he was denounced as being not only one of David’s descendants but also a Christian and he was brought before Atticus, the Roman governor. He was condemned to death and, after being tortured, was crucified. Although he was extremely old – tradition reports him to have attained the age of 120 – Simeon endured his sufferings with a degree of fortitude which roused the admiration of Atticus himself.
St Gertrude Caterina Comensoli St Helladius of Toledo St Ioannes Chen Xianheng St Ioannes Zhang Tianshen St Jean-François-Régis Clet St Jean-Pierre Néel Bl Jerzy Kaszyra Bl John Pibush – one of the Martyrs of Douai St Leo of Patera St Martinus Wu Xuesheng Bl Matthew Malaventino St Paregorius of Patara St Sadoth of Seleucia St Simeon of Jerusalem (Died c 106) Martyr, Bishop of Jerusalem, Cousin of Jesus
St Tarasius of Constantinople
St Theotonius OSC (1082-1162) Priest of the Canons Regular, Reformer of religious life in Portugal, Royal Counsellor,, Apostle of the poor, Founder of the Canons Regular of the Holy Cross, now known as “The Crosiers.” He is the first Portuguese Saint. His Lifestory: https://anastpaul.com/2021/02/18/saint-of-the-day-18-february-saint-theotinius-1082-1162/
Bl William Harrington
Martyrs of North Africa – 7 Saints: Group of Christians who were Martyred together, date unknown. We know nothing else but seven of their names – Classicus, Fructulus, Lucius, Maximus, Rutulus, Secundinus and Silvanus. They were born and martyred in North Africa.
Martyrs of Rome – 5 Saints: A group of Christians Martyred together in the persecutions of Diocletian. We know nothing else but their names – Alexander, Claudius, Cutias, Maximus and Praepedigna. They were martyred in 295 in Rome, Italy.
Thought for the Day – 17 February – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Will
“St Paul seems to contradict this idea when he writes: “There is question, not of him who wills, nor of him who runs but of God showing mercy” (Rom 9:16).
What he says is true. Our will is inadequate to effect anything without the grace of God. But, it is equally true, that the grace of God is not sufficient without an act of the will on our part. God created us as intelligent beings with the marvellous gift of free will. Because He respects the liberty which He gave us, He will not compel us by His grace to become holy. He only assist us. His assistance is absolutely necessary because of ourselves, we are incapable of forming a good intention, let alone performing a good action. “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves,” St Paul says elsewhere, “to think anything, as from ourselves but our sufficiency is from God” (2 Cor 3:5).
We must pray fervently for divine grace but, it depends on our own will to ensure, that God’s grace produces results in us. This is the only way in which we can become perfect.”
Quote of the Day – 17 February – Feast of the Flight into Egypt
“My dear Jesus, Thou art the King of Heaven but now I behold Thee as an Infant wandering over the earth – tell me whom dost Thou seek? I pity Thee when I see Thee, so poor and humbled but I pity Thee more when I see Thee treated with such ingratitude by the same men whom Thou came to save. Thou dost weep but I also weep because I have been one of those who in times past have despised and persecuted Thee. But now I value Thy grace more than all the kingdoms of the world; forgive me, O my Jesus, all the evil I have committed against Thee and permit me to carry Thee always in my heart during the journey of my life to eternity, even as Mary carried Thee in her arms during the flight into Egypt.”
By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Doctor of the Church
One Minute Reflection – 16 February – Septuagesima Weekday – 1 Cor. 9:24-27; 10:1-5, Matthew 20:1-6
“… Do you not know that those who run in a race, all indeed run but one receives the prize? So run as to obtain it. ..” – 1 Corinthians 9:245
REFLECTION – “Let nothing intervene to hinder the progress of any who travel alongside each other … but let us walk with agile step though the road be rough and hard, let us show a brave and manly spirit, overcome obstacles, pass along from pathway to pathway, from hill to hill, until we climb onto the mountain of the Lord and make a home for ourselves in the holy place of His impassibility.
For now, let us persevere, children, dear children, let us be patient for a little, brothers, dear brothers.… Who will be crowned without having fought? Who will go to rest if he is not tired (cf. 2 Tim 2:5-6)? Who will gather the fruits of life without having planted virtues in his soul? Cultivate them, prepare the earth with the greatest care, take trouble over it, sweat over it, children, God’s workers, imitators of the angels, competitors with incorporeal beings, lights for those who are in the world (cf. Phil 2:15)!” … St Theodore the Studite (759-826) Monk (Catechesis 28).
PRAYER – O Lord, we beseech You, graciously hear the prayers of Your people, that we who are justly punished for our sins may be mercifully delivered for the glory of Your name. 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).
Our Morning Offering – 17 February – Feast of the Flight into Egypt
My Beloved Redeemer Prayer for the Flight into Egypt (Excerpt) By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Doctor of the Church
My beloved Redeemer, I have many times driven Thee out of my soul but now I hope, that Thou have again taken possession of it. I beseech Thee, do Thou bind it to Thyself with the sweet chains of Thy love. Oh, do Thou make Thyself loved, make Thyself loved by all the sinners who persecute Thee, give them light, make them know the love Thou hast borne them and the love Thou deserves, since Thou goes wandering over the earth as a poor Infant, weeping and trembling with cold and seeking souls to love Thee! O Mary, most holy Virgin, O dearest Mother and companion of the sufferings of Jesus, do thou help me always to carry and preserve thy Son in my heart, in life and in death! Amen.
Saint of the Day – 17 February – Saint Constabilis of Cava OSB (c 1070-1124) Abbot, miracle-worker, known as “The Blanket of the Brothers” for his gentle kindness and caring humility for all the Monks in their trials and sorrows. He is the Patron Saint of the Town of Castellabate in Cilento, which he founded in 1123 and whose name clearly indicates it. Born in c1070 at Lucania, Italy and died on 17 February 1124 at Cava de’ Tirreni of natural causes. Patronages – • Castelabbate, Italy, of sailors, since 1979 he has been elevated to Co-Patron of the Diocese of Vallo della Lucania. Also known as – Constabile, Costabile.
Miracle of the ships saved from wreckage
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “In the monastery of Cava de ‘Tirreni in Campania, Saint Constabilis, Abbot: – for his extraordinary meekness and his charity towards everyone, he was commonly called the “Blanket” of the brothers.”
Constabilis was born around 1070 at Tresino, in Lucania to the noble Gentilcore family. At the age of seven, he was entrusted to the care of Abbot of Cava, St Leo I.
He became a Monk at the Abbey, which followed the Benedictine Rule . Constabilis zealously lived the Rule to perfection and was entrusted by the Abbot to manage important negotiations and transactions on behalf of the Abbey.
On 10 January 1118, he was promoted by Abbot St Peter of Pappacarbone to the position of Coadjutor. He subsequently succeeded Peter as the Abbot after the latter’s death on 4 March 1122. His work was carried out with kindness, understanding for each of the Monks and their individual problems, without imposing authoritarian superiority over them. He approached each with humility and gentleness in his administration of the Abbey,.
He died on 17 February 1124 at the age of around 53 and was buried in the part of the Church overlooking the ‘Arsicia’ Cave used by St Alferius. After his death he appeared several times to his successor Abbots, coming to their aid in contingencies, there are records of his miraculous interventions for the salvation of the ships, which later belonged to the famous Abbey. These miraculous intercessions granted him widespread veneration as the protector of sailors.
Protector of Sailors
On 21 December 1893, Pope Leo XIII recognised the ancient verneration and the title of Saint, to the first four Abbots, of the famous Abbey of Trinità di Cava dei Tirreni, founded in the 11th century. They are St Alferius the Founder and first Abbot († 1050), St Leo I (1050-1079), St Peter Pappacarbone (1079-1123) and St Constabilis (c 1122-1124). Their relics rest in the Abbey Church in the Chapel of the Saintly Fathers.’
It was on the seventeenth of February, fifty five days after the Nativity of Jesus, when King Herod’s soldiers — sent to slaughter all little boys in Bethlehem and its neighbourhood who were two years old or under, in order to destroy a rival King, Jesus — were getting perilously near the cave at Bethlehem, where at first they little expected Our Lord to be. Saint Joseph received a message from God through an Angel, whereupon he took Our Lady and the Divine Infant and set off leaving the land of the Jews to travel to a land of the Gentiles. They took no-one with them, by way of servants or friends, as Saint Peter Chrysologus tells us.
The Town to which the Holy Family fled was called Fostat. It was three hundred miles from Bethlehem. A Church has been erected there, on the site of the house where the Holy Family lived during their exile. The little Town where the Holy Family lived in Egypt was not far from Heliopolis, a City in which — when Jesus, Mary and Joseph passed through it — statues of pagan gods crashed to the ground. Both Fostat and Heliopolis are not far from Cairo in Egypt.
St Antoni Leszczewicz St Bartholomew degli Amidei – One of the Seven Holy Founders of the Servites. St Benedict dell’Antella – One of the Seven Holy Founders of the Servites. St Benedict of Cagliari St Buonfiglio Monaldi – One of the Seven Holy Founders of the Servites. St Bonosus of Trier St Constabilis of Cava OSB (c 1070-1124) Abbot St Donatus the Martyr Bl Elisabetta Sanna St Evermod of Ratzeburg St Faustinus the Martyr St Finan of Iona
St Flavian of Constantinople St Fortchern of Trim St Gherardino Sostegni – One of the Seven Holy Founders of the Servites. St Guevrock St Habet-Deus St Hugh dei Lippi-Uguccioni – One of the Seven Holy Founders of the Servites. St John Buonagiunta Monetti – One of the Seven Holy Founders of the Servites. St Julian of Caesarea St Loman of Trim
St Lupiano Bl Martí Tarrés Puigpelat St Mesrop the Teacher St Petrus Yu Chong-nyul St Polychronius of Babylon St Romulus the Martyr St Secundian the Martyr St Silvinus of Auchy St Theodulus of Caesarea Bl William Richardson
Oops – I seem to have miscounted the Nine days preceding the Feast of the Most Holy Face! Apologies – the Novena begins on Sunday 20 February as the Feast Day is 1 March.
Lenten Preparation Novena to the Holy Face Begins Sunday 20 February
Shrove Tuesday is also the Feast of the Holy Face. Many who discover this are quickly struck by the significance of beginning Lent more in love with His countenance. For having made reparation “with Jesus, united with all His sorrows, love and total abandonment” through the Novena, we can begin our Lenten walk with Christ, more eady to comfort Him along the way, as StVeronica did.
Indeed, this searingly beautiful devotion goes back to the Passion itself, when the veil of Veronica smoothed the injuries of Jesus’ Holy Face, so besieged with pain. In 1843, Sister Marie of St. Peter had visions of Jesus requesting a devotion to His Holy Face called “The Golden Arrow, which brings Him great delight, as He said to Sr Marie, “All who honour My Holy Face in a spirit of reparation thereby perform for Me the services of the pious Veronica.”
In 1938, Jesus appeared toSister Maria Pierina de Micheli (1890-1945), His face bloodied by His Passion and said, speaking of His Face, “I wish that it be venerated by a special Feast on Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. I wish that the Feast be preceded by a Novena in which the faithful make reparation with me, joining together and sharing in my sorrow.” For “Those on earth who contemplate the wounds of My Face, shall in Heaven, behold it, radiant with glory.”
Following that request, Pope Pius XII named Shrove Tuesday as the official Feast of the Holy Face in 1958.
We pray our Novena in fine company. St Augustine (354-430), St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302) and St Bernard (1090-1153), St Therese of Lisieux (1873-1897), among many others, all venerated the Holy Face.
In a similar way, our Lenten witness to the wounds on His Hands and Feet is inadequate, if we have not first contemplated His Face, bitterly kissed by Judas, spat upon, battered, covered with sweat and blood and crowned with thorns, continuing to be dishonoured even today, through the Blessed Sacrament by profanations, abuse and neglect.
For so many, Shrove Tuesday is a date on the calendar that gets overshadowed by Ash Wednesday, that memorable day we wear the outward sign of repentance and recall our mortality. How much more meaningful will our Ash Wednesday be, if we first mark Shrove Tuesday as a Feast of the Holy Face, concluding the Novena we began in the time of preparation and beginning Lent more in love with the Countenance of Christ and, through Him, made more beautiful in our own soul. AMEN, Let us Pray ……
Thought for the Day – 16 February – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Duties of Our State
“Some are called by God to the lofty state of the Ptiesthood, or of the Religious Life. This is a very great grace. We should co-operate generously and do our best to overcome any obstacles we meet.
Others are called to become good Catholic fathers and mothers and to rear a family. This is a most important role because4, the proper education of children and the future of the Church and of society, depend on it.
Every position has its obligations, which each of us should work hard to fulfil in every detail. The grace appropriate to our state will be available to us. But, this grace has to be balanced by a sincere determination on our part, to carry out carefully, the duties of our state.
Let us examine ourselves in this regard. If we discover that we have been neglectful, or deficient in any way, let us resolve to put things right – without delay!”
Quote/s of the Day – 16 February – Septuagessima Weekday – 1 Cor. 9:24-27; 10:1-5, Matthew 20:1-6
“Even so, the last shall be first and the first last; for many are called but few are chosen.”
Matthew 20:16
“This is the time for Confession. Confess the sins you have committed in word or deed, by day or by night. Confess during this “favourable time” and on “the day of salvation,” receive Heaven’s treasure… ”
St Cyril of Jerusalem (313-350), Father & Doctor of the Church
“… We must all rejoice exceedingly, to be even the last, in the Kingdom of God!”
St Pope Gregory the Great (540-604) Father and Doctor
“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
“Rejoice and be happy! Persevere to the end and prefer to die rather than abandon the post, to which God has called you!”
St Catherine of Siena (1347-1380) Doctor of the Church
One Minute Reflection – 16 February – “Month of the Most Blessed Trinity” – Septuagesima Weekday – 1 Cor. 9:24-27; 10:1-5, Matthew 20:1-6
“Have I not a right to do what I choose? Or are you envious because I am generous?” – Matthew 20:15.
REFLECTION – “The householder said to them, “I wish to give to this last one as I give even to you.” And since the obtaining of His Kingdom comes from His goodwill, He properly adds, “Or am I not allowed to do what I wish?” It is always foolish to question the goodness of God. There might have been reason for loud complaint, if He did not give what He owed but not, if He gives what He does not owe. And so, He adds, “Or is your eye evil because I am good?”
But no-one should boast of his work or of his time, when, after saying this, Truth cries out: “So the last will be first and the first last.” We know what good things we have done and how many they are; we do not know with what exactitude our Judge on high will investigate them. Indeed, we must all rejoice exceedingly, to be even the last, in the Kingdom of God!” – St Pope Gregory the Great,(540-604) Father and Doctor.
PRAYER – O Lord, we beseech You, graciously hear the prayers of Your people, that we, who are justly punished for our sins, may be mercifully delivered for the glory of Your Name. 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).
O Merciful God By St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) Doctor Angelicus, Doctor Communis
O merciful God, grant that I may ever perfectly do Your Will in all things. Let it be my ambition to work only for Your honour and glory. Let me rejoice in nothing but that leads to You, nor grieve for anything, that leads away from You. May all passing things be as nothing in my eyes and may all that is Yours, be dear to me and You, my God, dear above them all. May all joy be meaningless without You and may I desire nothing, apart from You. May all labour and toil delight me when it is for You. Make me, O Lord, obedient without complaint, poor without regret, patient without murmur, humble without pretence, joyous without frivolity, and truthful without disguise. Amen
Saint of the Day – 16 February – Saint Maruta (Died c 415) Bishop, Confessor, Theologian, Writer, honoured in the Syrian Rite Church as a Doctor of the Church. He was a friend of Saint John Chrysostom and acted as an Ambassador between the East Roman Emperor and the Persian Emperor. Died in 425 of natural causes.
The Roman Martyrology reads: “In the kingdom of Persia, St Maruta, Bishop, who, having restored peace for the Church, presided over the Council of Seleucia, restored the Churches of God which had collapsed during the persecution of King Sabor and placed the relics of the Martyrs of Persia in the City Seat of the Bishop, since then called Martiropoli.”
Maruta was Bishop of Mayferkqat, a Syrian City between the Tigris River and Lake Van, on the borders of the kingdom of Persia, an area where Christians frequently suffer aggression. When Yezdigerd I ascended the throne in 399, Maruta went to Constantinople to ask the Emperor Arcadius to intercede with the new sovereign in favour of persecuted Christians. His appeal, however, remained unattended as the court was already committed to resolving the question of the exile of St. John Chrysostom – in other words, they had no time to assist Maruta and the Persians. However, it was precisely the latter, St John, who was personally interested in Maruta’s difficult situation, asking St Olimpia, a friend of his, to go to Maruta, as St John was worried at Maruta’s lack of reply to St John’s letters. St John Chrysostom wrote to her: “I urgently need him for Persian matters. Try to find out what success he has achieved in his mission. If you are reluctant to put it in writing, let me know the result somehow through others. Do not delay trying to meet him. ”
Maruta went in person to the King’s court to try to get his support towards the Christians and in the delicate fundamental mission. Maruta’s prayer and medical knowledge allowed him to cure the Sovereign from violent migraine headaches. The pagan priests, worried that this could induce the King to convert to Christianity, came up with a way to discredit Maruta in his eyes – they hid a man under the floor of the temple, who, when the King entered the temple for worship, appeared out of nowhere and screamed. “Send away from this holy place, he who, wickedly, believes in a priest of Christians.” The King was impressed and decided to drive Maruta away but Maruta showed him the hidden trap door from which the impostor had appeared. The Sovereign thus began to tolerate Christianity in his kingdom,
During this period of truce, Maruta was able to dedicate himself to the reconstruction of many Churches previously destroyed under the persecutions induced by King Shapur. He also compiled the “Acts” of those ferocious persecutions and collected an innumerable series of relics, which earned the City the name of Martiropoli, still an Episcopal Seat today.
He was present at the general First Council of Constantinople in 381 and at a Council of Antioch in 383 (or 390), at which the Messalians were condemned. For the benefit of the Persian Church he held two Synods at Ctesiphon. A great organiser, he was one of the first to give a regular structure to the Syriac Church.
His writings include: Acts of the Persian Martyrs (these acts remember the victims of the persecution of Shapur II and Yazdegerd I) History of the Council of Nicea A translation in Syriac of the Canons of the Council of Nicea A Syrian liturgy Commentaries on the Gospels Acts of the Council of Seleucia-Ctesiphon (26 canons of a synod held in 410) He also wrote hymns on the Holy Eucharist, on the Passion and the Holy Cross and on Martyred Saints killed in Shapur’s persecution.
Most of Maruta’s hymns and works are still in use in the Syriac Rite. Maruta died around 415 and just in that period a new wave of persecutions broke out. Due to the numerous writings attributed to him, he was honoured as the principal Doctor of the Syriac Rite Church.
St Faustinus of Brescia (not the St Faustinus brother of St Jovinus – 15 February) St Gilbert of Sempringham St Honestus of Nimes St John III of Constantinople
Martyrs of Cilicia – 12 Saints: A group of Christians who ministered to other Christians who were condemned to work the mines of Cilicia in the persecutions of Maximus. They were arrested, tortured and martryed by order of the governor Firmilian. • Daniel • Elias • Isaias • Jeremy • Samuel The group also includes the three known have been sentenced to the mines – • Pamphilus • Paul of Jamnia • Valens of Jerusalem and those who were exposed as Christians as a result of these murders – • Julian of Cappadocia • Porphyrius of Caesarea • Seleucius of Caesarea • Theodule the Servant They were martyred in 309 in Cilicia, Asia Minor (in modern Turkey).
Thought for the Day – 15 February – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Order of the Day
“Besides organising our day on the basis of a timetable, it is wise to work out, in advance, the way in which we shall behave during the different hours. It is easy to be taken by surprise, carried away by events and, as a result, to waste time or do things badly. We should make up our minds as to how we should behave in the presence of God and in the presence of men.
Concerning our relations with God, the best resolution is, to begin the day by prayer and, if possible, a visit to the Church. Our ideal will be to hear Mass and receive Holy Communion. During the day, especially in moments of trial, we shall raise our minds and hearts to God by means of short aspirations. We shall live in the presence of God; we shall live in His life.
We shall end the day by making a visit, however brief, to the Blessed Sacrament and by saying our evening prayer. When we are going to sleep, we shall say certain prayers and remember the presence of God.
This is a day in the life of a good Catholic. How many can say that they spend their day like this?”
Quote/s of the Day – 15 February – The Commermoration of Sts Faustinus and Jovinus (Died c 120) Martyrs
MARTYRDOM
“Heretics or schismatics, being placed outside the Church and cut off from unity and charity, even though, one should be slain for the name of Christ, he could not be crowned in death.”
St Cyprian of Carthage (c 200- c 258) Bishop and Martyr, Father of the Church
“There are also some among the heretics who … flatter themselves with claims of martyrdom … But not all ,who submit their bodies to suffering, even to flames, are to be considered as having as having shed their blood for their sheep; rather, they may have shed it against the salvation of their sheep, for the Apostle says: “If I should deliver my body to be burned and have not charity, it profits me nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:3). And how can he have the faintest charity in him who, though shown to be at fault, yet has no love for that unity which the Lord chose to recommend? Indeed, so long as you remain outside the Church and severed from the fabric of unity and bond of charity, you will be punished with everlasting chastisement, even if you were burned alive for the sake of Christ
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of the Church
“Without the Cup of the Lord preserving the holy bond of love, even if a man should deliver his body to be burned, he gains nothing!”
St Fulgentus of Ruspe (c 462 – 533)
“We should not forget, that the devil has his martyrs and that he infuses into them a false constancy. It is not the punishment but the cause, that makes the Martyr; that is – the confession of the True Faith.”
St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Doctor of the Church
One Minute Reflection – 15 February – “Month of the Most Blessed Trinity” – the Commemoration of Sts Faustinus and Jovinus – 1 Cor. 9:24-27; 10:1-5, Matthew 20:1-16
“When evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the labourers and pay them their wages, beginning from the last even to the first.’” – Matthew 20:8
REFLECTION – The last ones, receiving the generosity of the Master instead of troubles, are first to receive their reward, since all those, after the Lord’s coming, have become — through Baptism and the union with the Spirit — “sharers in God’s nature” and are called sons of God. For the prophets too have become sharers in the Spirit but not in the same way as the faithful, since the Holy Spirit is ,in some way, like a leaven for the souls of the faithful and changes the entire man to another condition of life. And so, we have become “participants in God’s nature” and openly we cry “Abba, Father.” The more ancient peoples did not receive the same grace. So Paul too says, “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear but you received the Spirit of sonship.” The ancients then received a spirit of slavery without the honour of adoption. Since, therefore, we really are first to receive a denarius, we must, of necessity, be said to be honoured above the rest!” – St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Archbishop of Alexandria, Father and Doctor of the Incarnation of the Church (Fragment 226).
PRAYER – O God, Who gladden us each year by the feast of Your holy Martyrs, Faustinus and Jovinus, graciously grant that, as we rejoice in their merits, we may be inspired by their example. 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).
Our Morning Offering – 15 February – The Commermoration of Sts Faustinus and Jovinus (Died c 120) Martyrs – 1 Cor. 9:24-27; 10:1-5, Matthew 20:1-16
Nunc, Sancte, nobis Spiritus Come, Holy Ghost, Who ever One By St Ambrose (340-397) Trans John Henry Newman (1801-1890) Trans 1836
Come, Holy Ghost, Who ever One Art with the Father and the Son. Come, Holy Ghost, our souls possess With Thy full flood of holiness.
In will and deed, by heart and tongue, With all our powers, Thy praise be sung. And love light up our mortal frame, Till others catch the living flame.
Almighty Father, hear our cry Through Jesus Christ our Lord most high, Who with the Holy Ghost and Thee Doth live and reign eternally.
Saint of the Day – 15 February – Saints Faustinus (Died c 120) Martyr, Priest and Jovinus Martyr Deacon, both Evangelisers, Preachers. Born at Brescia, Lombardy, Italy and the two brothers died together. They was thrown to the lions but the animals refused to touch them. Then beheaded in 120 at Brescia, Italy. Patronages – Brescia, City and Diocese and the City of Credera Rubbiano, Italy.
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Brescia, in the time of the Emperor Hadrian, the birthday of the holy Martyrs Faustinus and Jovinus, who received the triumphant Crown of Martyrdom after many glorious combats for the Faith of Christ.”
Faustinus and Jovinus were born to the nobility in the 2nd century in Italy. They were zealous preachers in Brescia, Milan, Rome and Naples, during the persecution of Emperor Hadrian.
Julian, a heathen lord, apprehended them and the Emperor himself, passing through Brescia, when neither threats nor torments could shake their constancy, commanded them to be beheaded.
Both Saints Faustinus and Jovinus, are honoured as the chief Patrons of Brescia and their relics are located in the ancient Church bearing the names of both.
Brescia, the Capital of one of the Italian Provinces, can scarcely remember the names of those who were its governors or leading men, in the second century and yet, here are two of her citizens, whose names will be handed down, with veneration and love, to the end of the world and the whole of Christendom is filled with the praise of their glorious Martyrdom. Glory, then, to these sainted Brothers, whose example so eloquently preaches to us the great lesson of our Season,–fidelity in God’s service. (from the Liturgical Year, 1870).
The glorification of Sts Faustinus and Jovinus by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo
Martyrs of Antioch: 5 Saints: A group of Christians murdered together. We know the names of five of them – Agapev, Baralo, Isicio, Joseph and Zosimus.
Martyrs of Passae: Castulus Lucius Magnus Saturninus
Martyrs of Prague – 14 Beati – Franciscan Friars Minor martyred together by a mob led by Lutherans – • Blessed Antonín of Prague • Blessed Bartolomeo Dalmasoni • Blessed Bedrich Bachstein • Blessed Christoffel Zelt • Blessed Didak Jan • Blessed Emmanuel of Prague • Blessed Gaspare Daverio • Blessed Giovanni Bodeo • Blessed Girolamo degli Arese • Blessed Jakob of Prague • Blessed Jan of Prague • Blessed Juan Martínez • Blessed Klemens of Prague • BlessedSimon of Prague They were martyred on • Shrove Tuesday 15 February 1611 at the Church of Our Lady of the Snows in Prague, Czech Republic • body dumped nearby but given Christian burial on 19 February 1611 in the monastery • re-interred in the side Chapel of the Church in 1616.
Martyrs of Sweden: Sigfrid Sunaman Unaman Winaman
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: Bl Pere Vallmitjana Abarca
Thought for the Day – 14 February – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Early Hours of the Day
“Unfortunately, there are many who never give the slightest thought to God when they rise in the morning. Or perhaps they think that a quick mechanical Sign of the Cross satisfies all their religious obligations.
A good Catholic could not behave in this fashion. He kneels to say his morning prayers and raises his mind and heart to God in acts of thanksgiving, reparation and love. Only in this way, can he begin the day with peace and confidence, knowing that during it, he will have continual need of God’s assistance.
If hitherto you have not behaved like this, make up your mind to begin everyday in future, by offering yourself to God, along with all your work, plans and worries. This offering will be a wonderful spiritual advantage throughout the day.”
Quote/s of the Day – 14 February – The Memorial of St Valentine (176-273) Bishop and Martyr
LOVE!
“Many sins are forgiven her because she has loved much.”
Luke 7:42
“Whatever you do, do from the heart, as for the Lord and not for others, knowing that you will receive from the Lord the due payment of the inheritance; be slaves of the Lord Christ.”
Colossians 3:23-24
“Without love, there is only faith, which the devil has.”
“Once for all, then, a short precept is given you – Love and do what you will, whether you hold your peace, through love, hold your peace; whether you cry out, through love cry out; whether you correct, through love correct; whether you spare, through love do you spare. Let the root of love be within, of this root, can nothing spring but what is good.”
St Augustine (354-430) Father nd Doctor of Grace
“Love[ing] one another with the charity of Christ, let the love you have in your hearts, be shown outwardly in your deeds …”
St Clare of Assisi (1194-1253)
“Nothing is sweeter than love, nothing stronger or higher or wider; nothing is more pleasant, nothing fuller and nothing better in heaven or on earth, for love is born of God and cannot rest except in God, Who is above all created things.”
Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)
“… It is Him you should love and no other. Of Him you could and should say “My Beloved is mine and I am his” (Sg 2:16); my God has given Himself without reserve and, without reserve, I give myself to Him; He has chosen me as the object of His tenderness and He, among thousands, He, the radiant and ruddy one (Sg 5:10), so loveable and so loving, He is the chosen of my heart, the only one I wish to love.”
St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)
I Love You, O My God By St Jean Marie Baptiste Vianney (1786-1859)
I love You, O my God and my only desire is to love You until the last breath of my life. I love You, O my infinitely lovable God and I would rather die loving You, than live without loving You. I love You, Lord and the only grace I ask, is to love You eternally My God, if my tongue cannot say in every moment that I love You, I want my heart to repeat it to You as often as I draw breath. Amen
One Minute Reflection – 14 February – “Month of the Most Blessed Trinity” – The Memorial of St Valentine (176-273) Bishop and Martyr, 1 Cor. 9:24-27; 10:1-5, Matthew 20:1-16
“The kingdom of heaven is like a householder who went out early in the morning to hire labourers for his vineyard.” – Matthew 20:1
REFLECTION – “To hire labourers for his vineyard.” What is the vineyard of God here? Not men, as elsewhere; for men are called the cultivators of the vineyard. The vineyard is justice and in it different kinds of virtues are placed like vines. For example, gentleness, chastity, patience, high-mindedness and countless other good qualities, which are all in general called virtues. So let us note how earnestly we should cultivate the heavenly vineyard. Adam was put in paradise to cultivate it and work it, but because he neglected it, he was ejected from it. We have been put here to cultivate justice; if we neglect it, we will be cast out, just as the Jews also were cast out, of whom it was written: “Add iniquity to their iniquity, that they may not enter thy justice.” The fall of those going before, should be a warning for those following. But if we the followers have also fallen into ruin, those who were the first to fall, deserve pardon more than we, who follow. A hired hand placed in the vineyard will not only lose his pay if he neglects it but, he will also be charged with the loss of the abandoned vineyard! So we too, if we neglect the justice committed to us, will not only have no reward but, we will also be charged for the justice that has been abolished. For God’s vineyard is not outside us but has been planted inside our very selves. So anyone who commits sin destroys the justice of God within himself but anyone who does good works, cultivates it in himself. The well-cultivated justice of God within you, brings forth grapes, that is, Christ. For those who do just deeds form Christ in themselves, as is written: “My little children, with whom I am again in travail, until Christ be formed in you.”
Anyone who consigns a vineyard to another to work consigns it, not so much for the other’s benefit, as for his own but God, giving His justice to our understanding, gave it, not for His own benefit but for ours. God does not need our labour but we, who do just work, may live because of it. The owner who consigned the vineyard to someone else for his own benefit, expects to receive it back in the same condition as He handed it over. How then will justice not be demanded back from us, in as immaculate a condition as He created it in us, particularly as He gave it, not for His own benefit but for our salvation?
Be aware that we have been hired as labourers. If we have been hired as labourers, we ought to know what our tasks are, for a hired labourer cannot be without a task. Our tasks are the works of justice, not to till our fields and vineyards; not to amass riches and pile up honours but to benefit our neighbours. And although we can do this tilling and amassing without sin, yet they are not our tasks but our daily occupations.
No-one hires a labourer to work, only so that the labourer may eat. So we too have been called by Christ, to do, not merely what pertains to our own benefit but, to do what pertains, to the glory of God. The hired hand, who only works so that he may fill his belly, wanders purposelessly about the house. So we too, if we do only what pertains to our benefit, live without reason on the earth. And just as the hired hand first looks to his work and then to his wages, so we too are Christ’s hired hands and first ought to look at what pertains to God’s glory and to the benefit of our neighbours …. Charity and true love toward God “does not insist on its own way” but desires to perform everything to the wish of the Beloved—than to what pertains to our own benefit.” – An anonymous Ancient Christian Writer (ACW) known as the Incomplete Work on Matthew (Sermon 34).
PRAYER – O glorious advocate and protector, St Valentine, look with pity upon our wants, hear our requests, attend to our prayers, relieve by your intercession, the miseries under which we labour and obtain for us the divine blessing, that we may be found worthy to join you in praising the Almighty for all eternity: through the merits of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 14 February – The Memorial of St Valentine (176-273) Bishop and Martyr
Deus Tuorum Militum O God, of Those Who Fought Thy Fight Unknown Author
O God, of those Who fought Thy fight, Portion and Prize and crown of Light, Break every bond of sin and shame, As now we praise Thy Martyr’s name.
He recked not of the world’s allure, But sin and pomp of sin forswore; Knew all their gall and passed them by And reached the throne prepared on high.
Bravely the course of pain he ran And bore his torments as a man: For love of Thee, his blood outpoured And thus obtained the great reward.
With humble voice and suppliant word We pray Thee, therefore, holy Lord, While we Thy Martyr’s Feast-day keep, Forgive Thy loved and erring sheep.
Glory and praise for aye be done To God the Father and the Son, And Holy Ghost, Who reign on high, One God, to all eternity. Amen
An Ambrosian hymn historically assigned for Matins and Vespers for the Common Feast of a Martyr in the Roman Breviary. It dates probably from the sixth century and is attributed to the Unknown Author of Rex Gloriose Martyrum and Jesu, Redemptor Omnium. The hymn exists in a longer version of eight strophes and a shorter one of four, which is probably earlier. The Vatican antiphonary provided two different melodies for use in the Paschal season and during the Octave of the Nativity, during which the Feast of Saint Stephen the Protomartyr occurs. The hymn is a prayer of the Catholic assembly, asking God to forgive the sins of His servants, on the day of the martyr’s triumph over the pleasures of the world and the torture of persecution.
Saint of the Day – 14 February – Saint Modestinus of Avellino (c 245-311) Bishop Martyr. Confessor, Missionary, miracle-worker. Also known as – Modestinus of Mercogliano, Modestin…Modestino… Additional Memorials – 10 June (re-internment of relics), 13 August on some calendars. Patronages – Avellino, Italy, City of (given in 1220 by Ruggiero of Avellino). Avellino, Italy, Diocese of (given in 1220 by Ruggiero of Avellino), Mercogliano, Italy.
Modestinus was born in Antioch in c 245 of a noble family. In 302 he was Consecrated Bishop of the City and Patriarch of the region of Antioch. During the persecution of Diocletian (year 303), he retired to a hermitage on Mount Silpio,. But in 310 he returned to his See.
He preached the Gospel of Christ and performed numerous miracles and cures. Arrested and tortured, he was released from prison by the faithful of his Diocese. Modestinus, with his collaborators Fiorentinus a Priest and Flavianus a Deacon, left to travel to Italy. They arrived by sea in Locri (in Calabria) where they preached the Gospel, were arrested again and taken to prison in Sibari. .According to tradition, they were freed by the Archangel Michael.
They left by sea and reached near Avellino – it is believed that St Michael led the Saint to the regions that most needed the Gospel teachings and the truth of Christ. It is reported that Modestinus and his assistants, were successful in their preaching, converting and Baptising around 4,000 souls in one area. Modestinys performed many miracles and cures.
Again they were arrested, imprisoned and tried by an envoy of the Emperor Maxentius and taken to the place called the “Praetorium” where they suffered Martyrdom wrapped in red-hot robes and burned to death. They died in the night between 14 and 15 February in the year 311.
Their bodies were collected by the Christians and buried. A sign with their names was placed on the graves. In St Modestinus Church, a silver sculpture depicting a dove was placed on the tomb.
The Cathedral of Avellino dedicated to the Blessed Virgin and St Modestinus
The Chapel of St Modestinus
Their bodies, found in the summer of 1166, were taken to the Cathedral of Avellino, where they are still preserved today in the Chapel of St Modestinus. In 1220 they were appointed primary Patrons of the City and of the Diocese of Avellino by the Bishop Ruggiero.
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