Our Morning Offering – 15 November – A Catholic Monday of the Holy Spirit
Inflame our Hearts with Your Love Prayer To the Holy Spirit By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor of the Church
You made Mary full of grace and enflamed the hearts of the Apostles with a holy zeal. Inflame our hearts with Your love. You are the Spirit of Goodness, Give us the courage to confront evil. You are Fire, set us ablaze with Your love. You are Light, enlighten our minds, that we may see what is truly important. You are the Dove, give us gentleness. You are a soothing Breeze, bring calm to the storms that rage within us. You are the Tongue, may our lips ever sing God’s praises You are the Cloud, shelter us under the shadow of Your protection O Holy Ghost, melt the frozen, warm the chilled and enkindle in us an earnest desire to please You. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen
Saint of the Day – 15 November – Blessed Lucia of Narni OP (1476-1544) Virgin, Tertiary of the Order of Preachers, Mystic, Stigmatist, Ecstatic, Married but remained chaste and fulfilled her vow of Virginity before she left her marital home and entered a Convent. Born on 13 December 1476 in Narni, Umbria, Italy as Lucia Brocadelli and died on 15 November 1544 at the Saint Catherine of Siena Convent in Ferrara, Italy of natural causes. Patronage – of Narni, Italy. Also known as – Lucy Brocadelli, Lucy de Alessio, Lucia Broccadelli. Her body is incorrupt.
Already very early it became evident to her pious Italian family that this child was set for something unusual in life. Lucia was born in 13 December 1476 on the feast day of Saint Lucia of Syracuse, the eldest of eleven children of Bartolomeo Brocadelli and Gentilina Cassio, in the Town of Narni (then called Narnia) and in the region of Umbria.
When Lucia was five years old, she had a vision of the Child Jesus with Our Lady. Two years later, Our Lady appeared with Child Jesus, Saint Catherine of Siena and Saint Dominic. Jesus gave her a ring and Saint Dominic gave her the scapular. At age 12, she made a private vow of total consecration, determined, even at this early age, to become a Dominican. However, family affairs were to make this difficult. During the following year Lucia’s father died, leaving her in the care of an uncle. And this uncle felt that the best way to dispose of a pretty niece was to marry her off, as soon as possible.
The efforts of her uncle to get Lucia successfully married form a colorful chapter in the life of the Blessed Lucia. Eventually the uncle approached the matter with more tact, arranging a marriage with Count Pietro of Milan, who was not a stranger to the family. Lucia was, in fact, very fond of him but she had resolved to live as a religious. The strain of the situation made her seriously ill. During her illness, Our Lady appeared to her again, accompanied by Saint Dominic and Saint Catherine and told her to go ahead with the marriage as a legal contract but to explain to Pietro that she was bound to her vow of virginity and must keep it. When Lucia recovered, the matter was explained to Pietro and in 1491 the marriage was solemnised.
Lucia’s life now became that of the mistress of a large and busy household. She took great care to instruct the servants in their religion and soon became known for her benefactions to the poor. Pietro, to do him justice, never seems to have objected when his young wife gave away clothes and food, nor when she performed great penances. He knew that she wore a hair-shirt under her rich clothing and that she spent most of the night in prayer and working for the poor.
But when, after having disappeared for the entire night, Countess Lucia returned home early in the morning in the company of two men and claimed that they were Saints Dominic and John the Baptist, Pietro’s patience finally gave out. He had his young wife locked up. Here she remained for the season of Lent; sympathetic servants brought her food until Easter. Being allowed to go to the Church, Lucia never returned. She went to her mother’s house and on the Feast of the Ascension, 1494, 8 May she put on the habit of a Dominican tertiary.
Count Pietro was furious, burned down the Dominican Priory and even tried to kill her spiritual director who had given her the habit. Rich and influential, he continued to try to bring her back. The following year, Lucia went to Rome and entered the Monastery of the Dominican tertiaries near Pantheon. Her sanctity impressed everyone so much that by the end of the year, with five other Sisters, she was sent by the Master General of the Dominicans, to start a new Monastery in Viterbo.
On Friday, 25 February 1496, Lucia received the Stigmata, the Sacred Wounds. She tried very hard to hide her spiritual favours because they complicated her life wherever she went. She had the stigmata visibly and she was usually in ecstasy, which meant a steady stream of curious people who wanted to question her, investigate her, or just stare at her. Even the Sisters were nervous about her methods of prayer. Once they called in the Bishop, and he watched Lucia with the sisters for 12 hours, while she went through the drama of the Passion.
The Bishop hesitated to pass judgement and called for special commissions; the second one was presided by a famous Inquisitor of Bologna. All declared that her Stigmata were authentic. Here the hard-pressed Pietro had his final appearance in Lucia’s life. He made a last effort to persuade hery to come back to him. After seeing her, he returned to Narni, sold everything he had and became a Franciscan. In later years, he was a famous preacher.
The Duke of Ferrara was planning to build a Monastery and, hearing of the fame of the mystic of Viterbo, asked Sister Lucia to be its Prioress. Lucia had been praying for some time that a means would be found to build a new Convent of strict observance and she agreed to go to Ferrara. This led to a two-year battle between the Towns. Viterbo had the Mystic and did not want to lose her; the Duke of Ferrara sent first his messengers and then his troops to bring her. Much money and time was lost before she finally escaped from Viterbo and was solemnly received in Ferrara on 7 May 1499.
Various problems arose in the Convent due to the Duke bringing all sorts of unsuitable people to view ‘his’ Convent and Stigmatist. the Sisters petitioned the Bishop and, by the order of the Pope, he sent ten nuns from the Second Order to reform the community. Lucia’s foundation was of the Third Order; of women who remained part of the laity even after their vows. The Second Order “real” nuns, according to the chronicle, “brought in the very folds of their veils the seed of war.” Nnuns of the Second Order wore black veils, a privilege not allowed to tertiaries.
The uneasy episode ended when one of these ten nuns was made Prioress and when the Duke died on 24 January 1505. Lucia was placed on penance. The nature of her fault is not mentioned, nor was there any explanation of the fact that, until her death, 39 years later, she was never allowed to speak to anyone but her Confessor, who was chosen by the Prioress. Only now, 500 years later, the situation is slowly beginning to clear.
The Dominican Provincial, probably nervous for the prestige of the Order, would not let any member of the Order go to see her. Her Stigmata disappeared, too late to do her any good and vindictive companions said: “See, she was a fraud all the time.” When she died in 1544, people thought she had been dead for many years. It is hard to understand how anyone, not a saint, could have so long endured such a life. Lucia’s only friends during her 39 years of exile were heavenly ones – the Dominican Catherine of Racconigi, sometimes visited her – evidently by bi-location – and her other heavenly friends often also came to brighten her lonely cell.
Immediately after her death everything suddenly changed. When her body was laid out for burial so many people wanted to pay their last respects that her funeral had to be delayed by three days. Her Tomb in the Monastery Church was opened four years later and her perfectly preserved body was transferred to a glass case. When Napoleon suppressed her Monastery in 1797, her body was transferred to the Cathedral of Ferrara and on 26 May 1935 to the Cathedral of Narni.
So many miracles occurred at her Shrine that Lucia was finally Beatified on 1 March 1710 by Pope Clement XI.
It is thought that Lucia was the inspiration for th little girl Lucy, who could see many things that no-one else could, in C S Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia.
Notre-Dame de Piedmont / Our Lady of Pignerol, Savoy, France (1098) – 15 November:
Our Lady of Pignerol, is also known as Our Lady of Pinerolo, Notre-Dame de Piedmont and Madonna delle Grazie di Pinerolo. The Shrine was built in honour of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin in the year 1098, by Adelaide, Countess of Savoy. It is a National Shrine of Savoy. Pinerolo is a Town in northern Italy near Turin in a region historically known as Savoy, which was annexed to France. The Town itself began just over 1,000 years ago, due to its central location along a trade route that ran between France and Italy. The pious and far-seeing Countess anticipated, by almost one thousand years, the Dogma of the Assumption of Our Lady. Mary was publicly honoured under this beloved title and frequently repaid the generosity of her devout Adelaide, by answering the pleas of her children, crying to her for help in every need. Answering their prayers, curing their ills and obtaining miracles for the faithful, where human aid was despaired of,but where faith always conquered. When the Assumption of Our Lady was proclaimed a Dogma, the rejoicing at the Pignerolo Shrine was indescribable. Venerable Pope Pius XII, on 1 November 1950, solemnly proclaimed:
“By the authority of Our Lord Jesus Christ, of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul and by our own authority, we pronounce, declare and define it to be a divinely revealed Dogma: that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.”
Although this declaration of Pope Pius XII was made “ex cathedra,” belief in the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary was a commonly held belief among early Catholics and the Fathers of the Church. In the Apocalypse of Saint John, Chapter 12, the woman mentioned is said to be an allusion to both the Church and our Blessed Mother:
“And a great sign appeared in heaven – A woman clothed with the sun,and the moon under her feet and on her head a crown of twelve stars; and being with child, she cried travailing in birth and was in pain to be delivered.”
This passage is generally interpreted as the Church being clothed with the Son, or Son of God, while Our Lady has the moon beneath her feet, representing the things of the material world. She is crowned with 12 stars, the Apostles and is in labour to bring forth the children of God, amidst a world full of affliction and misery.
The Shrine celebrates Our Lady annually on 15 November.
St Anianus of Wilparting St Arnulf of Toul Bl Caius of Korea St Desiderius of Cahors St Eugene of Toledo St Felix of Nola St Findan St Fintan the Missionary St Gurias of Edessa Bl Hugh Faringdon Bl John Eynon Bl John Rugg Bl John Thorne St Joseph Mukasa
Bl Miguel Díaz Sánchez St Paduinus of Le Mans Bl Richard Whiting Bl Roger James St Shamuna of Edessa St Sidonius of Saint-Saens — Martyrs of Hippo – 20 saints: 20 Christians martyred together and celebrated by Saint Augustine. The only details about them to survive are three of the names – Fidenziano, Valerian and Victoria. Hippo, Numidia (in north Africa).
Martyrs of North Africa – 3 saints: A group of Christians murdered for their faith in imperial Roman north Africa. The only details that have survived are the names of three of them – Fidentian, Secundus and Varicus.
Thought for the Day – 14 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Good Example
“The Saints achieved a great deal by preaching and by conversation but, they achieved far more by good example. The spiritual power of personality touched even the most hardened sinners.
It is said of St Romuald, that everyone who visited him, experienced great interior happiness. His appearance alone was enough to cheer them! He was so detached from himself and from the things of the world and, so absorbed in God, that he was always smiling.
The Cure d’Ars, too, converted more people by the unseen impact of his personal holiness, than by the simple sermons which he delivered to the crowds gathered about him.
Unfortunately, quite the opposite influence is exerted by hardened sinners and by self-centred worldlings and, even greater damage is done by those who are immersed in soul-destroying sensuality. The latter exhale the breath of death and the familiarity of their friendship, perverts and corrupts those, with whom they come in contact.
Examine your behaviour at home and in society, for it affects, not only your own spiritual welfare but, that of your neighbour as well. Good example is the most effective sermon and it is a sermon, which all of us can and should deliver!
Quote/s of the Day – 14 November – The Memorial of St Serapion of Algiers OdeM (c 1179–1240) Mercadarian Priest and Martyr
“How precious the gift of the Cross, how splendid to contemplate! In the Cross there is no mingling of good and evil, as in the Tree of Paradise; it is wholly beautiful to behold and good to taste. The fruit of this Tree is not death but life, not darkness but light. This Tree does not cast us out of Paradise but opens the way for our return.”
St Theodore the Studite (750–826) Father, Abbot, Theologian, Writer
“O sweet and precious wood, the perfect image of the Wood on which my beloved Jesus died, through you, I hope to ascend to eternal happiness!”
St Serapion of Algiers (c 1179–1240) Martyr
“There is no better Wood for feeding the fire of God’s love than the Wood of the Cross.”
St Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556)
“Holy Mother, pierce me through, In my heart each wound renew Of my Saviour Crucified.”
St Serafino of Montegranaro (1540-1604)
“The Crucifix is the open book in which men can read of God’s infinite love for them. The Saints wept before the Crucifix because they realised that the sufferings and death of the Redeemer were the result of sin and so, they learned to avoid sin at all costs. … Let the Crucifix be the most precious object in our homes and let us love to hold it in our hands. Let us weep for sins and increase in love for our divine Redeemer.”
One Minute Reflection – 14 November – “Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory” – Readings: Daniel 12: 1-3; Psalm 16: 5, 8, 9-10, 11; Hebrews 10: 11-14, 18; Mark 13: 24-32 and the Memorial of St Serapion of Algiers OdeM (c 1179–1240) Mercadarian Priest and Martyr
“And then they will see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory… ” – Mark 13:26
REFLECTION – “All the trees of the forest will exult before the Face of the Lord, for He has come, he has come to Judge the earth. He has come the first time and He will come again. At His first coming, His own voice declared in the gospel: “Hereafter, you shall see the Son of Man coming upon the clouds.” What does He mean, by hereafter? Does He not mean that the Lord will come at a future time when all the nations of the earth will be striking their breasts in grief? Previously He came through His preachers and He filled the whole world. Let us not resist His first coming, so that we may not dread the second. … But I wish you to be without anxiety. He who is without anxiety waits without fear until his Lord comes. For what sort of love of Christ is it to fear His Coming? Brothers, do we not have to blush for shame? We love Him, yet we fear His Coming? Are we really certain that we love Him? Or do we love our sins more? Therefore, let us hate our sins and love Him, Who will exact punishment for them. He will come whether we wish it or not. Do not think that because He is not coming just now, He will not come at all. He will come, you know not when and provided He finds you prepared, your ignorance of the time of His Coming, will not be held against you. … ” – St Augustine (354-430) Bishop and Great Western Father, Doctor of Grace of the Church – (An excerpt from his On The Psalms (Psalm 95) 14-15.)
PRAYER – Almighty Lord and God, protect us by Your power throughout the course of this day, even as You have enabled us to begin it. Your grace is all that we need, to see the loving kindness of Your Son, our Lord Jesus in all we see and do and think. Do not let us turn aside from His path but by the faith You have granted us, let us find meaning in all, which is the sign of Your glory. Do not let us turn aside to sin and may the intercession of St Serapion of Algiers, grant us courage and peace. Through Jesus Christ, our Saviour, with the Holy Spirit, God now and forever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 14 November – The Twenty Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
Holy God, We Praise Thy Name
Holy God, we praise Thy Name. Lord of all, we bow before Thee. All on earth Thy sceptre claim; all in heav’n above adore Thee. Infinite Thy vast domain, everlasting is Thy reign.
Hark, the loud celestial hymn, angel choirs above are raising. Cherubim and seraphim, in unceasing chorus praising, fill the heav’ns with sweet accord: Holy, holy, holy Lord.
Holy Father, Holy Son, Holy Ghost, three we name Thee While in essence only One, Undivided God, we claim Thee and adoring, bend the knee, while we own the Mystery.
Spare Thy people Lord, we pray, By a thousand snares surrounded. Keep us without sin today, Never let us be confounded. Lo, I put my trust in Thee, Never Lord, abandon me.
Fr Ignaz Franz Poland (1719-1790) (Attri) Archbishop of Schlawa, Germany, Hymnist, Musician He also functioned as the Assessor for Theological Affairs at the Apostolic Vicariate. He wrote hymn lyrics and compiled religious music. Trans. by Fr Clarence A Walworth (1820-1900) Convert, writer. He was one of the Founders of the Order of the Paulists in the U.S.A.
Saint of the Day – 14 November – Saint Serapion of Algiers OdeM (c 1179–1240) Mercedarian Priest and Martyr, Soldier and Crusader, Born in c 1179 as Serapion Scott in the British Isles and died by being crucified, stabbed and dismembered alive in Algeria in 1240. He was the first of his Order to merit the Palm of Martyrdom. Patronages – against arthritis, of the Diocese of Azul, Argentina. Also known as – Serapion of the Bristish Isles, Serapio, Serapius.
The Roman Martyrology states today: “At Algiers in Africa, the blessed Serapion, of the Order of Our Blessed Lady of Ransom, for the Redemption of the faithful in captivity and the preaching of the Christian Faith. He was the first of his Order to deserve the Palm of Martyrdom by being crucified and cut to pieces.”
The renowned painting of The Martyrdom of Saint Serapion by Francisco de Zurbarán.The Ma
Serapion was a noble, born at the turn of the year 1178 in the British Isles and was a relative of the Scottish Monarch. And even though the exact dates of his childhood and youth are unknown, later on, he is seen at the side of King Richard the Lionhearted on the Third Crusade, fighting for the Faith and for the liberation of the land where Jesus lived. Even then, he was busy caring for the captives who were being liberated in Palestine.
He too suffered in prison at the hands of the Duke of Austria, until he was set free by the latter’s son, Leopold VII, whom he went on to accompany in the battles against the Saracens in Spain, at the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212. After the victory, he retired to Burgos, leaving that City to accompany Leonore of Castile in 1221, who was headed to Aragon to marry King James I.
In the following year, he became acquainted with Saint Peter Nolasco in Daroca and entered the Order of Mercy.
Impelled by charity for the captives, he carried out several redemptions. In 1229, on one of the redemption missions, he was accompanied by Saint Raymond Nonnatus in 1229 and ransomed more than 150 captives. During the redemption mission in 1240, which he carried out with his companion Fr Berenguer de Bañares in Algiers, he was taken hostage. Saint Peter Nolasco wrote to Fr Guillermo de Bas, asking him to collect–without delay–the necessary goods with which to come to the aid of the redeemer. Since they did not have the price of ransom in time, St Serapion was crucified on a cross like Saint Andrew, suffering a cruel Martyrdom, as reflected in the Mercedarian iconography. He is said to have pronounced the following words while hanging on the cross:
“O sweet and precious wood, the perfect image of the Wood on which my beloved Jesus died, through you, I hope to ascend to eternal happiness!”
Because of his cruel martyrdom on the cross, he is the Patron Saint of those who suffer bone and joint paints. The blessing of oil in his honour is an ancient tradition of the Order that is included in the current Ritual.
Saint Serapion appears in the ancient Mercedarian liturgy, specifically in the 1560 Breviary of Master General Miguel Puig, with a proper antiphon and prayer.
His process of Beatification was started in 1717 in Barcelona and Genoa, conducted by Manuel Ribera and José Rimón as procurators. On 14 July 1728, a decree was issued confirming his immemorial cult. he was Canonised on 14 April 1728 by Pope Benedict XIII and on 24 August 1743, he was included in the Roman Martyrology.
The Twenty Fifth Sunday after Pentecost Thirty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Nossa Senhora dos Remédios / Our Lady of Remedies, (Lamego, Portugal) 6th Century) Also known as – Nossa Senhora da Gruta / Our Lady of the Grotto – 14 November:
The Abbot Orsini wrote: “Our Lady of the Grotto, in the Diocese of Lamego, in Portugal. This Chapel was cut in the rock, in the same place where an image of the Blessed Virgin had been found.”
Lamego is both a Municipality and a City in northern Portugal, the City having a total of less than 9,000 inhabitants. The City is an ancient one, as the Roman’s came to settle the area in about the year 500 BC. The people became Catholic when Ricardo I, the Visigothic King, converted to Christianity late in the 6th century. The Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora dos Remedios, or Our Lady of Remedies, is in the location of Our Lady of the Grotto. It is in the Town of Lamego, district of Viseu, Portugal and is located atop the hill of Saint Stephen. This site begins as an old hermitage that was dedicated to Saint Stephen (Santo Estevao) constructed in 1361, so Catholic devotion here goes well back into the Middle Ages. By the 16th century, the old hermitage was at risk of collapsing and so was demolished, to make way for the construction of a new hermitage in the same spot. The Bishop of Lamego placed an image of the Virgin and Child there and thus over time, Marian devotion eclipsed devotion to Saint Stephen. Miraculous cures, especially of diseases, brought more pilgrims and the name for the image as Our Lady of Remedies. The Marian Shrine that can be seen there today, however, was built during the 18th through the 20th centuries, from 1750 to 1905 when it was completed. 8 September the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin, is the date when there are feasts in honor of Our Lady of Remedies. The celebration in September includes fireworks, musicals, sporting events and recreational activities that take place in amid the trees in a grove of a nearby park. There is a parade known as the Procession of the Triumph, who’s participants are richly dressed, that is the highpoint of the celebration. Inside the Church there is an Altar above which the image of Nossa Senhora dos Remedios rests. It is carved in wood and is surrounded by stained glass windows having images of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Annunciation. Two side Altars are dedicated to the parents of the Blessed Virgin, Joachim and Saint Anna.
There is also a famous Baroque staircase, having 686 steps, that leads to the Sanctuary. There are several levels, decorated with sculptures of kings and eight fountains. There is also a “Court of the Kings” where eighteen Kings of Israel, all belonging to the family tree of the Blessed Virgin and Mother of God, can be seen.
St Adeltrude of Aurillac St Alberic of Utrecht St Antigius of Langres St Dubricius of Wales St Etienne-Théodore Cuenot St Hypatius of Gangra Bl Jean of Tufara
Bl Maria Louise Merkert Bl Maria Teresa of Jesus St Modanic St Ruf of Avignon St Serapion of Alexandria St Serapion of Algiers OdeM (c 1179–1240) Priest Martyr St Siard St Venerando the Centurian St Venerandus of Troyes — Holy Fathers of Merida
Martyrs of Emesa: Group of Christian women tortured and executed for their faith in the persecutions of the Arab chieftain Mady. They died in Emesa (modern Homs, Syria).
Martyrs of Heraclea – (3 saints): Group of Christians murdered together for their faith. The only details we have are three of their names – Clementinus, Philomenus and Theodotus. They were martyred in Heraclea, Thrace.
Martyrs of the Jaffa Gate: • Blessed Déodat of Rodez • Blessed Nikola Tavelic • Blessed Pierre of Narbonne • Blessed Stefano of Cuneo
Thought for the Day – 13 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Almsgiving and Simplicity
“Some people are so afraid of poverty, that they rarely give alms. Let them meditate on these words of St Cyprian of Carthage: “You are afraid that if you begin to engage in too many charitable enterprises, your substance will be dissipated and you will be reduced to poverty. Have confidence and do not be afraid” (De Opere at elemosynis, 9-10),
That fortune, will never be exhausted, he assures us, from which the possessor draws frequently, in order to relieve Christ’s poor or to perform an act of religion. He does not assure us of this on his own authority, he says but bases his promises on the evidence of Sacred Scripture.
Speaking through the medium of Solomon, the Holy Spirit says: “He who gives to the poor, suffers no want but he who ignores them, gets many a curse” (Prov 28:27). In other words, the avaricious and self-centred man, is more likely to be reduced to poverty, than the kind and bountiful man.
St Paul says much the same under the influence of diving inspiration. “He who provides the sower with seed, will both give you bread to eat and will multiply your seed and will increase the growth of the fruits of your justice, that being enriched in all things, you may contribute with simplicity of purpose” (2 Cor 9-10). “The administration of this service,” he adds, “not only supplies the wants of the saints but, overflows also, in much gratitude to the Lord” (Ibid 9-12). The poor thank God for the alms which we give them and our prosperity increases as a result.
In the Gospel, Our Lord reproaches men for their niggardliness and lack of confidence. “Do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What are we to put on?’ (for after all these things, the Gentiles seek), for your Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the Kingdom of God and his justice and all these things shall be given you besides” (Mt 6:31). The man who aims at doing justice, therefore, will not go in want. When the Day of Judgement comes, moreover, he has Our Lord’s promise, that he will be given a share in the Kingdom, for the sake of which, he performed his charitable actions.
“You are afraid,” says St Cyprian, “that your substance will be exhausted, if you take from it, in order to give in charity. You do not realise, wretched man, that while you are afraid of losing your substance, you are losing life itself! While you are carefully guarding against the diminution of your possessions, you do not see, that you, yourself, are diminishing. You love money more than life! While you are afraid of expending your wealth for the sake of spiritual gain, you are ruining yourself, for the sake of your possessions!”
Quote/s of the Day – 13 November – The Memorial of All Saints of the Augustinian Order and the Anniversary of the Birth of St Augustine (354-430)
“Man’s Maker was made man, that He, Ruler of the stars, might nurse at His mother’s breast, that the Bread might hunger, the Fountain thirst, the Light sleep, the Way be tired on its journey, that the Truth might be accused of false witness, the Teacher be beaten with whips, the Foundation be suspended on wood, that Strength might grow weak, that the Healer might be wounded, that Life might die.”
“Faith gives rise to prayer and this prayer obtains an increase of faith.”
“Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.”
“Our pilgrimage on earth cannot be exempt from trial. We progress by means of trial. No-one knows himself except through trial, or receives a crown, except after victory, or strives, except against an enemy or temptations.”
“Do you desire security? Here you have it. The Lord says to you, “I will never abandon you, I will always be with you.” If a good man made you such a promise, you would trust him. God makes it and do you doubt? Do you seek a support, more sure than the Word of God, which is infallible? Surely, He has made the promise, He has written it, He has pledged His Word for it, it is most certain!”
“If you believe what you like in the Gospels and reject what you don’t like, it is not the Gospel you believe but yourself.”
“Wherever you are on earth, however long you remain on earth, the Lord is near, do not be anxious about anything!”
Gracious Lady, Mother and Virgin By St Augustine (354-430) Doctor of Grace
Gracious Lady, you are a Mother and Virgin. You are the Mother of the body and soul of our Head and Redeemer. You are also truly Mother of all the members of Christ’s Mystical Body. For through your love, you have co-operated in the begetting of the faithful in the Church. Unique among women, you are Mother and Virgin, Mother of Christ and Virgin of Christ. You are the beauty and charm of earth, O Virgin. You are forever, the image of the holy Church. Through a woman came death, through a woman came life, yes, through you, O Mother of God. Be with us through this life. Amen
One Minute Reflection – 13 November – Readings: Wisdom 18: 14-16; 19: 6-9; Psalm 105: 2-3, 36-37, 42-43; Luke 18: 1-8 – The Memorial of St Didacus (de Alcalá de Henares) OFM (c 1400-1463
“Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones, who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? I tell you, he will see to it, that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” – Luke 8:7-8
REFLECTION – “What an extraordinary thing it is, the efficiency of prayer! Like a Queen, it has access at all times to the Royal presence and can receive, whatever it asks for. And it is a mistake to imagine that your prayer will not be answered, unless you have something out of a book, some splendid formula of words, specially devised to meet this emergency. If that were true, I am afraid I should be in a terribly bad position. You see, I recite the Divine Office, with a great sense of unworthiness but ,apart from that, I cannot face the strain of hunting about in books for these splendid prayers – it makes my head spin. There are such a lot of them, each more splendid than the last – how am I to recite them all, or to choose between them? I just do what children have to do before they have learned to read – I tell God what I want quite simply, without any splendid turns of phrase and somehow, He always manages to understand me.
For me, prayer means launching out of the heart towards God; it means lifting up one’s eyes, quite simply, to heaven, a cry of grateful love, from the crest of joy, or the trough of despair; it is a vast, supernatural force, which opens out my heart and binds me close to Jesus.” – St Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face (1873-1897), Carmelite, Doctor of the Church (Ms C, 25 r° – trans Ronald Knox)
PRAYER – Holy Father, grant us a strong Faith! Poor Your graces into our hearts that we may believe with all our hearts, minds and souls and that in believing, we may constantly raise our entire being to You in prayer and supplication, in prayer and adoration, in prayer and love. May the intercession of St Didacus, a man of deep prayer from his youth, strengthen our perseverance. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 13 November – Mary’s Saturday and the Anniversary of the Birth of St Augustine in 354
Blessed Virgin Mary, Receive Our Gratitude By St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor of Grace
Blessed Virgin Mary, who can worthily repay you with praise and thanks for having rescued a fallen world by your generous consent! Receive our gratitude and by your prayers, obtain the pardon of our sins. Take our prayers into the Sanctuary of Heaven and enable them to make our peace with God. Holy Mary, help the miserable, strengthen the discouraged, comfort the sorrowful, pray for your people, plead for the clergy, intercede for all women consecrated to God. May all who venerate you feel now your help and protection. Be ready to help us when we pray and bring back to us, the answers to our prayers. Make it your continual concern to pray for the people of God, for you were blessed by God and were made worthy to bear the Redeemer of the world, Who lives and reigns forever. Amen
Saint of the Day – 13 November – Saint Didacus (de Alcalá de Henares) OFM (c 1400-1463) Lay Brother of the Order of Friars Minor, Hermit, Mystic, Confessor, Born in c 1400 at Seville, Spain and died on 12 November 1463 at Alcala, Castile, Spain of natural causes. Also known as – St Didacus of St Nicholas, Diego, Diaz, Didacus de Alcalá de Henares, Didacus of Alcala. Patronages – Franciscan laity, Franciscan lay brothers, Diocese of San Diego, California.
The Roman Martyrology states of him today: “At Alcala in Spain, St Didacus, Confessor of the Order of Minorites, who was renowned for his humility. Incribed on the catalogue of the Saints by Pope Sixtus V, with a Feast Day of 13 November.“
Didacus was born about 1400 at San Nicolas in Andalusia, of poor and God-fearing parents. He entered the Third Order of St Francis when he had scarcely reached young manhood and under the direction of a devout Tertiary Priest, he served God for a long time as a Hermit. Consumed with the desire for still greater perfection, he later entered the Franciscan Convent at Arizafa in Castile and was there admitted to solemn vows as a lay brother.
His rapid progress in virtue made him a model to all his companions. His soul was continually occupied with God in prayer and meditation. From this source, he gathered such supernatural insight concerning God and the Mysteries of Faith, that learned theologians listened with astonishment to the inspiring conversations of this uneducated lay brother. Since Brother Didacus manifested great zeal for souls and willingness for sacrifice, his superiors sent him with other brethren to the Canary Islands, which at that time, were still inhabited by wild infidels. Didacus was eager for martyrdom and in this spirit, bore with dauntless patience, the many hardships that came his way. Both by word and example, he helped in converting many infidels.
In 1445, he was appointed Guardian of the chief Friary on the islands at Fortaventura. Recalled to Spain, he went to Rome in 1450 at the command of the Observant Vicar General, St John Capistrano, to attend the great Jubilee and the Canonisation ceremonies of St Bernardine of Siena. On this occasion, an epidemic broke out among the many Friars assembled in the large Convent of Aracoeli. Didacus attended the sick with great charity and trust in God. And God did not fail him. Despite the lack of supplies in the City at the time, Didacus always had ample provisions for his patients. He miraculously restored many of them to health by merely making the Sign of the Cross over them.
Leaving Rome, he returned to Spain, where, as in the former days, he was a source of great edification to the Friars of every Convent in which he lived.
When he felt that the end of his life was drawing near, he asked for an old and worn-out habit, so that he might die in it as a true son of the poor St Francis. He died on 12 November 1463, at the Franciscan Monastery in Alcalá, pressing a Crucifix to his heart and repeating the words of the Good Friday chant: “Dulce lignum, dulce ferrum, dulce pondus sustinet” – Precious the wood, precious the nails, precious the weight they bear.
Months passed before it was possible to bury Brother Didacus, so great was the number of people who came to venerate his remains. Not only did his body remain incorrupt but it diffused a pleasant odour. After it was laid to rest in the Franciscan Church at Alcalá de Henares, astounding miracles continued to occur at his tomb. Pope Sixtus V, himself a Franciscan, Canonised Brother Didacus in 1588.
The Church pays to Didacus today, the very same honours as we have seen her pay to Bernardine and John Capistrano. What is this but asserting, that before God, heroic acts of hidden virtue, are not inferior to the noble deeds that dazzle the world, if, proceeding from the same ardent love, they produce in the soul, the same increase of divine charity.
Notre-Dame de Nanteuil / Our Lady of Nanteuil, (Montrichard, Nanteuil-en-Vallee , France) 1st Century – 13 November :
This Shrine dates from late in the 1st Century, making it one of the oldest Shrines in France. According to tradition, some of the first Christians in the area discovered the Statue residing on the branch of an oak tree. They happily took it and placed it on a nearby wall near a fountain and went to summon the neighbours to show them what they had found. On returning, they found that the Statue was not where they had left it. Since this was an isolated spot, they wondered who might have taken it. Later, the Statue was found once again where they had first seen it, on the branch of the oak tree. Since Our Lady did not seem to want to be moved, the first Chapel was, accordingly, built around the tree, with the branches containing the Statue, being on the upper floor. A Parish Church, later built next door, shows late 12th century architecture but the Shrine was already very old at this time. The Church and the priory of Nanteuil belonged to the Abbey from the first years of the twelfth century. Construction took place, attributed to Philippe-Auguste, who wanted to show his gratitude to the Blessed Virgin for a double benefit – the first was for when his prayer had been answered and his thirsting army had been drenched by rain to quench that thirst; the second was for their victory over the King of England and their taking of Montrichard. In fact, the second column that supports the arch on the right side, depicts the face of the monarch, along with the faces of other leaders of his army. The devotion of Kings and Lords for the Virgin of Nanteuil was shared by the people, and from everywhere they came on pilgrimage, especially the Monday of Pentecost, which gave birth to a famous fair which was established before the fourteenth century and continues to this day. The religious upheavals of the 16th Century left Our Lady of Nanteuil undisturbed but before the French Revolution, a change came over the Statue. The smiling face became sad and many pilgrims testified to seeing tears on the cheeks. The Revolution indeed brought sorrow to the Shrine. One of the pilgrims threw a rope around the neck of the Statue and pulled it to the ground, breaking all but the head. A woman who carelessly tossed the head aside and looked for better loot was punished by almost instant death. Another woman took up the mutilated head and hid it until the destruction was over and a new body could be made to go with it. One of the many miracles recorded of Our Lady of Nanteuil, is the cure of a little boy who was completely crippled. His mother carried him on her back for three pilgrimages and the third time, to the Shrine of Our Lady of Nanteuil, he returned home entirely cured. The Shrine was especially famous for the cures of sick children, and was a favourite of King Louis XI. This Shrine had a privileged Altar that was highly indulgenced. It was a favourite of the Venerable Olier and of that saintly pilgrim, Saint Benedict Joseph Labre. Unfortunately, we have no clear images of the restored Statue.
All Saints of the Augustinian Order: On 13 November – St Augustine’s Birthday, we celebrate the Feast of All Saints of the Augustinian Order. On this day we call to mind the many unsung brothers and sisters of the Augustinian family who have “fought the good fight” and celebrate now, in Heaven. Let us pray for one another that we too may one day join in the “unceasing chorus of praise” with all our Augustinian brethren in Heaven.
All Saints of the Benedictine & Cistercian Orders: Those interested in the Benedictine family may be interested to know that today, within the Benedictine liturgical tradition, is traditionally celebrated the Feast of All Saints of the Benedictine Order – In Festo Omnium Sanctorum Ordinis S.P.N. Benedicti. The Cistercians — who also follow the Rule of St Benedict — likewise observe this day for All Saints of their Order. (On a related note, the Benedictines also traditionally observe 14 November as All Souls of their Order.
Saint Benedict and Saint Bernard (1542), by Diogo de Contreiras. Saint Bernard is depicted in the white cowl of the Cistercians.
All Saints of the Premonstratensian Order or the “Norbertines.” The Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré, also known as the Premonstratensians, the Norbertines and, in Britain and Ireland, as the White Canons , are a Roman Catholic religious order of canons regular founded in Prémontré near Laon in 1120 by Saint Norbert, who later became Archbishop of Magdeburg. Premonstratensians are designated by O.Praem. following their name. St Norbert was a friend of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux and so was largely influenced by the Cistercian ideals as to both the manner of life and the government of his order. Aside from St Norbert there are at present fifteen saints of the Order who have been Canonised or have had their immemorial cults confirmed by the Holy See. St Norbert (c 1080-1134) “Defender of the Eucharist” and “Apostle of the Eucharist” – Bishop, Confessor, Founder. St Norbert here: https://anastpaul.com/2017/06/06/saint-of-the-day-6-june-st-norbert/
St Amandus of Rennes St Amanzio St Beatrix of Bohemia St Brice of Tours St Caillin St Chillien of Aubigny Bl Christopher Eustace St Columba of Cornwall St Dalmatius of Rodez Bl David Sutton St Devinicus St Didacus de Alcalá de Henares) OFM (c 1400-1463) Lay Brother of the Order of Friars Minor, Confessor.
St Eugenius of Toledo St Florido of Città di Castello St Gredifael St Himerius St Homobonus of Cremona Bl John Sutton Bl Juan Gonga Martínez St Juan Ortega Uribe
St Leoniano of Vienne Bl María Cinta Asunción Giner Gomis Bl Maurice Eustace St Maxellendis St Mitrius St Pope Nicholas I St Paterniano St Quintian of Rodez Bl Robert Fitzgerald Bl Robert Montserrat Beliart Bl Robert Scurlock
Bl Thomas Eustace Bl Warmondus of Ivrea Bl William Wogan
Martyrs of Caesarea – 5 saints: A group of Christians murdered for their faith in the persecutions of Diocletian, Galerius Maximian and Firmilian. – Antoninus, Ennatha, Germanus, Nicephorus and Zebinas. 297 at Caesarea, Palestine.
Martyrs of Ravenna – 3 saints: A group of Christians murdered together in the persecutions of Diocletian. The only information about them that has survived are three names – Solutor, Valentine and Victor. c 305 in Ravenna, Italy.
Martyrs of Salamanca – 5 saints: The first group of Christians exiled, tortured and executed for their adherence to the Nicene Creed during the persecutions of the Arian heretic Genseric. – Arcadius, Eutychianus, Paschasius, Paulillus and Probus. Born in Spain and Martyred in 437. Their relics are at Medina del Campo, Spain.
Thought for the Day – 12 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Daily Progress
“Everyday of our lives should be a further step towards perfection. Holiness should be our goal in life. If we set before ourselves any illusory targets at which to aim, we are making a serious mistake and shall have cause, in the end, to appreciate the truth of the prophet’s warning: “You have sowed much and brought in little” (Agg 1:6). Jesus Christ, moreover, has given us this commandment: “You are to be perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48).
The ideal is high, certainly and, it is impossible for human resources but Jesus assures us, that nothing is impossible with God (Cf Lk 18:27). We can do nothing without God’s help but, with His grace, we can do everything. “I can do all things in him who strengthens me” (Phil 4:13).
Naturally, we cannot hope to accomplish everything in one day. We should desire to reach the highest possible level of perfection and not to be discouraged by the many difficulties which we are sure to encounter on the way. But, it would be presumptuous to expect to achieve perfection in a single moment.
The road to sanctity is long and arduous. It is essential to stride this path resolutely and with complete confidence in God. We should go forward with enthusiasm, not depending on our own poor resources but, on divine grace.
This is a matter of life and death and here we speak of eternal life. If we cease to advance and fall into indolence and inactivity, God will leave us to ourselves and we shall be lost! A man who is not advancing in the spiritual life must lose ground sooner or later because, he is not obeying the command of Jesus Christ.”
Quote/s of the Day – 12 November – Readings: Wisdom 13: 1-9; Psalm 19: 2-5; Luke 17: 26-37
“On that day, … a person in the field, must not return to what was left behind.”
Luke 17:31
“The Son of Man will send his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom, all causers of sin and all law-breakers and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous shall shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.”
Matthew 13:41-43
“Then the righteous shall shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.”
Matthew 13:43
“So from now on, run well (cf. Gal 5:7) and may the devil not bewitch you (cf. Gal 3:1) nor hinder you! … May mercy, peace, charity, freedom from envy, from jealousy and ostentation come upon you, docility, friendly speech, solidarity, compassion towards each other, humility.”
St Theodore the Studite (759-826)
“Ah Jesus, Sun of Justice, make me clothe myself with You, so that I may be able to live according to Your will. Make me, under Your guidance, preserve my robe of baptismal innocence, white, holy and spotless and present it undefiled, before Your tribunal, so that I may wear it, for eternal life.”
St Gertrude the Great of Helfta (1256-1301)
“Let everyone who has the grace of intelligence, fear that because of it, he will be judged more heavily, if he is negligent.”
St Bridget of Sweden (c 1303 – 1373)
“Life is passing. The days chase one another; time is flying. Do not say, therefore, that you will change tomorrow, that tomorrow you will turn away from the path of sin and begin to lead a holy life. For not alone does time pass but, it often betrays us! Our Lord tells us that the judgement will come at a time when we least expect it. The time that is gone will never return; the future is uncertain; there remains, only the present. But the present is equally uncertain; it is something that passes and, every moment could be the last of our lives. How many whom we have known, were taken away suddenly in the flower of their youth … Is that not a warning to us?”
One Minute Reflection – 12 November – “Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory” – Readings: Wisdom 13: 1-9; Psalm 19: 2-5; Luke 17: 26-37
“On that day, … a person in the field, must not return to what was left behind.” – Luke 17:31
REFLECTION – “He that will be in the field, do not let him turn back.” How may I understand what is the field unless Jesus Himself teaches me? He says, “No-one putting his hand to the plough and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God.” The lazy person sits in the farmhouse but the industrious person, plants in the field. The weak are at the fireplace but the strong are at the plough. The smell of a field is good because the smell of Jacob is the smell of a full field. A field is full of flowers. It is full of different fruits. Plough your field if you want to be sent to the Kingdom of God. Let your field flower, fruitful with good rewards. Let there be a fruitful vine on the sides of your house and young olive plants around your table. Already aware of its fertility, let your soul, sown with the Word of God and tilled by spiritual farming, say to Christ, “Come, my brother, let us go out into the field.” Let Him reply, “I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride. I have gathered my vintage of myrrh.” What is better than the vintage of faith, by which the fruit of the resurrection is stored and the spring of eternal rejoicing is watered?” – St Ambrose (340-397) Bishop of Milan and one of the original four Fathers and Doctors of the Latin Church (Exposition on the Gospel of Luke, 8)
PRAYER – Lord God, grant to us that the power of Your protecting hand may keep us unshaken in the face of our ancient enemy and all his hidden snares. Lighten our way so that, through the prayers of intercession of the Angels and Saints, we may experience the joy of Your presence in our hearts, courage in times of suffering and the wisdom to obey Your instructions. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, one God for all eternity, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 12 November -Friday, the day of the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ
To Christ Crucified Traditional Irish Prayer Trans. Brendan Devlin
May the sweet Name of Jesus Be written deeply on my heart and mind. Through the power of His Passion, Through the force of His Prayer, Through the shedding of His Blood, Through the sweetness of His Sweetness, Through His cruel Death on the Cross, for the sake of us all. O Lord Jesus Christ, be the Saviour of our souls. O Mary, Mother of Jesus and Jesus, be with me, the bond of love, binding us together and never be loosed. Amen
Saint of the Day – 12 November – Saint Astricus of Esztergom (Died c 1035) Archbishop of Esztergom, the first Archbishop of the Hungarian Church, Confessor, Monk, Abbot, Missionary, Born in Bohemia as Radla and died in c 1035 of natural causes. Patronage – Hungary. Also known as – Astricus of Ungarn, Anastasius XIX, Astericus Anastasius, Astrik of Pannonhalma, Ascrick, Astericus, Astrik-Anastaz, Radla.
Radla was a Czech or Croat from Bohemia, who was a Monk in Hungary. He probably received the habit at Brevnov, taking the name of Anastasius, of which Astricus is the equivalent. Astricus accompanied Saint Adalbert in the latter’s missionary work to the Bohemians and became the first Abbot of Břevnov Monastery. When Adalbert failed to consolidate his position in Bohemia and left Prague, Astricus went to the Kingdom of Hungary to help the missionaries among the Magyars.
He first served the wife of Duke Géza. In 997 Astricus became the first Abbot of the Benedictine Abbey of St Martin’s, the first ecclesiastical institution in Hungary, founded by Duke Géza. He then served Géza’s son, who was the great Saint Stephen I of Hungary and became the first Archbishop of the Hungarian Church.
Astricus served as Stephen’s Ambassador to Pope Sylvester II and negotiated the recognition of the new Kingdom of Hungary The Pope recognised Stephen as King of the Hungarians. Soon after Astricus’ return bringing the Crown with hin, Stephen was crowned by him, with the royal crown sent by Pope Sylvester, granted no doubt at the instance of the Emperor Otto III, in 1001. Astricus fulfilled the role of the Advisor to St Stephen on matters of spirit and of state until Stephen‘s death. He outlived the King and Saint by two years and spent those last days as a prayerful Monk.
The Assumption Cathedral of Kalocsa was extensively restored between 1907 and 1912. Under the Sanctuary, a red marble archiepiscopal tomb was excavated in 1910 in the place of the original 11th-century Cathedral. In addition to the intact skeleton, a gilded silver-headed crosier, a silver chalice, paten, golden rings, crosses, pallium with three jeweled gold pins and textile remnants were found. After many investigations these relics were confirmed as belonging to our Saint Astricus.
Maria Ausiliatrice a Valdocco / Our Lady of the Tower Secret, Turin, Italy (1863) – 12 November:
Our Lady of the Tower, at Fribourg, built on the lands of the heretics, on the very spot where an image of Our Lady had been found.
Don John Bosco, the amiable saint of the nineteenth century built a major Shrine to Our Lady Help of Christians, tying it in with the past and with the future. The Church was begun in 1863 with the sum of 8 cents. Don Bosco never revealed all that Our Lady had told him, in the several visions that preceded this but he did reveal that she asked him to build a great Shrine and that it would be a source of grace to all who came there to pray. He simply got permission, hunted up an architect who was willing, in the coldly realistic nineteenth century, to begin a Church on 8 cents and said, when the work was finished, that he had been paid every cent owing to him but, that he had been confronted in the beginning, by a man who many people said was completely mad. The architect must have had real faith, even to listen to Don Bosco. Like everything else accomplished by the great Saint of Turin, the building was beset with difficulties. No-one could understand why he insisted on naming it for Our Lady; even his own fellow priests. The money to pay for the project did not come in by the thousands, or even by the hundreds but by the penny. Every stone in the building, every bit of decorations, was a gift of love, and sacrifice from some grateful person who had benefitted from Our Lady’s help. The completed building is a testimonial of miracles and a Shrine of beauty, fit to stand with the world’s finest.
The curious thing about Don Bosco’s Shrine to Our Lady, and the one that should cause us thought, is the story of the right-hand tower. There is a large central dome, and on each side of it, a smaller one. On top of left-hand one is an angel holding a banner. The right-hand dome is built in the same way but its decoration is an angel offering a crown to Our Lady. One who saw the original sketches of the Church, drawn out in Don Bosco’s own hand, saw on the right-hand tower, a date 19.., indicating that at some time, in this warring century, there would be a victory over evil to correspond with Lepanto. Our Lady often tells her secrets to the saints and apparently Don Bosco knew the name and the place and thought it better not to reveal what he knew. Our Lady of the Tower Secret would take care of it in time and the left-hand angel bearing a banner labelled LEPANTO would have a counterpart, if mankind proves worthy. Don Bosco’s Church with Our Lady of the Tower was raised to the rank of a Basilica by Pope Pius X, Saint Pope Pius X.
St Arsatius St Astricus of Esztergom (Died c 1035) Bishop St Aurelius St Cadwallader St Cummian Fada St Cunibert of Cologne St Emilian Cucullatus St Evodius of Le Puy St Hesychius of Vienne Bl John Cini della Pace Bl José Medes Ferrís
St Namphasius St Nilus the Elder St Paternus of Sens St Publius St Renatus of Angers St Rufus of Avignon Bl Ursula Medes Ferris St Ymar of Reculver — Five Polish Brothers – martyrs: They weren’t Polish and they weren’t related but were instead five Italian Benedictine monks who worked with Saint Adalbert of Prague as missionaries to the Slavs and were martyred together. They were – Benedict, Christinus, Isaac, John and Matthew. Born in Italy. They were martyred in 1005 at the Benedictine monastery near Gnesen, Poland and Canonised by Pope Julius II.
Thought for the Day – 11 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Sensitiveness
“A single severe glance from our employer or superior, is enough to make us anxious. If it is accompanied by a word of rebuke, we are thoroughly upset. Why should this be so? It is because we are lacking in the fundamental virtue of humility. We want to keep up appearances and to be held in high regard. If we are frustrated in this ambition, we suffer inwardly.
All this is quite natural but, on this natural foundation, we must build the virtue of humility and the desire to serve God alone. If we possess this virtue, we shall continue to be sensitive to insults and humiliations but our suffering will be sanctified and will be meritorious in the sight of God.
We are all pleased when we are praised by others and are hurt when we are criticised because our natural inclinations are never destroyed. Our sensitivity, however, can be moderated and brought under the control of right reason, whose guide should be the rule of virtue. It is worth reflecting on what The Imitation of Christ has to say in this regard.
“Whenever a man desires anything inordinately, straight away, he is disquieted within himself. The proud and the covetous are never at rest; the poor and the humble in spirit, pass their life in abundance of peace. The man who is not yet perfectly dead to self, is soon tempted and overcome in little and paltry things. He that is weak in spirit and in a certain manner, as yet carnal and inclined to things of sense, cannot, without difficulty, sever himself wholly from earthly desires. And, therefore, he is often sad when he does withdraw himself and besides, he is easily moved to anger if anyone thwart him And, if he has pursued his inclination, forthwith he is burdened with remorse of conscience, for having gone after his passion, which helped him not at all, to the peace he looked for. It is by resisting the passions, therefore and not by serving them, that true peace of heart is to be found. Peace, therefore, is not in the heart of the carnal man, nor in the man who is devoted to outward things but, in the fervent and spiritual man” (Bk 1 Ch 6).
“Continual peace dwells with the humble but in the heart of the proud, is frequent envy and indignation” (Ibid Ch 7, V3).
Quote/s of the Day – 15 November – Readings: Wisdom 7: 22b – 8: 1; Psalm 119: 89-91, 130, 135, 175; Luke 17: 20-25
“For behold, the kingdom of God is among you.”
Luke 17:21
“…[The Kingdom of God] … is within you. That is, it depends on your own wills and is in your own power, whether or not you receive it. Everyone, that has attained to justification, by means of faith in Christ and decorated by every virtue, is counted worthy, of the kingdom of heaven.”
St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Father and Doctor of the Church
“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again and out of joy, goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”
Matthew 13:44
“This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he hath sent.”
John 6:29
“I want to advise you and remind you, what His will is. Do not fear that it means He will give you riches, or delights, or honours, or all these earthly things. His love for you is not that small! and He esteems highly what you give Him. He wants to repay you well, for He gives you His kingdom while you are still on earth … See … what He gave to the One He loved most. By that we understand what His will is. For these are His gifts in this world.”
St Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) Doctor of Prayer of the Church
One Minute Reflection – 15 November – Readings: Wisdom 7: 22b – 8: 1; Psalm 119: 89-91, 130, 135, 175; Luke 17: 20-25 – The Memorial of St Martin of Tours (c 316-397) and St Bartholomew of Rossano (c 970-c 1065)
“For behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” – Luke 17:21
REFLECTION – “The Kingdom of God is within you,” says the Lord …. Get up, faithful soul, prepare your heart for this Bridegroom, that He may deign to come and dwell within you. For so He proclaimed: “Whoever loves me will keep my word and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him,” (Jn 14:23). Make room for Christ and then, bar the door against all comers. When you have Christ, you have all the riches you need. He will be your Purveyor and your faithful Manager in all things; you will have no need to hope in men. For men are quick to change and speedily die but Christ “remains forever” (Jn 12:34), standing firm to the very end.
Not much reliance should be placed upon man, be he never so beloved or so useful; for he goes to pieces and he dies. And not much sadness should be felt if he sometimes turns against you – with you to-day, against you to-morrow and fickle as the breeze, to return to you again. Put all your trust in God, let Him be your fear and Him your Love. He will answer for you and do that good thing that is best for you.
“Here we have no lasting city” (Heb 13:14), wherever you are, you are “a stranger and an alien” (Heb 11:13); you will never, at anytime have peace until you are intimately one with Christ.” – Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471) – The Imitation of Christ – (Book II, ch. 1, 2-3)– Trans Robert Dudley
PRAYER – Our Father, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done! Grant us Lord, a true knowledge of our salvation, so that freed from fear and from the power of our foes, we may serve You faithfully, all the days of our lives and thus attain eternal joy with You. May the prayers of St Martin of Tours and St Bartholomew of Rossano, on our behalf, be a succour to us all. Through our Lord Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit, one God for all eternity, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 11 November – Monday of the Thirty Second Week in Ordinary Time, Year C
In the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit By St Hilary of Poitiers (315-368) Father & Doctor of the Church
Father, keep us from vain strife of words. Grant to us constant profession of the Truth! Preserve us in a true and undefiled faith so that we may hold fast to that which we professed when we were Baptised in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, that we may have You for our Father, that we may abide in Your Son and in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen
Saint of the Day – 11 November – Saint Bartholomew of Rossano (c 970-c 1065) Basilian Monk, Abbot, Confessor, Spiritual disciple and friend of St Nilus (910-1005), Hymnist an highly skilled Calligrapher of sacred manuscripts – the art of calligraphy he had learned from his blessed guide and teacher, He is known as the “Second Founder,” of the Monastery of Grottaferrata founded by St Nilus. A copyist of many codices, Bartholomew is also considered the greatest hymnographer of the 11th century. Born in c 970 in Rossano, Calabria, Italy and died on 11 November c1065 at Grottaferrata Abbey, Frascati, Italy of natural causes. Also known as – Bartholomew of Grottaferrata, Bartholomew the Younger, Bartolomeo il Giovane.
The Roman Martyrology states: “In the Monastery of Crypta-Ferrata, near Frascati, the holy Abbot Bartholomew, companion of the blessed Saint Nilus, whose life he wrote.”
Bartholomew was the son of a noble Greek immigrant family originally from Constantinople. He was Baptised with the name of Basilio and showed much interest in religious life from an early age. At the age of seven he was entrusted to the Monks of the Monastery of San Giovanni Calibita, where he received such a profound education, that he surpassed his contemporaries
After five years he went to Vallelucio, near Monte Cassion, where he became the disciple of St Nilus of Rossano and a Monk at the Monastery at Grottaferrata in Fracati, which St Nilus had founded. The Monks celebrated the Greek Catholic Rite and kept the Basilian Rule. St Nilu’s life here: https://anastpaul.com/2020/09/26/saint-of-the-day-26-september-saint-nilus-the-younger-910-1005/
The Monastery of Grottaferrata
When St Nilus died in 1005, Bartholomew continued his works and became his fourth successor as Abbot – a position he held for forty years. During those 40 years, Bartholomew completed the construction of the Monastery and other ancillary works, which St Nilus had begun. This work turned the Monastery into a centre of education and manuscript copying and was so extensive, that he is often listed as the ” Second Founder.” Under his guidance and administration, the Monastery established a firm basis, surviving many troubles and political interference and thus, this foundation has allowed it to continue to this day.
He also took part in the Roman Synods of 1036 and 1044. He showed excellent diplomatic skills, managing to appease the differences between Duke Adenolfo and the Prince of Salerno. He was a close friend of the Pontiffs Benedict VIII and Benedict IX, managing to persuade the latter to abdicate, who then retired to the Monastery of Grottaferrata.
Bartholomew was described as having a very sympathetic and kind nature. He was unable to see anyone suffer in any manner, without striving to assist and extend comfort.
In the biography of the Saint, a miracle is narrated that underlines his love for the poor, which happened a few years after his death. The protagonist of this event is a Monk named Franco, who at the end of his life and unable to speak, was miraculously healed. He told his brothers that he was now ready for burial and that in his sleep, he had seen two doves, one white and one black, approach him and guiding him into a field full of light, where Bartholomew was standing surrounded by a multitude of poor people. Bartholomew gave them all bread, then entered a beautiful building in which there was a woman of indescribable beauty, that is, the Virgin Mary. Here Bartholomew, addressing the Monk Franco advising him to remind the remaining Monks of Grottaferrata, to be merciful towards the poor.
Bartholomew died around 1065, he was buried next to St Nilus in the Chapel named after the two of them in the Monastery. heir remains remained in Grottaferrata until 1300, after this date all traces of their relics disappeared.
The interior of the Grottaferrata Abbey
Pope Pius XII on the Ninth Centenary of the Saint’s death, in a message to the Abbot of Grottaferrata, defined St Bartholomew “luminary of the Church and ornament of the Apostolic See.”
Nossa Senhora do Português / Our Lady of the Portuguese, Diu, India (1546) – 11 November:
The Abbot Orsini wrote: “On this day, about the year 1546, the Portuguese gained a great victory over the infidels, who had been before the castle of Die, in the East Indies, for the space of seven months and who would have carried it by storm, if Our Lady had not appeared upon the walls – which caused so great terror in the enemy’s camp, that the siege was at once raised.”
The Portuguese began building the stronghold of Diu, their symbol of Portuguese influence and authority in the region, protecting their lucrative trade with India, on 20 November 1535 and finished the work a short time later, on 29 February of the following year. The fort was circular in shape, having walls 6 metres high and 3.50 metres thick, made of solid stone and lime. There was a deep ditch immediately before these stout walls and the fort had three triangular shaped bastions. Manned with a garrison of three hundred and fifty men, it was further supported by a fleet of eleven ships. Manuel De Souza was named the fort’s first Captain. It was not long before the Portuguese came under siege, as a powerful Ottoman fleet made up of 72 ships laid siege to the stronghold in September of 1538. The Turks arrived with an army of at least 20,000 men, far more than the 400 or so Portuguese who made up the entire garrison. There were many pitched battles after an intense bombardment and as time wore on the Portuguese suffered from an acute shortage of men and ammunition and a lack of adequate nutrition, bringing scurvy and great suffering to the remaining defenders. The defenders were at their last extreme and the fort had less than 40 men left alive when the siege suddenly ended. Modern history records that, “for unknown reasons” the savage Turks gave up the siege and sailed away for no reason. It was obvious to the battle hardened Turkish troops, that the defence was about to collapse and that victory was at hand, so there must have been a reason that they fled. The Portuguese defenders could have said that the victory was the result of their gallantry defending the fort and to the grim determination with which they held the bastions against every manner of assault. Instead, however, the Portuguese recalled that Our Lady appeared on the battlements herself, as had recently happened at the Siege of Rhodes and that it was their fear of her ,that the Turks ran for their lives. In 1546 there was a second assault on Diu that began on the eve of Easter and this time the Portuguese thwarted the efforts of the Turks to capture the fort in a pitched battle recorded as one of the greatest ever fought by the Portuguese troops in India. The siege had continued uninterrupted from 20 April 1546 until 7 November, when a Portuguese fleet finally arrived on the scene under Viceroy Juan de Castro. The Portuguese success in Diu confirmed Portuguese dominion and their hold over the region. Contemporary accounts, of course, do not mention the miraculous intervention of the Blessed Virgin Mary during the siege, even though it was recorded that she appeared on the ramparts holding a lance in her hand to defend the fort from the enemy, for the ‘City of Men’ cannot accept the glories of God!
Bl Alicia Maria jadwiga Kotowska St Bartholomew of Rossano (c 970-c 1065) Abbot Confessor St Bertuin of Malonne St Cynfran of Wales St Isidre Costa Hons Bl Josaphat Chichkov Bl Kamen Vitchev
St Marina of Omura St Menas Kallikelados St Mennas of Santomenna St Mercurius the Soldier Bl Pavel Dzjidzjov St Rhediw St Theodore the Studite St Turibius of Palencia St Veranus of Lyon St Veranus of Vence Blessed Vincent Eugene Bossilkoff — Martyrs of Torredembarra: Members of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, Discalced Carmelites, and Carmelite Tertiaries of Education who were martyred together in the Spanish Civil War. • Blessed Bonaventura Toldrà Rodon • Blessed Damián Rodríguez Pablo • Blessed Felipe Arce Fernández • Blessed Frederíc Vila Bartolì • Blessed Isidre Tarsá Giribets • Blessed Joan Roca Vilardell • Blessed José Alberich Lluch • Blessed Josep Boschdemont Mitjavila • Blessed Josep Maria Bru Ralduá • Blessed Julio Alameda Camarero • Blessed Lluís Domingo Oliva • Blessed Mariano Navarro Blasco • Blessed Miquel Saludes Ciuret • Blessed Pedro de Eriz Eguiluz They were martured on 11 November 1936 in Torredembarra, Tarragona, Spain, Beatification celebrated in Tarragona, Spain.
Thought for the Day – 10 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Prayer, Work and Leisure
“The pattern of our lives should be a combination of prayer, work and leisure. There should be no room, however, fpr idleness.
Prayer: Prayer is most essential. The life of a Catholic should be a continual prayer. As Jesus commanded, we “must always pray and not lose heart” (Lk 18:1).
How can we achieve this? St Paul has told us, “Whatever you do in word or in work,” he says, “do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father, through him” (Col 3:17). If we follow his instructions, our lives will really be a prayer. Before we begin our day’s work, we shall turn to God and offer Him our labours and our difficulties. During our work, we shall raise our minds to God, from time to time, as Jesus, Mary and Joseph must have done, in the home and in the workshop at Nazareth. Whenever we speak, we should remember that we are in the Presence of God. Then our conversation and our behaviour will be free from defect and will edify those who are with us. The grace of God can illumine the most ordinary conversations and actions, which are in themselves, quite indifferent. It is enough to live in a spiritual atmosphere of our own and on this earth.
If we can aspire to such a spiritual height, then our work will become a prayer pleasing to God, whether it is mental or manual, we shall be no longer working alone but Jesus Christ will be working with us, by His grace. This is the way the Saints worked and this is how their lives were a prayer.”
“Many sins are forgiven her because she has loved much.”
Luke 7:42
“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
“… 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) Most Zealous Doctor
“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)
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 – 10 November – Readings: Wisdom 6: 1-11; Psalm 82: 3-4, 6-7; Luke 17: 11-19
“Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?” – Luke 17:17
REFLECTION – “After having offended our Benefactor by our indifference to His signs of goodwill, we have, nevertheless, not been forsaken by the Lord’s goodness nor cut off from His love but we have been rescued from death and restored to life by our Lord Jesus Christ. And the way in which we have been saved, is even more worthy of wonder. “Though he was in the form of God, he did not regard equality with God something to be grasped but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave” (Phil 2,6-7).
He carried our weakness and bore our sufferings, He was put to death for our sake that we might be saved by His Wounds, He redeemed us from the curse, by becoming accursed for us (cf Is 53,4-5; Gal 3,13). He endured the most degrading of deaths, to lead us to life and glory. And it was not enough for Him to restore to life, those who lay in death. He clothed them again in the divine dignity and prepared for them, in everlasting rest, a happiness that exceeds all human imagining.
How, then, shall we repay the Lord for all He has given us? His goodness is such, that He asks nothing in return for His blessings – He is satisfied with being loved.” – St Basil (330-379) Monk, Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, Father and Doctor of the Church (Great monastic Rules, # 2)
PRAYER – You Lord, Holy Father, never forget Your solemn covenant and grant us new life each day. We though in our hearts of stone do forget and cease to thank and bless You. Make our hearts turn in gratitude, for all we are and have is by Your grace and we are as nothing without You. May our minds, hearts and souls sing with love and thanks to You, Lord our God. Grant us new hearts by the prayers of Your Saint Leo the Great and all the saints in heaven, who always lived with grateful hearts, praising You always. We ask this this through Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.
AnaStpaul 
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