Posted in MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY

Our Lady of Walsingham / Virgin of the Sea (1061) , Marian Feasts and Memorials of the Saints – 24 September

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes / Our Lady of Mercy/Ransom, Barcelona, Spain (1218) – 1 August, 24 September:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/08/01/feast-saint-peter-in-chains-the-portiuncula-indulgence-nuestra-senora-de-las-mercedes-our-lady-of-mercy-barcelona-spain-1218-and-memorials-of-the-saints-1-august/

Our Lady of Walsingham / Virgin of the Sea (1061) – 24 September:

The story of the Walsingham Shrine begins in Saxon times. In 1061, the Lady of the Manor, Richeldis de Faverches, was taken in spirit to Nazareth, shown the House where the Annunciation took place and asked by Our Lady, to build a replica in Norfolk. She was promised that ‘Whoever seeks my help there will not go away empty-handed.‘ The simple wooden house that she built soon became the focus of special devotion to Our Lady. The ‘Holy House’ was later encased in stone to protect it from the elements.
In 1153, the Augustinian Canons founded a Priory to care for the spiritual needs of the pilgrims. Their magnificent Priory Church was added in the fifteenth century. Only the ruin of the Priory Arch remains and archaeology has placed the site of the ‘Holy House’ in its shadow.

Walsingham became one of the foremost Shrines of medieval Christendom. Among the pilgrims to the ‘Holy House’ were many royal visitors. Henry III in 1226, Edward I (eleven times), Edward II in 1315, Edward III in 1361, Richard II in 1383, Edward IV in 1469, Henry VI in 1487 (and many other times) and Henry VIII in 1511, in thanksgiving for the birth of his son, Prince Henry.
In 1340, the Slipper Chapel was built at Houghton St Giles, a mile outside Walsingham. This was the final ‘Station’ Chapel on the way to Walsingham. It was here, that pilgrims would remove their shoes to walk the final ‘Holy Mile’ to the Shrine barefoot.

The Slipper Chapel

Erasmus, the Dutch scholar, visited Walsingham in 1513 and was impressed by the splendour of the Shrine. He wrote:

‘When you look inside, you would say, it is the abode of saints, so brilliantly does it shine with gems, gold and silver … Our Lady stands in the dark at the right side of the Altar … a little image, remarkable neither for its size, material or workmanship.’

This was soon to come to an end. Henry VIII ordered the dissolution of the monasteries and in 1538 the Priory was closed, the ‘Holy House’ burned to the ground and the Statue of Our Lady taken to London to be destroyed.
In 1896 Miss Charlotte Boyd bought the Slipper Chapel, which had seen centuries of secular use. She devoted herself to its restoration. The Statue of the Mother and Child was carved at Oberammergau and based on the design of the original statue – a design found on the medieval seal of Walsingham Priory, an imprint of which is in the British Museum.

The Walsingham seal: around the edges
Ave Maria gratia plena dominus tecum

The first Mass since the Reformation was offered in the Slipper Chapel on 15 August 1934 and a few days later Cardinal Francis Bourne led a pilgrimage of 10,000 people to the Chapel and declared it to be the Catholic National Shrine of Our Lady.

Madonna de Val Camonica, Berzo Inferiore (BS), Italy (1616) – 24 September:

St Anathalon of Milan
St Andochius of Autun
St Anthony Gonzalez

Blessed Anton Martin Slomsek (1800-1862) Bishop, Writer, Poet, Educator, Reformer, Preacher, Founder of schools, a newspaper, Advocate of literacy and the Slovenian culture and language.
Biographical details here:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/09/24/saint-of-the-day-24-september-blessed-anton-martin-slomshek-1800-1862/
AND:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/09/24/saint-of-the-day-24-september-blessed-anton-martin-slomsek-1800-1862/

St Chuniald
Bl Colomba Matylda Gabriel
St Coprio
St Erinhard
St Felix of Autun

St Gerard Sagredo OSB (980-1046) Bishop and Martyr, “The Apostle of Hungary,” Venetian nobleman, Benedictine monk, Prior of San Giorgio, Missionary to Hungary, Adviser to King Saint Stephen, Tutor to Prince Saint Emeric, Hermit, Bishop of Csanád, Writer, Reformerr
Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/09/24/saint-of-the-day-24-september-saint-gerard-sagredo-osb-980-1046-bishop-and-martyr-the-apostle-of-hungary/

St Geremarus
St Gislar
St Isarnus of Toulouse
St Lupus of Lyons

St Pacificus of Severino OFM (1653-1721) Priest, Franciscan Friar, Mystic, Miracle-worker, Missionary, Superior of the Friary of San Severino and joyful sufferer for Christ.
About St Pacificus:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/09/24/saint-of-the-day-24-september-saint-pacificus-of-severino-ofm-1653-1721/

St Paphnutius of Egypt
Bl Robert Hardesty
St Rusticus of Clermont
St. Rupert of Salzburg
St Terence of Persaro (c 210-c 247) Martyr Layman
St Thyrsus of Autun
St Ysarn of Saint Victor
Bl William Spenser
—
Martyrs of Chalcedon – (49 saints): Forty-nine Christian choir singers of the church in Chalcedon in Asia Minor who were martyred together in their persecutions of Diocletian in 304.

Martyred in the Spanish Civil War:
• Blessed Antonio Pancorbo López
• Blessed Esteban García y García
• Blessed José María Ferrándiz Hernández
• Blessed Juan Francisco Joya Corralero
• Blessed Luis de Erdoiza Zamalloa
• Blessed Manuel Gómez Contioso
• Blessed Melchor Rodríguez Villastrigo
• Blessed Pascual Ferrer Botella
• Blessed Rafael Rodríguez Mesa
• Blessed Santiago Arriaga Arrien

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on MEDITATION, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SILENCE, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The HEART

Thought for the Day – 23 September – The Necessity of Meditation

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 23 September – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Necessity of Meditation

“With desolation is all the land made desolate because, there is none that considereth in the heart” (Jer 12:11).
Very often the world is plunged in the desolation of evil because there is nobody who will speak with God in the silence of his heart and try to regulate his life according to His holy commandments.
It is in a particularly outstanding way today, that the heresies of actionism and externalism dominate the great mass of mankind.
To act, to rush, to arrive … above all, to arrive!
But to arrive where?
In this frantic, frenzied and tumultuous race, in which good people are often found competing, two very sure things are forgotten, namely, that we shall finally arrive at death and, that from death we shall pass on to eternity.
The whole course of our lives, therefore, should be directed toward this end.
But, if we are to keep this end in view, prudent reflection is essential, especially meditation, made with the assistance of the Divine Light, on the eternal truth.

Absorbed in the deafening din of the world around us, it is difficult to hear the voice of God.
At least, for a little while each day, we must create within ourselves, a zone of silence, in order to listen to His voice.
Since God speaks readily in the silence of the heart, let us recollect ourselves before Him, in this quiet oasis.
At least a quarter of an hour of daily meditation is essential for the life of a Christian.
This should be the jumping-off board for all the actions of day, if we wish these to be correct and productive of good.

It is very useful, moreover, to recall to mind frequently during the day, the resolutions which have been formed and to accompany these reflections, with short prayers, aspirations and acts of love for God.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, I BELIEVE!, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on MEDITATION, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior), The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 23 September – Who is this

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 23 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of Mary” – Readings: Haggai 1: 1-8; Psalm 149: 1b-6a and 9b; Luke 9: 7-9

“… Who is this about whom
I hear such things?”
And he sought to see him.”

Luke 9:9

“Prayer is the wing,
wherewith the soul flies to heaven
and meditation,
the eye,
wherewith we see God.”

St Ambrose (340-397)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“Faith is to believe
what you do not see;
the reward of this faith,
is to see what you believe.”

“A person can do other things against his will
but belief is possible,
only in one who is willing.”

St Augustine (354-430)
Father and Doctor of Grace

“To one who has faith,
no explanation is necessary.
To one without faith,
no explanation is possible.”

St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Doctor of the Church

“He who wishes for anything but Christ,
does not know what he wishes;
he who asks for anything but Christ,
does not know what he is asking;
he who works and not for Christ,
does not know what he is doing.”

St Philip Neri (1515-1595)

“Only one thing is necessary:
Jesus Christ!
Think unceasingly of Him. ”

St John Gabriel Perboyre CM (1802-1840)
Martyr for Christ

“Only God fills the soul and fills it wholly.
Let scientists go on asking – Where is God?
He is where those clever ones,
arrogant in their knowledge, cannot reach.”

St Raphael Arnaiz Baron (1911-1938)

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, I BELIEVE!, QUOTES on CONSOLATION, QUOTES on FAITH, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 23 September – “And he sought to see him.” Luke 9:9

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 23 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of Mary” – Readings: Haggai 1: 1-8; Psalm 149: 1b-6a and 9b; Luke 9: 7-9 and the Memorial of Saint Adamnan of Iona (c 628-704)

“… Who is this about whom I hear such things?”
And he sought to see him.” – Luke 9:9

REFLECTION – “[John] says: “We announce to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was manifested to us. What we have seen and heard we announce to you (1 Jn 1:2-3). Let Your Charity pay heed: “What we have seen and heard we announce to you.”
They saw the Lord Himself present in the flesh and they heard words from the Lord’s mouth and they announced them to us. We also have heard, then but we have not seen. Are we, therefore, less fortunate than those who saw and heard? And why does [John] add: “So that you also may have fellowship with us?” They saw; we did not see and yet, we are in fellowship because we maintain a common faith.

To the disciple who wished to touch and thus to believe, the Lord – consoling us, who are unable to touch Him with our hand, as He is now seated in Heaven, although we can touch Him by faith – said, “Blessed are those who do not see and who believe” (Jn 20:29). It is we who were described, we who were designated.
May there be in us, then, the blessedness that the Lord foretold would come to be! Let us hold firmly onto what we do not see because, those who have seen it, are announcing it, so that we also may have fellowship with them and so, that “our joy may be complete” (v. 4).”– St Augustine (354-430) Bishop of Hippo Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermons on the first letter of Saint John, I, 3)

PRAYER – Shepherd of Your Church and we, the sheep of Your flock, who follow You and hear and do Your Word. Support us with grace those who are constantly striving to do Your will, so that following the example of the humble fiat of Your blessed Mother and ours, we may devote all our powers and talents to love of You and our neighbour and finally arrive safely in our heavenly home. May the prayers of St Adamnan of Iona, your faithful servant, be assistance in strengthening us in this vale of tears. In God, our Father we pray through You who live in union with Him and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ages and ages. Amen

Posted in GOD ALONE!, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD

Our Morning Offering – 23 September – May We Love Only You

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 23 September – The Memorial of Saint Adamnan of Iona (c 628-704) Relative of Saint Columban

May We Love Only You
By St Columban (543-615)

Loving Saviour,
be pleased to show Yourself to us who knock,
so that in knowing You,
we may love only You,
love You alone,
desire You alone,
contemplate only You, day and night
and always think of You.
Inspire in us the depth of love
that is fitting for You to receive as God.
So may Your love pervade our whole being,
possess us completely
and fill all our senses,
that we may know no other love
but love for You,
Who are everlasting.
May our love be so great,
that the many waters of sky, land and sea
cannot extinguish it in us –
many waters could not extinguish love.
May this saying love be fulfilled
in us also, at least in part,
by Your gift,
Jesus Christ, our Lord,
to whom be glory forever and ever.
Amen

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 23 September – Saint Adamnan of Iona or St Eunan of Iona (c 628-704)

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Saint of the Day – 23 September – Saint Adamnan of Iona or St Eunan of Iona (c 628-704) Relative of Saint Columban. Monk at Drunhome, Donegal, Ireland. Abbot of Iona in 679. President-general of all the Columban houses in Ireland. Hagiographer and Spiritual Writer, Poet, Statesman, Canon Lawyer. Born in c 628 in Drumhome, County Donegal, Ireland and died on 23 September 704 at Iona Abbey of natural causes. Patronages – Donegal, Ireland, County of, Raphoe, Ireland, City of, Raphoe, Ireland, Diocese of. Also known as – Adam, Adamnano, Adomnan, Eunan.

Adamnan was the Author of the Life of Columban, probably written between 697 and 700. This Biography is, by far, the most important surviving work written in early-medieval Scotland and is a vital source for our knowledge of the Picts and an insight into the life of Iona and the early-medieval Gaelic Saint Columban. (His life here: https://anastpaul.com/2018/11/23/saint-of-the-day-23-november-st-columban-543-615/)

Adamnan promulgated the Law of Adamnan or “Law of Innocents” (Irish: The Cáin Adomnáin). He also wrote the treatise De Locis Sanctis (i.e. “On Holy Places”), an account of the great Christian holy places and centres of pilgrimage. Adamnan received much of his information for this work, from a Frankish Bishop called Arculf, who had personally visited Egypt, Rome, Constantinople and the Holy Land and visited Iona after his travels.

Adamnan was a descendant of a cousin of Saint Columban, Colmán mac Sétna. He is thought to have been born into a noble family in what is now County Donegal in Ireland, probably as a younger son. Some historians believe he attained his obviously high level of education by studying at Durrow Abbey, one of Ireland’s most important early Christian Monasteries. He became a Monk at a Columban Monastery in Ireland in about 640 and then, at some later point, transferred to Iona Abbey. Opinions again differ about the date of his move to Iona, ranging from about 650, during the Abbacy of Ségéne, to about 670, after the accession of Abbot Failbe.

In 679, Adomnan became the ninth Abbot of Iona Abbey. As Abbot, he was extremely influential in the wider affairs of a land that was still divided between Gaels, Picts, Britons and Angles. He forged especially, strong links with King Aldfrith of Northumbria. He was also influential in partially bringing the Celtic Church into line with the wider body of the Roman Church when he adopted the Roman dating of Easter. This had been agreed in 664 at the Synod of Whitby and the difference, possibly trivial to modern eyes, had led to a rift between the Roman and Celtic Churches.

Adomnan’s most important innovation came in 697. The Synod of Birr, in Ireland, attracted a highly influential gathering of Irish, Dalriadan and Pictish nobles. Adomnan used it to gain widespread agreement to his “Law of Adomnan.” This “Law of Innocents,” set out to guarantee the safety and immunity of various types of non-combatants in warfare. It was a pioneering initiative in Europe and a remarkable achievement for a cleric on the Celtic fringe of the known world. Many see it as the first step in the process that has since led to the Geneva Convention and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Adomnan is probably better known, however, for his Life of St Columban. This was really a Biography or a history of his predecessor of a Century earlier as Abbot of Iona. Rather it was a “hagiography” intended to prove Columban’s saintliness and extol his virtues and achievements. It is perhaps the most important surviving record from the areas which later became Scotland at this time. He also wrote a considerable amount of poetry.

Adomnan died in 704, probably on 23 September, the day now celebrated as his feast day. He was subsequently regarded as a Saint of the Irish and Scottish tradition and is considered to have been one of the mos influential participants in this early period of Irish and Scottish Church.

Along with St Columban, he is joint Patron of the Diocese of Raphoe, which encompasses the bulk of County Donegal in the north-west of Ireland. The Cathedral of St Eunan and St Columban (popularly known as St Eunan’s Cathedral), the Cathedral in that Diocese, is in Letterkenny. In 727 the relics of AdAmnan were brought to Ireland to renew the “Law of Innocents” and they were returned to Iona in 730.

In his native Donegal, Adamnan has given his name to several Churches, Institutions and buildings – all under the Irish version of his name Eunan.

Posted in MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY

Nuestra Senora de Valvanera / Our Lady of Valvanera, La Rioja, Spain (9th Century) and Memorials of the Saints – 23 September

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Nuestra Senora de Valvanera / Our Lady of Valvanera, La Rioja, Spain (9th Century) – 23 September:

This image is a replica of the original which appears to have dated from the ninth century and is preserved in the Royal Abbey Shrine of Our Lady of Valvanera, or Valvanere, in Rioja, jealously guarded by Benedictine Monks. The oldest documents preserved, dates from the thirteenth century and tells how, according to tradition, the original image was found by a thief who later converted and became a hermit.

There was a thief named Nuno Onez, who was a hardened criminal and a “man of licentious life and dedicated to looting.” One day, however, upon hearing the prayer of a man who was to be his next victim, he was touched by Divine grace and repented of his many crimes, turning to the Blessed Virgin Mary to help him change his life. One day while he was praying, an Angel appeared to him to tell him to go to Valvanera and search for an oak that stood out from the rest, with a fountain that gushed at its feet and surrounded by swarms of bees. There, in the branches of a strong and noble oak, in the presence of a fountain of pure and clear water, the trunk of which was overflowing with the sweetness of honey, he found an image of the Mother of God, the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Nuno went to the place with a Priest on the following Sunday and found the image, just as the Angel had said. The Statue had probably been hidden there when the Moslems invaded the Iberian Peninsula in the 8th century. In that place, in the last third of the ninth century, he began to build a place of worship that became known as the Chapel of Santo Cristo. Soon there was a small group of hermits who met to pray around this image, men who eventually adopted a regular life inspired by the Rule of Saint Benedict. Thus, this small Shrine is believed to have given rise to the Monastery of Valvanera, where the Virgin is currently venerated.
Valvanera Monastery is surrounded by a forest near the Town of Anguiano in the valley of the Sierra Demand La Rioja. Its name derives from the Latin “Vallis Venaria,” which literally means: “Valley water veins.” The first Abbot was a man named Don Sancho in the year 990.
Our Lady apparently has a preference for oak trees, since this is one of several Statues found in or on an oak tree. On that very spot today is seen the magnificent Church which Alphonsus IV, King of Castile, built in honour of the Mother of God in 1073 and which houses the image.

She, the valiant woman of Scripture, desired her children, her clients and her devotees to share in a spiritual manner, in the strength and the power of this mighty tree, which is certainly a symbol of her.

A painting inside the Sanctuary

St Padre Pio/ Pius of Pietrelcina OFM Cap (1887-1968) (Memorial) Priest, Franciscan Capuchin Friar, Stigmatist, Mystic, Confessor.
Biography here:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/09/23/saint-of-the-day-23-september-st-pio-of-pietrelcina-o-f-m-cap/

St Alfonso Burgos
St Adamnan of Iona/Eunan of Iona (c 628-704) Monk, Abbot
Bl Antonio of Tlaxcala
Bl Bernardina Maria Jablonska
St Cissa of Northumbria
St Constantius of Ancona
Bl Cristobal of Tlaxcala
Bl Emilie Tavernier Gamelin
Bl Francisco de Paula Victor
Bl Guy of Durnes
Bl Helen Duglioli
Bl Juan of Tlaxcala

St Pope Linus (c 10 – c 76) Successor to St Peter. Papacy lasted from c 67 to his death. Among those to have held the position of pope, Peter, Linus and Clement are specifically mentioned in the New Testament. Linus is mentioned in the closing greeting of the Second Epistle to Timothy as being with Paul in Rome near the end of Paul’s life.
About St Pope Linus:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/09/23/saint-of-the-day-23-september-st-pope-linus-c-10-c-76-successor-to-st-peter/

St Peter Acontanto
St Polyxena

St Thecla (1st century) Virgin Martyr, Disciple of St Paul.
Her Life and Death:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/09/23/saint-of-the-day-23-september-st-thecla-1st-century-virgin-and-martyr/

Bl William Way
St Xantippa
—
Martyrs of Syracuse – (4 saints): Group of Christians deported from Syracuse, Sicily by invading Saracens and sent to North Africa where they were tortured and executed for their faith. Martyrs. The names that have survived are Andrew, Antony, John and Peter. c900

Martyred in the Spanish Civil War:
• Blessed Crispulo Moyano Linares
• Blessed María Josefa del Río Messa
• Blessed Norberto Cembranos de la Verdura
• Blessed Purificación Ximénez y Ximénez
• Blessed Sofía Ximénez y Ximénez del Río
• Blessed Vicente Ballester Far

Posted in "Follow Me", MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on MORTAL SIN, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on The SOUL

Thought for the Day – 22 September – Word and Example

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 22 September – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Word and Example

“We should give good example everywhere and in every way, at home and in the Church, in the company of those who are subordinate to us and of those who have authority over us, in speech and in dress, by moderation in our eating habits and in the furnishings of our house, by the pictures which we hang in our rooms and by the books and magazines which we read.
We should be particularly careful to keep, in safe custody, those books and journals which are necessary to us for purposes of study but could be an occasion of sin for others.

Our whole demeanour should radiate goodness.
Let us remember the words of St James: “He who causes a sinner to be brought back from his misguided way, will save his soul from death and, will cover a multitude of sins” (Is 5:20).
By saving the souls of others, we save our own!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/04/25/thought-for-the-day-25-april-word-and-example/

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 22 September – “He sent them out …” Luke 9:2

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 22 September – Readings: Ezra 9: 5-9; Tobit 13: 2-4, 7-8; Luke 9: 1-6

“He sent them out …”

Luke 9:2

“Let your light
shine before men.”

Matthew 5:16

“Preach the gospel to every creature”

Mark 16:15

“Zeal for your house will consume me.”

John 2:17

“A servant is not greater than his master,
nor is a messenger greater than the one
who sent him.”

John 13:16

“My children, eternal life is being offered to us,
the kingdom of heaven is made ready
and Christ’s inheritance awaits us …
So let us run from now on with increased energy
and above all you, lazy, recalcitrant,
dull of heart, friends of murmuring who,
unless you improve, are like the cursed fig tree.
… Let us seek out the fight,
bravely pour with our sweat,
adorn ourselves with crowns,
gain praises and gather up,
like a treasure,
“what eye has not seen
and ear has not heard
and what has not entered the human heart”
(1 Cor 2:9).

St Theodore the Studite (759-826)

Our life is:
“To breathe God in and out.
To find God in everything.
To reveal God to all.
To radiate the presence of God.”

St Vincent Pallotti (1795-1850)

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The HOLY CROSS, The HOLY NAME

One Minute Reflection – 22 September – How, otherwise, was it, that twelve unlettered men attempted things of this importance?!¬

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 22 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of Mary”- Readings: Ezra 9: 5-9; Tobit 13: 2-4, 7-8; Luke 9: 1-6

And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal. … Luke 9:1-2

REFLECTION – “The foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength” (1 Cor 1:25). Yes, the Cross is a foolishness and weakness in appearance only … It was through unlearned men that the Cross brought conviction and drew the world to itself.
It spoke to men, not of chance things but of God and of piety in the truth, of the Gospel polity, of future judgement and it made uncouth and illiterate men, philosophers. This is how “the foolishness of God is wiser than man and His weakness stronger,” (1 Cor. 1:25).

How is it stronger? It is stronger in that it spread over the whole earth and seized all men by force and, whereas, thousands and thousands did their utmost, to stamp out the Name of the Crucified One, just the contrary came to pass. For this Name took root and was propagated all the more, whereas its enemies, were destroyed and consumed and, living men fighting a dead One, gained not a stroke. … For publicans and fishermen set up those very things, by the goodness of God, which philosophers and orators and despots and the whole world, vainly striving with all its might, could not even devise.… This was in Paul’s mind when he said: “the weakness of God is stronger than all men put together.”
How, otherwise, was it, that twelve unlettered men attempted things of this importance?! – St John Chrysostom 345-407) Bishop of Constantinople, Father & Doctor of the Church (4th Homily on 1 Corinthians)

PRAYER – O God of love, You sent Your beloved Son to the world to proclaim the Good News of Salvation, to heal every illness and to cure all infirmity of body and soul. Help us to continue the mission of the merciful Christ in the service towards our neighbour, preaching the Gospel and offering our help in whatever way we can. May the example of suffering of our Blessed Mother Mary, teach us how to love and serve You. Through her intercession, grant us the grace to go forth in love. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.

Posted in Our MORNING Offering, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE

Our Morning Offering – 22 September – Lord, May Your Kingdom Come into My Heart

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 22 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of Mary”

Lord, May Your Kingdom Come into My Heart
By Father Jean-Pierre de Caussade (1675-1751)

Lord, may Your Kingdom come into my heart
to sanctify me, nourish me and purify me.
How insignificant is the passing moment,
to the eye without faith!
But how important each moment is,
to the eye enlightened by faith!
How can we deem insignificant anything,
which has been caused by You?
Every moment and every event is guided by You
and so, contains Your infinite greatness.
So, Lord, I glorify You
in everything that happens to me.
In whatever manner You make me live and die,
I am content.
Events please me for their own sake,
regardless of their consequences,
because Your action lies behind them.
Everything is heaven to me
because, all my moments,
manifest Your love.
Amen

Posted in Of ANIMALS / ANIMAL WELFARE, SAINT of the DAY, SERVANTS, MAIDS, BUTLERS, CHAMBERMAIDS, SKIN DISEASES, RASHES

Saint of the Day – 22 September – Saint Gunthildis of Suffersheim (Died c 1057)

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Saint of the Day – 22 September – Saint Gunthildis of Suffersheim (Died c 1057) Laywoman, Apostle of the poor. Patronages – cattle, lepers, servants. Also known as Gunthild.

Historical certainty of her life has not been passed down. The name comes from Old High German and means “the combative fighter.” She is said to have been a pious maid who was distinguished by special charity. She died around 1057 in Suffersheim in Bavaria. According to another tradition, Gunthildis is said to have been a disciple of St Willibald who came to Germany from southern England in the 8th century.

Gunthildis from Suffersheim served as a cattle maid and led a very pious and devout life in the midst of her rural work. She remains a constant model for all the maidservants in the country. Devoted to all virtues, she was especially distinguished by compassion and merciful love. Her greatest joy was giving alms to the poor. Through her prayer God caused two crystal-clear springs to appear, one from a rock. Through the latter, a leper obtained perfect healing. Gunthildis drove the cattle to these sources of clear and refreshing water. After drinking from these springs, the cows gave an extraordinary amount of milk. Gunthildis shared this abundant blessing with the poor of the neighbourhood.

The Gunthildis spring near Suffersheim

When she once wanted to carry the milk she had saved from her own mouth to poor people, she met her employer. Very angry, he asked her what she was carrying. She replied that it was only lye. And the employer only saw lye when he opened the vessel. In this service, the pious maid endured until the end of her life. She died a blessed death, rich in graces and virtues.

The body of the maid, generally venerated as a Saint, was loaded onto a cart and two untamed oxen hitched to it. They calmly carried her body to Suffersheim. Here they stopped. Thus it was understood that Gunthildis should be buried there. Soon afterwards, many miracles occurred at her grave. As a result, a Chapel was built over this grave, although it no longer exists. Today, next to the foundations of this Chapel uncovered in 1957, there is a new Gunthildis Chapel built from 1993 to 1995.

St Gunthildis Chapel
Posted in MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY

Madonna di Porto Salvo / Our Lady of Porto Salvo, Lampedusa, Agrigento, Sicily, Italy (1843) and Memorials of the Saints – 22 September

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Madonna di Porto Salvo / Our Lady of Porto Salvo, Lampedusa, Agrigento, Sicily, Italy (1843) – 22 September:

The island of Lampedusa lies far south of Sicily, closer to Tunisia than to Italy. Since the time of the Crusades, it has been home to a rural Shrine frequented by mariners both Christian and Muslim in the 1500s and 1600s, who kept an oil lamp burning constantly before the crude stone Statue of the Madonna and Child.

But the island was not inhabited until 22 September 1843, when two steamships of Italian colonists arrived under Governor Bernardo Maria Sanvisente. In Madonna Valley, they found the Chapel dilapidated and the mutilated Statue of the Virgin on the ground. Sanvisente ordered the Chapel and Statue to be restored and a Mass sung every year on 22 September in honour of the Madonna of Porto Salvo and the settlement of the island. During World War II, bombs destroyed the Church, but the Madonna was unhurt and no-one killed.

In 1967, the Virgin and Child were crowned but in 1979 the precious crowns were stolen. The faithful soon raised money for new ones and the Madonna of Porto Salvo was recrowned on 21 September 1980.

She is the Patron of fishermen and her celebration now lasts two weeks. On the first Sunday of September, the Statue processes from its Shrine to the main Church in town, where it is honoured with special services until the big day of the 22nd, when it processes solemnly through the City streets. Of course, the festa is the occasion for general entertainment, games and food as well. On the 23rd, a final procession returns the Madonna to the Sanctuary outside town.

Whilst exploring the story of this veneration of Our Lady, I discovered that on 22 September 2020 the “Key to the Island” was stolen. Below is the report in the local newspaper. Don Carmelo La Magra reassured all the islanders: “Whoever took it, repented, gave it back to me.” Great symbolic value – it is the key to the island in the hands of the Blessed Virgin:

“The key of Our Lady has been returned. Whoever took it, repented, gave it back to me anonymously. We thank the Virgin Mary because this story ended well and we pray for each other.” It is with this message that Fr Carmelo La Magra, Priest of Lampedusa, reassured all the islanders last night.

For hours, the alarm had been circulating on social media: “The golden key of the Madonna of Porto Salvo has been stolen“. A key that has a single, important meaning – the key of Lampedusa in the hands of the Blessed Virgin. A theft carried out, according to what was reported yesterday, on her feast day, 22 September. A party that, however, this year, due to the Coronavirus emergency, did not take place. The carabinieri, last night, did not find anything. Neither to those of the company command of Agrigento, nor to those of the Lampedusa station. No complaint had been formalised, nor had there been any interventions in this regard. But the military, having received informal news, immediately took an interest in the “case.”

A case that was resolved, fortunately, quickly and spontaneously. Because that key (which, according to what transpires, is not gold at all) was returned, as guaranteed by the Parish Priest of Lampedusa.

St Augustinus Yu Chin-Kil
St Basilia
St Digna of Rome
St Emerita of Rome
St Emmeramus
St Florentius the Venerable
St Gunthildis of Suffersheim (Died c 1057) Laywoman

St Ignatius of Santhia OFM Cap (1686-1770) Priest and Friar of the Capuchin Franciscans, renowned Spiritual Director, servant of the Confessional, apostle of charity Known as the “Father of Sinners and the Lost”
Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/09/22/saint-of-the-day-22-september-saint-ignatius-of-santhia-ofm-cap-1686-1770/

St Irais
St Jonas
Bl Joseph Marchandon
St Lauto of Coutances
St Lindru of Partois
St Maurice & Co
Bl Otto of Freising
St Sadalberga
St Sanctinus of Meaux
St Silvanus of Levroux

St Thomas of Villanueva/Villanova OSA (1488-1555) Archbishop, Religious Priest of the Order of St Augustine, Confessor, Writer, Preacher, Teacher, Apostle of Charity, Mystic, Miracle-Worker often called “the Almsgiver” and “the Father of the Poor“, Reformer.
About St Thomas here:
https://anastpaul.com/2017/09/22/saint-of-the-day-22-september-st-thomas-of-villanova-o-s-a/

Martyrs of the Theban Legion: Martyrs (c 287)
A Roman imperial legion of 6,600 soldiers, all of whom were Christians; they had been recruited from the area around Thebes in Upper Egypt, were led by Saint Maurice and served under Emperor Maximian Herculeus. Around the year 287, Maximian led the army across the Alps to Agaunum, an area in modern Switzerland, in order to suppress a revolt by the Bagandre in Gaul. In connection with battle, the army offered public sacrifices to the Roman gods; the Theban Legion refused to participate. For refusing orders, the Legion was decimated – one tenth of them were executed. When the remainder refused to sacrifice to the gods, they were decimated again. When the survivors still refused to sacrifice, Maximinian ordered them all killed. Martyrs.
Known members of the Legion include:
• Alexander of Bergamo
• Candidus the Theban
• Chiaffredo of Saluzzo
• Exuperius
• Fortunato
• Innocent of Agaunum
• Maurice
• Secundus the Theban
• Ursus the Theban
• Victor of Agaunum
• Victor of Xanten
• Victor the Theban
• Vitalis of Agaunum
Other profiled saints associated with the Legion include:
• Antoninus of Piacenza (martyred soldier; associated by later story tellers)
• Adventor of Turin (not a member; associated by later story tellers)
• Cassius (may have been a member)
• Florentius the Martyr (may have been a member)
• George of San Giorio (not a member; associated by later story tellers)
• Gereon (not a member, but another soldier who was martyred for refusing to make a sacrifice to Roman gods)
• Octavius of Turin (not a member; associated by later story tellers)
• Pons of Pradleves (escaped the massacre to become an evangelists in northern Italy)
• Secundus of Asti (not a member but linked due to art work)
• Solutor of Turin (not a member; associated by later story tellers)
• Tiberio of Pinerolo (may have been a member)
• Verena (wife of a member of the Legion)
They were martyred c 287 in Agaunum (modern Saint-Maurice-en-Valais, Switzerland. A basilica was built in Agaunum to enshrine the relics of the Legion.
The full story:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/09/22/saints-of-the-day-22-september-st-maurice-and-the-martyrs-of-the-theban-legion-martyrs-c-287/

Martyrs of Valencia, Spain – Martyred in the Spanish Civil War:
• Blessed Alfonso Lopez
• Blessed Antonio Gil-Monforte
• Blessed Antonio Sáez de Ibarra López
• Blessed Carlos Navarro Miquel
• Blessed Esteban Cobo-Sanz
• Blessed Federico Cobo-Sanz
• Blessed Félix Echevarría Gorostiaga
• Blessed Francisco Carlés González
• Blessed Francisco Vicente Edo
• Blessed Germán Gozalvo Andreu
• Blessed Josefina Moscardó Montalvá
• Blessed Luis Echevarría Gorostiaga
• Blessed María Purificación Vidal Pastor
• Blessed Miguel Zarragua Iturrízaga
• Blessed Simón Miguel Rodríguez
• Blessed Vicente Sicluna Hernández

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HUMAN DIGNITY, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, The HOLY CROSS

Thought for the Day – 21 September – Following Jesus, the Divine Model

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 21 September – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Following Jesus, the Divine Model

“Jesus is the Divine Model, Whom we ought to follow and imitate.
In Him, the virtues possess both the infinite splendour of the Divinity and the gentle appeal of glorified Humanity.
Jesus does not dazzle us with His brightness but kindly invites us to love and follow Him.
“Learn from me” He says, “for I am meek and humble of heart and you will find rest for your souls” (Mt 11:29).
After He has indicated humility, meekness and interior peace, as the foundations of the spiritual life, He invites us to take up the yoke of His law and assures us, that we shall find it light (Mt 11).

If we follow Jesus, even though we are bowed with Him, beneath the weight of the Cross, we shall experience, even in this life, a reflection of the peace and joy which will be our reward in Heaven.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, QUOTES for CHRIST, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 21 September – The Calling of St Matthew

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 21 September – The Feast of St Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist – Readings: Ephesians 4: 1-7, 11-13; Psalm 19: 2-5; Matthew 9: 9-13

“He said to him, “Follow me.”
And he got up and followed him.”

Matthew 9:9

“Our Lord chose Matthew, the tax collector,
to encourage his fellows to join him.
He looked on sinners, called them
and brought them to sit beside Him.
What a wonderful sight!
Angels stand trembling,
while publicans, seated, rejoice!”

St Ephrem (306-373)
Father & Doctor of the Church

“Why did Jesus not call Matthew
at the same time as He called Peter
and John and the rest?
He came to each one
at a particular time
when He knew that they would respond to Him.
He came at a different time to call Matthew
when He was assured
that Matthew would surrender to His call.
For He Who is acquainted
with our inmost hearts
and knows the secrets of our minds,
knows when each one of us is ready
to respond fully.”

St John Chrysostom (347-407)
Father & Doctor of the Church

Posted in CHRIST the HIGH PRIEST, CHRIST the JUDGE, CHRIST the KING, CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 21 September – “The third had, as it were, the face as of a man,”

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 21 September – The Feast of St Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist- Readings: Ephesians 4: 1-7, 11-13; Psalm 19: 2-5; Matthew 9: 9-13

“As Jesus passed by, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him.” – Matthew 9:9

REFLECTION – “It is not possible that the Gospels can be either more or fewer in number than they are. There are four zones of the world in which we live and four principal winds and the Church is scattered throughout all the world and her “pillar and ground” (1 Tm 3:15) is the Gospel and the Spirit of life; therefore, it is fitting that she should have four pillars, breathing out immortality on every side and vivifying us afresh. The Word, the Shaper of all things, Who sits upon the cherubim and upholds all things (Ps 79:2; Heb 1:3), Who was manifested to men, has given us the Gospel under four aspects but bound together by One Spirit. David says, when entreating this manifestation, “You that sit between the cherubim, shine forth.”(Ps 79:2) For the cherubim, too, were four-faced (Ez 1:6) and their faces were images of the dispensation of the Son of God.

For, as Scripture says, “The first living creature was like a lion,” (Rev 4:7) symbolising His effectual working, His leadership and royal power; “the second was like a calf,” signifying His sacrificial and priestly order but, “the third had, as it were, the face as of a man,” – an evident description of His coming as a human being; “the fourth was like a flying eagle,” pointing out the gift of the Spirit hovering with its wings over the Church. And, therefore, the Gospels of Mark, Luke, Matthew and John, are in accord with these living things, among which Christ Jesus is seated. …

Such was the form of the living creatures, so was also the character of the Word of God Himself – the Word of God Himself conversed with the patriarchs before Moses, in accordance with His divinity and glory but, for those under the law, He instituted a priestly and liturgical service. Afterwards, being made Man for us, He sent the gift of the Spirit over all the earth, protecting us with His Wings (Ps 16:8). … These things being so, all who reject the form the Gospel has taken – that is, those who say the Gospels should be more or fewer in number – are futile, ignorant, and presumptuous.” – St Irenaeus of Lyons (c 130-c 202) Bishop, Theologian and Martyr – (Against Heresies c. Book III, 11, 8-9).

PRAYER – We thank You, heavenly Father,
for the witness of Your Apostle
and Evangelist, Matthew,
to the Gospel of Your Son, our Saviour
and we pray that, after his example,
we may with ready wills and hearts,
obey the calling of our Lord, to follow Him;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.

Posted in FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS

Our Morning Offering – 21 September – O Matthew, Christ Just Bade You Come

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 21 September – The Feast of St Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist

O Matthew, Christ
Just Bade You Come

The glory that surrounds your name,
O blessed Levi, is a proof
Of God’s all loving clemency
Besides a sign of hope for us.

While seated at your counting board,
O Matthew, Christ just bade you come,
Without a word of all the wealth
Of grace He had in store for you.

Your heart no hesitation knew,
From then your house became His own,
In following, you gave up all
To earn the triumph of the Twelve.

The life the Son of David led,
The words He spoke, you stored as gold,
Which, handed down the centuries,
Have fed and taught the Christian world.

You spread the Gospel fearlessly;
Until at last you shed your blood,
In witness to your faith in Christ
And pledge of your undying love.

Apostle and evangelist
With Martyrdom as final crown,
Bring us to heaven, that with you
God’s praises we may ever sing.
Amen.

Text: Præclara qua tu gloria
Trans: The Benedictines of Saint Cecilia’s Abbey, Ryde, UK

Posted in DOMINICAN OP, SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 21 September – Blessed Mark Scalabrini of Modena OP (c 1420-1498)

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Saint of the Day – 21 September – Blessed Mark Scalabrini of Modena OP (c 1420-1498) Priest and Friar of the Order of Preachers, Prior, miracle-worker. Born in c 1420 in Mocogna, Modena, Emilia-Romagna, Italy and died on 21 September 1498 in Pesaro, Italy of natural causes.

Mark was born in Modena and entered the Convent of the Dominican Order there in young manhood. He observed the Rules with great fidelity and became noted, both for his learning and his holiness. However, when we recall the times in which he lived , it becomes clearer to us that anyone who kept the Dominican Rule in its entirety, is truly deserving of our notice . The abuses which stirred Savonarola to thundering speech in the pulpits of Ferrara and Florence could not have been absent from all of Italy. It took solid virtue to hold out against the opulent worldliness of the times and Mark of Modena apparently did a thorough job of it, since he has been Beatified.

Mark was made Prior of the Convent of Pesaro and the only miracle we have on record (he is believed to have performed many) took place at his convent. A little boy had died and the mother pleaded with Mark to restore the child’s life. After praying for awhile, Mark turned to her and said, “Madam, your young boy is in paradise. Do not try to get him back again, for his second loss will be worse than this one.” However, she insisted on his working the miracle and he did so. The child returned to life and, ten years later, covered with disgrace and public censure arising from shameful conduct, died a second time, leaving his mother in more sorrowful grief than ever.

Mark of Modena died in 1498, the year that the City of Florence burned Savonarola at the stake. It was a time of terrible happenings in Italy and all Europe. The people of Modena mourned the death of Mark and went to pray at his tomb. Many of their needs were answered there and a number of miracles were reported and again when his relics were translated to the Rosary Chapel of the Church. His relics were again transferred in 1949, to the Dominican Church in Modena. The bells were said to have rung by themselves and sweet perfume filled the air. His relics are still exposed annually for veneration during the week of Pentecost. Blessed Mark was Beatified on 10 September 1857 by Pope Blessed Pius IX.

Posted in FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS

Feast of St Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist, Beata Vergine del Tresto / The Blessed Virgin of Tresto, Ospedaletto Euganeo, Italy (1468) and Memorials of the Saints – 21 September

Posted on by AnaStpaul

St Matthew – Apostle and Evangelist (Feast)
About St Matthew here:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/09/21/feast-of-st-matthew-apostle-and-evangelist/
AND:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/09/21/saint-of-the-day-21-september-the-feast-of-st-matthew-apostle-and-evangelist-2/
AND:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/09/21/saint-of-the-day-21-september-the-feast-of-st-matthew-apostle-and-evangelist/

Beata Vergine del Tresto / The Blessed Virgin of Tresto, Ospedaletto Euganeo, Italy (1468) – 21September:

The complex of the Sanctuary of Tresto was built in the place of the miraculous Marian apparition to the boatman Giovanni di Bartolomeo Zielo da Ponso on the night of 21 September 1468, in the locality of Tresto, current fraction of the Municipality of Ospedaletto Euganeo near Padua, from where he was returning. Reaching Este in the evening, the man had stopped to sleep in the boat under the Borini bridge. Around midnight he was awakened by a female voice who called him three times. The man saw two beautiful ladies who enjoined him to follow them.
Strangely finding the drawbridge of the City lowered, they walked towards the countryside where, in the locality of Tresto, one of the two ladies sat on the bank of a ditch and told the other to fetch her a bunch of grapes. Then she asked Giovanni if ​​he knew her. To his negative answer she said that she was Mary, the Mother of God. She then enjoined him not to amend his life and to do his best to have a Church built on that place according to the plan and the measures she illustrated to him.
But Giovanni objected saying that because of his poverty and ignorance, he would not be believed. Then Mary gave him a knife, instructing him to stick it into the ground and then to remove it. Giovanni obeyed and when he removed the blade from the ground, blood gushed. After having blessed him, the Madonna disappeared with her companion. T he next day Giovanni, afraid of not being believed, did not carry out the commands he had received but only confided in three friends. Losing his peace of mind, he eventually went with some people to the site of the apparition, where he tried to stick the knife into the ground, pulling it back wet with blood. Others wanted to try: the incredulous could not move the blade from the ground, while the others withdrew it bloody.

The miraculous event, renewed several times, convinced everyone to work together to erect the required Church. At the halfway point, due to the exceptional drought that had hit the area, there was no water. Everyone then invoked the help of Mary, who caused a spring appear next to the construction site. This spring since then, over the centuries, has been a source of miraculous cures just like the one at Lourdes. The custody of the Church, built in 9 months, was entrusted by the Paduan clergy to a Congregation of Mendicants of whom Giovanni wore the habit in a lay state.

The Sanctuary of Tresto became and remains a site of devotion and pilgrimage with the powerful and healing waters of the miraculous Spring, bringing many sick seeking cures. The Sanctuary preserves several works of art among which the painting on wood depicting the Virgin and Child shown above, stands out, a masterpiece attributed to Jacopo da Montagnana who created it between 1475 and 1480.

St Alexander of the Via Claudia
Bl Diego Hompanera París
St Eusebius of Phoenicia
St Francisco Pastor Garrido
St François Jaccard
St Gerulph
St Herminio García Pampliega
St Iphigenia
St Isaac of Cyprus
Bl Jacinto Martínez Ayuela
St Jacques Honoré Chastán
St Johannes Ri
St Jonah the Prophet
Bl José María Azurmendi Mugarza
Bl Josep Vila Barri
St Landelino of Ettenheim
Bl Manuel Torró García
Blessed Mark Scalabrini of Modena OP (c 1420-1498)
St Maura of Troyes
St Meletius of Cyprus
Bl Nicolás de Mier Francisco
St Pamphilus of Rome
St Pierre Philibert Maubant
St Tôma Tran Van Thien
Bl Vicente Galbis Gironés
Bl Vicente Pelufo Orts
—
Martyrs of Gaza – 3 saints: Three brothers, Eusebius, Nestulus and Zeno, who were seized, dragged through the street, beaten and murdered by a pagan mob celebrating the renunciation of Christianity by Julian the Apostate. They were burned to death in 362 on a village garbage heap in Gaza, Palestine.

Martyred in the Spanish Civil War:
• Blessed Diego Hompanera París
• Blessed Jacinto Martínez Ayuela
• Blessed José María Azurmendi Mugarza
• Blessed Josep Vila Barri
• Blessed Manuel Torró García
• Blessed Nicolás de Mier Francisco
• Blessed Vicente Galbis Gironés
• Blessed Vicente Pelufo Orts

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, HOLY COMMUNION, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The WORD

Thought for the Day – 20 September – The Word of God

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 20 September – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Word of God

“After Holy Communion, the Word of God is the most nourishing food of the soul.
St Augustine urges us to listen to the Word of God with the same devotion with which we approach the Blessed Eucharist.
It is the normal method God uses to communicate with our souls in order to instruct and enlighten them and to lead them along the path of virtue.
It is true, that God sometimes makes direct contact with us by means of good inspirations or extraordinary graces but, the ordinary way in which He calls us to eternal life, is by His divine Word, whether it is proclaimed by His ministers, read in Sacred Scripture, illustrated in the lives of the Saints, or, outlined by masters of the spiritual life.
Most important of all, is the living word of the lawful representatives of God.
Jesus did not specifically command His Apostles to write but to preach.
“He who believes and is baptised,” He added, “shall be saved but he who does not believe, shall be condemned” (Cf Mk 16:16).
Mary Magdalen was converted by the preaching of Jesus and wept for her sins.
The sermons of St John the Baptist called upon the Jewish people to do penance.
Centuries earlier, the prophet Nathan had converted David by means of the inspired Word of God and the prophet Jonah, had roused the Ninivites to repentance.
We should treasure the Word of God.
We should read and listen to it, with humility and devout attention.
Whenever we hear a sermon, or read Sacred Scripture, or some spiritual book, we should reflect, that, it is God Himself Who is preaching to us!
We should not be guided merely by a spirit of curiosity, desire for knowledge, or love of eloquence or literary style but, by the determination to apply such instruction to ourselves and to put it into practice.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 20 September – Christ the Light

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 20 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of Mary” – Readings: Ezra 1: 1-6; Psalm 126: 1b-6; Luke 8: 16-18

Christ the Light

“In You is the source of life
and in Your Light Lord, we see light”

Psalm 35(36)

“You are the salt of the earth …
You are the light of the world.”

Matthew 5:13,14

“Light came into the world.”

John 3:19

“I am the light of the world
he who follows me will not walk in darkness
but will have the light of life.”

John 8:12

“This, beloved, is the way
in which we found our salvation,
Jesus Christ, the High Priest
Who offers our gifts,
the Patron and Helper
in our weakness (Heb 10:20; 7:27; 4:15).
It is through Him,
that we look straight at the heavens above.
Through Him, we see mirrored,
God’s faultless and transcendent countenance.
Through Him, the eyes of our heart were opened.
Through Him, our unintelligent
and darkened mind
shoots up into the light.
Through Him, the Master was pleased
to let us taste the knowledge
that never fades,”

St Pope Clement I (c 35 – c 99)

“He wants you to become
a living force for all mankind,
lights shining in the world.
You are to be radiant lights
as you stand beside Christ,
the Great Light,
bathed in the glory of Him
who is the Light of Heaven.”

St Gregory Nazianzen (330-390)
Father & Doctor of the Church

“It is no advantage
to be near the light,
if the eyes are closed.”

“Proclaim the Good News!
What good news is that?
Day is born from Day…
Light from Light –
the Son from the Father,
the saving power of God!”

St Augustine (354-430)
Father and Doctor of Grace

“He is the Light of Truth,
the Path of life,
the Power and Mind,
Hand and Strength of the Father.
He is the Sun of Justice,
Source of Blessings,
Flower of God,
God’s Son, Creator of the world,
Life of our mortality
and Death to our death.
He is the Master of the virtues.
He is God to us …!”

St Paulinus of Nola (c 354-431)
Father of the Church

“Run with eager desire
to this Source of Life and Light,
all you who are vowed
to God’s service.”

St Bonaventure OFM (1221-1274)
Seraphic Doctor of the Church

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on WISDOM, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 20 September – ‘… He gives light to all in the house …’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 20 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of Mary” – Readings: Ezra 1: 1-6; Psalm 126: 1b-6; Luke 8: 16-18

“No-one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed, rather, he places it on a lampstand, so that those who enter may see the light.” – Luke 8:16

REFLECTION – “The Lamp set upon the Lampstand is Jesus Christ, the true Light from the Father, the Light that enlightens every man who comes into the world. In taking our own flesh, He has become and is rightly called, a Lamp, for He is the connatural Wisdom and Word of the Father. … He is lifted up and resplendent among the nations, through the lives of those who live virtuously, in observance of the commandments. So He gives light to all in the house (that is, in this world), just as He Himself, God the Word, says – no-one lights a lamp and puts it under a bushel but on a stand and it gives light to all in the house. Clearly He is calling Himself the Lamp, He who is by nature God and became flesh according to God’s saving purpose. …

Lamp-like indeed, He alone dispelled the gloom of ignorance and the darkness of evil and became the Way of salvation for all men. Through virtue and knowledge, He leads to the Father those who are resolved to walk by Him, Who is the way of righteousness, in obedience to the divine commandments. He has designated holy Church the Lampstand, over which the Word of God sheds Light through preaching and illumines with the rays of truth, whoever is in this house which is the world and fills the minds of all men with divine knowledge.

This Word is most unwilling to be kept under a bushel; it wills to be set in a high place, upon the sublime beauty of the Church. …” – St Maximus of Turin (? – c 420) Bishop and Father of the Church – (An excerpt from An Inquiry Addressed to Thalassius)

PRAYER – Lord, be the beginning and the end of all that we do, all that we say, in every moment be our Light. Prompt our actions with Your grace and complete them with Your all-powerful love. May we always seek Your Face in every circumstance, in every moment, so that Your Light may become our life. Holy and Mother, you lived your life in the Presence of the Holy Face of Christ our Lord, please intercede for us and for all the world. We make our prayer through Christ, our Lord with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.

Posted in CATHOLIC TIME, CHRIST the KING Prayers, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, HOLY SPIRIT, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The HOLY GHOST

Our Morning Offering – 20 September – Breathe in Me, O Holy Spirit By St Augustine

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 20 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of Mary” and A Monday sanctified by the Holy Spirit

Breathe in Me, O Holy Spirit
By St Augustine (354-420)
Father and Doctor of the Church

Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit,
that my thoughts may all be holy.
Act in me, O Holy Spirit,
that my work, too, may be holy.
Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit,
that I love but what is holy.
Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit,
to defend all that is holy.
Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit,
that I always may be holy.
Amen

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 20 September – Saint Susanna of Eleutheropolis (Died 362) Virgin Martyr

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Saint of the Day – 20 September – Saint Susanna of Eleutheropolis (Died 362) Virgin Martyr, Deaconess and Abbess. Susanna spent many years as a ‘Monk and then ‘Abbot’ when she disguised herself as a man called John. After detection, she was rescued by the local Bishop, Ordained as a Deaconess and settled as Abbess in a Convent for women. Died in 362 at Eleutheropolis, Palestine while in prayer in her prison cell. Also known as St Susanna of Palestine.

The entry in the Roman Martyrology states: “The holy Martyr, Susanna, daughter of Arthemius, a pagan priest and Martha.“

Susanna grew up in Palestine as the daughter of Arthemius, a rich pagan priest and Martha, a Hebrew woman. After their deaths, she was baptised as a Christian, freed her slaves, gave her property to the poor and decided to live as an ascetic. She cropped her hair, put on men’s clothing, took the name of John and presented herself to a men’s Monastery in Jerusalem. The Monks assumed she was a eunuch and accepted her.

Still disguised, Susanna eventually became ‘Abbot’ of the Monastic community. After twenty years in the Monastery, a visiting Nun fell in love with her and tried to win her affections. When this failed, the Nun accused Susanna of seducing her. The local Bishop, Cleopas of Eleutheropolis, was called in with two Deaconesses. Susanna revealed her gender to the Deaconesses and her name was cleared.

The Bishop was so impressed with Susanna’s dedication and piety, and brought her back to his Cathedral. He ordained her a Deaconess and appointed her Abbess of a Convent. She served as Abbess for many years, serving the poor, extended hospitality and praying for the salvation of souls.

During the persecution of Julian the Apostate, Susanna was arrested and tortured for refusing to offer sacrifices to the pagan gods. When her torturers realised that they could not break her faith, they threw her into prison, where she died from her wounds and lack of food in the year 362.

Posted in MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS

Notre-Dame-au-Pied-d’Argent / Our Lady with the Silver Foot), Toul, Meurthe-et-Moselle, Lorraine, France (1284) and Memorials of the Saints – 20 September

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Notre-Dame-au-Pied-d’Argent / Our Lady with the Silver Foot), Toul, Meurthe-et-Moselle, Lorraine, France (1284) – 20 September:

At Toul, in Lorraine, there was a Statue, which, according to an ancient tradition, informed a woman on 20 September in the year 1284, of an act of treachery which was being planned against the City.

The Statue was called Our Lady with the Silver Foot, or Notre-Dame au pied d’argenth. The faithful keep the memory of this stone Statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which was located just inside the entrance of the Church and placed over a sculpted clam. In those days there would be a lamp burning before it on feast days and almost every day, the faithful offered small candles which they lit and rested on a circular iron candlestick that was placed before the Statue. It was well known that several people who prayed before this Statue were cured of various diseases but the devotion and respect of the people toward this image, grew more than ever at the time of the Bishop Conrad because of the miracle that occurred in the following manner:

A woman named Helwide was in the Cathedral Saint-Etienne de Toul praying to the Blessed Virgin for consolation and the repose of the souls of her husband and daughter who had recently died. It was about midnight, when the Canons were praying Matins, that the Blessed Virgin Mary suddenly appeared to her.
The Virgin Mary ordered Helwide to go immediately to find a man named Rimbert, who was the guardian of “The Door to the Chair.” The Door to the Chair gave access to the Castrum, a little entrance to the City near Tanner Street. Helwide was urged to go quickly, for an enemy proposed to enter the City by the door to set their homes on fire and fill the streets with blood.
Regaining her senses after the vision, Helwide got up feeling very puzzled. She was hesitant about what she should do, though as Rimbert’s home was not far distant and was on her way home anyway, she decided she would indeed go there.
No sooner had Helwide stepped out of the Church, than she met the night-watch on patrol. She told them the tale of her vision and they responded by mocking her and making derogatory jokes. Despite this, two of them still decided to follow and actually see what would happen if Helwide could find the porter she sought.
The pair arrived with Helwide at the house and simply thrust the door open. Rimbert sat on his bunk, seeming startled, yet as if expecting the visit. Helwide briefly stated the purpose of her visit and Rimbert exclaimed, “I had precisely the same vision and the same warning! I do not know if it occurred in my sleep or in the state of wakefulness but I have been told that the Statue will move her foot in testimony of the truth!”
At these words, all those present were seized with a great desire to see such a prodigy. With a rush they ran to the Cathedral and removed the candles and all that stood before the image. To their disappointment they found that the Virgin’s feet remained mostly hidden beneath the folds of the clothing of the Statue as before.
In the interim, several scholars and some laymen who were called to see the wonder, arrived on the scene. Seeing that nothing was apparently going to happen, they began cursing all the rest as senseless interpreters of dreams. As they stood not far from the Statue, many of them fell silent as they saw the Statue suddenly move as an entire foot of the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared from beneath the folds of her garment.
Terrified, but convinced, this time they all agreed to announce the peril which they now knew actually threatened them. Quickly rendering their thanks to Mary, they agreed to defend the City and call for reinforcements. They arrived just in time to take up their positions to defend the entrance to the City with the assistance of the Episcopal palace guards.
A tremendous struggle occurred when the invaders broke down the door and entered the courtyard, but the defenders were committed to the fight and held their own. When reinforcements arrived, the invaders fell to the last man.

To perpetuate the memory and recognize the protection granted to them by the Blessed Virgin Mary, the people of Toul had a shoe of pure silver made to cover the foot on the Blessed Virgin’s Statue. From that time on the Statue was known as Our Lady with the Silver Foot. They also hung on the wall of the cathedral a picture which represented the heavenly vision and Mary was declared Patroness of the City.

The image of Our Lady with the Silver Foot was venerated in the City and the surrounding areas and in case of the threat of any public calamity, the Blessed Virgin was invoked and ,henceforth, the Statue would be carried in procession throughout the streets of the City. The Governors themselves considered it an honour to take the Statue upon their own shoulders. Pilgrimages were made to Our Lady of the Silver Foot; prayers answered, graces bestowed and miracles wrought.

The original Statue of Our Lady with the Silver Foot was destroyed during the ravages of the French Revolution and was replaced later by a modern statue that was stolen in the 1980’s. The Gothic Cathedral was repaired after being damaged during the French Revolution but still awaits repair after the damage caused when it was struck during an aerial bombardment in the Second World War. There was once also a Monastery at Toul,but no trace of it remains.

A photography of the stolen Statue

Vigil of St Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist
St Agapitus of Rome
St Candida of Carthage
St Dionysius of Phrygia
St Dorimedonte of Synnada
St Eusebia of Marseilles

St Eustachius, Wife and Sons – Martyrs (Died c 188) St Eustachius is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers – Patronages – against fire, difficult situations, fire prevention, firefighters, hunters, hunting, huntsmen, Madrid, torture victims, trappers.
The Biography of this family of Martyrs:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/09/20/saint-of-the-day-20-september-st-eustachius-wife-and-sons-martyrs-died-c-188/

St Evilasius of Cyzicum
St Fausta of Cyzicum
Bl Francisco Martín Fernández de Posadas
St Glycerius of Milan
St John Charles Cornay
Bl John Eustace

Saint Jose Maria de Yermo y Parres (1851–1904) Priest, Founder of the Servants of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and of the Poor.
His Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/09/20/saint-of-the-day-20-september-saint-jose-maria-de-yermo-y-parres-1851-1904/

St Lawrence Mary Joseph Imbert
St Paul Chong Hasang
St Priscus
St Susanna of Eleutheropolis (Died 362) Virgin Martyr
Bl Thomas Johnson
—

Martyrs of Korea: St Andrew Kim Taegon, St Paul Chong Hasang & Companions – 103 saints and beati. The Korean Martyrs were the victims of religious persecution against Catholics during the 19th century in Korea. At least 8,000 (as many as 10,000) adherents to the faith were killed during this period. (Memorial)
Their Story:
https://anastpaul.com/2017/09/20/saints-of-the-day-20-september-martyrs-of-korea-st-andrew-kim-taegon-st-paul-chong-hasang-companions-103-saints-and-beati/

Martyrs of Constantinople – 3 saints: A priest and two bishops who were imprisoned, tortured and martyred for the defense of icons in the iconoclast persecutions of emperor Leo the Isaurian. – Andrea, Asiano and Hypatius. They were martyred in 735 in Constantinople (modern Istanbul, Turkey) and their bodies were thrown to the dogs.

Martyrs of Pergen – 6 saints: A group of lay people martyred in the persecutions of Emperor Elagabalus. The names that have come down to us are Dionysius, Dioscorus, Philippa, Privatus, Socrates and Theodore. They were crucified c 220 at Pergen, Pamphylia, Asia Minor (in modern Turkey).

Martyred in the Spanish Civil War:
• Blessed Cristobal Iturriaga-Echevarría Irazola
• Blessed Santiago Vega Ponce
• Blessed Juan Antonio López Pérez

Posted in "Follow Me", GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, SACRED HEART QUOTES, SACRED HEART REFLECTIONS

Thought for the Day – 19 September – “Unless You Turn and Become Like Little Children, You Will Not Enter into the Kingdom of Heaven”

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 19 September – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Unless You Turn and Become
Like Little Children,
You Will Not Enter into
the Kingdom of Heaven”

“At the beginning of their ministry, before they had been strengthened and enlightened by the Holy Spirit, the Apostles were as ambitious as most other men.
One day, the mother of John and James, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and asked Him, if her two sons could have precedence over the other Apostles and sit on the highest thrones in His kingdom, one at His right hand and the other at His left.
Jesus disapproved of this desire to predominate. “Whoever wishes to become great among you,” He said, “shall be your servant and, whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; even as the Son of Man has not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mt 20:26-28).

On another occasion, the Apostles came to Jesus and asked Him, which of them would be the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven.
Jesus’ only answer was to call a little child and to place him in the centre of the group.
“Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.   Whoever, therefore, humbles himself as this little child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 18:3-4).

This is the lofty teaching of the Gospel.
If we wish to be great and pleasing in the eyes of God, we must be unimportant in our own regard and in our relations with men.
The Gospel involves an overthrow of human values.
Anyone who makes himself insignificant, will become great.
Anyone who tries to make himself out to be a great man, becomes of little account in the eyes of God.
“God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble” (Cf Js 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5).
If we wish to please the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the first thing we must do, is become as little children.
In other words, we shall have to suppress our ambition and vanity and destroy our self-love, so that, the Sacred Heart may fill our hearts with the love of God alone!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES

Quote of the Day – 19 September – Keeping Sunday Holy … Our Lady of la Salette

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote of the Day – 19 September – The Feast of Our Lady of La Salette

“If my people will not submit,
I shall be forced to let fall
the arm of my Son.
It is so strong, so heavy,
that I can no longer withhold it.
… ‘Six days I have given you to labour,
the seventh I have kept for Myself –
and they will not give it to Me.’
It is this which makes
the arm of my Son so heavy.”

Our Lady of la Salette
19 September 1846
To Maximin Giraud (11)
and Melanie Calvat (14)

Posted in "Follow Me", FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN TITLES, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, QUOTES on VIRTUE, The PASSION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 19 September – ‘Christian simplicity makes childhood its own.’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 19 September – Readings: Wisdom 2: 12, 17-20; Psalm 54: 3-8; James 3: 16 – 4: 3; Mark 9: 30-37 – The Feast of Our Lady of La Salette

“Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me.” – Mark 9:37

REFLECTION – “We Christians are Christ’s body and members, the Apostle Paul says (1Cor 12,27). At Christ’s Resurrection all His members were raised with Him and, as He passed from hell to earth, He made us pass from death to life. The word “Pasch” in Hebrew means “passover” or “passage”. Isn’t this mystery, a mystery concerning the passage from evil to good? And what a passing over it is! From sin to righteousness, from vice to virtue, from age to infancy. I’m speaking here about the infancy that pertains to simplicity, not to age. For virtues, too, belong to their age. Yesterday the decrepitude of sin was sending us downhill. But the Resurrection of Christ brings us to rebirth into the innocence of children. Christian simplicity makes childhood its own.

Children are without malice; they do not know deceit; they dare not strike. Thus this Christian child does not fall into a rage if he is insulted, nor defend himself if he is stripped, nor hit back if he is struck. Our Lord even requires him to pray for his enemies, relinquish both tunic and cloak to the thief and turn the other cheek to those who strike him (Mt 5,29f.).

Christ’s infancy surpasses human infancy… The latter owes its innocence to weakness, the former to virtue. Moreover, it is worthy of far greater praise: His hatred of evil comes from His Will, not His powerlessness.” – St Maximus of Turin (?-c 420) – Bishop (Sermon 58 ; PL 57, 363)

PRAYER – Grant us Lord, a true knowledge of salvation, so that, freed from fear and from the power of our foes, we may serve You faithfully in love and sorrow for our sins. May we, through the love You grant us, extend our love to all we meet and may the tears of the Holy Virgin of la Salette and of Sorrows, not reject our prayers but intercede for us, obtain for us the grace to love and follow our Lord Jesus above all else. May we console you by a holy life and so come to share the eternal life Christ gained by His Cross. Our Lady of La Salette, pray for us, through our Lord Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, God forever,amen.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Our Morning Offering – 19 September – O Christ, our Master and God

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 19 September – Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost

O Christ, our Master and God
Thanksgiving after Holy Mass
By St Basil the Great (329-379)
Father and Doctor of the Church

O Christ, our Master and our God,
King of the ages and Creator of all,
I thank You for all the good things
that You have given to me
and for the reception
of Your most pure and life-giving Mysteries.
I pray You, therefore,
O good Lover of Humankind,
keep me under Your protection,
in the shadow of Your Wings.
Grant that with a pure conscience,
until my last breath,
I may worthily partake of Your Holy Gifts,
for the forgiveness of sins
and for life everlasting.
For You are the Bread of Life,
the Fountain of Holiness
and the Bestower of all Blessings
and to You we give glory
together with the Father
and the Holy Ghost,
now and forever and ever.
Amen

Posted in Against SHIPWRECKS, STORMS at SEA, INCORRUPTIBLES, PATRONAGE - ORPHANS,ABANDONED CHILDREN, SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 19 September – St Maria de Cervellón OdeM (1230– 1290)

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Saint of the Day – 19 September – St Maria de Cervellón OdeM (1230– 1290) Virgin, Catalan Superior of the Second Order of Mercedarians in her region, known as “Maria of Help,” Mystic, graced with the gift of bilocation, Apostle of the poor, the abandoned, the needy. She was the first woman to wear the Habit of the ‘ Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Ransom. She is considered the Founder of the Mercedary Nuns. Born in 1230 at Barcelona, Spain and died on 19 September 1290 at Barcelona, of natural causes. Patronages – Mercedarian Nuns and Sisters, Navigators, against shipwreck, Spanish sailors., of the abandoned. Also known as – Maria di Cervellon, Maria dell’Aiuto, Maria de Socos., Mary of Cerevellone. Her body is incorrupt.

Her entry in the Roman Martyrology states: “At Barcelona in Spain, blessed Maria de Cervellione, Virgin of the Order of Our Lady of Ransom. She is commonly called Maria of Help on account of the prompt assistance she renders to those who invoke her.“

María de Cervellón was born in Barcelona on 1 December 1230. At that time, the Mercedarian Friars had been redeeming captives from the power of the Saracens for several years,and in that seaport and commercial City, there was talk about the great work of charity and of the growing needs of the Friars in financing redemptions and the upkeep of the Hospital of St. Eulalia, where the ransomed were kept once they returned.

As with every young woman in her time, her family had made other plans for her future. They had tried several times to marry her off to various and prominent men so as to strategically improve their familial alliances and strengthen their position. However, Maria’s heart belonged to Another and she refused each offer her family made on her behalf. She had become the bride of Christ the Redeemer and would spend her life in service to her Spouse in the guise of the captive, the wounded, the sick and the needy. With the assistance of Fr. Bernardo de Corbera, she consecrated herself to God in the Order of Mercy on 25 May 1265, together with other young women from Barcelona.

Maria was not the first, for there is written evidence that the female branch of the Order of Mercy began earlier but she is the first one whose self-offering we know about. From then on, her life would be spent between her house and the Hospital of Saint Eulalia, on the sea, on the shore of Villanova, where it was built thanks to a donation by Raimundo de Plagamans. The Sisters were not originally formed as a contemplative family, but their life was centred on prayer. They were not founded as cloistered Nuns, but gathered in fellowship to be able to live out the Lord’s command – “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Maria took this call to heart and was able to convince others to follow the path that she had set out on. They formed a community of Sisters who were ready to share in the work of redemption, even to the end.

It is reported that Maria had the gift of bilocation. In Spanish, she was known by the surname de Socós or de Socorro (meaning helper), because she was seen coming to the aid of the ransom ships, walking in the midst of the waves of stormy and rough seas, in order to guide the sailors and their precious cargo to safety.

She died on 19 September 1290, and her remains are preserved in the Basilica of La Merced in Barcelona.

On 13 February1692, Pope Innocent XII gave a favourable judgement and confirmed her immemorial cult;and she was introduced into the Roman Martyrology as a Saint on 8 November 1729. Today, the Nuns and Sisters of the Order proclaim her as a strong woman who followed Jesus Christ, taking flesh in the realities of captivity, so as to be redeemers with Christ through prayer and various apostolates according to their respective constitutions.