Madonna della Consolazione / Our Lady of Consolation, or Mary, Consoler of the Afflicted, (from the Latin Consolatrix Afflictorum):(1436) – 4 September
It is found in the Litany of Loreto. The feast of Our Lady of Consolation is one of the solemnities not inscribed in the General Roman Calendar but which are observed in particular places, regions, churches or religious institutes. Augustinians and many regions, observe today 4 September, the Benedictines 5 July.
St Irmgard of Süchteln St Julian the Martyr St Magnus of Ancyra St Marcellus of Chalon-sur-Saône St Marcellus of Treves St Maximus of Ancyra St Monessa St Moses the Prophet Bl Nicolò Rusca St Oceanus the Martyr Bl Peter of Saint James St Rebecca of Alexandria St Rhuddlad St Rosalia (c 1130-c 1160) Virgin, Recluse, known as “La Santuzza” – “The Little Saint.“
St Rufinus of Ancyra St Salvinus of Verdun Bl Scipion-Jérôme Brigeat Lambert St Silvanus of Ancyra St Sulpicius of Bayeux St Thamel St Theodore the Martyr St Ultan of Ardbraccan St Victalicus — Blessed Martyrs of Nowogródek: The Eleven Nuns of Nowogródek or Blessed Mary Stella and her Ten Companions were a group of members of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, a Polish Roman Catholic religious congregation, executed by the Gestapo in August 1943 in occupied Poland (present-day Navahrudak, Belarus).
Thought for the Day – 3 September – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Sacrifices of Life
“People make many sacrifices for the sake of the present life, to maintain health, to carve out a career, or to obtain money, success and honours. If you are a student, what pains you take to get a degree so that you may establish yourself in society. If you are a labourer, look at the efforts you must make to obtain the necessities of life. If you are a business executive, how you are prepared to strive and strain, in order to do better than your colleagues and gain promotion!
If you become ill, you spare neither expense, nor effort, in order to regain your health. You are even prepared to undergo a surgical operation if that is necessary to save your life.
But how many sacrifices do we make in order to do good or to become holy? We know that the present life is short and is only the forerunner of the true life, which is eternal. We should be able then, to appreciate the profundity of this question of Jesus Christ: “What does it profit a man if he gain the whole world but suffer the loss of his own soul?” (Mt 16:26).
We are not forbidden to pay attention to worldly affairs. Very often it is our duty to do so. But our first concern must always be to save our souls and those of our neighbours because, it was for this, that God created us. With this aim in mind, we should be prepared, not only to make greater sacrifices than we make for the sake of our material welfare but, we should be prepared to die, rather than offend God and, expose ourselves to the danger of eternal damnation.
Let us reflect. What sacrifices have we made so far for our own sanctification and for the sanctification of others? What sacrifices do we propose to make in the near future? We must be prepared to take up our cross voluntarily and generously, at least when we realise, that it is necessary or profitable for our salvation and sanctification.”
Quote/s of the Day – 3 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of Mary”
“Truly we are passing through disastrous times, when we may well make our own, the lamentation of the Prophet: “There is no truth,and there is no mercy and there is no knowledge of God in the land” (Hosea 4:1). Yet in the midst of this tide of evil, the Virgin Most Merciful rises before our eyes like a rainbow, as the arbiter of peace between God and man.”
“…The great movement of apostasy being organised in every country for the establishment of a One-World Church which shall have neither dogmas, nor hierarchy, neither discipline for the mind, nor curb for the passions and which, under the pretext of freedom and human dignity, would bring back to the world (if such a Church could overcome) the reign of legalised cunning and force and the oppression of the weak and of all those who toil and suffer. […] Indeed, the true friends of the people are neither revolutionaries, nor innovators – they are traditionalists.”
“I accept with sincere belief, the doctrine of faith as handed down to us from the Apostles, by the orthodox Fathers, always in the same sense and with the same interpretation.”
One Minute Reflection – 3 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of Mary” – Readings: Colossians 1: 15-20; Psalm 100: 1b-2-5; Luke 5: 33-39
“Can you make the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?” – Luke 5:34
REFLECTION – “We had left Syria for the Province of Egypt, anxious to learn there, the teachings of the old Monks and were astonished by the great warmth with which we were received.
Contrary to what we had been taught in the Monasteries of Palestine, they did not observe the Rule of waiting for the hour appointed for the meal but, except on Wednesday and Fridays, wherever we went, the fast was broken. One of the elders, from whom we asked why the daily fasts were so easily set aside among them, replied: “My fast is always with me but you, whom I shall shortly be refreshing, I cannot keep with me unceasingly. So the fast, although useful and necessary, is nevertheless the voluntary offering of a gift, whereas the fulfilment of a work of charity, is the absolute demand of the precept. That is why, receiving Christ in you, it is He whom I sustain and, having given you refreshment, I shall be able, by a stricter fast, to pay back in myself, the humanity that I have shown you for Christ’s sake. In fact “the friends of the bridegroom cannot fast while the bridegroom is with them,” but when he has departed, then they can do so.” – St John Cassian (c 360- c 435) Monk, Founder of Monasteries – Institutes
PRAYER – God our Father, Your rule is a rule of love, Your providence is full of mercy for Your people. Through the intercession of Your |Angels and Saints and the Most Sorrowful Mother of Your Son, that we may be granted the spirit of wisdom and understanding in Your Word. Grant that by the light of the Your Word made flesh, we may know our eternal home and strive to attain eternal joy there with You. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 3 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of Mary” – The Memorial of St Pope Pius X (1835-1914) (Pontiff 1903-1914)
O Divine Jesus! Lonely in So Many Tabernacles By St Pope Pius X (1835-1914) “Pope of the Blessed Sacrament”
O Divine Jesus! Lonely today in so many Tabernacles, without visitor or worshipper, I offer Thee my lonely heart. May it’s every beat be a prayer of love to Thee. Thou art ever watching under the Sacramental Veils, in Thou love, Thou never sleeps and Thou art never weary of Thy vigils for sinners. O Loving Jesus! O Lonely Jesus! may my heart be a lamp, the light of which shall burn and beam for Thee alone. Watch, Sacramental Sentinel! Watch for the weary world, for the erring soul and for Thy poor lonely child. O Jesus, my God, I adore Thee, here present in the Sacrament of Thy love. Amen
Indulgences: 100 days each time before the Tabernacle 300 days each time before the Blessed Sacrament Exposed (St Pope Pius X – 3 July 1908) Prayers to the Sacred Heart 15th Ed 1936
Saint of the Day – 3 September – Saint Vitalian of Capua (Died 699) Bishop of Capua, Hermit, miracle-worker. Died in 699 in Montevergine, Avellino, Italy of natural causes. Patronages – Catanzaro, Italy, San Vitaliano, Italy, Sparanise, Italy. Also known as – Vitalian of Caudium, Vitalian of Montesarchio, Vitaliano of… Additional Memorial 16 July in Catanzaro.
The ‘Roman Martyrology’ reports for 3 September: “In Campania, Saint Vitalian, Bishop.” This record taken from the ‘Geronymian Martyrology‘ suggests that Vitalian was an inhabitant of Sannio, in the Caudina Valley; the ancient “Caudium” today corresponds to the City of Montesarchio on the Via Appia, located between Capua and Benevento.
These two Cities in the past contended for the Saint as their Bishop, in fact, Capua counts him in 25th place on its Episcopal list but nothing detracts from the fact that he was also Bishop of nearby Benevento for some time.
A legendary ‘Life’ was written at the end of the 12th century, perhaps by a cleric from Benevento, with the intention of affirming the consecration of Mount Partenio, later also called Montevergine, even before the arrival of Saint William of Vercelli in 1142, Founder of the venerated Sanctuary of the Madonna and of the Benedictine Congregation there.
Vitalian was acclaimed Bishop by the people of Capua, against his will. When chosen Bishop by the people of the region, which was the custom in those days, he was roundly abused by his enemies, including Priests who had wanted the seat. He was accused of preaching chastity without practising it and being involved in debauchery. Vitalian denounced their lies, then packed up and left the city, intending to go to Rome, Italy and present himself for audience with the Pope. His enemies followed him, captured him, tied him in a leather bag, and threw him into the Garigliano River to drown.
Divine protection saved him from death and caused him land unscathed on the coast at Ostia, after the river had carried him to the sea. Furthermore, the City of Capua was punished with drought, famine and plague.
Then the Capuans went to the holy Bishop, begging him to return home. Their misery ended only when Vitalian returned to them – his entry to the City caused the first rain in months. He became widely known as a miracle worker during the time he remained there.
But Vitalian, desiring a life of prayer and penance, retired to Mount Partenio, where he erected a sacred oratory dedicated to the Virgin and where he died in 699 and was buried in the Chapel he had built.
Before 716, his body was moved from Montevergine to Benevento by the Bishop Giovanni, some scholars say in 914 due to the raids of the Saracens. In 1122 Pope Callixtus II, transferring the bishopric of Capua to Catanzaro and donated the Saint’s relics to the City. In 1311 Pietro Ruffo, Count of Catanzaro, built a special Chapel in that Cathedral to store the relics of St Vitalian. In 1583, when the Chapel had fallen into a state of ruin, Bishop Nicolò Orazio had the relics re-enshrined in a velvet lined cask under the Altar in the Church of Our Lady of Catanzaro. This Sepulcher of St Vitalian exuded a pure water with miraculous properties.
Catanzaro, venerates St Vitalian as its main Patron on 16 July which is perhaps, the date of the translation of his mortal remains from Montevergine to Benevento and then to Catanzaro.
The City of Catabzaro experienced the protection of St Vitalian several times during earthquakes and in 1922 the City solemnly celebrated the seventh centenary of the arrival of the relics.
The cult of St Vitalian Bishop, spread over the centuries in Campania – the famous “Marble Calendar” of Naples, sculpted in the 9th century, remembers him on 3 September. It is believed that his cult in Naples came with the Capuans, who took refuge there in 595. Churches in his honour were built in various Campania municipalities and the Municipality of St Vitaliano, in the Province of Naples, Diocese of Nola, bears his name.
Notre Dame de Brebières / Mother of the Divine Shepherd, France (also known as Le Divine Bergère – The Divine Shepherdess) – 3 September:
The original Statue
Our Lady, Mother of the Divine Shepherd, or Notre Dame de Brebières, is located in the small town of Albert in the Diocese of Amiens, France. At one time, probably sometime in the 12th century and according to local tradition, a shepherd was grazing his sheep at Brebières when he observed that many of the animals were staying in the same area to eat, ripping the grass out by the roots. It must have seemed very odd to the shepherd, who decided that the sheep were trying to uncover something, so he started to dig in the very spot himself. In a short time he uncovered a Statue of the Blessed Virgin sculpted from a single piece of solid stone.
The Statue was fairly large, nearly 1,22 metres tall and represented the Blessed Mother holding the Divine Child in her arm. There was a sheep depicted quietly reclining at Mary’s feet. As has happened so often throughout history, the finding of the Statue increased the enthusiasm and affection of the local populace toward the Mother of God. A small Chapel was built at the site to honour the Statue and receive the pilgrims who had already begun coming to Albert to visit the Holy Mother. Saint Colette can be credited for helping to spread the fame of Our Lady, Mother of the Divine Shepherd. At age fourteen, she was somewhat short and had a delicate constitution. Seeking a remedy through the favour of the Blessed Virgin, Saint Colette prayed to Our Lady of Brebières She not only obtained vigour and good health, she also found that several inches were miraculously added to her height!
In 1637 the Sanctuary was partially burned and IN 1727 the miraculous image was moved to the Parish Church of Albert. During the French Revolution the Church was made into a pagan temple to the goddess of Reason, while the image of the Mother of God was hidden until 1802 when the horrors of the Terror during this supposed time of reason subsided.
This feast is celebrated in a number of places and by certain religious communities and congregations: Capuchins, Marists and others, on widely different dates. It is a special festival of the Shrine of Our Lady of Brebières a very old Sanctuary near Albert in France, formerly much resorted to by the shepherds.
The pilgrimage here was revived after 1870 and a beautiful Basilica was completed in 1887. The Statue was crowned in 1901 and miraculously survived the devastation of both world wars. The Basilica has again been rebuilt. The collect of the Mass prays that by following the Good Shepherd on earth, we may reach the pastures of eternal life with Mary in heaven.
St Chariton St Chrodegang of Séez St Frugentius the Martyr Bl Guala of Brescia St Hereswitha Bl Herman of Heidelberg St Macanisius St Mansuetus of Toul St Marinus (Died c 366) St Martiniano of Como St Natalis of Casale
St Regulus of Rheims St Remaclus St Sandila of Cordoba St Vitalian of Capua (Died 699) Bishop — Martyrs of Aquileia – 4 saints: Four young women, variously sisters and cousins, who were born to the nobility, the daughters of the pagans Valentinianus of Aquileia and Valentius of Aquileia. Each woman converted and made private vows, dedicating themselves to God. They were arrested, tortured and martyred by order of Valentius for becoming a Christian. We know little else but their names – Dorothy, Erasma, Euphemia and Thecla. They were martyred by beheaded in the 1st century in Aquileia, Italy and their bodies were thrown into a nearby river.
Martyrs of Nagasaki – 6 beati: A group of priests and clerics, native and foreign, murdered together in the anti-Christian persecutions in Japan. They were scalded in boiling water and then burned alive on 3 September 1632 in Nishizaka, Nagasaki, Japan and Beatified on 7 May 1867 by Pope Pius IX.
• Anthony Ishida • Bartolomé Gutiérrez Rodríguez • Francisco Terrero de Ortega Pérez • Gabriel Tarazona Rodríguez • Jerome of the Cross de Torres • Vicente Simões de Carvalho
Martyrs of Seoul – 6 saints: A group of Christian lay people martyred together in the persecutions in Korea. They were beheaded on 3 September 1839 at the Small West Gate, Seoul, South Korea and Canonised on 6 May 1984 by Pope John Paul II. • Agnes Kim Hyo-Ch’u • Barbara Kwon Hui • Barbara Yi Chong-hui • Ioannes Pak Hu-jae • Maria Pak K’Un-agi • Maria Yi Yon-hui
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: • Blessed Andrea Calle González • Blessed Concepción Pérez Giral • Blessed Dolores Úrsula Caro Martín • Blessed Joaquim Balcells Bosch • Blessed Pius Salvans Corominas
Thought for the Day – 2 September – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Our Relationship with the Most Holy Trinity
“The bonds of love between God and us, which had been broken by sin, were restored by the Redemption. The bonds of love between our soul and the Three Persons of the Blessed Trinity are described by St Bonaventure in this manner. (1) The soul is the daughter of the Divine Father. (2) It is the spouse of Jesus Christ. (3) It is the temple of the Holy Spirit.
The concept of our divine sonship can be found even in the Old Testament. “As one whom the mother caresseth,” God promises, “so will I comfort you” (Is 66:13). But Jesus insisted in a special way on this concept of our divine sonship, so that we might love our heavenly Father more. He told us to address God as Father in our prayers. He described Him as a loving Father, waiting with love and forgiveness for His prodigal sons. When leaving this earth, He told us: “I go to my Father and to your Father.”
“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us.” writes St John, “that we should be called children of God and so we are” (1 Jn 3:1). “You have not received a spirit of bondage,” explains St Paul, “so as to be again in fear but, you have received a spirit of adoption as sons, by virtue of which, we cry: “Abba! Father!” (Rom 8:15). This divine paternity is the result of the elevation of our souls to the supernatural order by means of grace, which flows into our souls and makes us partakers of the very life of God. It is necessary, therefore, to nourish this grace in ourselves by praying to our heavenly Father with humility and with perseverance. It is equally essential for us to keep this grace alive by being obedient always to the commandments of God and to His holy will.
Let us examine our behaviour and see if we can honestly claim that we are one with God in mind and in heart, in intention and action.”
Quote/s of the Day – 2 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of Mary” – Readings: Colossians 1: 9-14; Psalms 98: 2-3ab, 3cd-4-6; Luke 5: 1-11
“Leaving all things, they followed him.”
Luke 5:11
“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
“If we follow Christ closely we shall be allowed, even on this earth, to stand, as it were, on the threshold of the heavenly Jerusalem and enjoy the contemplation, of that everlasting feast, like the blessed Apostles, who, in following the Saviour as their leader, showed and still show, the way to obtain the same gift from God. They said – See, we have left all things and followed You. We too follow the Lord and we keep His feast by deeds rather than by words.”
St Athanasius (297-373) Father & Doctor of the Church
“We will follow You, Lord Jesus. But in order for us to follow You, call us because without You, no-one will ascend towards You. For You are the way, the truth, the life. You are also our help, our trust, our reward. Welcome those who belong to You, You who are the way; strengthen them, You who are the truth; give them life, You who are the life.”
St Ambrose (340-397) Father & Doctor of the Church
“My sheep follow me,” says Christ. By a certain God-given grace, believers follow in the footsteps of Christ. No longer subject to the shadows of the Law , they obey the commands of Christ, and guided by His words, rise through grace, to His own dignity, for they are called children of God. When Christ ascends into heaven, they also follow Him.”
St Cyril of Alexandria (380-444) Father & Doctor of the Church
“There are two ways of keeping God’s word, namely, one, whereby we store in our memory what we hear and the other, whereby we put into practice, what we have heard (and none will deny that the latter is more commendable, inasmuch, as it is better to sow grain, than to store it in the barn).”
Blessed Jordan of Saxony OP (1190-1237)
“Place all your trust in God, let Him be your fear and your love. He will answer for you, He will do what is best for you. You have here no lasting home. You are a stranger and a pilgrim wherever you may be and you shall have no rest, until you are wholly united with Christ. Why do you look about here when this is not the place of your repose?”
One Minute Reflection – 2 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of Mary” – Readings: Colossians 1: 9-14; Psalms 98: 2-3ab, 3cd-4-6; Luke 5: 1-11
“Fear not, from henceforth thou shalt catch men.” – Luke 5:10
REFLECTION – “I am greatly indebted to God who has granted me so great a grace that “many peoples” have been born anew to God through me …. “I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” … This is how I want to “wait for the promise” of Him Who never fails us, as He assures us in the Gospel: “They will come from East and West and will sit at table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” So we are confident that believers will come from the whole world.
That is why we should apply ourselves diligently to the catch, as we ought to do, following the exhortation and teaching of the Lord Who said: “Come after me and I will make you fishers of men.” And again, He said through the prophets: “Look! I will send many fishermen and hunters.” That is why it was so important to cast our nets, so that “a great number [of fish],” “a crowd” of people might be caught for God and, that everywhere, there might be Priests according to the word of the Lord: “Go, therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And, behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” – St Patrick (c 386-461) Bishop – Confession, 38-40 (SC 249)
PRAYER – Lord, my God, You chose us from the foundations of the world to be Your children. We pray that our courage may not fail us as we strive to live in obedience to Your commandments and by our lives spread Your holy Word. We ask too for courage, as we are attacked from all sides, in our struggle home to You. Grant that through the prayers of our Sorrowful Mother, we may fight unto death for Your love and the glory of Your Kingdom. Through our Lord, Jesus, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 2 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of Mary”
The Suscipe of Venerable Sr Catherine McAuley (1778-1841)
My God, I am Yours for time and eternity. Teach me to cast myself entirely into the arms of Your loving Providence with a lively, unlimited confidence in Your compassionate, tender pity. Grant, O most merciful Redeemer, that whatever You ordain or permit, may be acceptable to me. Take from my heart all painful anxiety, let nothing sadden me but sin, nothing delight me but the hope of coming to the possession of You, my God and my all, in Your everlasting kingdom. Amen
Saint/s of the Day – 2 September – The September Martyrs of the French Revolution, Blessed John du Lau and Companions. They were massacred by a mob on 2 September and 3 September 1792 and Beatified on 17 October 1926 by Pope Pius XI.
A group of 191 Martyrs who died in the French Revolution. They were imprisoned in the Abbey of St-Germain-des-Prés, Hôtel des Carmes in the Rue de Rennes, Prison de la Force and Seminaire de Saint-Firmin in Paris, France by the Legislative Assembly for refusing to take the oath to support the civil constitution of the clergy. This act placed Priests under the control of the state, and had been condemned by the Vatican.
In 1790, the revolutionary government of France enacted a law denying Papal authority over the Church in France. The French clergy were required to swear an oath to uphold this law and submit to the Republic. Many priests and religious took the oath but a sizable minority opposed it. The revolutionary leaders’ primary target was the aristocracy but by 1792, their attention turned to the Church, especially the non-jurors within it.
In August, in the name of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity, those who had refused the oath were rounded up and imprisoned in Parisian monasteries, emptied for that purpose.
Blessed John du Lau, Archbishop of Arles, was born on 30 October 1738 at the Château de la Côte at Biras in the Dordogne, in the Diocese of Périgueux, of an aristocratic family which had fed many members into the higher ranks of the clergy. His father was Armand du Lau, seigneur de La Coste and his mother Françoise de Salleton. Refusing to take the oath to the civil constitution, he had been brought to Paris and cast into the prison of the Cannes, formerly a Carmelite Monastery.
Bl Jean-Marie du Lau d’Alleman, Archbishop of Arles
Blessed Pierre-Louis de la Rochefoucauld, Bishop of Saintes and a vigorous antagonist of Jansenism, and his brother, Francois-Joseph de la Rochefoucauld, Bishop of Beauvais, were sons of Jean de La Rochefoucauld, Lord of Maumont, Magnac and other places, Knight of the military orders of Notre-Dame du Mont-Carmel and St-Lazarre de Jérusalem and Marguerite des Escots. Both brothers were imprisoned.
Bl Pierre-Louis de la Rochefoucauld-Bayers, Bishop of Saintes
In September “Vigilance Committees” were set up and mobs sent to the make-shift prisons. On 2 September, a season of bloodshed and slaughter began. The inmates were cut-down in cold blood. All of the prisoners, even the old and disabled, were put to the sword. The executions at the old Carmelite monastery in Paris were recorded.
The Massacre at the Abbaye Prison near St Germain des Pres, engraved by Reinier Vinkeles and Daniel Vrydag
Among the Martyrs was Blessed Alexander Lenfant, a Jesuit. Just a few minutes before he died, he had been hearing the confession of a fellow priest. Both were killed moments later. The rioters then went to the Carmelite church which was also being used as a prison.
The mob called out, “Archbishop of Arles!” Archbishop John du Lau of Arles (Jean-Marie du Lau d’Alleman) was praying in the Chapel. When summoned, he came out and he said, “I am he whom you seek.” Thereupon, they cracked his skull, stabbed him and trampled him underfoot. Then the leader set up a “tribunal” before which the imprisoned were herded and commanded to take the oath. All refused; so, as they passed down the stairway, they were hacked to pieces by the murderers.
tThe Martyrs’ Stairway
The Bishop of Beauvais had earlier been wounded in the leg. When summoned, he answered, “I do not refuse to die with the others but I cannot walk. I beg you to have the kindness to carry me where you wish me to go.” For a moment, his courtesy silenced the assassins. But, when he, too, refused the oath, he was killed like the rest.
On 3 September the same mob went to the Lazarist Seminary. It was also a temporary prison, with ninety Priests and religious. Only four escaped death.
According to Nicolas-Edme Restif de la Bretonne, “The number of active killers who took part in the September massacres was only about one hundred and fifty. The rest of Paris looked on in fear or approval, or stayed behind closed shutters.”
Earl Gower, a British diplomat, wrote in his dispatches: “These unfortunate people fell victims to the fury of the enraged populace and were massacred with circumstances of barbarity too shocking to describe. The mob went afterwards to the prison of the Abbaye and having demanded of the jailors a list of the prisoners, they put aside such as were confined only for debt and pulled to pieces most of the others. The same cruelties were committed during the night and continue this morning in all the other prisons of the Town. When they have satiated their vengeance, which is principally directed against the refractory Priests,… it is to be hoped the tumult will subside but as the multitude are perfectly masters, everything is to be dreaded.”
THE 191 COURAGEOUS and BLESSED MARTYRS ARE: • Ambroise-Augustin Chevreux • Andé Angar • André Grasset de Saint-Sauveur • André-Abel Alricy • Anne-Alexandre-Charles-Marie Lanfant • Antoine-Charles-Octavien du Bouzet • Antoine-Mathieu-Augustin Nogier • Apollinaris of Posat • Armand de Foucauld de Pontbriand • Armand-Anne-Auguste-Antonin-Sicaire Chapt de Rastignac • August-Dénis Nezel • Bernard-François de Cucsac • Bertrand-Antoine de Caupenne • Charles Carnus • Charles-François le Gué • Charles-Jéremie Bérauld du Pérou • Charles-Louis Hurtrel • Charles-Regis-Mathieu de la Calmette de Valfons • Charles-Victor Véret • Claude Bochot • Claude Cayx-Dumas • Claude Chaudet • Claude Colin • Claude Fontaine • Claude Ponse • Claude Rousseau • Claude-Antoine-Raoul Laporte • Claude-François Gagnières des Granges • Claude-Louis Marmotant de Savigny • Claude-Silvain-Raphaël Mayneaud de Bizefranc • Daniel-Louis André Des Pommerayes • Denis-Claude Duval • Éloy Herque du Roule • Étienne-François-Dieudonné de Ravinel • Étienne-Michel Gillet • Eustache Félix • François Balmain • François Dardan • François Dumasrambaud de Calandelle • François Lefranc • François Varheilhe-Duteil • François-César Londiveau • François-Hyacinthe lé Livec de Trésurin • François-Joseph de la Rochefoucald-Maumont • François-Joseph Monnier • François-Joseph Pey • François-Louis Hébert • François-Louis Méallet de Fargues • François-Urbain Salins de Niart • Gabriel Desprez de Roche • Gaspard-Claude Maignien • Georges Girault • Georges-Jérôme Giroust • Gilbert-Jean Fautrel • Gilles-Louis-Symphorien Lanchon • Guillaume-Antoine Delfaut • Henri-August Luzeau de la Mulonnière • Henri-Hippolyte Ermès • Henri-Jean Milet • Jacques de la Lande • Jacques Dufour • Jacques Friteyre-Durvé • Jacques-Alexandre Menuret • Jacques-Augustin Robert de Lézardières • Jacques-étienne-Philippe Hourrier • Jacques-François de Lubersac • Jacques-Gabriel Galais • Jacques-Jean Lemeunier • Jacques-Joseph Le jardinier desLandes • Jacques-Jules Bonnaud • Jacques-Léonor Rabé • Jacques-Louis Schmid • Jean Charton de Millou • Jean Goizet • Jean Lacan • Jean Lemaître • Jean-André Capeau • Jean-Antoine Guilleminet • Jean-Antoine Savine • Jean-Antoine Seconds • Jean-Antoine-Barnabé Séguin • Jean-Antoine-Hyacinthe Boucharenc de Chaumeils • Jean-Antoine-Joseph de Villette • Jean-Baptiste Bottex • Jean-Baptiste Jannin • Jean-Baptiste Nativelle • Jean-Baptiste-Claude Aubert • Jean-Baptiste-Marie Tessier • Jean-Baptiste-Michel Pontus • Jean-Charles Caron • Jean-Charles Legrand • Jean-Charles-Marie Bernard du Cornillet • Jean-François Bonnel de Pradal • Jean-François Bousquet • Jean-François Burté • Jean-François-Marie Benoît-Vourlat • Jean-Henri Gruyer • Jean-Henri-Louis-Michel Samson • Jean-Joseph de Lavèze-Bellay • Jean-Joseph Rateau • Jean-Louis Guyard de Saint-Clair • Jean-Marie du Lau d’Alleman • Jean-Michel Philippot • Jean-Philippe Marchand • Jean-Pierre Bangue • Jean-Pierre Duval • Jean-Pierre Le Laisant • Jean-Pierre Simon • Jean-Robert Quéneau • Jean-Thomas Leroy • Joseph Bécavin • Joseph Falcoz • Joseph-Louis Oviefre • Joseph-Marie Gros • Joseph-Thomas Pazery de Thorame • Jules-Honoré-Cyprien Pazery de Thorame • Julien le Laisant • Julien Poulain Delaunay • Julien-François Hédouin • Laurent • Louis Barreau de La Touche • Louis le Danois • Louis Longuet • Louis Mauduit • Louis-Alexis-Mathias Boubert • Louis-Benjamin Hurtrel • Louis-François Rigot • Louis-François-André Barret • Louis-Jean-Mathieu Lanier • Louis-Joseph François • Louis-Laurent Gaultier • Louis-Remi Benoist • Louis-Remi-Nicolas Benoist • Loup Thomas-Bonnotte • Marc-Louis Royer • Marie-François Mouffle • Martin-François-Alexis Loublier • Mathurin-Nicolas de la Ville Crohain le Bous de Villeneuve • Mathurin-Victoir Deruelle • Michel Leber • Michel-André-Sylvestre Binard • Michel-François de la Gardette • Nicolas Bize • Nicolas Clairet • Nicolas Colin • Nicolas Gaudreau • Nicolas-Claude Roussel • Nicolas-Marie Verron • Olivier Lefebvre • Philibert Fougères • Pierre Bonzé • Pierre Brisquet • Pierre Brisse • Pierre Gauguin • Pierre Landry • Pierre Ploquin • Pierre Saint-James • Pierre-Claude Pottier • Pierre-Florent Leclercq • Pierre-François Hénocq • Pierre-François Pazery de Thorames • Pierre-Jacques de Turmenyes • Pierre-Jacques-Marie Vitalis • Pierre-Jean Garrigues • Pierre-Louis de la Rochefoucauld-Bayers • Pierre-Louis Gervais • Pierre-Louis Joret • Pierre-Louis-Joseph Verrier • Pierre-Michel Guérin • Pierre-Michel Guérin du Rocher • Pierre-Nicolas Psalmon • Pierre-Paul Balzac • Pierre-Robert Regnet • René Nativelle • René-Joseph Urvoy • René-Julien Massey • René-Marie Andrieux • René-Nicolas Poret • Robert le Bis • Robert-François Guérin du Rocher • Saintin Huré • Sébastien Desbrielles • Solomon Leclerq • Thomas-Jean Montsaint • Thomas-Nicolas Dubray • Thomas-René Dubuisson • Urbain Lefebvre • Vincent Abraham • Vincent-Joseph le Rousseau de Rosencoat • Yves-André Guillon de Keranrun • Yves-Jean-Pierre Rey de Kervisic.
Madonna della Montagna / Our Lady of the Mountain, Polsi di San Luca, Reggio Calabria, Calabria, Italy (1144) – 2 September :
The stone Statue found in the Chest
in 1144, a boy found his calf kneeling before an unusual iron Cross, apparently just unearthed. The Madonna appeared, asking for the young herder to spread the news and for a Church to be built on the spot, half a mile high in the mountains.
In 1560, a chest was found floating in the sea. It was taken ashore and found to contain a stone Statue of the Madonna. When the chest was placed in a cart, the oxen suddenly took off for the mountain pass and nothing more was heard of the Statue until it turned up in the heart of Aspromonte, at the place where a calf had found a Cross and the Madonna had requested a Church. The Sanctuary there became a place of pilgrimage.
This is the replica Statue which is used for the Processions
Every year, people from all over Calabria and Sicily would make the 24-hour walk, enlivened by hymns and ballads, along the rugged path to Polsi, where they would greet the Madonna with gunshots on their arrival on 2 September As pilgrims still do — though now they can travel by road or train as well — they would spend the night in one of the hostels near the Shrine. On 3 September, a wooden Madonna is carried in procession. The stone Statue is only taken from its place on the main Altar every 25 years or in special circumstances. Also known as the Mother of the Good Shepherd, the Madonna of the Mountain was crowned in 1881, 1931 and on 2 September 1981.
The stone Statue above the Altar
Bl Albert of Pontida St Antoninus of Pamiers St Antoninus of Syria
St Theodota of Bithynia St Valentine of Strasbourg St William of Roeskilde — Marytrs of Nicomedia – 3 saints: Three Christians who were martyred together in the persecutions of Diocletian. No details about them but their names have survived – Concordius, Theodore and Zenone. They were martyrd in Nicomedia, Bithynia (in modern Turkey).
The Holy Martyrs of September (Died 1792) – 191 beati:Also known as – • Martyrs of Paris,• Martyrs of Carmes.
Martyrs of 2 September – 10 saints: A group of ten Christian martyrs; their names are on old martyrologies but we have lost all record of their lives and deaths. They were canonised. • Antoninus • Diomedes • Eutychian • Hesychius • Julian • Leonides • Menalippus • Pantagapes • Philadelphus • Philip
Holy Bishops of Rennes: Honors all the bishops of the Diocese of Rennes, France who have been recognized as saints and beati. They include : Saint Maximinus of Rennes Saint Modéran of Rennes Saint Rambert of Rennes Saint Riotisme of Rennes Saint Servius of Rennes Saint Synchronius of Rennes
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: • Blessed Baldomer Margenat Puigmitja • Blessed Fortunato Barrón Nanclares • Blessed Joan Franquesa Costa • Blessed José María Laguía Puerto • Blessed Lorenzo Insa Celma
September – Month of The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary
1, The prophecy of Simeon 2. The Flight to Egypt 3. Loss of Child Jesus for 3 days 4. Meeting Jesus carrying His Cross 5. The Crucifixion of Jesus 6. The Pieta – receiving Jesus’ Body The Burial of Jesus
The Seven Sorrows of the Virgin – Altarpiece by Albrecht Dürer.
During this month of September, we are drawn into the spiritual Martyrdom which the Blessed Mother experienced during the physical Martyrdom of Jesus. The evils of sin are manifest but conquered through intense suffering. The Blessed Mother’s tears of anguish reflect God’s washing away of sin.
We see this theme of joy followed by affliction mirrored in the liturgical calendar in two September Feasts – the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on 14 September and the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows on 15 September. Happy the heart of the blessed Virgin Mary! She, without dying, earned the treasure of Martyrdom beneath the Cross of our Lord for her anguish.
The name of Our Lady of Sorrows centres on the extraordinary and bittersweet suffering the Blessed Mother experienced during Christ’s Passion. As seen in the artwork above, her agony is composed of “The Seven Dolors,” that pierced the Heart of Mary. Dürer’s portrayal of each event encompasses the central figure of Christ’s sorrowful Mother.
Thought for the Day – 1 September – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Problem of Evil
“In his second letter to the Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul speaks of the Anti-Christ, “the man of sin … the son of perdition, who opposes and is exalted above all that is called God…” “Already,” he says, “the mystery of iniquity is at work” (Cf 2 Thess 2:3-7). From the beginning of the Church’s history until the present time, it has always been the same.
There always have been and always will be, men who do evil, not from human weakness but, from motives of malice, so diabolical as to present something of a mystery to us. These can be called Anti-Christ because, they seem to be incarnations of the devil, the spirit of iniquity. They delight in spreading error, in corrupting minds and, in persecuting the Church. They are steeped in all kinds of baseness and nothing pleases them better, than to succeed in inducing the young and the innocent, to follow them in their sinful ways. For this purpose, they employ all the advantages of modern technical progress has to offer – the press, the cinema, the radio and television. In short, they use God’s gifts in their commercialisation of sin, in order to draw souls away from Him.
The realisation of this terrifying fact, provokes two questions. (1) How can such evil be permitted by God, Who made man for Himself and redeemed him with the Blood of His only-begotten Son? (2) What steps can we take to control this alarming and universal deluge of evil?
St Augustine answers the first question by pointing out, that the infinite and good God created us without any assistance from ourselves, but does not will to save us without our co-operatikon, since He has endowed us with the gift of liberty. Moreover, He prefers to draw good from evil, rather than to prevent the evil itself.
We must answer the second question ourselves, remembering that we have a serious obligation to combat evil in ourselves and in our fellow-men. What have we done up to now and what do wqe propose to do in the future?”
Quote/s of the Day – 1 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of Mary” – Readings: Colossians 1: 1-8; Psalms 52: 10, 11; Luke 4: 38-44
“And standing over her, he commanded the fever and it left her. And immediately rising, she ministered to them.”
Luke 4:39
May We Confess Your Name to the End By St Cyprian of Carthage (200-258) Bishop and Martyr Father of the Church
Good God, may we confess Your Name to the end. May we emerge unmarked and glorious from the traps and darkness of this world. As You have bound us together by charity and peace and as together we have persevered under persecution, so may we also rejoice together in Your heavenly kingdom. Amen
St Cyprian of Carthage (200-258)
“We implore You, O All-Holy, Long-Suffering Life and Restoration, Source of goodness, look down from heaven and visit all those who ever trust in You; rescue our life, Lord, from all constraint and affliction, and, in the faith of truth, guide us all. At the prayers of the Immaculate Mother of God and Virgin, Save your world and those in the world and spare us all, You who, for us, became man without change, only Lover of mankind.”
St Romanos the Melodios (c 490-c 556)
“Act as if everything depended on you; trust as if everything depended on God.”
St Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556)
“Do you know what those people are like who are not sustained by that holy Word or who abuse it? They are like the sick without a doctor, like a traveller who has gone astray without a guide, like a poor man without means. Let us rather say, my brethren, that it is altogether impossible to love God and please Him, without being nourished by this divine Word!”
One Minute Reflection – 1 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of Mary” – Readings: Colossians 1: 1-8; Psalms 52: 10, 11; Luke 4: 38-44
“And Simon’s mother-in-law was taken with a great fever and they besought him for her.”- Luke 4:38
REFLECTION – “Simon’s mother-in-law was lying on her bed with a fever.” O may Christ come into our house, enter and, with one word, heal the fever of our sins. Each of us is taken with fever. We have a fever every time we get angry; all our faults are just as much, a flaring up of fever. Let us ask the Apostles to pray to Jesus to come to us and take us by the hand for, as soon as He takes our hand, the fever will leave us.
He is the true, the great Physician, first amongst all physicians. Moses is a physician, Isaiah and all the saints are physicians but as for Jesus, He is the first amongst them all. He knows perfectly well, how to take our pulse and penetrate the mysteries of our sicknesses. He touches neither ear, nor face, nor any other part of the body but takes the hand …, namely our evil deeds. Firstly, He heals our deeds and then the fever vanishes.” – St Jerome (347-420) – Priest, Translator of Sacred Scripture, Father and Doctor of the Church – Homilies on Saint Mark’s Gospel, no. 2C ; PLS 2, 125 f., SC 494
PRAYER – God our Father, Your rule is a rule of love, Your providence is full of mercy for Your people. Through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin, Mother of the Word made flesh and His sorrowful Mother, grant the spirit of wisdom and understanding in Your Word, Your Son Jesus Christ. Grant that by the healing Word our repentant hearts may know our way to our eternal home and strive to attain eternal joy there with You. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 1 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of Mary”
As we enter the Month of our Sorrowful Mother, let us unite ourselves to her and offer her our meagre consolation.
What Can I Say? By St Anselm (1033-1109) Magnificent Doctor Marian Doctor
My most merciful Lady, what can I say about the fountains that flowed from your most pure eyes when you saw your only Son before you, bound, beaten and suffering? What do I know of the flood that drenched your matchless face, when you beheld your Son, your Lord and your God, stretched on the Cross without guilt, when the flesh of your flesh was cruelly butchered by wicked men? How can I judge, what sobs, troubled your most pure breast, when you heard, “Woman, behold your son,” and the disciple, “Behold, your Mother,” when you received as a son the disciple in place of the Master, the servant for the Lord? Amen
From “The Prayers and Meditations of Saint Anselm with the Proslogion,” Benedicta Ward, trans,1973, Penguin classics, Penguin Group (UK)
Saint of the Day – 1 September – Blessed Giuliana of Collalto (1186-1262) Benedictine Nun, Abbess, Thaumaturgist, Apostle of the poor. Born in 1186 in Collalto, Susegana, Treviso, Italy and died on 1 September 1262 at Venice, Italy of natural causes. Also known as – Juliana. Patronages – against headaches, against migraines; of migraine sufferers. Her body is incorrupt.
The Roman Martyrology states of her today: “In Venice, Blessed Giuliana da Collalto, Abbess of the Order of Saint Benedict.”
Giuliana was born in Collalto (today a fraction of the Municipality of Susegana in the Province of Treviso, Italy) in 1186. Her parents were Count Rambaldo VI and Countess Giovanna di Sant’Angelo di Mantova.
She was educated in a Christian manner and very young, at the age of twelve, she wore the Benedictine habit in St Margherita di Salarola, on the Euganean Hills. Here she lived the first years of religious life in an exemplary way. In 1220 the Blessed Beatrice I d’Este entered the same Monastery and a deep friendship was born between the two chosen souls.
In the powerful and rich Venetian Republic, Monasteries also had their importance because young people from the most important and noble families were welcomed within their walls.
On the island of Spinalonga (now Giudecca) stood the ruined Church of St Cataldo. Giuliana, whose illustrious name in terms of wealth was by now also known for her excellent virtues, was entrusted with the foundation, next door, of a Monastery. Thus was born, in that abandoned place, a cloistered community that for centuries devoted itself to prayer. The Church was also dedicated to St Biagio. Giuliana, nominated Abbess, in addition to respecting the Rule for her own sanctification and that of her Sisters, always had particular regard for the poor. Her charity was known throughout the City and she performed many wonders while still alive. Following the laws of suppression of religious orders at the end of the eighteenth century, the building was then transformed into the Villa Albarea, being located right along the Riviera del Brenta.
During the last years of her life the blessed suffered from severe headaches, which earned her the Patronage of those who suffer from the same ailment. She died on 1 September 1262, at the age of seventy-six, of which sixty-four had been dedicated to the Lord. She was buried in the Church cemetery. Her memory remained alive and above all her fame as a thaumaturgist against migraines. Her biographers were several.
Around 1290 the body, found incorrupt, was placed in an artistic wooden sarcophagus. In 1733 the relics were placed in an Altar of the Church while exactly twenty years later (on 30 May) Pope Benedict XI confirmed the cult “ab immemorabili,” with her Memorial y on 1 September . In 1810 the body was moved to the Church of the Redentore and twelve years later to the parish of St Eufemia where it is still venerated in the Chapel of St Anna. In the Church of her birthplace there is a relic of the phalanx, a crown on which she rested her head, a pillow and part of the dress worn at the time of death. The ancient wooden sarcophagus is now kept at the Correr Museum in Venice. Her paintings are an ancient example of how Venetian painting was influenced, at that time, by the Byzantine style.
St Eufemia Church in Venice where the incorrupt body of Blessed Giuliana is enshrined
Collection of all the Feasts of Our Lady, celebrated at Louvain – 1 September:
The Abbot Orsini writes that “A feast is kept in honour of the Blessed Virgin, called the Collection of all the Feasts of Our Lady.”
Louvain refers to Leuven, the capital of the Province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium. There was once a Chapel called Our Lady of Louvain, which had stood near the Church tower of a separate Church dedicated to Saint Peter. The Chapel owed its origin to an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary that was given by a group of Monks from Abbey Park as a sign of brotherhood in 1132. According to tradition, the wooden statue, which depicted the Blessed Virgin seated with the Divine Child in her lap, was a gift from heaven deposited on the earth by heavenly Angels. The image excited a lively religious fervour upon its reception and there are numerous miracles credited to pious devotion to the image of Our Lady of Louvain.
Over 350 years later, as the Chapel of Our Lady of Louvain was built on land that was needed for the construction of the new and larger Church of Saint Peter, it was necessary to demolish the Chapel. In a letter dated 28 March 1496, Bishop John Horne of Liege, authorised the transfer of materials from the Chapel of Our Lady of Louvain to the new Basilica of Saint Peter The old Chapel was demolished two years later in 1498 and the Statue of the Virgin was placed on a special Altar in the collegiate Church of Saint Peter. Every year, on the eve of the first Sunday in September, the miraculous image of Our Lady of Louvain had been carried in procession by the canons and members of the local council while bells tolled and musicians accompanied the image singing the Salve Regina. Sometime later, the Statue became known by the title of Notre-Dame-sous-la-Tour. The original Church of Saint Peter was made entirely of wood and completed in about 986. It burned to the ground in 1176. It was rebuilt in Romanesque style with two west towers, and that image is still used as the ancient seal for the City. The Church was then enlarged in 1425 in the Brabantine Gothic style. The Church of Saint Peter was heavily damaged in both world wars but most importantly, the original Statue of Our Lady of Louvain was completely destroyed in 1944 by allied bombing during World War II and it is now only a replica that is on display at the Church.
Abigail the Matriarch St Aegidius St Agia St Anea St Arcanus St Arealdo of Brescia Bl Colomba of Mount Brancastello St Constantius the Bishop St Donatus of Sentianum St Felix of Sentianum
Blessed Giuliana of Collalto OSB (1186-1262) Benedictine Nun Bl Giustino of Paris Bl Giovanna Soderini St Jane Soderini St Joshua the Patriarch Bl Juliana of Collalto St Laetus of Dax
St Lythan St Nivard of Rheims St Priscus St Regulus St Sixtus of Rheims St Terentian St Verena St Victorious St Vincent of Xaintes — Exiles of Campania Twelve Holy Brothers: Martyrs of the South – A group of Martyrs who died c 303 at various places in southern Italy. In 760 their relics were brought together and enshrined in Benevento, Italy as a group. • Saint Arontius of Potenza • Saint Donatus of Sentianum • Saint Felix of Sentianum • Saint Felix of Venosa • Saint Fortunatus of Potenza • Saint Honoratus of Potenza • Saint Januarius of Venosa • Saint Repositus of Velleianum • Saint Sabinian of Potenza • Saint Sator of Velleianum • Saint Septiminus of Venosa • Saint Vitalis of Velleianum One tradition describes Saint Boniface of Hadrumetum and Saint Thecla of Hadrumetum as their parents.
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: Martyred Hospitallers of Saint John of God – (12 beati) • Blessed Alejandro Cobos Celada • Blessed Alfonso Sebastiá Viñals • Blessed Amparo Carbonell Muñoz • Blessed Antonio Villanueva Igual • Blessed Carmen Moreno Benítez • Blessed Crescencio Lasheras Aizcorbe • Blessed Enrique López y López • Blessed Francesc Trullen Gilisbarts • Blessed Guillermo Rubio Alonso • Blessed Isidro Gil Arano • Blessed Joaquim Pallerola Feu • Blessed Joaquín Ruiz Cascales • Blessed José Franco Gómez • Blessed José Prats Sanjuán • Blessed Josep Samsó y Elias • Blessed Manuel Mateo Calvo • Blessed Mariano Niño Pérez • Blessed Maximiano Fierro Pérez • Blessed Miquel Roca Huguet • Blessed Nicolás Aramendía García • Blessed Pedro Rivera • Blessed Pio Ruiz De La Torre
Thought for the Day – 31 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Prayer and Our Lady
“He told them a parable – that they must always pray and not lose heart” (Lk 18:1). Nobody else on earth ever carried out this command of Our Lord as perfectly as Our Lady. St Albert the Great says that, after Jesus Christ, the spirit of prayer is to be found at it’s most perfect, in Our Lady (Sup Miss 80). It was because of her immense love for her divine Son that Mary was able to put into practice, throughout her life, that Gospel precept of unceasing prayer. Prayer in it’s fullest sense, is in fact, an act of love rather than supplication. It is defined as an elevation of soul to God, to adore and praise Him, to thank Him and to ask Him for His favours. It leads to lasting and intimate union with God, who should be regarded as our only good and as the final end of our lives. Since Mary was full of grace, she was always closest to God. Even before she became His Mother, she constantly enjoyed His intimacy. Despite the many sorrows of her life, this intimacy became still greater and more beautiful, when she became the Mother of Jesus. From that time, she was able to hold Him to her immaculate bosom and to live in close familiarity with Him. She was able, too, to follow Him on His apostolic journeys, until He reached Calvary and the Cross and, finally, to see Him gloriously risen from the dead. After Jesus had ascended into Heaven, her soul expanded with a nostalgic love for her divine Son, until her earthly journey was over and she was taken up into Heaven. There, she reigns supreme among the Saints and Angels and never ceases to pray for us, her exiled children, who need her help so much. Let us learn from Mary, how to pray with love and perseverance. Then, we shall be able to follow her along the difficult way of perfection, which leads towards Heaven.”
Antonio Cardinal Bacci
On this last day of the Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, let us call upon her in all our great needs.
Deign, O Immaculate Virgin By St Paschasius Radbertus (785–865)
Deign, O Immaculate Virgin, Mother most pure, to accept the loving cry of praise which we send up to you from the depths of our hearts. Though they can but add little to your glory, O Queen of Angels, you do not despise, in your love, the praises of the humble and the poor. Cast down upon us a glance of mercy, O most glorious Queen, graciously receive our petitions. Through your immaculate purity of body and mind, which rendered you so pleasing to God, inspire us with a love of innocence and purity. Teach us to guard carefully the gifts of grace, striving ever after sanctity, so that, being made like the image of your beauty, we may be worthy to become the sharers of your eternal happiness. Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 31 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart” – Readings: Thessalonians 5: 1-6, 9-11; Psalms 27: 1, 4, 13-14; Luke 4: 31-37
And they were all amazed and said to one another, “What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits and they come out.”
Luke 4:36
“Your all-powerful Word leapt down from heaven’s royal throne”
Wisdom 18:15
“He is the Word of God who dwelt with man and became the Son of Man, to open the way for man, to receive God, for God to dwell with man, according to the will of the Father.”
St Irenaeus (c 130 – c 202) Bishop & Martyr, Father of the Church
“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
“For this all-powerful Physician, nothing is incurable. He heals without charge! With one word, He restores to health! I would have despaired of my wound were it not, that I placed my trust in the Almighty.”
St Gregory the Great (540-604) Pope, Father, Doctor of the Church
“He is the origin of all wisdom. The Word of God in the heights, is the source of wisdom. Christ is the source of all true knowledge, for He is “the way, the truth and the life.” (Jn 14:6). … As way, Christ is the teacher and origin of knowledge … Without this Light, which is Christ, no-one can penetrate the secrets of faith.”
One Minute Reflection – 31 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart” – Readings: Thessalonians 5: 1-6, 9-11; Psalms 27: 1, 4, 13-14; Luke 4: 31-37
And they were all amazed and said to one another, “What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits and they come out.” – Luke 4:36
REFLECTION – “God’s word is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword.” (Heb 4:12). It acts in the creation of the world, in the world’s operation and in its redemption. For what is more effective and stronger? “Who can tell the mighty deeds of the Lord, or proclaim all his praises?” (Ps 106:2).
The Word’s effectiveness manifests itself in its works; it also manifests itself in preaching. The Word does not return to God without having produced its effect but, all to whom it is sent, benefit from it (Isa 55:11). It is “effective and sharper than any two-edged sword” when it is received with faith and love. What is impossible to the person who believes, what is difficult to the person who loves? When the Words of God ring out, they pierce the believer’s heart like “sharp arrows of a warrior.” (Ps 120:4) They enter the heart like spears and settle in its most intimate depths. Yes, this Word is sharper than a two-edged sword, for it is more incisive than any other strength or power, more subtle than every subtlety of the human genius, sharper than every learned perception by the human word.” – Baldwin of Forde O.Cist ( c 1125– 1190) – Cistercian Abbot, Bishop, then Archbishop of Canterbury – Homily 6 on Heb 4:12 ; PL 204, 451-453
PRAYER – God our Father, Your rule is a rule of love, Your providence is full of mercy for Your people. Through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin, Mother of the Word made flesh and His Immaculate Mother, grant the spirit of wisdom and understanding in Your Word, Your Son Jesus Christ. Grant that by the light of His Resurrection we may know our eternal home and strive to attain eternal joy there with You. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 31 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart”
Heal Us Lord God By St Albert of Trapani O.Carm. (c 1240-1307)
O my God, You have created the human race by Your wonderful power. It is an act of Your clemency that has called us to share Your glory and eternal life. When the first sin condemned us to suffer death, out of Your goodness, You wished to redeem us through the Blood of Your Son, To unite us to Yourself through our faith and Your great mercy. You have brought us back from the shame of our sin, You have veiled our dishonour in the brightness of Your glory. Look now and see that what You have created, giving it subtle limbs and joints and made beautiful through its immortal soul, is now subject to the attack of Satan. Be pleased Lord to reconstitute Your work and heal it. May Your power be glorified and may the malice of the enemy be stunned. Amen
Saint of the Day – 31 August – Saint Joseph of Arimathea (Died 1st Century) “The Secret Disciple of Jesus” Born in Arimathea, Palestine and died in the 1st century. Patronages – of pallbearers, funeral directors, morticians, undertakers, tin miners, tin smiths, Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese of Vancouver, Glastonbury Cathedral. Additional Memorial – 16 October (translation of Relics to Jerusalem).
St Joseph of Arimathea by Pietro Perugino, a detail from his Lamentation over the Dead Christ.
The only definitive information we have concerning Joseph of Arimathea comes to us from the four Gospel accounts of Jesus’ Passion, Death and Resurrection. Many other legends exist that detail what happened to him after these events took place and, although they make interesting reading, none of them can be verified as the truth.
What we do know is that Joseph of Arimathea was a wealthy member of the Sanhedrin and a follower of Jesus, although a secret one “for fear of the Jews” (Jn 19:38). Described as a “good and just man” in the Gospel of Luke (23:50), he was one of the Jewish leaders who did not take part in the condemnation of Jesus on the night we call Maundy or Holy Thursday. Instead, after Jesus’ death, Joseph boldly asked Pontius Pilate for His Body so that it could receive a proper burial before the Sabbath, which began at sundown. This was a more courageous act on Joseph’s part than we might imagine, as Jesus had died a condemned criminal, publicly executed for sedition.
Remarkably, Pilate agreed and Joseph, along with another of Jesus’ secret followers, Nicodemus, arranged to have the body prepared for burial according to Jewish custom – Jesus was then laid in Joseph’s own tomb, which was as yet unused and newly hewn out of rock. Finally, a large stone was rolled in front of the tomb’s entrance, the same stone that would later be found rolled away on Easter Sunday morning.
At this point, the biblical story of Joseph comes to a close and the legendary stories begin. During the Middle Ages, Joseph’s narrative somehow became connected with the lore surrounding King Arthur; he is featured in a 12th-century tale by Robert de Boron as the Keeper of the Holy Grail, which was the cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper. An earlier version of the story has Joseph receiving the cup from an apparition of Jesus, which later finds its way to Great Britain by way of some of Joseph’s followers. A revised version has Joseph himself coming to the British Isles with the Grail, which he subsequently buried in a secret place. It was this Holy Grail which was at the centre of so many Arthurian quests.
Glastonbury Abbey also lays claim to part of Joseph’s legend. It is said that when Joseph arrived in Great Britain with the Grail around the year 63, he landed on the island of Avalon and climbed the hill there. Weary from his journey, he thrust his staff into the ground and rested, by morning, the staff had taken root and produced a thorn tree, which reportedly bloomed every Christmas. It was also upon this land that Joseph and 12 of his followers are said to have built Glastonbury Abbey, although it was actually constructed around the seventh century. Today it is maintained as an important archeological site.
Legends aside, it is Joseph’s service to Jesus our Saviour and Redeemer, that Christians remember today.
Merciful God, Whose servant, Joseph of Arimathaea with reverence and godly fear, prepared the Body of our Lord and Saviour for burial and laid it in his own tomb – Grant to us, Your faithful people, grace and courage to love and serve Jesus with sincere devotion all the days of our life. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen
Our Lady of the Founders – The Relic of the Girdle of Our Lady, Constantinople (5th Century) – 31 August:
The Abbot Giovanni Battista Orsini tells us the Empress Saint Pulcheria had this Church built, and gave to it the Girdle of Our Lady. A feast of this relic is kept at Constantinople, under the title of the Deposition of Our Lady’s Girdle. The French having taken this City, this precious treasure was carried off by Nivellon, Bishop of Soissons and placed in the celebrated Abbey of Our Lady, with a portion of the veil of that Queen of Heaven.
The Empress Saint Pulcheria lived in Constantinople in the 5th century, and she built many Churches, hospitals and public houses for the destitute. She is responsible for at least three Churches in Constantinople that were dedicated to the Blessed Virgin – the Blachemae, the Chalkoprateia and the Hodegetria. The Church of the Virgin of Blachernae, now known as the Church of Panagia of Blachernae, is located in Istanbul. It was once the most celebrated Shrine in Constantinople and lies inside the high walls of the City, only a short distance from the Golden Horn. The Church was begun by the Empress Pulcheria, and completed by her husband, the Emperor Marcian. It was built upon the site of what was thought to be a sacred spring, the waters of which are still thought to have therapeutic value. The Emperor Leo I made several additions, including the Hagai Soros, which was actually a small Chapel next to the Church where the Holy Robe and Girdle of the Blessed Virgin Mary were kept in a silver and gold reliquary. The relics had been brought from Palestine in 458.
In the year 911 it was reported that there was a Marian apparition at this Church. The City was under siege by a large Muslim army, so the citizens of Constantinople had recourse to Mary, praying for relief at the Blachernae Church. Very early one morning the Blessed Virgin, preceded by a host of Angels, was seen to enter through the Church doors, escorted by Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Apostle. She advanced to the centre of the Church and knelt there to pray fervently with tears in her eyes. After a time she moved to the Altar and continued praying before she removed her veil and held it out over the faithful as she ascended back into Heaven. This was seen as a sign that she was taking the City under her protection and so it happened that the Christian’s won a striking victory over their enemies, who were driven off. The City of Constantinople came under siege during the Fourth Crusade in the year 1203 and was captured in April of 1204. The Bishop Nivelon de Cherisy was one of the first men to scale the walls of mighty Constantinople when it was finally opened to the Crusaders. Despite the fact that there was a stern prohibition against plundering relics from Churches and monasteries, many holy relics were obtained and brought back to the West. Bishop Conrad of Halberstadt, Abbot Martin of Pairis, and Nivelon of Soiccons were known to have taken relics. Nivelon of Soiccons enriched his Cathedral at Soissons with several important relics. Robert of Clari later includes in a list of relics he viewed at the Church of the Blessed Virgin of the Pharos (Lighthouse) the Crown of Thorns, the Virgin’s Robe, the Head of St John the Baptist and two large pieces of the True Cross. The robe was a large portion of the sleeveless shirt worn by the Virgin Mary, as well as her Girdle.
St Ammi of Caesarea St Aristides the Philosopher St Barbolenus of Bobbio St Caesidius St Cuthburgh of Wimborne St Cwenburgh of Wimborne St Joseph of Arimathea (Died 1st Century) “The Secret Disciple of Jesus” St Mark of Milan St Optatus of Auxerre
Thought for the Day – 30 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Perseverance
“Perseverance may be a difficult virtue but nothing is really difficult to a person of strong resolution. When the sister of St Thomas Aquinas asked him how to become holy, he replied that it needed only one thing – a firm act of the will, for God will certainly supply the necessary grace.
Think of how much work and sacrifice is required to achieve worldly success. Cicero wrote that it required constant and tireless labour in order to become a great orator (Cf De Oratore, 1:39). St Paul cited the example of athletes who are prepared to make such great sacrifices, in order to train themselves to win. If they are prepared to do so much to gain a perishable crown, he comments, we should be prepared to do much more to gain an imperishable one (Cf 1 Cor 9:25).
The grace of God is the principal weapon upon which we must depend in order to gain our victory. We should pray for it humbly and perseveringly. There will be victors and losers in the battle for Heaven as well as in earthly contests. We must make sure that we are on the winning side! For this purpose, we should combine fervent and constant prayer with generous co-operation with the grace of God.”
Quote/s of the Day – 30 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart” – Readings: Thessalonians 4: 13-18; Psalm 96: 1 and 3-5, 11-13; Luke 4: 16-30
“He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free.”
Luke 4:19
“For what reason did God send Him to preach to the poor? “To preach release to captives.” We were the captives. For many years Satan had bound us and held us captive and subject to himself. Jesus has come “to proclaim release to captives and sight to the blind.” By His word and the proclamation of His teaching, the blind see.”
Origen (c 185-253)
“He did not treat us as our sins deserved. For we are now sons of God. How do we show this? The only Son of God died for us, so that He might not remain alone. He who died as the only Son, did not want to remain as the only Son. For the only Son of God made many sons of God. He bought brothers for Himself by His blood, He made them welcome by being rejected, He ransomed them by being sold, He honoured them by being dishonoured, He gave them life by being put to death.”
St Augustine (354-430) Bishop, Great Western Father and Doctor of Grace
“… Veiled in a human body, He was able to communicate with humans. He who wanted to assist the guilty hides the fact that He is a Judge. He who did not deny dignity to faithful servants, conceals his Lordship. He who desired the weak to be embraced by a parent’s love, covers His Majesty.”
St Peter Chrysologus (c 400-450) “Doctor of Homilies” Father and Doctor of the Church
“My beloved Redeemer, how much did it cost You to raise me from the ruin, which I brought on myself through my sins? What can I do without Your grace? I can do nothing but pray that You will help me but even this prayer comes from the merits of Your suffering and death! O my Jesus, help me!”
St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787) Most zealous Doctor
One Minute Reflection – 30 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart” – Readings: Thessalonians 4: 13-18; Psalm 96: 1 and 3-5, 11-13; Luke 4: 16-30
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me. Wherefore he hath anointed me” – Luke 4:18
REFLECTION – “Our Saviour was truly made the Anointed One according to the flesh, becoming true King and true Priest. He was both, so that nothing might be lacking in the Saviour. Notice, therefore, that He became King, when He says: “I was set by the Lord as king on Zion, his holy mountain” (Ps 2,6 Vg). Learn that He is also Priest from the witness of the Father: “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek” (Ps 110[109],4)… He is, therefore, our Saviour according to the flesh and both King and Priest but His anointing is spiritual and not bodily. The kings and priests of the Jews were given their position by bodily anointing with oil. One man was not both – each was either king or priest. To Christ alone belongs perfection and fulness in all things, for He came also to fulfill the law.
Although they could not, as individuals, be both at the same time, they were called “Messiahs” or “anointed ones because they had received bodily anointing as kings or priests (cf. Ps 89[88]). Our Saviour, on the other hand, Who is truly the Christ, the Anointed One, was anointed by the Holy Spirit, that He might fulfil what was written of Him: “Therefore, God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows” (Ps 45[44],8). That He was anointed more than those who share the same name “Messiah” lies in the fact, that He was anointed with the oil of gladness, which properly means, the Holy Spirit.” – St Faustinus of Rome (Died c 303) Priest and Martyr – The Trinity, 39-40, CCL 69, 340-341
PRAYER – God our Saviour, through the grace of Baptism you made us children of light. Hear our prayer, that we may always walk in that light and work for truth, love and charity, as Your witnesses before men. Dispel from our hearts the darkness of sin and may the Holy and Immaculate Heart of Mary, be our constant protector and intercessor keeping- us ever watchful for the true light, Christ Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 30 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart”
O God of Love, Give Me Thy Love and Thy Grace By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor
O God of Love, Thou art and shall be forever, the only delight of my heart and the sole object of my affections. Sinee Jesus said: ‘Ask and you shall receive,’ I do not hesitate to say: ‘Give me Thy Love and Thy Grace.’ Grant that I may love Thee and be loved by Thee. I want for nothing else. Amen
AnaStpaul 
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