Saint of the Day – 5 August – Saint Emygdius (c 272 – c 303) Bishop Martyr, Confessor, miracle-worker. Born probably in Trier in south-western Germany in c 272 and died by being beheaded in c 303. Patronages – against earthquakes, of the City and Diocese of Ascoli Piceno, of the Cities of L’Aquila, Cingoli, San Ginesio, Nocera Umbra, Italy. Also known as – Emygdius, Emigdius, Emigdio.
The Roman Martyrology states of him today: “St Emygdius, Bishop and Martyr, who was Consecrated Bishop by Pope Marcellus and sent thither to preach the Gospel. He received the crown of Martyrdom for the confession of Christ, under the Emperor Diocletian.”
Emygdius was a pagan converted and was baptised by St Nazarius and St Celsus in Trier. . With others who had been converted to Christianity, he first went to Milan , where he was Ordained a Priest, then to Rome.
In Rome he cured the paralytic daughter of his host Gratianus, who had given him access to his home on Tiber Island. Gratianus and his family then converted to Christianity. Emygdius also cured a blind man. The people of Rome believed him to be the son of Apollo and carried him off by force to the Temple of Aesculapius on the island in the Tiber, where he cured many of the sick. Emygdius declared himself a Christian, however and tore down the pagan altars and smashed into pieces a statue of Aesculapius. H e also converted many to Christianity which enraged the Prefect of the City.
He was Consecrated a Bishop by Pope Marcellus and sent to Ascoli Piceno. On his way to Ascoli, Emygdius converted many more people, and performed a miracle where he made water gush out of a rockface after striking a portion of a cliff. Polymius, the local Governor, attempted to convince Emygdius to worship Jupiter and the goddess Angaria, the patroness of Ascoli. Polymius also offered him the hand of his daughter Polisia. Instead, Emygdius baptised her as a Christian in the waters of the Tronto, along with many others.
St Emygdius baptising Polisia
Enraged, Polymius decapitated him on the spot now occupied by the Sant’Emidio Red Temple, as well as his followers Eupolus (Euplus), Germanus and Valentius (Valentinus). Emygdius stood up, carried his own head to a spot on the mountainside, where he had constructed an Oratory (the site of the present-day Sant’Emidio alla Grotte). After Emygdius’ Martyrdom, his followers attacked Polymius’ palace and pulled it down.
Sant’Emidio Red Temple
The Martyrdom of St Emygdius
His hagiography was written probably by a Monk of French origin in the eleventh century, after the rediscovery of the Saint’s relics, which had been conserved in a Roman sarcophagus. However, his hagiography was attributed to his disciple Valentius, who was Martyred with him. The cult of Saint Emygdius is ancient, documented by Churches dedicated to him since the eighth century. The translation of his relics from the catacomb of Sant’Emidio alla Grotte to the Crypt of the Cathedral of Ascoli, happened probably around the year 1000 under Bernardo II, Bishop of Ascoli Piceno.
St Emygdius’ Tomb in Ascoli Cathedral
In 1703, a violent earthquake occurred in the Marche but did not affect the City of Ascoli Piceno. The City’s salvation was attributed to Emygdius and he was thenceforth, invoked against earthquakes. As a result of this event, a Church was deciated to the Saint in 1717. Additionally, many Towns appointed him as Patron, erecting Statues in his honour in the Parish Churches (L’Aquila, 1732; Cingoli, 1747; San Ginesio, 1751; and Nocera Umbra, 1751)
Emygdius is considered to have protected Ascoli from other dangers. A dazzling vision of Emygdius deterred Alaric I, King of the Visigoths, from destroying Ascoli in 409. The troops of Conrad II, Holy Roman Emperor passed through the region in 1038 carrying the dreaded disease – the Plague; Bernardo I, Bishop of Ascoli, invoked Emydgius’ aid and the spread of the Plague was immediately arrested. During World War II, on 3 October 1943, Emygdius protected the City against the Germans and against the hunting and arrest of the Italian partisans.
Statue of Saint Elgdius baptising Polisia, in Foligno Cathedral
The Annunciation, with Saint Emygdius is an Altarpiece by Italian artist Carlo Crivelli showing an artistic adaptation of the Annunciation. The Altarpiece was painted for the Church of the Annunziata in Ascoli Piceno, in the region of Marche, to celebrate the self-government granted to the town in 1482 by Pope Sixtus IV. St Emygdius is shown in the passageway on the left.
St Abel of Rheims St Addai St Aggai of Edessa Bl Arnaldo Pons St Cantidianus St Cantidius St Cassian of Autun St Casto of Teano Bl Corrado of Laodicea St Emygdius (Died c 303) Bishop Martyr St Eusignius St Gormeal of Ardoilen Bl James Gerius St Margaret the Barefooted St Mari St Memmius of Châlons-sur-Marne St Nonna
St Sobel St Theodoric of Cambrai-Arras St Venantius of Viviers St Viator — Martyrs of Fuente la Higuera: A group of Augustinian priests and clerics who were martyred together in the Spanish Civil War. 5 August 1936 in Fuente la Higuera, Valencia, Spain. They were Beatified on 28 October 2007 by Pope Benedict XVI. 10 Beati: • Anastasio Díez García • Ángel Pérez Santos • Cipriano Polo García • Emilio Camino Noval • Felipe Barba Chamorro • Gabino Olaso Zabala • Luciano Ramos Villafruela • Luis Blanco Álvarez • Ubaldo Revilla Rodríguez • Victor Gaitero González
Martyrs of the Salarian Way: Twenty-three Christians who were martyred together in the persecutions of Diocletian. 303 on the Salarian Way in Rome, Italy.
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: Bl Eduardo González Santo Domingo Bl Jaume Codina Casellas Bl José Trallero Lou Bl Lluís Domingo Mariné Bl Manuel Moreno Martínez Bl Maximino Fernández Marinas Bl Victor García Ceballos
Thought for the Day – 4 August– Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Doing Everything for the Love of God
“The beginning of perfection consists in doing the Will of God, even in our smallest actions. But, to do everything for the love of God, is the summit of Christian perfection. If we aimed always at doing God’s Will and acting from the motive of love for Him, we should be contented and at peace because we should be holy. The Saints are the only people who remain calm and undisturbed in the midst of worldly adversity. They are always content, because they live in God. Their lives are in full conformity with His Will, guided by His Love and dedicated to His Service. As a result, they live in a kind of spiritual stratosphere far above the storms of this world. There, they are above the clouds of pride, ambition, avarice and all the other major vices. There they see and contemplate everything in the Light of God. Let us become saints. Then we shall have solved all the problems of life!.” Amen
One Minute Reflection – 4 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – Readings: Numbers 13:1-2.25-33.14,1.26-29.34-35.; Psalms 106: 6-7ab, 13-14, 21-23; Matthew 15: 21-28 and the Memorial of St Dominic de Guzman OP(1170-1221)
“ My daughter is tormented by a demon” – Matthew 15:22
REFLECTION – “This Gentile Canaanite woman no longer needs healing herself, since she confesses Christ as Lord and Son of David. But, she begs for help for her daughter, that is to say, for the crowd of Gentiles held captive under the domination of unclean spirits. Our Lord is silent, preserving for Israel with His silence, the honour of salvation. … Bearing in Himself the mystery of the Father’s Will, He answers that He was sent to the lost sheep of Israel so that it might be clearly seen, that the daughter of the Canaanite woman, is a symbol of the Church. … This does not mean that salvation was not to be given to the gentiles but that our Lord had come “to His own and His own people” (Jn 1:11) and was waiting for the first fruits of faith from the people from whom he had come forth; the rest would be saved later through the preaching of the Apostles. …
And so that we might understand that the Lord’s silence was due to consideration of the times and not to any obstacle placed by His own will, He added: “Woman, your faith is great!” What He meant was, that this woman, who was already sure of her salvation, had – what is better still – faith in the gathering together of the Gentiles at the approaching time, when, through their faith, they would be set free like this young girl from all domination by unclean spirits. Indeed, confirmation of this came about: following the prefiguration of the Gentiles in the Canaanite woman’s daughter, people who were prisoner to all kinds of different illnesses, were brought to the Lord by the crowds on the mountain (Mt 15:30). These were unbelievers, that is to say sick, who were led by believers to adoration and worship and to whom, salvation was given, that they might comprehend, study, praise and follow God.” – St Hilary (315-368) Bishop of Poitiers, Doctor of the Divinity of Christ – Commentary on Saint Matthew’s Gospel, 15 ; SC 258
PRAYER – Lord God, You gave St Dominic to the Church as a great preacher of the Truth. We pray that he will help us in these times, our times of lies, ruled by the evil one, by his merits, his teachings and his unfailing prayer. Through Jesus the Christ, Our Lord in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God now and for all eternity, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 4 August – The Memorial of St Dominic de Guzman OP (1170-1221)
St Dominic’s Blessing By St Dominic de Guzman (1170-1221)
May God the Father, who made us, bless us. May God the Son, send His healing among us. May God the Holy Spirit, move within us and give us eyes to see with, ears to hear with, and hands, that Your work, might be done. May we walk and preach the word of God to all. May the angel of peace watch over us and lead us at last, by God’s grace, to the Kingdom. Amen
Saint of the Day – 4 August – Saint Euphronius of Tours (c 530=573) the 8th Bishop of Tours, France who served from 555 to 573 and was a near relative of St Gregory of Tours. Also known as Eufronio. He is mentioned in the Roman Martyrology for today.
When, upon the death of Bishop Gunthar, King Chlothar’s nominee declined appointment to the See, it remained vacant for ten months until the people and clergy elected Eufronius. He was a Priest at Tours, from a family of senatorial rank. a grandson of St Gregory of Autun and a friend of St Venantius Fortunatus. When Clothar learned of the election, he confirmed their choice.
This image is one of the Saintly Bishop of Tours but which one?
In 552, the Abbey de Sainte-Marie was founded near Poitiers by Frankish Queen, sT Radegund. It was the first Monastery for women in the Frankish Empire. Radegund subsequently retired to the Monastery, where she helped to care for the infirm. Upon her request, Byzantine Emperor Justin II sent the Abbey a relic of the True Cross. When Bishop of Poitiers, Maroveus refused to preside over its installation in the Abbey, at Radegund’s request, King Sigebert sent Eufronius to Poitiers to perform the ceremony. Sigebert also returned Church lands that had been seized by King Charibert
In 561 much of Tours was razed during the warfare that raged at that time. Eufronius rebuilt two of the Churches at his own expense. According to St Gregory, Eufronius predicted the death of Charibert.
Eufronius took part in the Council of Paris in 557 and presided over the Council of Tours in 567. The Bishops of Brittany declined to attend, as Eufronius claimed authority over the Breton Church. The council dealt mostly with Church discipline. The Bishops noted that some Gallo-Roman customs of ancestor worship were still being observed. Canon XXII decreed that anyone known to be participating in these practices was barred from receiving Communion and not allowed to enter a Church. The Bishops of the Kingdom of Paris were particularly concerned about the Merovingian practice of seizing ecclesiastical properties in outlying areas, in order to fund their internecine wars.
Eufronius was Bishop of Tours for eighteen years and died at the age of seventy. He was succeeded by St Gregory of Tours. Eufronius was either a cousin of Gregory’s mother’s or her brother.
Madonna dell’Apparizione / Our Lady of the Apparition, Pellestrina, Italy (1716) – 4 August:
The Sanctuary of Madonna dell’Apparizione in Pellestrina was built in July 1717, a year after the appearance of the Madonna on the island. The event of 4 August 1716, the Feast day of St Dominic, was in fact confirmed true by canonical process: – a young boy from Pellestrina met a woman who advised him to tell the Parish Priest to celebrate Mass and to pray for the salvation of Venice, which, at that time, was besieged by the Turks. The following day, at the same hour of the Apparition, the Venetians won the Battle of Petrovaradin against the Turks.
Throughout the entire year the Sanctuary is a destination for many pilgrims and devotees in search of grace and even today, on 4 August in Pellestrina, the Madonna dell’Apparizione and the victory of Venice is celebrated over three days.
St Dominic de Guzman OP (1170-1221) (Memorial) Founder of the Dominican Order of Preachers – Priest, Founder, Confessor, Teacher, Preacher, Mystic, Miracle-Worker, Apostle of the Holy Rosary. At Dominic’s baptism, Blessed Joan, his Mother, saw a star shining from his chest, which became another of his symbols in art, and led to his patronage of astronomy. The Roman Martyrology states today: “At Bologna, St Dominic, Confessor, Founder of the Order of Friars Preachers, most renowned for sanctity and learning. He preserved his chastity unsullied to the end of his life and by his great merits, raised three persons from the dead. After having repressed heresies by his preaching and instructed many in the religious and Godly life, he rested in peace on the 6th of this month. His Feast, however, is celebrated on thsi day by decree of Pope Paul IV.” https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/08/08/saint-of-the-day-8-august-st-dominic-de-guzman-founder-of-the-dominican-order-of-preachers/
St Agabius of Verona St Aristarchus of Thessalonica (1st Century) St Crescentio of Rome St Eleutherius of Bithynia St Epiphanes of Besançon St Euphronius of Tours (c 530-573) Bishop St Francesc Mercader Rendé
St Hyacinth of Rome St Ia of Persia St Isidore of Besançon St Lua of Limerick St Onofrio of Panaia St Perpetua of Rome St Protasius of Cologne St Rainerio of Split St Sithney (Died c 529) St Tertullinus of Rome Bl William Horne
Thought for the Day – 3 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Depending Always on Jesus
“When we abandon ourselves to Jesus, we must do so cheerfully, as well as trustingly. St Basil calls the devil, the angel of sadness. The evil spirit is, in fact, sad, for this is the lot of one who has lost God forever. He wishes, moreover, to communicate that sadness to us also when he has drawn us into sin.
We should be happy in the Lord, as St Paul exhorts. Joy is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. He who possesses Jesus and His grace, is touched by that holy joy which radiates from Him. The Saints were joyful in persecution and in martyrdom, as the Apostles were before the Sanhedrin because, “they had been counted worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus” (Acts 5:41). It is related of St Romuald that in spite of great austerities, he was always smiling, so that he communicated happiness to those who saw him.
Let us, therefore, rely always on Jesus; let us remain close to Him and the path to Heaven will seem smooth, in spite of the many obstacles which we are sure to encounter.”
Quote/s of the Day – 3 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – Readings: Numbers 12: 1-13; Psalm 51: 3-7, 12-13; 14: 22-36
Trust
“Lord, save me.”
Matthew 14:30
“Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
John 14:27
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)
“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?”
Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471)
“Act as if everything depended on you; trust as if everything depended on God.”
St Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556)
“Throw yourself into God’s arms. He will carry you when the road is rough.”
One Minute Reflection – 93August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – Readings: Numbers 12: 1-13; Psalm 51: 3-7, 12-13; 14: 22-36
“But seeing the wind strong, he was afraid and when he began to sink, he cried out, saying: Lord, save me.” – Matthew 14:30
REFLECTION – “When Peter courageously moves across the sea, his feet are unsteady but his love grows strong …; his feet sink down but he clings to Christ’s hand. Faith upholds him, so long as he feels the waves making way. Troubled by the storm, he takes heart in his love for the Saviour. Peter walks across the sea borne up, more by love, than by his feet. … He pays no attention to what his feet are treading on; all he sees are the footprints of Him whom he loves. He saw his Lord from his position of safety in the boat and, led by love, climbed down into the sea. He no longer sees the sea but Jesus alone. But no sooner is he troubled by the strength of the wind and overcome by the storm, than fear begins to overshadow his faith … the water vanishes from beneath his feet. Faith weakens and the water with it. Then he cries out: “Lord, save me!” And ,at once, Jesus, stretching out His hand, saves him and says: “O man of little faith, why did you doubt? Is your faith so small that you were unable to press on towards me? Why didn’t you have sufficient faith to reach your end by relying on it? From now on keep this in mind- that it was only this faith that was holding you up above the waves.”
And so, my brethren, Peter doubts for an instant; he is about to drown but he is saved by calling on the Lord. …) Now, this world is a sea, whose waves are stirred up by the devil and where temptations increase the number of shipwrecks. We can only be saved by calling on the Lord, Who reaches out His hand to catch us. So let us continually cry out to Him!” –St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace – Appendix no. 192 , attributed sermon; PL 39, 2100
PRAYER – Lord our God, the Light and Creator of Light, grant that faithfully pondering on all that is holy, we may ever live in the splendour of Your presence. May we live in Your Presence, withstand the winds of the world and grow daily in faith. By the help and intercession of athe loving and Immaculate Heart of Mary You may never permit us to separate ourselves from You and thus we may come, to completion in You, Through Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.
Our Morning Offering –3 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary”
Blessed Virgin Mary, Receive Our Gratitude By St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor of Grace
Blessed Virgin Mary, who can worthily repay you with praise and thanks for having rescued a fallen world by your generous consent! Receive our gratitude and by your prayers, obtain the pardon of our sins. Take our prayers into the Sanctuary of Heaven and enable them to make our peace with God. Holy Mary, help the miserable, strengthen the discouraged, comfort the sorrowful, pray for your people, plead for the clergy, intercede for all women consecrated to God. May all who venerate you feel now your help and protection. Be ready to help us when we pray and bring back to us, the answers to our prayers. Make it your continual concern to pray for the people of God, for you were blessed by God and were made worthy to bear the Redeemer of the world, Who lives and reigns forever. Amen
Saint of the Day – 3 August – St Aspren (1st Century) the first Bishop of Naples, Consecrated by St Peter as Bishop. Patronages – Archdiocese of Naples, Italy, against migraine. Also known as – Asprenato, Aspronas, Aspremo.
The Roman Martyrology states of him today: “At Naples, in Campania, St Aspren, Bishop, who was cured of a sickness by the Apostle St Peter and after being Baptised, was Consecrated as Bishop of that City.”
Luca Giordano, The Patron Saints of Naples (Baculus, Januarius, Francis Borgia, Aspren (kneeling), and Candida the Elder) adoring the Crucifix, 17th century. Palazzo Reale, Naples.
Naples boasts the Basilica of Saint Peter in Aram, which, according to tradition, was founded on the place where St.Peter baptised St Aspren,, the first Bishop of Naples. It also houses the Ara Petri, the Altar on which the Prince of the Apostles prayed and celebrated the Eucharist before going to Rome. The famous Basilica, which, over the centuries, has undergone various renovations, is so antique that Pope Clement VII (1523-1534) granted it the privilege of celebrating and hosting the Jubilee one year after that of Rome: this custom was maintained throughout the 16th century (1526, 1551, 1576). Inside, there is also a Chapel dedicated to Aspren, considered the founder of the primitive place of worship from which the present Basilica originated.
St Peter’s BasilicaAra Petri
But under what circumstances did the Saint celebrated today become a Christian? Hagiography links his name to that of Candida la Vecchia, a Jewish woman who, during Saint Peter’s stay in Naples, begged him to cure her of a serious illness, promising to convert to Christianity. The Apostle healed her. And Candida, venerated as a Saint, decided to bring him a sick friend, our Aspren, who was in turn cured and converted. It is handed down that Peter himself Consecrated him Bishop and that among the acts of his episcopate there was the foundation of another paleo-Christian place of worship, dedicated to Santa Maria del Principio, later incorporated in today’s Basilica of Saint Restituta.
St Peter Consecrates St Asdpren with St Candida la Vecchia on the left
Among the documents of the first millennium that attest to his episcopal ministry is the Marmoreal Calendar of Naples, engraved in the 9th century. Aspren is invoked against migraine and venerated as the second Patron Saint of the capital of Campania, after Saint Januarius (and remembering that Santa Maria Assunta, Our Lady of the Assumption, to whom the Cathedral is dedicated, is officially the first Patroness of the City). Two historic Neapolitan Churches are named after him, namely Sant’Aspreno ai Crociferi (begun in 1633) and the older Sant’Aspreno al Porto, built where, according to tradition, the Saint’s dwelling was located: in a cave.
s ant’Aspreno ai Crociferi
After Aspren’s death, numerous miracles were attributed to him and his sepulcher rested in the oratory of Santa Maria del Principio. John IV, Bishop of Naples translated Aspren’s relics to the Basilica of Santa Restituta, in the Chapel dedicated to Aspren . A silver bust of Aspren is found in Naples Cathedral.
Maria Santissima Scala del Paradiso / Holy Mary, Ladder to Paradise, Noto, Siracusa, Sicily, Italy (1498) – 3 August:
Local tradition holds that Angels frescoed the image of the Madonna, Ladder to Paradise, on a rock wall in the countryside before St. Corrado di Fuori’s arrival in 1340 and, that it was discovered there on 3 August 1498. However, the Diocese of Noto, of which the Madonna della Scala is the Patron, suggests that an unknown artist created the fresco in the late 1500s or early 1600s, a period more in keeping with its style.
In any case, by the time of the earthquake that destroyed the City of Noto on 11 January 1693, popular devotion had grown around the image, surrounding it with votive lamps, ex votos left in thanksgiving for answered prayers, and eventually, an Oratory. The earthquake demolished the Chapel but the image remained intact.
In 1708, a group of Carmelite Hermits took over the site and undertook the building of another Church, which was blessed the following year. In 1712, Ven. Girolamo Terzo, recently appointed the group’s Superior, hired an expert to detach the fresco from its rock and arranged its spectacular transfer to the church, pulled by a team of untamed oxen. Ven. Girolamo promoted devotion to the Madonna of the Ladder by distributing copies of the image on evangelical visits throughout the region.
With a reputation for cures and other miracles, the Hermitage became a place of pilgrimage, particularly on the Feast of the Nativity of Mary, 8 September. The Sanctuary suffered damage during World War I. Afterwards it was restored and in 1919 the Catholic Church gave the Madonna, Ladder to Paradise, her own liturgical feast day, 3 August. An annual festa on this date draws the people of Noto to the Shrine seven miles distant, where after Mass in the Carmelite Chapel a statuary version of the image goes in procession through all the neighbouring districts.
The image of the “Ladder to Paradise” echoes the story of Jacob (Genesis 28:12) and St John Climacus’s Ladder of Ascent, a guide to the spiritual life written in Greek in the 600s, which became popular among Western religious after its translation into Latin in the 1500s (Scala Paradisi). Here, the Virgin is identified with the way to heaven because of her role in bringing Christ to humanity and her ongoing help to all who follow Him.
St Abibas St Aspren (1st Century) Bishop of Naples
Blessed Augustine Gazotich OP (1262-1323) Bishop of Lucera, Croatia, Of the Order of Preachers. He was also noted for being the guide for Dante Alighieri as the poet travelled through Croatia. His reputation for personal holiness remained noted long after his death; this resulted in Pope Innocent XII confirming the late Bishop’s beatification in 1700. Biography: https://anastpaul.com/2018/08/03/saint-of-the-day-3-august-blessed-augustine-gazotich-o-p-1262-1323/
St Dalmatius St Euphronius of Autun St Gamaliel St Gaudentia Bl Godfrey of Le Mans Bl Gregory of Nonantula St Hermellus St Nicodemus St Senach of Clonard (Died 6th Century) One of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland St Trea of Ardtree
Thought for the Day – 2 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Awareness of the Presence of God
“The presence of God, moreover, encourages us to do our best to acquire all the virtues. When He is always before our eyes, we have no difficulty in recognising, that He is the supreme Truth, Beauty and Goodness.
Let us seek to please God, therefore, by obeying His commandments and inspirations. If we wish to be worthy of His presence, let us seek to adorn our souls with His grace, which is ours for the asking. Our awareness of God’s presence, should not be a passive state. It should enliven our faith and increase our love for Him.
Do we realise how poor and sinful we are in the sight of God? Let us ask Him to make us holy. If we are troubled by temptations, let us ask Him for the strength to conquer them. If we are worn out by suffering, let us ask Him to help and console us. As St Alphonsus said: “He who does not acquire the love of God will scarcely persevere in the grace of God, for it is very difficult to renounce sin, merely through fear of chastisement.”
If we live in the presence of God and contemplate Him, we shall be moved to love Him more and more.”
Quote/s of the Day – 2 August – The Memorial of St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor of the Church
“If you wish to charm the loving Heart of your God, set yourself to talk to Him, as often as you can and, after a fashion, continually, together with the fullest and most confident liberty. He will not hold aloof from answering you and participating in the conversation on His part.”
“On the journey of this life to eternity, let me carry You in my heart, following Mary’s example, who bore You in her arms, during the flight to Egypt.”
“… It is Him you should love and no other. Of Him you could and should say “My Beloved is mine and I am his” (Sg 2:16); my God has given Himself without reserve and, without reserve, I give myself to Him; He has chosen me as the object of His tenderness and He, among thousands, He, the radiant and ruddy one (Sg 5:10), so loveable and so loving, He is the chosen of my heart, the only one I wish to love.”
“Were you to ask, ‘what are the means of overcoming temptations’, I would answer: the first means is prayer, the second is prayer, the third is prayer and should you ask me a thousand times, I would repeat the same.”
“Sacrilegious tongues blaspheme the God who preserves their existence! … you should be damned forever and, instead of thanking Him for His goodness, you, at the very time that He bestows His favours upon you, YOU blaspheme His Holy Name!”
“Of all devotions, that of adoring Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is the greatest, after the sacraments, the one dearest to God and the one most helpful to us.”
Act of Spiritual Communion By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor
I desire, good Jesus, to receive Thee in Holy Communion and since I cannot now receive Thee in the Blessed Sacrament, I beseech Thee to come to me spiritually and to refresh my soul with Thy sweetness. Come, my Lord, my God and my All! Come to me and never let me ever again be separated from Thee by sin. Teach me Thy blessed ways, help me with Thy grace to imitate Thy example, to practise meekness, humility, charity and all the virtues of Thy Sacred Heart. My divine Master, my one desire is to do Thy will and to love Thee, more and more. Help me, that I may be faithful to the end, in Thy service. Bless me in life and in death, that I may praise Thee, forever in heaven, Amen
St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor
One Minute Reflection – 2 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – Readings: Numbers 11: 4b-15; Psalm 81: 12-17; Matthew 14: 13-21- and the Memorial of St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor of the Churc
“He … saw a great multitude and had compassion on them and healed their sick.” – Matthew 14:14
REFLECTION – “Matthew relates more fully [than Mark] how he took pity on them. He says: “And he had compassion on them and cured their sick.” This is what it means really to take pity on the poor and on those who have no-one to guide them – to open the way of truth to them by teaching, to heal their physical infirmities , . and to make them want to praise the divine generosity by feeding them, when they are hungry, as Jesus did. …
But Jesus tested the crowd’s faith and having done so he gave it a fitting reward. He sought out a lonely place to see if they would take the trouble to follow Him. For their part, they showed how concerned they were for their salvation by the effort they made in going along the deserted road, not on donkeys or in carts of various kinds but on foot.
In return, Jesus welcomed those weary, ignorant, sick and hungry people, instructing, healing and feeding them as a kindly Saviour and physician and so, letting them know how pleased He is, by believers’ devotion to Him.” – St Bede the Venerable (673-735) Father and Doctor of the Church – Commentary on Saint Mark’s Gospel, 2 ;
PRAYER – Forgive the sins of Your people Lord and since of ourselves, we are unable to do what pleases You, lead us on the way of salvation in Your divine Son who lives in us and gives us life. May the prayers of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and most zealous Saint Alphonsus Liguori, help us to constantly meditate on Your eternal sustenance. Through, our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 2 August – The Memorial of St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor of the Church and a Catholic Monday of the Holy Ghost
Inflame our Hearts with Your Love Prayer To the Holy Ghost By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor of the Church
You made Mary full of grace and enflamed the hearts of the Apostles with a holy zeal. Inflame our hearts with Your love. You are the Spirit of Goodness, Give us the courage to confront evil You are Fire, set us ablaze with Your love You are Light, enlighten our minds, that we may see what is truly important. You are the Dove, give us gentleness. You are a soothing Breeze, bring calm to the storms that rage within us. You are the Tongue, may our lips ever sing God’s praises You are the Cloud, shelter us under the shadow of Your protection O Holy Ghost, melt the frozen, warm the chilled and enkindle in us an earnest desire to please You. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen
Saint of the Day – 2 August – Saint Serenus of Marseilles (Died c 606) the 10th Bishop of Marseilles. Died in c 606 near Biandrate, Piedmont, Italy of natural causes. Also known as – Sereno, Clear (translation of his name). Patronages – for good weather, for good harvests, of Biandrate, Italy.
Serenus is known through an exchange of letters with Pope Gregory the Great (540-604). The correspondence between the Pope and the Bishop of Marseilles concerned the position of the Church in regard to the images in the Churches and the journey undertaken by Saint Augustine, the future Archbishop of Canterbury and the Monks who accompanied him to the England.
He would have died near Biandrate in the Diocese of Vercelli on his return from Rome where he had been to discuss his iconoclastic positions regarding the veneration of images. We know little else but this Saint except that he was a zealous and holy Bishop sincerely aiming to foster the faith of his flock and adherence to Holy Mother Church.
He was buried in a field near the Benedictine Abbey of San Nazzaro. His body,was found in the Middle Ages, by a farmer working the field, and his relics were then reenshrined in the St Columba of Biandrate.
The Bishop had destroyed the holy images by strictly applying the commandment given by God to Moses. In 599, the Pope sent Father Cyriaque to Gaul. Having to go through Marseilles, he had given Cyriaque a letter he had written to the Bishop :
“I learned a long time ago that seeing a few people worshiping the pictures of the Church you broke them and threw them out. I praise your zeal to prevent man-made things from being worshiped but I believe you should not shatter these images. Because we put paintings in Churches so that those who cannot read can see, on the walls, what they cannot learn from books. So you had to keep them and divert the people from sinning by worshiping paintings . Serenus replied to the Pope, doubting that this letter was from him. The Pope replied to him the following year:
You must have had no suspicion of Father Cyriaque, who was the bearer of my letters . Then talking about pictures:
Tell me, my brother, what Bishop have you ever heard of who did the same? Should not this consideration only hold you back so as not to appear alone pious and wise, in contempt of your brothers? … It is said that by shattering these images you scandalised your people so much, that most of them broke away from your community. We must remind them of them and show them, that through the Holy Scriptures, that it is not allowed to worship what is made by hand. Then add, that seeing the legitimate use of the images, turned into worship, you were outraged and made them break. You will add – if you want to have images in the Church, for your instruction, for which they were made in the past, I will gladly allow you. So you will soften them and bring them back to union. If someone wants to make images, do not prevent him: only forbid worshiping them. The sight of the stories must excite in them compunction but they must prostrate themselves only to adore the Holy Trinity. I tell you all this only out of my love for the Church, not to weaken your zeal but to encourage you in your duty.“ Saint Gregory the Great, after Basil the Great (329-379), Gregory of Nazianze (330-390), Gregory of Nyssa (335-394) and PaulinE of Nola (353-431), resumes in his letters that the images are useful for those who cannot read books. Gregory the Great sets three roles for images in his two letters to Serenus
1. educate the illiterate, 2. to fix the memory of holy history, 3. arouse a feeling of compunction among the faithful.“ But the Bishop must teach, that pictures cannot be worshiped.
Santa Maria degli Angelis / Our Lady of Angels, Assisi, Italy (13th Century) Feast Day and Portiuncula Indulgence: 2 August
Our Lady of Angels, or of the Portiuncula, is located on the outskirts of the City of Assisi, in Italy. It was a desolate locality and apparently an unsettled one where robbers and the lawlessness flourished, for the Benedictines who had lived at the Monastery felt it was too hazardous to remain there. They abandoned the Monastery, relocating to Mount Subasio, which was a fortified Monastery. The original Chapel is thought to date from the 4th Century and was built by holy hermits who had come from the Valley of Josaphat. It is said that they brought relics of the Blessed Virgin with them to the region when they constructed the Chapel. The history of the feast is inspiring. St Francis of Assisi, in the early days of his conversion, while he was still uncertain as to what path to pursue, was praying earnestly for enlightenment before the Crucifix at the Church of San Damiano, when he heard within himself the command of the Crucified: “Build up my house, for it is nearly falling down.” Taking the words literally, Francis began to restore San Damiano and other dilapidated Churches in and near Assisi. The most famous of these was the Church of Our Lady of the Angels. Some time after the restoration of this little Chapel, an Angel told St Francis to come to the Church of Our Lady of Angels, or Portiuncula. There he found Our Lord, His Blessed Mother and the Angels waiting for him. Our Lord commended Francis because of his zeal for the salvation of souls and promised to grant him whatever he should ask on behalf of sinners. St Francis asked for this great favour – that all those who came to this Church to pray and, truly sorry for their sins, confessed them, should “Obtain in perpetuity a Plenary Indulgence” so that they would have nothing to account for when God called them. This was the great favour he asked, but Our Lord granted it to him through Mary. When Saint Francis came upon the little, run down and abandoned Chapel of Our Lady of Angels, or Santa Maria degli Angelis, in the year 1208, it was almost completely hidden in shrubs and bush. Saint Francis entered the hidden Church, which measured only (7 x 4 metres) twenty-two feet by thirteen feet and saw the ancient fresco that had been placed above the main Altar. It was an image of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin surrounded by Angels. Some say that this is why the Chapel was named Our Lady of Angels, although there are also legends that Angels could often be heard singing there.
The place took its name, the Little Portion, or Portiuncula in the native Italian, from the small section of fertile land that was gifted to the Monks to work for their support. It is said that this was the place where Saint Francis first understood his vocation, received visions and was also where the saint desired to live. The Benedictines had lived at that location for hundreds of years but the Benedictine Monks gave this Chapel to Saint Francis upon his request. It was certainly here that the Franciscan Order was founded. At first Saint Francis wished the convent which he built there to be the principal one of his Order. He assembled the first General Chapter there, where there were five thousand religious. It was also where he yielded up his spirit on 3 October 1226, the twentieth of his conversion and the forty-fourth of his age. The cell in which the poor man of Assisi died can still be seen where it rests against one of the columns of the cupola under the choir bay.
St Auspicius of Apt St Betharius of Chartres St Centolla of Burgos St Etheldritha of Croyland Bl Frederic Campisani Bl Giustino Maria Russolillo Bl Gundekar of Eichstätt Bl Joanna of Aza Bl John of Rieti St Maximus of Padua St Pedro de Osma
St Plegmund St Rutilius St Serenus of Marseilles (Died c 606) Bishop of Marseilles St Sidwell St Pope Stephen I — Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: Bl Fernando Olmedo Reguera Bl Miguel Amaro Rodríguez
Thought for the Day – 1 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” -Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Virginal Purity of Mary
O Mary, my Heavenly Mother, I am so weak, yet the danger in which I find myself, is so great. Turn your eyes of mercy upon me and come to my assistance. Most of all, do not allow the demon of impurity to seduce my soul. Grant that I may never yield to the temptations of the flesh. Protect for me, the flower of my chastity, until I can deliver it, unsullied, into the hands of Jesus in Heaven. Amen.
August – The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
The Physical Heart, Symbol of the Spiritual Heart
The Fathers of the Church consider that when, from the Cross, Our Lord Jesus made the Blessed Lady, the mother of St John and thus He appointed her the mother of all men.
Thus, Mary’s heart is the physical symbol of her boundless love for God and humankind. But Our Lady’s physical heart is also the symbol of her spiritual heart. Thus, in the Immaculate Heart of Mary we also honour her inner life, her virtues, her perfect purity, her boundless humility, her affections and her sorrow.
Poignant in Catholic tradition is the representation of Mary’s heart pierced by a sword, symbol of her immense sorrow at witnessing and willing her Son’s passion and death for the salvation of our souls.
“…Let us continue Immaculate Mary’s mission. All is included in it. May [we].. follow her example and be the handmaid of the Lord in everything, everywhere and always.”
Quote/s of the Day – 1 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – Readings: Exodus 16: 2-4, 12-15; Psalms 78: 3-4, 23-24, 25, 54 (24b); Ephesians 4: 17, 20-24; John 6: 24-35
“I am the bread of life”
John 6:35
“For His body, has been given to you under the appearance of bread and His blood, under the appearance of wine, so that, when you have partaken of the body and blood of Christ, you might be one body and one blood with Him. So shall we become Christ-bearers [“Christophers”]. His body and blood are diffused t hrough all our members – see, then, how we become participants in the divine nature!”
St Cyril of Jerusalem (313-350) Father & Doctor of the Church
This the truth to Christians given, Bread becomes His flesh from heaven, Wine becomes His holy Blood (Jn 6:55). …
St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) Sequence for the feast of Corpus Christi “ Lauda Sion ”
One Minute Reflection – 1 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – Readings: Exodus 16: 2-4, 12-15; Psalms 78: 3-4, 23-24, 25, 54 (24b); Ephesians 4: 17, 20-24; John 6: 24-35
They said to him, “Lord, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.”…John 6:34-35
REFLECTION – Christ is “the bread of life” for those who believe in Him: to believe in Christ is to eat the bread of life, to possess Christ within one, is to possess eternal life… “I am the bread of life,” He says; “your fathers ate manna in the wilderness and they are dead” (Jn 6,48f). By this is to be understood ,spiritual death. Why are they dead? Because they believed in what they saw and did not understand what they could not see… Moses ate manna, Aaron ate it and many others, too, who pleased God and are not dead. Why are they not dead? Because they understood, in a spiritual fashion, they were spiritually hungry, they tasted the manna spiritually, so that they might be spiritually satisfied. “This is the bread that came down from heaven: whoever eats it will never die” (v.50). This manna – that is to say, Christ, who Himself spoke like this…, was prefigured by the manna but was able to do more than manna could. For manna could not, of itself, prevent dying spiritually… But the righteous saw Christ in the manna, they believed in His coming and Christ, of whom manna was the symbol, grants to all who believe in Him that they should not spiritually die. Hence He says: “This is the bread come down from heaven; whoever eats it will never see death.” Here on earth, here now, before your eyes, your eyes of flesh: here is to be found the “bread from heaven” (v.51). The “bread of life” we spoke of a moment ago is now called “living bread.” Living bread because it contains, within itself, the life that abides and can deliver from spiritual death and bestow life. First He said: “Whoever eats it will never die” now he speaks clearly, concerning the life He gives: “Whoever eats this bread will live for ever” (v.58). Archbishop Baldwin of Canterbury (c 1125-1190) Cistercian – The Sacrament of the Altar II
PRAYER – Forgive the sins of Your people Lord and since of ourselves, we are unable to do what pleases You, lead us on the way of salvation in Your divine Son who lives in us and gives us life. May the prayers of Mary, His Mother help us to constantly meditate on His eternal sustenance. He is our food, our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 1 August – Feast of Saint Peter in Chain
Make Your Dwelling in Me By St John Damascene (675-749) Father & Doctor of the Church
Hold dominion over my heart, O Lord! Keep it as Your inheritance. Make Your dwelling in me, along with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Widen in me the cords of Your tabernacle, even the operations of Your Most Holy Spirit. For You are my God and I will praise You, together with the Eternal Father and your quickening Spirit, now, henceforth and forever. Amen
Saint of the Day – 1 August – Saint Ethelwold of Winchester (c 912-984) Bishop of Winchester, Monk, Abbot, Reformer, Founder and restorer of many Monasteries and Convents. Born in c 912 at Winchester, England and died on 1 August 984 of natural causes. Also known as – Adeluoldus, Aethelwald, Aethelwold, Etelvoldo, Etelwold, Ethelwald, “Father of Monks.”
Ethelwold was nobly born and a native of Winchester. Being moved in his youth with an ardent desire totally to devote himself to the divine service, he for some time made it his most earnest request to the Father of lights, that he might find an experienced guide in the paths of salvation. He met with this director in the great St Dunstan, then Abbot of Glastonbury, to whom he addressed himself and received, from his hands, the monastic habit. Knowing that heavenly wisdom is an inestimable treasure, to purchase which we must sell all things and exert our whole strength, he bid adieu to all other thoughts and pursuits and never ceased to sigh, to pray, to weep and to labour, with all the ardour of his soul. At the same time, his zeal for knowledge made him embrace every branch of the sacred sciences that these studies were to become his essential duty. St Dunstan, after some time, made him Dean of his Monks.
In 947, King Edred rebuilt and richly endowed the Abbey of Abingdon in Berkshire, which had been founded by King Cissa, in 675. Ethelwold was appointed Abbot of this great Monastery, where he rendered a perfect model of regular discipline and which became a nursery of other like establishments. He procured from Corbie, a master of church music and sent Osgar to Fleury, a Monastery which at that time, surpassed all others in the reputation of strict observance of the most perfect monastic discipline.
The fury of the Danes had made such havoc of religious houses, that no Monks were then left in all England except in the two Monasteries of Glastonbury and Abingdon, as the historian of this latter place testifies and the education of youth and every other support of learning and virtue, was almost banished by the ravages of those barbarians. These deplorable circumstances awaked the zeal of the virtuous, especially of St Dunstan, St Ethelwold and St. Oswald. These three also set themselves, with great industry, to restore learning.
Ethelwold was Consecrated Bishop of Winchester by St Dunstan. The disorders and ignorance which reigned among some of the clergy of England occasioned by the Danish devastations, produced a scandalous violation of some of the canons. Ethelwold found these evils obstinate and past recovery among the disorderly secular Canons of the Cathedral of Winchester. He expelled them, allotting to each of them a part of their prebends for their annual subsistence and placing Monks from Abingdon in their place with whom he kept choir as their Bishop and Abbot.† Three of the former Canons took the monastic habit, and continued to serve God in that Church. The year following, St Ethelwold expelled the seculars out of the new monastery of Winchester, and placed there Monks with an Abbot.
He repaired the nunnery dedicated to the Virgin Mary and bought of the King the lands and ruins of the great nunnery of St Audry in the isle of Ely, which had been burnt by the Danes a hundred years before and he erected, on the same spot, a sumptuous Abbey of Monks, which King Edgar exceedingly enriched, as is related by Thomas of Ely. He likewise purchased the ruins of Thorney in Cambridgeshire, which he restored in like manner about the year 970. He assisted and directed Adulph to buy the ruins of Peterborough Abbey and rebuilt the same in a most sumptuous manner.
He rested from his labours on the 1st of August, 984 and was buried in the Cathedral of Winchester, on the south side of the High Altar. Authentic proofs of miracles wrought through his intercession having been made, his body was taken up and solemnly deposited under the Altar by St Elphege, his immediate successor, afterward Archbishop of Canterbury and Martyr.
Portiuncula Indulgence: An Indulgence which may be gained in any Church so designated by the Bishop, by all the faithful who, after Confession and Holy Communion, visit such Churches between noon of 1 August and midnight of 2 August, or on the Sunday following. The Indulgence is toties quoties and is applicable to the souls in Purgatory.
Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes / Our Lady of Mercy, Barcelona, Spain (1218,) Founding of the Mercedarian Order – 1 August, 24 September :
Original image from the Mercedarian website
On 1 August of 1218, St Peter Nolasco, St Raymund of Penafort and James, King of Aragon, each had a vision of the Virgin Mary asking them to found a religious Order devoted to freeing Christian captives from the Muslims, who still held much of Spain. The Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy grew quickly, collecting alms for ransom and sometimes offering themselves in exchange for prisoners. The Statue of the Mother of God of Mercy in Barcelona (below) dates from the 1300s. She became the City’s Patron after saving it from a plague of locusts in 1687. Before the counter-reformation, the Mercedarian Order celebrated the Feast of Our Lady of Ransom on 1 August, the date when she showed St. Peter Nolasco their white habit. The Vatican changed the date to 24 September when it extended the feast to entire Church in 1696. Since Vatican II, Catholic observance of Our Lady of Mercy’s day is limited to places and organisations that claim her as Patron. Meanwhile, the Mercedarians have changed their mission to teaching and chaplaincy and the Barcelona soccer team visits the Basilica of La Mercè after victories in thanksgiving for her help. Her fiesta in Barcelona is a spectacular sequence of processions, dances, music, games and fireworks.
St Adela Mardosewicz Bl Aleksy Sobaszek St Alexander of Perga St Almedha St Arcadius St Attius of Perga St Buono St Brogan St Charity St Ethelwold of Winchester (c 912-984) Bishop St Exuperius of Bayeux St Faith St Faustus St Felix of Gerona St Friard Bl Giovanni Bufalari St Hope St Jadwiga Karolina Zak St Jonatus St Justin of Paris St Kenneth of Wales St Leontius of Perga St Maur St Nemesius of Lisieux Bl Orlando of Vallombrosa St Peregrinus of Modena St Rioch Bl Rudolph St Secundel St Secundus of Palestrina St Sophia St Verus of Vienne
Holy Maccabees: Jewish dynasty which began with the rebellion of Mathathias and his five sons against the Syrian king, Antiochus IV (168 BC) and ruled the fortunes of Israel until the advent of Herod the Great. Syrian attempts to force Greek paganism on the Jews, the profanation of the Temple at Jerusalem and the massacre which followed, brought the nation to arms under Mathathias, a priest of the sons of Joarib. At the death of Mathathias, Judas Machabeus, his third son, drove the Syrians and Hellenists out of Jerusalem, rededicated the Temple and began an offensive and defensive alliance with the Romans. Before the treaty was concluded, however, Judas, with 800 men, risked battle at Laisa with an overwhelming army of Syrians under Bacchides, and was slain. He was succeeded in command by his youngest brother, Jonathan (161 BC). Jonathan defeated Bacchides, revenged the death of his brother and made peace with Alexander who had usurped the throne of Demetrius, the successor to Antiochus. A period of peace followed in which Jonathan ruled as high priest in Jerusalem but Tryphon, who was plotting for the throne of Asia, treacherously captured him at ptolemais and later put him to death. The captaincy of the armies of Israel then fell to Simon, the second son of Mathathias. Under him the land of Juda flourished exceedingly. He obtained the complete independence of the country and a grateful people bestowed upon him the hereditary kingship of the nation. His rule marked five years of uninterrupted peace. He was treacherously slain by his son-in-law, Ptolemy, about the year 135 BC After Simon the race of the Machabees quickly degenerated. In 63 BC the Romans thought it necessary to interfere in the fratricidal war between Hyrcanus II and Aristobulus II. With this interference and the advent of Herod the Great the sceptre passed forever from the land of Juda. The story of the Machabees is written in the two books of the Old Testament which bear that name.
Saints Faith, Hope and Charity: The daughters of Saint Sophia. While still children, they were tortured and martyred for their faith in the persecutions of Hadrian. They were scourged, thrown into a fire, and then beheaded.
Martyrs of Nowogrodek – 11 beati: A group of eleven Holy Family of Nazareth nuns who were murdered by the Nazi Gestapo in exchange for 120 condemned citizens of Nowogrodek, Belarus who were scheduled for revenge killings. They are – • Adela Mardosewicz • Anna Kukolowicz • Eleonora Aniela Józwik • Eugenia Mackiewicz • Helena Cierpka • Jadwiga Karolina Zak • Józefa Chrobot • Julia Rapiej • Leokadia Matuszewska • Paulina Borowik • Weronika Narmontowicz They were machine-gunned by firing squad on 1 August 1943 by the Gestapo about three miles outside Novogrudok (Nowogródek), Hrodzyenskaya voblasts’, in Nazi occupied Belarus and buried on the site of the execution in a common grave. One of their surviving sisters, Maria Malgorzata Banas, located the grave on 19 March 1945 and tended to it until her death in 1966. Their relics have since been re-interred in a common sarcophagus in the chapel of the Novograd Farny Church (the Church of the Transfiguration, also known as Biala Fara or the White Church).
Thought for the Day – 31 July – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Little Things
“Just as there are ordinary acts of virtue, so there are very ordinary sins. But it would be rash to regard acts of deception, vanity and impatience, as insignificant. Every deliberate sin is an offence against God our highest good and our Redeemer.
How can God be indifferent to these ungrateful violations of His law? After all, even as He has assured us, that a cup of cold water given in His Name to a thirsty man, will have its reward (Cf Mt 10:42), so He has assured us, that not even the slightest trace of sin can enter into eternal glory! We shall not be condemned to Hell for venial sins alone but, we shall suffer a decline in grace and shall be obliged to expiate our sins, either in this life, or in Purgatory.
AnaStpaul 
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