Quote/s of the Day – 16 May – “Mary’s Month” – Sunday within the Octave of the Ascension or The Seventh Sunday of Easter, Readings: Acts 1:11, Psalm 47: 2-3, 6-7, 8-9 (6), Second Ephesians 4: 1-1, John 17:1-11
“I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me, because they are yours. All mine are yours and all yours are mine and I am glorified in them. … Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.”
John 17:9-11
“Our lives are all controlled by the Spirit now and are not confined to this physical world that is subject to corruption. The light of the Only-begotten has shone on us and we have been transformed into the Word, the source of all life.”
St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Father and Doctor of the Incarnation
“If, as God, Jesus is the term of our seeking, as Man, He is the unique Exemplar, wherefrom we ought never to turn our gaze.”
One Minute Reflection – 16 May – “Mary’s Month” – Sunday within the Octave of the Ascension or The Seventh Sunday of Easter, Readings: Acts 1:11, Psalm 47: 2-3, 6-7, 8-9 (6), Second Ephesians 4: 1-1, John 17:1-11
“Holy Father, keep them in your name… so that they may be one just as we are one” – John 17:11
REFLECTION – “The Beloved in the Song of Songs says: “My dove, my perfect one, is only one. She is the only child of her mother…” (6,9). The same point is made even more clearly by the Lord’s own words in the Gospel. For when, in His blessing, He bequeathed all power to His disciples, in His prayer to His Father, He bestowed on His followers all good gifts,and He added the greatest gift of all, that they should never be fragmented or divided… but, they should all be one, united in growth with the one and only good. And so, through “the unity of the Holy Spirit,” they should all be clasped together in “the bond of peace” and become “one body, one spirit, through the one hope to which they are called” (Eph 4,3-4)…
“That they may all be one, even as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be one.” The bond of this unity is glory and that the Holy Spirit is called “glory” no sensible person will deny, if he considers the Lord’s words: “The glory which you have given me, I have given them” (Jn 17,22). He truly gave such glory to His disciples, for He said to them: “Receive the Holy Spirit” (Jn 20,22). When He clothed Himself in human nature, Christ received this glory, which He had from all ages, “before the world began” (Jn 17,5) and, when His human nature was thus glorified by the Holy Spirit, the glory of the Spirit could be handed on to Christ’s kin, beginning with the disciples. This is the meaning of Christ’s words: “Father, the glory which you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one as we are one.” – St Gregory of Nyssa (c 335-395), Bishop, Brother of St Basil the Great – Sermon on the Song of Songs, no 15
PRAYER – Since it is from You, God our Father, that redemption comes to us, Your adopted children, look with favour on the family You love, grant us to seek You and to to find You in Your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ.,, May our whole being become a copy of Your Son’s obedience and thus follow Him to You in our eternal heritage. We entreat Our Lady, Queen of Heaven to offer her prayers to You, to strengthen us in our temptations and trials. Through Christ, Our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God for all eternity, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 15 May – “Mary’s Month” – Wednesday of the Fourth week of Easter, C
Mother of Mercy By St Bonaventure (1217-1274) Serpahic Doctor
Virgin full of goodness, Mother of Mercy, I entrust to you my body and soul, my thoughts, my actions, my life and my death. O my Queen, help me, and deliver me from all the snares of the devil. Obtain for me the grace of loving my Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, with a true and perfect love, and after him, O Mary, to love you with all my heart and above all things. Amen
Saint of the Day – 16 May – Saint Honorius of Amiens (Died 653) The Seventh Bishop of Amiens., Miracle-worker. Borin in Port-le-Grand, France and died on 30 September 653 at Porthieu, Amiens of natural causes. Hs Feast Day relates to the date of exumation of his body in 1060. St Honorius served as Bishop of Amiens until his death of natural causes in 653. Also known as – Honoratus, Honoré, Honortus,. Patronages – bakers, confectioners, bakers of altar bread, candle-makers, florists, flour merchants, corn chandlers, oil refiners, and pastry chefs. Honorius is a Latin name (Honoratus) that means “person who is honoured for their merits.“
The Roman Martyrology states of him today: “In Amiens, of Neustria, France, Saint Honoratus, Bishop.“
Honorius was born into a nobile family he was educated by Saint Beatus of Amiens, his predeccesor in the See of Amiens. A pious child, as an adult he became the reluctant Bishop of Amiens. His reluctance was the result of Honorius considering himself unworthy of the position and responsibility. Legend says that a ray of divine light and holy oil appeared upon his head at the time of his selection.
He was not the only one who had difficulty accepting he was selected as Bishop. When th news of his election reached his hometown, his nursemaid, who was baking bread for the family, refused to believe that Honoratus had been elevated to such a position. She remarked that she would believe the news only if the peel she had been using to bake bread put down roots and turned itself into a tree. When the peel was placed into the ground, it was transformed into a mulberry tree that gave flowers and fruit. This miraculous tree was still being shown in the sixteenth century. This miracle is the cause of most of his patroages.
During his episcopate he was honoured with other extraordinary events, such as the discovery of the bodies of Saints Fuscio, Victorico and Genten, Martyrs, which had remained hidden from the faithful. for more than three hundred years. They also say of Saint Honoratus, that his Bishopric was signified by a series of wonders that demonstrated his sanctity, being, especially graced by the Lord.
Many miracles occurred during his lifetime and after his death. Centuries after his death, to help the needs of the people in times of terrible drought, Bishop Guy, son of the Count of Amiens, ordered a general procession, in which the urn with the body of the Saint was carried around the walls of the City. Thus by the prayers raised to St Honorius for his intercession at the throne of God, at last, the rain so desired and needed, fell in abundance. Over the centuries countless miracles are attributed to him, the paralysed walked, the deaf heard, the blind saw and the prisoners regained freedom.
His devotion was widespread in France following reports of numerous miracles when his body was exhumed in 1060.
In 1202, a baker named Renold Theriens donated to the City of Paris some land to build a Chapel in honour of St Honoriust. The Chapel became one of the richest in Paris and gave its name to Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. In 1400, the bakers of Paris established their guild in the Church of Saint Honorius celebrating his feast on 16 May and spreading his cult. This devotion was so great that in 1659, Louis XIV specified that each baker “must observe the Feast of San Honorius, attend the divine service on 16 May and pay a retribution every Sunday to support the community’s expenses.”
He is also the patron of a Carthusian establishment at Abbeville, which was founded in 1306.
He is the namesake of the St Honoré Cake and their are many Villages, Towns, Churches, pastry shops and streets named for St Honorius.
Church of St Honorius in Paris
A statue of Honorius stands in the portal of Amiens Cathedral, see below.
Apparition of Our Lady to Saint Catherine of Alexandria (4th Century) – 16 May:
The Abbot Orsini wrote: “Apparition of Our Lady to Saint Catherine of Alexandria, whose body was discovered on the 13th of this month, on Mount Sinai, in consequence of a revelation which the Queen of heaven gave of it.”
Saint Catherine of Alexandria, also known as Saint Catherine of the Wheel, is a Saint, Virgin, and Martyr. She was the beautiful daughter of King Costus and Queen Sabinella of Alexandria, who at a young age decided to remain a virgin until and unless, she should meet someone who exceeded her in status and political position, as well as beauty, intelligence and wealth. She decided upon Christ, who reigns over us all, for “His beauty is more radiant than the shining of the sun, His wisdom governs all creation and His riches are spread throughout all the world.” While yet a teenager, Saint Catherine received a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Her Divine Son Jesus Christ. In this vision, the Mother of God gave Catherine to her Son in a mystical marriage. Mystical marriage is in some senses, very similar to a marriage ceremony, as Christ presents the chosen soul with a ring that is often invisible to others and often there are Saints and Angels present. There have been well over 70 documented mystical marriages of Saints and ,although the action is mysterious and not well understood, it appears, that Christ gives special attention to these Saints. Saint Teresa explained, that it was the highest state a soul could achieve in this life, and represents a transforming and constant union with the Blessed Trinity.
Saint Catherine was Martyred by the Roman Emperor Maxentius when she refused his proposal of marriage. Again, according to tradition, her body was taken by Angels to Mount Sinai where a Church and Monastery were built in her honour. Saint Catherine’s relics were rediscovered about the year 800. Her hair was still growing and there was a continuous stream of oil coming from her body that was found to have miraculous properties. King Saint Edward was said to have collected some of that oil and taken it back to his kingdom.
Saint Catherine, along with Saint Margaret, were the two Saints who spoke to encourage Saint Joan of Arc in her mission.
St Abdas of Cascar Bl Adam of Adami Bl Adam of San Sabine
St Carantac St Carantoc St Diocletian of Osimo St Felix of Uzalis St Fidolus of Aumont St Fiorenzo of Osimo St Fort of Bordeaux St Francoveus St Gennadius of Uzalis St Germerius of Toulouse St Hilary of Pavia St Honorius of Amiens (Died 653) Bishop Bl Louis of Mercy
St Ubaldus Baldassini St Victorian of Isauria Bl Valdimir Ghika — Martyrs of Saint Sabas: A group of monks, whose names have not come down to us, who were massacred by Moors at the monastery of Saint Sabas in Palestine.
Thought for the Day – 15 May – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Power of Mary
“We should turn confidently to Mary, especially when we are tempted. She cannot allow us to offend her Jesus and to fall into the foils of the devil, as long as we pray to her with faith in her intercession. “The devil, as a roaring lion,” says St Peter, “goes about seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). But, our Mother Mary is always by our side seeking to protect us. Let us entrust ourselves to her maternal care. Not only does Mary wish to help us, declares St Bonaventure but, those who do not pray to her, commit almost as great an offence, as those who openly insult her (In Spec Virg)!
Quote/s of the Day – 15 May – “Mary’s Month” – Readings: Acts 18: 23-28, Psalms 47: 2-3, 8-9, 10, John 16: 23-28
“Amen, amen I say to you, if you ask the Father anything in my name, he will give it you.”
John 16:27
“Prayer is the wing, wherewith the soul flies to heaven and meditation, the eye, wherewith we see God.”
St Ambrose (340-397) Father and Doctor of the Church
“Lift up and stretch out your hands, not to heaven but to the poor… if you lift up your hands in prayer without sharing with the poor, it is worth nothing.”
St John Chrysostom (347-407) Father and Doctor of the Church
“A servant of the Lord stands bodily before men but mentally, he is knocking at the gates of heaven. with prayer.”
“Ask with tears, seek with obedience, knock with patience.”
St John Climacus (c 525-606) Father of the Church
Prayer for the Gift of Prayer By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor
O Incarnate Word, You have given Your Blood and Your Life to confer on our prayers that power by which, according to Your promise, they obtain for us all that we ask. And we, O God, are so careless of our salvation, that we will not even ask You for the graces that we must have, if we should be saved! In prayer You have given us the key of all Your Divine treasures; and we, rather than pray, choose to remain in our misery. Alas! O Lord, enlighten us, and make us know the value of prayers, offered in Your name and by Your merits, in the eyes of Your Eternal Father. Amen
“My children, your heart is small but prayer expands it and makes it able to love God. Prayer is a foretaste of heaven, an outflowing of paradise. It never leaves us without sweetness. It is honey, which descends into the soul and sweetens everything. Sorrows melt in a prayer, that is well prayed, like snow in the sun.”
Our Morning Offering – 15 May – ‘Mary’ Month’ – Saturday within the Octave of th Ascension
Run, Hasten O Lady By St Bernard (1090-1153) Doctor of the Church
Run, hasten, O Lady, and in your mercy help your sinful servant, who calls upon you, and deliver him from the hands of the enemy. Who will not sigh to you? We sigh with love and grief, for we are oppressed on every side. How can we do otherwise than sigh to you, O solace of the miserable, refuge of outcasts, ransom of captives? We are certain that when you see our miseries, your compassion will hasten to relieve us. O our sovereign Lady and our Advocate, commend us to your Son. Grant, O blessed one, by the grace which you have merited, that He, Who through you, was graciously pleased to become a partaker of our infirmity and misery, may also, through your intercession, make us partakers, of His happiness and glory. Amen
One Minute Reflection – 15 May – “Mary’s Month” – Readings: Acts 18: 23-28, Psalms 47: 2-3, 8-9, 10, John 16: 23-28
“In that day, you will ask in My Name” – John 16:26
REFLECTION – “At the end of our prayers we say: “Through Jesus Christ Thy Son, our Lord” and not “Through the Holy Spirit.” This practice of the Universal Church is not without reason. At its root lies the Mystery according to which, Jesus Christ is the Mediator between God and humanity (1 Tim 2:5), a Priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek, He who, with His own Blood, entered into the Holy of Holies, not that which was only a copy but, into Heaven itself, where He is at the Right Hand of God and intercedes for us (Heb 6:20; 9:24).
It was in His consideration of Christ’s Priesthood, that the Apostle said: “Through Him let us continually offer God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips which confess His Name” (Heb 13:15). It is through Him that we offer the sacrifice of praise and prayer because it is His death that reconciled us while we were still enemies (Rom 5:10). He willed to offer Himself in sacrifice for our sakes and, since then, it is through Him, that our offerings can be acceptable in God’s sight. This is why Saint Peter warns us in these words: “Like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God, through Jesus Christ” (1 Pt 2:5). This is the reason why we say to God the Father: “Through Jesus Christ Thy Son, our Lord.” – Saint Fulgentius of Ruspe (467-532) – Bishop in North Africa (Letter 14,36).
PRAYER – Since it is from You, God our Father, that redemption comes to us, Your adopted children, look with favour on the family You love, hear our prayer as we unite our voices in the name of Your Son, our Lord and Redeemer. May our faith, love and joy in Christ bring us all alike to our eternal heritage and may the prayer of His blessed Mother and ours lead us safely home. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God with You, loving Father, forever, amen.
Saint of the Day – 15 May – Saint Hallvard of Oslo (c 1020-1043) Martyr in defence of innocence. Born in c 1020 and died by being shot with an arrow at Drammen, Norway. Patronages – Oslo, Innocence.
Saint Hallvard was born of noble parents. He grew up on his father’s farm, well-liked by everyone. He loved Christianity, was obedient to his parents, loving his neighbour, chaste and in every way honest and just.
Hallvard became a merchant. An introductory story to the legend tells that he was once on Gotland on a trade trip. “Then one of the inhabitants of the land, a rich man named Borvid, came to the strangers and asked who they were. He stood looking at Hallvard for a while and then said, ‘Who is this young man?’ They explained his name and lineage. When he heard this, he said: ‘You have an unusual face and are different to the others. I know for a fact that a great One, will shine upon you.” After this prophecy, he invited the Saint and his companions to a banquet, bought all of Hallvard’s goods and paid more than the Saint asked for.
Saint Hallvard is depicted in the Seal of the City of Oslo, holding the millstone and arrows used to kill him, with the woman he defended at his feet
The legend continues: “Shortly afterwards, in the spring, Saint Hallvard left home to trade in the neighbourhood. He came to a lake called Drafn, there he found a small boat and went on board. But suddenly a pregnant woman appeared, she tremblingly asked to join him on board. When asked who she was and where she was going, she gave her name and said that when she wanted to cross the sea and saw a boat that was going to set out, she came running as fast as she could because she feared for her life. He said she could sit in the stern and then he rowed away. But suddenly he saw three men running down to the beach. They jumped on board another boat and came after Hallvard and his passenger.
The saint said to the woman, ‘Do you know them?’ She replied, ‘Yes, I know them.’ He said: ‘I see that they are after you. Tell me what you did! ‘ She replied. ‘It’s true that they are persecuting me but I have not done what they accuse me of. They accuse me of theft. ‘ He said, ‘Can you cleanse yourself of the charge by carrying iron burdens?’ She said, ‘Yes, I can,and I’m willing to do it as long as they spare me.
But the men, who were close to catching them again, said: ‘Why do you, Hallvard, an honourable young man protect such a bad woman? Surrender her so she can die. She deserves it. ‘ Hallvard said to them, ‘What has she done?’ They replied, ‘She broke into our brother’s house and stole his belongings.’ He asked them, ‘And how did she get into the house?’ They said, ‘She pulled the ring that held the lock out of the doorpost.’ He said: ‘No woman can do that, only a very strong man! Has anyone seen her do this? Or have you found stolen goods in her house? And if it is not certain that she has stolen, then why should she die? Wouldn’t it be more appropriate to let her clear herself of the accusation if she can? And if she can not, then she will either be judged according to the law, or I will pay her ransom. For you should not kill a pregnant woman and the child she is carrying. Do not do anything hasty now! ‘
Instead, they screamed, furiously. One of them grabbed his bow and tightened it and the arrow, which was fired with full force, drilled into the Martyr’s chest. After he was murdered, they also killed the woman and buried her on the beach. And to the Saint’s neck they bound a stone and lowered him into the deep. But by the grace of God and by the merits of the Martyr, long after his body was found, with the stone, floating on the sea. “ He was buried in the Saint Hallvard Cathedral, Oslo.
The Hallvard legend formed the basis for a local cult of Hallvard in the Middle Ages. His feast day is widely celebrated especially in Eastern Norway, especially in Viken. His connection to Oslo was strengthened by the fact that his image became part of the City’s Coat pf Arms, see below, as early as the 14th century and he has often been referred to as “Oslo’s Patron Saint.”
Oslo’s Coat of Arms depicting St Halvard and the inocent woman
Oslo Municipality has made Hallvard’s Day 15 May, the City’s official holiday and the municipality’s highest award, the St Hallvard Medal, was named after him in 1950.
St Hallvard Church and Monastery on Enerhaugen was Consecrated as a Franciscan Monastery and Parish Church for the eastern Parish of the Oslo Catholic Diocese.
Notre-Dame-du-Port, Clermont-Ferrand, Puy de Dôme, Auvergne / Our Lady of the Port, (1614) – 15 May:
Clermont-Ferrand is located on a plain in the volcanic region of central France. Unlike most hub cities, it is not on a body of water. And yet ,for a thousand years, Clermont’s eastern district has been known as the Port.
In the crypt of its Romanesque Church of Our Lady of the Port, dating to the early 1100s, is an unusual Black Virgin, a polychromed walnut Statue just under a foot high. This long-revered image is a copy made around 1800 of a Statue from the 1200s, which was held to be a copy of an even earlier image–possibly going back to the Shrine’s foundation by St Avit in the 500s, or possibly a copy of a Byzantine icon brought by returning Crusaders. Mary cradles the child against her cheek, such as the Notre-Dame de Grâce, given in 1450 to Cambrai Cathedral in northern France. n 1614, snow and bitter cold enveloped the area without stopping from Martinmas (11 November) to Easter. By May, there were still no buds and no grass and famine loomed. The leaders and Priests conferred. They asked the Chapter to bring out the image of Our Lady of the Port from the collegiate Church.
The four-hour procession took place on the morning of Ascension Day, May 15, 1614. Some 8,000 people followed the holy image and relics of Saints around the City walls, chanting litanies. The next day, the weather grew milder and in the following days, truly beautiful. To the joy of all, the harvests were excellent that summer and even more abundant the next year.
The new Bishop, Joachim d’Estaing, on 5 May 1616, ordered an inquiry among the town notables, after which he issued an ordinance declaring that the Feast of Notre-Dame du Port would take place on 15 May in the Parish and be observed as a day of rest in the future.
The Statue was crowned in 1875 and on 15 May 1881, Pope Leo XII declared the Church a Minor Basilica. The procession of the first Sunday after 15 May remains joyously well attended.
Bercthun of Beverley Bertha of Bingen St Caecilius of Granada St Caesarea of Otranto St Cassius of Clermont Bl Clemente of Bressanone St Colman Mc O’Laoighse St Ctesiphon of Verga Blessed Diego of Valdieri
St Gerebernus St Hallvard of Oslo (c 1020-1043) Martyr St Hesychius of Gibraltar St Hilary of Galeata St Indaletius of Urci St Isaias St Isidore of Chios Bl Joan Montpeó Masip St Maximus of Clermont St Nicholas the Mystic St Rupert of Bingen St Secundus of Avila St Simplicius of Sardinia St Sophia of Rome St Victorinus of Clermont St Waldalenus of Beze
Thought for the Day – 14 May – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Refuge of Sinners
“Mary is called, the Star of Sea because, as St Thomas Aquinas says, “even as sailors are guided into port, by means of a star, so Christians are guided towards Heaven, by means of Mary, .” (Opuse, 7). This absolute guarantee of the protection of our heavenly Mother, should increase our trust in her and lead us to turn towards her in every difficulty and temptation. It should not, however, result in an unhealthy attitude of spiritual inactivity, a passive dependence on Mary’s favours, without any co-operation on our part. Such behaviour would be the height of filial ingratitude. Mary will certainly save repentant sinners who have recourse to her but she cannot pay any attention to hardened sinners, who pray to her with their lips, while their hearts remain steeped in sin. We must have complete confidence in her but, we must also have a sincere intention of raising ourselves under her protection, from the slavery of sin, to the friendship of God.
Quote/s of the Day – 14 May – “Mary’s Month” – Feast of St Matthias Apostle, Readings: Acts 1:15-17, 20-26, Psalm 113:1-8, John 15:9-17
“The lot fell upon Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.”
Acts 1:26
“He needed to be a witness not of the times before or after that event and not of the signs and wonders but only of the Resurrection itself. For the rest happened by general admission, openly but the Resurrection took place secretly and was known to these men only.”
St John Chrysosthom (347-407) Father & Doctor of the Church
“You are my friends, if you do the things that I command you.”
John 15:14
“I have chosen you and have appointed you, that you should go and should bring forth fruit and your fruit should remain, says the Lord.”
One Minute Reflection – 14 May – “Mary’s Month” – Feast of St Matthias Apostle, Readings: Acts 1:15-17, 20-26, Psalm 113:1-8, John 15:9-17
“…All that I have heard from my Father, I have made known to you.” … John 15:15
REFLECTION – “Among His disciples Christ chose twelve chief ones whom He destined to be the teachers of the nations. Accordingly, after one of these had been struck off, He commanded the eleven others, on His departure to the Father, to “go and teach all nations” who were to be “baptised into the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Mt 28,19).
So the Apostles – whom this designation indicates as ‘the sent’ – on the authority of a prophecy which occurs in a psalm of David, immediately chose Matthias by lot in place of Judas. They obtained the promised power of the Holy Spirit for the gift of miracles and tongues and, after first bearing witness to faith in Jesus Christ, throughout Judaea and founding Churches there, they next went out into the world and preached the same teaching of faith to the nations. …
Now what it was they preached – in other words, what it was that Christ revealed to them – can properly be proved, in no other way, than by those very Churches that the Apostles founded in person, by directly declaring the Gospel to them, first by word of mouth and subsequently by their epistles. If, then, these things are so, it is manifest, that all doctrine that agrees with the Apostolic Churches, which are the matrix and source of the faith, must be reckoned as true and as undoubtedly containing that, which those Churches received, from the Apostles, the Apostles from Christ and Christ from God.” … Tertullian, full name Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus (c 155- c 240) Father of the Church
PRAYER – Lord God, You chose St Matthias to complete the number of the twelve. By his prayer, include us among Your chosen ones, since we rejoice to see that the lot marked out for us, is in Your Love. May the Mother of Jesus, the Apostles and our Mother, ever intercede for us all. Through Jesus the Christ, our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God now and forever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 14 May – “Mary’s Month” – Feast of St Matthias Apostle
My Lady, My Refuge and my Strength By St Germanus (c 640- 733) Bishop of Constantinople Defender of the Faith Defender of Sacred Images
My refuge and my strength My Lady, my refuge, life and help, my armour and my boast, my hope and my strength, grant that I may enjoy the ineffable, inconceivable gifts of your Son, your God and our God, in the heavenly kingdom. For I know surely that you have power to do as you will, since you are Mother of the most High. Therefore, Lady most pure, I beg you that I may not be disappointed in my expectations but may obtain them, O Spouse of God, who bore Him, who is the expectation of all, Our Lord Jesus Christ, true God and Master of all things, visible and invisible, to whom belongs all glory, honour and respect, now and always and through endless ages. Amen
Saint of the Day – 14 May – Saint Ampelio (Died c 428) Hermit, miracle-worker. Born in the 4th century in Upper Egypt and died on 5 October c 428 in Bordighera, Italy of natural causes. His Feast day refers to the translation of his body to the Church of Saint Stephen in Genoa, Italy on 14 May 1258. Patronages – blacksmiths, Bordighera, Italy. His body is incorrupt and is the only image we have of him.
Nothing is known about the early life of Saint Ampelio. We know that he was a blacksmith who left his work to become a Recluse in Egypt. His faith was tested in the form of a woman (devil) but Ampelio heated an iron bar until it glowed and chased the demon away.
Ampelio emigrated to Italy, where he planted the first date palms, having brought the seeds from Egypt, lived in a cave, was known as a miracle worker and served as a model for prayer for the Christian life.
He died on 5 October 428 in Bordighera, Italy of natural causes. His body was moved to the Convent of Saint Stephen in Genoa, Italy on 14 May 1258. On 16 August 1047, his body was brought back to Bordighera. He was taken in procession through the crowd to the Church of Magdalene, where he now lies. The Patron celebrations take place on 14th May, in memory of the transfer of the body from Sanremo to Genoa in 1258.
The Church of St Mary Magdalene
There is a little Church dedicated to St Ampelio in Bordighera in Liguria, Italy. The crypt, with two apses and small, inclined loop-holes, holds a squared-off block of stone from La Turbie (the rock which dominates the Principality of Monaco). This stone was the poor and very uncomfortable “bed of the saint,” where Ampelio died the 5th October 428.
Madonna di Pinè, Montagnaga, Trento, Italy / Our Lady of Pinè, Montagnaga (1729) – Commemorated 14 May:
Domenica Targa of Guardia, thirty years old, was busy supervising the cattle grazing,which suddenly, with no apparent visible reason, started running in all directions as if she were crazy. The shepherdess then began to cry out: “Mary, Jesus, help me.” As soon as she uttered these words, the Virgin Mary appeared before her with a white veil on her head and thus addressed her: “You called Jesus and Mary for help and they will help you … Do you promised once again to visit Our Lady of Caravaggio? But do not go to Caravaggio! Go rather to the Feast of the Ascension of Christ in the Chapel of St Anne in Montagnaga. There you will find a portrait of the Blessed Virgin by Caravaggio. Kneel down and address your prayers with a sincere heart to Jesus and Mary, then you will see miraculous things. “
On Sunday Domenica went to the Chapel of St Anne in Montagnaga, while praying fervently, she again had an apparition of Mary. The robe of the Blessed Virgin radiated a golden light. She was crowned with a diadem and rays of clear light shone all around her, as did the Child Jesus, who was in her arms. He was dressed all in gold. In the right hand of the Madonna held a crown. She said: “I am Mary, the Mother of the Lord. Please tell this apparition to the local priest. Do not be afraid! Nothing bad will happen to you. I will be with you. In my name you must announce, that every year on this day,a feast must be celebrated.“
Only a few believed the story and especially the Priest showed himself very skeptical.
The Virgin appeared again the next on Sunday and said: “I chose this place as the throne of my Mercy. Those who care to pray here with living faith will not return home empty-handed. Take care that a Church be built for large numbers of my devotees.”
In 1730, an ecclesiastical investigation was ordered which resulted in a positive outcome and approval was granted to the apparitions. A Sanctuary was built and Consecrated in 1750. to which large crowds have flocked on pilgrimage and continue to do so to this day. Today, 14 May, special Masses and processions are held.
Domenica Targa led a life of deep Christian devotion and died in 1764.
St Ampelio (Died c 428) St Boniface of Ferentino St Boniface of Tarsus St Corona the Martyr St Costanzo of Capri St Costanzo of Vercelli Bl Diego of Narbonne St Dyfan St Engelmer St Erembert of Toulouse St Felice of Aquileia St Fortunatus of Aquileia St Gal of Clermont-Ferrand
St Pons of Pradleves St Pontius of Cimiez St Tuto of Regensburg St Victor the Martyr — Martyrs of Seoul – 5 Beata: A group of lay people martyred together in the apostolic vicariate of Korea. • Petrus Choe Pil-je • Lucia Yun Un-hye • Candida Jeong Bok-hye • Thaddeus Jeong In-hyeok • Carolus Jeong Cheol-sang 14 May 1801 at the Small West Gate, Seoul, South Korea – Beatified: 15 August 2014 by Pope Francis
Thought for the Day – 13 May – “Mary’s Month” – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Ascension of Jesus
“When we meditate on the Ascension, we should humbly ask God, to give us the grace, to strip ourselves of our sins and defects. Then we shall be able to fly towards Him with love and hope in this life and, when our soul has been set free from the body which imprisons it on earth, we shall be able to set out on our last joyful flight into His presence. These are the reflections which should be in our minds around the feast of the Ascension. These are the desires which we should foster and the resolutions which we should form. Let us ask Our Lord, to bless them.
O Mary, my most holy Mother, implore your divine Son Jesus, now ascended into Heaven, that I may be more detached from the useless and passing goods of this earth. Ask Him to purify my soul from every stain of sin and to strengthen my will, in it’s good resolutions. Ask Him that my heart may rise nearer to God and to you, through it’s desire for perfection. Amen.”
One Minute Reflection – 13 May – “Mary’s Month” – Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter, Readings: Acts 18: 1-8, Psalms 98: 1, 2-3, 3-4, John 16: 16-20 and the Memorial of Blessed Imelda Lambertini (1322-1333) Child Mystic, “Adorer of the Blessed Sacrament”
“Your sorrow shall be turned into joy.” … John 16:20… John 16:16
REFLECTION – Today, our Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven, let our hearts ascend with Him. Listen to the words of the Apostle – If you have risen with Christ, set your hearts on the things that are above where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God; seek the things that are above, not the things that are on earth. For just as He remained with us even after His ascension, so we too, are already in heaven with Him, even though what is promised us has not yet been fulfilled in our bodies.
Christ is now exalted above the heavens but He still suffers on earth all the pain that we, the members of His body have to bear. He showed this when He cried out from above – Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? and when He said: I was hungry and you gave me food.
Why do we on earth not strive to find rest with Him in heaven even now, through the faith, hope and love that unites us to Him? While in heaven. He is also with us and we, while on earth, are with Him. He is here with us by His divinity, His power and His love. We cannot be in heaven, as He is on earth, by divinity but in Him, we can be there by love.
He did not leave heaven when He came down to us, nor did He withdraw from us when He went up again into heaven. The fact that He was in heaven even while He was on earth, is borne out by His own statement – No-one has ever ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man, who is in heaven. … Thus, no-one but Christ descended and no one but Christ ascended; not because there is no distinction between the head and the body but because the body, as a unity cannot be separated from the head” – St Augustine (354-430) Bishop and Great Western Father and Doctor of the Church – An excerpt from his Sermon on the Lord’s Ascension
PRAYER – Almighty God, fill us with a holy joy, teach us how to thank You with reverence and love for the joy of the ascension of Christ Your on. You have raised us up with Him, where He the head has preceded us in glory, there we, the body, are called in hope. Grant, too we beg, that by Mary’s prayer and the prayer of Your loving child Blessed Imelda Lambertini, we may give You faithful service and spread abroad the glory of Your nameThrough Christ our Lord, i the unity of the Holy Spirit and the glory of the Father, God forever, amen.
Saint of the Day – 13 May – Blessed Imelda Lambertini (1322-1333) Child Mystic, Virgin. Born in 1322 AS Imelda Dpmenica Lambertini at Bologna, Italy and died on the Feast of the Ascension, 12 May 1333 Bologna, Italy. Patronage – First Communicants (named by Pope Saint Pius X).
Imelda Lambertini was born of a noble family in Bologna, Italy in 1322. Her parents raised her to love her Catholic faith and through their influence she developed a love for prayer, especially for the Mass. Often she would attend Mass and Compline (Night Prayer of the Divine Office) at a nearby Dominican Church. Her mother also taught Imelda to cook and sew for the poor and cultivated in her child an eagerness to perform the corporal works of mercy. Even so, her mother and father, both of whom were getting on in years, were surprised when Imelda asked permission at the tender age of nine to go to live with the Dominican nuns at a neighbouring Monastery. As difficult a decision as this was, her parents evidently sensed the depth of their child’s desire and entrusted her spiritual formation to the Dominicans at Val di Pietra.
At this distance of centuries and culture it is not easy to determine precisely what little Imelda’s status was at the Convent. It seems she was well loved by the Sisters, who allowed her to wear the Dominican habit, to pray with them and to follow their way of life, to the extent that a little girl would be able to do, while still remaining a child. Imelda, we are told, longed (and intensely, it seems) to be allowed to receive Holy Communion with the nuns but in that day, such a thing would have been unheard of for a child her age. Her pleading was again and again gently refused, with the explanation that she would need to wait until she was older and more prepared.
For a time Imelda had to be content with this answer, meanwhile learning to chant Office from hearing the nuns in choir and developing her own interior prayer life in simple childlike ways. The saints, whose stories she had learned from her parents and from the nuns, became her “secret companions” and probably had a hand, in nurturing the longing she felt, to receive Jesus intimately in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. In her private conversations with Jesus, with whom she was developing a deep friendship, we can imagine that she often made known her desire to be allowed to receive Communion. There is no evidence that He put up any opposition to the proposal—but neither did the Sisters relent. And so, Imelda continued, with the intensity of a child, to get to know Jesus more deeply and to desire Him all the more.
As spring approached, the sisters, who perhaps thought that they had succeeded in diverting Imelda’s “childish fancy” to go to Communion with the grown-ups, were a bit startled when she asked again, shortly before the Feast of the Ascension, to receive her First Holy Communion. (“Asked,” in fact, is not the word. She begged them insistently, it seems.) When the Chaplain was consulted, he agreed with the Sisters and responded with no hesitation that Imelda was much too young. On the Vigil of the Ascension Imelda was in her place in the Chapel, quietly praying as the Sisters received Communion. Then Jesus did a little “insisting” of His own. After Mass, as one of the nuns was clearing the Altar, she heard a noise and looked up to the choir to see Imelda, a glowing light shining above her head, with the Sacred Host suspended in the light.
The Chaplain was called at once and he understood that Jesus Himself was making his desire known. “Let the little children come to Me and do not stop them.” The Priest gave Imelda her First Holy Communion.
We can well imagine that the nuns were amazed and thrilled both at the great blessing to their little one and to their Convent. The Prioress allowed Imelda to remain for some time in thanksgiving and then sent for her to come and have her breakfast. Imelda was still kneeling as they had left her, a smile on her face. Yet when called for, Imelda’s body was still. She had died of pure joy. Her thanksgiving had been well completed and she had nothing left to desire.
Imelda’s story is so well entrenched in the collective memory of her Dominican Brothers and sisters, that it has remained firmly in the Order’s history. She continues to offer the witness of a child with mature desires,and a faith unspoiled in its intensity.
Imelda understood instinctively what many of us have forgotten – that it is the single-hearted who are blessed and that unless we become like children we cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
Lord Jesus Christ, You received into heaven Blessed Imelda, who loved You in the Eucharistic banquet. By her prayers, may we learn to approach Your holy table with that same fervent love and so fulfill our longing to be with You, Who live and reign with the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen
General Calendar of the Order of Preachers
Her remains are kept in Bologna at the Church of San Sigismondo, beneath the wax effigy of her likeness. Blessed Imelda was Beatified on 20 December 1826 by Pope Leo XIII.
Madonna del Soccorso / Our Lady of Succour of Sicily (14th Century):
Madonna del Soccorso kept in the Mother Church of Castellammare del Golfo .
Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary under this title began in Palermo, Sicily in the 14th century and has since spread throughout the Augustinians. It began when Father Nicola Bruno, who suffered from severe and long-term pains in his side, prayed to Our Lady for a cure while meditating on a painting of Mary in which she used a stick or club to chase away the dragon and protect the Infant Jesus, the artist was making reference to passages in Genesis and Revelations that referred to the eternal enmity between The Woman and the serpent. That night, Father Nicola received a vision of Mary and was cured. The painting received the title “Our Lady of Succour” and the devotion began. Since 1804 the celebration has had its own liturgy.
Our Lady’s Altar
Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament: St Peter Julian Eymard (1811-1868) and Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament:
The title of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament was first given to Mary by St Peter Julian Eymard in May 1868, while speaking to his novices. A few years later he described what her statue should look like: “The Blessed Virgin holds the Infant in her arms and He holds a chalice in one hand and a Host in the other.”
He exhorted them to invoke Mary: “Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament, pray for us who have recourse to thee!”
St Anno of Verona St Argentea of Cordoba St Euthymius the Illuminator Bl Fortis Gabrielli Bl Gerard of Villamagna Bl Gemma of Goriano St Glyceria of Trajanopolis Blessed Imelda Lambertini (1322-1333) Child Mystic St John the Silent
St Lucius of Constantinople St Mael of Bardsey Bl Magdalen Albrizzi St Merewenna of Rumsey St Mucius of Byzantium St Natalis of Milan St Onesimus of Soissons St Servatus of Tongres St Valerian of Auxerre — Martyrs of Alexandria: A group of Catholic Christians martyred in the church of Theonas, Alexandria, Egypt by order of the Arian Emperor Valens. Their names have not come down to us. 372 in Alexandria, Egypt.
Thought for the Day – 12 May – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“All Generations Shall Call Me Blessed”
“It is related in the Gospel, that once a certain occasion, a woman in the crowd, was roused by the preaching and miracles of Jesus and cried out: “Blessed is the womb that bore thee and the breasts that nursed thee.” But Jesus replied: “Rather blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it” (Lk 11:27-28). These words take nothing from the glory of the Mother of God. They were not intended for her but, for us. She was great and holy, not only because she was chosen to be the Mother of the Word Incarnate but also because she perfected herself in virtue by carrying out, in everything, the teaching of her divine Son, Jesus.
We cannot follow her as far as her high dignity of Mother of God but we can follow her in her heroic practice of virtue. Admittedly, we shall not be able to climb to an equal height but, with the help of God and under Mary’s own protection, we can and should, walk in her footsteps.
We can imitate her humility, her purity, her lively faith, her burning love for God and for her neighbour and her spirit of constant prayer and union with God. If we do this, we shall always feel that she is by our side as our loving Mother, who is eager to help us to become holy.”
Quote/s of the Day – 12 May – The Memorial of St Germanus of Constantinople (c 640-733) Defender of Sacred Images
“The honour given to an image goes to the original model.”
St Basil the Great (329-379 Father and Doctor of the Church
“When we show reverence to representations of Jesus Christ, we do not worship paint laid on wood – we worship the invisible God, in spirit and in truth.”
St Germanus of Constantinople (c 640-733)
“Previously God, Who has neither a body nor a face, absolutely could not be represented by an image. But now that He has made Himself visible in the flesh and has lived with men, I can make an image of what I have seen of God… and contemplate the glory of the Lord, His face unveiled.”
“The beauty of the images moves me to contemplation, as a meadow delights the eyes and subtly infuses the soul with the glory of God.”
St John Damascene (675-749) Father and Doctor of the Church
“… Through these images which we kiss and before which we kneel and uncover our heads, we are adoring Christ and venerating the saints, whose likeness these images bear.”
One Minute Reflection – 20 May – “Mary’s Month!” – Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter, Readings: Acts 17: 15, 22 – 18: 1, Psalms 148: 1-2, 11-12, 13, 14, John 16: 12-15
“The Spirit of truth will guide you to all truth” … John 16:13
REFLECTION – “Who knows what pertains to a person, except the spirit of the person that is within? Similarly, no-one knows what pertains to God, except the Spirit of God” (1 Cor 2:11). Run, then, to enter into communion with the Holy Spirit. No sooner do we call on Him, than He is there and if we call on Him, it is because He is already present to us. When called, He comes, He comes in the abundance of divine blessings. He it is, Who is that rushing river giving joy to God’s city (Ps 46[45]:5).
If, when He has come, He finds you to be humble and without anxiety, fearing God’s word, then He will come to rest on you and reveal to you those things that God hides from the wise and learned of this world (Mt 11:25). Then, all those truths will begin to shine out before you, that Wisdom spoke to the disciples while on earth but which they could not bear, before the coming of the Spirit of truth, that was to teach them all truth…
Just as those who worship God must necessarily worship Him “in spirit and truth” (Jn 4:24), so those who would know Him, have only to seek an understanding of the faith in the Holy Spirit. … In the midst of this life’s darkness and ignorance, He Himself is the light that shines out for the poor in spirit (Mt 5:3), the charity that attracts and sweetness, that ravishes the soul, the love of those who love and the devotion of those who yield themselves without reserve. He it is, who reveals God’s justice from conviction to conviction; who gives grace in return for grace (Jn 1:16) and the faith of enlightenment, to the faith of those who listen to the Word.” … St William of Saint-Thierry (c 1085-1148) – The Mirror of Faith, 6
PRAYER – Send forth Your Spirit and they shall be created and Thou shall renew the face of the earth! O God who did give life to the world by the resurrection of Thou Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, grant that through the same Spirit, we may be ever truly wise and rejoice in His consolation and truth. Let the one holy Blessed Virgin, she who is the Spouse of the Holy Ghost, pray for us. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Ghost, one with You forever and ever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 12 May – “Mary’s Month” – Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter
The Memorare By St Bernard (1090-1153) Mellifluous Doctor
REMEMBER, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known, that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother, to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen
(The Express Novena you will recall, is 9 times the Memorare)
Saint of the Day – 12 May – Saint Germanus of Constantinople (c 640-733) Bishop of Constantinople from 715 to 730, Defender of the Doctrine of the Church both against Monothelitism and Iconoclasm, Poet, Hymnist, Spiritual writer, some of his works being used and quoted still today. Born in c 640 in Constantinople and died on 12 May 733 at Platonium of natural causes at an advanced age. Tradition depicts Germanus as much more determined in his position, even winning a debate on the matter with Constantine, Bishop of Nacoleia, a leading Iconoclast. Pope Gregory II (term 715-731), a fellow Iconodule, praised Germanus’ “zeal and steadfastness.“
The Roman Martyrology includes him today and states: “At Constantinople, Saint Germanus, a Bishop distinguished by virtues and learning, who, with great courage, reprehended Leo the Isaurian, for promulgating an edict against holy images.”
The son of Justinianus, a patrician, Germanus dedicated himself to the service of the Church and became a Priest at the Cathedral of the City. Some time after the death of his father, who had filled various high official positions, Germanus was Consecrated Bishop of Cyzicus but the exact year of his elevation is not known.
According to St Theophanes (c 75- 817/818), he was present in this capacity at the Synod of Constantinople held in 712 at the insistence of the new Emperor, Philippicus, who favoured Monothelitism. The object of the Council was to re-establish Monothelitism and to condemn the Acts of the Sixth General Council of 681. Even Germanus is said to have bowed to the imperial will, with the majority of the Greek Bishops. However, immediately after the dethronement of Emperor Philippicus (713) his successor, Anastasius II, restored orthodoxy and Monothelitism was now definitively banished from the Byzantine Empire. If Germanus really had yielded for a short time to the false teachings of the Monothelites (though this is very doubtful), he now once more acknowledged the orthodox definition of the two wills in Christ.
When the Bishop of Constantinople died, Germanus was raised to the patriarchal see (715), which he held until 730. Immediately (715 or 716), he convened, a Synod of Greek Bishops, who acknowledged and proclaimed anew the Doctrine of the two wills and the two operations in Christ and placed under anathema, Sergius, Cyrus and the other leaders of Monothelitism. Germanus entered into communication with the Armenian Monophysites, with a view to restoring them to unity with the Church but without success. Soon after his elevation to the ecclesiastical dignity the Iconoclastic storm burst forth in the Byzantine Church, Bishop Constantine of Nacoleia in Phrygia, who, like some other Bishops of the Empire, condemned the veneration of the images of Christ and the Saints, went to Constantinople and entered into a discussion with Germanus on the subject.
Germanus represented the traditional use of the Church and sought to convince Constantine of the propriety of reverencing images. Apparently he was converted to the teaching of the Germanus but he did not deliver the letter entrusted to him, by Germanus to the Metropolitan of Synnada, for which he was excommunicated.
At the same time the learned Bishop wrote to Bishop Thomas of Claudiopolis, another Iconoclast and developed in detail the sound principles underlying the reverencing of images, as against the recent innovations. Emperor Leo III, however, did not recede from his position and everywhere encouraged the iconoclasts. In a volcanic eruption between the islands of Thera and Therasia, Leo saw a Divine judgement for the idolatry of image- worship and in an edict (726) explained that Christian images had taken the place of idols and the venerators of images were idolaters, since, according to the law of God (Exodus 20:4), no product of the hand of man may be adored.
Immediately afterwards, the first Iconoclastic disturbances erupted in Constantinople. Germanus vigorously opposed the Emperor and sought to convert him to a truer view of things, whereupon Leo attempted to depose him.
In 722) Leo issued a series of edicts against the worship of images (726–729). A letter by Germanus written before 726 to two Iconoclast Bishops, says that “now whole towns and multitudes of people are in considerable agitation over this matter” but we have very little evidence as to the growth of the debate. Germanus turned to Pope Gregory II (729), who in a lengthy epistle praised his zeal and steadfastness. The Emperor in 730 summoned the Council before which Germanus was cited, to subscribe to an imperial decree prohibiting images. He resolutely refused and was thereupon, compelled to resign his Bishopric, being succeeded by the pliant Anastasius.
Germanus withdrew to the home of his family, where he died some years later at an advanced age. in 733. The Ecumenical Council of Nicaea (787) bestowed high praise on Germanus and included hims in the diptychs of the Saints. He is venerated as a Saint in both the Greek and the Latin Church. His feast is celebrated today, 12 May.
Several writings of Germanus have been preserved,“Narratio de sanctis synodis,” a dialogue “De vitae termino,” a letter to the Armenians and three letters on the reverencing of images, as well as nine discourses. The “Historia ecclesiastica et mystica,” also attributed to him – was a popular work in Greek and Latin translations, for many centuries
Pope Pius XII included one of his texts in the Apostolic Constitution proclaiming Mary’s Assumption into Heaven, a Dogma of the Church.
Among his writings was the hymn translated by John Mason Neale as “A Great and Mighty Wonder,”although Neale misattributed this to Anatolius of Constantinople.
Notre-Dame-des-Vertus / Our Lady of Power, Aubervilliers, France(1336) – 12 May:
The Abbot Orsini wrote: “This image has wrought so many miracles in this Church, that it is called Our Lady of Power, though the Church is dedicated to Saint Christopher.”
Known now as Notre-Dame-des-Vertus, this is the 14th century Church in Aubervilliers that is the very location that experienced so many miracles during the Middle Ages. As noted by the Abbot Orsini, the Church was originally dedicated to Saint Christopher, yet the name soon changed to honour the Mother of God, in recognition of the graces and miracles obtained there due to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Parish had been built around the Saint Christopher Chapel and after whom the road leading to the Church is named. The first miracle occurred on 14 May 1336 and is known locally as the Miracle of Rain. It was during a time of terrible drought when a small girl entered the Church of Saint Christopher with flowers to adorn the Statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary. While praying that Our Lady would send rain to save the crops, the girl suddenly noticed, that the Statue had become covered, with what appeared to be drops of sweat and the sky turned dark, as the weather began to turn.
This, I believe, is a Holy Card of the original Statue which was desecrated during the French Revolution
The inhabitants of the Parish flocked to the Church, alerted by the sound of the Church bell, to see the wonder and give thanks to God for this miracle. This was but the beginning of the pilgrimages to the Church that began almost immediately, especially from the Parishes of Paris. These pilgrimages were encouraged by the authorities of the Church, as well as by the example of the many distinguished visitors and the continued occurrences of many other miracles over the following centuries. These miracles included many cures, as well as the miracles of two children who were brought back to life. Kings and Queens were among the many pilgrims who came during the Middle Ages, including King Louis XIII, who came to pray for the capture of Rochelle. The Archbishop of Paris confirmed the celebration of the festival on the second Tuesday of May, which is the month of Mary. After all these miracles, the Chapel was far too small to contain the influx of pilgrims, in particular the processions coming from Paris to the Basilica that stopped at the miraculous little Chapel on their way.
This is our Blessed Lady on the Facade
The small Sanctuary was later replaced by a more imposing Church whose construction began in the fifteenth century. Particularly remarkable are the stained glass windows that adorn the Church and remind the visitor of the extraordinary history of this place, for they relate to the many different miracles performed by the Blessed Virgin in the Chapel, of which there were many. Virtually every great Saint is depicted in these windows too – if you wish to see them, although they are not professional photographs, go here: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g3347617-d10980848-Reviews-Eglise_Notre_Dame_des_Vertus- There are numerous Statues and Altars of the Blessed Virgin in the Sanctuary, all of them highly venerated by pilgrims.
During the French revolution, in 1789, the Statue of the miraculous Virgin was profaned. It was dragged on the road leading to Saint Denis with a rope around its neck; the Sans-Culottes movement burned it singing the French song “Carmagnole et Ah! Ca ira!” proof of the Satanic roots of the French Revolution. One of her hands was saved from the flames and was preserved. The present Statue of the Virgin, located in the left Chapel, was sculpted in wood by Baffet House in 1873. It is a copy of an ancient Statue found that year in the Chapel Saint-Julien-Le-Pauvre at Hotel-Dieu. It was inserted into a Neo Gothic frame, flanked by two angels holding phylacteries, (a coiled-end speech scroll bearing legends) which recall the miracle in 1582 when the Virgin restored a stillborn child to life.
St Pancras of Rome (c 289 – c 303) Martyr Child of 14, Roman Convert (Optional Memorial) Biography: https://anastpaul.com/2017/05/12/saint-of-the-day-st-pancras/ — St Crispoldus St Cyril of Galatz St Dedë Malaj St Diomma of Kildimo St Dionysius of Asia St Dominic de la Calzada St Ejëll Deda St Ephrem of Jerusalem
St Erc Nasca of Tullylish St Ethelhard of Canterbury St Euphrosyna of Terracina Bl Francis Patrizzi of Siena Bl Gemma of Goriano St Germanus of Constantinople (c 640-733) Bishop
Blessed Joanna of Portugal OP (1452-1490) Religious of the Second Order of St Dominic, Virgin, Princess of Portugal of the House of Aviz, daughter of King Afonso V of Portugal and his first wife Isabella of Coimbra, Penitent. About Blessed Joanna whom the Portuguese called “Saint Princess Joanna”: https://anastpaul.com/2020/05/12/saint-of-the-day-12-may-blessed-joanna-of-portugal-1452-1490/
Bl Juan de Segalars St Lucien Galan
St Maria Domenica Mazzarello
St Modoald of Trier St Palladius of Rome St Philip of Agira St Richrudis of Marchiennes St Theodora of Terracina St Thomas Khampheuane Inthirath
Thought for the Day – 11 May – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Search for God
“All men are looking for God, whether they are aware of it or not. They are discontented and cannot understand why. They do not realise, that the real source of their discontent, is that they have not found God and God alone can make men happy. The Blessed Virgin had to put up with many sorrows but, she never had to bear the pain which afflicts the rest of us, to a greater or a lesser degree, the pain of separation from God. Even when she lost the Child Jesus, she still possessed God in her soul, for she had surrendered herself completely to Him. Throughout her life, she remained united to God in joy and in sorrow. God’s will was her will, His desires were her desires.
If we wish to be worthy sons of Mary, we must imitate her in this. Let us consider the nature of our most intimate thoughts and desires. How often we forget God! How little we really think of Him. We are absorbed in so many other affairs, that we forget Him, Who should be the centre of our plans. We are too fond of ourselves and of our own comfort and interests. As a result, we forget Him, to Whom we owe everything and Who should be the final goal of our lives. Our hearts are very small. If we fill them with worldly desires, there is no room for God. But God should be the absolute master of our souls.
Let us empty ourselves of useless worldly preoccupations and make room for spiritual aims. Let us make room for God. Like Mary, let God be our only preoccupation, If we look for Him in everything, we shall find Him.”
AnaStpaul 
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