Our Morning Offering – 15 January – The Feast of Our Lady of Banneux/Our Lady of the Poor (1933)
O Virgin of the Poor, Our Lady of Banneux Prayer of Monsignor Louis-Joseph Kerkhofs (1878-1962) Bishop of Liège at the time of the apparitions
O Virgin of the Poor, May you ever be blessed! And blessed be He Who deigned to send you to us. What you have been and are to us now, you will always be to those who, like us and better than us, offer their faith and their prayer. You will be all for us, as you revealed yourself at Banneux: Mediatrix of all graces, the Mother of the Saviour, Mother of God. A compassionate and powerful Mother who loves the poor and all people, who alleviates suffering, who saves individuals and all humanity, Queen and Mother of all Nations, who came to lead all those who allow themselves to be guided by you, to Jesus, the true and only Source of eternal life. Amen
Saint of the Day – 15 January – Saint Maurus OSB (c 512-584) Benedictine Abbot and Deacon, miracle-worker. Maurus was the first disciple of Saint Benedict of Nursia (512–584). He is mentioned in Saint Gregory the Great’s biography of the latter as the first oblate, offered to the Monastery by his noble Roman parents as a young boy, to be brought up in the monastic life. Born in c 512 in Rome, Italy and died on 15 January 584 of natural causes. Patronages – Benedictine Novices and Oblates (co-patron with St Placidus), disabled/cripples, invoked against rheumatism, epilepsy, gout, hoarseness, cold, charcoal burners, cobblers, coppersmiths, shoemakers, porters, tinkers, tailors, lantern and candle makers, of the Azores, Badajoz, Spain, Casoria, Italy, Saint-Bonnet-de-Vieille-Vigne, France.
Four stories involving Maurus recounted by St Gregory formed a pattern for the ideal formation of a Benedictine Monk. The most famous of these involved Saint Maurus’s rescue of Saint Placidus, a younger boy offered to Saint Benedict at the same time as Saint Maurus. The incident has been reproduced in many medieval and Renaissance paintings.
“Saint Maurus—one of the greatest masters of the Cenobitical Life and the most illustrious of the Disciples of St Benedict, the Patriarch of the Monks of the West—shares with the First Hermit, St Paul, the honours of this fifteenth day of January.” (From the Benedictine Liturgy). The Benedictines today, liturgically honour the first companions of Saint Benedict, Saint Maurus and Saint Placidus. They are the Patron saints of Benedictine Novices and Oblates.
St Maurus, Abbot and Deacon, son of Equitius, a nobleman of Rome, was born about the year 510 and died in 584. When he was about twelve years old, his father placed him under the care of St Benedict at Subiaco, to be educated in piety and learning. When he had grown up, St Benedict chose him as his co-adjutor in the government of the Monastery. He was a model of perfection to all his brethren but especially in the virtue of obedience.
St Placidus, one of his fellow disciples, the son of the Senator Tertullus, going one day to draw water, fell into the lake and was at once carried away by the current. St Benedict saw this in spirit in his cell and bade Maurus run and draw him out. Having asked and received the holy Father’s blessing, Maurus hastened down to the lake, walked upon the waters, thinking he was on dry land and dragged Placid out by the hair, without sinking in the least himself. He attributed the miracle to the command and prayers of St Benedict but the holy Abbot, to the obedience of the disciple.
St Benedict sends St Maurus to rescue St Placidus – not the picture in the background – see below
St Maurus was sent to France in 543 to propagate the order of St Benedict in that country. He founded the famous Abbey of Glanfeuil, over which he ruled as Abbot for thirty-eight years. In 581 he resigned the Abbacy, built for himself a small cell near the Church of St Martin, so that, in solitude and prayer, he might prepare himself for his passage into eternity. After two years he fell sick of a fever, he received the Sacraments of the Church, lying on sackcloth before the Altar of St Martin and in that posture expired on 15 January 584.
Maurus was originally buried in the Abbey Church at Glanfeuil. When, in 868, Odo and the monks of Glanfeuil were obliged to flee to Paris in the face of Vikings marauding along the Loire, the remains of St Maurus were translated to the Abbey of Saint-Pierre-des-Fossés, later renamed Saint-Maur-des-Fossés. In 1750 the relics were relocated to Saint-Germain-des-Prés, where they remained until dispersed by a Parisian mob during the French Revolution. Saint Maurus is still venerated by Benedictine congregations today, many Monks adopting his name and dedicating Monasteries to his patronage.
The cult of Saint Maurus slowly spread to Monasteries throughout France and by the 11th century had been adopted by Monte Cassino in Italy, along with a revived cult of Saint Placidus. By the late Middle Ages, the cult of Saint Maurus, often associated with that of Saint Placidus, had spread to all Benedictine Monasteries. Saint Maurus is venerated even as far as in India, where he is highly honoured in certain areas of the southern state of Kerala.
St Maurus was favoured by God with the gift of miracles. To show in what high degree the Saint possessed the gift of miracles, it will be sufficient to cite a few examples of how he miraculously cured the sick and restored to health those who were stricken with a grievous affliction. It has already been stated, according to the testimony of St Pope Gregory the Great, in the Second Book of his Dialogues, how when a youth, St Maurus rescued St Placidus from drowning.
A few more examples of miracles wrought by the Saint, as related by the Monk St Faustus (Bollandists, Vol. 2), who accompanied St Maurus to France and later wrote his life, will be given here. They were invariably wrought by means of the Sign of the Cross and the relic of the true Cross, which he had taken along to France.
When St Maurus, at that time Prior of the Abbey of Monte Cassino, was returning with the brethren from gathering the harvest in the fields, he met a boy who was mute and crippled, accompanied by his parents. When the father and mother of the boy cast themselves at the feet of the Saint and implored him to cure their child of his maladies, St Maurus, having for some time given himself to prayer, imposed upon the head of the boy his levitical stole, for he was a Deacon and made the sign of the Cross over him, saying to him: “In the name of the most holy and undivided Trinity and supported by the merits of the-most holy Father Benedict, I bid you to rise, stand upon your feet and be cured.” And forthwith the boy arose, walked about and with a loud voice praised and glorified God.
St Benedict with St Maurus and St Placidus
A certain Vicar, Ardenard, had been sent by Innocent, the Bishop of Mans, to Monte Cassino, in order to petition St Benedict to send some Monks to France. Arriving at a place called Vercella, the Vicar fell down headlong from a high stairway in the place where he was lodging. His body was so crushed by the fall that his life was despaired of. His right shoulder, arm and hand had so swelled with inflammation, that amputation of the arm was deemed necessary. Recourse was then had to their companion, St Maurus, who was engaged in prayer in the oratory. Moved by the earnest supplications of his brethren and the misery of the sick man, the Saint cast himself prostrate at the foot of the Altar, pouring forth his soul in fervent prayer. Having finished praying, he took from the Altar the case of relics which had been sent him by his master, St Benedict and went to the bedside of the sick man. Having exposed the relic of the Cross, he made the Sign of the Cross over every part of the arm from the shoulder to the fingers, saying:
“O God, the Creator of all things, You ordained that Your only Son should take flesh of the Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit, for the restoration of your people and You deigned to heal the wounds and infirmities of our souls, by the redemption accomplished upon the sacred and glorious wood of the life-giving Cross, do You also vouchsafe through this powerful Sign, to restore health to Your servant.”
His prayer being ended, all the poisoned blood, by which the Vicar’s arm had beer inflamed, began to flow off from three different places in his arm and his arm was cured.
While continuing their journey and reaching the Alps, one of the servants, Sergius, riding on horseback, fell from his horse and struck his leg against a huge rock and so crushed it, that it was but one bruised mass. Whereupon St Maurus went up to the unfortunate man, seized his crushed leg with his left hand and with his right made the sign of the Cross over it, saying: “In the name of almighty God, arise and be cured” and immediately, to the joy of all, his crushed leg became whole and sound.
When St Maurus and his little band came to the Church of the Holy Martyrs Sts Maurice and his companions, they entered it to pray. At the entrance of the Church sat a certain man who was born blind, begging alms from those who entered and left the holy building. He had learned that Maurus, the disciple of the holy man Benedict, had arrived, the fame of his sanctity having already preceded him. When Maurus and his companions had finished their prayers and left the Church, they found the blind man lying prostrate on the ground, begging and imploring the Saint to obtain for him by his prayers the light of his eyes. Maurus commanded him to rise and pressing the fingers of his right hand upon his eyes, he imprinted on them the sign of our redemption. Thereupon, the blind man instantly obtained his eyesight.
Blessing of St Maurus Since St Maurus miraculously freed many persons from their bodily afflictions through the Sign of the Cross and the relic of the true Cross of Christ, in many Monasteries of the Order of St Benedict from time immemorial, after the example of this miracle-worker, the custom of blessing the sick with the relic of the true Cross, has prevailed, in order to restore their health. But until recent years, there was no uniform and approved formula of blessing of the Church. There existed a number of old and new formulas, which were essentially the same but differed from each other in many details. Some formulas were exceedingly lengthy. In the face of these facts, Dom Maurus Wolter OSB, President of the Beuronese Congregation, petitioned Rome for an approved and authentic formula. A carefully prepared and much abbreviated formula was therefore presented to the Sacred Congregation of Rites for its approval.
The formula and prayer of St Maurus, was approved by the Sacred Congregation for all Priests and Deacons, secular as well as regular clerics, to impart the blessing, provided the formula approved by the Sacred Congregation is used.
In art, St Maurus is depicted as a young man in the garb of a monk, usually holding an Abbot’s cross or sometimes with a spade (an allusion to the monastery of Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, literally “Saint Maurus of the Ditches”). Another of Saint Maurus’ attributes, is a crutch, in reference to his patronage of cripples. He was invoked especially against fever, and also against rheumatism, epilepsy and gout. He is also sometimes depicted with a scale, a reference to the implement used to measure a Monk’s daily ration of bread, given to him by Benedict when he left Monte Cassino, for France. The Monks of Fossés near Paris (whence the community of Glanfeuil had fled from the Vikings in 868) exhibited this implement throughout the Middle Ages.
Notre-Dame de Banneux /Our Lady of Banneux, Belgium (under 2 Titles – Notre Dame des Pauvres / Our Lady of the Poor and Reine des Nations / Queen of Nations) (15 January – 2 March 1933) 15 January:
Our Lady of Banneux, or Our Lady of the Poor, is the sobriquet given to the apparition of the Virgin Mary to Mariette Beco, an adolescent girl living in Banneux, province of Liège (Belgium). Between 15 January and 2 March 1933, Beco told her family and parish priest of seeing a Lady in white who declared herself to be the “Virgin of the Poor,” saying I come to relieve suffering and believe in me and I will believe in you.
Mariette Beco, waiting for her brother to come home, pressed her face against the window while darkness fell – it was seven o’clock in Banneux. Mrs Beco was working in a back room; the rest of the family had retired – none of them had attended Mass that Sunday morning – the father was a lapsed Catholic. Suddenly Marietta called, “Mother, there is a Lady in the garden. It is the Holy Virgin.” Mrs Beco scoffed at this. Taking a Rosary Marietta had found on the road, she began to pray it. When Julien came home and heard what had happened, he said there was ‘nothing in the garden’ perhaps the icicles reflected weirdly and confused Marietta. The Parish Priest was informed but he did not put much stock in the story, thinking the vision of Beauraing and Lourdes was resulting in an epidemic of visions. He sent word to Marietta to forget about it and not spread stories. The next morning, Wednesday, the Priest was surprised to see Marietta at Holy Mass – she had quit school because she failed in her First Holy Communion examination three times and after that, had not gone to Mass again. That day, Marietta went to school and for the first time in her life, knew her lessons well. The next evening she went into the garden, knelt and said the Rosary; her father followed her with a coat which he threw around her shoulders. He tried to get the Priest who was out, then called a neighbour, a practicing Catholic, and together they followed. The child was being beckoned onto the highway by the Lady, until they reached a spring,, into which Marietta plunged her hands at the command of the Lady, who said, “This spring is set aside for me. Good night!” Then she vanished. When they reached home, the Priest was waiting for them. Marietta described the Lady: “Her robe was long and white; she wore a blue belt and rays of light shone from her head. She was a little more than five feet tall; her right foot was bare and under it, a golden rose. Her hands were raised to her breast on which was a golden heart. A Rosary hung from her right arm” – all similar to the Lourdes apparition.
There were six or seven more apparitions; at one of these, Marietta, on the advice of the Priest asked the Lady her name, to which Mary replied, “I am the Virgin of the poor” and leading the girl to the spring, said, “This spring is for all nations…for the sick…I would like a Chapel built. I come to relieve suffering. Have faith in me and pray much. My dear child, pray hard…” At the end of each visit Mary would say “Au revoir,” which means, “until we meetagain” but, at the last visit Our Lady said, “Adieu”, which means, “good-bye.” She blessed Marietta then, at which the girl fainted. Marietta did not see the Lady depart. The Beco family and many others became model Catholics. The Chapel was built and the spring became the site of endless cures. During the German occupation of Belgium in 1942, the Bishop encouraged the cult of Our Lady of Banneux, Our Lady of the Poor.
In 1947, the Bishop approved the devotion. In 1948 the cornerstone of a new Basilica was laid; this was to supplant the small Chapel. During the war, Marietta married a Dutch salesman. During the Battle of the Bulge in 1944, an American Chaplain found them and their fifteen month old baby living in a cellar of a small home occupied by American troops. Belgium is one more reminder in these days when communism seems to be sweeping everything before it, that our great hope – our only hope – lies in our carrying out the requests Our Lady made at Fatima and here at Banneux Mary, our Mother, prays for us without ceasing but we, too, must pray, must sacrifice. We must do our part, if we expect Mary to help us!
St Blaithmaic of Iona St Bonitus of Clermont St Britta St Ceolwulf of Northumbria St Emebert of Cambrai St Ephysius of Sardinia St Eugyppius St Francis Ferdinand de Capillas Bl Geoffrey of Peronne Bl Giacomo Villa St Gwrnerth St Habakkuk the Prophet St Isidore of Scété St Isidore the Egyptian St Ita of Killeedy St John Calabytes St Liewellyn St Lleudadd of Bardsey St Macarius of Egypt St Malard of Chartres St Maurus OSB (c 512-584) Abbot and Deacon St Maximus of Nola Blessed Nikolaus Gross – (1898-1945) Martyr His Life and Death: https://anastpaul.com/2019/01/15/saint-of-the-day-blessed-nikolaus-gross-1898-1945-martyr/ St Pansofius of Alexandria St Paul the Hermit (c 227-c 342) About: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/01/15/saint-of-the-day-15-january-st-paul-the-hermit-c-227-c-342/
Bl Peter of Castelnau St Placid St Probus of Rieti St Romedio of Nonsberg St Sawl St Secondina of Anagni St Secundina of Rome St Tarsicia of Rodez St Teath — Martyrs of Suances – 5 beati: A priest and four laymen in the archdiocese of Burgos, Spain who were martyred together in the Spanish Civil War. • Blessed Donato Rodríguez García • Blessed Emilio Huidobro Corrales • Blessed Germán García y García • Blessed Valentín Palencia Marquina • Blessed Zacarías Cuesta Campo They were martyred on 15 January 1937 near Suances, Cantabria, Spain Venerated on 30 September 2015 by Pope Francis (decree of heroic virtues) and Beatified on 23 April 2016 by Pope Francis. The beatification was celebrated in Burgos, Spain, presided by Cardinal Angelo Amato.
Thought for the Day – 14 January – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Those Who Will to be Damned
“Only those who will it themselves, are damned. God wishes all men to be saved. It was for this, that He came into the world and shed His Precious Blood. Moreover, He has given us the means necessary for salvation. “God our Saviour, wishes all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim 2:4).
What can be wanting to us, therefore, in order to obtain salvation? Divine grace is certainly not lacking, for God gives it to us without reserve. “I come that they may have life and have it more abundantly” (Jn 10:10). Nor are we lacking in strength, for, as St Paul says, “I can do all things in him who strengthens me” (Phil 4:13). We have the Sacraments, good inspirations and the example of the Saints. All that we can be deficient in, then, is our own goodwill and co-operation with the grace of God. We must be prepared to play our part in our own salvation.
Our first thought and purpose, therefore, must be our own salvation. The treasure hidden in a field and the pearl of great price (Cf Mt 13:44-46) are symbols of the Kingdom of God and of everlasting happiness. We should be prepared to sacrifice everything else, in order to find this treasure an to acquire this pearl!”
Quote/s of the Day – 14 January – Thursday of the First week in Ordinary Time, Readings: Hebrews 3:7-14, Psalms 95:6-7, 8-9, 10-11, Mark 1:40-45
Repentance
“If you will, you can make me clean.”
Mark 1:40
“Today, for those who will not repent at the approach of the kingdom of heaven, the reproof of the Lord Jesus is the same… As for when the end of the world will be, that is God’s concern… Even so, the time is very near for each of us, for we are mortal.”
St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor of Grace
“Our God, … being good and merciful, wants us to confess [our sins] in this world, so that we may not be ashamed because of them in the next. So if we confess them them, He, on His part, shows Himself to be merciful; if we acknowledge them, then He forgives … ”
St Caesarius of Arles (470-543) Bishop and Monk
“To do penance is to bewail the evil we have done and to do no evil to bewail.”
“If some rich and powerful friend were to enter your home, you would quickly clean the entire house, for fear something there, might offend your friend’s eyes, when he entered. Let anyone then who is preparing his inner house for God, cleanse away the dirt of his evil deeds. … The Lord comes into the heart and makes His home in one, who truly loves God and observes His commandments…”
St Pope Gregory the Great (540-604) Father & Doctor “Father of the Fathers”
“It is clear, my brethren, that we live outside ourselves, we are forgetful of ourselves whenever we fritter our lives away in empty pursuits or distractions, decked out with trifles. That is why Wisdom is more concerned to invite us to the house of repentance than the house of feasting, that is to say to call back into himself, the man outside himself …”
Bl Isaac of Stella O.Cist (c 1100 – c 1170)
“And when I hear it said, that God is good and He will pardon us and then see, that men cease not from evil-doing, oh, how it grieves me! The infinite goodness with which God communicates with us, sinners as we are, should constantly make us love and serve Him better but we, on the contrary, instead of seeing in His goodness an obligation to please Him, convert it into an excuse for sin, which will, of a certainty, lead in the end, to our deeper condemnation.”
One Minute Reflection – 14 January – Thursday of the First week in Ordinary Time, Readings: Hebrews 3:7-14, Psalms 95:6-7, 8-9, 10-11, Mark 1:40-45
“If you will, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will, be clean.” – Mark 1: 40-41
REFLECTION – “As for me, what can I appropriate that I lack, from the Heart of the Lord who abounds in mercy? … He was thinking thoughts of peace and I did not know it, for who knows the mind of the Lord, or who has been His counsellor? But the piercing nail has become a key to unlock the door, that I may see the goodwill of the Lord. And what can I see as I look through the hole? Both the nail and the wound cry out, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. The sword pierced His soul and came close to His Heart, so that He might be able to feel compassion for me in my weaknesses.
Through these sacred wounds we can see the secret of His Heart, the great mystery of love, the sincerity of His mercy, with which He visited us from on high. Where have Your love, Your mercy, Your compassion shone out more luminously, than in Your wounds, sweet, gentle Lord of mercy? More mercy than this no-one has, than that He lay down His life for those who are doomed to death.
My merit comes from His mercy; for I do not lack merit so long as He does not lack pity. And if the Lord’s mercies are many, then I am rich in merits. For even if I am aware of many sins, what does it matter? Where sin abounded grace has overflowed. And if the Lord’s mercies are from all ages forever, I too will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever. Will I not sing of my own righteousness? No, Lord, I shall be mindful only of Your justice. Yet that too is my own, for God has made You my righteousness.” – St Bernard of Clarirvaux (1090-1153) Doctor of Light – Excerpt from his Sermon 61 On the Song of Songs
PRAYER – Almighty, ever-living God, we make our prayer to You at morning, noon and evening. Dispel from our hearts, the darkness of sin and bring us to the true light, Christ Your Son. Grant that through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, all your Angels and Saints, we may deny ourselves in love and obedience to You the reward of our love. Through Jesus, our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 14 January – Month of the Most Holy Name
Jesus, Name Full of Glory By St Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444)
Jesus, Name full of glory, grace, love and strength! You are the refuge of those who repent, our banner of warfare in this life, the medicine of souls, the comfort of those who morn, the delight of those who believe, the light of those who preach the true faith, the wages of those who toil, the healing of the sick. To You our devotion aspires, by You our prayers are received; we delight in contemplating You. O Name of Jesus, You are the glory of all the saints for eternity. Amen
Saint of the Day – 14 January – Blessed Odo of Novara O.Cart. (c 1105-1200) Priest, Carthusian, Prior – born in c 1105 at Novara, Italy and died in 1200 at Tagliacozzo, Italy of natural causes, aged around 94. Patronages – Tagliacozzo.
Of the period of his life prior to his settling in Tagliacozzo, that is around 1190, there is uncertain information, so much so, that various attempts have been made with specialised publications to restore order to the most contrasting points of his ‘Life.’
He was born in Novara in c 1105, was professed Carthusian at Casotto or at the Grande Chartreuse, was sent to the Charterhouse of Seitz (in Yugoslavia) in the period of its foundation (1160) where he remained until 1189 writing the Sermons, then in 1189 he arrived at the Charterhouse di Gyrio (now Jurklo_ter near La_ko in Yugoslavia) founded in 1169, with the office of Prior, it is assumed, however, that he arrived some time earlier, sent by the Pope from the Carthusian monastery of Casotto.
His priory did not last long. In the same year, at the latest in 1190, due to administrative differences that arose among the Monks, he left for Rome to ask Pope Clement III for justice; the local Bishop took advantage of these differences and expelled the Monks in a period that lasted nine years.
From Rome, he moved to Tagliacozzo and from here on, his life is all documented. The Abbess of the Benedictines of the Monastery of Sts Cosmas and Damian, a relative of the Pope, asked the Pontiff for a real approval of the work of Blessed Odo. Documents describe the blessed as a Monk wearing a robe of coarse wool, wearing a sackcloth, small in stature, pale and gaunt. He spent almost ten years in Tagliacozzo in a small cell built near the Monastery, engaging in prayer, reading, work, running the Convent Church and effective Preaching.
Many miracles accompanied his activity in Tagliacozzo and continued after his death which occurred on 14 January 1200. Blessed Pius IX approved the cult and the title of Blessed on 31 May 1859. He was very honoured in the past centuries, especially by Tagliacozzo which was the only town of the region to escape the terrible earthquake of 14 January 1784, the day of his feast.
Nuestra Señora de la Palabra / Our Lady of the Word, Montserrat, Spain (1514) – 14 January:
In the year 1514, Our Lady was venerated at a Shrine near Montserrat, Spain. Her aid was invoked on behalf of a dumb man who went on pilgrimage there and the Blessed Virgin miraculously restored his speech. From that time on, she was given the title Our Lady of Speech. Here again the words of the “Memorare” were verified: “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.” When God was made man, it was she who gave voice to the Word. In the Magnificat, God the Holy Ghost, her mystical spouse, spoke though her. When Christ was a child, she was His voice. When Our Lord was a man, He spoke for himself, while his mother remained silent. After the Ascension, she again became His voice as she guided the infant Church through those perilous times. Over and over again, the words of God came through her, for she is His Mediatrix of grace, the link between us and Him.
As a consequence, even while on earth, His Mother’s word had great influence upon Christ. “They have no wine,” uttered in behalf of the embarrassed newlyweds at Cana, was all that was necessary to bring forth her Sons’ first miracle.
And so, down the ages, Mary hearkens to the words of her Calvary-born children and speaks in their behalf to Jesus. Her intercession, her word, her speech, is never in vain. Let us never cease to invoke this powerful protectress, who wants nothing more than to intercede for us, her children, before the throne of God.
St Potitus Bl Rainer of Arnsberg St Sabas of Sinai St Sava of Serbia St Successus of Africa St Theodolus of Sinai Bl William de Sanjulia — Martyrs of Mount Sinai: A group of monks on Mount Sinai who were martyred by desert Bedouins. Their names and exact number have not come down to us. Martyred by Bedouins.
Martyrs of Raithu – 43 saints: A group of 43 monks in the Raithu Desert near Mount Sinai, Palestine, near the Red Sea. They were martyred for their faith by desert Bedouins. Their names have not come down to us. Martyred by Bedouins.
Thought for the Day – 13 January – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Grace of God
“It is astonishing to consider how much St Paul accomplished when he had been transformed by the grace of God. Formerly, a persecutor of Christians, he became the Apostle of the Gentiles. Enlightened by faith and inspired by charity, he travelled the globe, spreading everywhere, the religion of Jesus Christ.
He feared neither the anger of the hostile Jews, nor the tribunals of the Roman judges, neither long and difficult journeys, nor scourging, shipwreck and imprisonment. “The love of Christ impels us,” (2 Cor 5:14) he said. It was the love of God which drove him on and on, until he met his martyrdom. But what about ourselves? We also have received grace from God. Often we hear His voice appealing to us to abandon our sinful ways, to practise virtue, to love Him more ardently and to prove our love, by deeds. If we co-operate, we shall be able to say with St Paul: “by the grace of God, I am what I am and his grace in me has not been fruitless,” (1 Cor 15:10) and “I have laboured … yet, not I but the grace of God with me” (ibid).
It is wise to recall, however, that Judas also received special graces from God. He did not correspond with them and was probably damned for eternity. If we fail to correspond with God’s graces, the result will be tragic for ourselves.”
Quote/s of the Day – 13 January – The Memorial of St Hilary of Poitiers (315-368) Father & Doctor of the Church
“He conquered death, broke the gates of hell, won for Himself a people to be His co-heirs, lifted flesh from corruption up to the glory of eternity.”
“There is no space where God is not; space does not exist apart from Him. He is in heaven, in hell, beyond the seas; dwelling in all things and enveloping all. Thus He embraces and is embraced by, the universe, confined to no part of it but pervading all.”
“The utter folly of our time is lamentable, that men should think. to assist God with human help and to protect the Church of Christ by worldly ambition.”
“The Son of God is nailed to the Cross but on the Cross, God conquers human death. Christ, the Son of God, dies but all flesh is made alive in Christ. The Son of God is in hell but man is carried back to heaven.”
St Hilary of Poitiers (315-368) Father & Doctor of the Church
One Minute Reflection – 13 January – Readings: Hebrews 2:14-18, Psalms 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8-9, Mark 1:29-39 and the Memorial of St Hilary of Poitiers (315-368) Father & Doctor of the Church and Blessed
That evening at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick, or oppressed by demons. – Mark 1:32
REFLECTION – “Let us set before our interior consideration someone gravely wounded who is about to breathe his last. … Now, the soul’s wound is sin, of which Scripture speaks in these terms: “Wound and welt and gaping gash, not drained or bandaged or eased with salve” (Is 1:6). Oh you who are wounded, recognise your physician within you and show Him the wounds of your sins. May He understand your heart’s groaning Who already knows its secret thoughts. May your tears move Him. Go as far as a little shamelessness in your beseeching (cf. Lk 11:8). Ceaselessly bring forth deep sighs to Him from the depth of your heart.
May your grief reach Him so that He may say to you also : “The Lord has pardoned your sin” (2 Sam 12:13). Cry out with David, who said: “Have mercy on me, O God, in (…) the greatness of your compassion” (Ps 50[51]:3). It is as though one were to say: “I am in great danger because of an enormous wound, that no doctor can cure, unless the all-powerful Physician comes to help me.” For this all-powerful Physician, nothing is incurable. He heals without charge! With one word He restores to health! I would have despaired of my wound were it not, that I placed my trust in the Almighty.” – St Gregory the Great (540-604) Pope, Father, Doctor of the Church – Commentary on Psalm 50[51]
PRAYER – God our Saviour, through the grace of Baptism, You made us children of light. You lead us by the hand and guide and protect us by Your commandments. Fill us with joy at Your nearness and the light of Your Son, by whose beam we see You and follow. St Hilary and Bl Veronica were shining examples to us all, grant, we pray, that their prayers may aid us. Through Jesus our Lord and Christ, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 13 January – The Octave of Epiphany and the Memorial of St Hilary of Poitiers (315-368) Father & Doctor of the Church
I Owe You a Most Particular Duty By St Hilary of Poitiers (315-368)
I am well aware, Almighty God and Father, that in my life I owe You a most particular duty. It is to make my every thought and word speak of You. In fact, You have conferred on me, this gift of speech and it can yield no greater return than to be at Your service. It is for making You known as Father, the Father of the only-begotten God and preaching this to the world, that knows You not and to the heretics, who refuse to believe in You. … Grant that I may express what I believe. Amen
Excerpt from a Sermon On the Trinity (Lib 1, 37-38: PL 10, 48-49) by Saint Hilary of Poitiers. It is used in the Roman Office of Readings for the feast of St Hilary, today.
Saint of the Day – 13 January – Blessed Veronica of Binasco OSA (c 1445-1497) Virgin Nun of the Order of St Augustine, Mystic, endowed with the gifts of prophecy and discernment- born as Giovanna Negroni in c 1445 at Binasco, Italy, a small village near Milan and died on 13 January 1497 in Milan, Italy of natural causes. Veronica of Binasco was known as a great contemplative who also gave loving care to sick sisters in her community and ministered to the people of Milan. Additional Memorial – 28 January (Augustinian calendar).
Veronica grew up in the small town of Binasco, Italy, not far from Milan. She and her family were poor and she worked with her mother and father, doing chores and in the fields. Her parents set their daughter on the path to Christian virtues, as it was said that her father was a scrupulously honest man, never selling a horse without first disclosing its faults or imperfections to the buyer. As she developed a desire for saintliness and perfection, she became tired of the joking and songs of her companions, even hiding her head and weeping as she worked.
Having no formal education, she attempted, unsuccessfully, to teach herself to read. While making this effort one night, the Virgin Mary appeared to Veronica, telling her that while some of her pursuits were necessary, her reading was not. Instead, the Virgin taught her in the form of three mystical letters:
The first signified purity of intention; the second, abhorrence of murmuring or criticism; the third, daily meditation on the Passion. By the first she learned to begin her daily duties for no human motive but for God alone; by the second, to carry out what she had thus begun by attending to her own affairs, never judging her neighbour but praying for those who manifestly erred; by the third she was enabled to forget her own pains and sorrows in those of her Lord and to weep hourly but silently, over the memory of His wrongs. – Alban Butler, Lives of the Saints.
Veronica became accustomed to nearly constant apparitions and religious ecstasies. She saw scenes from the life of Christ, yet these never interrupted her work. She joined an Augustinian lay order at the convent of Saint Martha in Milan at the age of 22. She took the religious name Veronica, reflecting her devotion to the Passion of Christ.This community was very poor; Veronica’s job was to beg in the streets of the city for food.
She was known and respected by the secular and ecclesiastical leaders of her day. Several times Christ gave to her in prayer important messages which she carried to influential persons, such as the Duke of Milan and Pope Alexander VI.
Her spiritual life was intense. She was particularly devoted to the Eucharist and to the Suffering and Death of Jesus. She experienced physical mistreatment from the devil but found strength in prayer, remaining at peace and overcoming difficulties through the power of Christ. She cheerfully helped others when help was needed. In spite of her growing reputation for holiness and wisdom, Veronica remained humble.
After a six-month illness, Veronica died on the date she had predicted, 13 January 1497. So numerous were her admirers who came to pay their respects, her burial was delayed for nearly a week. Many sick persons who touched her body were restored to health. Her remains are preserved at the parish Church in Binasco.
Death of St Veronica of Milan, from the Church of Binasco
She was Beatified in 1517 by Pope Leo X (cultus confirmed). In 1672, Pope Clement X extended the devotion to the entire Augustinian Order and in 1749 Pope Benedict XIV added Blessed Vernoica to the Roman Martyrology.
Painting by the Belgian artist François-Joseph Navez (1787-1869). painted in 1816
Panny Marie Vítězné / Our Lady of Victory, Prague, Czech Republic (1620), home of the Infant of Prague: 13 January: Among shrines dedicated to Our Lady of Victory, that at Prague has become world-famous because it is also the home of the Statue of the Infant of Prague.
The story of the Shrine is an unusual one. In 1620 the Austrian Emperor, Ferdinand II and Prince Maxmilian of Bavaria gained a major victory over a coalition of Protestant armies in the battle of the White Mountains near Prague. The previous day, Fr Dominic of Jesus-Maria, a Discalced Carmelite, had found, in the castle of Strakowicz, a picture representing the nativity of Christ. It showed the Blessed Virgin kneeling before her Divine Son, while St Joseph stood behind her holding a lantern. In the background were two shepherds. The Calvanists had shown their fanaticism, by piercing the eyes of Mary and her spouse, St Joseph. Carrying the picture to the camp, the Monk held it up and urged the soldiers to restore Mary’s honour. His words decided the hesitation of the generals and gave courage to the men. They adopted Mary’s name as their battle cry and Mary blessed their efforts. In the moment of success, they hailed the painting as Our Lady of Victory and carried it in triumph into Prague, where their leaders adorned it with rich jewels. In gratitude to God for his great success and in recognition of the help given by Father Dominic, Ferdinand II founded several Carmelite Monasteries, including one at Prague which was solemnly blessed under invocation of Our Lady of Victory. Before this time, however, Father Dominic had taken the picture of Our Lady of Victory to Rome where it was first venerated in the Basilica of St Mary Major, then carried – in the presence of Pope Gregory XV – to the Church of St Paul near the Carmelite convent, on 8 May 1622. Pope Paul V subsequently changed the name of the Church to Our Lady of Victory and the feast was officially inaugurated. The original painting was destroyed in a fire in 1833 and has been replaced by a copy. Another copy hangs in the church of Our Lady of Victory in Prague, in a building erected in 1706 replacing the earlier church. From the Shrine of Our Lady of Victory in Prague, came to the entire world the devotion to the Infant of Prague. Our need for Mary’s help continues as long as we live and so long, too, we need her guidance. The struggle between the forces of evil and the forces of good, will continue until the end of time. The devil, whose intelligence and power exceed those we can command in our own right, has an acute appreciation of the value of our souls bought with a great price. Our sure way to defeat him, is to range ourselves under Mary’s banner, to call on her to bring us victory and to acknowledge her, as Our Lady of Victory when she protects us from dangers and brings us triumphant through temptation.
Shrine of Our Lady of Victory
The Altar of the Infant of Prague is right next to Our Lady of Victory’s Altar. I have been blessed to have visited here and to venerate both.
St Agrecius of Trier St Andrew of Trier St Berno of Cluny St Ðaminh Pham Trong Kham St Designatus of Maastricht St Elian of Brittany St Emil Szramek St Enogatus of Aleth St Erbin of Cornwall Blessed Francesco Maria Greco (1857-1931) Blessed Francesco’s Life: https://anastpaul.com/2019/01/13/saint-of-the-day-13-january-blessed-francesco-maria-greco-1857-1931/ Bl Francisca Inés Valverde González St Giuse Pham Trong Ta St Glaphyra St Gumesindus of Córdoba St Hermylus Bl Hildemar of Arrouaise Bl Ida of Argensolles Bl Ivetta of Huy St Kentigern “Mungo” of Glasgow (c 518-614) About St Mungo: https://anastpaul.com/2020/01/13/saint-of-the-day-13-january-saint-kentigern-mungo-of-glasgow-518-614/ St Leontius of Caesarea St Luca Pham Trong Thìn Bl María Francisca Espejo y Martos Bl Matteo de Lana St Peter of Capitolíade St Servusdei of Córdoba St Stephen of Liège St Stratonicus Blessed Veronica of Binasco OSA (c 1445-1497) Virgin Mystic St Viventius St Vivenzio of Blera — Forty Martyred Soldiers at Rome: Forty soldiers martyred in the persecutions of Gallienus. They were martyred in 262 on the Via Lavicana, Rome, Italy.
Second Thought for the Day – 12 January – The Memorial of St Benedict Biscop OSB (c 628-690)
“How Venerable Benedict Did Prophesy to His Monks the Time of His own Death.”
(St Gregory’s Dialogues, Book 2, Chapter 37)
In the year that was to be his last, the man of God foretold the day of his holy death to a number of his disciples. In mentioning it to some who were with him in the Monastery, he bound them to strict secrecy. Some others, however, who were stationed elsewhere, he only informed of the special sign they would receive at the time of his death.
Six days before he died, he gave orders for his tomb to be opened. Almost immediately, he was seized with a violent fever that rapidly wasted his remaining energy. Each day his condition grew worse until finally, on the sixth day, he had his disciples carry him into the chapel where he received the Body and Blood of our Lord, to gain strength for his approaching end. Then, supporting his weakend body on the arms of his brethren, he stood with his hands raised to heaven and, as he prayed, breathed his last.
That day, two monks, one of them at the monastery, the other some distance away, received the very same revelation. They both saw a magnificent road covered with rich carpeting and glittering with thousands of lights. From his monastery, it stretched eastward in a straight line until it reached up into heaven. And there in the brightness stood a man of majestic appearance, who asked them, “Do you know who passed this way?”
“No,” they replied.
“This,”he told them, “is the road taken by blessed Benedict, the Lord’s beloved, when he went to heaven.”
Thus, while the brethren, who were with Benedict witnessed his death, those who were absent knew about it, through the sign he had promised them. His body was laid to rest in the Chapel of St John the Baptist, which he had built to replace the altar of Apollo.
Thought for the Day – 12 January – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Beggars of God
“Both in the natural and in the supernatural orer, we are in continual need of the help of God. We did not exist and God, in His infinite goodness, created us. It is He, Who preserves us in existence from day to day and from moment to moment. The act of conservation, is like a continuous creation. If God did not sustain us, we should return immediately to the dust from which we came: “Remember, man, that dust you are and unto dust you shall return” (Gen 3:19).
We are continually dependent on our Lord and Creator for our existence and activity. If we remained always aware of this tremendous fact, we would never offend God. We would show Him a filial gratitude and humbly implore His assistance.
We are so poor and He is so rich. We are so weak and He is so strong. We are blind and He is the true Light, which illumines every man who comes into the world (Jn 1:9). Ask for God’s help with confidence, perseverance and resignation to His Holy Will. As St Augustine says, we are the beggars of God.”
Quote/s of the Day – 12 January – The Memorial of St Aelred of Rievaulx (1110-1167) “St Bernard of the North”
“We should consider how much good our Lord did us, by His first coming and how much more He will do for us, by His second. This thought will help us, to have a great love for that first coming of His and a great longing for His return.”
“Let us then learn from the Cross of Jesus our proper way of living. Should I say ‘living’ or, instead, ‘dying’? Rather, both living and dying. Dying to the world, living for God. Dying to vices and living by the virtues. Dying to the flesh but living in the spirit. Thus in the Cross of Christ, there is death and in the Cross of Christ, there is life. The death of death is there and the life of life. The death of sins is there and the life of the virtues. The death of the flesh is there and the life of the spirit. … It was fitting, that we, who had fallen because of a tree, might rise up because of a tree.”
“Faith is not even a virtue, unless it is expressed by love, nor is hope, unless it loves, what it hopes for.”
“When insults have no effect on us, when persecutions and penalties, have no terror for us, when prosperity or adversity, has no influence on us, when friend and foe, are viewed in the same light… do we not come close, to sharing, the serenity of God?”
“If I see him [my neighbour] in distress, whether it be on account of the austerity of the food. or because of work or the vigils – if, I say, I see that he is tormented in body and tempted in spirit, if I see him in such affliction, and…do not on occasion accommodate myself to the infirmities of the weak I am not running in the fragrance of Christ’s ointments but with the harshness of the pharisees.”
St Aelred of Rievaulx (1110-1167) “St Bernard of the North”
One Minute Reflection – 12 January – Seventh day in the Octave of Epiphany, Readings: Hebrews 2:5-12, Psalms 8:2 and 5, 6-7, 8-9, Mark 1:21-28 and the Memorial of St Benedict Biscop OSB (c 628-690)
But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent and come out of him!” – Mark 1:25
REFLECTION – “Jesus rebuked the devil and said, ‘Be silent! Come out of him!’” Truth has no need of the Deceiver’s testimony. “I did not come to get the confirmation of your testimony but to cast you out of what I have created…, I have no need of the recognition of one whom I have vowed to destroy. Shut your mouth! Let your silence be My praise. I want no praise from your mouth, My praise is your torture, your punishment … Silence! and come out of this man!” It is as though He said: “Come out …, what are you doing in My house? It is I who want to enter in, so be silent and get out of the man, he being endowed with reason. Get out of the man! Leave the home prepared for Me! The Lord wants His house – vacate this man” …
See just how precious man’s soul is. This contradicts those who think that we human beings and animals have an identical soul and are animated by a same spirit. In another incident the devil is cast out of a single man and sent into two thousand pigs (Mt 8:32) – what is precious is saved, what is unclean is lost. “Come out of the man and get into the pigs…, go where you want, get along with you into the abyss. Leave the man, My private property, alone … I won’t allow you to possess the man, it would be an insult to Me if you were to make your home in him in My place. I took on a human body and dwell in man – the flesh you are possessing, is part of my own flesh – get out of this man!” – St Jerome (347-420) Father and Doctor of the Church – Homilies on Saint Mark’s Gospel, no. 2
PRAYER – King of heaven and earth, Lord God, rule over our hearts and bodies this day. Sanctify us and guide our every thought, word and deed, according to the commandments of Your law, so that now and forever, Your grace may free and save us. Sanctify our hearts, minds and actions with Your power, that all we are, may speak of Your Light. May the prayers of the Blessed Virgin our Mother and the ever-zealous St Benedict Biscop, bring us to peace and confidence. We make our prayer through Your Son, our Lord Jesus, in union with the Holy Spirit, one God for all eternity, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 12 January – Seventh day in the Octave of Epiphany and the Memorial of St Aelred of Rievaulx (1110-1167) “St Bernard of the North”
Behold Me, O Sweet Lord, Behold Me! By St Aelred of Rievaulx (1110-1167)
Behold me, O sweet Lord, behold me! For I hope. that in Your loving kindness, O Most Merciful One, You will behold me, either as a loving physician to heal, a kind teacher to correct, or an indulgent father to pardon… confident in Your sweet powerful mercy and most merciful power, I ask in virtue of Your sweet Name and of the mystery of Your sacred humanity that, mindful of Your kindness and unmindful of my ingratitude, You forgive me my sins and heal the languors of my soul. Amen
Saint of the Day – 12 January – St Benedict Biscop OSB (c 628-690) (pronounced “bishop”) – Bishop and Abbot of Wearmouth, who introduced Stained Glass windows to England and raised the Venerable Saint Bede, Founder of Monkwearmouth-Jarrow Priory (where he also founded the famous library) – he was known as a Bibliophile, Confessor, a man of great piety and learning. Born in c 628 in Northumbria, England as Benet Biscop and died on 12 January 690 of natural causes at Wearmouth, England. Patronages – English Benedictines, musicians, painters, Church libraries and librarians, Sunderland, England, St Benet Biscop Catholic Academy in Northumberland, England.
Benedict’s idea was to build a model Monastery for England, sharing his knowledge of the experience of the Church in Europe. It was the first Ecclesiastical building in Britain to be built in stone and the use of glass was a novelty for many in 7th-century England. It eventually possessed, what was a very large library for the time – several hundred volumes – and it was here, that Benedict’s student St Bede wrote his famous works. The library became world-famous and manuscripts that had been copied there became prized possessions throughout Europe, including especially the Codex Amiatinus, the earliest surviving manuscript of the complete Bible in the Latin Vulgate version.
Benet was born of the highest Anglo-Saxon nobility. He held office in the household of King Oswy (Oswiu) of Northumbria. But, after a journey to Rome, the first of his five such trips, when his was 25 (653) in the company of Saint Wilfrid, the saint renounced his inheritance and dedicated himself to God. He then spent his time in studying the Scriptures and prayer. Following a second visit to Rome with Oswy’s son Aldfrith in 666, he became a Monk in the Monastery of Saint-Honorat in Lerins near Cannes, France, taking the name Benedict. He remained there for two years strictly observing the rule.
His third pilgrimage to Rome in 669, coincided with the visit of Archbishop-elect Wighard of Canterbury, who died there, prior to his consecration. Saint Theodore was finally selected to replace Wighard as Archbishop of Canterbury and Pope Saint Vitalian, ordered Benedict to accompany Theodore and Saint Adrian to England, as a Missionary, which he did in obedience. Theodore appointed Benedict Abbot of Sts Peter and Paul (now St Augustine’s) Monastery in Canterbury, where he remained for two years before returning to Northumbria. (He was succeeded as Abbot by Saint Adrian, whose feast day was yesterday and who held this position for 39 years.)
Thereafter, Saint Benedict travelled to and fro between Britain and Rome (beginning in 671), returning always with books and relics and bringing back with him craftsmen to build and enrich the Churches of Britain. This fourth journey was made, with the view of perfecting himself in the rules and practice of a monastic life, so he stayed a while in Rome and visited other Monasteries.
In 674, he was granted 70 hides of land by Oswy’s son, Egfrid, at the mouth of the river Wear (Wearmouth), where he built a great stone Church and Monastery dedicated to Saint Peter. He was the first to introduce glass into England, which he brought from France along with stone and other materials. His foreign masons, glaziers and carpenters taught their skill to the Anglo-Saxons. He spared no trouble or effort in seeking far and wide for all that would richly embellish his Romanesque church.
Partly in ruins, St Peter’s Monastery and Church
From his trip to Rome in 679, Benedict brought back Abbot John of Saint Martin’s, the precentor (Archcantor) from Saint Peter’s. This was a result of Benedict persuading Pope Saint Agatho that Abbot John would be able to instruct the English monks, so that the music and ceremonies at Wearmouth might follow exactly the Roman pattern. Upon his return to England, he held training classes in the use and practice of church music, liturgy and chants. (John also taught the English monks uncial script and wrote instructions on the Roman liturgy for them.)
But, chiefly, he brought books, for he was a passionate collector. His ambition was to establish a great library in his Wearmouth Monastery. He also imported pictures from Rome and Vienne, beautiful paintings and musical scores. Among these treasures imported from Rome were a series of paintings of Gospels scenes, of Our Lady and the Apostles and of incidents described in the Book of Revelation, to be set up in the church.
Benedict also devised his rule based on that of Saint Benedict and those of the 17 Monasteries he had visited. He doubtlessly organised the scriptorium in which was written the manuscript of the Bible which, his successor as Prior at Wearmouth, Saint Ceolfrid, took with him in 716 as a present to Pope Saint Gregory II – the very book was identified in the Biblioteca Laurentiana at Florence in 1887, the famous Codex Amiatinus. All this immeasurably enriched the early English Church.
Because his Monastery and Church at Wearmouth was so edifying, in 682 Egfrid gave him a further gift of forty hides of land, this time at Jarrow on the Tyne River. Here he established a second Monastery, six miles from St. Peter’s and dedicated it to Saint Paul (now called Jarrow) in 685, which became famous as a great centre of learning in the West and the home of Saint Bede. our Saint’s charge and spiritual son. Among its inmates were many Saxon thanes turned Monks, who ploughed and winnowed and worked at the forge, like the rest and at night, slept in the common dormitory, for rank and class had no place among them.
St Benedict Biscop with St Bede
And because Benedict was busier than ever with all his enterprises and still governed both Abbeys, he handed over some of his authority. Benedict first took to help him at Wearmouth, his nephew, Saint Eosterwin, a noble like himself and then Saint Sigfrid. In Jarrow, he placed Saint Ceolfrid in charge. While Benedict still ruled the Abbeys as their Founder, he made these men the Abbots under his direction of the two foundations, so that the Monasteries would not be without leadership during his absences.
Benedict made his last voyage to Rome in 685, returning with even more books and sacred images and some fine silk cloaks of exceptional workmanship, which he exchanged with the King for three hides of land.
It was due to Benedict Biscop that so much material lay to hand for Bede and other scholars and that, a solid foundation was laid for the later glories of the English Church. After his death, the school at Jarrow alone, comprised 600 scholars, apart from the flow of constant visitors. It was also in large part due to him, that the Church of Northumbria turned from the old Celtic forms, to those of Rome. Out of his labours and travels came a rich and abundant harvest.
At the end of his life, Benedict suffered from a painful paralysis in his lower limbs. (It is interesting to note that Sigfrid was afflicted with the same paralysis about the same time.) Throughout his three-year confinement, he asked the Monks to come into his room to sing Psalms and he joined them when he could. His last exhortations to his Monks, before he died at age 62, were to continue his work, to preserve his great library, to follow the monastic Rule of Saint Benedict and, to elect an Abbot, based on his holiness and ability rather than his lineage. He said, he would rather the Monasteries be turned into wildernesses than to have his brother succeed him as Abbot.
Benedict’s biography was written by Saint Bede, who had been entrusted to his care at age seven and whose learning was made possible by the library Benedict collected at Jarrow. Bede, the historian, says that the civilisation and learning of the 8th century rested in the Monastery founded by Benedict.
Proof of a very early public cultus of Benedict Biscop comes from a sermon of Bede on him (Homily 17) for his feast but the cultus became more widespread only after the translation of his relics under Saint Ethelwold about 980. Saint Benedict’s relics are thought to rest at Thorney Abbey, although Glastonbury also claims some of them.
Nuestra Señora La Conquistadora/ Our Lady the Conqueror, Santa Fe, New Mexico – 12 January:
In the North Chapel of the beautiful Cathedral of Santa Fe stands a little Statue (scarcely 90 cms tall) of Our Lady holding the Child Jesus. It was skilfully carved by loving hands in Spain. Mary is clad in a richly embroidered dress, topped by a jewelled crown. Her regal countenance wears a serene, detached expression that is strangely impressive. This is Our Lady of Conquest, or La Conquistadora. The Statue of Our Lady came to the new world in the care of the Franciscan missionary Fray Alonso da Venevides. She was installed with great ceremony in a Church in Santa Fe. Over the ensuing decades, as often happens, the men living in the region did not practice their religion as they should. Mary appeared in a vision to a young girl, warning her that the colony would be overrun due to the loss of reverence for Priests and the Faith. In the year 1680 the local Indians rose up and attacked the Spanish. Twenty-one Priests were killed and the colonists completely driven out of the region. The statue was rescued from the burning Church and taken back to Mexico with the colonists who escaped the wrath of the Indians.
It was not until the year 1691 that Don Diego de Vargas was sent by the King of Spain to attempt the re-settlement of the City of Santa Fe. Like so many Spanish heroes who had accomplished seemingly impossible deeds during their lifetimes, he was as fervent a Catholic as he was a capable knight. Don Diego de Vargas carried with him the statue of Our Lady as he re-entered New Mexico. Although he had only a small force, he was able to peacefully negotiate a peace with the various Indian nations. He attributed his success to “the Sovereign Queen, Most Blessed Mary.” He is said to have vowed to build a chapel for her and hold a yearly procession if she would grant him a speedy and bloodless victory over the Indian, which she did. Upon reaching his goal, however, the Indians refused to allow the Spanish colonists to return to Santa Fe. The Spanish under Don Diego were few in number and they were forced to fight a numerically superior force. The colonists prayed the Rosary before the Statue of the Blessed Virgin, as the men engaged the Indians in battle. The fighting lasted all day and it was not until evening when they reclaimed the city. Once again, Mary was credited for the victory and to show her sovereignty, Don Diego placed an officer’s baton in her hand. The Shrine symbolises a spirit of deep-rooted Faith and devotion, which characterised the “Conquistadores” of this land. There is still a great deal of devotion shown to Mary at the Cathedral of St Francis, which includes processions, fiestas and other celebrations. The Statue was formally crowned by Cardinal Francis Spellman and in 1960 received a Papal Coronation.
Bl Antoine Fournier St Antonio Maria Pucci OSM (1819-1892) Biography: https://anastpaul.com/2019/01/12/saint-of-the-day-st-anthony-mary-pucci-osm-1819-1892/ St Arcadius of Mauretania Bl Bartholomew Alvarez Bl Bernardo de Plano St Biccianus St Benedict Biscop OSB (c 628-690) – Bishop and Abbot of Wearmouth, who introduced Stained Glass windows to England and raised the Venerable Saint Bede St Bernard of Corleone St Caesaria of Arles St Caroticus Bl Emmanuel d’Abreu St Eutropius St Ferreolus of Grenoble Bl John Gaspard Cratz St John of Ravenna Bl Lucia of Valcaldara St Marguerite Bourgeoys CND (1620-1700) St Marguerite’s Biography: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/01/12/saint-of-the-day-12-january-st-marguerite-bourgeoys/
St Martinian of Belozersk St Martin of León Bl Nicholas Bunkerd Kitbamrung St Peter of Abessala Blessed Pierre-François Jamet (1762-1845) About Blessed Pierre-François: https://anastpaul.com/2020/01/12/saint-of-the-day-12-january-blessed-pierre-francois-jamet-1762-1845/ St Probus of Verona St Quinctus the Soldier St Satyrus St Tatiana of Rome St Tigrius St Victorian of Asana Bl Vincent da Cunha — Martyrs of Africa – 44 saints: A group of 44 Christian soldiers murdered together for their faith in Africa. The only details that survive are four of their names – Castulus, Modestus, Rogatus and Zoticus.
Martyrs of Ephesus – 42 saints: Forty-two monks martyred at a monastery in Ephesus (modern Turkey) during the persecutions of the Iconoclast Byzantine Emperor Constantine V. Their names have not come down to us. Martyred c 762.
Martyrs of Iona – 38 saints: Thirty-eight monks martyred in Iona, Ireland. Their names have not come down to us. They were Martyred in 750 at Iona, Ireland.
Thought for the Day – 11 January – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Dignity and Responsibility of Being a Christian
“This exalted dignity carries with it grave obligations. The most important is to avoid sin. Who could dare to take the Crucifix and fling it in the mud? “You are the body of Christ,” St Paul tells us, “member for member” (Cf 1 Cor 12:27). A man who surrenders himself to sin, therefore, throws the body of Christ into the mud and profanes the temple of the Holy Spirit. If we sincerely appreciate our dignity as Christians, we cannot possibly give way to sin and destroy, in ourselves, the great work of the Redemption of Christ. We should, moreover, practise virtue. We should live in and for Jesus, like St Paul, who said, “For to me to live is Christ … ” (Phil 1:21). Everyday, we must travel further along the difficult road of self-denial and love. We must keep going forward, higher and higher towards the summit of perfection. “You are to be perfect,” Jesus tells us, “even as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48). Even this is not enough, however! A genuine Christian is not satisfied with avoiding sin and sanctifying himself but, he tries, by every means at his disposal, by word, action, good example and sacrifice, to spread the Kingdom of Christ among his fellow-men.”
Quote/s of the Day – 11 January – The Sixth Day in the Octave of Epiphany, Readings: Hebrews 1:1-6, Psalms 97:1 and 2, 6 and 7, 9, Mark 1:14-20
“This is the time of fulfilment. The kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe in the gospel.”
Mark 1:15
“And the people sought him and came to him and would have kept him from leaving them, but he said to them, I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.”
Luke 4:42-43
” … For behold, the kingdom of God, is in the midst of you.”
Luke 17:21
“Proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand and encourage through all patience and teaching.”
2 Timothy 4:2
“Everyone without God, has a dead soul. You, who bewail the dead, rather, should bewail sin. Bewail ungodliness. Bewail disbelief.”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace
“There is still time for endurance, time for patience, time for healing, time for change. Have you slipped? Rise up! Have you sinned? Cease! Do not stand among sinners but leap aside!”
St Basil the Great (329-379) Father and Doctor of the Church
” …[The Kingdom of God] … is within you. That is, it depends on your own wills and is in your own power, whether or not you receive it. Everyone, that has attained to justification, by means of faith in Christ and decorated by every virtue, is counted worthy, of the kingdom of heaven.”
St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Father & Doctor of the Church
“Christ acts like a loving mother. To induce us to follow Him, He gives us Himself as an example and promises us a reward in His kingdom.”
St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) Evangelical Doctor
“This is the time of fulfilment. The kingdom of God is at hand ”– Mark 1:15
REFLECTION – “After John had been arrested, Jesus came into Galilee ” According to our interpretation, John stands for the Law and Jesus the Gospel. Indeed, John says: “One mightier than I is coming after me …” (Mk 1:7) and elsewhere: “He must increase, I must decrease” (Jn 3:30): in this way he compares the Law with the Gospel. And afterwards he says: “I – that is, the Law – baptise you with water; he – that is the Gospel – will baptise you in the Holy Spirit” (Mk 1:8). And so, Jesus comes because John had been put in prison. In effect, the Law is finished, it has been brought to an end, it no longer has its former freedom. But we have passed from the Law to the Gospel …
“Jesus came to Galilee preaching the Gospel, the Good News of the Kingdom of God” … When I read the Law, prophets and psalms, I never heard them speak of the Kingdom of heaven, only in the gospel. For only when He came, of whom it is said “the Kingdom of God is in your midst” (Lk 17:21) that God’s Kingdom was thrown open … In fact, before the Saviour’s coming and the light of the Gospel, before Christ opened the gates of paradise with the thief (Lk 23:43), all holy souls descended to the place of the dead. Jacob himself said: “I will go down weeping and mourning to the nether world” (Gn 37:35) … In the Law, Abraham rests with the dead; in the Gospel, the thief is in paradise. We are not denigrating Abraham; we all want to rest in his bosom (Lk 16:23) but we prefer Christ to Abraham, the Gospel to the Law.
We read that after Christ’s Resurrection many saints appeared in the holy city (Mt 27:53). Our Lord and Saviour preached on earth and preached, too, to the underworld. He died and descended to hell to free the souls held captive there (1 Pt 3:18f.).” – St Jerome (347-420) Priest, Translator of Sacred Scripture, Father and Doctor of the Church – Homilies on Saint Mark’s Gospel, no.2A ; SC 494
PRAYER – Lord, be the beginning ad the end of all that we are and do and say. Prompty our actions with Your grace and complete them with Your all-powerful help. Let our hearts belong to You alone and make us Your obedient servants. By the intercession of the Blessed Mary our Hope and all the Saints and Angels, we make our prayer through Christ our Lord, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 11 January – Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus
The Golden Arrow
May the most holy, most sacred, most adorable, most mysterious and unutterable Name of God be always praised, blessed, loved, adored and glorified in heaven. on earth and under the earth, by all the creatures of God and by the Sacred Heart of our Lord Jesus Christ in the most Holy Sacrament of the altar. Amen
This prayer was revealed by Jesus Himself to a Carmelite Nun of Tours in 1843 as a reparation for blasphemy. “This Golden Arrow will wound My Heart delightfully” He said “and heal the wounds, inflicted by blasphemy.”
Saint of the Day – 11 January – Saint Salvius of Amiens (Died c 625) Bishop, Monk, miracle-worker. St Salvius was the fifth Bishop of the French city of Amiens . He lived in the 6th century and 7th century. He is often confused with Salvius of Albi and Salvius of Valencijn. Patronages – against speech impediments, of Montreui, the Frisian town of Dronrijp and of the town of Saint-Sauflieu, in France. He is also known as – Sauve or Saulve (also of Montreuil).
Salvius came from a wealthy Amiens family. He chose an ascetic lifestyle as a hermit but a group of followers gathered around him. One of these followers was St Ingoald (died around 600, memorial on 29 October). The Montreuil Monastery was created from this group of followers. Salvius himself was the first Abbot.He lived a frugal life and was very kind to his fellow man.
According to legend, Salvius was miraculously elected Bishop of Amiens . The miracle is that Salvius had died after a holy life and his fellow monks had entombed his corpse and then watched around the Coffin that night as is the custom, in the “Wake.” In the morning, the coffin opened with a big bang and Salvius opened his eyes from his sleep. He told the monks that he was indeed on his way to the heavenly world but God had sent him back to continue to serve on earth. As a result of this amazing experience, he was elected Bishop to succeed Bishop Ado.
As the Bishop, Salvius was gracious and lived a life of great care and mercy to the poor. By the grace of God, Salvius was able to perform many miracles, curing the blind, the deaf and those with other ailments. On one of his journeys as a Bishop, he healed a deaf and dumb child. He is, therefore, named as patron, for those suffering from speech impediments.
He built a church dedicated to the apostle Peter at Montreuil and also discovered the place where the body of St Firmin of Amiens was buried. St Firmin, who died in c 303 as a Martyr, was the first Bishop of Amiens. Salvius came to the right place with the help of the Holy Spirit. Here he glanced up into the sky, in prayer and a ray of sunshine brought about a shaking of the earth precisely at the site of Firminius’ tomb. Salvius commissioned the remains of Firminius to be taken to Notre-Dame of Amiens. The image below shows our Saint as the 3rd from the left in the St Firmin (in the middle) portal of the Notre-Dame of Amiens.
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Miraculous cures continued at his grave. His relics rest at Montreuil, in Picardy, in the Benedictine Abbey which bears his name, whither they were translated from the Cathedral of Amiens, several years after his death, as is related in his anonymous life. A relic of this saint was formerly kept with great veneration in the Cathedral of Canterbury, mentioned in the history of that church.
Notre-Dame de Bessiere / Our Lady of Bessiere, Limousin, France – 11 January:
The region of Limousin is nestled near the heart of France, and the essentially rural area has suffered much from heresies such as that of the French Huguenots over the centuries. Devotion to Our Lady is always a sure remedy, so much so that one of her titles is Destroyer of Heresies. Among the many miracles said to have taken place at the Shrine of Our Lady of Bessiere, in Limousin, France, is one told of a certain heretic who had derided the devotion paid to Our Lady. He would hide in the woods and waylay pilgrims on their way to the Shrine. Fearing neither God nor his Holy Mother, he would block their way, mock them for undertaking such a journey, sneer at their Christian beliefs and taunt them with sarcastic reproaches and foul ridicule. The unhappy man was soon to regret his folly. He was severely punished one day, as upon returning home, he saw his house go up in flames before his very eyes. Even with the assistance of his neighbours, all attempts to put out the flames were fruitless. In a matter of minutes his house was fully engulfed in flames. As the fire was at its height, Our Lady appeared in the flames in all her majesty and was seen to frown upon the heretic. This vision was witnessed by all present, who immediately fell upon their knees, urging the heretic to do the same. A broken man, frightened and frustrated, he prostrated himself, calling upon the Mother of God to be merciful to him. His pleas were not in vain but it was not his house that she saved but his soul. In that moment he experienced a true and lasting conversion. He went onto live a very penitential life and died true believer.
Thought for the Day – 10 January – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Sacrament of Baptism
“We are drawn towards Heaven by a golden chain of grace. The most precious links in this chain of benefits are the Sacraments, which Jesus Christ instituted as sensible and efficacious signs of divine grace. When we are born, tainted by original sin and, therefore, deprived of supernatural grace, the Church purifies and regenerates us through the Sacrament of Baptism. We then become the adopted sons of God and heirs to the Kingdom of Heaven.
It is helpful for us to repeat the Baptismal vows which were once made by others, in our name. Let us imagine that we are at our own Baptism, solemnly promising, through our Godparents, to renounce the devil, the world and the flesh, in order to follow Jesus.
Can we claim to have kept our promises? Or are we forced to admit that we have not always lived up to our obligations?
Let us renew our promises today and let us ask Jesus, for the grace to be faithful to them, till the end of our lives.”
Quote/s of the Day – 10 January – Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
“ … Sin is washed away by the waters of the font, the Holy Spirit is poured forth in the chrism and we obtain both of these gifts, through the hands and the mouth of the Priest. Thus the whole man is reborn and renewed in Christ.”
St Pacian (c 310–391) Bishop of Barcelona
“He wants you to become a living force for all mankind, lights shining in the world. You are to be radiant lights as you stand beside Christ, the Great Light, bathed in the glory of Him who is the Light of Heaven.”
St Gregory Nazianzen (330-390) Father & Doctor of the Church
“By Baptism we are made flesh of the Crucified.”
St Pope Leo the Great (400-461) Father and Doctor of the Church’s Unity
The Parish Priest was informed but he did not put much stock in the story, thinking the vision of Beauraing and Lourdes was resulting in an epidemic of visions. He sent word to Marietta to forget about it and not spread stories. The next morning, Wednesday, the Priest was surprised to see Marietta at Holy Mass – she had quit school because she failed in her First Holy Communion examination three times and after that, had not gone to Mass again. That day, Marietta went to school and for the first time in her life, knew her lessons well. The next evening she went into the garden, knelt and said the Rosary; her father followed her with a coat which he threw around her shoulders. He tried to get the Priest who was out, then called a neighbour, a practicing Catholic, and together they followed. The child was being beckoned onto the highway by the Lady, until they reached a spring,, into which Marietta plunged her hands at the command of the Lady, who said, “This spring is set aside for me. Good night!” Then she vanished. When they reached home, the Priest was waiting for them. Marietta described the Lady: “Her robe was long and white; she wore a blue belt and rays of light shone from her head. She was a little more than five feet tall; her right foot was bare and under it, a golden rose. Her hands were raised to her breast on which was a golden heart. A Rosary hung from her right arm” – all similar to the Lourdes apparition.
AnaStpaul 
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