Saint of the Day – 9 March – St Vitalis (c900-994) Monk, Hermit and Founder of Monasteries. Born as Vitale de Mennita in c900 in Castronovo di Sicilia, Palermo, Sicily and died on 9 March 994 at his Monastery on Mount Vulture near Rapolla, Italy of natural causes. Patronages – of Amento, Italy, of Castronovo di Sicilia, Sicily. Also known as – Vitalis of Castronuovo, Vitalis of Castronovo, Vitale of….
Vitalis de Mennita was born into a wealthy Byzantine family in the first half of the 10th Century in present-day Castronovo di Sicilia .
Around the middle of the 900s he became a Monk and retired to the Basilian Monastery of San Filippo in Agira .
Five years later, with some brothers, he undertook a pilgrimage to Rome and on the way back he decided to stop Calabria and to live as a Hermit which he did for a period of 2 years.. He then returned to a Sicilian Convent for the next twelve years, after which he returned to the Hermitage in Calabria. There he moved a few times, each new location attracting new disciples for whom he founded various Monasteries. Finally, he retired to a cave near Armento in Basilicata .
In 979 he returned to Calabria and restored the Convent and the Church of Sant’Adriano and Natalia in San Demetrio Corone. When this Monastery was attacked by the Saracens, he remained to face the invaders and was miraculously saved from death.
With the help of his nephew, Blessed Elias of Castronovo, he founded the Monastery of Torri and that of Rapolla in Basilicata, where he died on 9 March 994. In 1024, his body was translated ito the Convent of Guardia Perticara, of which his nephew Elias was the Abbot and then, from there, to the Monastery of Torri and then to Armento and to the Cathedral of Tricarico from where it finally returned to Armento.
His biography was written in Greek by a contemporary Basilian Monk and was translated into Latin a century later.
St Gregory of Nyssa (c335–c395) Bishop, Father of the Church, Brother of St Basil the Great. St Gregory was an erudite Theologian, Philosopher. Writer , Defender of orthodoxy against heresy but he possible lacked the administrative ability of his brother, Basil or the contemporary influence of Gregory of Nazianzen but, he was an erudite Theologian who made significant contributions to the Doctrines of the Church, in particular, of the Trinity and the Nicene Creed. St Gregory, together with his elder brother, St Basil the Great (Doctor of the Church) and their great and lifelong friend, St Gregory of Nazianzen (also a Doctor of the Church) are collectively known as the “Cappadocian Fathers.” The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Nyssa, the demise of St Gregory, Bishop, brother of the blessed Basil the Great, whose life and erudition have rendered him illustrious. He was expelled from his own City for having defended the Catholic Faith during the reign of the Arian Emperor, Valens.” Wonderful St Gregory: https://anastpaul.com/2024/03/09/saint-of-the-day-9-march-st-gregory-of-nyssa-c335-c395-bishop-father-of-the-church/
Thought for the Day – 8 March – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)
“Short Meditations for March, St Joseph” From “The Devout Year” By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)
8th Day – St Joseph’s First Sorrow
+1. St Joseph’s life had, from the beginning, been one of many trials and much suffering but all were mere trifles compared with the dark cloud of sorrow which fell upon him, after Mary returned from the house of Elizabeth. He could not help seeing that she was about to become a mother. What could this mean? How could it be explained consistently with her spotless purity? St Joseph ventured not, to pass any judgement. Here he is our model slow in believing that which had the appearance of evil, anxious to find a favourable explanation.
+2. What explanation could he find? That she had grievously sinned, was a thought, not only abhorrent to him but utterly impossible, in view of Mary’s transparent purity and exalted virtue. Away with so horrible a thought! Could the human paternity have been without any fault on her part? Equally impossible – God would have protected His hand -maid. Was her condition a miracle wrought by God? Such a miracle was without example since the world began. Joseph was utterly perplexed. All was dark and black – he could only wait and pray. O wise resolve!
+3. But it was necessary to take action. In any case, he could not keep her with him. She must be sent back to her kin. How could he live without her? How could he expose her to disgrace? To put her to open shame was out of the question, he must send her away privately. This was his duty and he would do it. It would break his heart to lose her but he must do his duty without thought of self. Here , too , S. Joseph is a model for our imitation.
Quote/s of the Day – 8 March – St John of God OH (1495-1550) Confessor, Founder of the Brothers Hospitallers of Saint John of God
“If we kept before ourselves, the Mercy of God, we would never be deficient in doing good, while strength was in us. For, when we give to the poor, out of the love of God, that which what He Himself has given us, His Promise is that, we shall receive a hundredfold in eternal happiness. That indeed, is a fortunate and happy way of gaining a profit! Who will not give, whatever he has, to this best of Merchants! He administers our business Himself and begs us, with outstretched arms, to turn to Him and weep for our sins and become servants in love, first for ourselves and then for our neighbour.”
“For, just as water extinguishes a fire, just so, does charity blot out our sins.”
“… When I see so many of my brethren in poverty and my neighbours suffering,beyond their strength and oppressed in mind or body, by so many cares and I am unable to help them, it causes me exceeding sorrow. But I trust in Christ Who knows my heart.”
Lenten Meditations – 8 March – With Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900) Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“The Sacred Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ” “Short Meditations for Lent” From “The Devout Year” By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)
The First Saturday in Lent The Eating of the Paschal Lamb
Read St Luke xxii:14-18
[14] And when the hour was come, He sat down and the twelve Apostles with him. [15] And He said to them: With desire I have desired to eat this pasch with you, before I suffer. [16] For I say to you, that from this time, I will not eat it, until it be fulfilled in the Kingdom of God. [17] And having taken the chalice, He gave thanks and said: Take and divide it among youselves. [18] For I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the Kingdom of God come. [Luke 22:14-18]
Our Blessed Lord , before He suffered , celebrated the Jewish rite which, above all the rest, foreshadowed His own sacred sufferings. The paschal lamb was an exact type of Himself, the Lamb of God, Who taketh away the sins of the world.
+1. The paschal lamb was the means employed by Almighty God to deliver His people from Egypt. It was the sprinkling of its blood on the door-posts which caused the avenging Angel to pass by and leave the inmates unharmed. So the Blood of Jesus Christ sprinkled on our souls, in the Sacraments and when we make an Act of Contrition, saves us from the vengeance which would otherwise fall upon us. O Jesus! sprinkle me with One Drop of Thy Precious Blood and I shall be free from sin.
+2. The paschal lamb had to be drained of the last drop of its blood. So the Lamb of God, shed the last drop of His Precious Blood for us. He was not satisfied with merely giving His Life for us but, He must needs endure all the intense agony, the burning thirst which came of this draining of His whole body for love of us. How can I ever thank Him as I ought?
+3. The lamb suffers uncomplainingly. It never murmurs against its lot, or struggles against those who lead it here and there; unlike the filthy swine which grunt and grumbles at every attempt to control them. None was ever so submissive as the Lamb of God. “Lo, I come to do Thy Will, O my God. I am content to do it.” Can I echo these words?
One Minute Reflection – 8 March – “The Month of Saint Joseph” –Ash Saturday – St John of God OH (1495-1550) Confessor, Founder of the Brothers Hospitallers of Saint John of God – Ecclesiasticus Sirach 31:8-11 – Matthew 22:34-46 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Master, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” … Matthew 22:36
REFLECTION – “The Lord asks of us only two things – love of His Majesty and love of our neighbour. These are what we must work for. By observing them with perfection, we do His will and so, will be united with Him. But how far, as I have said, we are from doing these two things, as we ought, for so great a God! May it please His Majesty to give us His grace, so that we might merit, if we wish to reach this state that lies within our power.
The most certain sign, in my opinion, as to whether or not we are observing these two laws, is whether we observe well, the love of neighbour. We cannot know whether or not we love God, although there are strong indications for recognising that we do love Him but, we can know, whether we love our neighbour. And be certain that the more advanced you see you are, in love for your neighbour, the more advanced you will be in the love of God, for the love His Majesty has for us, is so great that to repay us for our love of neighbour, He will, in a thousand ways, increase the love we have for Him. I cannot doubt this. That is why, it is important for us to walk, with careful attention, to how we are proceeding in this matter, for if we practice love of neighbour with great perfection, we shall have done everything.I believe that, since our nature is bad, we will not reach perfection in the love of neighbour, if that love does not rise from love of God, as its root.” – (Interior Castle, Fifth Dwelling Places Ch 3).
PRAYER – O God, Who caused blessed John, when burning with love for Thee, to walk unharmed through the midst of flames and through him, enriched Thy Church with a new religious family; grant by the help of his merits, our sins may be burned away by the fire of Thy love and eternal remedies may come to us. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
Our Morning Offering – 8 March – The Feastday of St John of God OH (1495-1550) Confessor
Lord be Blessed! (A Prayer of Thanksgiving and Self-oblation) By St John of God (1495-1550)
Lord be blessed! for in Thy great kindness to me, who art such a great sinner, having performed so many wicked things, yet Thou seest fit to set me free, from such a tremendous temptation and deception into which I fell, through my own sinfulness. Thou hast brought me into a safe harbour, where I shall endeavour to serve Thee with all my strength. My Lord, I beg Thee, with all my might, give me the strength of Thine grace and always let me see Thine clemency. I wish to be Thy slave, so kindly show me what I should do. Give peace and quiet to my soul which greatly desires this. O most worthy Lord, may this creature of Thine, serve and praise Thee. May I give my whole heart and mind, to Thee. Amen
Saint of the Day – 8 March – Saint Pontius (Died c262) Deacon of St Cyprian of Carthage, biographer of the latter’s heroic life and virtues.
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Carthage, St Pontius, the Deacon of the Bishop, St Vyprian, who remained in banishment with him, until his death and composed an excellent history of his life and Martyrdom, By ever glorifying God in his own sufferings, he merited the crown of life.”
15th Century woodcut of St Pontius witnessing the Martydom of St Cyprian
St Jerome in his De Virus Illustribus (On Famous Men) states that “Pontius, Deacon of Cyprian, after having endured exile with him until the day of his Martyrdom, left a valuable volume on the life and death of Cyprian.” From this we can deduce very little biographical data on Pontius himself which, however, confirm those provided by St Jerome.
Pontius was close to his Bishop, especially during his imprisonment and in the last year of his life and witnessed his torture. In Curubis (modern Korba in Tunisia), where St Cyprian was exiled with Pontius, a Tombstone was discovered in which a Pontius is remembered and from this, it was thought that the Biographer of St Cyprian was originally from this City.
The Martyrdom of St Cyprian
Some scholars have, however, denied the authorship of the Life of Cyprian, based on the fact that neither the writer says his name, nor is he mentioned in the mss. prior to the 12th Century. St Jerome’s statement is, however, too explicit to be doubted.
St Apollonius of Antinoë St Arianus of Alexandri St Arnulf of Chartres Abbot St Beoadh of Ardcarne St Duthus of Ross
St Felix of Burgundy (Died 647) Bishop, “The Apostle of East Anglia” Missionary in East Anglia and particularly in the Port Town now known as Felixstowe, in Suffolk, England. Amongst being the Founder of countless Churches. a famouse Monastery of Bury Saint Edmunds, he is also the Founder of what is now the University of Cambridge. This wonderful “Apostle of East Anglia” https://anastpaul.com/2023/03/08/saint-of-the-day-8-march-st-felix-of-burgundy-died-647-bishop-the-apostle-of-east-anglia/
St Litifredus of Pavia St Philemon of Antinoë St Pontius (Died c262) Deacon of St Cyprian of Carthage St Provinus of Como St Quintilis of Nicomedia St Rhian
Martyrs of North Africa – 9 Saints: A Bishop and some of his flock who were Martyred together in North Africa. The only details that have survived are nine of the names – Beata, Cyril, Felicitas, Felix, Herenia, Mamillus, Rogatus, Silvanus, Urban.
Thought for the Day – 7 March – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)
“Short Meditations for March, St Joseph” From “The Devout Year” By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)
7th Day – The Visitation
+1. The visit of Mary to her cousin St Elizabeth took place a short time after the Annunciation . It had been suggested to her by the Angel’s message, telling her that Elizabeth was to bear a son. St Joseph knew nothing of this, yet, he raised no objection to the journey. He had already conceived such a reverence for his spotless spouse that it was enough for him that she entertained a wish. He knew that she never acted on impulse, or without a due cause and so, when Mary asked his leave to visit her cousin, he at once consented. So we too, should consult, as far as possible, the wishes of others, especially our spouses, seeking to conform our will to others in the spirit of charity.
+2. St Joseph would not allow his young wife to journey alone. He went with her as her escort. What a happiness to him to wait upon her! How tenderly he watches over her How thoughtfully he sees to all her wants! Men often idealise those they love but there was no need to idealise Mary. She was an ideal in herself. And when he approached her, Joseph somehow felt that he was drawing near to God and that God dwelt in her ,in some other way than by His graces and gifts.
+3. Arriving at their journey’s end, St Joseph, in his humility, saw to their material needs and did not hear the words of Elizabeth saluting Mary as the Mother of God and announcing the joy of her unborn babe at His Presence. St Joseph was ignorant and remained in ignorance of the Mystery of the Incarnation. He had to wait – this was to be the law of his life as it is, of the lives of all who are very dear to God.
Quote/s of the Day – 7 March – St Thomas Aquinas OP (1225-1274) Confessor, Doctor
“Christ said that the shepherd enters through the gate and that He is Himself the Gate, as well as the Shepherd. Then, it is necessary, that He enter through Himself. By so doing, He reveals Himself and through Himself, He knows the Father. But we enter through Him because through Him. we find happiness.”
“At His Transfiguration Christ showed His disciples, the splendour of His Beauty, to which He will shape and colour, those who are His : ‘He will reform our lowness configured to the Body of His Glory.”
“Beware of the person of one book.”
“Not everything which is more difficult, is more meritorious.”
“How can we live in harmony? Firstly, we need to know we are all madly in love with the same God.”
“The Blessed Virgin was chosen to be the Mother of God and, therefore, it is not to be doubted, but that God fitted her for it by His graces.”
Lenten Meditations – 7 March – With Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900) Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“The Sacred Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ” “Short Meditations for Lent” From “The Devout Year” By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)
The First Friday in Lent The Supper in Simon’s House
Read St Mark xiv:3-11
[3] And when He was in Bethania, in the house of Simon the leper and was at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of precious spikenard and breaking the alabaster box, she poured it out upon His Head. [4] Now, there were some that had indignation within themselves and said: Why was this waste of the ointment made? [5] For this ointment might have been sold for more than three hundred pence and given to the poor. And they murmured against her. [6] But Jesus said: Let her alone, why do you molest her? She hath wrought a good work upon Me. [7] For the poor you have always with you and whensoever you will, you may do them good but Me, you have not always. [8] She hath done what she could, she is come beforehand to anoint My Body for burial. [9] Amen, I say to you, wheresoever this gospel shall be preached, in the whole world that also, which she hath done, shall be told for a memorial of her. [10] And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests, to betray him to them. [11] Who hearing it were glad and they promised him, they would give him money. And he sought how he might conveniently betray Him. [Mark 14:3-11]
+1. The supper in Simon’s house was remarkable for St Mary Magdalene’s act of devotion to our Divine Lord. She brought an alabaster box of ointment of precious spikenard and poured it on His head as He sat at table. Her gift was very pleasing to Our Lord for three reasons: (a ) she gave of her bes ; (b) she gave out of pure love; (c) she gave in the presence of the assembled guests, fearlessly and knowing men would ridicule and blame her. Are the gifts I give to God marked by generosity, supernatural love, with an absence of seeking all human respect?
+2. Some of those present, instigated by Judas, began to criticise what they regarded as wasteful. They had indignation within themselves and showed it in words. They veiled their grumbling under show of charity to the poor. This was very displeasing to Jesus. He hates the spirit which finds fault and criticises and condemns and, all the more, when it hides itself under the cloak of virtue. Yet is not this spirit strong in me?
+3. Notice the gratitude of Jesus. A little box of ointment poured on His head earns for the donor a commemoration of her gift wherever the Gospel shall be preached in the whole world . And not only this – it obtains for her too, many graces on earth and great glory in Heaven. There is no-one who is as grateful as Jesus Christ! no-one who will reward with such Divine generosity, everything done for love of Him! Nothing will be forgotten nothing is too small to be noticed and richly recompensed by Him!
One Minute Reflection – 7 March – “The Month of Saint Joseph” –First Friday – Feast of the Crown of Thorns – St Thomas Aquinas OP (1225-1274) Confessor, Doctor – Wisdom 7:7-14 – Matthew 5:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Jesus said to His disciples: “You are the salt of the earth. … You are the light of the world.” – Matthew 5:13, 14
REFLECTION – “You are the salt of the earth. It is not for your own sake, He says but for the world’s sake that the word is entrusted to you. I am not sending you into two cities only or ten or twenty, not to a single nation, as I sent the Prophets of old but, across land and sea, to the whole world. And that world is in a miserable state. For when He says: You are the salt of the earth, He is indicating that, all mankind had lost its savour and had been corrupted by sin. Therefore, He requires of these men, those virtues which are especially useful and even necessary, if they are to bear the burdens of many. For the man who is kindly, modest, merciful and just, will not keep his good works to himself but, will see to it that, these admirable fountains, send out their streams, for the good of others. Again, the man who is clean of heart, a peacemaker and ardent for truth, will order his life so, as to contribute to the common good. …
Then He passes onto a more exalted comparison – You are the light of the world. Once again, “of the world,” not of one nation or twenty cities but of the whole world. The light He means, is an intelligible light, far superior to the rays of the sun we see, just as the salt is a spiritual salt. First salt, then light, so that you may learn how profitable sharp words may be and how useful, serious doctrine. Such teaching holds in check and prevents, dissipation, it leads to virtue and sharpens the mind’s eye. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden, nor do men light a lamp and put it under a basket. Here again, He is urging them to a careful manner of life and teaching them, to be watchful, for they live under the eyes of all and have the whole world for the arena of their struggles.” – St John Chrysostom (347-407) Archbishop of Constantinople, Father and Doctor of the Church (An excerpt from his Homily on Matthew).
PRAYER – O God, Who enlightened Thy Church with the wondrous learning of blessed Thomas, Thy Confessor and enriched her through his holy life, grant us, we beseech Thee, both to understand what he taught and by following his example, to do what he did. Through tJesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
Our Morning Offering – 7 March – St Thomas Aquinas OP (1225-1274) Confessor, Doctor
Grant Me, My God By St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) Angelic Doctor, Common Doctor
Make my heart watchful, O God, so that no vain thoughts may distract it from Thee. Make it noble, so that it may never be seduced by any base affection. Make it steadfast, so that troubles may not dismay it. Make it free, so that it may not yield to the onslaughts of passion. Grant me, my God, the intelligence, to understand Thee, the love, to seek Thee, the wisdom, to find Thee, words, to please Thee, the perseverance, to wait faithfully for Thee and, the hope of embracing Thee, at last. Grant that I, a repentant sinner, may bear Thy chastisements with resignation. Poor pilgrim which I am, may I draw on the treasury of Thine grace and may I one day, be eternally happy with Thee in Heavenly glory! Amen
Saint of the Day – 7 March – Blessed John Ireland (Died 1544) Priest Martyr, Chaplain to Blessed John Larke and Saint Thomas More. Priest at Eltham, Kent, England from 1535 to 1536. Martyred by being hung, drawn and quartered at Tyburn Tree, London on 7 March 1544, together with Blessed Germanus Gardiner and Blessed John Larke for denying that King Henry VIII of England had supremacy over the Church. Additional Feastday – 4 May with the English Martyrs.
Little is known of this you Priest. He was ther Chaplain of the Roper Chantry annexed to St Dunstan’s, in Canterbury (1535–1536) before becoming the Priest of Eltham, Kent and thus the Parish Priest of St Thomas More’s daughter Margaret Roper of West Hall.
On 15 February 1543, Ireland was indicted with the Blesseds John larke, Germanus Gardiner and John Heywood (who recanted on the hurdle or wooden panel and drawn behind a horse to the place of execution). They were brought before Westminster Court and were sentenced to death on the charge of “attempted treason against the King, in the matter of his dignity, title and name of Supreme Head of the Church of England and Ireland, by words, writings and deeds ”. The three Martyrs were hanged, drawn and quartered on 7 March 1544.
The bodies of the Martyrs were buried under the Scaffold. Blessed John Ireland was Beatified by Pope Pius XI on 15 December 1929.
Feast of The Sacred Crown of Thorns of Our Lord Jesus Christ One of the “Seven Passion Feasts” – celebrated on the the Fridays after Ash Wednesday. The first Feast in honour of the Sacred Crown of Thorns (Festum susceptionis coronae Domini) was instituted at Paris in 1239, when Saint Louis IX of France brought there the Relic of the Crown of Thorns which was deposited later in the Royal Chapel, erected in 1241–1248 to guard this and other Relics of the Passion. HERE: https://anastpaul.com/2024/02/16/feast-of-the-sacred-crown-of-thorns-of-our-lord-jesus-christ-friday-after-ash-wednesday/
St Ardo of Aniane Bl Daniel of Wichterich St Deifer of Bodfari St Drausinus of Soissons Bishop St Enodoch St Esterwine of Wearmouth Abbot St Eubulus of Caesarea St Gaudiosus (Died c445) Bishop and Confessor of Brescia
Bl German Gardiner Bl Henry of Austria Bl Jermyn Gardiner Blessed John Ireland (Died 1544) Priest Martyr
Bl Volker of Segeberg OSA (Died c1135) Priest Martyr Bl William of Assisi
Martyrs of Carthage – 4 Saints: A catechist and three students Martyred together for teaching and learning the faith. We know little more than their names – Revocatus, Saturninus, Saturus and Secundulus. Mauled by wild beasts and beheaded 7 March 203 at Carthage, North Africa
Thought for the Day – 6 March – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)
“Short Meditations for March, St Joseph” From “The Devout Year” By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)
6th Day – The Annunciation
+1. Our Lady’s peaceful life at Nazareth with her chaste and holy spouse had continued for some weeks or months, when that wondrous message came to her – she was to be the Mother of God. The Son of God became Incarnate in her holy womb! How it must have transformed her whole life to know that her God dwelt within her! She was no longer Joseph’s spouse before all else; he had to give place to One holier than he, to One Who was not mere man but God! Now she was before all and above all, the sacred house in which the Eternal Wisdom of God dwelt under a veil of flesh!
+2. Did Joseph perceive any change in her? Yes – he was conscious of a dignity, of a grace, of a Divinity encircling Mary which ,with all her holiness, had not been there before. Mary’s sanctity was transformed. She, herself, who before had been like a beautiful crystal, was now like a crystal through which some brilliant Light continually darted its rays of splendour. So ought we to be when we receive Holy Communion . What a change it should make in us! How in our conversation the recent Presence of our God within us, should show its Divine effects in our lives!
+3. Why did Mary not tell Joseph? She could not. She, who always acted under Divine inspiration was inspired to conceal the Divine secret. How could she, with her humility, reveal this unexampled privilege? She knew all that her silence would bring on her but, until God urged her to speak, she would be silent. Are we similarly guided by God in all things and, are we anxious to conceal, what exalts us in the eyes of others?
Quote/s of the Day – 6 March – Ash Thursday – Isaias 38:1-6 – Matthew 8:5-13
“And the centurion, making answer, said: Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldst enter under my roof but only say the word and my servant shall be healed.”
Matthew 8:8
“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
Matthew 23:12
“Those who refuse to be humble cannot be saved. They cannot say with the prophet: See, God comes to my aid; the Lord is the helper of my soul. But anyone who makes himself humble, like a little child, is greater in the Kingdom of Heaven.”
St Bede the Venerable (673-735) Father and Doctor if the Church
“Humility is the mother of many virtues because, from it are born: obedience, fear, reverence, patience, modesty, meekness and peace. He who is humble easily obeys everyone, fears to offend anyone, is at peace with everyone, is kind to all!”
St Thomas of Villanova OSA (1488-1555)
“Humility is not just about self-mistrust but about the entrusting of ourselves to God. Distrusting ourselves and our own strength produces trust in God and from that trust, generosity of soul is born.”
Lenten Meditations – 6 March – With Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)
“The Sacred Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ” “Short Meditations for Lent” From “The Devout Year” By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)”
Ash Thursday The Preliminaries of the Passion
Read St. Luke xxii:1-6
[1] Now the feast of unleavened bread, which is called the pasch, was at hand. [2] And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might put Jesus to death but they feared the people. [3] And Satan entered into Judas, who was surnamed Iscariot, one of the twelve. [4] And he went, and discoursed with the chief priests and the magistrates, how he might betray Him to them. [5] And they were glad and covenanted to give him money. [6] And he promised. And he sought opportunity to betray Him in the absence of the multitude. [Luke 22:1-6]
+1. During the first days of the week in which He suffered, our Blessed Lord had been teaching all day in the Temple. The assembled crowd had cried ,“ Hosanna to the Son of David, Blessed is He Who cometh in the name of the Lord.” It seemed as if He were going to be acknowledged by the voice of the people as the King of Israel. How deceptive are appearances! How often, when all seems to be going well and the cause of Christ about to triumph, some grievous disappointment is at hand!
+2. Side by side with the enthusiasm of the people grew the rage and fury of the chief priests and scribes. Why did they thus hate Him, Who went about doing good? In their selfishness and cupidity, they feared, lest He should interfere with their influence and they thus lose their position, their reputation, their gains. Pride and self -love blinded their eyes and made them hate, the Son of God, with a bitter hatred. Am I not sometimes blinded by like feelings? filled with unjust dislike of others because they seem to interfere with my influence or my personal interests?
+3. The chief priests had a great advantage in the fact that, in the little company, which surrounded Jesus, there was a traitor. Judas impelled by avarice, had been first a thief and then, had made overtures to betray his Master. O fatal love of money, to harden the heart of man! How careful must I be not to set my heart on any earthly possessions, since nothing has a more deadly power than this, to separate me from the love of Jesus!
One Minute Reflection – 6 March – “The Month of Saint Joseph” – Ash Thursday – Isaias 38:1-6 – Matthew 8:5-13 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“And the centurion, making answer, said: Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldst enter under my roof but only say the word and my servant shall be healed.” – Matthew 8:8.
REFLECTION – “When the Lord promised to go to the Centurion’s house to heal his servant, the Centurion answered, “Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldst enter under my roof but only say the word and my servant shall be healed.” By viewing himself as unworthy, he showed himself worthy, for Christ to come, not merely into his house but also into his heart. He would not have said this with such great faith and humility, if he had not already, in his heart, welcomed the One Who came into his house. It would have been no great joy for the Lord Jesus to enter into his house and not to enter his heart. For the Master of humility, both by word and example, sat down also in the house of a certain proud Pharisee, Simon and, although he sat down in his house, there was no place in his heart. For in his heart the Son of Man could not lay his head.” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (Sermon 62).
PRAYER – Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord our God, that we may venerate with unceasing devotion Thy holy Martyrs Perpetua and Felicitas and, although we cannot pay them the honour that is their due, may we at least present to them, our humble homage. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
Rescue Me, Most Merciful God By Father Martin von Cochem OSFC (c 1630-1712)
Most merciful God, remember at how great a price Thou didst purchase me and how much Thou didst suffer for me. For the sake of that inestimable price, do not permit me to be lost, rescue me, number me amongst the sheep of Thy fold. With them, I will then praise and magnify Thy loving kindness, to all eternity. Amen
Fr Martin von Cochem was a German Capuchin theologian, preacher and prolific ascetic writer. Father Martin’s works embrace a great variety of subjects –a huge volume of apologetics against Protestantism, the life of Christ, lives of the Saints, edifying narratives, the setting forth of certain points in Christian asceticism, forms of prayer, methods to be followed for the worthy reception of the sacraments, etc. All with Imprimaturs. The prayer above is from the renowned “The Four Last Things.”
Saint of the Day – 6 March – Saint Baldred (Died c757) Abbot, Priest, Missionary, Founder of a monastic community, Hermit, Miracle-worker. Born in Northumbria, England and died on 6 March c757 in Tyninghame in the Lothian region of Scotland. Also known as – “the Apostle of the Lothians”Balthere, Baltherus, … the Hermit, … of Tyninghame.
Baldred seems to have come from Lindisfarne in Northumbria, England, to spread Christ to the Lothians. He founded a Monastery at Tyninghame and choose a life of seclusion. Simeon of Durham says that “the boundaries of his pastorate embraced the whole land which belongs to the monastery of Saint Balther which is called Tyninghame – from Lammermuir to Inveresk, or, as it was called, Eskmouthe.”
He lived in a cell on the Bass Rock and died there. Three communities vied for the right to bury him, Auldhame, Tyninghame and Prestonkirk. His cult was certainly centred on the four Churches of Auldhame, Whitekirk, Tyninghame and Prestonkirk, between East Linton and North Berwick in East Lothian.
Baldred founded a Monastery at Tyninghame. However, at times, he preferred to retire from the spiritual government of the Lothian Britons and he selected the Bass Rock as the spot to build himself a small hermitage and associated Chapel, although he also sometimes resided in ‘St Baldred’s Cave’ on Seacliff Beach.
Ruins of the Base Rock Foundation
Following Baldred’s death on the site of this Chapel, there was a dispute between the people of Auldhame, Tyninghame and Prestonkirk, as to which should be chosen to venerate his life by a Shrine and bury his remains.“ By the advice of a holy man, they spent the night in prayer. In the morning three bodies were found, in all respects alike, each in its winding sheet, prepared for burial.”
St Baldred’s Cave
All three Churches established Shrines to Saint Baldred. Echoes of St Baldred occur throughout the area of East Lothian in which he lived and worked. In 941, St Baldred’s Monastery at Tyninghame was destroyed by the Danes and the following century the version of the remains of St Baldred buried at Tyninghame, were moved to Durham. In the 1100s St Baldred’s Church was built on the location of the monastery and this still stands today in the grounds of Tyninghame House.
At the Prestonkirk Parish Church, there existed, until 1770, when it was damaged by a builder, a Statue of the Saint much venerated by the local population. St Baldred’s Well stands nearby which was “famed for its…healing qualities.” This Well was greatly celebrated as a place of pilgrimage, attracting 1000s of visitors and the area also lays claim to this Saint as the scene of his ministry,
St Baldred’s Well
A Papal Bull of 1493 records the Pope’s consent to build a Chapel on the site of St Baldred’s own Chapel on Bass Rock – possibly this Church below.
St Aetius St Bairfhion St Baldred of Strathclyde St Baldred (Died c757) Abbot St Balther of Lindisfarne St Basil of Bologna St Cadroë
St Chrodegang of Metz (c714-776) The First Bishop of Metz, Protector and Father of the poor and orphans, Reformer of the Clergy, a relative of King Pepin and of Prince Charles Martel, both of whom he was Court Chancellor, Royal Diplomat, Saint Opportuna of Montreuil was his brother. The Roman Martyrology states: “In Metz in Austrasia, in today’s France, St Crodegango, Bishop, who arranged for the Clergy to live as if within the walls of a cloister under an exemplary rule of life and greatly promoted liturgical chant.” Biography: https://anastpaul.com/2022/03/06/saint-of-the-day-6-march-saint-chrodegang-of-metz/
St Colette PCC (1381-1447) Abbess and Foundress of the Colettine Poor Clares, a reform branch of the Order of Saint Clare. Patronages – against eye disorders, against fever, against headaches, against infertility, against the death of parents, of women seeking to conceive, expectant mothers and sick children, craftsmen, Poor Clares, servants, Corbie, France, Ghent, Belgium. St Colette was Canonised on 24 May 1807 by Pope Pius VII. Lovely St Colette: https://anastpaul.com/2017/03/06/saint-of-the-day-6-march-st-colette/ AND: https://anastpaul.com/2019/03/06/saint-of-the-day-6-march-st-colette-2/
St Cyriacus of Trier St Cyril of Constantinople St Evagrius of Constantinople
Bl Guillermo Giraldi St Heliodorus the Martyr Bl Jordan of Pisa St Julian of Toledo St Kyneburga of Castor St Kyneswide of Castor St Marcian of Tortona
St Ollegarius Bonestruga OSA (1060-1137) Bishop, Canon Regular of the Augustinians, Reformer, in both the religious sphere and the social one, Abbot, Diplomat, Peacemaker and Proptector of his people from possible violent incursions. The Roman Martyrology reads: “At Barcelona in Spain, the blessed St Ollegarius, who was first a Canon and afterwards the Bishop of Barcelona and Archbishop of Tarragona.” A Very Busy Shepherd https://anastpaul.com/2024/03/06/saint-of-the-day-6-march-st-ollegarius-bonestruga-osa-1060-1137-bishop/
Martyrs of Amorium – 42 Saints – Also known as Martyrs of Syria and Martyrs of Samarra; A group of 42 Christian senior officials in the Byzantine Empire who were captured by forces of the Abbasid Caliphate when the Muslim forces overran the City of Amorium, Phrygia in 838 and massacred or enslaved its population. The men were imprisoned in Samarra, the seat of the Caliphate, for seven years. Initially thought to be held for ransom due to their high position in the empire, all attempts to buy their freedom were declined. The Caliph repeatedly ordered them to convert to Islam and sent Islamic scholars to the prison to convince them; they refused until the Muslims finally gave up and killed them. Martyrs. We know the names and a little about seven of them: Aetios Bassoes Constantine Constantine Baboutzikos Kallistos Theodore Krateros Theophilos but details about the rest have disappeared over time. However, a lack of information did not stop several legendary and increasingly over-blown “Acts” to be written for years afterward. One of the first biographers, a monk name Euodios, presented the entire affair as a judgement by God on the empire for its official policy of Iconoclasm. Deaths: beheaded on 6 March 845 in Samarra (in modern Iraq) on the banks of the Euphrates river by Ethiopian slaves the bodies were thrown into the river, but later recovered by local Christians and given proper burial.
Thought for the Day – 5 March – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)
“Short Meditations for March, St Joseph” From “The Devout Year” By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)
5th Day – St Joseph’s Espousal
+I. Never were husband and wife so eminently suited to each other, as Joseph and Mary. Never was there a union which so exactly symbolised the union between Christ and the Church. Happy indeed are those who meet with a congenial spouse! Happier still, are those who are content to live in a state of virginity and in the religious life to choose Jesus Christ Himself for their Divine Spouse. They it is, who most nearly approach to the life of Joseph with Mary.
+2. St Joseph and Our Lady lived in perpetual chastity and their union was a closer one than that of any other husband and wife in the whole world. Their ideas, opinions, hopes,wishes, likes and dislikes, were all the same; Joseph was Mary’s strong support, Mary loved to depend on Joseph. None was ever so obedient, gentle loving and sympathising a wife as Mary. None was ever such a thoughtful, kind, prudent, faithful husband as Joseph.
+3. Of what age was St Joseph at the time of his marriage? Not an old man, for this would have been unseemly; nor very young, for he would not have been a suitable protector for Mary but, about the prime of life. It is true that from the 5th Century onwards, he is represented as a bearded old man but this is partly to represent the dignity of his character, partly, as a portrait of his later years. Joseph was always far advanced in wisdom, counsel, prudence and the love of God. Would that I were more like him!
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where rust and moth consume and where thieves break in and steal but lay up for yourselves, treasures in Heaven …”
Matthew 6:19-20
“Fasting is the soul of prayer, mercy is the lifeblood of fasting. Let no-one try to separate them; they cannot be separated. If you have only one of them, or not all together, you have nothing. So if you pray, fast; if you fast, show mercy; if you want your petition to be heard, hear the petition of others. If you do not close your ear to others you open God’s ear to yourself!”
St Peter Chrysologus (c400-450) Bishop of Ravenna “Doctor of Homilies” Father and Doctor of the Church
“Fasting is the death of sin, the destruction of our crimes and the remedy of our salvation.”
St Ambrose (340-397) Father & Doctor of the Church
“For the devil may tempt the good but he cannot find rest in them; for he is shaken violently and upset and driven out – now by their prayers, now by their tears of repentance and now. by their almsgiving and similar good works.”
St Bruno (c1030-1101)
“If a man finds it very difficult to forgive injuries, let him look at a Crucifix and think that Christ shed all His Blood for him and not only forgave His enemies but, even prayed His Heavenly Father, to forgive them too. Let him remember, that when he says the Pater Noster, everyday, instead of asking pardon for his sins, he is calling down VENGEANCE UPON HIMSELF!”
St Philip Neri (1515-1595)
“The sacred gift of prayer is already in the Right Hand of the Saviour; as soon as ever you shall have emptied yourself of self, He will pour it into your heart!”
(Letters to Persons in Religion III 19)
St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor Caritatis
“You must be reconciled to your enemies, speak to them, as if they had never done you anything but good, all your life, keeping nothing in your heart but the charity, which the good Christian should have, for everyone, so that we may all appear with confidence, before the tribunal of God.”
Lenten Meditations – 5 March – With Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)
“The Sacred Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ” “Short Meditations for Lent” From “The Devout Year” By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)”
Ash Wednesday The Anticipation of the Passion
Read St Matthew xvi:21; xvii:21, 22 “From that time, Jesus began to show to His disciples,that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the ancients and scribes and chief priests and be put to death and the third day rise again.” [Matthew 16:21]
“And when they abode together in Galilee, Jesus said to them: ‘The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men; [22] And they shall kill Him and the third day He shall rise again. And they were exceedingly troubled.” [Matthew 17:21-22]
+1. From the first moment of His Incarnation, our Blessed Lord had ever before His Eyes, the prospect of His approaching Agony and Death. It was present to Him, not vaguely and uncertainly, like pain and suffering to which men look forward but vividly and distinctly, as at the actual time when He suffered. Never, for a single moment, was it absent from His thoughts. O wondrous Love of our Incarnate God, Who thus employed His Divine Power to protract His sufferings by this continual prospect!
+2. Yet, in spite of this, He was always cheerful and full of brightness and joy of heart. His coming Agony did not weigh Him down or depress Him. In spite of the bitterness of the chalice, of the unspeakable agony ever present to Him, no cloud overcast His brow, no weakness or dread was manifest to His Apostles, no thought of Self, interfered with His perfect sympathy for others. He was a pattern of Divine unselfishness; the unselfish always forget their own troubles and so can comfort and help others.
+3. But our Blessed Lord, not only was not cast down by the approaching Passion, He actually longed for it. I have a baptism wherewith I am to be baptised and how am I straitened until it be accomplished? His Love for men was such that He rejoiced in the thought of suffering for us . How can I ever thank Him as I ought? How can I show my love for Him Who loved me with so great a Love?
Lenten Meditations – 5 March – With Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)
“The Sacred Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ” “Short Meditations for Lent” From “The Devout Year” By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)”
PREFACE
THERE is no subject of meditation more pleasing to God and more profitable to the soul, than the Passion of Jesus Christ. It containswithin itself, all sweetness It is the remedy for every evil; the food which nourishes the soul. It is continued still in the Blessed Eucharist and every Mass, is a representation and renewal of the Sacred Passion. It is a subject always in season but especially during the holy time of Lent. These Meditations deal with some of the main incidents of Our Lord’s Sacred Passion. They are intended to be begun on Ash Wednesday and to end on Holy Saturday. A few verses of Scripture are suggested to be read before each meditation, as furnishing the subject – matter of which it treats.
Introduction – How to Meditate on the Passion
St Bonaventure tells us, if we desire to meditate with fruit on the Passion of Jesus Christ, three conditions are necessary. Our meditation must be +1. HUMBLE – for the Passion is unlike anything else in the world, it is unfathomable to human reason; it is a bottomless ocean of mystery. Reason must bow its head and confess its inability to grasp the Mysteries which even Faith sees only darkly and through a glass. The story of Christ’s humiliation, is to the proud, a sealed book; they see nothing attractive in it. Christ suffering, has no beauty that they should admire Him. I must, therefore, begin by praying for humility.
+2. FULL of CONFIDENCE – since the Passion is the source of all our confidence. It is the proof of the exceeding Love wherewith Christ loved us. How can I fear, with the sight before me, of Christ suffering for love of me? It is, too , a medicine for every possible evil, for every temptation for every sin, whatever the malady of my soul –the Passion of Christ can cure it. At the Foot of the Cross, each mortal wound will be made whole!
+3. PERSEVERANCE – the beauty of the Passion does not appear all at once. The world considers it a degradation, the careless and the indifferent. pass it by unmoved; even the faithful Christian scarcely penetrates beneath the surface of that Divine Mystery, unless he prays earnestly and continually, to appreciate it. Only gradually and by degrees, are we drawn by the Sacred attractiveness of the Cross Before I begin my meditations, I must ask God for this spirit of humility, confidence, persistence!
One Minute Reflection – 5 March – “The Month of Saint Joseph” – Ash Wednesday – Joel 2:12-19 – Matthew 6:16-21 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“But you, when you fast…” – Matthew 6:17..
REFLECTION – “My dear brethren, today we set out on the great Lenten journey. So, let us take our food and drink along in our boat, putting into the chest, the abundant mercy we shall need. For our fasting is a hungry one, our fasting is a thirsty one, if it is not sustained by goodness and refreshed by mercy. Our fasting will be cold, our fasting will flag, if the fleece of almsgiving does not clothe it, if the garment of compassion, does not wrap it around.
Brethren, what Spring is for the land, mercy is for fasting – the soft, Spring winds, cause all the buds on the plains to flower – the mercy of our fast causes all our seeds to grow until they blossom and bear fruit, for the heavenly harvest. What oil is to the lamp, goodness is to our fast. As the oily fat sets the lamp alight and, in spite of so little to feed it, keeps it burning, to our comfort, all night long, so goodness makes our fasting shine: it casts its beams until it reaches the full brightness of self-restraint. What the sun is to the day, almsgiving is to our fast – the sun’s splendour increases the light of day, breaking through the dullness of the clouds – almsgiving, together with fasting, sanctifies its holiness and, thanks to the light of goodness, dispels from our desires anything that could petrify.
In short, what the body is for the soul, generosity acts similarly for the fast, when the soul leaves the body it brings about death; if generosity abandons the fast, it is, its death!” – St Peter Chrysologus (400-450) Bishop of Ravenna, “Doctor of Sermons” Father and Doctor of the Church (From Sermon 8).
PRAYER – Grant, O Lord, that Thy faithful people may, with true piety, undertake the time-honoured custom of fasting and may carry it out with unwavering devotion. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
Saint of the Day – 5 March – Saint Dietmar (Died 1206) Bishop of Minden in Germany from c1185 until his death. Born in Bavaria, Germany and died on 5 March 1206. Also known as – Thietmar, Thiemo, Theodemarus.
Statue of St Dietmar at Minden Cathedral
Bishop Dietmar is said to have been moral and ascetic in personal matters and to have led the Church in Minden with prudence and wisdom. He is considered one of the greatest Bishops in Westphalia. In 1200 he Consecrated the Monastery of Marienwerder.
It is said of Dietmar that on Good Friday he would fast on water and bread as he was accustomed, even though he was very weak physically. However, the water which his servant had drawn from the well had turned into wine. Dietmar refused the drink and asked for water instead. But when he was again and again offered wine, he began to distrust his servant. Finally, he followed him to the well and watched carefully how he drew the water. When he himself saw how the water had been transformed into wine, he thanked God for having strengthened him with this miraculous drink, despite his unworthiness.
Dietmar died on 5 March 1206 in Minden and was succeeded as the Bishop by Henry II (1206-1209). He is venerated as a Saint with a memorial day on the day of his death but 6 March is also mentioned.
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