Almsgiving of Saint Helladius (Eladius), oil painting by Francisco Bayeu c1770.
Bl John Pibush – one of the Martyrs of Douai St Leo of Patera St Paregorius of Patara St Sadoth of Seleucia St Tarasius of Constantinople
St Theotonius OSC (1082-1162) Priest of the Canons Regular, Reformer of religious life in Portugal, Royal Counsellor,, Apostle of the poor, Founder of the Canons Regular of the Holy Cross, now known as “The Crosiers.” He is the first Portuguese Saint. His Life Story: https://anastpaul.com/2021/02/18/saint-of-the-day-18-february-saint-theotinius-1082-1162/
Bl William Harrington
Martyrs of North Africa – 7 Saints: Group of Christians who were Martyred together, date unknown. We know nothing else but seven of their names – Classicus, Fructulus, Lucius, Maximus, Rutulus, Secundinus and Silvanus. They were born and martyred in North Africa.
Martyrs of Rome – 5 Saints: A group of Christians Martyred together in the persecutions of Diocletian. We know nothing else but their names – Alexander, Claudius, Cutias, Maximus and Praepedigna. They were martyred in 295 in Rome, Italy.
“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?
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).
St Adrian of Caesarea St Caron St Carthach the Elder Bl Christopher Macassoli of Vigevano St Clement of Santa Lucia St Colman of Armagh St Conon of Pamphylia Bl Conrad Scheuber St Dietmar (Died 1206) Bishop of Minden St Eusebius of Cremona St Eusebius the Martyr St Gerasimus of Palestine (Died c475) Monk, Hermit Bl Giovanna Irrizaldi
St Theophilus (Died c217) Bishop of Caesarea , Theologian, Writer , Apologist and Defender of the Faith. Born in Caesarea, Palestine and died c195 of natural causes. The Roman Martyrology reads: “At Caesarea, in Palestine, in the time of the Emperor, Severus, St Theophilus, Bishop, who was conspicuous for his wisdom and the purity of his life.” Wise St Theophilus: https://anastpaul.com/2024/03/05/saint-of-the-day-5-march-saint-theophilus-of-caesarea-died-c217-bishop/
Martyrs of Africa – A group of 304 Christians Martyred together for their faith. We know nothing else about them but five of their names Eusebius, Evolus, Hadrian, Julian and Octavian. They Died in 254 in Africa, exact location and date unknown.
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