Our Morning Offering – 25 April – Thursday of Easter week
Grant us Your Light, O Lord
By St Bede (673-735)
Father and Doctor of the Church
(From ‘On the Apocalypse’)
Grant us Your light, O Lord,
so that the darkness of our hearts,
may wholly pass away
and we may come at last,
to the light of Christ.
For Christ is that morning star,
who, when the night of this world has passed,
brings to His saints,
the promised light of life
and opens to them,
everlasting day.
Amen
One Minute Reflection – 14 February – Thursday of the Fifth week in Ordinary Time, Year C – Gospel: Mark 7:24–30 and the Memorial of Sts Cyril and Methodius “Apostles to the Slavs”- Patrons of Europe and St Valentine (176-273) Martyr
But immediately a woman, whose little daughter was possessed by an unclean spirit, heard of him and came and fell down at his feet....Mark 7:25
REFLECTION – “O woman, your faith is great. Let it be done to you as you wish” (Mt 15:28). Indeed, she had great enough faith, since she knew neither the ancient miracles, commands and promises of the prophets, nor the more recent ones of the Lord himself. In addition, as often as she was disregarded by the Lord, she persevered in her entreaties and she did not cease knocking by asking him, though she knew only by popular opinion that he was the Saviour. On account of this, she secured the great object for which she implored…
If one of us has a conscience polluted by the stain of avarice, conceit, vain-glory, indignation, irascibility, or envy and the other vices, he has “a daughter badly troubled by a demon” like the Canaanite woman. He should hasten to the Lord, making supplication for her healing… Being submissive with due humility, [such a person] must not judge himself to be worthy of the company of the sheep of Israel (that is, souls that are pure) but instead, he must be of the opinion that he is unworthy of heavenly favours. Nevertheless, let him not, in despair, rest from the earnestness of his entreaty but with his mind free of doubt, let him trust in the goodness of the supreme Benefactor, for the one who could make a confessor from a robber (Lk 23:39f.), an apostle from a persecutor (Acts 9:1-30, an evangelist from a publican (Mt 9:9-13) and who could make sons for Abraham out of stones, could turn even the most insignificant dog into an Israelite sheep.”...St Bede the Venerable (673-735) – Father & Doctor of the Church
PRAYER – Help us Lord, to cleave to You alone and grow in sanctity and charity. Create in us a clean heart O Lord! As we walk in the ways of Your divine Son, our Saviour, may we grow in faith and by our lives and words, be a light in the world. Grant that by the prayers of Sts Valentine and Sts Cyril and Methodius, we may be strengthen and grow in worthiness to receive Your grace. Through our Lord Jesus Christ in unity with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.
Thought for the Day – 12 February – the Memorial of St Ethelwald (Died c 740)
How Ethelwald, successor to Cuthbert, leading a hermit’s life, calmed a tempest by his prayers when the brethren were in danger at sea. [687-699]
The venerable Ethewald succeeded the man of God, Cuthbert, in the exercise of a solitary life, which he spent in the isle of Fame before he became a bishop. After he had received the priesthood, he consecrated his office by deeds worthy of that degree for many years in the monastery which is called Inhrypum.
To the end that his merit and manner of life may be the more certainly made known, I will relate one miracle of his, which was told me by one of the brothers for and on whom the same was wrought; to wit, Guthfrid, the venerable servant and priest of Christ, who also, afterwards, as abbot, presided over the brethren of the same church of Lindisfarne, in which he was educated.
“I came,” says he, “to the island of Fame, with two others of the brethren, desiring to speak with the most reverend father, Ethelwald. Having been refreshed with his discourse and asked for his blessing, as we were returning home, behold on a sudden, when we were in the midst of the sea, the fair weather in which we were sailing, was broken and there arose so great and terrible a tempest, that neither sails nor oars were of any use to us, nor had we anything to expect but death. After long struggling with the wind and waves to no effect, at last we looked back to see whether it was possible by any means at least to return to the island whence we came but we found that we were on all sides alike cut off by the storm, and that there was no hope of escape by our own efforts. But looking further, we perceived, on the island of Fame, our father Ethelwald, beloved of God, come out of his retreat to watch our course, for, hearing the noise of the tempest and raging sea, he had come forth to see what would become of us. When he beheld us in distress and despair, he bowed his knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, in prayer for our life and safety and, as he finished his prayer, he calmed the swelling water, in such sort that the fierceness of the storm ceased on all sides and fair winds attended us over a smooth sea to the very shore. When we had landed and had pulled up our small vessel from the waves, the storm, which had ceased a short time for our sake, presently returned and raged furiously during the whole day, so that it plainly appeared, that the brief interval of calm had been granted by Heaven, in answer to the prayers of the man of God, to the end that we might escape.”
The man of God remained in the isle of Fame twelve years,and died there but was buried in the church of the blessed Apostle Peter, in the isle of Lindisfarne, beside the bodies of the aforesaid bishops.’
These things happened in the days of King Aldfrid, who, after his brother Egfrid, ruled the nation of the Northumbrians for nineteen years.
From Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of England
By The Venerable Bede (673-735)
Father & Doctor of the Church
We beseech Thee, Lord,
open Thy heavens, open our eyes,
may Thy gifts descend to us,
may our hearts look back to Thee.
May Thy throne be laid open to us,
while we receive the benefits which we implore,
may our mind be laid open to Thee,
while we render the service which is enjoined to us.
Look down from Heaven, O Lord,
behold and visit this vine
which Thy right hand hath planted.
Strengthen the weak,
relieve the contrite,
confirm the strong.
Build them up in love,
cleanse them with purity,
enlighten them with wisdom,
keep them with mercy.
Lord Jesus, Good Shepherd,
who laid down Thy life for the sheep,
defend the purchase of Thy blood.
Feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty,
seek for the lost, convert the wandering,
bind up that which is broken.
Put forth Thine own hand from Heaven
and touch the head of each one here.
May they feel the touch of Thy hand
and receive the joy of the Holy Spirit,
that they may remain blessed for evermore.
Amen
When we pray,
let it be our whole being
that turns towards God –
our thoughts,
our heart…
The Lord will be moved
to incline towards us
and come to our help…
Our Morning Offering – 11 December – Tuesday of the Second week of Advent
Grant us Your Light, O Lord
By St Bede (673-735) Father and Doctor of the Church
(From ‘On the Apocalypse’)
Grant us Your light, O Lord,
so that the darkness of our hearts,
may wholly pass away
and we may come at last,
to the light of Christ.
For Christ is that morning star,
who, when the night of this world has passed,
brings to His saints,
the promised light of life
and opens to them,
everlasting day.
Amen
Saint of the Day – 31 August -St Aidan of Lindisfarne (died 651) Apostle of Northumbria – Bishop, Monk, Missionary, Abbot, Ascetic, Apostle of Charity – born as (Irish: Naomh Aodhán) in Ireland and died on 31 August 651 at Bamburg, England of natural causes. Patronages – Northumbria and firefighters. St Aidan was an Irish monk and missionary credited with restoring Christianity to Northumbria. He founded a monastic cathedral on the island of Lindisfarne, known as Lindisfarne Priory, served as its first bishop and travelled ceaselessly throughout the countryside, spreading the gospel to both the Anglo-Saxon nobility and to the socially disenfranchised (including children and slaves).
St Bede’s (673-735 Father & Doctor of the Church) meticulous and detailed account of Aidan’s life provides the basis for most biographical sketches (both classical and modern). One notable lacuna, which (somewhat paradoxically) reinforces the notion of Bede’s reliability, is that virtually nothing is known of the monk’s early life, save that he was a monk at the ancient monastery on the island of Iona from a relatively young age and that he was of Irish descent.
In the years prior to Aidan’s mission, Christianity, which had been propagated throughout Britain but not Ireland by the Roman Empire, was being largely displaced by Anglo-Saxon paganism. In the monastery of Iona (founded by Columba of the Irish Church), the religion soon found one of its principal exponents in Oswald of Northumbria, a noble youth who had been raised there as a king in exile since 616. Baptised as a Christian, the young king vowed to bring Christianity back to his people—an opportunity that presented itself in 634, when he gained the crown of Northumbria.
Owing to his historical connection to Iona’s monastic community, King Oswald requested that missionaries be sent from that monastery instead of the Roman-sponsored monasteries of Southern England. At first, they sent him a bishop named Cormán, but he alienated many people by his harshness and returned in failure to Iona reporting that the Northumbrians were too stubborn to be converted. Aidan criticised Cormán’s methods and was soon sent as his replacement. He became bishop in 635.
Allying himself with the pious king, Aidan chose the island of Lindisfarne, which was close to the royal castle at Bamburgh, as the seat of his diocese. An inspired missionary, Aidan would walk from one village to another, politely conversing with the people he saw and slowly interesting them in Christianity – in this, he followed the early apostolic model of conversion, by offering “them first the milk of gentle doctrine, to bring them by degrees, while nourishing them with the Divine Word, to the true understanding and practice of the more advanced precepts.” By patiently talking to the people on their own level (and by taking an active interest in their lives and communities), Aidan and his monks slowly restored Christianity to the Northumbrian countryside. King Oswald, who after his years of exile had a perfect command of Irish, often had to translate for Aidan and his monks, who did not speak English at first.
In his years of evangelism, Aidan was responsible for the construction of churches, monasteries and schools throughout Northumbria. At the same time, he earned a tremendous reputation for his pious charity and dedication to the less fortunate—such as his tendency to provide room, board and education to orphans and his use of contributions to pay for the freedom of slaves.
“He was one to traverse both town and country on foot, never on horseback, unless compelled by some urgent necessity and wherever in his way, he saw any, either rich or poor, he invited them, if infidels, to embrace the mystery of the faith or if they were believers, to strengthen them in the faith, and to stir them up by words and actions to alms and good works. … This [the reading of scriptures and psalms and meditation upon holy truths] was the daily employment of himself and all that were with him, wheresoever they went and if it happened, which was but seldom, that he was invited to eat with the king, he went with one or two clerks, and having taken a small repast, made haste to be gone with them, either to read or write.
At that time, many religious men and women, stirred up by his example, adopted the custom of fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays, till the ninth hour, throughout the year, except during the fifty days after Easter.
He never gave money to the powerful men of the world but only meat, if he happened to entertain them and, on the contrary, whatsoever gifts of money he received from the rich, he either distributed them, as has been said, to the use of the poor, or bestowed them in ransoming such as had been wrong fully sold for slaves. Moreover, he afterwards made many of those he had ransomed his disciples, and after having taught and instructed them, advanced them to the order of priesthood.” (St Bede)
The monastery he founded grew and helped found churches and other religious institutions throughout the area. It also served as centre of learning and a storehouse of scholarly knowledge, training many of Aidan’s young charges for a career in the priesthood. Though Aidan was a member of the Irish branch of Christianity (instead of the Roman branch), his character and energy in missionary work won him the respect of Pope Honorius I and Felix of Dunwich.
When Oswald died in 642, Aidan received continued support from King Oswine of Deira and the two became close friends. As such, the monk’s ministry continued relatively unchanged until the rise of pagan hostilities in 651. At that time, a pagan army attacked Bamburgh and attempted to set its walls ablaze. According to legend, Aidan saw the black smoke from his cell at Lindisfarne Abbey, immediately recognised its cause and knelt in prayer for the fate of the city. Miraculously, the winds abruptly reversed their course, blowing the conflagration towards the enemy, which convinced them that the capital city was defended by potent spiritual forces. Around this time, Oswine was betrayed and murdered. Two weeks later Aidan died, on 31 August 651. He had become ill while on one of his incessant missionary tours and died leaning against the wall of the local church. As Baring-Gould poetically summarises: “It was a death which became a soldier of the faith upon his own fit field of battle.”
After his death, Aidan’s body was buried at Lindisfarne, beneath the abbey that he had helped found. Though his popularity waned in the coming years, “in the 11th century Glastonbury monks obtained some supposed relics of Aidan through their influence Aidan’s feast appears in the early Wessex calendars, which provide the main evidence for his cult after the age of Bede.”
His feast is celebrated on the anniversary of his death, 31 August. Reflecting his Irish origins, his Scottish monasticism and his ministry to the English, Aidan has been proposed as a possible patron saint of the United Kingdom.
Today, Aidan’s significance is still recognised in the following saying by Joseph Lightfoot, Bishop of Durham:
“Augustine was the Apostle of Kent but Aidan was the Apostle of the English.”
… Bishop Lightfoot
St Aidan’s College of the University of Durham was named after Aidan of Lindisfarne. Below is the Statue of St Aidan on Holy Island of Lindisfarne carrying the Flame of the Gospel of Christ.
One Minute Reflection – 29 August – The Memorial of the Beheading of St John the Baptist – Today’s Gospel: Mark 6:17–29
She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” She replied, “The head of John the Baptist.”…Mark 6:24
REFLECTION – “John was baptised in his own blood, though he had been privileged to baptise the Redeemer of the world, to hear the voice of the Father above him and to see the grace of the Holy Spirit descending upon him. But to endure temporal agonies for the sake of the truth was not a heavy burden for such men as John; rather it was easily borne and even desirable, for he knew eternal joy would be his reward.”…St Bede the Venerable (673-735) Father & Doctor of the Church
PRAYER – God our Father, You appointed St John the Baptist to be the herald of the birth and death of Christ Your Son. Grant that as he died a martyr for justice and truth, so we may also courageously bear witness to Your Word. We make our prayer, through Jesus Christ our Lord with the Holy Spirit, one God forever. St John the Baptist, pray for us, amen.
One Minute Reflection – 22 July – Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B – Today’s Gospel: Mark 6:30-34
And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a lonely place and rest a while.”...Mark 6:31
REFLECTION – “So they got into the boat and went away by themselves to a deserted spot”… The people followed them. They showed how concerned they were for their salvation by the effort they made in going along the deserted road, not on donkeys or in carts of various kinds but on foot. In return Jesus welcomed those weary, ignorant, sick and hungry people, instructing, healing and feeding them as a kindly saviour and physician and so letting them know how pleased He is by believers’ devotion to Him.”…Saint Bede the Venerable (c 673-735) Father & Doctor of the Church (Commentary on Saint Mark’s gospel, 2 ; CCL 120, 510)
“Today we could pray during this mass for our shepherds, that the Lord may give them the grace to walk with the people and to be present for them with much tenderness and closeness. When people find their shepherd, they feel that special sensation only felt in the presence of God. The amazement comes from the feeling of the closeness and tenderness of God in the shepherd.”…Pope Francis – Santa Marta, 30 January 2018
PRAYER – Be gracious, Lord, to us who serve You and in Your kindness increase Your gifts of grace within us, so that fervent in faith, hope and love, we may be ever on the watch and persevere in doing what You command. Guard, protect and inspire our own shepherds, our priests who serve Your people, keep them faithful, loyal and prayerful. May our Mother, the most Holy and Pure Blessed Virgin Mary, keep our priests and all of us at her side. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, one God with Holy Spirit, forever and ever, amen.
Thought for the Day – 31 May – The Last Day of Mary’s Month and the Feast of the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary from St Bede the Venerable
Writing in the early 8th century, St Bede explains why the Magnificat, Mary’s prayer on the occasion of her Visitation of Elizabeth, is used daily in the liturgy of the hours (a.k.a the divine office) for Vespers or evening prayer. With Mary’s soul, our souls magnify the Lord and rejoice in God our Saviour.
My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my saviour.
With these words Mary first acknowledges the special gifts she has been given. Then she recalls God’s universal favours, bestowed unceasingly on the human race.
REJOICE IN GOD’S GREATNESS
When a man devotes all his thoughts to the praise and service of the Lord, he proclaims God’s greatness. His observance of God’s commands, moreover, shows that he has God’s power and greatness always at heart. His spirit rejoices in God his saviour and delights in the mere recollection of his creator who gives him hope for eternal salvation.
These words are offered for all God’s creations but especially for the Mother of God. She alone was chosen and she burned with spiritual love for the son she so joyously conceived. Above all other saints, she alone could truly rejoice in Jesus, her saviour, for she knew that He, who was the source of eternal salvation, would be born in time in her body, in one person both her own son and her Lord.
HOLY IS HIS NAME
For the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
Mary attributes nothing to her own merits. She refers all her greatness to the gift of the one whose essence is power and whose nature is greatness, for He fills with greatness and strength the small and the weak who believe in Him.
She did well to add: and holy is his name, to warn those who heard and indeed all who would receive His words, that they must believe and call upon His name. For they too could share in everlasting holiness and true salvation, according to the words of the prophet – and it will come to pass, that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. This is the name she spoke of earlier – and my spirit rejoices in God my saviour.
VESPERS & THE MAGNIFICAT: AN EVENING CANTICLE
Therefore it is an excellent and fruitful custom of holy Church that we should sing Mary’s hymn at the time of evening prayer. By meditating upon the incarnation, our devotion is kindled and by remembering the example of God’s Mother, we are encouraged to lead a life of virtue. Such virtues are best achieved in the evening. We are weary after the day’s work and worn out by our distractions. The time for rest is near and our minds are ready for contemplation.
The great canticle by the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Magnificat, proclaimed by Mary during her Visitation to St Elizabeth, is celebrated and explained in this excerpt from a homily by Saint Bede the Venerable (Lib 1,4:CCL 122, 25-26, 30) which is used in the Roman Catholic Liturgy’s Divine Office of Readings for the Feast of the Visitation, 31 May, with the accompanying biblical reading being from Song of Songs 2:8-14 and 8:6-7. With Mary’s soul, we proclaim the greatness of the Lord and rejoice in God, her Saviour and ours, each evening in Vespers prayer.
Marian Thought for the Day – 25 May “Mary’s Month” – The Memorial of St Bede the Venerable (673-735) Father and Doctor of the Church
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, any my spirit rejoices in God my saviour.”
With these words Mary first acknowledges the special gifts she has been given.
Above all other saints, she alone could truly rejoice in Jesus, her saviour, for she knew that He who was the source of eternal salvation, would be born in time in her body, in one person both her own son and her Lord.
“For the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.”
Mary attributes nothing to her own merits. She refers all her greatness to the gift of one whose essence is power and whose nature is greatness, for He fills with greatness and strength, the small and the weak who believe in Him. She did well to add: “and holy is his name,” to warn those who heard and indeed, all who would receive His words, that they must believe and call upon His name. For they too could share in everlasting holiness and true salvation according to the words of the prophet: “and it will come to pass, that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” This is the name she spoke of earlier when she said “and my spirit rejoices in God my saviour.”
– from a homily by St Bede (673-735)
Quote/s of the Day – 25 May “Mary’s Month” – The Memorial of St Bede the Venerable (673-735) Father and Doctor of the Church and St Mary Magdalen de Pazzi (1566-1607)
“Unfurl the sails and let God steer us where He will.”
“Christ is the Morning Star,
who, when the night of this world is past,
gives to His saints, the promise of the light of life,
and opens everlasting day.”
“Prayer ought to be humble, fervent,
resigned, persevering and accompanied
with great reverence. One should consider,
that he stands in the presence of a God
and speaks with a Lord, before whom,
the angels tremble from awe and fear.”
“O Sisters, if we would only comprehend the fact,
that while the Eucharistic Species remain within us,
Jesus is there and working in us,
inseparably with the Father and the Holy Spirit
and therefore the whole Holy Trinity is there.”
Quote/s of the Day – 21 September – The Feast of St Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist
“On hearing Christ’s voice, we open the door to receive Him,
as it were, when we freely assent to His promptings
and when we give ourselves over to doing what must be done.
Christ, since He dwells in the hearts of His chosen ones
through the grace of His love, enters so that He might eat with us
and we with Him. He ever refreshes us by the light of His presence
insofar as we progress in our devotion to and longing for the things of heaven.
He Himself is delighted by such a pleasing banquet.”
“That gaze overtook him completely, it changed his life.
We say he was converted. He Changed his life.
As soon as he felt that gaze in his heart, he got up and followed Him.
This is true: Jesus’ gaze always lifts us up.
It is a look that always lifts us up and never leaves you in your place,
never lets us down, never humiliates. It invites you to get up –
a look that brings you to grow, to move forward, that encourages you,
because the One who looks upon you loves you.
The gaze makes you feel that He loves you.
This gives the courage to follow Him: ‘and he got up and followed Him.'”
One Minute Reflection – 21 September – The Feast of St Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist
“Jesus saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax office, and he said to him: Follow me.“…
Matthew 9:9
REFLECTION – “Jesus saw Matthew, not merely in the usual sense, but more significantly with His merciful understanding of men.”
He saw the tax collector and, because He saw him through the eyes of mercy and chose him, He said to him: “Follow me.”
This following meant imitating the pattern of His life – not just walking after Him.
Saint John tells us: “Whoever says he abides in Christ ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.”
“And he rose and followed him.”
There is no reason for surprise that the tax collector abandoned earthly wealth as soon as the Lord commanded him.
Nor should one be amazed that neglecting his wealth, he joined a band of men whose leader had, on Matthew’s assessment, no riches at all. Our Lord summoned Matthew by speaking to him in words.
By an invisible, interior impulse flooding his mind with the light of grace, He instructed him to walk in his footsteps.
In this way Matthew could understand that Christ, who was summoning him away from earthly possessions, had incorruptible treasures of heaven in His gift.” – from a homily by St Bede the Venerable (673-735) Doctor of the Church
PRAYER – Lord, You showed Your great mercy to Matthew the tax-gatherer,by calling him to become Your Apostle,supported by his prayer and example, may we always answer Your call and live in close union with You.
We make our prayer, in union with God our Father and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. St Matthew, Apostle of Christ, pray for us, amen.
Thought for the Day – 25 May
This St Bede, this is a life of total self-giving in love!
It sounds to our ears to be a boring, closed, narrow existence –
ever occupied with learning, writing and teaching.
Almost from the time of his entry to study in the monastery as a young child,
until he died, he managed to remain in his own monastery,
although eagerly sought by kings and other notables, even Pope Sergius
Only once did he leave for a few months in order to teach in the school
of the Archbishop of York.
And amazingly, here was a saint who worked no miracles,
saw no visions and found no new way to God BUT
he is one of the few saints honoured as such even during his lifetime.
His writings were filled with such faith and learning
that even while he was still alive, a Church council
ordered them to be read publicly in the churches.
And he said of his life,
“I have spent the whole of my life . . . devoting all of my pains to the study of the Scriptures and amid the observances of monastic discipline and the daily task of singing in church, it has ever been my delight to learn or teach or write.”
St Bede died in 735 praying his favourite prayer:
“Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit. As in the beginning, so now, and forever.”
We remember and honour him as a Doctor of the Church,
so many centuries have gone by, the world in which we live is such a different place and still he teaches us from his eternal monastery in heaven!
St Bede the Venerable, please pray for us!
Quote/s of the Day – 25 May
“He alone loves the Creator perfectly
who manifests a pure love for his neighbour.”
“Unfurl the sails and let God steer us where He will.”
“Christ is the Morning Star,
who, when the night of this world is past,
gives to his saints the promise of the light of life,
and opens everlasting day.”
St Bede the Venerable
(673-735) Doctor of the Church
“Come, Holy Spirit. Spirit of truth,
You are the reward of the saints,
the comforter of souls,
light in the darkness,
riches to the poor,
treasure to lovers,
food for the hungry,
comfort to those who are wandering.
To sum up:
You are the one in whom all treasures are contained.”
St Mary Magdalene de Pazzi – Memorial today 25 May
One Minute Reflection – 25 May
Jesus said to them, “You are badly misled because you fail to understand the Scriptures…….”….Matthew 22:29
REFLECTION – “The whole series of the Divine Scriptures is interpreted in a fourfold way.
We should ascertain what everlasting truths are intimated therein,
what deeds are narrated, what future events are foretold and what commands or counsels are … therein.” …St Bede the Venerable (673-735) Doctor of the Church
PRAYER – Heavenly Father, teach me how to read Your wonderful words in the Scriptures with true understanding. Let me adhere always to the interpretations given by Your Holy Church. Come O Holy Spirit and guide my mind. Lord Jesus Christ,
stand beside me and bless my footsteps. Holy St Bede, intercede for us and pray for us all, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 25 May
O Christ, our Morning Star
By St Bede the Venerable (673-735) Doctor of the Church
O Christ, our Morning Star,
Splendour of Light Eternal,
shining with the glory of the rainbow,
come and waken us
from the greyness of our apathy,
and renew in us Your gift of hope.
Amen
And, as May is still with us, let us greet our Mother!
A Salutation to Mary (adaped)
By St John Eudes
Hail Mary, Daughter of God the Father;
Hail Mary, Mother of God the Son;
Hail Mary, Spouse of the Holy Spirit;
Hail Mary, Temple of the Most Holy Trinity.
Hail Mary, white Lilly of the resplendent and ever
unchanging Trinity.
Hail Mary, red Rose of Paradise.
Hail Mary, Virgin full of sweetness and humility,
from whom the King of Heaven willed to be
born and to suckle at the breast.
Hail Mary, Virgin of virgins.
Hail Mary, Queen of martyrs, who spent
Thy life for Heaven while on this earth.
Hail Mary, Queen of my heart, my sweetness,
my life and my entire hope.
Hail Mary, Mother most amiable.
Hail Mary, Mother most admirable.
Hail Mary, Mother of fair love.
Hail Mary, Mother of mercy.
Hail Mary, conceived without sin.
Thou art full of grace,
the Lord is with Thee;
blessed art Thou among all women,
and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus.
Blessed be the Eternal Father who elected Thee.
Blessed be Thy Son, who has loved Thee.
Blessed be the Holy Spirit, who has espoused Thee.
And blessed forever be those who love Thee and bless Thee.
O Blessed Virgin, bless us all, in the Name of Thy dear Son.\
Amen
Saint of the Day – 25 May – St Bede the Venerable OSB (673-735) – Confessor, Priest, Monk, Father and Doctor of the Church, Linguist, Translator, Historian – also known as Venerable Bede, Father of English History. Patronages – of Lectors, English writers and historians; Jarrow, Tyne and Wear, England. In 1899, Pope Leo XIII declared him a Doctor of the Church; he is the only native of Great Britain to achieve this designation; Anselm of Canterbury, also a Doctor of the Church, was born in Italy. St Bede was moreover a skilled linguist and translator and his work made the Latin and Greek writings of the early Church Fathers much more accessible to his fellow English, which contributed significantly to English Christianity.
St Bede was born in Wearmoth-Jarrow, England, and at age seven was sent to the nearby monastery of St Peter and St Paul to be educated by the monks. From his writings, it appears that his family was wealthy and noble. Given his name, Bede—a derivative of the English bedtime prayer, it is likely that his parents had planned a religious life for him from birth. Under the holy tutelage of the monks, the natural intellect and spiritual zeal of St Bede magnified into one of the finest minds of his time. He studied all the known sciences: natural philosophy, the philosophical principles of Aristotle, astronomy, arithmetic, grammar, ecclesiastical history, the lives of the saints and, especially, Holy Scripture. St Bede spent his days in scholarly pursuits, prayer and contemplation.
St Bede was ordained a deacon at the young age of nineteen and ordained a priest at 30.
He spent his days subsequent to ordination teaching, writing and studying. A prolific writer, he composed 45 texts on varied subjects, including science, literature, philosophy, and spirituality. “Through all the observance of monastic discipline,” Bede wrote, “it has ever been my delight to learn and teach and write.” His best known text, the Ecclesiastical History of the English People, is widely regarded as a decisive historical text which inspired the recording of written history. This text described the history of the English Church, and is a primary source of English history. Thirty of his manuscripts focused on Biblical commentary and theology. Aside from those he wrote, St Bede copied many texts by hand, translating a significant number of them into Latin to aid in teaching those of other languages.
Saint Bede remained in the monastery his entire life, leaving few times, including a brief visit to teach in a school in York and a visit to the monastery at Lindisfarne, where he began correspondence with St Cuthbert. Despite this, his counsel and teaching was sought by royalty and the Pope. His writings and homilies were read throughout the Church.
In his own words, from the Ecclesiastical History of the English People:
“Thus much concerning the ecclesiastical history of Britain and especially of the race of the English, I, Baeda, a servant of Christ and a priest of the monastery of the blessed apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul, which is at Wearmouth and at Jarrow (in Northumberland), have with the Lord’s help composed so far as I could gather it either from ancient documents or from the traditions of the elders, or from my own knowledge. I was born in the territory of the said monastery and at the age of seven I was, by the care of my relations, given to the most reverend Abbot Benedict and afterwards to Ceolfrid, to be educated. From that time I have spent the whole of my life within that monastery, devoting all my pains to the study of the Scriptures and amid the observance of monastic discipline and the daily charge of singing in the Church, it has been ever my delight to learn or teach or write. In my nineteenth year I was admitted to the deaconate, in my thirtieth to the priesthood, both by the hands of the most reverend Bishop John and at the bidding of Abbot Ceolfrid. From the time of my admission to the priesthood to my present fifty-ninth year, I have endeavoured for my own use and that of my brethren, to make brief notes upon the holy Scripture, either out of the works of the venerable Fathers or in conformity with their meaning and interpretation.”
“The Father of English History,” Saint Bede died peacefully at the monastery in Jarrow in 735. He was buried at Jarrow, though his remains now rest in Durham Cathedral.
Saint Cuthbert recorded his final hours, indicating the words of Saint Bede: “If it be the will of my Maker, the time has come when I shall be freed from the body and return to Him Who created me out of nothing when I had no being. I have had a long life, and the merciful Judge has ordered it graciously. The time of my departure is at hand, and my soul longs to see Christ my King in His beauty.” He further wrote of Bede’s life and death, citing a poem that Saint Bede had written in preparation for meeting his Maker: “And he used to repeat that sentence from St Paul, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God,” and many other verses of Scripture, urging us thereby to awake from the slumber of the soul by thinking in good time of our last hour. And in our own language,—for he was familiar with English poetry,—speaking of the soul’s dread departure from the body:
More prudent than he has good call to be,
If he consider, before his going hence,
What for his spirit of good or of evil
After his day of death shall be determined.”
The conclusion of his Ecclesiastical History records his piety, humility, and wisdom: “And I pray thee, loving Jesus, that as Thou hast graciously given me to drink in with delight the words of Thy knowledge, so Thou wouldst mercifully grant me to attain one day to Thee, the fountain of all wisdom and to appear forever before Thy face.”
The life of Saint Bede is highly regarded as instrumental in the recording of written history and the translation of Biblical texts from ancient languages into modern languages. His commentary and theological writings—the goal to explain the teachings of the Church Fathers to all—are highly regarded, like those of Saint Augustine and Saint Ambrose. More than that, the simple monastic life of Saint Bede demonstrates the call of the Lord and the gifts of the Holy Spirit to those who listen and obey.
AnaStpaul 
You must be logged in to post a comment.