Quote/s of the Day – 9 January – The Holy Family – Within the Octave of Epiphany – Colossians 3:12-17, Luke 2:42-52 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“But put on the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Romans 13:14
“You are walking now by faith, still on pilgrimage in a mortal body away from the Lord but He, to Whom your steps are directed, is Himself the sure and certain Way for you – Jesus Christ, Who, for our sake became man. For all who fear Him, He has stored up abundant happiness which He will reveal to those who hope in Him, bringing it to completion, when we have attained the reality which, even now, we possess, in hope. Set your hearts on heavenly things, not the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, your Life, appears, then you too will appear with Him in glory.”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace
“And His Mother kept all these words in her heart.”
Luke 2:51
“Consider the most prudent woman Mary, Mother of true Wisdom, as the pupil of her Son. For she learned from Him, not as from a child or man but as from God. Yes, she dwelt in meditation on His words and actions. Nothing of what was said or done by Him, fell idly on her mind. … That which she now beholds in the present, she waits to have revealed with greater clarity, in the future.”
St Bede the Venerable (673-735) Father and Doctor of the Church
“And as for that in the good ground they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart and bring forth fruit with patience.”
Luke 8:15
“The more you devote yourself, to study of the Sacred utterances, the richer will be your understanding of them, just as the more the soil is tilled,, the richer is the harvest.”
St Isidore of Seville (c 560-636) Father & Doctor of the Church
Be Thou My Vision By St Dallan Forgaill (c 530- 598)
Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart; Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art. Thou my best thought by day or by night, Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my Light.
Be Thou my Wisdom and Thou my true Word; I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord. Thou my great Father, I Thy true son; Thou in me dwelling and I with Thee one.
Be Thou my battle-shield, sword for my fight, Be Thou my dignity, Thou my delight. Thou my soul’s shelter, Thou my high tower. Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.
Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise, Thou mine inheritance, now and always. Thou and Thou only, first in my heart, High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.
High King of Heaven, my victory won, May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Son, Heart of my heart, whatever befall Still be my vision, O ruler of all.
Quote/s of the Day – 29 July – St Martha, Sister of Saint Lazarus and Saint Mary of Bethany – 2 Corinthians 10:17-18; 11:1-2, Luke 10:38-42
“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things and yet, only one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the best part and it will not be taken away from her.”
Luke 10:41-42
“And as for that in the good ground they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart and bring forth fruit with patience.”
Luke 8:15
“… Scripture, as a whole, is God’s one perfect and complete instrument, giving forth, to those who wish to learn … It is one Saving Music…”
Origen (c 185-253) Priest, Theologian, Father of the Church
“Blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it.”
Luke 11:28
“But if you will, you can be healed. Hand yourself over to the Doctor, and He will open the eyes and ears of your mind and heart. Who is to be the Doctor? It is God, Who heals and gives life through His Word and Wisdom. … ”
St Theophilus of Antioch (Died c 185) Bishop of Antioch, Confessor, Apologist, Father
“The more you devote yourself, to study of the Sacred utterances, the richer will be your understanding of them, just as the more the soil is tilled,, the richer is the harvest.”
“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”
St Isidore of Seville (c 560-636) Father & Doctor of the Church
“Cultivate your vineyard together with Jesus. To you the task of removing stones and pulling up brambles. To Jesus, that of sowing, planting, cultivating and watering. But even in your work, it is still He who acts. Because, without Christ, you could do nothing at all.”
Quote/s of the Day – 7 June – Pentecost Tuesday – Acts 8:14-17, John 10:1-10.
“… He goes before them and the sheep follow Him because they know His Voice.”
John 10:4
“And as for that in the good ground they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart and bring forth fruit with patience.”
Luke 8:15
“… Scripture, as a whole, is God’s one perfect and complete instrument, giving forth, to those who wish to learn … It is one Saving Music…”
Origen (c 185-253) Theologian, Father of the Church
“If you believe what you like in the Gospels and reject what you don’t like, it is not the Gospel you believe but yourself.”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace
“The more you devote yourself, to study of the Sacred utterances, the richer will be your understanding of them, just as the more the soil is tilled,, the richer is the harvest.”
St Isidore of Seville (c 560-636) Father & Doctor of the Church
“He is the origin of all wisdom. The Word of God in the heights, is the source of wisdom. Christ is the source of all true knowledge, for He is “the way, the truth and the life.” (Jn 14:6). … As way, Christ is the teacher and origin of knowledge … Without this Light, which is Christ, no-one can penetrate the secrets of faith.”
Quote/s of the Day – 4 April – The Memorial of St Isidore of Seville (c 560-636) Father & Doctor of the Church
“… Every excess brings not health but danger.”
“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”
“War with vices but peace, with individuals.”
“The more you devote yourself, to study of the sacred utterances, the richer will be your understanding of them, just as the more the soil is tilled,, the richer is the harvest.”
St Isidore of Seville (c 560-636) Father & Doctor of the Church
St Theodulus of Thessalonica St Theonas of Egypt St Tigernach of Clogher St Zosimus of Palestine
Martyred in Cairo François de la Terre de Labour Nicolas of Montecorpino
Martyrs of Thessalonica – 14 Saints: Fourteen Christians who were Martyred together, date unknown. No other information, except the names of 12 of them, has survived – Ingenuus, Julianus, Julius, Matutinus, Orbanus, Palatinus, Paulus, Publius, Quinilianus, Saturninus, Successus, Victor and two whose names have not come down to us. Agathopus the Deacon, Theodulus the Lector.
EASTER SUNDAY +2021 The Resurrection of the Lord – Solemnity of Solemnities! __ Notre-Dame de Grace, Honfleur, Normandie / Our Lady of Grace, Normandy, France – 4 April:
Our Lady of Grace is one of the most ancient maritime Chapels of Normandy. This Sanctuary was built in consequence of a vow made by a Norman Duke, who was very devout to the Blessed Virgin. That Duke, Robert the Magnificent, was once caught in a terrible storm off the coast of Normandy and knew, that a shipwreck would surely cost him his life. He swore, in the midst of that tempest, that was even then overwhelming him, that if he could somehow survive, he would build a Shrine on the hill, which he could still see, through the rain and surf from his sinking ship ,in thanksgiving to God for his rescue. Robert was saved and so his harrowing experience ended, not in tragedy but instead, the duke kept his promise, which gave birth to a monument that millions of pilgrims STILL visit each year. The original Chapel he constructed was finished early in the 11th century, at a height 90 meters above sea level. That Chapel stood through the centuries until it was swept away by landslide in the 16th century. The present Chapel, the Chapel of Notre-Dame-de-Grace, replaces the original.
The site of this handsome Chapel of Our Lady of Grace, surrounded by large trees, in the midst of turf replete with flowers, is beautiful and calm, like the rich and fresh landscapes of the magnificent province of which it forms a part. Our Lady of Grace appears like the fortress of Honfleur; from the little mountain which it crowns, the mouth of the Seine is visible, and farther on, the ocean, with its long waves of dark green, which receives in its bosom, the river of blue waters. Two roads lead to the Chapel – the one rough and rocky, the other smooth and even. In other times the inhabitants of Honfleur took delight in pointing out Our Lady of Grace, in reducing its steepness, in covering it with small, fine sand, so that a gracious princess, who had made herself beloved in these parts by her generous bounty, might be able to ascend it without fatigue, when she went to offer her prayers and vows to the Blessed Virgin.
Saint of the Day – 4 April – St Isidore of Seville (c 560-636) Father & Doctor of the Church, Creator of the first encyclopedia – often called “The Last Scholar of the Ancient World” and “The Schoolmaster of the Middle Ages.” His most well known patronage is of computers and the internet (though not officially so_ – his full story with Patronages is here: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/04/04/saint-of-the-day-4-april-st-isidore-of-seville-father-and-doctor-of-the-church/ but today we will follow his life with Pope Benedict XVI during his Catechetical audiences on the Doctors of the Church. This was given at St Peter’s on Wednesday, 18 June 2008.
He was a younger brother of St Leander (c 534-c 600) memorial 13 March, Archbishop of Seville and a great friend of St Pope Gregory the Great. Pointing this out is important, because it enables us, to bear in mind, a cultural and spiritual approach, that is indispensable for understanding Isidore’s personality. Indeed, he owed much to Leander, an exacting, studious and austere person who created around his younger brother a family context, marked by the ascetic requirements proper to a monk and from the work pace demanded, by a serious dedication to study. Furthermore, Leander was concerned to have the wherewithal to confront the political and social situation of that time – in those decades in fact, the Visigoths, barbarians and Arians, had invaded the Iberian Peninsula and taken possession of territories that belonged to the Roman Empire. It was essential to regain them for the Roman world and for Catholicism. Leander and Isidore’s home was furnished with a library richly endowed with classical, pagan and Christian works. Isidore, who felt simultaneously attracted to both, was, therefore, taught under the responsibility of his elder brother, to develop a very strong discipline, in devoting himself to study with discretion and discernment.
Thus, a calm and open atmosphere prevailed in the episcopal residence in Seville. We can deduce this from Isidore’s cultural and spiritual interests, as they emerge from his works themselves, which include an encyclopaedic knowledge of pagan classical culture and a thorough knowledge of Christian culture. This explains the eclecticism characteristic of Isidore’s literary opus, who glided with the greatest of ease from Martial to Augustine, or from Cicero to Gregory the Great. The inner strife that the young Isidore had to contend with, having succeeded his brother Leander on the episcopal throne of Seville in 599, was by no means unimportant. The impression of excessive voluntarism that strikes one, on reading the works of this great author, considered to be the last of the Christian Fathers of antiquity, may, perhaps, actually be due to this constant struggle with himself. A few years after his death in 636, the Council of Toledo in 653 described him as “an illustrious teacher of our time and the glory of the Catholic Church.”
Isidore was, without a doubt, a man of accentuated dialectic antitheses. Moreover, he experienced a permanent inner conflict in his personal life, similar to that which Gregory the Great and St Augustine had experienced earlier, between a desire for solitud, to dedicate himself solely to meditation on the word of God and, the demands of charity to his brethren, for whose salvation, as Bishop, he felt responsible. He wrote, for example, with regard to Church leaders: “The man responsible for a Church (vir ecclesiasticus) must on the one hand allow himself to be crucified to the world, with the mortification of his flesh and, on the other, accept the decision of the ecclesiastical order – when it comes from God’s will – to devote himself humbly to government, even if he does not wish to”(Sententiarum liber III, 33, 1: PL 83, col 705 B). Just a paragraph later he adds: “Men of God, (sancti viri), do not in fact desire to dedicate themselves to things of the world and groan when by some mysterious design of God they are charged with certain responsibilities…. They do their utmost to avoid them bu,t accept what they would like to shun and do what they would have preferred to avoid. Indeed, they enter into the secrecy of the heart and seek there to understand what God’s mysterious will is asking of them. And when they realise that they must submit to God’s plans, they bend their hearts to the yoke of the divine decision” (Sententiarum liber III, 33, 3: PL 83, coll. 705-706).
To understand Isidore better, it is first of all, necessary, to recall the complexity of the political situations in his time to which I have already referred – during the years of his boyhood he was obliged to experience the bitterness of exile. He was, nevertheless, pervaded with apostolic enthusiasm. He experienced the rapture of contributing to the formation of a people, that was at last, rediscovering its unity, both political and religious, with the providential conversion of Hermenegild, the heir to the Visigoth throne, from Arianism to the Catholic faith. Yet we must not underestimate the enormous difficulty of coming to grips with such very serious problems as were the relations with heretics and with the Jews. There was a whole series of problems which appear very concrete to us today too, especially if we consider what is happening in certain region, in which we seem almost to be witnessing the recurrence of situations, very similar to those, that existed on the Iberian Peninsular, in that sixth century. The wealth of cultural knowledge that Isidore had assimilated, enabled him to constantly compare the Christian newness with the Greco-Roman cultural heritage, however, rather than the precious gift of synthesis, it would seem that he possessed the gift of collatio, that is, of collecting, which he expressed in an extraordinary personal erudition, although it was not always ordered as might have been desired.
In any case, his nagging worry not to overlook anything, that human experience had produced, in the history of his homeland and of the whole world, is admirable. Isidore did not want to lose anything that man had acquired, in the epochs of antiquity, regardless of whether they had been pagan, Jewish or Christian. Hence, it should not come as a surprise if, in pursuing this goal, he did not always manage to filter the knowledge he possessed sufficiently, in the purifying waters of the Christian faith as he would have wished. The point is, however, that in Isidore’s intentions, the proposals he made, were always in tune with the Catholic faith, which he staunchly upheld. In the discussion of the various theological problems, he showed, that he perceived their complexity and often astutely suggested solutions, that summarise and express, the complete Christian truth. This has enabled believers through the ages and to our times, to profit, with gratitude, from his definitions. A significant example of this is offered by Isidore’s teaching on the relations between active and contemplative life. He wrote: “Those who seek to attain repose in contemplation must first train in the stadium of active life and then, free from the dross of sin, they will be able to display that pure heart which alone makes the vision of God possible”(Differentiarum Lib. II, 34, 133: PL 83, col 91A). Nonetheless, the realism of a true pastor, convinced him of the risk the faithful run, of reducing themselves to one dimension. He therefore added: “The middle way, consisting of both of these forms of life, normally turns out to be more useful in resolving those tensions, which are often aggravated, by the choice of a single way of life and are instead better tempered, by an alternation of the two forms” (op. cit. 134; ibid., col 91B).
Isidore sought in Christ’s example the definitive confirmation of a just orientation of life and said: “The Saviour Jesus offers us the example of active life, when during the day He devoted Himself to working signs and miracles in the town but, He showed the contemplative life, when He withdrew to the mountain and spent the night in prayer”(op. cit. 134: ibid.). In the light of this example of the divine Teacher, Isidore can conclude with this precise moral teaching: “Therefore let the servant of God, imitating Christ, dedicate himself to contemplation without denying himself active life. Behaving otherwise, would not be right. Indeed, just as we must love God in contemplation, so we must love our neighbour with action. It is therefore impossible to live without the presence of both the one and the other form of life, nor can we live without experiencing both the one and the other”(op. cit., 135; ibid. col 91C). I consider that this is the synthesis of a life that seeks contemplation of God, dialogue with God in prayer and in the reading of Sacred Scripture, as well as action at the service of the human community and of our neighbour. This synthesis, is the lesson that the great Bishop of Seville has bequeathed to us, Christians of today, called to witness to Christ at the beginning of a new millennium. Amen … Vatican.va
St Isidore at Seville Cathedral
St Isidore on the Facade of Seville Cathedral
Prayer for the Intercession of St Isidore before accessing the Internet
Almighty and eternal God,
who created us in Thy image
and bade us to seek after all that is good,
true and beautiful,
especially in the divine person
of Thy only-begotten Son,
our Lord Jesus Christ,
grant we beseech Thee that,
through the intercession of Saint Isidore,
Bishop and Doctor,
during our journeys through the internet,
we will direct our hands and eyes
only to that which is pleasing to Thee
and treat with charity and patience,
all those souls whom we encounter.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen
Orátio ante colligatiónem in interrete:
*Omnípotens aetérne Deus,
qui secúndum imáginem Tuam nos plasmásti
et omnia bona, vera, et pulchra,
praesértim in divína persóna Unigéniti Fílii Tui
Dómini nostri Iesu Chrísti, quaérere iussísti,
praesta, quaésumus,
ut, per intercessiónem Sancti Isidóri, Epíscopi et Doctóris,
in peregrinatiónibus per interrete,
et manus oculísque ad quae Tibi sunt plácita intendámus
et omnes quos convenímus cum caritáte ac patiéntia accipiámus.
Per Christum Dóminum nostrum.
Amen
Thought for the Day – 4 April – Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent, Year C and the Memorial of St Isidore of Seville (560-636) Father & Doctor of the Church
St Isidore, the Patron of the Internet?
Isidore may seem like a strange choice but his academic works make him a perfect fit.
It may seem strange that a 7th-century saint was chosen as the patron saint of the internet but after a careful examination of his life, St Isidore of Seville turns out to be the perfect choice.
Isidore was a great scholar whose encyclopedic knowledge was far reaching.
Before his death, Isidore wrote a collection of books called Etymologiae, which, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia, was “a vast storehouse in which is gathered, systematised and condensed, all the learning possessed by his time. Throughout the greater part of the Middle Ages it was the textbook most in use in educational institutions.”
Interestingly enough, Isidore did not contain himself to only theological topics but successfully collected information on all subjects, both secular and religious. Pope Benedict XVI explained in a General Audience, “The wealth of cultural knowledge that Isidore had assimilated enabled him to constantly compare the Christian newness with the Greco-Roman cultural heritage, however, rather than the precious gift of synthesis it would seem that he possessed the gift of collatio, that is, of collecting.”
For this reason, Isidore has been regarded as the patron saint of the internet. He was, in a certain sense, a human “Wikipedia,” possessing a vast storehouse of information on every topic available.
St Isidore is a great intercessor for all those logging on to the internet, a saint who can help us find what we need as well as protect us from the darker side of the World Wide Web.
Quote/s of the Day – 4 April – Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent, Year C and the Memorial of St Isidore of Seville (560-636) Father & Doctor of the Church
“The suffering of adversity does not degrade you but exalts you. Human tribulation teaches you, it does not destroy you. The more we are afflicted in this world, the greater is our assurance for the next. The more we sorrow in the present, ..the greater will be our joy in the future.”
“Confession heals, Confession justifies, Confession grants pardon of sin, all hope consists in Confession; in Confession there is a chance for mercy.”
One Minute Reflection – 4 April – Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent, Year C, Gospel: John 5:31–47 and the Memorial of St Isidore (c 560-636) Father & Doctor of the Church
“If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote of me.”…John 5:46
REFLECTION – “Moses face had become radiant while he conversed with the Lord. Aaron and the other Israelites saw (it)… and were afraid to come near him… When Moses had finished speaking with them, he would again put the veil over his face” (cf. Ex 34:29f.). The radiance lighting up Moses’ face was Christ shining within him but He was hidden from the eyes of the Hebrews who did not see him… The Old Testament as a whole is shown to us, veiled like Moses, the symbol of all prophecy. Underneath this veil, displayed by the lips of the prophets, Christ appears, a judge in majesty, seated on his throne of glory…
If Moses was veiled, what other prophet could have uncovered his face? All veiled their speech in imitation of him. They simultaneously heralded and veiled, they put forth their message and, at the same time, covered it with a veil… Because Jesus shone out in their books, a veil hid Him from their eyes, a veil that makes known to all the world how the words of Holy Scripture contain a hidden meaning…
Our Lord lifted this veil when He expounded His mysteries to the whole of creation. By His coming, the Son of God uncovered Moses’ face, the incomprehensible words, that up to then had been veiled. The new covenant has come to interpret the old, now, at last, the world is able to grasp those words that nothing covers any longer. The Lord, our Sun, has arisen over the world and illumined every living being, mysteries and enigmas are at last made clear. The veil that used to cover those books has been removed and the world beholds the Son of God with uncovered face.”…St Jacob of Sarug (c 451-521) Syrian Bishop and Monk
PRAYER – Father almighty, grant us Your good grace to trust completely in the Word made Flesh whom You sent to lead us to our heavenly home and save us from our evil ways. As we proceed by penance and prayer, grant us now perseverance in listening to Him and learning from Him. May the prayers of St Isidore, assist us on our journey. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God with You, now and forever, amen.
Quote/s of the Day -– 13 March – Wednesday of the First week of Lent, Year C and The Memorial of St Leander (c 534-c 600)
“This man of suave eloquence and eminent talent shone as brightly by his virtues as by his doctrine. By his faith and zeal the Gothic people have been converted from Arianism to the Catholic faith”
St Isidore of Seville (560-636) Doctor of the Church,
speaking of his brother St Leander, whom we celebrate today.
“The humble man receives praise, the way a clean window takes the light of the sun. The truer and more intense the light is, the less you see of the glass.”
Thought for the Day – 4 April – Easter Wednesday and the Memorial of St Isidore of Seville (560-636) Father & Doctor of the Church
The 76 years of Isidore’s life were a time of conflict and growth for the Church in Spain. The Visigoths had invaded the land a century and a half earlier and shortly before Isidore’s birth they set up their own capital. They were Arians—Christians who said Christ was not God. Thus, Spain was split in two: one people (Catholic Romans) struggled with another (Arian Goths). Isidore reunited Spain, making it a centre of culture and learning. The country served as a teacher and guide for other European countries whose culture was also threatened by barbarian invaders.
In 599, Isidore became bishop of Seville and for thirty-seven years led the Spanish church through a period of intense religious development.. Isidore also organised representative councils that established the structure and discipline of the church in Spain. At the Council of Toledo in 633 he obtained a decree that required the establishment of a school in every diocese. Reflecting the saint’s broad interests, the schools taught every branch of knowledge, including the liberal arts, medicine, law, Hebrew, and Greek. Isidore was an amazingly learned man and is called “The Schoolmaster of the Middle Ages.” The encyclopedia he wrote was used as a textbook for nine centuries in so many schools which he had founded. AND he required seminaries to be built in every diocese, wrote a Rule for religious orders and founded schools that taught every branch of learning. Isidore wrote numerous books, including a dictionary, an encyclopedia, a history of Goths and a history of the world—beginning with creation! He also wrote a dictionary of synonyms, brief biographies of illustrious men, treatises on theological and philosophical subjects. He completed the Mozarabic liturgy, which is still in use in Toledo, Spain. For all these reasons, Isidore has been suggested as patron of the Internet. Several others—including Anthony of Padua—also have been suggested.
Throughout his long life, Isidore lived austerely so that he could give to the poor and he continued his austerities even as he approached age 80. During the last six months of his life, he increased his charities so much that his house was crowded from morning till night with the poor of the countryside. But while Isidore had compassion for needy, he thought they were better off than their oppressors, as he explains in this selection:
“We ought to sorrow for people who do evil rather than for people who suffer it. The wrongdoing of the first leads them further into evil. The others’ suffering corrects them from evil. Through the evil wills of some, God works much good in others. Some people, resisting the will of God, unwittingly do His purpose. Understand then that so truly are all things subject to God that even those who oppose His law nevertheless fulfil His will.
Evil men are necessary so that through them the good may be scourged when they do wrong…Some simple men, not understanding the dispensation of God, are scandalised by the success of evil men. They say with the prophet: “Why does the way of the wicked prosper?” Those who speak thus should not wonder to see the frail temporal happiness of the wicked. Rather they should consider the final end of evil men and the everlasting torments prepared for them. As the prophet says: “They spend their days in wealth and in a moment they go down to hell.”
Shortly before his death, Isidore had two friends clothe him in sackcloth and rub ashes on his head so that he could come before God as a poor penitent. He died peacefully at Seville in 636.
Our society can well use Isidore’s spirit of combining learning and holiness. Loving, understanding and knowledge can heal and bring a broken people back together. We are not barbarians like the invaders of Isidore’s Spain. But people who are swamped by riches and overwhelmed by scientific and technological advances can lose much of their understanding love for one another.
St Isidore, pray for the whole Church, the whole world, for us all, amen!
Quote/s of the Day – 4 April – Easter Wednesday and the Memorial of St Isidore of Seville (560-636) Father & Doctor of the Church
“War with vices but peace with individuals.”
“The more you devote yourself to study of the sacred utterances, the richer will be your understanding of them, just as the more the soil is tilled, the richer the harvest.”
“We, as Catholics, are not permitted to believe anything of our own will, nor to choose what someone has believed of his. We have God’s apostles as authorities, who did not themselves of their own wills, choose anything of what they wanted to believe but faithfully transmitted to the nations, the teachings of Christ.”
“Confession heals, Confession justifies, Confession grants pardon of sin, all hope consists in Confession; in Confession there is a chance for mercy.”
St Isidore of Seville (560-636) Father & Doctor of the Church
One Minute Reflection – 4 April – Easter Wednesday and the Memorial of St Isidore of Seville (560-636) Father & Doctor of the Church
I know how to live modestly and I know how to live luxuriously too: in every way now I have mastered the secret of all conditions: full stomach and empty stomach, plenty and poverty. There is nothing I cannot do in the One who strengthens me…Philippians 4:12-13
REFLECTION – “The suffering of adversity does not degrade you but exalts you. Human tribulation teaches you, it does not destroy you. The more we are afflicted in this world, the greater is our assurance for the next. The more we sorrow in the present, ..the greater will be our joy in the future.”…St Isidore of Seville (560-636) Father & Doctor of the Church
PRAYER – Graciously hear the prayers, O Lord, which we make in commemoration of Saint Isidore, that we and Your Church may be aided by his intercession, just as she has been instructed by his heavenly teaching. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Quote/s of the Day – 21 March “Speaking of Sanctity”
“The secret of being always with God and of assuring His continual presence in our hearts is constant prayer.”
St Isidore of Seville (560-636) Doctor of the Church
“The shortest, yes, the only way, to reach sanctity, is to conceive a horror for all that the world loves and values.”
St Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556)
“Sanctity consists in the accomplishment of the duties God lays upon us. In this way, one who fulfills well the duties of his station and, much more, one who fulfills them well for God, will become a real saint – nothing more is needed.”
Blessed Louis-Édouard Cestac (1801-1868)
“If God does not desire me to be a saint, He would not have created me a reasonable being.”
St Peter Julian Eymard (1811-1868)
“Our Lord has created persons for all states in life and in all of them, we see people, who achieved sanctity by fulfilling their obligations well.”
St Anthony Mary Claret (1807-1870)
“Great’ holiness consists in carrying out the ‘little duties’ of each moment.”
St Josemaria Escriva, (1902-1975) The Way, 81
“We must have a real living determination to reach holiness. I will be a saint means, I will despoil myself of all, that is not God; I will strip my heart of all created things; I will live in poverty and detachment; I will renounce my will, my inclinations, my whims and fancies and make myself a willing slave to the will of God.”
Quote/s of the Day – 14 March 2018 – Wednesday of the 4th Week of Lent
“Speaking of Death & Eternity”
“Christ’s martyrs feared neither death nor pain. He triumphed in them who lived in them; and they, who lived not for themselves but for Him, found in death itself the way to life.”
St Augustine – (354-430) – Father & Doctor of the Church
“The more we are afflicted in this world, the greater is our assurance in the next; the more sorrow in the present, the greater will be our joy in the future.”
St Isidore of Seville (560-636) – Doctor of the Church
“A man may very well lose his head and yet come to no harm – yea, I say, to unspeakable good and everlasting happiness.”
St Thomas More (1478-1535)
“Let us prepare ourselves for death; we have not a minute to lose: it will come upon us at the moment when we least expect it; it will take us by surprise. Look at the saints, my children, who were pure; they were always trembling, they pined away with fear and we, who so often offend the good God–we have no fears. Life is given us that we may learn to die well and we never think of it. We occupy ourselves with everything else. The idea of it often occurs to us and we always reject it; we put it off to the last moment. O my children! this last moment, how much it is to be feared! Yet the good God does not wish us to despair; He shows us the good thief, touched with repentance, dying near Him on the cross; but he is the only one and then see, he dies near the good God. Can we hope to be near Him at our last moment–we who have been far from Him all our life? What have we done to deserve that favour? A great deal of evil and no good.”
One Minute Reflection – 13 March – The Memorial of St Leander (c 534-c 600)
For his sake I have forfeited everything….so that Christ may be my wealth and I may be in him....Philippians 3:8-9
REFLECTION – “This man of suave eloquence and eminent talent shone as brightly by his virtues as by his doctrine. By his faith and zeal the Gothic people have been converted from Arianism to the Catholic faith”…St Isidore of Seville speaking of his brother St Leander, whom we celebrate today.
PRAYER – Help me to discern through prayer and meditation what You truly want of me. Then enable me to offer it to You – and indeed to offer myself and all I have to You. St Leander, you were and are an example to all of total and complete commitment to the Glory of the Kingdom and the One, True Faith. Grant Holy Father, that by the prayers of St Leander we may too be filled with zeal and love, amen!
“If you want to honour the body of Christ, do not scorn it when it is naked; do not honour the Eucharistic Christ with silk vestments and then, leaving the church, neglect the other Christ suffering from cold and nakedness”
St John Chrysostom (347-407)
Father and Doctor of the Church – (Hom. in Matthaeum, 50.3: PG 58)
“The more we are afflicted in this world, the greater is our assurance in the next; the more we sorrow in the present, the greater will be our joy in the future.”
St Isidore of Seville (560-636) Doctor of the Church
“When it is all over, you will not regret having suffered; rather, you will regret, having suffered so little and suffered that little so badly.”
How amazing it is – what one person can accomplish when he works for God alone! We all find ourselves in situations of leadership or influence and the good we can do by our labour and our example knows no bounds. Look around, see the lives you can touch – become a genuine influence and example to others. We have every tool we need AND we have every reason to work for the glory of the Kingdom!
Have just men for your……companions;
in the fear of God be your glory…………Sirach 9:16
REFLECTION – “Seek the association of persons who are good. For if you are the companion of their life, you will also be the companion of their virtue.”…….St Isidore of Seville
PRAYER – God of goodness, help me to be continually in the company of true Christians.
Let me be edified by their virtues and their works and let our association bring us all to heavenly glory. St Isidore of Seville, pray for us, amen.
Saint of the Day – 4 April – St Isidore of Seville – Father and Doctor of the Church (560-636) Bishop, Father, Doctor, Scholar, Writer, Teacher, Reformer and Evangelist – Patron of news dealers, the internet, computer programmers and technicians, 2 dioceses, 13 cities. He was, for over three decades, Archbishop of Seville. The 19th-century historian Montalembert called him, in an oft-quoted phrase, “The last scholar of the ancient world.” Born in Cartagena of a family that included three other sibling saints–Leander, Fulgentius and Florentina–he was educated by his elder brother, whom he succeeded as bishop of Seville.
St Isidore of Seville is sometimes called “the schoolmaster of the Middle Ages” because his books and schools helped shape the education and culture of medieval Europe. For ten centuries, Isidore’s voluminous works were among those most quoted by other writers. And his establishment of cathedral schools laid a foundation for the medieval universities and for education in the West.
In 599, Isidore became bishop of Seville and for thirty-seven years led the Spanish church through a period of intense religious development. Isidore also organised representative councils that established the structure and discipline of the church in Spain. At the Council of Toledo in 633 he obtained a decree that required the establishment of a school in every diocese. Reflecting the saint’s broad interests, the schools taught every branch of knowledge, including the liberal arts, medicine, law, Hebrew, and Greek.
Isidore wrote many books, the most famous being the Etymologies, an encyclopedia of grammar, rhetoric, theology, history, medicine, and mathematics. He also wrote a dictionary of synonyms, brief biographies of illustrious men, treatises on theological and philosophical subjects, a history of world events since the creation and a history of the Goths, which is our only source of information about them. Throughout his long life, Isidore lived austerely so that he could give to the poor. But while Isidore had compassion for needy, he thought they were better off than their oppressors, as he explains in this selection:
We ought to sorrow for people who do evil rather than for people who suffer it. The wrongdoing of the first leads them further into evil. The others’ suffering corrects them from evil. Through the evil wills of some, God works much good in others. Some people, resisting the will of God, unwittingly do His purpose. Understand then that so truly are all things subject to God that even those who oppose His law nevertheless fulfil His will.
Evil men are necessary so that through them the good may be scourged when they do wrong…Some simple men, not understanding the dispensation of God, are scandalised by the success of evil men. They say with the prophet: “Why does the way of the wicked prosper?” Those who speak thus should not wonder to see the frail temporal happiness of the wicked. Rather they should consider the final end of evil men and the everlasting torments prepared for them. As the prophet says: “They spend their days in wealth and in a moment they go down to hell.”
Shortly before his death, Isidore had two friends clothe him in sackcloth and rub ashes on his head so that he could come before God as a poor penitent. He died peacefully at Seville in 636.
King Reccared abjures his heresy before St Isidore
I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
Whom shall I send?……
“Here I am”, I said, “send me!”……….Isaiah 6:8
REFLECTION – “This man of suave eloquence and eminent talent shone as brightly by his virtues as by his doctrine. By his faith and zeal the Gothic people have been converted from Arianism to the Catholic faith”…..St Isidore of Seville speaking of his brother St Leander, whom we celebrate today.
PRAYER – Help me to discern through prayer and meditation what You truly want of me. Then enable me to offer it to You – and indeed to offer myself and all I have to You. St Leander, you were and are an example to all around you, please pray for us, amen!
“Mary means enlightener, because She brought forth the Light of the world. In the Syriac tongue, Mary signifies Lady.”
~~~~~ St Isidore of Seville
“Let me say something concerning this name also, which is interpreted to mean Star of the sea, and admirably suits the Virgin Mother.”
~~~~~ St Bernard
“Mary means Star of the sea, for as mariners are guided to port by the ocean star, so Christians attain to glory through Mary’s maternal intercession.”
~~~~~St Thomas Aquinas
“God the Father gathered all the waters together
and called them the seas or maria [Latin, seas].
He gathered all His grace together
and called it Mary or Maria . . .
This immense treasury is none other than Mary
whom the Saints call the ‘treasury of the Lord.’
From Her fullness all men are made rich.”
~~~~~ St Louis de Montfort
“This most holy, sweet and worthy name was ’eminently fitted to so holy, sweet and worthy a virgin. For Mary means a bitter sea, star of the sea, the illuminated or illuminatrix. Mary is interpreted Lady. Mary is a bitter sea to the demons; to men She is the Star of the sea; to the Angels She is illuminatrix, and to all creatures She is Lady .”
~~~~~St Bonaventure
“When you find yourself tossed by the raging storms on this great sea of life, far from land, keep your eyes fixed on this Star to avoid disaster. When the winds of temptation or the rocks of tribulation threaten, look up to the Star, call upon Mary!”
~~~~~ St Bernard
“The more we are afflicted in this world,
the greater is our assurance in the next;
the more we sorrow in the present,
the greater will be our joy in the future.”
In 599, Isidore became bishop of Seville and for thirty-seven years led the Spanish church through a period of intense religious development. Isidore also organised representative councils that established the structure and discipline of the church in Spain. At the Council of Toledo in 633 he obtained a decree that required the establishment of a school in every diocese. Reflecting the saint’s broad interests, the schools taught every branch of knowledge, including the liberal arts, medicine, law, Hebrew, and Greek.
AnaStpaul 
You must be logged in to post a comment.