Christian love bears evil, but it does not tolerate it.
It does penance for the sins of others, but
it is not broadminded about sin.
Real love involves real hatred:
whoever has lost the power of moral indignation and
the urge to drive the sellers from the temples
has also lost a living, fervent love of Truth.
Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen
John
Nepomucene Neumann was born on March 28, 1811 in Prachatitz, in the
Kingdom of Bohemia, then part of the Austrian Empire, now in the Czech
Republic. He received the sacrament of Baptism the same day.
He
entered the seminary in 1831 and was ready to be ordained in 1835 when
the bishop temporarily suspended ordinations due to an excess of priests
in the country. As a seminarian, John had been deeply inspired by the
accounts of the missionaries among the German immigrants in North
America, particularly by those of Father Barraga, who later became the
first Bishop of Marquette. At the invitation of Bishop John DuBois of
the diocese of New York, young Neumann sailed to the New World where he
was ordained in what is now the old St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York
City.
Until the age of twenty-nine, the young priest dedicated
himself to missionary work in New York. At this time, with the
permission of Bishop DuBois, he joined the Redemptorist Order becoming
its first member to profess religious vows in America.
In
1852 Fr. John Neumann was consecrated the fourth Bishop of
Philadelphia. His ease with languages, of which he would come to know as
many as eight, endeared him to the many immigrants arriving in the
city. He not only tended to immigrants in his native German, but
speaking fluent Italian as well, he personally ministered to Italian
newcomers in his private chapel, and went on to establish the first
ethnic church for Italians in the country. For the Irish, he studied
enough Gaelic to be able to hear the confessions of those who spoke no
English, an act of charity which the Irish government officially
recognized by a posthumous award.
Gifted with great organizing
ability, he drew into the city many teaching communities. He was the
first bishop in the country to organize a diocesan school system, and
during his tenure increased the schools in his diocese from one to one
hundred. His apostolic endeavors encompassed every facet of spiritual
need: schools, catechesis, and apologetics, in short, all that involved
the spiritual guidance of souls, their sacramental nourishment and their
zealous defense against error. He instituted the first Forty Hours
devotion throughout his vast diocese, from whence it was taken up by
others, spreading beyond the confines of the American continent.
Intensely devoted to the Virgin Mother of God, the “little bishop”, as
he was sometimes affectionately referred to, was called upon for a
singular privilege in her honor. On December 8, 1854 when Pope 
Pius
IX read the declaration defining the dogma of the Immaculate
Conception, John Neumann held the book from which the pope read. Thus,
his 5' 2" frame became the podium upon which rested the illustrious
document describing the future patroness of the United States: the
Immaculate Conception.
His efforts to expand Catholicism in
America were not without opposition. On at least two occasions he wrote
to Rome asking to be relieved of his bishopric but Blessed Pius IX
insisted that he continue. And, like the Divine Master he so faithfully
served, he persevered “until all [his] strength was exhausted, until the
insupportable weight of the wood [of the cross] hurled [him] to the
ground”. While running errands on January 5, 1860, Bishop John Neumann
collapsed and died in the streets of Philadelphia from a stroke. He was
forty-eight.
He was beatified by Pope Paul VI on October 13, 1963
and canonized by the same pope on June 19, 1977. His remains rest in
the church of St. Peter the Apostle in Philadelphia where they are
venerated by countless devotees.
The accidents of life separate us from our dearest friends, but
let us not despair.
God is like a looking glass in which souls see each other.
The more we are united to Him by love,
the nearer we are to those who belong to Him.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
Elizabeth
Ann Bayley Seton is America’s first beatified and canonized saint. The
second child of a socially prominent New York City family, she was born
on August 28, 1774, two years before the Declaration of Independence. By
birth and marriage she was linked to the most illustrious families of
New York.
She lost her mother and sister early in life, and her
father, Dr. Richard Bayley remarried. From both her mother and
step-mother, staunch Episcopalians, Elizabeth learned a love of
Scripture and the value of prayer. From her father, a great
humanitarian, she learned to serve others.
On January 25, 1794
the nineteen-year-old belle of New York married a handsome, wealthy
business man, William Magee Seton. The couple had five children before
his finances faltered and international political upheaval and tragic
business losses combined to lead to William Seton’s bankruptcy. Plagued
by tuberculosis for most of their married life, in the fall of 1803,
William, accompanied by his wife and eldest daughter, sought some relief
for his illness in the warmer climate of Italy, where he had business
friends. Quarantined for a month by the Italian port authorities, who
feared he had yellow fever, William Seton died of tuberculosis on
December 27 leaving Elizabeth a penniless widow at the age of thirty.
While
staying with her husband’s business partner’s family in Italy,
Elizabeth was introduced to the Catholic Faith and closely observed the
Filicchi family’s religious practices within the intimacy of their
family home. She was especially attracted to the Holy Eucharist, the
Blessed Virgin Mary, and the fact that the apostolic succession could be
traced back to the apostles and to Christ. Imperceptibly drawn to all
that she witnessed first hand, she here began a process of conversion
that ultimately led to her being received into the Catholic Church by
the pastor of St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church in New York City on
March 14, 1805.
At the invitation of the Bishop of Baltimore and
to support her children, she opened a school that, from the very
beginning, followed the lines of a religious establishment. Following
some difficult years of trials and struggles, in 1809 Elizabeth moved to
Emmitsburg, Maryland where she founded the first religious order for
women in America, the Sisters of Charity. From this time on, she was to
become known as "Mother Seton".
The many letters of Mother Seton
reveal her progress in the spiritual life. She suffered great trials:
sickness, the death of two daughters, misunderstandings, and the
heartache of a wayward son, but persevered through it all advancing from
ordinary virtue to heroic sanctity.
Mother Seton died on January
4, 1821, by which day her congregation numbered twenty communities
across America. Cardinal Gibbons, successor to her nephew Archbishop
James R. Bayley of Baltimore, introduced her cause in 1907. She was
canonized in 1975.
The Apostle St. Paul was probably the first promoter of the name of Jesus, when he called it
“a name which is above all names (Philippians 2:9).
Several
saints honored the Holy Name of Jesus, but the devotion became
widespread in the fifteenth century through St. Bernardine of Siena who,
when preaching, held in his hand a plaque with the logo “IHS”
surrounded by rays. The monogram is taken from the first three letters
of the Greek spelling of the name of Jesus: IHSOYS. It is also customary
though not historical to interpret “IHS” as Iesu Hominum Salvator, Jesus Savior of Mankind.
St.
Bernardine worked countless miracles by blessing people with this logo
as the visible manifestation of his faith and recommended that it be
placed above the entrance of cities and homes; hence this symbol’s
prevalence throughout Europe. The great preacher is also responsible for
introducing the name of Jesus into the Hail Mary: Blessed art thou
among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Persons
who had prominent roles in the history of salvation received their
names from God. These names have a direct connection with whom they are
and what their mission is. Thus, Adam means “man of the earth”; Eve
means “mother of the living”; Peter means “rock”.
At the
Annunciation, the Archangel Gabriel conveyed God’s express will
concerning the name which the divine Son of the Virgin Mary was to bear:
“You shall call His name Jesus’ – in Aramaic, Yeshua (Matthew 1:21).
To
St. Joseph, the angel not only spoke the name of Jesus but explained
its meaning: “…for He shall save His people from their sins” (Matthew
1:21).
The feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus is also meant to
impress upon us Christians the dignity of the Holy Name, this name
before which, “every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on
earth, and under the earth” (Philippians 2:10).
Several Popes
have attached indulgences to the mere pronunciation of the name of
Jesus. Pope Benedict XIII granted an indulgence of 50 days as often as
the name of Jesus is pronounced devoutly, and a plenary indulgence at
the time of death provided the name of Jesus is piously invoked at least
in thought. Pope St. Pius X attached a 300 days indulgence to the pious
pronunciation of the names of Jesus and Mary.
The most deadly poison of our time is
INDIFFERENCE.
And this happens, although the praise of God should know no limits.
Let us strive, therefore, to praise Him to the greatest extent of our powers.
St. Maximilian Kolbe
By Tonia Long
Epiphany is a holy day that celebrates the revelation of Jesus to three Wise Men (or Kings) when they arrived at His place of birth after following the unusual star in the sky. Often, we picture the Wise Men arriving on Christmas night and gathering around the manger of the newborn Jesus along with the shepherds, but in fact they arrived perhaps as much as two years later, which is why Epiphany is celebrated 12 days after Christmas.
The feast of the Epiphany, which was kept in the East and in certain Western Churches before being observed in Rome, seems to have been originally a feast of the nativity. January 6, for those churches where it was kept, was the equivalent of Christmas (December 25) in the Roman Church. The feast was introduced at Rome in the second half of the sixth century and became the complement and, so to say, the crown of the Christmas festival.
Epiphany means manifestation, originating from the Greek word epiphaneia. What the Church celebrates on this day is the manifestation of Our Lord to the whole world.
After first being made known to the shepherds of Bethlehem, representing the Jewish race, He is revealed to the Magi who have come from the East to adore Him. Christian tradition has always seen in the Magi the first fruits of the Gentiles; they lead in their wake all the peoples of the earth, and thus the Epiphany is an affirmation of universal salvation.
That is the meaning, too, of the wonderful prophecy from Isaias which the liturgy appoints to be read in the first nocturn at Matins and at the Epistle of the Mass. The Church returns to this same thought of universal redemption as she sings, in the antiphon to the Magnificat at 2nd Vespers, applying the words to herself, of the union with Christ typified by the wedding feast at Cana, by the baptism of her children foreshadowed by that of Christ in the waters of the Jordan. Formerly the Epiphany was an additional day for solemn baptisms.
Although many of its rich traditions have fallen into neglect, Epiphany is a day too full of history and heritage to ignore. As Catholics of the twenty-first century, we are free to choose any of the traditions of this marvelous feast day as described below.
1) The arrival of the Three Kings
This
is a simple little tradition, but adds to the festivity of the season. A
few days after Christmas the three kings can be moved from the manger
scene and placed at a distance. Each day, they can progress closer and
closer to the Child Jesus until they finally arrive on January 6th.
Children especially love watching the Wise Men move, and it can be very enjoyable to let them take turns being the ones to move them. Speaking of children, in some cultures the Wise Men bring little gifts for the children. They would probably be just as happy with some family crafting time, though. There are many activities from making little paper figurines to creating individualized crowns.
2) Twelfth Night party
‘Tis the season to keep partying. When everyone else has put the holidays behind them and are glumly just waiting for winter to be over, Epiphany is the perfect occasion to celebrate with friends and family. Traditionally, the party would be on the eve of Epiphany and is called a Twelfth Night party for the last day of Christmas.
How to celebrate? With food, of course! A typical Twelfth Night party menu might look something like this:
Soup or Salad
Meals begin with a light soup or salad that features local
ingredients. Since many countries that celebrate Twelfth Night are in
the Mediterranean, Costa Rica, Mexico or other warm regions, this course
is generally kept light and suitable for dining al fresco in a warm
climate.
Mexican soups and salads may feature yucca, nopales and
plantains. You can duplicate the same idea by preparing a soup or salad
featuring locally grown produce.
Picadillo Meat Course
Picadillo is an all-purpose Spanish word for leftover or slow-cooked meat, sautéed with onions, tomatoes, garlic and herbs. Picadillo is used as a filling in tamales, enchiladas and as a layer in casseroles.
Create your own picadillo main course with hamburger, slow-cooked brisket, beef roast or pork tenderloin. Estimate 4 to 6 ounces of meat per serving and 2 to 3 ounces of produce per serving. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a large frying pan and sauté one diced whole white onion over medium heat until translucent and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes and chopped hot or sweet peppers if desired, and sauté another 10 minutes. Add the meat and two to three cloves of minced garlic and cook the meat thoroughly if raw, or heat through if pre-cooked.
Traditionally, picadillo is served over rice, but you can also serve it over pasta or mashed potatoes.
Rice, With Legumes or Corn
Traditional side dishes for a Twelfth Night meal are black beans and rice, which are also staple accompaniments for many Spanish-influenced daily meals. However, some families have a tradition of serving the rice with peas or corn instead.
Prepare the beans and rice separately. Dried beans will require more time and may require overnight soaking and use of a slow cooker or pressure cooker. For a speedier solution, simply use canned beans, which should be warmed in their juice for 10 minutes over medium heat. Drain before serving. A rice cooker will make preparing rice much easier, but with either a rice cooker or stovetop, figure at least 40 minutes for the rice.
Serve rice and beans side by side on a platter. Fresh peas or corn may be mixed into the rice while the rice is steaming.
After all this food, you may want to have a sing-a-long to work up an
appetite for the crowning presentation of the King’s cake. A highly
underrated form of entertainment in our digital age is to actually
gather around and sing. For Epiphany, “We Three Kings” is the obvious
choice. If you have willing singers, have each of the middle verses sung
by a different person to represent a different wise man. Bonus points
if the Kings have elaborate costumes!
3) Epiphany cake
The Epiphany Cake, or King Cake, is easily the best part of Epiphany because well, who doesn’t love cake? The King Cake is also eaten at Mardi Gras, but Epiphany is more in keeping with the liturgical season. The King's Cake is shaped into an open circle, or wreath, and studded with candied fruit and nuts to represent the jewels in the Magi's crowns. One tradition explains the round shape of the cake as representing the circuitous route the Magi took to avoid King Herod, who hunted for the Christ child to harm him. There are plenty of recipes for King's Cake, but you can also use frozen bread or biscuit dough to create a wreath shape or oval braid, or even buy a fruitcake ring from your local grocer.
The
King Cake hides surprises. The surprises are only little trinkets; some
people include a single (dry) bean or a plastic baby and the one who
finds it is “King of the Feast.” Others like to spread the wealth around
with other symbolic trinkets. Cautionary remark: enjoying the sugary
treat isn’t without its risks, though. If an adult bites into the piece
with the baby and becomes King of the Feast, they’re committed to
hosting the party next year.
There is an important connection between hospitality and the Epiphany: did not the Magi enjoy the hospitality of the Holy Family? Did not King Herod display a considerable lack of hospitality when he deceived and exploited his guests? As we give and receive hospitality during Christmas and Epiphany, we participate in the story of the Magi and their search for the Christ Child, we celebrate the joy of Jesus’ appearance, and we find God at a surprisingly familiar place: around the table surrounded by family and friends.
4) Chalk blessing
Another tradition of Epiphany invokes the Magi’s blessing upon the household that hosts the party. Participants typically read a brief, responsive liturgy (included at the end of this article) that includes the biblical account of the Magi’s visit and then “chalk the door” with a series of marks.
What may look like an incomprehensible algebraic formula – “20 + C + B + M + 20” – is actually a rich Epiphany expression steeped in Catholic tradition. The number is the year itself split into two parts and the letters in between stand for the traditional names of the three Wise Men who followed the star: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar. The letters are also an acronym for the Latin phrase “Christus mansionem benedicat,” meaning, “May Christ bless this house.” The “+” signs represent the cross.
Any chalk will do, but be sure it is blessed by a priest. Many parish priests already bless a whole basket of chalk around Epiphany, but if yours doesn’t, you can get your own and ask him to bless it. Warn him ahead of time so he can find the prayers, but he’ll be happy to do it. Once you’re home on the front porch, be sure to mark the doors as a family and remember that the symbols represent a manifestation of your Christian faith and a protection against the powers of evil. Even if you can’t host a party this year, it is good to bless your home in the New Year.
The chalk eventually fades or washes off in the rain, but the acknowledgement of Christ as the King of our household, and the blessings that brings, remain forever.
Extra Credit
If you really want to go the extra mile with the Three Kings this Epiphany, here are a few more colorful suggestions.
Act it Out:
The Middle Ages, with its love for pageantry and the picturesque, celebrated the Feast of the Three Kings with much pomp and ceremony. The lives of the Three Wise Men were dramatized, picturing them first as Magi, members of a learned and respected priesthood, then as counselors of a king, tutors of princes, skillful astrologers, and interpreters of dreams, and finally as kings with their offerings of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
What little was known about them offered fascinating material for dramatization: their call, their wanderings in the desert as they followed the star, their detention by Herod, their adoration of the Christ Child, their return home to Babylon and Persia, and the subsequent conversion of their people to Christianity.
Sing it Out:
Another custom peculiar to this feast and prevalent in Germany and other European countries is "star caroling." Three young children, colorfully dressed, accompanied by a star-bearer, go singing from house to house. In return for their "star songs" they receive some little recompense. In many localities these young men are altar boys who are thus rewarded in some slight way for their serving at Mass.
Liturgy of the Magi’s Blessing
Peace be with this house and all who dwell in it,
and peace to all who enter here.
In keeping the feast of Epiphany, we celebrate the Magi’s search for the infant king, the Christ Child’s appearing to the world, and the peace and hospitality shared between the Magi and the Holy Family.
Let us hear again the Magi’s story:
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.’” Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared.
Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy.
On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and
they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure
chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And
having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for
their own country by another road. Matthew 2:1–12
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
(Participants now take turns using the chalk to make part of the Magi’s blessing on the inside lintel of the front door as shown above)
May this home in the coming year be a place where Christ is pleased to dwell.
May all our homes share the peace and hospitality of Christ
which is revealed in the fragile flesh of an infant. Amen.
Born
about the year 422 in Nanterre, a small village outside of Paris,
Geneviève was the daughter of respectable townsfolk. At the age of
seven, she was singled out from a crowd of her fellow inhabitants by St.
Germain of Auxerre who foretold to her parents their child’s future
sanctity. The missionary prelate was on his way to Britain with St.
Lupus of Troyes, commissioned by the bishops of Gaul to combat the
heresy of Pelagian there. Before his departure, Geneviève renewed her
consecration in his presence, received his blessing, and was given a
medal engraved with a cross in remembrance of her dedication to Christ.
On
the death of her parents she went to Paris, and lived with her
godmother. She devoted herself to works of charity and practiced severe
fasting and physical austerities. She continued these mortifications for
over thirty years until her superiors compelled her to diminish them.
Many of her neighbors accused Geneviève of being an impostor and a
hypocrite. Her numerous visions and prophecies were treated as frauds
and deceits. Driven by their envy and jealousy, her enemies eventually
conspired to drown her. It was only through the intervention of St.
Germain of Auxerre himself that their animosity was finally overcome.
The bishop of the city appointed her to look after the welfare of the
virgins dedicated to God, and by her instruction and example she led
them to a high degree of sanctity.
In 451 as Attila and his Huns
swept through Gaul, pillaging and destroying all in their path, the
inhabitants of Paris prepared to flee. Geneviève prevailed upon them to
place their trust in God and urged them to avert the scourge by prayer
and penance, assuring them of the protection of Heaven. The advancing
barbarian hordes inexplicably changed the course of their advance and
headed towards Orléans, leaving Paris untouched. From henceforth, she
was looked upon as the mother of the city of Paris and her prayers and
intercession were universally sought in every malady and affliction.
Some
years later, the city was again besieged and the people suffered
greatly from sickness and famine. Geneviève was indefatigable in seeking
relief for their needs, even calming a furious storm by her prayers
when it threatened to overwhelm and sink the vessels loaded with
provisions for the starving population. Through her influence, the new
king and his successors displayed unwonted clemency towards the
citizens. They regarded her with great veneration and respect and
frequently pardoned malefactors and released prisoners, through her
intercession. When King Clovis ascended the throne, he converted to
Christianity and was baptized on Christmas Day, 496. He made Paris his
capital and established an abbey dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul on
the south bank of the Seine.
Geneviève died in the year 512 and when
the church was completed, her body was placed in a solid stone tomb and
interred there. The numerous miracles wrought at her tomb, caused the
name of Sainte-Geneviève to be given to it. Kings, princes, and people
enriched it with their gifts. This heroine who twice saved the capital
of France by her courage and constancy is regarded as the Patroness of
Paris. Her feast is kept on January 3.
ADMIRE
the goodness of the Creator,
Who causes the one to suffer
in order to free the other.
St. Lydwine of Schiedam
On January 2, the Church honors Sts. Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, two friends who were pillars of orthodoxy during a period of chaos and confusion, namely the time in which the Church faced the far-reaching heresy of Arianism, which denied the divinity of Christ – an ordeal the Church has never forgotten. These two friends steered the barc of St. Peter safely through the dangerous and stormy seas of heresy.
St.
Basil was born in Caesarea in Cappadocia - today, southeastern Turkey -
in 329 A.D. of a family of saints. His grandfather died a martyr in the
Roman persecution, and his grandmother, mother, sister and two brothers
are all canonized saints.
Basil
was becoming famous as a teacher when he decided to leave the world. He
lived for a while as a hermit then founded what was probably the first
monastery in Asia Minor. His monastic principles have influenced Eastern
monasticism to this day. He was a gifted orator, and his writings place
him among the great teachers of the Church.
In 370 he was made
Bishop of Caesarea. He opposed the Emperor Valens when the latter
pressured him to remain silent and admit heretics to Holy Communion. In
the end, the Emperor backed down. When the great St. Athanasius died,
the mantle of defender of the faith against Arianism fell to Basil. He
was misunderstood, misinterpreted, accused of ambition and heresy.
Seventy-two years after his death, the Council of Chalcedon called him
“the great Basil, minister of grace who
has expounded the truth to the whole earth.” He died on January 1, 379.
St.
Gregory Nazianzen was born in 330 and received baptism at the age of
thirty. For a while he joined St. Basil as a hermit, and was later
ordained to the priesthood. Consecrated Bishop of Constantinople in 381,
he presided over the Second Ecumenical Council of Constantinople which
defined the Nicene Creed, and which is recited every Sunday throughout
the Catholic Church.
With St. Basil, he valiantly opposed
Arianism and rebuilt the Faith in Constantinople at the cost of much
personal persecution. He is famous for his sermons on the Holy Trinity.
St. Gregory’s last days were spent in austerity and solitude. He died on
January 25, in the year 389 or 390.
Our love for Jesus is truly great when we do not feel
its sweetness. It then becomes a martyrdom …
When, on the contrary, we begin to seek ourselves, true love dies away.
Unfortunately, many serve Jesus when He consoles them, but
few are willing to keep Him company when He is asleep.
St. Thérèse of Lisieux
The
Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God is an ancient feast first celebrated
in the East before it was in the West. By the 7th century this feast was
already celebrated in Rome. In the 13th and 14th centuries the feast of
the Circumcision of Christ replaced the Marian feast and was expanded
to the whole Roman Catholic Church when, in 1570, Pope St. Pius V
promulgated the Roman Missal.
In 1974 Pope Paul VI removed the
feast of the Circumcision of Christ from the liturgical calendar, and
replaced it with the feast of the “Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.”
The
title of “Mary Mother of God”, in Greek “Theotokus”, was defended and
defined by the Council of Ephesus in 431 A.D. against the heresy of
Nestorian.
Nestorius, Bishop of Constantinople, refuted the title
of “Theotokus” claiming that Christ had two loosely united natures, and
therefore, Mary was only the mother of the human part of Him.
Catholic
Theologians rejected this claim, and defined that Christ indeed has two
natures, a divine nature and a human nature definitely united in one
divine person, and since Christ’s two natures form one single person,
Mary is the mother of the whole person of Christ.
Therefore, Mary
can be properly called “Mother of God”, not in the sense that she came
before God or is the source of God, but in the sense that the Person
that she bore in her womb is indeed true God and true man.
The Five First Saturdays devotion is one of the principal points of the Fatima message. It centers on the urgent need for mankind to offer reparation and expiate for the many injuries that the Immaculate Heart of Mary suffers from the hands of both impious and indifferent men.
On the First Saturday during 5 Consecutive Months, the Devotion consists of:
1. Going to Confession,
2. Receiving the Sacrament of Holy Communion,
3. Saying five decades of the Rosary,
4. Meditating for 15 minutes on the mysteries of the Rosary.
All this offered in REPARATION for the sins of blasphemy and ingratitude committed
against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
History
During the third apparition on July 13, 1917, Our Lady revealed that she would come to ask for the consecration of Russia to her Immaculate Heart and for the Communion of Reparation of the Five First Saturdays. Consequently, she asked for the devotion in 1925 and the consecration in 1929.
While staying at the House of the Dorothean Sister in Pontevedra, Portugal, Sister Lucia received a vision on December 10, 1925 where the Blessed Mother appeared alongside a Boy who stood over a luminous cloud. Our Lady rested one hand on the Boy’s shoulder while she held on the other hand a heart pierced with thorns around it.
Sister Lucia heard the Boy say, "Have pity on the Heart of your Most Holy Mother which is covered with thorns with which ingrate men pierce it at every moment with no one to make an act of reparation to pull them out."
Our Lady expressed her request in the following words,
"See, my daughter, My Heart surrounded with thorns with which ingrates pierce me at every moment with blasphemies and ingratitude. You, at least, make sure to console me and announce that all those who for five months, on the first Saturdays, go to confession, receive Communion, say five decades of the Rosary and keep me company for 15 minutes meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary, with the purpose of making reparation to Me, I promise to assist them at the hour of death with all the graces necessary for the salvation of their souls."
A few days afterward, Sister Lucia detailed this vision in a letter addressed to Monsignor Manuel Pereira Lopes, her confessor when she resided in the Asylum of Vilar in the city of Oporto, Portugal.
Why Five Saturdays?
Sister Lucia’s confessor questioned her about the reason for the five Saturdays asking why not seven or nine. She answered him in a letter dated June 12, 1930. In it she related about a vision she had of Our Lord while staying in the convent chapel part of the night of the twenty-ninth to the thirtieth of the month of May, 1930. The reasons Our Lord gave were as follows:
The five first Saturdays correspond to the five kinds of offenses and blasphemies committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary. They are:
a. Blasphemies against the Immaculate Conception
b. Blasphemies against her virginity
c. Blasphemies against her divine maternity, at the same time the refusal to accept her as the Mother of all men
d. Instilling indifference, scorn and even hatred towards this Immaculate Mother in the hearts of children
e. Direct insults against Her sacred images
Let us keep the above reasons firmly in our minds. Devotions have intentions attached to them and knowing them adds merit and weight to the practice.
Modifications to the Five First Saturdays Devotion to facilitate its observation
The original request of Our Lady asks one to confess and receive Communion on five consecutive first Saturdays; to say five decades of the Rosary; to meditate during 15 minutes on the mysteries of the Rosary for the purpose of making reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary in reparation for the sins of men.
In subsequent private visions and apparitions however, Sister Lucia presented to Our Lord the difficulties that devotees encountered in fulfilling some conditions. With loving condescension and solicitude, Our Lord deigned to relax the rules to make this devotion easy to observe:
With much latitude granted by Our Lord Himself, there is no reason for the faithful to hesitate or delay this pious practice in the spirit of reparation which the Immaculate Heart of Mary urgently asks.
This devotion is so necessary in our days
The culture of vice and sin remains unabated even as one reads this. Abortion, blasphemy, drug abuse, pornography, divorce and bad marriages, religious indifference, the advances of the homosexual agenda and others are just some of society’s many plagues that cut deeply into the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
We must console Our Lady amidst all these insults and injuries to her and her Divine Son. She asks for reparation, she pleads for our prayers, she hopes for our amendment of life. Let us listen to her maternal pleas and atone for the ingratitude of men.
The First Five Saturdays devotion stimulates the spirit of reparation; it instills a tender love for the Holy Sacraments of Confession and the Blessed Eucharist. It nurtures a holy affection for the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Rosary. Above all, it is an excellent means to maintain one in the state of grace while immersed in the daily spiritual battles and prosaic existence in the neo-pagan world that we live in.
Let us not delay in observing this devotion for it too gives us hope for eternal salvation.
REFERENCE:
Solimeo, Luiz Sergio, Fatima, A Message More Urgent than Ever
(Spring Grove, PA: The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family, and Property-TFP, 2008.)
Also Read:
Truly, matters in the world are in a bad state;
but if you and I begin in earnest to reform ourselves,
a really good beginning will have been made.
St. Peter of Alcantara
“I promise you, in the excessive mercy of my Heart that my all powerful love will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on the first Friday for nine consecutive months, the grace of final repentance; they shall not die in my disgrace nor without receiving the sacraments; my divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in that last moment.” — Our Lord to St. Margaret Mary
How to complete the First Friday’s Devotion:
ACT OF REPARATION TO THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS
Sacred Heart of Jesus, animated with a desire to repair the outrages unceasingly offered to Thee, we prostrate before Thy throne of mercy, and in the name of all mankind, pledge our love and fidelity to Thee!
The more Thy mysteries are blasphemed, the more firmly we shall believe them, O Sacred Heart of Jesus!
The more impiety endeavors to extinguish our hopes of immortality, the more we shall trust in Thy Heart, sole hope of mankind!
The more hearts resist Thy Divine attractions, the more we shall love Thee, O infinitely amiable Heart of Jesus!
The more unbelief attacks Thy Divinity, the more humbly and profoundly we shall adore It, O Divine Heart of Jesus!
The more Thy holy laws are transgressed and ignored, the more we shall delight to observe them, O most holy Heart of Jesus!
The more Thy Sacraments are despised and abandoned, the more frequently we shall receive them with love and reverence, O most liberal Heart of Jesus!
The more the imitation of Thy virtues is neglected and forgotten, the more we shall endeavor to practice them, O Heart of Jesus, model of every virtue!
The more the devil labors to destroy souls, the more we shall be inflamed with desire to save them, O Heart of Jesus, zealous Lover of souls!
The more sin and impurity destroy the image of God in man, the more we shall try by purity of life to be a living temple of the Holy Spirit, O Heart of Jesus!
The more Thy Holy Church is despised, the more we shall endeavor to be her faithful children, O Sweet Heart of Jesus!
The more Thy Vicar on earth is persecuted, the more we will honor him as the infallible head of Thy Holy Church, show our fidelity and pray for him, O kingly Heart of Jesus!
O Sacred Heart, through Thy powerful grace, may we become Thy apostles in the midst of a corrupted world, and be Thy crown in the kingdom of heaven. Amen.
12 Promises of the Sacred Heart to St. Margaret Mary
1. I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life.
2. I will give peace in their families.
3. I will console them in all their troubles.
4. I will be their refuge in life and especially in death.
5. I will abundantly bless all their undertakings.
6. Sinners shall find in my Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.
7. Tepid souls shall become fervent.
8. Fervent souls shall rise speedily to great perfection.
9. I will bless those places wherein the image of my Sacred Heart shall be exposed and venerated.
10. I will give to priests the power to touch the most hardened hearts.
11. Persons who propagate this devotion shall have their names eternally written in my Heart.
12. In the excess of the mercy of my heart, I promise you that my all powerful love will grant to all those who will receive Communion on the First Fridays, for nine consecutive months, the grace of final repentance: they will not die in my displeasure, nor without receiving the sacraments; and my Heart will be their secure refuge in that last hour.
Also Read:
Little is historically known about Pope Sylvester, though legend adds a few anecdotes.
It is known that his father was a Roman by name of Rufinus. He succeeded Pope Miltiades in 314 and reigned for twenty-one years.
With
Emperor Constantine’s Edict of Milan in 313, Christianity was finally
granted freedom. Legend has it, that having contracted leprosy, Emperor
Constantine was healed after receiving baptism at the hand of St.
Sylvester, and that afterwards, he made many gifts to the Church.
In
any case, with the Edict of Milan, things certainly became easier for
the Church. It was during the reign of St. Sylvester that several great
basilicas were built by Constantine: The Lateran, Santa Croce, St. Peter
in the Vatican, and several cemetery churches over the graves of the
martyrs. No doubt, St. Sylvester was involved in the construction of
these churches.
St. Sylvester also contributed to the development
of the Roman liturgy, and it was during his reign that the first
martyrology was drawn up. Sylvester also established a Roman school of
singing, and built a church over the Catacomb of St. Priscilla.
Pope
Sylvester took part in the Council of Nicaea at which the heresy of
Arianism was condemned. He also sent legates to the First Ecumenical
Council.
St. Sylvester died possibly on December 31 or was buried
on that day of the year 335. At first buried in the church of St.
Priscilla, his relics now rest in the church of English Catholics in
Rome.
You have everything when you have within you the One who made all things,
the only One who can satisfy the longings of your spirit.
St. Anthony of Padua
Egwin of Worcester was of a noble family, possibly a descendant of the Mercian kings.
Devoted
to God since his youth, he succeeded to the see of Worcester in 662.
Though a good bishop, protector of orphans and widows, and a fair judge,
he incurred the animosity of people who resisted his insistent teaching
on marital morality and clerical celibacy.
The resentment of
some found its way to his ecclesiastical superiors, and Egwin undertook a
pilgrimage to Rome to place his case before the Pope. One account
relates that on crossing the Alps with a few companions, there was no
water. Parched, those who did not appreciate his sanctity, mockingly
suggested that he ask for water, like Moses. But others, who knew him
well, reverently beseeched him to, indeed, pray for water. As Egwin
prostrated himself in prayer, a stream of crystalline water issued forth
from a rock.
On his return to England, Egwin founded the famous abbey of Evesham under the patronage of Mary Most Holy.
Around
709, he again journeyed to Rome, this time in the company of Kings
Cenred of Mercia, and Offa of the East Saxons, and received many
privileges for his monastery from Pope Constantine. In the tenth century
Evesham became one of the great Benedictine abbeys of Medieval England.
St. Egwin died on December 30, 717 and was buried at the monastery he had founded.
First Photo by: Oosoom
Mary is a most pure star, a most radiant star, and a most useful star.
She is a most pure star by living most purely;
a most radiant star by bringing forth Eternal Light;
a most useful star by directing us to the shores of our true home country.
St. Bonaventure
Also
known as St. Thomas of Canterbury, he was born in London on December 21
about the year 1118. His parents had come from Normandy and settled in
England some years previously. His early education at Merton Abbey was
followed by further studies in Paris. He initially employed himself in
secretarial work, first with Sir Richer de l’Aigle and then with his
kinsman, Osbert Huitdeniers, who was “Justiciar” of London. About the
year 1141, he entered the service of Theobald, Archbishop of Canterbury,
and so won his master’s favor that he became the most trusted of all
his clerks.
Theobald recognized his capacity and made use of him
in many delicate negotiations. After studying civil and canon law at
Bologna and Auxerre, the Archbishop ordained Thomas a deacon in 1154 and
bestowed on him several preferments, the most important of which was
the Archdeaconry of Canterbury.
When Henry II came to the throne
upon the death of King Stephen, he took “Thomas of London”, as Becket
was then most commonly called, for his chancellor, and in that office
Thomas at the age of thirty-six became one of the most powerful subjects
in Henry’s dominions. Although twelve years his junior, the sovereign
“had but one heart and one mind” with his chancellor. Both had the
prosperity of the kingdom deeply at heart and in many matters they saw
eye to eye. The king’s imperial views and love of splendor were quite to
the taste of his minister. When Thomas went to France in 1158 to
negotiate a marriage treaty, he traveled with such pomp that the people
said: “If this be only the chancellor what must be the glory of the king
himself?”
Thomas took a leading role in most operations, be they
civil or military. Deacon though he was, he unhorsed knights like the
best of them and lead the most daring attacks in person. But although,
as men then reported, “he put off the archdeacon”, in this and other
ways, he was very far from assuming the licentious manners of those
around him. No word was ever breathed against his personal purity. Foul
conduct or foul speech, lying or unchastity were hateful to him, and on
occasion he punished them severely.
He seems at all times to have had clear
principles with regard to the claims of the Church, and even during this
period of his chancellorship he more than once risked Henry’s grievous
displeasure. But to the very limits of what his conscience permitted,
Thomas identified himself with his master’s interests.
Archbishop
Theobald died in 1161, and in the course of the next year Henry seems
to have decided that it would be good policy to prepare the way for
further schemes of reform by securing the advancement of his chancellor
to the primacy. From the first Thomas drew back in alarm. “I know your
plans for the Church,” he said, “you will assert claims which I, if I
were archbishop, must needs oppose.” But Henry would not be denied, and
Thomas at the instance of Cardinal Henry of Pisa, who urged it upon him
as a service to religion, yielded in spite of his misgivings. He was
ordained priest on Saturday in Whit Week and consecrated bishop the next
day, Sunday, 3 June, 1162.
A great change took place in the
saint’s way of life after his consecration as archbishop. Even as
chancellor he had practiced secret austerities, but now in view of the
struggle he clearly saw before him he gave himself to fastings and
disciplines, hair shirts, protracted vigils, and constant prayers.
Before the end of the year 1162 he stripped himself of all signs of the
lavish display which he had previously affected. On August 10 he went
barefoot to receive the envoy who brought him the pallium from Rome.
Contrary to the king’s wish he resigned the chancellorship. Whereupon
Henry seems to have required him to surrender certain ecclesiastical
preferments which he still retained, notably the archdeaconry, and when
this was not done at once showed bitter displeasure. Other
misunderstandings soon followed. The archbishop, having, as he believed,
the king’s express permission, set about to reclaim alienated estates
belonging to his see, a procedure which again gave offence. Still more
serious was the open resistance which he made to the king’s proposal
that a voluntary offering to the sheriffs should be paid into the royal
treasury.The saint’s protest seems to have been successful, but the
relations with the king only grew more strained.
Soon after this
the great matter of dispute was reached in the resistance made by Thomas
to the king’s officials when they attempted to assert jurisdiction over
criminous clerks. The saint himself had no wish to be lenient with
criminous clerks. It was with him simply a question of principle. St.
Thomas seems all along to have suspected Henry of a design to strike at
the independence of what the king regarded as a too powerful Church.
With this view Henry summoned the bishops at Westminster (1 October,
1163) to sanction certain as yet unspecified articles, one of the known
objects of which was to bring clerics guilty of crimes under the
jurisdiction of the secular courts. The other bishops, as the demand was
still in the vague, showed a willingness to submit, though with the
condition “saving our order”, upon which St. Thomas inflexibly insisted.
The king’s resentment was thereupon manifested by requiring the
archbishop to surrender certain castles he had hitherto retained, and by
other acts of unfriendliness. In deference to what he believed to be
the pope’s wish, the archbishop in December consented to make some
concessions by giving a personal and private undertaking to the king to
obey his customs “loyally and in good faith”. But when Henry shortly
afterwards at Clarendon sought to draw the saint on to a formal and
public acceptance of the “Constitutions of Clarendon”, under which name
the sixteen articles, the avitæ consuetudines as finally drafted, have
been commonly known, St. Thomas, though at first yielding somewhat to
the solicitations of the other bishops, in the end took up an attitude
of uncompromising resistance.
Then followed a period of unworthy
and vindictive persecution. When opposing a claim made against him by
John the Marshal, Thomas upon a frivolous pretext was found guilty of
contempt of court. For this he was sentenced to pay £500; other demands
for large sums of money followed, and finally, though a complete release
of all claims against him as chancellor had been given on his becoming
archbishop, he was required to render an account of nearly all the
moneys which had passed through his hands in his discharge of the
office. Eventually a sum of nearly £30,000 was demanded of him. His
fellow bishops summoned by Henry to a council at Northampton, implored
him to throw himself unreservedly upon the king’s mercy, but St. Thomas,
instead of yielding, solemnly warned them and threatened them. Then,
after celebrating Mass, he took his archiepiscopal cross into his own
hand and presented himself thus in the royal council chamber. The king
demanded that sentence should be passed upon him, but in the confusion
and discussion which ensued the saint with uplifted cross made his way
through the mob of angry courtiers. He fled away secretly that night
(October 13, 1164) sailed in disguise from Sandwich (November 2), and
after being cordially welcomed by Louis VII of France, he threw himself
at the feet of Pope Alexander III, then at Sens, on November 23. The
pope, who had given a cold reception to certain episcopal envoys sent by
Henry, welcomed the saint very kindly, and refused to accept his
resignation of his see. On November 30, Thomas went to take up his
residence at the Cistercian Abbey of Pontigny in Burgundy, though he was
compelled to leave this refuge a year later, as Henry, after
confiscating the archbishop’s property and banishing all the Becket
kinsfolk, threatened to wreak his vengeance on the whole Cistercian
Order if they continued to harbor him.
The
negotiations between Henry, the pope, and the archbishop dragged on for
the next four years without the position being sensibly changed.
Although the saint remained firm in his resistance to the principle of
the Constitutions of Clarendon, he was willing to make any concessions
that could be reasonably asked of him, and on January 6, 1169, when the
kings of England and France were in conference at Montmirail, he threw
himself at Henry’s feet, but as he still refused to accept the obnoxious
customs, Henry repulsed him. At last in 1170 some sort of
reconciliation was patched up. The question of the customs was not
mentioned and Henry professed himself willing to be guided by the
archbishop’s council as to amends due to the See of Canterbury for the
recent violation of its rights in the crowning of Henry’s son by the
Archbishop of York. On December 1, 1170, St. Thomas had brought with
him, as well as over the restoration by the de Broc family of the
archbishop’s castle at Saltwood. How far Henry was directly responsible
for the tragedy which soon after occurred on December 20 is not quite
clear. Four knights who came from France demanded the absolution of the
bishops. St. Thomas would not comply. They left for a space, but came
back at Vesper time with a band of armed men. To their angry question,
“Where is the traitor?” the saint boldly replied, “Here I am, no
traitor, but archbishop and priest of God.” They tried to drag him from
the church, but were unable, and in the end they slew him where he
stood, scattering his brains on the pavement. His faithful companion,
Edward Grim, who bore his cross, was wounded in the struggle.
A
tremendous reaction of feeling followed this deed of blood. In an
extraordinary brief space of time devotion to the martyred archbishop
had spread all through Europe. The pope promulgated the bull of
canonization, little more than two years after the martyrdom, February
21, 1173. On July 12, 1174, Henry II did public penance, and was
scourged at the archbishop’s tomb. An immense number of miracles were
worked, and for the rest of the Middle Ages the shrine of St. Thomas of
Canterbury was one of the wealthiest and most famous in Europe.
In
1220, St. Thomas Becket’s remains were relocated from this first tomb
to a shrine, where it stood until it was destroyed in 1538, by orders of
Henry VIII. The king also destroyed St. Thomas Becket’s bones and
ordered that all mention of his name be obliterated. The pavement where
the shrine stood is today marked by a lit candle.
… day after day He humbles Himself,
as when He came down from His royal throne into the Virgin’s womb.
Day by day He comes to us personally in this lowly form.
Daily He comes down from the bosom of His Father, onto the altar, into
the hands of the priest.
St. Francis of Assisi
When
the Magi arrived in Judea seeking the newborn “king of the Jews” (Matt.
2:1-2), King Herod was worried. After ascertaining in Scriptures that
Bethlehem was the likely birthplace of the Child, he met with the Wise
Men. The crafty king bid them go to Bethlehem and bring him back details
so he could also adore the new king.
But God Who sees into the
hearts of men, warned the three Magi in a dream not to return by way of
King Herod. Far from wishing to adore Christ Jesus, the tetrarch wished
to destroy Him.
Realizing that he had been found out, Herod raged
and ordered all little boys, two years of age and under, to be
slaughtered in Bethlehem and its surroundings, hoping thus, to also
destroy the Child Jesus.
But warned in time by an angel, St.
Joseph had gathered the mother and child and fled to Egypt. Thus was
fulfilled the prophecy of the Prophet Jeremiah: “A voice in Rama was
heard, lamentation and great mourning, Rachel bewailing her children,
and would not be comforted, because they are not.” (Matt.2:17-18).
The
Church considers those slaughtered babes, the first martyrs, since they
shed their blood because of Christ. The Church officially honors their
martyrdom on December 28. Several churches in Rome and throughout Europe
claim to house their relics.
1. Be honest. Know yourself. What is your strongest virtue? What is your worst vice? Therefore, tailor your resolution so it strengthens your good side and fights your bad one. A one-size fits all resolution is useless.
2. Be specific. Don't use generalities. They don't work. For example, if you need to be more humble, just saying "I am going to be more humble," is useless. You need to zero in on one situation where you need to practice humility and resolve to improve in that one situation.
3. Be simple. Don't make it complicated. Focus on something you can see and measure easily and that does not overwhelm you each time you try to obtain it. Otherwise, you will become distracted and your energy will be dispersed and misdirected.
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4. Be reasonable. Don't try to do too much at once. You won't become a saint in one day. Remember: you have one MAJOR point upon which is hinged your entire fidelity to God and His Holy Laws. This is a called your primordial light. Find out and work on improving it. Everything else will improve if you improve on that one major point.
5. Be consistent. It's far better to do something small everyday to improve on that one key point in your soul than to make a big resolution that you cannot keep for more than a week or two. Slow and steady wins the race!
6. Be humble. Recognize that you cannot do any good action which has value in the supernatural order without God's grace and the intercessory help of the Blessed Mother. Beg God's grace through Our Lady's intercession constantly in all your thoughts, desires and actions.
7. Be disinterested. Remember that God wants us to defend His rights and interests, and to share His thoughts and ways. And therefore, to focus on things, happening and events that are very close to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary that are not necessarily linked to our own personal interests.
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8. Write it down. It's important to write down your resolution so you can refer back to it often during the year. Also, by writing it down, you will be able to review it when the year is over, and to evaluate your progress since the time the resolution was made.
9. Public expressions of faith. Don't hide your faith. That's just what the devil wants. He knows when you express your faith publicly, others see you and are encouraged to follow your good example. Say grace openly and proudly before meals in a restaurant so people can see. You'll be surprised with the good reactions you will get.
10. Devotion to Our Lady. Have more devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Devotion to the Mother of God is a panacea. Saint Louis de Montfort said that devotion to Holy Mary is the easiest, safest, fastest, most secure, and surest path to Jesus and to our own salvation. If you can do nothing else, resolve to say the Rosary everyday. Saint Louis de Montfort wrote:
"If you say the Rosary faithfully until death, I do assure you that, in spite of the gravity of your sins 'you shall receive a never-fading crown of glory.' Even if you are on the brink of damnation, even if you have one foot in hell, even if you have sold your soul to the devil as sorcerers do who practice black magic, and even if you are a heretic as obstinate as a devil, sooner or later you will be converted and will amend your life and will save your soul, if-- and mark well what I say-- if you say the Holy Rosary devoutly every day until death for the purpose of knowing the truth and obtaining contrition and pardon for your sins."
I would wield the sword, I would be a Priest,
an Apostle, a Martyr, a Doctor of the Church,
I would fain accomplish the most heroic deeds
— the spirit of the Crusader burns within me,
and I would gladly die on the battlefield in defense of the Church
St. Thérèse of Lisieux
John
was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus, the son of Zebedee and Salome,
and the brother of James the Greater. In the Gospels, the brothers are
often called “the sons of Zebedee”. Our Lord also called them
“Boanerges” or “Sons of Thunder” (Mark 3:17). The fact that John is
usually mentioned after James seems to indicate that he was younger than
his brother.
Originally, John fished with his father and brother
in the lake of Genezareth. He was probably among the disciples of John
the Baptist, when the Lord attached him to His apostolic college.
John
is mentioned numerous times in the Scriptures, in Acts 1:13 as second
after Peter. He seems to hold a prominent position among the apostles.
Peter, James and he were the only witnesses to the raising of Jairus’
daughter (Mark 5:37), of the Transfiguration (Matt.17:1), and of the
Agony in the Garden (Matt.26:37). At the Last Supper, he was the one
that leaned his head on the Lord’s chest. According to pious tradition
and private revelation, he was the first recipient of the devotion to
Our Lord’s Most Sacred Heart.
Of all the apostles, John was the only one that was not married, and a virgin.
At
the foot of the cross, he was the only one of the apostles standing
with Mary Most Holy, and it was to him that the dying Savior entrusted
His beloved Mother’s keeping and protection.
After the Lord’s
death, John seems to have labored with the other apostles for several
years in Palestine until the persecution of Herod Agrippa led to the
scattering of the apostles throughout the Roman Empire. John went to
Asia Minor, including to Ephesus, where a pious tradition holds that he
took the Blessed Mother to live.
One of the four evangelists, St.
John is the author of the fourth and last Gospel. He wrote the
Apocalypse on the Island of Patmos and was the only apostle not to
suffer martyrdom but to die of natural causes around the age of 100.
In
the fullness of time, God chose to send His Only- begotten Son to earth
by means of a family – a family of Judea. The head of that family was a
man whom Scriptures calls “Just” (Matt.1:19). It also gives the
genealogy of this “Just Man”, Joseph by name, he was “of the house of
David” (Luke 1:27), though he was impoverished and exercised the
profession of a carpenter. His bride was the youthful Mary, offered by
her parents to the Temple as a small child; she had been raised among
the things of God and educated in the Holy Writ. She also descended from
King David.
Given their ancestry, Joseph and Mary were a Judean prince and princess.
By
a special providence of the Most High, these two holy people were
betrothed, though Mary had made a vow of perpetual virginity, which
Joseph meant to honor in their marriage. Evidence of their mutual
agreement to this effect is the fact that when the Archangel Gabriel
appeared to Mary and announced that she was to bear a son, she asked the
question foremost in her mind: “How shall this be, since I know not
man?” (Luke1:34) – a question, otherwise nonsensical, in a person
entering the married state.
Mary’s
question was not the result of doubt but of a simple need to
understand. And thus, when she was told that the child she was to bear
would be Jesus, the Son of the Most High, and that this marvel would
occur through the work of the Holy Spirit, she gave her Fiat, “…and the
Word was made flesh” (John 1:14).
And Joseph and Mary were
married and lawfully constituted a family, in the eyes of God and men.
And when Joseph learned of the mystery within Mary, we can imagine him
falling to his knees, and adoring the God Child in the world’s first
tabernacle.
And as true foster father, he lived to serve the God made man who called him “father”.
In
the virtuous, cross-embracing example of the Holy Family, and later by
constituting marriage between a man and a woman a Sacrament, God has
exalted the Christian Family, giving it the means to be the mainstay of
every wholesome society, the “hub” of true culture, and the nest of
sanctity.
Photos by: Ralph Hammann
To withdraw from creatures and repose with Jesus in the Tabernacle
is my delight; there I can hide myself and seek rest.
There I find a life which I cannot describe, a joy which I cannot make
others comprehend, a peace such as is found only under the
hospitable roof of our best Friend.
St. Ignatius Loyola
Stephen was a Jew, possibly of the Hellenist Dispersion who, therefore, spoke Greek.
His
election and that of six other men as deacons is related in the Acts of
the Apostles: “And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith, and of the
Holy Ghost.” (Acts 6:5)
Stephen spoke with such wisdom and fire
that his listeners could not resist his words. Thus a plot was begun in
certain synagogues against him. At first, they tried to debate with the
young deacon but could not withstand his inspired logic. Wanting to
silence him by any means, they then conspired to put him to death.
Brought
before the Sanhedrim, he delivered a marvelous defense of the New Order
established by Christ as the fulfillment of the Old Order (recorded at
length in the Acts of the Apostles),and finished with the stinging
words: “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always
resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do you also. Which of
the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? And they have slain them
who foretold of the coming of the Just One; of whom you have been now
the betrayers and murderers: Who have received the law by the
disposition of angels, and have not kept it.” (Acts 7:51-54)
The
whole assembly raged at Stephen, but he, full of the Holy Ghost, looked
up and saw our Savior standing at the right hand of God the Father, and
exclaimed: “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man
standing on the right hand of God.” (Acts 7: 55)
At which words
those assembled loudly protested, and stopping their ears, fell upon him
and seized him. Dragging the deacon outside the city, they stoned him.
Standing by, watching, was a man named Saul, and those hurling the
stones laid their cloaks at his feet for safe keeping.
As
the martyr felt himself dying under the awful blows, he said, “Lord
Jesus, receive my spirit.” And falling on his knees he cried out, “Lord,
lay not this sin to their charge” (Acts 7:58-59). After which he fell
asleep in the Lord.
St. Stephen is the first to have shed his blood for the Name of Christ Jesus.
On
December 25 the Church celebrates the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ,
the second Person of the Most Holy Trinity made man, Who taking flesh in
the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary through the power of the Holy
Spirit, was born nine months later in a stable in Bethlehem as
predicted in the Scriptures: "And Thou, Bethlehem Ephrata, art a
little one among the thousands of Juda: out of thee shall he come forth
unto me that is to be the ruler in Israel: and his going forth is from
the beginning, from the days of eternity" (Micah, 5:2). The
Gospels of St. Luke and St. Mathew cover the marvelous story. St. Luke
writes of Joseph and Mary traveling to Bethlehem for the census of
Caesar Augustus and Jesus being born there and laid in a manger. He
tells of the appearance of an angel to shepherds nearby announcing the
birth of the Child as the awaited Savior, Christ the Lord, and how these
same shepherds found Him in the humble stable just as the angel had
foretold.
In the account of St. Matthew, wise men follow a
mysterious star to Bethlehem and lay gifts at the feet of the Divine
Child. He also recounts the massacre, ordered by the envious Herod, of
all little boys two years old and under, and the flight of the holy
family into Egypt to save the Child Jesus. They later settle in
Nazareth.
Though there are records of the feast of the Nativity
of Jesus being celebrated as early as the third century in Egypt, the
celebration of this feast did not spread throughout the Christian world
until the middle of the fourth century. It was at first celebrated along
with the feast of Epiphany on January 6, the feast of the arrival of
the Wise Men or Magi. Little by little, Christmas became its own feast.
Many of the early Church Fathers regarded December 25 as the actual date
of Christ’s birth.
Historically and traditionally, Christmas is
deemed one of the greatest Christian feasts along with the solemn,
grateful remembrance of the Lord’s death on Good Friday, and the joyful
celebration of His Resurrection on Easter Sunday.
In all
Christian countries, Christmas gives rise to a multitude of cultural
expressions of colorful, sparkling joy, in remembrance and thanksgiving
for this most charming of divine gifts, a God made a babe for our
salvation. Countless songs, and ballads through the ages sing of this
Gift of gifts, and people, in turn, have recourse to gift giving as a
visible overflow of their gratitude and joy – or so it should be.
The Son of God was not satisfied with promising to redeem us or with becoming Man.
But He willed to come into this world in a manner not at all consistent with His grandeur.
He came as humbly as can be imagined so that we might be more free to approach Him.
St. Louise de Marillac
Princesses
Irmina and Adela were daughters of St. Dagobert II, King of the Francs.
Their father had acceded to the throne at the age of seven but had been
deposed soon after and had fled to Ireland for safety. During his exile
he married the Anglo-Saxon princess, Matilda, and had five children,
among them Adela and Irmina. He returned to the Frankish capital of Metz
in 673 and reclaimed the throne.
Irmina was betrothed to Count
Herman but he was assassinated shortly before they were to marry and she
professed her desire to embrace the religious life instead. King
Dagobert restored a convent at Horren in Trier where she founded a
Benedictine community. When a deadly plague threatened her sisters, she
sought the help of St. Willibrord. In gratitude for being preserved from
this pestilence, she provided the manor where the monastery of
Echternach was founded in 698. Her devotion to the poor led to her being
honored as a saint after her death in the year 710.
Her sister,
Adela, was married to Alberic and they had a son prior to her husband’s
untimely death. Despite many marriage offers, the young widow chose to
enter religion as well. She founded the convent of Palatiolum outside of
Trier on lands that were then undeveloped and governed it as Abbess for
many years until her death on December 24, 735. The monastic site later
grew into the town of Pfalzel. Her son became the future father of St.
Gregory of Utrecht.
The memory of the two royal sisters and foundresses is celebrated jointly on December 24.
The Blessed Sacrament is the magnet of souls.
There is a mutual attraction between Jesus and the souls of men.
Mary drew Him down from heaven. Our nature attracted Him rather than the nature of angels.
Our misery caused Him to stoop to our lowness.
Even our sins had a sort of attraction for the abundance of His mercy and the predilection of His grace.
Our repentance wins Him to us. Our love makes earth a paradise to Him; and
our souls lure Him as gold lures the miser, with irresistible fascination.
Fr. Frederick William Faber
Born on June 23, 1390, John Cantius takes his name from the town of his birth, Kanti, Poland.
Country
people of some means, his parents saw early on that John was as clever
as he was good. At the right time, they sent him to the University of
Cracow where he received degrees, was ordained a priest and appointed to
a professorship.
Leading a strict ascetic life, when warned
about his health, he was wont to reply that the fathers of the desert
usually lived to a ripe old age.
Such was his success as a
teacher and preacher that inevitably envy reared its ugly head against
him. Removed from his post, he was appointed parish priest of Olkusz.
Although he gave his all to his new assignment – not without some
trepidation – his parishioners did not like him at first; however, he
persevered for several years and won his people’s hearts.
Recalled
to the University of Cracow, St. John was appointed professor of Sacred
Scriptures, a post he held until his death. He was as welcome a guest
at the houses and tables of the nobility as he was well-known to all the
poor in the city. Whatever he owned was always at their disposition.
A
number of miracles were attributed to him during his life. When people
heard that he was dying, their sorrow was genuine and general. To those
who ministered to him on his death bed he said, “Never mind about this
prison that is decaying, but think of the soul that is going to leave
it.”
He died on Christmas Eve of the year 1473. He was
eighty-three years of age. John of Kanti or Cantius, as he is sometimes
called, was canonized in 1767.
