Friday, October 26, 2018
Thursday, October 25, 2018
BIOGRAPHY OF SAINT ALFRED THE GREAT
Saint Alfred the Great
Profile
Youngest of five sons of King Ethelwulf of Wessex. Ideal Christian king of Wessex, he came to the throne during a Danish invasion. Alfred defeated the Danes and preserved the growth of the Church in England. Patron of learning, he established a court school, invited British and foreign scholars to work there. Personally translated several religious works into Anglo-Saxon. His laws made no distinction between British and Welshsubjects, a first.
Born
- 26 October 899 of natural causes
Name Meaning
- elf counsel
- all peace
- supernaturally wise counselor
- “The Consolation of Philosophy” of Boethius (translation)
- “The History of the World” of Orosius (translation)
- “Ecclesiastical History” of Bede (translation)
- “Pastoral Rule” of Saint Gregory the Great (translation)
- “Dialogues” of Saint Gregory the Great (translation)
Readings
We pray to you, O Lord, who are the surpeme Truth, and all truth is from you. We beseech you, O Lord, who are the highest Wisdom, and all the wise depend on you for their wisdom. You are the supreme Joy, and all who are happy owe it to you. You are the Light of minds, and all receive their understanding from you. We love, we love you above all. We seek you, we follow you, and we are ready to serve you. We desire to dwell under your power for you are the King of all. Amen. – Saint Alfred the Great
RECOGNISING GOD'S PRESENCE
Recognizing God’s Presence
When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had arrived, they came to argue with him. Testing him to see if he was from God, they demanded, “Give us a miraculous sign from heaven to prove yourself.” When he heard this, he sighed deeply and said, “Why do you people keep demanding a miraculous sign? I assure you, I will not give this generation any such sign.” So he got back into the boat and left them, and he crossed to the other side of the lake.Mark 8:11-13
Jesus had just miraculously fed the multitude, yet the Pharisees demanded more signs, more miracles. Like them, we sometimes fix our hopes on miraculous, stupendous events: our ship coming in so that all our financial woes disappear in a moment, or our wheelchair-bound friend getting up to walk again. Jesus is just as able to do those things as he was to feed the five thousand, but what about the fact that the sun rises each morning or that God has given us new birth into a living hope through what Jesus did on the cross? Aren’t those things manifestations of his miraculous power?
We see signs of God’s presence everywhere: in a bank, in the encouraging words of a friend, in the gentle rain, in the ways he provides all we need. We don’t need a miraculous sign—we just need Jesus! Ask him to help you to recognize anew the ways in which he is with you, for you are never outside of his loving arms or without his Spirit, who lives in you. Ask him to give you glimpses of his nature and character wherever you go and to turn your heart toward him in gratitude.
DEAR LORD, forgive me when I demand evidence of your working and power instead of thanking you for all you do. Please open my eyes to be aware of your presence, to sense your nearness, and to see the works of your hand everywhere I look. With all my heart I welcome your presence today, however you choose to reveal yourself to me. And don’t let me forget to thank you.
WE NEED NEVER SHOUT ACROSS THE SPACES TO AN ABSENT GOD. HE IS NEARER THAN OUR OWN SOUL, CLOSER THAN OUR MOST SECRET THOUGHTS.A. W. Tozer (1897–1963)
Wednesday, October 24, 2018
BIOGRAPHY OF SAINT ANTHONY MARY CLARET
Saint Anthony Mary Claret
Also known as
- Antonio María Claret y Clará
- 24 October
- formerly 23 October
Profile
Worked as a weaver in his youth. Seminary student with Saint Francisco Coll Guitart. Ordained on 13 June 1835. Missionary in Catalonia and the Canary Islands. Directed retreats. Founded the Congregation of Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary(Claretians). Archbishop of Santiago de Cuba on 20 May 1850. Founded the Teaching Sisters of Mary Immaculate. Following his work in the Caribbean, Blessed Pope Pius IX ordered Anthony back to Spain. Confessor to Queen Isabella II, and was exiled with her. Had the gifts of prophecy and miracles. Reported to have preached 10,000 sermons, published 200 works. Spread devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Born
- 23 December 1807 at Sallent, Catalonia, Spain
- 24 October 1870 in a Cistercian monastery at Fontfroide, Narbonne, France
Readings
Driven by the fire of the Holy Spirit, the holy apostles traveled throughout the earth. Inflamed with the same fire, apostolic missionaries have reached, are now reaching, and will continue to reach the ends of the earth, from one pole to the other, in order to proclaim the word of God. They are deservedly able to apply to themselves those words of the apostle Paul: “The love of Christ drives us on.” The love of Christ arouses us, urges us to run, and to fly, lifted on the wings of holy zeal. The zealous man desires and achieve all great things and he labors strenuously so that God may always be better known, loved and served in this world and in the life to come, for this holy love is without end. Because he is concerned also for his neighbor, the man of zeal works to fulfill his desire that all men be content on this earth and happy and blessed in their heavenly homeland, that all may be saved, and that no one may perish for ever, or offend God, or remain even for a moment in sin. Such are the concerns we observe in the holy apostles and in all who are driven by the apostolic spirit. For myself, I say this to you: The man who burns with the fire of divine love is a son of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and wherever he goes, he enkindles that flame; he deserves and works with all this strength to inflame all men with the fire of God’s love. Nothing deters him: he rejoices in poverty; he labors strenuously; he welcomes hardships; he laughs off false accusations; he rejoices in anguish. He thinks only of how he might follow Jesus Christ and imitate him by his prayers, his labors, his sufferings, and by caring always and only for the glory of God and the salvation of souls. – from a work by Saint Anthony Mary Claret
Monday, October 22, 2018
FEAST & BIOGRAPHY OF SAINT JOHN OF CAPISTRANO
Saint John of Capistrano
Also known as
- Giovanni da Capistrano
- Ivan Kapistran
- Jan Kapistran
- John Capistran
- Jovan Kapistran
- János Kapisztrán
- 23 October
- formerly 28 March
Profile
Son of a German knight, his father died when John was still young. The young man studied law at the University of Perugia, and worked as a lawyer in Naples, Italy. Reforming governor of Perugia under King Landislas of Naples. When war broke out between Perugia and the House of Malatesta from Rimini, Italy in 1416, John tried to broker a peace, but when the opponents ignored the truce, John became a prisoner of war.During his imprisonment, John came to the decision to change vocations. He had married just before the war, but the marriage was never consummated, and with his bride’s permission, it was annulled. He joined the Franciscans at Perugia on 4 October 1416. Fellow student with Saint James of the Marches. Disciple of Saint Bernadine of Siena. Noted preacher while still a deacon, beginning his work in 1420. Itinerant priestthroughout Italy, Germany, Bohemia, Austria, Hungary, Poland, and Russia, preaching to tens of thousands. Established communities of Franciscan renewal. John was reported to heal by making the Sign of the Crossover a sick person. Wrote extensively, mainly against the heresies of the day.After the fall of Constantinople, he preached Crusade against the Muslim Turks. At age 70 he was commissioned by Pope Callistus II to lead it, and marched off at the head of 70,000 Christian soldiers. He won the great battle of Belgrade in the summer of 1456. He died in the field a few months later, but his armydelivered Europe from the Muslims.
Born
- 1386 at Capistrano, Italy
- 23 October 1456 at Villach, Hungary of natural causes
- judges
- jurists
- lawyers
- military chaplains
- military ordinariate of the Philippines
- Belgrade, Serbia
Readings
Those who are called to the table of the Lord must glow with the brightness that comes from the good example of a praiseworthy and blameless life. They must completely remove from their lives the filth and uncleanness of vice. Their upright lives must make them like the salt of the earth for themselves and for the rest of mankind. The brightness of their wisdom must make them like the light of the world that brings light to others. They must learn from their eminent teacher, Jesus Christ, what he declared not only to his apostles and disciples, but also to all the priests and clerics who were to succeed them, when he said, “You are the salt of the earth. But what is salt goes flat? How can you restore its flavor? Then it is good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” Jesus also said: “You are the light of the world.” Now a light does not illumine itself, but instead it diffuses its rays and shines all around upon everything that comes into its view. So it must be with the glowing lives of upright and holy clerics. By the brightness of their holiness they must bring light and serenity to all who gaze upon them. They have been placed here to care for others. Their own lives should be an example to others, showing how they must live in the house of the Lord. – from the treatise Mirror of the Clergy by Saint John of Capistrano
WHAT DOES FORGIVENESS MEAN?
WHAT DOES FORGIVENESS MEAN?
READING: Genesis 45
VERSE: “Do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling
me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.”
—Genesis 45:5
me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.”
—Genesis 45:5
ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE READINGS: Mark 11:25; Ephesians 4:32
Does forgiveness mean acting as if nothing wrong ever happened? Does it mean overlooking an offence? Does it mean excusing the offender’s behaviour? No. No. No!
Your husband ripped a hole in your heart by breaking his vow of fidelity. In a fit of rage, your child’s fist smacked your cheek and his words stung your heart. A friend turned from you when you needed her most.
Denial and rationalization don’t heal hurts. They just bandage the wounds. We can’t erase a hurt by pretending we weren’t injured. That’s not what God did for us when he sent Jesus to pay for our wrongs by dying on the cross and then rising from the dead.
Forgiveness means squarely facing an offence — recognizing it for what it is and then choosing to cancel the debt. Healing begins when we recognize the hurt and determine to let it go — forever.
Stop and consider: Whom do you need to forgive? Does that sound too hard to do right now? Whom do you need to move toward forgiving? Start by recognizing the wound and owning it. It won’t go away by itself. But it will heal when you forgive, with God’s help.
Sunday, October 21, 2018
BIOGRAPHY OF POPE SAINT JOHN PAUL II
Pope Saint John Paul II
Also known as
- Karol Wojtyla
- Juan Pablo II
- John Paul the Great
- 22 October
- 2 April on some calendars including Canada
Profile
For many years Karol believed God was calling him to the priesthood, and after surviving two nearly fatal accidents, he responded to the call. He studied secretly during the German occupation of Poland, and was ordained on 1 November 1946. In these years he came to know and practice the teachings of Saint Louis Marie Montfort and Saint John of the Cross. Earned his Doctorate in theology in 1948 at the Angelicum in Rome, Italy.Parish priest in the Krakow diocese from 1948 to 1951. Studied philosophy at the Jagiellonian University at Krakow. Taught social ethics at the Krakow Seminary from 1952 to 1958. In 1956 he became a professor at the University of Lublin. Venerable Pope Pius XII appointed Wojtyla an auxiliary bishop in Krakow on 4 July1958. Servant of God, Pope Paul VI appointed him Archbishop of Krakow on 30 December 1963.Wojtyla proved himself a noble and trustworthy pastor in the face of Communist persecution. A member of the prepatory commission, he attended all four sessions of Vatican II; is said to have written Gaudium et spes, the document on the Church in the Modern World. He also played a prominent role in the formulation of the Declaration on Religious Freedom. Following the Council, Pope Paul VI, appointed Karol Wojtyla cardinal on 26 June 1967.In 1960 he published Love and Responsibility. Pope Paul VI, delighted with its apologetical defense of the traditional Catholic teaching of marriage, relied extensively on Archbishop Wojytla’s counsel in writingHumanae Vitae. In 1976 he was invited by Pope Paul VI to preach the lenten sermons to the members of the Papal Household.In 1978, Archbishop Wojtyla became the first non-Italian pope since Adrian VI. He took the name of his predecessors (John, Paul, John Paul) to emphasize his desire to continue the reforms of Vatican II.John Paul II is the most traveled pope in history, having visited nearly every country in the world which would receive him. As the Vicar of Christ he has consecrated each place that he has visited to the Blessed Virgin Mary. On 13 May 1983 he went to Fatima to consecrate the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. He later repeated the consecration of the world to Mary in union with all the Bishops of the Catholic Church, in fulfillment of Our Lady‘s promises at Fatima.In 1995, Pope John Paul II began a lengthy catechisis on the Blessed Virgin Mary during his weekly Angelus addresses, culminating with his instruction on Our Lady’s active participation in the Sacrifice of Calvary. This active participation of Our Lady at Calvary is called the co-redemption. Already in 1982 and 1985 he had used the term “corredemptrix” in reference to Our Lady in public addresses. This is significant, for he is the first Pope to do so since Pope Benedict XV at whose prayer Our Lady came to Fatima to reveal Her Immaculate Heart. Since the time of Pope Benedict XV, this terminology was under review by the Holy See; the present Pope’s usage is a confirmation of this traditional view of Mary’s role in salvation history.
Born
Papal Ascension
- 2 April 2005 at Rome, Italy of natural causes
- interred in Saint Peter’s Basilica
- a vial of his blood is enshrined as a relic in the cathedral in Manila, Philippines
- 19 December 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI (decree of heroic virtues)
- 1 May 2011 by Pope Benedict XVI at Rome, Italy
- the beatification miracle involved the cure from Parkinson’s disease of a man in France
- 27 April 2014 by Pope Francis
- the canonization miracle involved the
healing of a Costa Rican woman who suffered from a brain aneurysm
Readings
O Blessed Trinity, we thank you for having graced the church with Pope John Paul II and for allowing the tenderness of your fatherly care, the glory of the cross of Christ, and the splendor of the Holy Spirit, to shine through him. Trusting fully in your infinite mercy and in the maternal intercession of Mary, he has given us a living image of Jesus the Good Shepherd, and has shown us that holiness is the necessary measure of ordinary Christian life and is the way of achieving eternal communion with you. Grant us, by his intercession, and according to your will, the graces we implore, hoping that he will soon be numbered among your saints. Amen. – official prayer to ask favors through the intercession Pope John Paul IIGod is always on the side of the suffering. His omnipotence is manifested precisely in the fact that he freely accepted suffering. He could have chosen not to do so. He could have chosen to demonstrate his omnipotence even at the moment of the Crucifixion. In fact, it was proposed to him:“Let the Messiah, the King of Israel come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” (Mark 15.32)But he did not accept that challenge. The fact that he stayed on the Cross until the end, the fact that on the Cross he could say, as do all who suffer,“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15.34)If the agony on the Cross had not happened, the truth that God is Love would have been unfounded. Yes! God is Love and precisely for this he gave his Son, to reveal himself completely as Love. Christ is the One who “loved…to the end.” (John 13.1) “To the end” means to the last breath. – Pope John Paul II from Crossing The Threshold of HopeTo save means to liberate from evil. This does not refer only to social evils, such as injustice, coercion, exploitation. Nor does it refer only to disease, catasrophes, natural cataclysms, and everything that has been considered disaster in the history of humanity. To save means to liberate from radical, ultimate evil. Death itself is no longer that kind of evil, if followed by the Resurrection. And the Resurrection comes about through the work of Christ. Through the work of the Reddemer death ceases to be an ultimate evil; it becomes subject to the power of life. The world does no have such power. The world, which is capable of perfecting therapeutic techniques in various fields, does not have the power to liberate man from death. And therefore the world cannot be a source of salvation for man. Only God saves, and He saves the whole of humanity in Christ. – Pope John Paul II, from Cross the Threshold of HopeThe essential usefulness of faith consists in the fact that, through faith, man achieves the good of his rational nature. And he achieves it by giving his response to God, as is his duty – a duty not only to God, but to himself. Christ did everything in order to convince us of the importance of this response. Man is called upon to give this response with inner freedom so that it will radiate that veritatis splendor (splendor of truth) so essential to human dignity. Christ wants to awaken faith in human hearts. He wants them to respond to the word of the Father, but he wants this in full respect for human dignity. In the very search for faith an implicit faith is already present, and therefore the necessary condition for salvation is already satisfied. – Pope John Paul II, from Crossing the Threshold of HopeWhat emanates from the figure of Saint Joseph is faith…Joseph of Nazareth is a “just man” because he totally “lives by faith.” He is holy because his faith is truly heroic. Sacred Scripture says little of him. It does not record even one word spoken by Joseph, the carpenter of Nazareth. And yet, even without words, he shows the depth of his faith, his greatness. Saint Joseph is a man of great spirit. He is great in faith, not because he speaks his own words, but above all because he listens to the words of the Living God. He listens in silence. And his heart ceaselessly perseveres in the readiness to accept the Truth contained in the word of the Living God. We see how the word of the Living God penetrates deeply into the sould of that man, that just man. And we, do we know how to listen to the word of God? Do we know how to absorb it into the depths of our human personalities? Do we open our conscience in the presend of this word? – Pope John Paul II from Daily MeditationsOn my pastoral journeys around the world I always try to meet representatives of the Jewish community. But a truly exceptional experience for me was cartainly my visit to the synagogue of Rome. The history of the Jews in Rome is a unique chapter in the history of the Jewish people, a chapter closely linked for that matter to The Acts of the Apostles. During that memorable visit, I spoke of the Jews as our elder brothers in the faith. These words were an expression both of the Vatican Council’s teaching and a profound conviction of the part of the Church…. The New Convent has its roots in the old. The time when the people of the Old Covenant will be able to see themselves as part of the New is a question to be left to the Holy Spirit. We, as human beings, try only not to put obstacles in the way. Forgive us, Lord, when we fail to foster genuine understanding between Christians and Jews. – Pope John Paul II from Crossing the Threshold of HopeMany people today are disoriented and lost in search of genuine fellowship. Often their lives are either too superficial or shattered by brokenness. Their work often is dehumanizing. They long for an experience of genuine encounter with others, for true fellowship. Well, is this not precisely the vocation of a parish? Are we not called to be a warm, brotherly family together? Are we not people united together in the household of God through our common life? Your parish is not mainly a structure, a geographical area or a building. The parish is first and foremost a community of the faithful. This is the task of a parish today: to be a community, to rediscover its identity as a community. You are not a Christian all by yourself. To be a Christian means to believe and to live one’s faith together with others. For we are all members of the body of Christ…. For fellowship to grow, the priest’s role is not enough, even though he plays an essential role. The commitment of all parishioners is needed. Each of their contributions is vital. – Pope John Paul II from Draw Near to God
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