Et
álibi
aliórum
plurimórum
sanctórum
Mártyrum
et Confessórum,
atque
sanctárum
Vírginum.
And elsewhere in divers places, many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins. Пресвятая Богородице спаси нас! (Santíssima Mãe de Deus, salva-nos!) R.
Deo grátias. R.
Thanks be to God.
March is the month of Saint Joseph since 1855; 
202322,600 lives saved since 2007 http://www.haitian-childrens-fund.org/ 
For the Son of man ... will repay
every man for what he has done.
Shawn Carney Campaign Director www.40daysforlife.com , Please help save the unborn from painful deaths It is a great poverty that a child must die so that you may live as you wish -- Mother Teresa The saints are a “cloud of witnesses over our head”, showing us life of Christian perfection is possible. Our Bartholomew Family Prayer List Acts of the Apostles Nine First Fridays Devotion to the Sacred Heart From the writings of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque How do I start the Five First Saturdays? Mary Mother of GOD 15 Promises of the Virgin Mary to those who recite the Rosary Mary's Divine Motherhood Called in the Gospel "the Mother of Jesus," Mary is acclaimed by Elizabeth, at the prompting of the Spirit and even before the birth of her son, as "the Mother of my Lord" (Lk 1:43; Jn 2:1; 19:25; cf. Mt 13:55; et al.). In fact, the One whom she conceived as man by the Holy Spirit, who truly became her Son according to the flesh, was none other than the Father's eternal Son, the second person of the Holy Trinity. Hence the Church confesses that Mary is truly "Mother of God" (Theotokos). Catechism of the Catholic Church 495, quoting the Council of Ephesus (431): DS 251. I vow never to do anything nor to leave anything undone because of what people think. This will set up in me a great interior peace. -- St. Claude de la Colombiere March 25 – Good Friday – Feast of the Annunciation – 16th apparition of Lourdes (1858) – Our Lady of Walsingham – Blessed Marie Alphonsine Danil Ghattas When the feast of the Annunciation coincides with Good Friday The celebration of the Great Jubilee of Our Lady of the Puy-en-Velay (France), one of the oldest in the history of the Church, is decreed by the Pope, when March 25th, feast of the Annunciation, falls on Good Friday. The jubilee begins on that date and ends on August 15th. This year, the feast of the Annunciation coincides precisely with Good Friday! The previous jubilee was held in 2005 with some 250,000 pilgrims, and the next will be held in... 2157! This is a great opportunity to seize because in 2016 the Jubilee of Mercy proclaimed by the Holy Father can also be celebrated in Puy-en-Velay! If we remember that the Immaculate Conception, i.e. the mystery by which Mary was preserved from original sin, is a kind of foreshadowing of the Annunciation, and knowing that the feast of Christ the King finds its meaning with Good Friday, when Jesus was clothed in a purple mantle and covered with a crown of thorns, we measure how the Great Atonement Days of Le Puy and the Jubilee of Mercy are intertwined. Never perhaps in the history of this shrine has God offered us such an opportunity for reconciliation with Him and with our brothers. Site officiel du Jubilé du Puy-en-Velay 2016 March 25 - Annunciation of the Lord to the Blessed Virgin Mary - Our Lady of Walsingham (England) A “yes” like Mary's “yes” Mary answered: “Here I am, the handmaid of the Lord, let your word be accomplished in me.” God did not impose himself on Mary against her will. He wanted her consent, her own “yes.” Not the “yes” of someone who cannot say “no.” He did not want the “yes” of someone who did not understand the scope of the issue; not the quick and superficial “yes” of someone who was devoid of interiority and depth or a temporary and conditional “yes.” Her “yes” had to have the force and impact of a free person who engaged her whole heart and soul. (…) God wanted to enter our humanity and
history by and through Mary’s “yes,” full of daring and audacity, the “yes”
of someone who responds as “the handmaid of the Lord” (…) Without this daring
and risky “yes,” there would be no faith, because faith is present only if
we consent to God's call. There would be no spouses, since they are sustained
by the “yes” they exchanged. And there would be no priests or religious either,
since their lives are based on the “yes” they gave at the beginning of their
journey. Fr. François-Xavier Dumortier S.J. Rome, October 10,
2013, Zenit.org
March 25 mars - Annunciation – 16th apparition
of Lourdes (1858) – Our Lady of Walsingham
The two sides of
the feast of the Annunciation
In a way, the feast
of the Annunciation has two sides. One of them is oriented towards the
Most Holy Mother of God. It concerns her glory and our devotion to Mary.The declaration of the glory and the expression of our devotion find their perfect form in the first sentence of the message of the Angel: "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you." We couldn’t address the Blessed Virgin better than by repeating this salutation with reverence and love. The other side of the mystery of the Annunciation is oriented towards mankind. In the life of every Christian, there must be some divine Annunciations—moments when God makes known both His will and His purpose for us. But all these Annunciations must unite and blend in the initial Annunciation: the announcement that Jesus can be born in us, that he can be born of us—not in the same way that He was conceived and born of the Virgin Mary, for this is a unique and incomparable miracle, but in the sense of an all-spiritual and at the same time very real possession of our person by the Savior. Father Lev Gillet
Excerpt from L'An de grâce du Seigneur, Catéchèse
orthodoxe, un commentaire de l'année liturgique byzantine, Editions
du Cerf, 1988 |
| Annunciation
of the Lord Annuntiátio beatíssimæ Vírginis Genitrícis Dei Maríæ. The Annunciation of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God. Annunciation Novena March 25 
I greet you, Ever-blessed Virgin, Mother of God,
Throne of Grace, Miracle of Almighty Power! I greet you, Sanctuary of the Most Holy Trinity and Queen of the Universe, Mother of Mercy and Refuge of Sinners! Most loving
Mother, attracted by your beauty and sweetness, and by your tender compassion,
I confidently turn to you, miserable as I am, and beg of you to obtain
for me from your dear Son the favor I request in this novena: (mention
your request).
Obtain
for me also, Queen of Heaven, the most lively contrition for my many
sins and the grace to imitate closely those virtues which you practiced
so faithfully, especially humility, purity and obedience. Above all,
I beg you to be my Mother and Protectress, to receive me into the number
of your devoted children, and to guide me from your high throne of glory.
Do not reject
my petitions, Mother of Mercy! Have pity on me, and do not abandon
me during life or at the moment of my death. Amen. |
The Litany of Our Lady of Walsingham (I) March 25
- Annunciation of Our Lady - Our Lady of Walsingham (England)Our Lady of Walsingham, pray the Lord for us. Mary conceived without sin, pray the Lord for us. Mary the Virgin, pray the Lord for us. Mary, the Mother of God, pray the Lord for us. Mary, taken up to Heaven, pray the Lord for us. Mary at Bethlehem, pray for all mothers. Mary at Nazareth, pray for all families. Mary at Cana, pray for all married couples. Mary, who stood by the Cross, pray for all who suffer. Mary in the Upper Room, pray for all who wait. Mary, model of womanhood, pray for all women. Woman of faith, keep us in mind. Woman of hope, keep us in mind. Woman of charity, keep us in mind. Woman of suffering, keep us in mind. Woman of anxiety, keep us in mind. Woman of humility, keep us in mind. Woman of poverty, keep us in mind. Woman of purity, keep us in mind. Woman of obedience, keep us in mind. Woman who wondered, remember us to God. Woman who listened, remember us to God. Woman who followed, remember us to God. Woman who longed for Him, remember us to God. Woman who loved Him, remember us to God.(...) |
|
THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE MOST HOLY
THEOTOKOS
The Feast of the Annunciation
is one of the earliest Christian feasts, and was already being celebrated
in the fourth century. There is a painting
of the Annunciation in the catacomb of Priscilla in Rome dating from
the second century. The Council of Toledo in 656 mentions the Feast,
and the Council in Trullo in 692 says that the Annunciation was celebrated
during Great Lent.
The Greek and Slavonic names for the Feast may be translated as "good tidings." This, of course, refers to the Incarnation of the Son of God and the salvation He brings. The background of the Annunciation is found in the Gospel of St Luke (1:26-38). The troparion describes this as the "beginning of our salvation, and the revelation of the eternal mystery," for on this day the Son of God became the Son of Man. There are two main components to the Annunciation: the message itself, and the response of the Virgin. The message fulfills God's promise to send a Redeemer (Genesis 3:15): "I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your seed and her seed; he shall crush your head, and you shall lie in wait for his heel." The Fathers of the Church understand "her seed" to refer to Christ. The prophets hinted at His coming, which they saw dimly, but the Archangel Gabriel now proclaims that the promise is about to be fulfilled. We see this echoed in the Liturgy of St Basil, as well: "When man disobeyed Thee, the only true God who had created him, and was deceived by the guile of the serpent, becoming subject to death by his own transgressions, Thou, O God, in Thy righteous judgment, didst send him forth from Paradise into this world, returning him to the earth from which he was taken, yet providing for him the salvation of regeneration in Thy Christ Himself." |
| 33 St. Dismas
the Good Thief crucified with Christ on Calvary Isaac, Patriarch Son of Abraham, lamb of God, a symbol of Jesus Melchizedek, Priest (RM) Priest of the Most High God, honored by Abraham (Encyclopedia) St. Dula Virgin martyr at Nicomedia, in Asia Mino 130 Quirinus, King M (RM) Legendary son of the Emperor Philip Two Hundred Sixty-Two Roman Martyrs sancti Irenǽi, Epíscopi et Mártyris 269 St. Quirinus Roman martyr buried in the Catacomb of Pontian 383 St Zosimas monk Palestinian monastery of Caesarea 430 St. Mary of Egypt penitent sent to desert east of Palestine by the Blessed Virgin as a hermitess in absolute solitude for forty-seven years 381 St. Pelagius of Laodicea Bishop dedicated enemy of Arianism attended Council of Constantinople in 381 653 St. Cammin Abbot; Among the most celebrated saints of Ireland, published by Usher, is placed St. Cammin, who in his youth retired from the noise of the world into the island of Inish-Keslair, 680 Humbert of Marolles co-founder and first abbot in Flanders 720 St. Hermenland Evangelizer of Normandy miracle worker gift of prophecy 725 Barontius monk vision to become hermit 767 The Departure Of The Saint Anba Khail (Mikhail) The Forty Sixth Pope Of The See Of St. Mark. (Coptic) 1007 Kennocha Scottish nun of the convent in Fife several miracles God wrought on her behalf V (AC) 1058-1075 Alfwold of Sherborne monk bishop of Winchester 1168 St. Harold Martyred child of Gloucester, England 1181 St. Robert of Bury St. Edmunds Traditionally a boy martyr of the Middle Ages 1337 Blessed Thomas of Costacciaro hermit joined the Camaldolese at Sitria 1593 St. James Bird, Blessed English martyr convert at 19 refused Oath of Supremacy 1586 Margaret Clitherow 1/40 martyrs of England convert M (RM) 1732 St. Lucy Filippini Co-foundress of the Italian institute of theMaestre Pie, the Filippine 1927 St. Saint Marie-Alphonsine Danil Ghattas |
| Annunciation
of the Lord THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY COMMONLY CALLED LADY DAY THIS great festival takes its name from the tidings announced by the angel Gabriel to the Blessed Virgin Mary concerning the incarnation of the Son of God. It was the divine purpose to give to the world a saviour, to the sinner a victim of propitiation, to the righteous a model, to this maiden—who should remain a virgin—a son, and to the Son of God a new nature, a human nature, end of the seventh century, we find that the Annunciation, together with three other feasts of our Lady, was celebrated liturgically at Rome, it was kept, Lent notwithstanding, in March as the Greeks kept it. Henceforward the feast, obtaining recognition in the Gelasian and Gregorian sacramentaries, was gradually received throughout the West as part of the Roman tradition. See Abbot
Cabrol’s article “Annonciation” in DAC., vol. i, cc. 2241—2255 ; S.Vailhé,
Échos d’Orient, vol. ix (1906), pp.
138—145, also the same periodical, vol. xxii (1923), pp.
129—152 ; M. Jugie, in Byzantinische Zeitschrift, vol.
xiv (1913), pp. 37—59, and in Analecta Bollandiana, vol.
xliii (1925), pp. 86—95 ; and K. A. Kellner, Heortology
(1908). On the date of the Crucifixion and its identification
with the day of our Lord’s conception cf. also
the admirable article of C. H. Turner on the “Chronology of the New Testament”
in Hastings, Dictionary of the Bible.
Today, 'Lady Day'--nine months before
Christmas, we think of the Blessed
Virgin Mary, who became the Mother of God. Her story is wrapped
in mystery for we have only the details that Saint Luke recorded at the beginning
of his Gospel. We know that she was a village maiden, probably of Nazareth,
of humble circumstances, betrothed to a carpenter, though in her veins,
as in those of Saint Joseph, flowed the blood of the kings of Judah.With great simplicity and beauty Saint Luke tells us of her maidenhood: "In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a village of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary." She was naturally puzzled, "greatly troubled" we are told, for she was a simple woman, and the wonder of it overwhelmed her; but with calmness and dignity she accepted her destiny, trusting that God's will would be done. Throughout the centuries, this scene has fascinated preachers and artists who meditated on the wondrous event. Only one artist, Lotto, captured the startling nature of the occurrence. In his painting a cat is seen in the background frightened. Yet the Virgin Mother appears to be much more practical. She asks quietly and naturally: "How shall this be?" To which came the answer containing the secret of the mystery: "The Holy Spirit shall come upon you, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born shall be called holy, the Son of God." To which she answered with unique faith and submission: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done unto me according to thy word." Then, in the familiar words of the Magnificat, which echo the words of Samuel's mother Hannah (1 Samuel 2:1-10), her heart found an outlet: "My soul does magnify the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior." How remarkably calmly Mary accepts God's will! She knew that she could be subject to stoning for bearing a child outside of wedlock. Yet she trusted. Let us reflect on this miracle of faith when we, too, are asked by God to do things that seem beyond our strength. Let's also trust that God is with us every moment of every day with His hands upon us. |
33
St. Dismas the Good Thief crucified with Christ on CalvaryHierosólymis commemorátio sancti Latrónis, qui, in cruce Christum conféssus, ab eo méruit audíre: « Hódie mecum eris in paradíso ». At Jerusalem, the commemoration of the good thief who confessed Christ on the cross, and who deserved to hear from him these words: "This day shalt thou be with me in paradise." 29 THE GOOD THIEF ON the supposition that our Lord was crucified upon March 25 the Roman Martyrology for this day contains the following entry: “At Jerusalem the commemoration of the holy thief who confessed Christ upon the cross and deserved to hear from Him the words: ‘This day shalt thou be with me in paradise.’” We know no more of his history than is contained in the few sentences devoted to him by the evangelist St Luke, but, as in the case of most of the other personalities mentioned in the gospels, such as Pilate, Joseph of Arimathea, Lazarus, Martha, a story was soon fabricated which gave him a notable place in the apocryphal literature of the early centuries. In the Arabic “Gospel of the
Infancy” we are told how, in the course of the flight into Egypt,
the Holy Family was waylaid by robbers, Of the two leaders, named Titus
and Dumachus, the former, stirred by compassion, besought his companion
to let them pass unmolested, and when Dumachus refused, Titus bribed
him with forty drachmas, so that they were left in peace. Thereupon the
Blessed Virgin said to her benefactor, “The Lord God shall sustain thee
with His right hand and give thee remission of sins”. And the Infant
Jesus, intervening, spoke, “After thirty years, mother, the Jews
will crucify me in Jerusalem, and these two robbers will be lifted on the
cross with me, Titus on my right hand Dumachus on my left, and after that
day Titus shall go before me into paradise”. This story, with others, subsequently
found popular acceptance in western Christendom, though the names
there most commonly given to the thieves were Dismas and Gestas. But
we also find Zoathan and Chammatha, and yet other variants. That genuine
devotional feeling was sometimes evoked by the incident of the pardon
of the good thief upon the cross seems to be shown by the vision of
St Porphyrius (c. 400), to which passing
reference was made herein on his day (February 26). We find the two
thieves represented in pictures of the crucifixion at a quite early
date, as, for example, in the Syriac manuscript illuminated by Rabulas
in 586, which is preserved in the Laurentian Library at Florence.
The words of the good thief, “Lord, remember me when thou shalt come
into thy kingdom”, are adapted to very solemn usage in the Byzantine
Mass, at the “great entrance” and again at the communion of the ministers
and people. See
the Évangiles apocryphes, edited by P. Peeters,
vol. ii; the article “Larrons” in the Dictionnaire de la
Bible Bauer, Leben Jesu ma Zeitalter der N.T.
.Apokryphen, pp. 221--222 Rendel Harris in The
Expositor, 1900, vol. i, pp. 304—308; and Notes and Queries, zoth series, vol. xi, pp. 321
and 394; vol. xii, p. 133. Echoes of the legend of the Good Thief are
met with both in the medieval Cursor Mundi, II. 16739
seq., in Longfellow’s Golden Legend,
and elsewhere. Hierosólymis commemorátio sancti Latrónis, qui, in cruce Christum conféssus, ab eo méruit audíre: « Hódie mecum eris in paradíso ». At Jerusalem, the commemoration of the good thief who confessed Christ on the cross, and who deserved to hear from him these words: "This day shalt thou be with me in paradise." Dismas the Good Thief (RM) 1st century. The Good Thief, who was crucified with Christ on Calvary, was given the name Dismas; the other thief is known as Gestas (Luke 23:39-42). A popular myth during the Middle Ages in the Arabic Gospel of the Infancy said that the two thieves held up the Holy Family on their flight into Egypt. In this tale, Dismas bought off Gestas with forty drachmas to leave them unmolested, whereupon the Infant Jesus predicted that they would be crucified with him in Jerusalem and that Dismas would accompany him to paradise. Tradition assumes that because Jesus told Dismas: "Today you will be with me in Paradise," his salvation was assured and he could therefore be invoked as a saint. Because so little is known of Saint Dismas--not even his name, which means "dying"--perhaps the Mass for his feast can give us some insights. Introit: Psalm 130:6: "My soul waited for the Lord, more than the night watchmen wait for the dawn." Psalm 121:1, "I rejoiced when I heard them say, 'Let us go up to the house of the Lord.'" Reading from Ezekiel 33:11-12:
"I am living says the Lord. It is not the death of the sinner that
I want. What I want is that he be converted, and that he live. Be converted,
be converted, change your way of life! And why would I condemn you to
die? Let the prophet say to his people: 'The just are just in vain, for
it is not his justice which will save him, if one day he sin. And it is
not for his sin that the sinner will be judged, if one day he is converted.'"
Gospel from Luke 23:39-43 [RSV]: "One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, `Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!' But the other rebuked him, saying, `Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.' And he said, `Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.' And he said to him, `Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.'" Communion antiphon: "Happy is he who sees his debts paid, and whose sins are forgiven! Happy is the man whom the Lord does not punish as he deserves, and who does not try to defraud him" (Psalm 31:1-2) (Attwater2, Benedictines, Delaney, Encyclopedia, Farmer). In art, Dismas is represented as carrying his cross immediately behind Christ in pictures of the Harrowing of Hell. He may also be shown (1) crucified at Christ's right hand, or (2) naked, holding his cross, often with his hand on his heart to signify penitence (Roeder). Dismas is the patron of criminals, condemned men, and thieves (Farmer, Roeder). |
| Isaac, Patriarch
Son of Abraham, lamb of God, a symbol of Jesus (RM)
(Encyclopedia). Melchizedek, Priest (RM) Priest of the Most High God, honored by Abraham (Encyclopedia). |
|
St. Dula Virgin martyr
at Nicomedia, in Asia Minor
Saint Dula is portrayed after she has been killed
by her master (Roeder). She is the patroness of maid-servants (Roeder)Nicomedíæ sanctæ Dulæ, cujúsdam mílitis ancíllæ, quæ, ob castitátem servándam occísa, martyrii corónam proméruit. At Nicomedia, St. Dula, the servant of a soldier, who was killed for the preservation of her chastity, and deserved the crown of martyrdom. also called Theodula. The slave of a pagan soldier, Dula died defending her chastity. Dula the Slave VM (RM) Date unknown. Saint Dula was the slave of a pagan soldier in Nicomedia, Asia Minor, who wanted to make her his mistress. When she resisted, he stabbed her to death (Benedictines, Encyclopedia). |
130
Quirinus, King M (RM) Legendary son of the Emperor PhilipRomæ sancti Quiríni Mártyris, qui, sub Cláudio Imperatóre, post facultátum amissiónem, post cárceris squalórem, post multórum vérberum afflictiónem, gládio interféctus est et in Tíberim projéctus; quem Christiáni, cum in ínsula Lycaónia (quæ póstea sancti Bartholomæi dicta est) inveníssent, in cœmetério Pontiáni condidérunt. At Rome, St. Quirinus, martyr, who after losing his possessions, suffering imprisonment in a dark dungeon, and being cruelly scourged, was put to death with the sword, and thrown into the Tiber. The Christians found his body on the island of Lycaonia (which was thereafter called St. Bartholomew's), and buried it in the Pontian cemetery. (Roeder). In art, he is depicted as a king with a crown, scepter, and orb; or imprisoned, scourged, and beheaded (Roeder). Quirinus is venerated in Dalmatia, Venice, and the Tyrol. He is invoked against plague (Roeder). |
| Two Hundred Sixty-Two
Roman Martyrs RM Item Romæ sanctórum ducentórum sexagínta duórum Mártyrum. Also at Rome, two hundred and sixty-two holy martyrs. This group may be identical with that found on March 1 (Benedictines). |
| Sírmii pássio sancti Irenǽi, Epíscopi
et Mártyris; qui, témpore Maximiáni Imperatóris,
sub Præside Probo, primum torméntis acérrimis
vexátus, deínde diébus plúrimis cruciátus
in cárcere, novíssime, abscísso cápite,
consummátus est. At Sirmio, the martyrdom of St. Irenæus, bishop. In the time of Emperor Maximian, under the governor Probus, after undergoing bitter torments and a painful imprisonment for may days, he was beheaded. |
| 269 St. Quirinus
Roman martyr buried in the Catacomb of Pontian also called Cyrinus. He was mentioned in the legendary Acts of Sts. Mans and Martha as being buried in the Catacomb of Pontian. His name, however, is not listed on the itineraries to the graves of the Roman martyrs. In the eighth century, his relics were translated to the Benedictine abbey of Tegernsee in Bavaria. Quirinus of Rome M (RM) Died c. 269. Saint Quirinus suffered martyrdom under Claudius II. He had been one of those befriended and buried by SS. Marius, Martha, and Companions (Benedictines). |
| 381 St. Pelagius of Laodicea
Bishop dedicated enemy of Arianism attended the Council of Constantinople
in 381 Laodicéæ, ad Líbanum, sancti Pelágii Epíscopi, qui, ob fidem cathólicam, témpore Valéntis, exsílium et ália passus est; ac tandem, in sedem suam restitútus, quiévit in Dómino. At Laodicea, St. Pelagius, bishop, who after having endured exile and other afflictions for the Catholic faith under Valens, rested in the Lord. He was a dedicated enemy of Arianism and, for his devotion to the orthodox cause, he was exiled by the Arian Emperor Valens. Following Valens’ death at the hands of the Goths in 378; the new emperor, the orthodox Gratian, ordered Pelagius’ recall. He attended the Council of Constantinople in 381 and died some time after. Pelagius of Laodicea B (RM) Died after 381. Bishop Saint Pelagius championed the Catholic cause against Arianism and on that account was banished by the Arian emperor Valens. Gratian recalled him. He was among the luminaries present at the Council of Constantinople in 381. The date of his death is unknown (Benedictines, Encyclopedia) |
383
St Zosimas monk Palestinian monastery of CaesareaZosimas monk with Mary of the desert 430 St. Mary of Egypt penitent sent to desert east of Palestine by the Blessed Virgin as a hermitess in absolute solitude for forty-seven years The monks passed on the life of St Mary of
Egypt by word of mouth without writing it down.
"I however," says St Sophronius
of Jerusalem (March 11), "wrote down the Life of St Mary of Egypt
as I heard it from the holy Fathers. I have recorded
everything, putting the truth above all else." Having dwelt at the monastery since his childhood, he lived there in asceticism until he reached the age of fifty-three. Then he was disturbed by the thought that he had attained perfection, and needed no one to instruct him. "Is there a monk anywhere who can show me some form of asceticism that I have not attained? Is there anyone who has surpassed me in spiritual sobriety and deeds?" Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, "Zosimas, you have struggled valiantly, as far as this is in the power of man. However, there is no one who is righteous (Rom 3:10). So that you may know how many other ways lead to salvation, leave your native land, like Abraham from the house of his father (Gen 12:1), and go to the monastery by the Jordan." Abba Zosimas immediately left the monastery, and following the angel, he went to the Jordan monastery and settled in it. Here he met Elders who were adept in contemplation, and also in their struggles. Never did anyone utter an idle word. Instead, they sang constantly, and prayed all night long. Abba Zosimas began to imitate the spiritual activity of the holy monks. Thus much time passed, and the holy Forty Day Fast approached. There was a certain custom at the monastery, which was why God had led St Zosimas there. On the First Sunday of Great Lent the igumen served the Divine Liturgy, everyone received the All-Pure Body and Blood of Christ. Afterwards, they went to the trapeza for a small repast, and then assembled once more in church. The monks prayed and made prostrations, asking forgiveness one of another. Then they made a prostration before the igumen and asked his blessing for the struggle that lay before them. During the Psalm "The Lord is my Light and my Savior, whom shall I fear? The Lord is defender of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?" (Ps 26/27:1), they opened the monastery gate and went off into the wilderness. Each took with him as much food as he needed, and went into the desert. When their food ran out, they ate roots and desert plants. The monks crossed the Jordan and scattered in various directions, so that no one might see how another fasted or how they spent their time. The monks returned to the monastery on Palm Sunday, each having his own conscience as a witness of his ascetic struggles. It was a rule of the monastery that no one asked how anyone else had toiled in the desert. Abba Zosimas, according to the
custom of the monastery, went deep into the desert hoping to find
someone living there who could benefit him.
He walked into the wilderness for twenty days and then, when he sang the Psalms of the Sixth Hour and made the usual prayers. Suddenly, to the right of the hill where he stood, he saw a human form. He was afraid, thinking that it might be a demonic apparition. Then he guarded himself with the Sign of the Cross, which removed his fear. He turned to the right and saw a form walking southward. The body was black from the blazing sunlight, and the faded short hair was white like a sheep's fleece. Abba Zosimas rejoiced, since he had not seen any living thing for many days. The desert-dweller saw Zosimas approaching, and attempted to flee from him. Abba Zosimas, forgetting his age and fatigue, quickened his pace. When he was close enough to be heard, he called out, "Why do you flee from me, a sinful old man? Wait for me, for the love of God." The stranger said to him, "Forgive me, Abba Zosimas, but I cannot turn and show my face to you. I am a woman, and as you see, I am naked. If you would grant the request of a sinful woman, throw me your cloak so I might cover my body, and then I can ask for your blessing." Then Abba Zosimas was terrified, realizing that she could not have called him by name unless she possessed spiritual insight. Covered by the cloak, the ascetic turned to Zosimas: "Why do you want to speak with me, a sinful woman? What did you wish to learn from me, you who have not shrunk from such great labors?" Abba Zosimas fell to the ground and asked for her blessing. She also bowed down before him, and for a long time they remained on the ground each asking the other to bless. Finally, the woman ascetic said: "Abba Zosimas, you must bless and pray, since you are honored with the grace of the priesthood. For many years you have stood before the holy altar, offering the Holy Gifts to the Lord." These words frightened St Zosimas even more. With tears he said to her, "O Mother! It is clear that you live with God and are dead to this world. You have called me by name and recognized me as a priest, though you have never seen me before. The grace granted you is apparent, therefore bless me, for the Lord's sake." Yielding finally to his entreaties, she said, "Blessed is God, Who cares for the salvation of men." Abba Zosimas replied, "Amen." Then they rose to their feet. The woman ascetic again said to the Elder, "Why have you come, Father, to me who am a sinner, bereft of every virtue? Apparently, the grace of the Holy Spirit has brought you to do me a service. But tell me first, Abba, how do the Christians live, how is the Church guided?" Abba Zosimas answered her, "By
your holy prayers God has granted the Church and us all a lasting
peace. But fulfill my unworthy request, Mother, and pray for the whole
world and for me a sinner, that my wanderings in the desert may not
be useless."
The holy ascetic replied, "You, Abba Zosimas, as a priest, ought to pray for me and for all, for you are called to do this. However, since we must be obedient, I will do as you ask. The saint turned toward the East, and raising her eyes to heaven and stretching out her hands, she began to pray in a whisper. She prayed so softly that Abba Zosimas could not hear her words. After a long time, the Elder looked up and saw her standing in the air more than a foot above the ground. Seeing this, Zosimas threw himself down on the ground, weeping and repeating, "Lord, have mercy!" Then he was tempted by a thought. He wondered if she might not be a spirit, and if her prayer could be insincere. At that moment she turned around, lifted him from the ground and said, "Why do your thoughts confuse you, Abba Zosimas? I am not an apparition. I am a sinful and unworthy woman, though I am guarded by holy Baptism." Then she made the Sign of the Cross and said, "May God protect us from the Evil One and his schemes, for fierce is his struggle against us." Seeing and hearing this, the Elder fell at her feet with tears saying, "I beseech you by Christ our God, do not conceal from me who you are and how you came into this desert. Tell me everything, so that the wondrous works of God may be revealed." She replied, "It distresses me, Father, to speak to you about my shameless life. When you hear my story, you might flee from me, as if from a poisonous snake. But I shall tell you everything, Father, concealing nothing. However, I exhort you, cease not to pray for me a sinner, that I may find mercy on the Day of Judgment. "I was born in Egypt and when I was twelve years old, I left my parents and went to Alexandria. There I lost my chastity and gave myself to unrestrained and insatiable sensuality. For more than seventeen years I lived like that and I did it all for free. Do not think that I refused the money because I was rich. I lived in poverty and worked at spinning flax. To me, life consisted in the satisfaction of my fleshly lust. "One summer I saw a crowd of people from Libya and Egypt heading toward the sea. They were on their way to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. I also wanted to sail with them. Since I had no food or money, I offered my body in payment for my passage. And so I embarked on the ship. "Now, Father, believe me, I
am very amazed, that the sea tolerated my wantonness and fornication, that
the earth did not open up its mouth and take me down alive into hell, because
I had ensnared so many souls. I think that God was seeking my repentance.
He did not desire the death of a sinner, but awaited my conversion.
"So I arrived in Jerusalem and spent all the
days before the Feast living the same sort of life, and maybe even
worse.
"When the holy Feast of the Exaltation of the Venerable
Cross of the Lord arrived, I went about as before, looking for young
men. At daybreak I saw that everyone was heading to the church, so I
went along with the rest. When the hour of the Holy Elevation drew nigh,
I was trying to enter into the church with all the people. With great effort I came almost to the doors, and attempted to squeeze inside. Although I stepped up to the threshold, it was as though some force held me back, preventing me from entering. I was brushed aside by the crowd, and found myself standing alone on the porch. I thought that perhaps this happened because of my womanly weakness. I worked my way into the crowd, and again I attempted to elbow people aside. However hard I tried, I could not enter. Just as my feet touched the church threshold, I was stopped. Others entered the church without difficulty, while I alone was not allowed in. This happened three or four times. Finally my strength was exhausted. I went off and stood in a corner of the church portico. "Then I realized that it was my sins that prevented me from seeing the Life-Creating Wood. The grace of the Lord then touched my heart. I wept and lamented, and I began to beat my breast. Sighing from the depths of my heart, I saw above me an icon of the Most Holy Theotokos. Turning to Her, I prayed: "O Lady Virgin, who gave birth in the flesh to God the Word! I know that I am unworthy to look upon your icon. I rightly inspire hatred and disgust before your purity, but I know also that God became Man in order to call sinners to repentance. Help me, O All-Pure One. Let me enter the church. Allow me to behold the Wood upon which the Lord was crucified in the flesh, shedding His Blood for the redemption of sinners, and also for me. Be my witness before Your Son that I will never defile my body again with the impurity of fornication. As soon as I have seen the Cross of your Son, I will renounce the world, and go wherever you lead me." "After I had spoken, I felt confidence in the compassion of the Mother of God, and left the spot where I had been praying. I joined those entering the church, and no one pushed me back or prevented me from entering. I went on in fear and trembling, and entered the holy place. "Thus I also saw the Mysteries of God, and how God accepts the penitant. I fell to the holy ground and kissed it. Then I hastened again to stand before the icon of the Mother of God, where I had given my vow. Bending my knees before the Virgin Theotokos, I prayed: "'O Lady, you have not rejected my prayer as unworthy. Glory be to God, Who accepts the repentance of sinners. It is time for me to fulfill my vow, which you witnessed. Therefore, O Lady, guide me on the path of repentance.'" "Then I heard a voice from on high: 'If you
cross the Jordan, you will find glorious rest.'
"I immediately believed that
this voice was meant for me, and I cried out to the Mother of God:
'O Lady, do not forsake me!'
"Then I left the church portico and started on my journey. A certain man gave me three coins as I was leaving the church. With them I bought three loaves of bread, and asked the bread merchant the way to the Jordan. "It was nine o'clock when I saw the Cross. At sunset I reached the church of St John the Baptist on the banks of the Jordan. After praying in the church, I went down to the Jordan and washed my face and hands in its water. Then in this same temple of St John the Forerunner I received the Life-Creating Mysteries of Christ. Then I ate half of one of my loaves of bread, drank water from the holy Jordan, and slept there that night on the ground. In the morning I found a small boat and crossed the river to the opposite shore. Again I prayed that the Mother of God
would lead me where She wished. Then I found myself in this desert."
Abba Zosimas asked her, "How many years have passed
since you began to live in the desert?""'I think," she replied, "it is forty-seven years since I came from the Holy City." Abba Zosimas again asked, "What food do you find here, Mother?" And she said, "I had with me two and a half loaves of bread when I crossed the Jordan. Soon they dried out and hardened Eating a little at a time, I finished them after a few years." Again Abba Zosimas asked, "Is it possible you have survived for so many years without sickness, and without suffering in any way from such a complete change?" "Believe me, Abba Zosimas," the woman said, "I spent seventeen years in this wilderness (after she had spent seventeen years in immorality), fighting wild beasts: mad desires and passions. When I began to eat bread, I thought of the meat and fish which I had in abundance in Egypt. I also missed the wine that I loved so much when I was in the world, while here I did not even have water. I suffered from thirst and hunger. I also had a mad desire for lewd songs. I seemed to hear them, disturbing my heart and my hearing. Weeping and striking myself on the breast, I remembered the vow I had made. At last I beheld a radiant Light shining on me from everywhere. After a violent tempest, a lasting calm ensued. "Abba, how shall I tell you of the thoughts that urged me on to fornication? A fire seemed to burn within me, awakening in me the desire for embraces. Then I would throw myself to the ground and water it with my tears. I seemed to see the Most Holy Virgin before me, and She seemed to threaten me for not keeping my vow. I lay face downward day and night upon the ground, and would not get up until that blessed Light encircled me, dispelling the evil thoughts that troubled me. "Thus I lived in this wilderness
for the first seventeen years. Darkness after darkness, misery after
misery stood about me, a sinner. But from that time until now the Mother
of God helps me in everything."
Abba Zosimas again inquired, "How is it
that you require neither food, nor clothing?"
She answered, "After finishing my bread, I lived
on herbs and the things one finds in the desert. The clothes I had
when I crossed over the Jordan became torn and fell apart. I suffered
both from the summer heat, when the blazing heat fell upon me, and from
the winter cold, when I shivered from the frost. Many times I fell down
upon the earth, as though dead. I struggled with various afflictions and
temptations. But from that time until the present day, the power of God
has guarded my sinful soul and humble body. I was fed and clothed by the
all-powerful word of God, since man does not live by bread alone, but by
every word proceeding from the mouth of God (Dt 8:3, Mt.4:4, Luke 4:4),
and those who have put off the old man (Col 3:9) have no refuge, hiding
themselves in the clefts of the rocks (Job 24:8, Heb 11:38). When I remember
from what evil and from what sins the Lord delivered me, I have imperishible
food for salvation."When Abba Zosimas heard that the holy ascetic quoted the Holy Scripture from memory, from the Books of Moses and Job and from the Psalms of David, he then asked the woman, "Mother, have you read the Psalms and other books?" She smiled at hearing this question, and answered, "Believe me, I have seen no human face but yours from the time that I crossed over the Jordan. I never learned from books. I have never heard anyone read or sing from them. Perhaps the Word of God, which is alive and acting, teaches man knowledge by itself (Col 3:16, 1 Thess 2:13). This is the end of my story. As I asked when I began, I beg you for the
sake of the Incarnate Word of God, holy Abba, pray for me, a sinner.
"Furthermore, I beg you, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, tell no one what you have heard from me, until God takes me from this earth. Next year, during Great Lent, do not cross the Jordan, as is the custom of your monastery." Again Abba Zosimas was amazed, that the practice of his monastery was known to the holy woman ascetic, although he had not said anything to her about this. "Remain at the monastery," the woman continued. "Even if you try to leave the monastery, you will not be able to do so. On Great and Holy Thursday, the day of the Lord's Last Supper, place the Life-Creating Body and Blood of Christ our God in a holy vessel, and bring it to me. Await me on this side of the Jordan, at the edge of the desert, so that I may receive the Holy Mysteries. And say to Abba John, the igumen of your community, 'Look to yourself and your brothers (1 Tim 4:16), for there is much that needs correction. Do not say this to him now, but when the Lord shall indicate." Asking for his prayers, the
woman turned and vanished into the depths of the desert.
For a whole year Elder Zosimas remained silent, not daring to reveal to anyone what he had seen, and he prayed that the Lord would grant him to see the holy ascetic once more. When the first week of Great
Lent came again, St Zosimas was obliged to remain at the monastery
because of sickness. Then he remembered the woman's prophetic words
that he would not be able to leave the monastery. After several days
went by, St Zosimas was healed of his infirmity, but he remained at the
monastery until Holy Week.
On Holy Thursday, Abba Zosimas did what he had been ordered to do. He placed some of the Body and Blood of Christ into a chalice, and some food in a small basket. Then he left the monastery and went to the Jordan and waited for the ascetic. The saint seemed tardy, and Abba Zosimas prayed that God would permit him to see the holy woman. Finally, he saw her standing on the far side of the river. Rejoicing, St Zosimas got up and glorified God. Then he wondered how she could cross the Jordan without a boat. She made the Sign of the Cross over the water, then she walked on the water and crossed the Jordan. Abba Zosimas saw her in the moonlight, walking toward him. When the Elder wanted to make prostration before her, she forbade him, crying out, "What are you doing, Abba? You are a priest
and you carry the Holy Mysteries of God."
Reaching the shore, she said to Abba Zosimas, "Bless
me, Father." He answered her with trembling, astonished at what he
had seen. "Truly God did not lie when he promised that those who purify
themselves will be like Him. Glory to You, O Christ our God, for showing
me through your holy servant, how far I am from perfection."The woman asked him to recite both the Creed and the "Our Father." When the prayers were finished, she partook of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. Then she raised her hands to the heavens and said, "Lord, now let Your servant depart in peace, for my eyes have seen Your salvation." The saint turned to the Elder and said, "Please, Abba, fulfill another request. Go now to your monastery, and in a year's time come to the place where we first time spoke." He said, "If only it were possible for me to follow you and always see your holy face!" She replied, "For the Lord's sake, pray for me and remember my wrechedness." Again she made the Sign of the
Cross over the Jordan, and walked over the water as before, and disappeared
into the desert. Zosimas returned to the monastery with joy and terror,
reproaching himself because he had not asked the saint's name. He hoped
to do so the following year.
A year passed, and Abba Zosimas went into the desert. He reached the place where he first saw the holy woman ascetic. She lay dead, with arms folded on her bosom, and her face was turned to the east. Abba Zosimas washed her feet with his tears and kissed them, not daring to touch anything else. For a long while he wept over her and sang the customary Psalms, and said the funeral prayers. He began to wonder whether the saint would want him to bury her or not. Hardly had he thought this, when he saw something written on the ground near her head: "Abba Zosimas, bury on this spot the body of humble Mary. Return to dust what is dust. Pray to the Lord for me. I reposed on the first day of April, on the very night of the saving Passion of Christ, after partaking of the Mystical Supper." Reading this note, Abba Zosimas was glad to learn her name. He then realized that St Mary, after receiving the Holy Mysteries from his hand, was transported instantaneously to the place where she died, though it had taken him twenty days to travel that distance. Glorifying God, Abba Zosimas said to himself, "It is time to do what she asks. But how can I dig a grave, with nothing in my hands?" Then he saw a small piece of wood left by some traveler. He picked it up and began to dig. The ground was hard and dry, and he could not dig it. Looking up, Abba Zosimas saw an enormous lion standing by the saint's body and licking her feet. Fear gripped the Elder, but he guarded himself with the Sign of the Cross, believing that he would remain unharmed through the prayers of the holy woman ascetic. Then the lion came close to the Elder, showing its friendliness with every movement. Abba Zosimas commanded the lion to dig the grave, in order to bury St Mary's body. At his words, the lion dug a hole deep enough to bury the body. Then each went his own way. The lion went into the desert, and Abba Zosimas returned to the monastery, blessing and praising Christ our God. Arriving at the monastery, Abba Zosimas related to the monks and the igumen, what he had seen and heard from St Mary. All were astonished, hearing about the miracles of God. They always remembered St Mary with faith and love on the day of her repose. Abba John, the igumen of the monastery, heeded the words of St Mary, and with the help of God corrected the things that were wrong at the monastery. Abba Zosimas lived a God-pleasing life at the monastery, reaching nearly a hundred years of age. There he finished his temporal life, and passed into life eternal. The monks passed on the life of St Mary of
Egypt by word of mouth without writing it down.
"I however," says St Sophronius of Jerusalem
(March 11), "wrote down the Life of St Mary of Egypt
as I heard it from the holy Fathers. I have recorded everything, putting the truth above all else." "May God, Who works great miracles
and bestows gifts on all who turn to Him in faith, reward those who
hear or read this account, and those who copy it. May he grant them
a blessed portion together with St Mary of Egypt and with all
the saints who have pleased God by their pious thoughts and works.
Let us give glory to God, the Eternal King, that we may find mercy on the Day of Judgment through our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom is due all glory, honor, majesty and worship together with the Unoriginate Father, and the Most Holy and Life-Creating Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen." |
| 653
St. Cammin Abbot; Among the most celebrated saints
of Ireland, published by Usher, is placed St. Cammin, who in his youth
retired from the noise of the world into the island of Inish-Keslair, in
the lake of Derg-Dereh, of Dergid, in the confines of Themond and Galway.
Here several disciples resorting to him, he build a monastery, which,
our of veneration for his estraordinary sancity, was long very famous among
the Irish. The church of that place still remains, from him, the name
of Tempal-Cammin. His happy death is placed in the Inis-Fallon annals,
about the year 653. See Usher's /antiqu. p 503 |
| 680 Humbert of Marolles
co-founder and first abbot in Flanders OSB Abbot
(AC) A disciple of Saint Amandus, who became the co-founder and first abbot of the abbey of Marolles in Flanders (Benedictines). In art, Saint Humbert is shown as an angel appears and shows him the Cross. At times (1) an angel makes a cross on his brow; (2) there is a star on his forehead (which makes it is to confuse him with Saint Benedict); or (3) a bear carries his baggage (like Saint Corbinian) (Roeder). |
| 720
St. Hermenland Evangelizer of Normandy miracle worker gift of prophecy In Antro, ínsula Lígeris flúminis, sancti Hermelándi Abbátis, cujus gloriósa conversátio insígni miraculórum præcónio commendátur. At Indre, an island in the Loire, Abbot St. Hermeland, whose glorious life was commended by outstanding miracles. France, a miracle worker also called Erblon, Herbland, and Hermel. Born near Noyon, he entered Fontenelle Abbey under St. Lambert after serving King Clotaire III. Hermenland led a group of twelve monks to evangelize Nantes, erecting an abbey on an island in the Loire. He died at Aindreete. Hermenland had a gift of prophecy and performed miracles. 720 ST HERMENLAND, ABBOT ST HERMENLAND was born in the diocese of Noyon, and from his earliest youth aspired to the religious life. His parents, however, had worldly ambitions for him and sent him to the court of King Clotaire III, where he was appointed cup-bearer. A marriage was arranged for him and preparations for the wedding were already in train when, convinced that he was opposing the will of God, Hermenland opened his heart to the king, who, though grieved at the prospect of losing him, consented to allow him to follow his true vocation. He went to the abbey of Fontenelle in Normandy and received the habit from St Lambert; and when St Pascharius, Bishop of Nantes, appealed to the monastery for monks to take part in the evangelization of his diocese, Lambert chose Hermenland to be the superior of the twelve brethren whom he sent. Pascharius established them in a monastery which he had built in the estuary of the Loire, on the island called Aindre, and there they kept the Rule of St Columban as they had observed it at Fontenelle. In this solitude St Hermenland and his brethren lived a life of great austerity, and in spite of their isolation their fame spread rapidly amongst the inhabitants of the mainland. Parents brought their children to be educated by the monks, who taught them to be good Christians as well as to love learning. The abbot sought to escape at times from the many visitors who frequented the monastery, and at certain seasons, notably in Lent, he would retire with several other monks to Aindrette, a neighbouring islet, for a period of retreat and special austerity. St Hermenland had the gift of prophecy and could read men’s thoughts, besides being famous as a wonder-worker. It was said that once, when one of the monks was speaking with great relish about a lamprey which he had tasted at the table of the bishop of Nantes, Hermenland asked, “Don’t you think that God is able to send us one here?” As he spoke a wave washed up a lamprey at his feet, and that one small fish, distributed by the abbot, fed the whole community of monks. Another legend relates that when the saint had occasion to visit Coutances, he was offered hospitality by a citizen who had only a little wine left to set before his guests. Although a large number of people partook of the wine, the barrel, instead of being emptied, was found to have been miraculously filled. When the saint grew old, he resigned office and retired to Aindrette, where he spent his last years in solitude. The Life of
St Hermenland, attributed to the monk Donatus, which had previously
been printed by the Bollandists and by Mabillon, has been critically
edited in modern times by W. Levison. He pronounces that it is not the
work of a contemporary, but was written at least fifty years after the
saint’s death, and that it is of little value as a historical document
see MGH., Scriptores Merov., vol. v, pp. 674—710,
and cf. the Analecta Bollandiana, vol. xxix
(1910), p. 451.
Hermenland, OSB Abbot (RM) (also known as Hermeland,
Herbland, Erblon) Born in Noyon; died c. 720. Saint Hermenland served
as royal cup- bearer in his youth. Later he withdrew to Fontenelle
and became a monk under Saint Lambert. Following his priestly ordination,
Hermenland was sent with a band of 12 monks to become the first abbot
of a new abbey on the island of Aindre in the estuary of the Loire, which
had been founded by Saint Pascharius. Hermenland had the gift of prophecy
and could read minds (Attwater2, Benedictines). |
|
725 Barontius monk vision
to become hermit (Barontus) & Desiderius , OSB
Monks (RM)
There he lived a most austere life with another
saintly monk, Desiderius
(Attwater2, Benedictines).Pistórii, in Túscia, sanctórum Confessórum Baróntii et Desidérii. At Pistoia, the holy confessors Barontius and Desiderius. 695 ST BARONTIUS AFTER a career “in the world” Barontius about the year 675 withdrew with his young son to the abbey of Lonray in Berry; but though he professed first to distribute all his property he secretly retained some of it for his own use. One day after Matins he was suddenly attacked with violent pains, accompanied by difficulty of breathing, and he fell into a state of coma which lasted many hours. Upon coming to himself he described a series of extraordinary visions which he had experienced. He thought that two demons had seized him by the throat and had tortured him till the hour of Terce, but that St Raphael had come to his assistance and had delivered him from their hands. He had then been brought before St Peter, and the devils had accused him of the sins of his past life, but Peter (who was also the patron of the monastery) had defended him and had declared that he had expiated his lapses, but imposed a penance for his deceit about the property. After having sent him to witness the torments of Hell (where Barontius recognized certain bishops suffering for their avarice) and a wait in Purgatory, St Peter had bidden him return to his monastery, give his remaining possessions to the poor, and be careful not to relapse into sin. Deeply impressed by this experience,
Barontius went on a pilgrimage to the tomb of the Apostle in Rome,
and then retired to a hermitage near Pistoia, together with another
monk, named Desiderius. In 1018 a monastery was built on the site where
the two hermits had lived and died. It was dedicated under the name of
St Barontius, but it is possible that this recluse Barontius and he of
the vision were not the same person. We
have two documents which supply information concerning St Barontius—the
Vision and the Life. The former, as W. Levison has shown in MGH.,
Scriptores Merov., vol. v, pp. 368—394, is of early
date, possibly the close of the eighth century, and is an interesting
specimen of the same type of experience as those of Fursey and Drithelm
recorded in the pages of Bede. The life can hardly be older than
the year 1000, and little reliance can he placed upon the incidents it professes
to record. Both these texts had previously been edited by the Bollandists
and Mabillon. |
|
767 The Departure
Of The Saint Anba Khail (Mikhail) The Forty Six Pope Of The See Of
St. Mark.
On this day of the year 483 A.M. (March 12th, 767 A.D.) the holy father Anba Khail (Mikhail), the forty six Pope of the See Of St. Mark, departed. This father was a monk in the monastery of St. Macarius and he was knowledgeable and ascetic. When Pope Theodorus the forty fifth Patriarch, his predecessor, departed the bishops of Lower Egypt (Delta) and the priests of Alexandria gathered in the church of Anba Shenouda in Cairo. A Dispute arose among them about who was fit, and finally they called Anba Mousa, Bishop of Ouseem, and Anba Petros, Bishop of Mariout. When they arrived, Anba Mousa found the priests of Alexandria obstinate, he rebuked them for that, and dismissed them that night so their minds and souls might calm down. When they met the next day he mentioned to them the name of the priest Khail the monk in the monastery of St. Macarius. They unanimously agreed to his choice and obtained a decree from the Governor of Egypt to the elders of the wilderness of Sheahat (Wadi El-Natroun) to bring him from the monastery. On their way, when they arrived to Geza they found father Khail coming along with some elders to fulfill a certain task connected with the monastery. They seized him, bound him, and took him to Alexandria where they ordained him Patriarch on the 17th day of Tute, year 460 A.M. (September 14th., year 743 A.D.). It Happened that there was a drought in the city of Alexandria for two years, and on that day the rain fell heavily for three days and the people of Alexandria considered that a good omen. During the reign of Marawan the last of the Khalifas of the Umayyad rule and during the governorship of Hefs Ebn El-Walid and during the days of this father many great tribulations fell upon the believers. A large number of the believers
fled from Egypt and the number of those who denied Christ was twenty-four
thousand, and because of that the Patriarch was in great sorrow until
God perished those were responsible for that. This father endured many
difficulties from Abdel Malek Ebn-Marawan the new governor. He imprisoned,
beaten, chained, and tortured him with many other ways of painful tortures,
then he released him. The Patriarch went to Upper Egypt to collect
alms and when he came back, the Governor took the money from him and
threw him back in prison.
When Keriakos king of Nuba knew that, he was extremely enraged, he prepared one hundred thousand soldiers and marched down to Egypt. Going threw Upper Egypt he slew all the Muslims that he met, until he reached El Fostat (Cairo), he camped around the city threatening to destroy it. When Abdel Malek the Governor saw the army surrounding the city and that all this had taken place for the sake of the Patriarch, he became terrified, so he released him from prison with great honor. The Governor entreated the Patriarch to mediate peace between him and the king of Nuba. The Patriarch agreed to his request, so he went with some of the clergy to meet the king and asked him to accept the peace from abdel Malek which the king accepted and returned back. Abdel Malek respected the Christians and lifted up all his retribution. When the father the Patriarch prayed for the sake of the Governor's daughter, who was possessed with an unclean spirit, and with his prayers the unclean spirit left her, the Governor increased his respect for the Christians. This father debated with Cosmas the Melchite Patriarch concerning the Hypostatic Union. Pope Khail wrote him a letter, signed it along with his bishops, which said in it: "It is not right to say that in Christ two distinct Natures or two distinct Persons after the Hypostatic Union." Cosmas was convinced with that and asked to become a bishop under the authority of Anba Khail. When Anba Khail completed his strife, he departed to the Lord whom he loved after he had spent on the Chair of St. Mark twenty-three and half years. May his prayers be with us and
Glory be to God forever. Amen.
|
| 1007
Kennocha Scottish nun of the convent in Fife several miracles
God wrought on her behalf V (AC) (also known as Kyle, Enoch) Saint Kennocha was a Scottish nun of the convent in Fife. Formerly she was held in great veneration in Scotland, especially in the district around Glasgow. Said to have been the only daughter of a wealthy family, she rejected the attraction of worldly goods and all suitors in order to pursue a life of prayer. By an extraordinary love of poverty and mortification, a wonderful gift of prayer, and purity or singleness of heart, she attained to the perfection of all virtues. She became famous because of several miracles God wrought on her behalf (Benedictines, Husenbeth). |
| 1058-1075 Alfwold of
Sherborne monk bishop of Winchester B (AC)
formerly March 26. 1058 ST ALFWOLD, BISHOP OF SHERBORNE ST ALFWOLD became bishop of Sherborne during the reign of St Edward the Confessor in succession to his brother Bertwin. He had been a monk at Winchester, and he brought with him a picture of St Swithun, the patron of that city, and spread devotion to him in Dorsetshire. He was an extremely abstemious man, and in a country where self-indulgence in food was general and where even bishops were expected to keep a rich table, he drank water from a rough bowl and ate off a common platter. St Alfwold had a great veneration and love for St Cuthbert, and loved to repeat an antiphon from his office in memory of him. Quite late in life he visited Durham to honour Cuthbert’s relics, and when the shrine was opened he talked familiarly with the great saint—as a man talks to his friend. It is said that when a sharp dispute arose between him and Earl Godwin, that noble was seized with a sudden illness which only left him when he had begged Alfwold’s forgiveness. As the saint was dying, he tried to repeat once more his favourite antiphon from St Cuthbert’s office, but he lost the power of speech when he was half-way through and made a gesture to those round his bed to complete the sentence for him. After his death the see of Sherborne was united to that of Ramsbury to form the diocese of Salisbury. Our principal
authority is William of Malmesbury’s Gesta Pontificum
(Rolls Series, pp. 179—181). There seems to be little evidence
of cultus.
Saint Alfwold, a monk of Winchester, was chosen to be bishop of Sherborne in 1045. He was known for his great devotion to Saints Cuthbert and Swithun, whose cults he propagated. He set up Swithun's image in his church and often visited Cuthbert's shrine. William of Malmesbury recorded the reminiscences of a priest from his diocese who knew Bishop Alfwold. Unlike most members of the episcopacy, he used only common wood eating utensils and was known for his habitual abstinence at a time when self-indulgence was the rule. He quarrelled at least once with Earl Godwin of Wessex, who was suddenly stricken ill and recovered only after the saint pardoned him. After Alfwold's death his see in Dorset and that of Ramsbury were reunited to become the diocese of Salisbury (Attwater2, Benedictines, Farmer, Gill). |
| 1168
St. Harold Martyred child of Gloucester, England He was reported to have been slain by Jews in the area, and was venerated as a martyr. The veneration of the child martyrs is often considered as an example of the pervasive anti-Semitism of the period. Harold of Gloucester M (AC) Died 1168. Another child, like SS. William of Norwich and Simon of Trent, reputed to have been put to death by Jews. He died at Gloucester (Benedictines, Shepperd). |
| 1181 St. Robert of Bury
St. Edmunds Traditionally a boy martyr of the Middle Ages whose death was blamed upon local Jews. He was supposedly kidnapped and murdered by Jews on Good Friday at Bury St. Edmunds, England. As was the case with other reputed victims of Jewish sacrificial rites, the story of Richard is entirely fictitious and owes its propagation to the rampant anti-Semitism of the period. Robert of Bury Saint Edmunds M (AC) Died 1181. Another of the presumed child martyrs, Saint Robert was said to have been killed by the Jews on Good Friday at Bury Saint Edmunds, where his relics were enshrined in the abbey church (Benedictines) |
| 1337
Blessed Thomas of Costacciaro hermit joined the Camaldolese at Sitria
, OSB Cam. Hermit (AC) (also known as Thomasius, Tomasso) 1337 BD THOMASIUS Bd THOMASIUS, or Thomas, was a native of the village of Colle-Stracciario— popularly called Costacciaro—about seven miles from Gubbio in Umbria. Even as a child his heart was set on practices of piety, and his father would take him about the country to visit shrines and places of pilgrimage. It was in this way that he made the acquaintance of the Camaldolese hermits of St Romuald in their settlement at Sitria, and he was so greatly attracted by their way of life that he obtained his father’s consent to entering their order. He spent several years among them, but he longed for a yet more penitential and solitary life. With the abbot’s consent, he took possession of an old cave on Monte Cupo or Cucco, which was supposed to have been occupied at one time by St Jerome. For years he lived in this solitude, and his manner of life, as his biographer says, was only known to God. That he must have lived on roots and wild fruit is certain, because the faithful, not knowing of his existence, could not provide him with food as they did other hermits. At last, by accident, he was discovered by some travellers who had lost their way. His mortifications and fasts had reduced him to skin and bone, and pitiful people brought food and drink, but he would not alter his mode of life, and gave away everything to the poor who also began to gather round him. Several young men wished to join him and to submit to his discipline, but he would not bind them to any promises and left them free to come or to go. They treasured up his sayings and his miracles, and one of them afterwards wrote his life. Thomasius is said to have died in 1337, worn out by austerities and privations. See
the Acta Sanctorum, March, vol. iii, and Mittarelli,
Annales Carnaldulensium, v, pp. 360 seq. |
| 1593 St. James Bird,
Blessed English martyr convert refused Oath of Supremacy Born in Winchester and raised as a Protestant, he embraced the Catholic Church at the age of nineteen. James visited Douai College in Reims, but he returned to England. There he refused to take the Oath of Supremacy and was hanged, drawn, and quartered at Winchester in his native city. He was beatified in 1929. |
|
1586 Margaret Clitherow
1/40 martyrs of England convert M (RM)
Born in York, England, c. 1556; died there 1586; beatified in 1929; canonized in 1970 by Pope Paul VI as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales; feast day formerly April 2. 1586 BD MARGARET CLITHEROW, MARTYR WE are fortunate in possessing ample information about Margaret Clitherow, thanks to the biography written by her confessor, Father John Mush, supplemented by details from other contemporary documents. In York we can still see the guildhall in which she was tried, the castle in which she was imprisoned, the house in the Little Shambles which is the reputed home of her married life, and the room with the dormer window at the Black Swan inn, which tradition points out as the place which she hired as a Mass-house, when her own private chapel was considered unsafe. Margaret was the daughter of a wealthy wax-chandler, called Thomas Middleton, who was a freeman of the city of York and had held the office of sheriff for the year 1564-65. He died shortly afterwards, and his wife within five months married a man of inferior condition of the name of May, who took up his residence with the family at the Middleton house in Davygate. It was from there that Margaret was married in 1571 to John Clitherow, a grazier and butcher, who like her own father was well-to-do and had held civic appointments. He had been bridgemaster and then chamberlain—becoming thus entitled to the address of Mr before his name. Margaret was bred a Protestant, but two or three years after her marriage she embraced the Catholic faith, which she had been led to study, as her biographer tells us, “finding no substance, truth nor Christian comfort in the ministers of the new gospel, nor in their doctrine itself, and hearing also many priests and lay people to suffer for the defence of the ancient Catholic faith”. Her kindly, easy-going husband seems to have made no opposition then or at any time to what she chose to do. He was not of the stuff of which heroes are made, and continued to conform to the state religion, but he had one brother a priest and a certain Thomas Clitherow who was imprisoned in York Castle for his religion in 1600 was probably another brother. Mr Clitherow was wont to say that he found but two faults in his wife: she fasted too much, and she would not accompany him to church. Quite at first it seems that Margaret was able to practise her faith without much difficulty and could seek out backsliders and win converts, but the laws became harsher or were more strictly enforced. She was warned by cautious friends to be more circumspect: fines were imposed upon Mr Clitherow for his wife’s continued absence from church and she herself was imprisoned in the castle—once for two whole years. The conditions there, as we know from contemporary records, were very bad, the cell’s were dark, damp and verminous, and many of the captives died during their confinement; yet Margaret treated these periods as times of spiritual retreat, praying and fasting four days a week—a practice she continued after her liberation. It is not clear at what date she began to open her house to fugitive priests, but she continued to do so to the end, in spite of the enactment of the law which made the harbouring of priests an offence punishable by death. Father Thompson, Father Hart, Father Thirkill, Father Ingleby and many others had been hidden in the secret priest’s chamber, the entrance to which “was painful to him that was not acquainted with the door, by reason of the straitness thereof, and yet large enough for a boy”. Moreover, in order that none should be deprived of Mass when it could be had, Father Mush tells us: “She had prepared two chambers, the one adjoining to her own house, whereunto she might have resort at any time, without sight and knowledge of any neighbours…The other was a little distant from her own house, secret and unknown to any but to such as she knew to be both faithful and discreet…This place she prepared for more troublesome storms, that God might yet he served there when her own house was not thought so safe, though she could not have access to it every day as she desired.” She also supplied and tended all that was required for the service of the altar, both vestments and vessels. Possessed of good looks, full of wit and very merry, Margaret’s was a charming personality. “Everyone loved her”, we read, “and would run to her for help, comfort and counsel in their distresses… Her servants also carried that reverent love to her that notwithstanding they knew when priests frequented her house, and she would reasonably sharply correct them for their faults and negligence’s, yet they had as great a care to conceal her secrets as if they had been her natural children.” In many cases people of a different faith from hers were the first to try to shield her and to warn her of impending danger. Moreover, like a true Yorkshire woman, she was a good housewife and capable in business. In “buying and selling her wares”, we learn, “she was very wary to have the worth of them, as her neighbours sold the like, as also to satisfy her husband who committed all to her trust and discretion”, but we are not surprised to find that she often urged her husband to give up the shop with all its worries and to confine his energies to the wholesale business. Every day was begun with an hour and a half devoted to private prayer and meditation. It there was a priest available, Mass followed, and during it she would kneel behind her children and servants in the lowliest place beside the door— perhaps to he able to give the alarm in case of surprise. Twice a week, on Wednesday and Sunday, she tried to make her confession. Although not an educated woman she had learnt much from the priests who frequented the house, and three books she knew thoroughly, the Bible, Thomas a Kempis and Perrin’s Exercise. At some time—perhaps in prison—she had committed to memory the whole of the Little Office of our Lady in Latin, “not knowing what God might do with her”. The thought of the martyred priests whom she had known and who had suffered at Knavesmire was constantly in Mrs Clitherow’s mind, and when her husband was away she would sometimes go on pilgrimage barefoot with other women to the place of execution outside the city walls. At all hours a dangerous proceeding owing to spies, it was particularly perilous during the day, and therefore they generally went by night, and Margaret would remain meditating and praying under the gallows “as long as her company would suffer her” These expeditions were cut short, for Margaret, during the last year and a half before her final arrest, was compelled to remain confined in her own house, “at liberty under bonds” apparently because she had sent her eldest son to school beyond the seas, On March 10, 1586 Mr Clitherow was summoned to appear before the York tribunal set up by the Great Council of the North, and in the absence of the master his house was searched. Nothing suspicious was found until the officials reached a remote room where the children and a few others were being taught by a schoolmaster named Stapleton, whom they took for a priest. In the confusion that ensued he eluded them and escaped through the secret room, but the children were questioned and threatened. An eleven-year-old boy from abroad, who was living with the family, was terrorized into disclosing the entrance to the priest’s chamber. No one was in occupation, but in a cupboard were found vessels and books which were obviously used for Mass. These were seized and Margaret herself was apprehended and led first before the council and then to prison in the castle. Once reassured as to the safety of her family, her high spirits never forsook her, and when two days later she was joined by Mrs Ann Tesh, whom the same boy had betrayed as frequenting the sacraments, the two friends joked and laughed together until Margaret exclaimed, “Sister, we are so merry together that I fear, unless we be parted, to lose the merit of our imprisonment”. Just before the summons to appear before the judge she said, “Yet before I go, I will make all my brethren and sisters on the other side of the hall merry;” and, “looking forth of a window toward them—they were five and thirty and might easily behold her from thence— she made a pair of gallows with her fingers and pleasantly laughed at them”. After the charge had been read, accusing her of harbouring and maintaining priests and of attending Mass, the judge asked her whether she was guilty or not guilty. She replied, “I know no offence whereof I should confess myself guilty”, and when questioned as to how she would be tried she would only say, “Having made no offence, I need no trial”. From this position she never swerved, although she was brought up several times and urged to plead and to choose trial by jury. It would be death in any case, as she well knew, but if she accepted trial her children, servants and friends would be called up as witnesses, and either they would lie to save her, and thus commit perjury, or they would have to give evidence and so suffer the scandal and sorrow of having caused her death. Many attempts were made to persuade her to apostatize or at least submit to trial, and one Puritan divine who had argued with her in prison had the courage to stand up in court and declare that condemnation on the charge of a child was contrary to the law of God and of man. Judge Clinch, who would have wished to save her, was overruled by others of the council, and he finally pronounced the terrible sentence which the English law decreed for anyone who would not plead, viz, that she should be pressed to death. She heard the sentence with the utmost serenity and said, “God be thanked; all that He shall send me is welcome. I am not worthy so good a death as this.” After this she was imprisoned in John Trew’s house on the Ousebridge where even then she was not left in peace, but was visited by various people who tried in vain to shake her constancy, including her stepfather Henry May, who had been elected mayor of York. She was never allowed to see her children, and only once did she see her husband and then only in the presence of the gaoler. She was to suffer on March 25, which was the Friday in Passion week, and the evening before she sewed her shroud and then spent the greater part of the night on her knees. At eight in the morning the sheriff came to conduct her to the toll-booth a few yards from the prison, and “all marvelled to see her joyful, smiling countenance”. Arrived at the place of execution, she knelt down to pray and some of those present desired her to join them in prayer. She refused, as Bd William Hart had done almost exactly three years before. “I will not pray with you, nor shall you pray with me”, she said. “Neither will I say Amen to your prayer, nor shall you to mine.” But she prayed aloud for the pope, cardinals, clergy, Christian princes and especially for Queen Elizabeth, that God would turn her to the faith and save her soul. She was then obliged to strip and to lie flat on the ground, with a sharp stone under her back and her hands were bound to posts at the side. A door was laid over her and weights placed upon it to the quantity of seven or eight hundredweights. Her last words, as they descended upon her were, “Jesu, Jesu, Jesu, have mercy upon me!” She was about a quarter of a hour in dying, but her body was left for six hours in the press. At the time of her death she was something over thirty years old. To her husband she had sent her hat “in sign of her loving duty to him as to her head”, and to her twelve-year-old daughter Agnes her shoes and stockings to signify that she should follow in her steps. The little girl became a nun at Louvain, whilst two of the martyr’s sons were afterwards priests. One of Margaret Clitherow’s hands is preserved in a reliquary at the Bar Convent, York. Fr John Morris,
in his Troubles of our Catholic Forefathers, vol.
iii (1876), very fully investigated the materials available for the
life of Margaret Clitherow and printed an accurate text of the contemporary
memoir by John Mush, the martyr’s confessor. Nothing substantial has
since been added; but see Burton and Pollen, LEM., vol. i, pp. 188-199
; J. B. Milburn, A Martyr of Old York (1900); and
Margaret T. Monro, Bd Margaret Clitherow (1948).
Margaret was the daughter of a prosperous candlemaker,
Thomas Middleton, who later became sheriff, but who died when she
was about nine. Her mother remarried. In 1571, Margaret married John
Clitherow, a prosperous grazier and butcher, who held various civic
offices. He was an honorable, kind, easy-going, and generous man. Contemporaries
described Margaret as well-liked, attractive, merry, and witty. "Everyone
loved her and would run to her for help, comfort, and counsel in distress."The couple, who lived in the Little Shambles of York, had three children. The eldest, Henry, was predestined to carry on the family trade. Next came Anne, then another little boy. Margaret had been reared a Protestant but three years after her marriage to another Protestant, who never converted, she became a Catholic. From her earliest childhood, Margaret spent much time in prayer and had thought upon God with profound love and great reverence. Honestly and without any consideration of worldly advantage of peace she had prayed for light, that she might be able to distinguish which faith was the true one. When she felt sure that she knew this, she acted without fear or wavering. Her husband, now the chamberlain of York, was fined repeatedly because Margaret did not attend Protestant services, yet he stood by her. That was how the state attempted to keep Catholics from the Mass--break them down to penury. When they could no longer pay the fines, they were thrown into prison. But this was not Margaret's problem. She was religiously vocal and active and was imprisoned for two years for not attending the parish church. She was confined in a filthy, cold, dark hole, fed on the poorest prison fare, separated from her loved ones, yet she herself refers to this time as 'a happy and profitable school.' Here no one could be inconvenienced by her fasting and austerities. While in prison she learned to read; after she was released, she organized in her house a small school for her children and her neighbors' children. Nevertheless, her husband stood by her for she was "a good wife, a tender mother, a kind mistress, loving God above all things and her neighbor as herself." By the sweetness of her nature, she bore witness to the charm of piety. In a specially built room she hid priests who sought refuge from penal laws, and her home became one of the most important hiding places of the time. Masses were said by the guests, and Margaret would station herself behind the others, nearest the door, possibly to give the alarm in case of discovery . In 1584, she was confined to
her home for a year and a half, apparently for sending her eldest
son to Douai in France to be educated. She made barefoot pilgrimages
to the execution places of martyred priests, doing so at night to evade
spies. These pilgrimages to the spot soaked with the blood of martyrs
gave her courage to face the troubles and dangers of daily life.
Her husband remained silent about her activities, but he was summoned before the court in 1586 to give an account of why his son, who was attending a Catholic college, was abroad. While he was thus occupied, his house was raided, but no trace of priests or sacred vessels could be found. His children were interrogated and gave nothing away, but a Flemish student broke down under threats and revealed the secret room. Vessels and books for celebrating Mass were discovered, and Margaret was accused of hiding priests, a capital offense, and taken to prison. She was joined two days later by her friend, Mrs. Ann Tesh (or Agnes Leech according to another account), whom the boy had also betrayed. She and her friend joked to keep up their spirits. Her children, the servants, and poor John Clitherow himself were divided among various prisons, and little Anne Clitherow, a child of 10, was ill-treated for refusing to disclose anything of her mother's affairs, or to cease praying as her mother had taught her. When called before the judge in the Guildhall of York, Margaret said, "I know of no offense whereof I should confess myself guilty." She was urged by Judge Clinch to choose a trial by jury, but she resisted because she did not want her children, servants, and friends to have to testify, and thus have to perjure themselves and offend God or testify against her--and know that they had caused her death, which she knew was inevitable. "Having made no offense, I need no trial. If you say I have offended, I will be tried by none but by God and your own conscience." Her replies under examination show that this self-taught woman was able to support her faith by purely intellectual arguments and to correct the various Protestant clergymen's erroneous assertions regarding Catholic dogmas and practice. One Puritan who had argued with her in prison courageously declared in court that to condemn someone on the charge of a child was contrary to the law of God and man. The judge wished to save her but was overruled by the council, and so he sentenced her to the penalty for refusing to plead, the peine forte et dure, which is to be pressed to death. She was not allowed to see her children, and she was still visited by people who tried to change her mind, including her stepfather, who was mayor of York that year. She saw her husband once. One clergyman spoke kindly to her. Margaret begged him to say no more: "I ground my faith upon Jesus
Christ, and by Him I steadfastly believe to be saved, as is taught
in the Catholic Church through all Christendom, and promised to remain
with Her unto the world's end, and hell gates shall not prevail against
it: and by God's assistance I mean to live and die in the same faith;
for if an angel come from heaven, and preach any other doctrine than we
have received, the Apostle biddeth us not to believe him. Therefore,
if I should follow your doctrine, I should disobey the Apostle's commandment."
On the eve of her death, March 25, 1586, Margaret requested companionship, and a Protestant woman in jail for debt was provided. She did not know what to say, so she watched as Margaret knelt for hours in prayer gaining a radiant calm as she did so. Thus, at the age of 30, Margaret went to her death smiling, carrying over her arm a long white robe; her shroud, which she had made in prison. On reaching the vaulted cellar where she was to die, she prayed for the Catholic clergy, and for Queen Elizabeth, that God would change her faith and save her soul. She refused to pray with Protestants in attendance. Margaret was executed in the Toolboothe at York, the first woman to suffer the ultimate penalty of the new penal code. She was made to strip and lie flat on the ground, with a sharp stone under her back, and her hands were bound to posts. A large oak door was laid over her and weights totalling seven or eight hundred pounds were placed upon it until she burst (though she had suffocated first). It took about 15 minutes for her to die, and her last words were: "Jesu, Jesu, Jesu, have mercy upon me!" She had sent her hat to her husband "in sign of her loving duty to him as to her head," and her shoes and stockings to her daughter, that she should follow in her steps. The child became a nun at Saint Ursula's Convent in Louvain, and both of Margaret's sons became priests. Margaret's body was buried in a rubbish heap outside the city wall. Six weeks later some Catholics disinterred it and carried it away but no one knows where. But one hand had been severed from the body--this is the relic of Margaret Clitherow that is venerated today at Saint Mary's Convent in York. No one had told Margaret's two imprisoned children that their mother was dead. In fact, little Anne was told by some Protestants that if she would not go to their church and hear a Protestant sermon, her mother would be put to death. So the child went, to save her mother's life. Her biography was written by her confessor, Father John Mush. One of Margaret's hands is preserved in a reliquary at the Bar Convent in York. She shrine is in a road off the Shambles of York (Attwater, Attwater2, Benedictines, Claridge, Delaney, Farmer, Undset, White). In art, Saint Margaret is depicted
as an Elizabethan housewife, kneeling; or standing on a heavy wooden
door (White). A contemporary portrait shows her to be charming in appearance
with irregular, intelligent, and delicate features surrounded by the
becoming matron's coif of the period, a broad and open forehead, finely
drawn eyebrows, and a sweet little mouth (Undset)
|
| 1593 BD JAMES BIRD, MARTYR JAMES BIRD was a layman and only nineteen years old when he suffered martyrdom. His father was a Protestant gentleman of Winchester, and James had been brought up by him in that religion. Becoming convinced of the truth of the Catholic faith he was received into the Church and went abroad, spending some time at the Douay College at Rheims. Upon his return to England, his zeal for religion led to his being apprehended and imprisoned. He was accused of high treason, in that he had become reconciled with the Church of Rome and had asserted that the pope was the head of the Church on earth. Bird pleaded guilty to both charges, and was sentenced to death, but he was offered life and liberty if he would once attend a Protestant service. He refused thus to compromise his conscience, and when his father entreated him to make this one concession, he replied that, as he had always obeyed him in the past so would he willingly have obeyed him now, if he could have done so without offending God. After enduring a long imprisonment he was brought to the scaffold, and endured the extreme penalty with perfect serenity. He was hanged, drawn and quartered at Winchester, and his head was set up on a pole upon one of the city gates. See
MMP., pp. 188—189 ; and J. H. Pollen, Acts
of English Martyrs, p. 231. |
1732
St. Lucy Filippini Co-foundress of the Italian institute of the Maestre
Pie, the Filippine; predicted day of her deathFaliscodúni sanctæ Lúciæ Filippíni, Fundatrícis Institúti Magistrárum Piárum ab ejus cognómine nuncupatárum, de Christiána puellárum et mulíerum, præsértim páuperum, eruditióne óptime méritæ, quam Pius Papa Undécimus inter sanctas Vírgines rétulit. At Montefiascone, St. Lucia Filippini, founder of the Institute of Pious Teachers, from whose surname they are known as Filippines. Having merited greatly by the Christian education of girls and women, especially of the poor, Pope Pius XI enrolled her among the holy virgins Also listed as Lucia, she was born in Tuscany, Italy. With Rosa Venerini, Lucy started training schoolmistresses at Monte Fiascone. The institute evolved from this work. Lucy was canonized in 1930. 1732 ST LUCY FILIPPINI, VIRGIN THE institute of the “Maestre Pie” is not as well-known outside of Italy as it deserves to be, but at a period when compulsory education was still undreamed of it worked wonders both for the religious and the social improvement of the women of that country. Although St Lucy was not the actual foundress of this remarkable organization, she was perhaps the most zealous, the most influential and the most holy of all its early promoters. Born in 1672 at Tarquinia in Tuscany, about sixty miles from Rome, she was left an orphan at an early age, and when still quite young her seriousness of purpose, her great piety and remarkable gifts brought her to the notice of the bishop of the diocese, Cardinal Marcantonio Barbarigo, who persuaded her to come to Montefiascone to take part in an educational institute for training teachers which he had established in that city under the direction of religious. Lucy threw herself heart and soul into the work and was there brought into contact with Bd Rose Venerini, whom as the successful and most devoted organizer of a similar work in Viterbo, the cardinal had summoned to Montefiascone, that she might give his own foundation the benefit of her experience. No pupil could have shown more aptitude than St Lucy. Her modesty, her charity, her intense conviction of the value of the things of the spirit, together with her courage and her practical common sense, won all hearts. The work prospered amazingly. New schools for girls and educational centres multiplied in all directions, and in 1707, at the express desire of Pope Clement XI (1700-1711), she came to Rome and there founded the first school of the Maestre Pie in the Via delle Chiavi d’Oro. She was only able to remain in the city a little more than six months, her duties calling her elsewhere, but the children came in crowds which far exceeded the accommodation which could be provided for them, and Lucy before she left was known to half the district as the Maestra santa (the holy schoolmistress). Like Rose Venerini, she had a great gift of easy and convincing speech. Unfortunately her strength was not equal to the strain that was put on it. She became seriously ill in 1726, and in spite of medical care in Rome itself was never able to regain her normal health, dying a most holy death on March 25, 1732, the day she had herself predicted. St Lucy Filippini was canonized in 1930. See the Acta Apostolicae Sedis, vol. xxii (1930), pp. 433—443
(the canonization) ; F. de Simone, Vita della serva. .
. Lucia Filippini (1732) ; and La B.
Lucia Filippini . . . (1926).
Lucy Filippini V (RM) Born in Corneto or Tarquinia, Tuscany, Italy, January 13, 1672; died at Montefiascone, Italy, on March 25, 1732; canonized in 1930. Marc'Antonio Cardinal Barbarigo discovered the pedagogical genius of Lucia Filippini, who had been orphaned while still quite young. In her native town of Corneto, he saw young and old gathered about a little girl in the market place, listening to the child as she explained the catechism. He took the little girl with him on the very same day to the episcopal city of Montefiascone, and had her instructed by the Poor Clares. She joined Blessed Rosa Venerini in training school mistresses at Montefiascone. Although Rose began the work, she died before it matured into the flourishing Italian institute of the Maestre Pie, or Filippine, of which Saint Lucy is venerated as the co-foundress. Lucy devoted the rest of her life to improving the status of women, and founding schools and educational centers for girls and women throughout Italy. In 1707, she was called to Rome by Pope Clement XI to establish the first school of the institute there. Lucy endeared hereself to the people of Rome during her tenure. In a parchment laid in her grave at the Cathedral of Montefiascone, the saint is lovingly described: "After she had lost both her parents, Cardinal Marc'Antonio Barbarigo of blessed memory took her into his care. He later availed himself of her services in the founding of schools of Christian doctrine for young girls. Active with the greatest ardor for this foundation and its propagation, she fully realized the importance of this work for the glory of God, the saving of souls, and the Christian education of women. "Her ability and experience made her work flourish and spread to our diocese and to many others. Her endeavors earned her the name of una donna forte--a strong woman. Though she lived wholly for her foundation, she never ceased praying at the feet of the Lord, thus uniting, in admirable fashion, the virtues of Martha and Mary. "To set her up also as a model of invincible patience, God put her to the severest tests. She died on the Feast of the Annunciation, March 25, 1732, at the age of 60, of cancer, in terrible pain, which she endured with supreme patience." A portrait reveals that she was a very pretty woman (Attwater2, Benedictines, Delaney, Encyclopedia, Schamoni) |
1927 Saint
Marie-Alphonsine Danil Ghattas -- March
25 MemorialJuly 13 – Mary Patroness (Italy, 1837) She founded the oldest Marian religious institute of women in the Arab East Born in Jerusalem in a Christian Palestinian family on October 4, 1843, Saint Marie-Alphonsine Danil Ghattas died on March 25, 1927 in Ein Karem. She was canonized by Pope Francis on May 17, 2015, on the Feast of the Ascension. Saint Marie-Alphonsine entered the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Apparition as a postulant at the age of 14. Following repeated visions of Our Lady, she and Father Joseph Tannous Yammin founded a congregation for local women in 1880 called the Rosary Sisters, or the Congregation of the Sisters of the Most Holy Rosary of Jerusalem, the oldest Marian religious institute of women in the Arab East. Archbishop Fouad Twal, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem was impressed by the Marian piety of this nun who spent her life working in education of Arab Christians and the poor. Today the Rosary Sisters have 250 members and are present in the Holy Land, Jordan, Lebanon, Cairo (Egypt), Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Rome. In Lebanon, the Rosary Sisters have ten convents and they also run a hospital in Gemmayze. Adapted from: www.lorientlejour.com and catholicsaints.info |
Christian
council
held
at
Among
the
most important
titles
we have
in the
Catholic
Church
for
the
Blessed
Virgin
Mary
are Our
Lady
of Victory
and Our
Lady of
the Rosary.
These
titles
can be
traced
back to one
of the
most decisive
times
in the history
of the
world
and Christendom.
The
Battle
of Lepanto
took
place on October
7 (date
of feast of
Our Lady
of Rosary),
1571.
This
proved to
be the most
crucial
battle
for
the Christian
forces
against
the
radical
Muslim navy
of Turkey.
Pope
Pius
V led a procession
around
St. Peter’s
Square
in Vatican
City
praying
the Rosary.
He showed
true
pastoral
leadership
in recognizing
the danger
posed
to Christendom
by
the radical
Muslim
forces,
and in using
the
means necessary
to
defeat it.
Spiritual
battles
require
spiritual
weapons,
and this
more than
anything
was a battle
that
had its
origins in
the spiritual
order—a true
battle between
good
and evil.