Our Lady of Walsingham

In the year 1061 the lady of the manor of Little Walsingham in Norfolk, a widow named Lady Richeldis, prayed to the Blessed Virgin, asking how she could honour her in some special way. In answer to this prayer Mary led Lady Richeldis in spirit to Nazareth and showed her the house in which she had first received the angel's message and where she spoke her "fiat" in answer.

The Virgin Mary told Richeldis to take the measurements of this house and build another one just like it in Walsingham. It would be a place where people could come to honour her and her Son, remembering especially the mystery of the Annunciation and Mary's joyful 'yes' in conceiving the Saviour.

This original building in Walsingham was described as a simple wooden structure approximately 24 feet long by 13 feet wide. It would have had the appearance of a small medieval domestic house or chapel, emphasizing the humble setting associated with the Annunciation.

Tradition holds that the interior was paneled with wood. Within it was a wooden statue of Our Lady seated with the Child Jesus on her lap. Descriptions of the original structure mention four small turrets and a central tower, giving the otherwise simple wooden house a distinctive devotional appearance.

The traditional account places it near the famous twin wells. According to the story, Richeldis initially selected one location, but after the builders were unable to complete the house there, it was found miraculously completed at another nearby site.

The house was eventually enclosed within increasingly elaborate buildings as Walsingham developed into a major medieval pilgrimage shrine.

The late eleventh century and all through the twelfth and thirteenth centuries was the era of the crusades, which saw a growing interest in the sites consecrated by the human presence of Jesus in the Holy Land. But now pilgrims need not go so far, because in England itself there was a 'new Nazareth' built by one of their own countrywomen.

The house at Walsingham was, by the instructions given by the Blessed Virgin to Lady Richeldis, a copy of the original house; however, the actual house from Nazareth was indeed moved – perhaps even miraculously – to Loreto, and we find that the measurements of the house in Loreto and the house in Walsingham are the same.

Why venerate a house? Because it reminds us in a tangible way that the Word-made-Flesh lived as Man with mankind.

O God, who, through the mystery of the Word made flesh, didst in thy mercy sanctify the house of the Blessed Virgin Mary: do thou grant that we may keep aloof from the tabernacle of sinners, and become worthy indwellers of thy house; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

St. Pius of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio)

St. Pius (Francesco Forgione) was born in 1887 in Pietrelcina, a town in southern Italy. His was a family of farmers, and his father worked also as a shepherd to support the family. In fact, when St. Pius was a boy his father was away for periods of time because he had gone to America looking for work, sending money back to his family. When St. Pius was 15 he entered the novitiate of the Capuchin Friars and made his first vows when he was 19. He suffered several health problems, but he was eventually ordained at age 22 on 10 August 1910, and was known after that as Padre Pio.

He had been a priest for about eight years. One morning he was praying before a crucifix, when he received the stigmata, the physical marks Christ's crucifixion. Because this became a source of curiosity for so many people, Padre Pio was forbidden from having any public ministry for some years, even having to say Mass privately. 

This was a tremendous burden for him; however, he accepted it in complete obedience to his superiors. But as word spread, especially after American soldiers brought home stories of Padre Pio following WWII, the priest himself became a point of pilgrimage for both the pious and the curious. He would hear confessions by the hour, reportedly able to read the consciences of those who held back. He was able to bi-locate, levitate, and heal by touch, although he himself never understood or emphasized these gifts.

People always seem to be most fascinated with these dramatic gifts, but the foundation of St. Pius’s life was his total love for Jesus, especially in the Blessed Sacrament, and his life of prayer for others, especially prayer for healing – both spiritual and physical healing. In fact, in 1956 he founded the House for the Relief of Suffering, a hospital that today serves about 60,000 patients a year.

St. Pius died in 1968, and people continued to report many miracles and healings that had come through his intercession. Pope John Paul II beatified him in 1999, and then in 2002 he was canonized in the presence of more than 300,000 people who gathered in Rome for the Mass.

Almighty everliving God, who, by a singular grace, didst give the Priest Saint Pius a share in the Cross of thy Son and, by means of his ministry, renewed the wonders of thy mercy: grant that, through his intercession, we may be united constantly to the sufferings of Christ, and so brought happily to the glory of the Resurrection; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

God's Will Be Done

Living as we do in circumstances in which we receive overwhelming amounts of information and news stories from even the most distant corners of the world, it can keep us off-balance and (depending on what comes into our news feed) perhaps at times even close to despair. But we know that we can regain our footing by turning to God in prayer, and the best prayer is the one taught to us by Christ Himself.

In the Lord's Prayer we pray for God to reign in our lives and in our world: "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

What do we mean when we pray, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”? We are praying that something will come about, but which has not yet fully happened. We are praying that God will bring about His heavenly purpose on earth. We are praying that God would use us to do His divine will. We are making ourselves available to do the will of our heavenly Father, to fulfill His purpose.

This was the prayer of Mary after the angel Gabriel had revealed to her the will of God in bearing the Incarnate Word, Jesus. “I am the handmaid of the Lord. Be it unto me according to thy word.” Mary prayed that God’s divine will might be done through her life, and the world was transformed because of her “yes” to God’s will. Even our Lord Jesus, the Incarnate Word of God, when He was in agony in Gethsemane, prayed to His Father, “Nevertheless not my will, but thine be done.”

When we pray, “Thy will be done” we are not simply resigning ourselves to whatever happens; rather, we are praying for triumph – that is, the triumph of God’s divine will. This prayer is not an invitation to passively stand by, acquiescing to prevailing circumstances; rather, it is a means of buttressing our resolution to fight for what is right, noble and true, for whatever is pure, lovely and admirable. It is to pray for the spirit of victory, the victory of God’s will, of God’s reign, of God’s kingdom – here on earth, as it already is in heaven.

St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist

As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax office; and he said to him, "Follow me." And he rose and followed him. And as he sat at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" But when he heard it, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, `I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax office; and he said to him, "Follow me." And he rose and followed him. And as he sat at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" But when he heard it, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, `I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."

- St. Matthew 9:9-13

Matthew, known originally as Levi, was a Jew who worked for the occupying Roman forces, collecting taxes from other Jews. The Romans didn’t care what the tax collectors got by collecting extra for themselves, and so they were generally hated as traitors by their fellow Jews. The Pharisees lumped them with "sinners.” So it was shocking to them to hear Jesus call such a man to be one of His followers.

Matthew got Jesus in further trouble by having a sort of going-away party at his house. The Gospel tells us that "many tax collectors and those known as sinners" came to the dinner. The Pharisees were still more shocked. What business did this supposedly great teacher have associating with such immoral people? Jesus' answer was, "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” Jesus is not setting aside ritual and worship; rather, he is saying that it cannot be a substitute for loving others.

When Jesus saw Matthew sitting at his tax office – no doubt counting his day's profit – Jesus spoke only two words: "Follow me." Those two words changed Matthew from a self-serving profiteer to a God-serving apostle who would bring the treasures of God's kingdom to the poor and needy. He turned from his sin, so that he could follow Jesus.

The author of one of the synoptic Gospels, ancient Christian tradition associates St. Matthew especially with missionary work in Ethiopia, and it was most likely there that he suffered martyrdom for the faith.

O Almighty God, who by thy blessed Son didst call Saint Matthew from the receipt of custom to be an Apostle and Evangelist: grant us grace to forsake all covetous desires and inordinate love of riches; and to follow the same thy Son Jesus Christ; who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

God's Fairness, God's Mercy

 

[Jesus said] “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, `Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.' And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius. And on receiving it they grumbled at the householder, saying, `These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.' But he replied to one of them, `Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you, and go; I choose to give to this last as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?' So the last will be first, and the first last."

-St. Matthew 20:8-16

The initial reaction of many to this parable of the landowner and the workers in the vineyard is “Unfair!” Equal pay for unequal work? Unfair. Upon hearing it, it probably strikes most people as unfair. One group of workers got up at the crack of dawn, but when they saw the pay-packets being handed out, they just had to speak up: "These last worked only one hour, and you’ve made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat." It seems to go against every principle of justice and fair play.

But then we get to the heart of Christ’s lesson: the landowner said, “I have done nothing wrong to you. I paid you what you agreed to. I've met the terms of your contract, so take what belongs to you and go. It's none of your business if I choose to pay these others what I paid you. It's my money and I can do what I choose with it. Are you envious because I'm generous?”

And they were indeed envious. Who wouldn't be envious of someone who received the same wage for working only one-twelfth as long, and in the cool of the day? Even a child could figure out the injustice of that. We couldn’t imagine anyone running a business like that.

But Jesus is telling us through this parable that the Kingdom of God isn’t run in accord with what would seem to be sound business principles. He says that "the last will be first and the first will be last." He seems to be saying that all our hard work, our position, our credentials, count for little with God.

God isn’t bound by our method of judging one person's worth over against another's. There is another set of criteria at work. Our relationship with God cannot be seen in purely legalistic terms. He’s cutting the ground out from under the popular idea that a person can pray enough, or sacrifice enough, or work hard enough to earn himself a place in heaven.

There are those who try to make salvation into a mathematical formula. They think that at the end of life, God simply tallies up our good deeds and our bad deeds, and then determines what our reward or punishment should be. They see God as a great scorekeeper who will be, by our standards, objective and fair. And, to be honest, if this were God's way of dealing with humanity, it would be unjust for the person who entered God's service at the end of life to receive the very same reward as the person who toiled and sweated all his life.

But through this parable, Jesus is teaching His disciples that God isn’t just a dispassionate scorekeeper tallying up losses and gains; but God is also a caring Father concerned with our well-being. God is not a judging tyrant doling out rewards and punishments. He is a loving Saviour offering abundant life, now and eternally.

And that’s very good news, because – let’s face it – we’re much better off if we’re not being judged on the basis of what we deserve. If we really think about it, we’re probably more like the workers who showed up toward the end of the day than those who began at dawn and worked diligently all day long. There are so many things that we meant to do, but never got around to doing; and so many things that we intended not to do, but did anyway. In reality, we probably should be somewhere toward the back of the line.

We should be thankful that God is not fair by human standards, but that God is merciful by His standards.

When Jesus went to the Cross, He didn’t ask what the world deserved; rather, He gave what the world needed. When we receive the Body and Blood of the Lord in the Holy Eucharist, God doesn’t ask whether we deserve to receive this gift of Himself. God doesn’t ask whether we should receive only a small portion of salvation. The body and blood of Christ is offered to us in full measure. 

No matter whether we've known the joy of working in God's kingdom most of our lives or whether we’ve just accepted the invitation, the fullness of God's love in Jesus Christ is poured out as a reward for us all, and it is that reward which is the only thing we need.

St. Theodore of Canterbury

Saint Theodore of Canterbury, also known as Theodore of Tarsus, was a Greek-speaking scholar who served as the eighth Archbishop of Canterbury and became one of the most pivotal figures in early English church history.

Born in Tarsus, Cilicia (modern-day Turkey) in about the year 602, Theodore was educated in Athens and Constantinople, accumulating vast knowledge in theology, law, medicine, and philosophy. After fleeing the Arab conquests, he moved to Rome. In 668 AD, at the advanced age of 66, Pope Vitalian appointed him Archbishop of Canterbury to unify the fractured English Church.

Arriving in Britain in 669 AD alongside Saint Adrian, Theodore embarked on an energetic reform campaign. He filled long-vacant episcopal sees, subdivided unwieldy dioceses, and established sound church governance. In 672 AD, he convened the Synod of Hertford, the first national council of the English Church, establishing unified canon law and ending lingering Celtic–Roman liturgical divisions.

Together with the Abbot St. Adrian, St. Theodore founded a legendary school at Canterbury, making it a world-class center of learning where Greek, Latin, astronomy, and theology were taught. By the time of St. Theodore’s death in 690 AD, Saint Bede famously noted that Theodore was the first archbishop whom the entirety of the English Church obeyed, laying the administrative groundwork for both a unified church and, ultimately, a unified nation.

O GOD, whose Bishop Theodore was called to England to set the Church on a firm foundation: by his prayers, build us always anew on the rock that is Christ; and keep thy household faithful to the call we have received; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

St. Adrian of Canterbury, Abbot

St. Adrian of Canterbury was a scholar and abbot who played a pivotal role in shaping Anglo-Saxon intellectual and religious life. Born in North Africa c. 630, he became abbot of a monastery near Naples, Italy, earning renown for his piety and fluency in Greek, Latin, and theology.

When Pope Vitalian offered Adrian the prestigious position of Archbishop of Canterbury, Adrian humbly declined, believing himself unworthy. Instead, he recommended his friend Theodore of Tarsus. The Pope agreed on the condition that Adrian accompany Theodore to England as his chief advisor.

Upon arriving in England, Adrian was appointed Abbot of the Monastery of Saints Peter and Paul (later St. Augustine’s Abbey) in Canterbury. Over 39 years, he transformed the abbey into a premier European center of learning. He taught Scripture, Roman law, astronomy, and classical languages, educating a generation of scholars and future bishops who strengthened the English Church, remaining there until his death c.710.

GRANT, we beseech thee, O Lord, that the prayers of thy holy Abbot, blessed Adrian, may commend us unto thee: that we, who have no power of ourselves to help ourselves, may by his advocacy find favour in thy sight; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

St. Januarius, Bishop and Martyr

Saint Januarius (widely known in Italian as San Gennaro) was a 3rd-century bishop of Benevento, Italy, who became a prominent martyr and the principal patron saint of Naples. Little is definitively known about his early life, but historical tradition records that he served as a devout pastor during a turbulent era for the early Church.

During the fierce anti-Christian persecutions ordered by the Roman Emperor Diocletian around 305 AD, Januarius was arrested after visiting imprisoned Christian companions. According to tradition, he and his fellow believers were initially condemned to be devoured by wild animals in an arena. However, when the beasts refused to attack them, the Roman authorities altered the execution sentence, and Januarius was subsequently beheaded near Pozzuoli.

Saint Januarius is globally renowned for the "Miracle of Blood," a long-standing phenomenon associated with his relics housed in the Cathedral in Naples. A ampoule containing blood collected shortly after his martyrdom is publicly displayed three times a year. During these occasions, the blood (which is usually dry) regularly liquefies and bubbles, an extraordinary event witnessed by thousands that continues to defy definitive natural explanation. His feast day is celebrated on September 19.

O GOD, who dost grant us to venerate the memory of the Martyr Saint Januarius: give us, we pray, the joy of his company in blessed happiness for all eternity; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

Three Conditions For Effective Prayer

Most everyone would concede that his prayer life isn’t what it should be, or at least, isn’t what he would like it to be. No doubt each of us has had the experience of feeling spiritually dry and empty in our prayers. Haven’t all of us tried to pray about something which is important to us, and yet we seemed to get no answer?

When we look at Scripture, we see that for our prayer to be acceptable and effective, there are certain ingredients or conditions which should be present. In fact, there are three things shown to us by our Lord Jesus Christ in His divine teaching. Let’s look briefly at them:

First, our prayer is to be made in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus taught His disciples this. “Whatever you ask the Father in My Name, He will give it to you.” This is deeper than it might first appear. Praying in Christ’s name is more than simply using His name in each prayer before it can be accepted by the Father. No, to pray in Christ’s Name is to pray as members of Christ. It is to come before our Father, not in our own name, but in His Name as being members of His Body, as being inspired by His Spirit, as not possessing any claim to be heard on our own merits, but only on Christ’s merits. This means that we can only pray in Christ’s Name by seeking to be in perfect harmony with Him. If our prayer is in Christ’s Name, then it will be a prayer such as Christ Himself would have prayed, which means that it always, implicitly or explicitly, includes the petition, “Not my will, but Thine be done.” Even if this isn’t said in so many words, it must always be our intention, if the prayer is to be made in Christ’s Name. So, if our prayer should contain any request which we make in ignorance, not knowing that we are praying for something that would be harmful if it was granted, we can be certain that it will not be granted, because such a thing would not be in accordance with God’s Divine Will. This means we can be assured that our prayers will be answered only insofar as they may be best for us.

The second condition of effective prayer is that we love the Lord Jesus Christ. Once again, this is what our Lord teaches, when He said, “The Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me.” There are times when the idea of loving God is a difficult thing, because it is not easy to know how to love someone who is Invisible, Eternal, and Omnipresent. But this difficulty vanishes when we understand that to love our Lord Jesus Christ is to love God. We can love Him, although we have never seen Him. But it is impossible to have any serious thoughts about Him and His loving work for us, without feeling our hearts and minds overflow with a sense of love. We love Him, because He first loved us; and when through His love, we learn to love, He loves us all the more, which then kindles ever more love within us. When we think of His words, and His saving act of sacrifice, how can we not love God?

There is a third condition which we must fulfil if we would offer prayer which is effective and acceptable to the Father. It is the condition of faith. Once again, Jesus teaches us, “The Father Himself loves you, because you have believed that I came from God.” We must believe that He whom we love, while He condescended to become one of us, was at the same time one with the Father. The love of our Lord, while it is in the highest sense a true human love, yet it is also a Divine love. It is this which gives it its value in the eyes of God. As such, it becomes love and faith in one act.

Consider the power and the dignity of this weapon of prayer which is placed in our hands by our Lord Himself. By entrusting it to us, He admits us to a share in the government of His kingdom of grace.

Prayer is at the same time the refuge of the weak and the strength of the mighty, since it is the way by which we participate in the life of Christ, who has overcome the world. And because He has “overcome” – conquered – the things of this world, so in Him we can do the same. We can overcome those things that would try to drag us away from Him.

Surely prayer is one of the greatest powers given to us by God, and we see the results of prayer in the unexpected and hidden character of God’s workings among us. We should never think that what happens for good in the world is not a result of effective prayer. And how much more might be accomplished by prayer if we had greater faith in it, and greater perseverance in offering it!

Prayer is not intended to do away with human effort; rather, it is intended to guide it, to sanctify it, to rescue it from being merely fruitless worry, and to make it an act done in the Name of Christ. We must learn to value and to use this great weapon of prayer. We must approach our Heavenly Father as His children, coming to Him, not in our own strength, but in that strength which is ours as members of Christ’s Body.

Through prayer we can learn to grow in love for our Lord, and in faith in Him, and so our prayers will become more and more effective. We will learn greater patience, even though our prayers don’t appear to be answered immediately, because we will rest in the knowledge that all is safely in the hands of God.

St. Robert Bellarmine, Bishop and Doctor

Born in the year 1542, Robert Bellarmine's family was large and relatively poor. His mother was especially devout and was given to works of charity, fasting, and regular prayer. Young Robert learned these things from her, and never forgot them. 

As a very young man he entered the Society of Jesus, and was eventually ordained. He had a tremendous gift for preaching, and was also a notable scholar, going on to teach at the University of Louvain. The Church recognized his faithfulness and his intellectual brilliance, and after a time he became a bishop, and was named a Cardinal.

He never forgot the lessons he learned at home, and his charity to the poor was manifested in the fact that even though he lived in a Cardinal’s palace, he ate the same food as the poor would eat, he dressed in rough clothing, and he even stripped the plush curtains and tapestries from the walls to sell them and gave the money to the poor. As he said, “The poor can catch cold; the walls cannot.”

He lived at the time when the Protestants were causing great dissension in the Church, and St. Robert Bellarmine used his considerable talents in presenting Catholic truth, and helping others to see the errors of protestantism.

He knew the best way to keep the Church strong was to make strong Catholics, and he compiled an important catechism for teachers and students. In fact, it was his work with the young that gave him the most satisfaction, and he had an immense effect on the lives of the students who learned from him. One the most famous of his students was a young man named Aloysius, who eventually was himself raised to the altar, and is known to us as St. Aloysius Gonzaga.

St. Robert Bellarmine – a great man who never forgot his humble beginnings, and who loved the Church and worked for her unity.

O God, who didst adorn blessed Robert Bellarmine, thy Bishop and Doctor, with wondrous learning and virtue, to banish the wiles of error and contend for the rights of the Apostolic See: grant by his merits and intercession; that we may grow in the love of truth, and that the hearts of those that err may return to the unity of thy Church; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

The Ember Days

The Ember Days are four separate sets of three days within the same week — specifically, the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday — within the circuit of the year, that are set aside for a modified fasting and prayer. The Ember Days are known in Latin as the quattuor anni tempora (the "four seasons of the year"). There are those who say that the word “ember” is a corruption of the Latin "tempora" from the title, but it is as likely that it comes from the Old English word “ymbren” which means a “circle." As the year progresses and returns to its beginning, the ember days are part of the circle of the year. These days of prayer and fasting originated in Rome, and slowly spread throughout the Church. They were brought to England by St. Augustine with his arrival in the year 597.

The fasting is modified – basically no food between meals – and there are particular things for which we are to pray and give thanks. These days are to be used to give thanks for the earth and for the good things God gives us -- for our food, for the rain and the sunshine, for all the blessings of life through nature. And because of that, it is a time when we remind ourselves to treat creation with respect, and not waste the things God has given us.

Another important aspect of the Ember Days is for us to pray for those men called to be priests or deacons. We pray also for those who are already ordained – for our clergy, especially for our bishop, and for the Holy Father. Of course, we pray for all this throughout the year, but the Ember Days bring all this to mind in a special way, so that we can concentrate our prayers during these four periods of time throughout the year.

____________________________

 

For those to be ordained:

Almighty God, the giver of all good gifts, who of thy divine providence hast appointed divers Orders in thy Church: give thy grace, we humbly beseech thee, to all those who are called to any office and ministry for thy people; and so fill them with the truth of thy doctrine and clothe them with holiness of life, that they may faithfully serve before thee, to the glory of thy great Name and for the benefit of thy holy Church; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

For the choice of fit persons for the ordained ministry:

O God, who didst lead thy holy Apostles to ordain ministers in every place: grant that thy Church, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, may choose suitable men for the ministry of Word and Sacrament, and may uphold them in their work for the extension of thy kingdom; through him who is the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

 

For all Christians in their vocation:

Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of thy faithful people is governed and sanctified: receive our supplications and prayers, which we offer before thee for all members of thy holy Church, that in their vocation and ministry they may truly and godly serve thee; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

SS. Cornelius and Cyprian, Martyrs

The Church had been without a pope for about a year because of the persecution of the Emperor Decius when Cornelius was elected Bishop of Rome in 251. Although it was a time of persecution, that wasn’t the biggest problem he had to face. Divisions in the Church had been taking place, stemming from the argument about whether or not the Church could forgive a person’s very serious sins – for instance, if someone had turned away from their faith, but then wanted to return to the Church, the question was whether the Church could give forgiveness and take that person back. 

A popular priest during that time named Novatian was against the practice of giving forgiveness. He claimed that the Church had no power to pardon those who had lapsed during time of persecution. The same applied to cases of murder, and other serious sins. In fact, Novatian felt so strongly about this that he set himself up as a rival pope.

However, St. Cornelius, with the strong support of St. Cyprian, the bishop of Carthage in North Africa, insisted that the Church did have the power to forgive apostates and other sinners, and that they could be re-admitted to Holy Communion after having performed an appropriate period of penance. Some letters of Cornelius to Cyprian together with Cyprian’s replies have survived.

A synod of Western bishops in Rome in October 251 upheld Cornelius, condemned the teachings of Novatian, and excommunicated him and his followers. When persecutions of the Christians started up again in 253 under Emperor Gallus, Cornelius was exiled and he died as a martyr.

His friend and supporter, St. Cyprian was from a very wealthy pagan background, but he became a Christian, and was known as a great orator. After his baptism he distributed most of his wealth to the poor, and was eventually ordained as a priest, and then became the bishop of the city of Carthage, where he had grown up. Just as Pope Cornelius faced persecution, so did Cyprian. He was a strong defender of the teaching of Cornelius, and even though they lived a continent apart, after they were both martyred, they were always linked together in the mind of the Church as having stood up for the mercy of God, and His desire to forgive the sins of those who repented.

O God, who didst give Saints Cornelius and Cyprian to thy people as diligent shepherds and valiant Martyrs: grant that, through their intercession, we may be strengthened in faith and constancy and spend ourselves without reserve for the unity of the Church; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

Our Lady of Sorrows

Immediately following the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, the Church commemorates the Blessed Virgin Mary as Our Lady of Sorrows, remembering her standing at the foot of the cross, keeping a sorrowful vigil as she saw her son dying. 

Over time it came to include what are called the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary, growing out of the prophecy of St. Simeon, who, at the time of the Presentation, told Mary that a sword should pierce through her own soul. 

These seven sorrows are: 
The Prophecy of Simeon concerning the Jesus, born for the rise and fall of many.
The Flight into Egypt of the Holy Family.
The Loss of the Child Jesus for Three Days.
The Meeting of Jesus and Mary on the way to Calvary.
The Crucifixion, where Mary stands at the foot of the cross.
The Descent from the Cross, with Jesus placed in Mary's arms.
The Burial of Jesus. 

This commemoration helps us to remember Mary’s sacrifice for our salvation, and also the importance of avoiding things in our own lives which would cause further sorrow to Mary, who is our Mother. 

O God, who didst will that in the passion of thy Son a sword of grief should pierce the soul of the blessed Virgin Mary his Mother: Mercifully grant that thy Church, having shared with her in his passion, may be made worthy to share in the joys of his resurrection; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Exaltation of the Holy Cross

After the crucifixion of our Lord on the hill of Calvary, and after His subsequent resurrection from the nearby tomb where His body had been placed, there was a concerted effort by both the Jewish and Roman authorities in Jerusalem to obliterate any physical evidence or reminder of these events. They didn’t want there to be any rallying-place for the disciples of Jesus to gather, so dirt was piled up over the general site, and with the passage of time there were pagan temples built on top of it. But a persistent story was passed from generation to generation; namely, that the Cross on which Christ had died had been hidden somewhere underneath the site which was subsequently covered by pagan places of worship.

Saint Helena, the mother of the Emperor Constantine, was nearing the end of her life. A devout Christian, she received the divine inspiration that she should journey to Jerusalem to excavate the area where the Holy Sepulchre was, and attempt to locate the True Cross. The year was 326, and she set off on her pilgrimage. When St. Helena arrived in Jerusalem she was able to find someone who was very familiar with the story of where the Holy Cross had been hidden, and she ordered the excavation to begin – obviously able to arrange such a project because she was the Emperor’s mother.

The excavation was a success, but the problem was that three crosses were found on the spot. How was St. Helena to determine which one was the True Cross of Jesus? What happened next has come to us down through history in a tradition which tells us that St. Helena, along with the Bishop of Jerusalem, devised an experiment. The three crosses were taken to a woman who was near death; when she touched the True Cross, she was healed. This confirmed to St. Helena that the actual Cross upon which our Lord was crucified had been found.

Such a discovery called for celebration, and along with the great rejoicing and prayers of thanksgiving to God, the Emperor Constantine ordered that two churches be built – one at the site of the burial of Christ (the Holy Sepulchre) and one on the site of the crucifixion (Mount Calvary). Because the sites were very close to one another, the churches were actually connected by a great colonnade, and today they are fully incorporated as one structure. The solemn dedication of the churches took place on September 13 and 14, in the year 335. The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross was fixed on September 14th, spreading from Jerusalem, on to other churches, until by the year 720 the celebration was kept throughout the whole Church.

The story doesn’t end there. In the early seventh century, the Persians conquered Jerusalem. The Persian king looted the city and stole the True Cross, taking it to Persia. Eventually, however, the Emperor recaptured the True Cross and brought it back to Jerusalem. The tradition says that he carried the Cross on his own back, but when he attempted to enter the church on Mount Calvary, he was unable to take another step. Bishop Zacharias of Jerusalem saw that the emperor was having difficulty, and so advised him to take off his royal robes and crown, and to dress in a penitential robe instead. As soon as the Emperor took the bishop’s advice, he was able to carry the True Cross into the church, where it was enshrined for the veneration of the Faithful. Eventually, smaller pieces of the relic were distributed throughout Christendom.

Almighty God, whose Son our Saviour Jesus Christ was lifted high upon the cross that he might draw the whole world unto himself: Mercifully grant that we, who glory in the mystery of our redemption, may have grace to take up our cross and follow him; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

Forgiveness: Seventy Times Seven

 

Peter came up and said to Jesus, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.”

- St. Matthew 18:21, 22

Jesus goes right to the heart of the question of how many times forgiveness should be given. His answer is like an arrow into the unbelieving, calculating, unforgiving heart. "Not seven times but seventy times seven." That’s the answer: give perfect forgiveness and multiply it without measure.

After all, that’s what we ask from God, isn't it? We who confess that we have sinned in “thought, word and deed…" We certainly don’t want limits on God's forgiveness, and so we’d best not place limits on the forgiveness required of us.

Jesus tells a parable about the king who forgave a servant’s huge debt, but that same servant refused to forgive a small debt owed to him by a fellow servant. When the king heard about it, he had that first servant thrown into jail until he paid off all the debt. And then Jesus makes His point: “So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart."

They sound like harsh words – startling words – and if we were harbouring a grudge against someone and withholding forgiveness from someone, these words of Jesus are words that would convict us.

But we should understand that with those words Jesus isn’t intending to hurt us; rather, He intends to stop us in our tracks; to crush those hardened, unforgiving hearts of ours so that His forgiveness can come first to us, and then through us to our neighbour. Jesus wants to rescue us from a lack of forgiveness.

Why is that important? An unwillingness to forgive hurts most the person who refuses to forgive. We may well think that we’re hurting those who have hurt us, but we wind up only hurting ourselves. It’s rather like punching yourself in the nose because someone insulted you. “That'll teach them,” as we wince in self-inflicted pain. 

Unwillingness to forgive is a spiritual cancer that eats away at us, it demeans us, it robs us of vitality and joy, it drives us to say and do things that are beneath our dignity as God's children. It diminishes us, it makes us small.

Marriages are diminished when husband and wife don’t forgive each other on a daily basis. Families are diminished when parents and children don’t forgive each other. Our schools and workplaces and communities are diminished when we don’t forgive our neighbours and co-workers. Parishes are diminished when those who come together to receive the Lord Himself are, at the same time, at each other's throats, trying to get even for some perceived slight or injustice.

A lack of forgiveness is a hardening of the heart, a clog in the artery of faith. When we refuse to forgive, we put ourselves in opposition to God and we destroy our own desire to be forgiven. People who harbour grudges are not often found on their knees confessing their sins before God. People who try to settle the score for every wrong done to them rarely acknowledge the score God settled when He hung on a cross to pay the price for their sinfulness. Those who refuse to be reconciled with others ultimately refuse to be reconciled God.

We should remember this: Jesus forgave those who plotted to kill Him. He forgave the soldiers who spit on Him, He forgave those who slapped Him, who pulled at His beard and who whipped Him. He absolved those who crucified Him. "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do."

And He forgives us. It’s in the strength of His forgiveness that He sends us out as instruments of His forgiveness, conduits of His undeserved kindness to sinners, to let His forgiveness flow freely to others through us, just as we have been forgiven by God.