Heading Into Lent

As we prepare to enter fully into Lent, it is a time when our Holy Mother the Church especially uses all her rich resources to bring us back to holiness, back to wholeness with Christ. She exorcises and reconciles; she pardons and blesses and anoints; she instructs and lays on hands; she worships and fasts, and does everything possible to touch us with Christ. She brings us to the very springs of eternal life.

Our human condition is summed up in Adam and Eve. They acted on their own decision and in their own strength, according to their own thoughts, apart from God. And so have we. As a result life around us has collapsed. People are fractured and broken, isolated and alone in their shame and guilt. The human soul, in its rebellion against God, has become addicted and trapped in its own sickness. Our Ancient Enemy, the Father of Lies and the Great Seducer, has captivated us. And on our own we are powerless. Like the Prodigal Son, we long for the freedom of the sons and daughters of God. Our souls hunger for food that has substance to it.

The Bridegroom is here, and the Bride of Christ, with her lamp lit and filled with oil, bids us rise to go out with her to meet Him. He comes to release us from our captivity, to bring Good News to us in our poverty, to give us sight, to restore our liberty, and to empower us to walk in the glorious freedom of the sons and daughters of God.

But in order that all of this might happen, we must first curb our arrogance, put bridle and bit to our pride, and acknowledge the hunger of our souls. Fasting, almsgiving, and prayer are the remedies that allow us to be emptied of arrogance and ego-centrism. They clear out the accumulated clutter in our souls, sweeping them clean and so making room once again for God's presence fully to dwell within us, bringing us out of our self-inflicted wilderness.

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Painting: “Man of Sorrows”

by William Dyce (1806-1864)

2026 Chair of St. Peter Novena

In 2026 the liturgical celebration of the Solemnity of the Chair of St. Peter
for members of the Personal Ordinariate is transferred to Monday, 23rd of February.
The Novena Prayers in preparation for the Solemnity begin on Saturday, February 14th.

V. In the Name of the Father, + and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

R. Amen.

Antiphon: That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

V. I say unto thee, thou art Peter;

R. And upon this Rock I will build my Church.

[Each day’s scripture and intention is is followed by the closing prayer.]

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February 14th.

And passing along by the Sea of Galilee, [Jesus] saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, "Follow me and I will make you become fishers of men." And immediately they left their nets and followed him. - St. Mark 1:16-18

Intention: That we may follow the call of Christ without hesitation.

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February 15th.

[Jesus] said to Simon, "Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." And Simon answered, "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets." And when they had done this, they enclosed a great shoal of fish; and as their nets were breaking, they beckoned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." - St. Luke 5:4-8

Intention: That we may obey our Lord’s commandments with humility.

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February 16th.

[Jesus] asked his disciples, "Who do men say that the Son of man is?" And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, others say Eljjah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. - St. Matthew 16:13-18

Intention: That we may confidently confess our faith in Jesus Christ.

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February 17th.

After six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves; and he was transfigured before them, and his garments became glistening, intensely white, as no fuller on earth could bleach them. - St. Mark 9:2-3

Intention: That with Peter, we may see Christ as he is.

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February 18th.

Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also wish to go away?" Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God." - St. John 6:67-69

Intention: That we may know Christ as the Incarnate Word, and follow him.

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February 19th.

[Jesus asked the soldiers,] "Whom do you seek?" And they said, "Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus answered, "I told you that I am he; so, if you seek me, let these men go." Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's slave and cut off his right ear. - St. John 18:7-8,10a

Intention: That we may refrain from hasty or imprudent words and actions.

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February 20th.

Peter then came out with the other disciple, and they went toward the tomb. They both ran, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; he saw the linen cloths lying, and the napkin, which had been on his head, not lying with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself. - St. John 20:3-4, 6-7

Intention: That our lives may give witness to the Risen Lord Jesus Christ.

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February 21st.

Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs." A second time he said to him, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep." He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" And he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep. - St. John 21:15-17

Intention: That we may remain in close communion with the Successor of St. Peter, through whom Christ strengthens us.

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February 22nd.

Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words.”    - Acts 2:14

Intention: That in union with St. Peter we may proclaim the Gospel to the whole world.

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CLOSING PRAYER (to be offered each day)

O Almighty God, who by thy Son Jesus Christ didst give to thy Apostle Saint Peter many excellent gifts, and commandedst him earnestly to feed thy flock: make, we beseech thee, all Bishops and Pastors diligently to preach thy holy Word, and the people obediently to follow the same; that they may receive the crown of everlasting glory; 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.

V. St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles;

R. Pray for us.

V. In the Name of the Father, + and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

R. Amen.

St. Valentine, Priest and Martyr

Tradition teaches us that St. Valentine, along with St. Marius, aided the Christian martyrs during the Claudian persecution. In addition to his other edicts against helping Christians, Claudius had also issued a decree forbidding marriage in an attempt to increase troops for his army, believing that single men made better soldiers than married men.

Valentine defied this decree and urged young couples to come to him in secret so that he could join them in the sacrament of matrimony. Eventually he was discovered by the Emperor, who promptly had Valentine arrested and brought before him. Because he was so impressed with the young priest, Claudius attempted to convert him to Roman paganism rather than execute him. However, Valentine held fast to his faith and in turn attempted to convert Claudius to Christianity, at which point the Emperor condemned him to death.

While in prison, St. Valentine was tended by the jailer, Asterius, and his blind daughter. The young woman was very kind to Valentine and brought him food and messages. They developed a friendship and toward the end of his imprisonment St. Valentine was able to convert both father and daughter to Christianity. Tradition has it that he also miraculously restored the sight of the jailer's daughter.

The night before his execution, the priest wrote a farewell message to the girl and signed it affectionately "From Your Valentine," a phrase that lives on even to today. He was executed on February 14th, 273 AD in Rome. The Martyrology says, "At Rome, on the Flaminian Way, the heavenly birthday of the blessed martyr Valentine, a priest. After performing many miraculous cures and giving much wise counsel he was beaten and beheaded under Claudius Caesar."

The church in which he is buried existed already in the fourth century and was the first sanctuary Roman pilgrims visited upon entering the Eternal City.

St. Valentine is the patron of engaged couples.

Almighty God, by whose grace and power thy Martyr Valentine was enabled to witness to the truth and to be faithful unto death: grant that we, who now remember him before thee, may likewise so bear witness unto thee in this world; that we may receive with him the crown of glory that fadeth not away; 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.

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Painting: "The Triumph of St. Valentine"

by Jean-Valentin Metzinger (1699-1759)

St. Cyril and St. Methodius

Cyril and Methodius were brothers who were born in Thessalonica in the 9th century, where their father was an army officer. This was a part of Greece where many Slavic people lived – people from central and eastern Europe – and the mother of Cyril and Methodius may well have been Slavic. Both of them were highly educated, and gave themselves in service to the Church, becoming missionaries to the Slavic peoples.

The time came when the Duke of Moravia (the present-day Czech Republic) received political independence from German rule, and also received ecclesiastical autonomy, which meant having their own clergy and their own form of the liturgy. It was in these circumstances that Cyril and Methodius became missionaries, devoting themselves to spreading the Gospel and to strengthening the Church among the Slavic people.

Cyril's first work was to invent an alphabet, still used in some Eastern liturgies. The Cyrillic alphabet was formed, being based on Greek capital letters. Together the brothers translated the Gospels, the psalter, St. Paul's epistles, as well as the liturgical books, into Slavonic. They composed a Slavonic liturgy, which was very unusual at that time, since the expectation was that the liturgy would be unified with the liturgy of the Western Church, and would use Latin as its language.

Because of these liturgical differences, the use of a different alphabet, and their free use of the vernacular in preaching, it led to opposition from the German clergy. The bishop refused to consecrate Slavic bishops and priests, and Cyril was forced to appeal to Rome. On their visit to Rome, he and Methodius had the joy of seeing their new liturgy approved by Pope Adrian II. Cyril died during this visit to Rome, and is buried at San Clemente, but Methodius continued his mission work for 16 more years. There were still many in the Church who fought against what the brothers had been doing, and it seemed as though their efforts would die with them. However, the Slavic people held on to their liturgy and their language, and it continued to spread, as it has done to this day.

Almighty and everlasting God, we thank thee for thy servants Cyril and Methodius, whom thou didst call to preach the Gospel to the Slavic peoples: raise up, we pray thee, in this and every land, heralds and evangelists of thy kingdom; that thy Church may make known the unsearchable riches of Christ, and may increase with the increase of God; through the same 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.

"Life Is Worth Living)

The Venerable (soon to be Blessed) Fulton J. Sheen gave brilliant presentations in his television series "Life Is Worth Living" in the early 1950's. It seemed as though the whole country tuned in to watch and listen. Many of those programs are available to stream, and can be found at this link.

Our Lady of Lourdes

The dogma of the Immaculate Conception was promulgated in 1854, and it was just four years later that the Blessed Virgin appeared under the title of the Immaculate Conception a number of times to a very poor and holy girl named Bernadette. The actual spot was in a grotto on the bank of the Gave River near Lourdes.

The Immaculate Conception had a youthful appearance and was clothed in a pure white gown and mantle, with an azure blue girdle. A golden rose adorned each of her bare feet. During her first apparition, February 11, 1858, the Blessed Virgin told the girl to make the sign of the Cross piously and say the rosary with her. Bernadette saw her take the rosary that was hanging from her arms into her hands. This was repeated in subsequent apparitions.

Bernadette sprinkled holy water on the vision, fearing that it was a deception of an evil spirit; but the Blessed Virgin smiled pleasantly, and her face became even more beautiful. The third time Mary appeared she invited the girl to come to the grotto daily for two weeks.

Speaking frequently to Bernadette, on one occasion she ordered her to tell the bishop to build a church on the spot and to organize processions. Bernadette also was told to drink and wash at the spring still hidden under the sand.

Finally on the feast of the Annunciation, the beautiful Lady announced her name, "I am the Immaculate Conception."

The report of cures occurring at the grotto spread quickly and the more it spread, the greater the number of Christians who visited the hallowed place. The publicity given these miraculous events on the one hand and the seeming sincerity and innocence of the girl on the other made it necessary for the bishop of Tarbes to institute a judicial inquiry. Four years later he declared the apparitions to be supernatural and permitted the public veneration of the Immaculate Conception in the grotto. Soon a chapel was erected, and since that time countless pilgrims come every year to Lourdes to fulfill promises or to beg graces.

The feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes is a day on which we pray especially for the sick.

O God, who by the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary didst consecrate a dwelling place meet for thy Son: we humbly pray thee; that we, celebrating the apparition of the same Blessed Virgin, may obtain thy healing, both in body and soul; 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. Scholastica

Twins often share the same interests and ideas with an equal intensity, so it is no surprise that Scholastica and her twin brother, Benedict, both established religious communities within a few miles of each other.

The twins were born of wealthy parents in the year 480. Scholastica and Benedict were brought up together until he left for Rome to continue his studies.

We don’t know much about Scholastica's early life, but we do know she founded a religious community for women near Montecassino, five miles from where her brother was the abbot of a monastery.

The twins visited each other once a year in a nearby farmhouse because Scholastica was not permitted inside the monastery. They spent these times discussing spiritual matters.

According to an account written by Pope St. Gregory, the brother and sister spent their last day together in prayer and conversation. Scholastica sensed her death was close at hand and she begged Benedict to stay with her until the next day.

He refused her request because he did not want to spend a night outside the monastery, thus breaking his own Rule. Scholastica asked God to let her brother remain and a severe thunderstorm broke out, preventing Benedict and his monks from returning to the abbey.

Benedict cried out, "God forgive you, Sister. What have you done?" Scholastica replied, "I asked a favour of you and you refused. I asked it of God and He granted it."

Brother and sister parted the next morning after their long discussion. Three days later, Benedict was praying in his monastery and saw the soul of his sister rising heavenward in the form of a white dove. Benedict then announced the death of his sister to the monks and later buried her in the tomb he had prepared for himself.

O God, who for a testimony to the path of innocency didst cause the soul of thy holy Virgin Saint Scholastica to enter heaven in the appearance of a dove; grant unto us, that by her merits and intercession we may walk in such innocency of life; that we may be worthy to attain everlasting felicity; Through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

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(Pictured: Atonement Academy pilgrimage Mass,

Montecassino, in the Crypt Chapel

between the tombs of Ss. Benedict and Scholastica.)

St. Josephine Bakhita

On February 8, the Church commemorates the life of St. Josephine Bakhita, a Canossian Sister who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in Sudan.

Josephine Bakhita was born in 1869, in a small village in the Darfur region of Sudan. She was kidnapped while working in the fields with her family and subsequently sold into slavery. Her captors asked for her name but she was too terrified to remember so they named her “Bakhita,” which means “fortunate” in Arabic.

Retrospectively, Bakhita was very fortunate, but the first years of her life do not necessarily attest to it. She was tortured by her various owners who branded her, beat and cut her. In her biography she notes one particularly terrifying moment when one of her masters cut her 114 times and poured salt in her wounds to ensure that the scars remained. “I felt I was going to die any moment, especially when they rubbed me with the salt,” Bakhita wrote.

She bore her suffering valiantly though she did not know Christ or the redemptive nature of suffering. She also had a certain awe for the world and its creator. “Seeing the sun, the moon and the stars, I said to myself: 'Who could be the Master of these beautiful things?' And I felt a great desire to see Him, to know Him and to pay Him homage.”

After being sold a total of five times, Bakhita was purchased by Callisto Legnani, the Italian consul in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan. Two years later, he took Bakhita to Italy to work as a nanny for his colleague, Augusto Michieli. He, in turn, sent Bakhita to accompany his daughter to a school in Venice run by the Canossian Sisters.

Bakhita felt called to learn more about the Church, and was baptized with the name “Josephine Margaret.” In the meantime, Michieli wanted to take Josephine and his daughter back to Sudan, but Josephine refused to return.

The disagreement escalated and was taken to the Italian courts where it was ruled that Josephine could stay in Italy because she was a free woman. Slavery was not recognized in Italy and it had also been illegal in Sudan since before Josephine had been born.

Josephine remained in Italy and decided to enter the Canossians in 1893. She made her profession in 1896 and was sent to Northern Italy, where she dedicated her life to assisting her community and teaching others to love God.

She was known for her smile, gentleness, and holiness. She even went on record saying, “If I were to meet the slave-traders who kidnapped me and even those who tortured me, I would kneel and kiss their hands, for if that did not happen, I would not be a Christian and Religious today.”

St. Josephine was beatified in 1992 and canonized shortly after on October 2000 by Pope John Paul II. She is the first person to be canonized from Sudan and is the patron saint of the country.

O GOD, who didst lead Saint Josephine Bakhita from abject slavery to the dignity of being thy daughter and a bride of Christ: grant, we pray; that by her example we may show constant love for the Lord Jesus crucified, remaining steadfast in charity and prompt to show compassion; 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.

Being Salt and Light

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, "You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trodden under foot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

-St. Matthew 5:13-16

A pilgrimage to the Holy Land is always filled with great moments and experiences. One of the highlights is visiting and praying at the place which has come to be known as the Mount of the Beatitudes. Other than the present-day church with its surrounding buildings, it looks today much as it did when a crowd had surged around our Lord, eager to hear what He had to say. The reasons for them being there were probably as varied as the people themselves. But there they were, ready to listen, and Jesus was ready to speak. He made His way to the top of that hill. His disciples gathered around Him. The people sat down, and He began.

He started with the Beatitudes – a series of statements, each of which began with the words, “Blessed are…” Each sentence was a kind of gateway which opened up the way into the Kingdom of God. And as He spoke those statements of blessedness, the people’s vision was directed to their eternal destiny, which is life with God.

But He went on from there, because His message wasn’t simply to prepare for the future reward of heaven – no, He went on, showing that those who were willing to follow the path He outlined in the Beatitudes would be keenly aware of the importance of the “here and now” as part of the preparation for heaven.

“You are the salt of the earth…” He said. “You are the light of the world…” He told them. And these weren’t just poetic phrases He was using. They were filled with meaning for those who were hearing them that day by the Sea of Galilee.

Salt was highly valued in the time of Christ. In that time, salt was indispensable for the preservation of food. In fact, it was so valuable that part of the Roman soldier’s payment was in salt, and our word “salary” comes from the same word. So in saying to the disciples and others gathered around Him that they were the “salt of the earth,” He was reminding them of their immense value in the sight of God, and of their importance in the building up of the Kingdom of God. They shouldn’t worry if their numbers were small – after all, a pinch of salt is effective in a way that’s completely out of proportion to its amount.

Salt is inconspicuous. In many ways, it’s ordinary. It’s intended to be mixed with common things – and that’s the way it’s supposed to be for the followers of Christ. Their witness is supposed to be a day-by-day thing. The living of the Christian life means mixing in with the things of this world, giving everything a new flavour and a new meaning.

And as Christians are called to be salt, there’s a warning that goes along with it: “…if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trodden under foot by men.” In other words, Christ was saying that if we squander the gifts and the grace He gives us, then we’re of little use to Him. We’re supposed to be a preservative of all that’s good in the world, bringing out the best in others. The graces and blessings given to us by God aren’t meant for us alone; they’re to be salt to the world – a seasoning which, when it’s spread among others, preserves in them what God intends for them to be.

“You are the salt of the earth.” That little statement should make each one of us ask, “How do I, as a follower of Christ, affect others? Do I help them love God by showing them God’s love? Do I assist them in growing closer to Christ by speaking and living Christ’s truth in my own life?”

And we’re to be not only “salt,” but also “light.” In many ways, God’s truth had been obscured in Christ’s time, not only by the darkness of pagan cults, but by turning religion into something that was just an external form, much as what’s happened in our own day. But Jesus had come to shed light so that man might see God. He’s telling us that we’re supposed to shine, too. But it’s not our own value or worth that we’re suppose to make shine – no, we’re to shine by obeying the light that we’ve received from God. He says, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Here’s a reminder to us: one of the ways others will come to know God will be because of what they see in us. We can’t make somebody else know God, but we can help others come to know God by our own witness. All we need to do is to be faithful to Christ. It’s the Lord who has made us salt and light, and all we need to do is to be faithful to the responsibilities Christ has given us – faithful in our everyday lives – to be faithful husbands and wives, faithful mothers and fathers, faithful friends and co-workers – doing our best, helped by the grace of God, so that others can see and be moved, not by our imperfect goodness, but by God’s perfect goodness as it’s reflected in our own lives.

Consider this. When you turn on a light in a roomful of beautiful things, it isn’t the light bulb we admire, is it? Rather, we appreciate the things of beauty which have been illuminated. That’s how it’s supposed to be with us. If we’re the “light of the world,” we’re not here to call attention to ourselves; rather, we’re supposed to illuminate God and His goodness. And as a light, we’re supposed to shine light on the evil which has invaded God’s world, so that the light will drive it away.

Christ tells us that we’re the salt of the earth and the light of the world. And we are, if we live in Him and for Him. We’re to be salt, so that Christ can be savoured by those who are starving for Him. And we’re to be light, so that Christ can be seen by those whose sight has been obscured by the darkness that surrounds them.

And if we take that responsibility seriously – to be salt and light – we’ll be a blessing, and we will be blessed, just as Christ said we would be, when He taught from that hilltop by the Sea of Galilee.

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Painting: "The Sermon of the Beatitudes"

by James Tissot (1836-1902)

St. Paul Miki and Companions

Nagasaki, Japan, is known in history as the city on which the second atomic bomb was dropped in 1945 during the last stages of World War II, killing hundreds of thousands. But some 350 years before that, twenty-six martyrs of Japan were crucified on a hill, now known as the Holy Mountain, overlooking Nagasaki. Among them were priests, brothers and laymen, Franciscans, Jesuits and members of the Secular Franciscan Order; there were catechists, doctors, old men and innocent children—all united in a common faith and love for Jesus and His Church.

When Christianity first came to Japan, it was tolerated by the shoguns – the leaders – because they thought it would open up trade with the West. However, they soon decided that the Christian faith wasn’t helpful to them, so they outlawed it, and began the systematic destruction of the faith. The martyrs we celebrate on this date were rounded up and tortured, in an attempt to get them to deny their faith. Each one of them had an ear cut off, and then they were marched for a thousand miles through the winter months, in the hope that they would denounce the faith, and cause others to do the same. All that accomplished was to make their faith grow stronger. The forced march ended at Nagasaki, where the Christians were then crucified on what came to be known as the Holy Mountain.

St. Paul Miki, a Jesuit and a native of Japan, has become the best known among the martyrs of Japan. While hanging upon a cross Paul Miki preached to the people gathered for the execution. He forgave his persecutors and called people to love God and to obey Him. His final words were, "I ask God to have pity on all, and I hope my blood will fall on my fellow men as a fruitful rain."

When missionaries returned to Japan in the 1860s, at first they found no trace of Christianity. But after establishing themselves they found that thousands of Christians lived around Nagasaki and that even though there were no priests and no sacraments other than baptism, the people had secretly preserved the faith.

O GOD, the strength of all the Saints, who through the Cross wast pleased to call the Martyrs Saint Paul Miki and Companions to everlasting life: grant, we pray; that by their intercession we may hold with courage to the faith that we profess, even unto death; 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. Agatha, Virgin and Martyr

Saint Agatha was born in Sicily, and is one of the many brave and faithful martyrs of the 3rd century. Her family was a wealthy and important one. Agatha was raised as a Christian, and when she was a very young girl she dedicated her life to God alone, and felt no vocation to be married. Because of her beauty and wealth, and because of the importance of her family, there were many men who sought to marry her. She resisted them all, desiring only a life of prayer and charitable service.

There was a man named Quintian, a Roman prefect, who thought his rank and power could force Agatha into a relationship with him. Knowing she was a Christian, and because this was in a time of persecution, he had her arrested and brought to trial. The judge was none other than himself. He expected Agatha to give in to him when she was faced with torture and death, but she simply rededicated herself to God.

Quintian imprisoned Agatha, locking her up with cruel and immoral women, in order to get her to change her mind. After she had suffered a month of being assaulted and humiliated she never wavered, saying that although they could physically lock her up, her real freedom came from Jesus. Quintian continued to have her tortured. He refused to allow her to have any medical care, but St. Agatha was given great comfort by God, who allowed her to have a vision of St. Peter, in which he encouraged and strengthened her.

Finally, because of the repeated torture and mutilation of her body, St. Agatha died in about the year 251, while whispering a prayer of thanks to God.

O God, who among the manifold works of thine almighty power hast bestowed even upon the gentleness of women strength to win the victory of martyrdom: grant, we beseech thee; that we, who on this day recall the heavenly birth of Saint Agatha, thy Virgin and Martyr, may so follow in her footsteps, that we may likewise attain unto 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.

St. Gilbert of Sempringham

St. Gilbert was born into a wealthy family in about the year 1083 in Sempringham, England. His father was a Norman knight who had decided that his son would follow a different path, and so sent him to France to study and to prepare for ordination.

When St. Gilbert returned to England he was not yet ordained a priest. His father had died, and Gilbert inherited several estates. While many might have chosen a life of ease in such circumstances, St. Gilbert chose to live a simple life, putting himself at the service of the poor by sharing with them his considerable resources. He was ordained to the priesthood, and served as the parish priest at Sempringham, where he had grown up.

There were seven young women in the congregation who had expressed to him a desire to live in community as vowed religious. St. Gilbert took their vocation seriously, and had a house built for them near the parish church. Although their communal life was one of simplicity and austerity, the community grew in numbers. They worked on the land, providing for their own needs and for the needs of the poor. It was St. Gilbert’s hope that the Community would be able to become part of the Cistercians, or one of the other established orders, but that never happened. They became known as the Gilbertines, and they remained as their own order, which continued to grow until King Henry VIII ordered the suppression of all monasteries in 1538.

The Gilbertines developed a beautiful custom in their religious houses of having what was called “the plate of the Lord Jesus.” On this plate they would place the very best portion of their meals, which would then be shared with the poor. This custom was a direct reflection of St. Gilbert’s own love for the poor, and it continued the charity he had always shown.

Although St. Gilbert came from great wealth, and through inheritance he himself was a man of means, nonetheless he lived the simple life of a devoted parish priest. He ate very little food, and spent many nights in prayer. He lived a life of hardship and sacrifice willingly, as a sign of his love for Christ and for the poor. He died in the year 1190 at the age of 106.

Almighty God, our heavenly Father: we remember before thee all thy servants who have served thee faithfully in their generation, and have entered into rest, especially St. Gilbert, beseeching thee to give us grace so to follow in their steps; that with them we may be partakers of thy heavenly kingdom; 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. Blaise, Bishop and Martyr

St. Blaise was a physician and Bishop of Sebaste, Armenia. He lived in a cave on Mount Argeus and was a healer of men and animals. According to legend, sick animals would come to him on their own for help, but would never disturb him at prayer.

Agricola, governor of Cappadocia, came to Sebaste to persecute Christians. His huntsmen went into the forests of Argeus to find wild animals for the arena games, and found many waiting outside Blaise's cave. Discovered in prayer, Blaise was arrested, and Agricola tried to get him to recant his faith. While in prison, Blaise ministered to and healed fellow prisoners, including saving a child who was choking on a fish bone, which led to the tradition of the blessing of throats on his feast day.

Thrown into a lake to drown, Blaise stood on the surface and invited his persecutors to walk out and prove the power of their gods; they drowned. When he returned to land, he was martyred by being beaten, his flesh torn with wool combs (which led to his association with and patronage of those involved in the wool trade), and then beheading.

St. Blaise has been beloved for centuries in both the Eastern and Western Churches and many cures were attributed to him. In 1222 the Council of Oxford prohibited servile labour in England on his feast. He is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, and he is invoked especially for afflictions of the throat.

O God, who makest us glad with the yearly festival of blessed Blaise, thy Martyr and Bishop: mercifully grant that, as we now observe his heavenly birthday; so we may likewise rejoice in his protection; 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.

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Painting: "St. Blaise"

by Bicci di Lorenzo (1373–1452)

A Pure Reflection

“He shall sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver.”

- Malachi 3:3

The prophet Malachi spoke of “a refiner and a purifier of silver.” It was the Messiah to whom he was referring.

The refiner of silver worked like this: he would sit before the furnace and hold a crucible above the fire, containing the impure mixture of silver and lead. Then, as the crucible was heated, the lead would crumble away, until the pure silver would begin to shine. And when the refiner could see his own reflection shining clearly in the silver, then he would know that the metal was pure, and needed no further refining.

When our Lord Jesus was born and when He looked at His mother’s face, the first recollection of His earthly life would have been His own face, shining, reflected in His Mother’s eyes, as the refiner of silver could see himself in the purity of the metal before him.

That’s what Jesus saw in Mary. He saw His own image, the image of God, shining and reflecting in her soul. He saw the reflection of His own love and holiness in her.

That’s what He looks for in us. Our sins are to be purged away. Our selfishness and our worldliness are to be refined away, as the lead is from silver, in the furnace of our contrition, until Christ sees His own face reflected in our hearts. He has promised that He will purify us, if we come to Him.

What Jesus saw in Mary, He looks for mystically in us, and He has made it possible through His saving work of redemption. As Mary bore the Incarnate Word within her, so we are afforded the privilege of bearing Christ within us. He was planted within us at baptism, and each time we receive Holy Communion, we bear Him within us in a marvelous way as we become living tabernacles for His Real Presence in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar.

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Painting: "Madonna and Child"

by Marianne Stokes (1855-1927)

Our Obedient King

It is a good and just king who obeys his own laws, and at the time of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple, God was doing just that. As the Incarnate Word, He conformed Himself to all those laws which were meant to honour Him. And it took place in the very Temple which was built to worship Him.

Old Simeon had waited for years and he had seen countless infants brought into the Temple, but by the stirring of the Holy Ghost within him he knew this was the One. The veil was lifted from Simeon’s eyes, foreshadowing the future day when the Temple veil would be torn in two. The Infant in Simeon’s arms was an image of the Victim on the arms of the Cross. And the aged prophet’s words to the Virgin Mother would be fulfilled when she stood beneath the cross, entering into her Son’s suffering.

This is a continuing epiphany, an ongoing revelation of our Lord. It reminds us of the importance of obedience as we see Christ’s obedience. It reminds us of the importance of waiting upon God as we hear of the waiting of Simeon and Anna. And it reminds us of the importance of offering our best love to God as we witness Joseph and Mary offering back to God the Beloved Infant entrusted to them, giving us a foretaste of the Mass itself, in which Christ is offered to the Father.

There are three times in the life of our Lord Jesus Christ when a period of forty days figure in an important way: the feast of His Presentation in the Temple occurs forty days after His Nativity; the forty days in the wilderness, after which He was “presented” to the world and began His earthly ministry; and the forty days after His Resurrection, after which Christ was “presented” in heaven through His Ascension.

God “speaks His mysteries plain,” and His use of these periods of time tells us something of the nature of God; namely, that the Eternal Word has entered into time and space. At each “presentation” in the earthly life of Christ, it was not He alone who was presented, but He has taken our human nature through these things so that we might experience something similar.

And so we do. We have our own “presentation in the temple” in our baptism. As believing and active Catholics we have a “presentation to the world” as we seek to fulfill our vocation to work for the consecration of all creation in the name of Christ. And, God willing, we will have our “presentation in heaven” when God will say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant; enter into the joy of thy Lord.”

Almighty and everliving God, we humbly beseech thy majesty: that, as thine Only Begotten Son was this day presented in the temple in substance of our flesh; so we may be presented unto thee with pure and clean hearts, by the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord; who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

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Pictured: detail from the 

Saint Columba Altarpiece (c. 1455)

by Rogier van der Weyden