St. John of Kanty

John Cantius was born in 1390 and grew up in Poland. He became a priest and began his ministry as a professor at the University of Krakow. He was in every way a good priest, and had a well-deserved reputation as an excellent teacher. 

He lived an austere life, eating no meat, sleeping on the floor, and getting little rest. Although John was very strict with himself, he was patient and kind to his students, who loved him in return. Unfortunately, this caused some jealousy amongst faculty members, who managed to have him removed from his position at the University.

John was sent by his bishop to do parish work, but he was completely inexperienced and ill-equipped for the duties of a parish priest. Although he exhibited his usual generosity and poured himself into the work, John was not successful in parish ministry.

Eventually he was able to return to the University to teach Scripture. Although a fine teacher, he was known even more for his holiness, and was recognized everywhere for his humility and remarkable generosity. He gave everything to those who were poor and kept only the clothes he most needed. When John died at age 83, people had already considered him to be a saint. He is the patron of Poland and Lithuania.

Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God: that after the example of blessed John of Kanty, thy Confessor, we may so advance in the knowledge of the Saints, and likewise so learn to show mercy to all men; that by his merits we may be counted worthy to attain thy pardon; 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 Silent Word

The Scriptures refer often to silence. We read of the beauty of silence, and of how it pleases the Lord to receive from His faithful children the sacrifice of words unspoken and thoughts not expressed.

We see the greatest example of the meaning of silence in the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. He is the omnipotent Word of God, the very Word which brought the universe into being, and yet He came into the world as a child unable to speak. Indeed, there are no recorded words of His until He was twelve, and then silence descended again until His public ministry commenced.

There were times during His passion that our Lord’s silence spoke with a particular eloquence. Scripture tells us that when He was before Pontius Pilate, He made no answer to the accusations leveled against Him, nor did He speak a word while He was being mocked in Herod's court. But in those times of silence there was a strength communicated which ultimately would put to silence the cacophony calling for His death, until at the end there was but one voice remaining which proclaimed, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

One of the many things our Saviour teaches us is that we should challenge the habit of constant chatter and non-stop access to every word being said in every corner of the world. We should take time out from incessant talking with people and listening to the media. We need to provide for times and places of silence. We must "go apart" as Christ did on occasion, periodically leaving the crowded world that insists upon being seen and looked at, to be heard and listened to.

Of course, there are those with freedom to have solitude, but for some it is less easy. Different people are in different circumstances. Yet everyone should do whatever is possible to have at least some freedom from the oppressive noise that the world inflicts on us so that we can have times of quiet silence before God.

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Illustration: "The Light of Winter-time"

by Margaret Winifred Tarrant (1888-1959)

Away in a Manger

One of my earliest Christmas memories was learning to sing "Away in a manger" for a pageant. I must have been very young indeed, because I can remember it hadn't been too long since I had stopped sleeping in a crib, and because the carol said that our Lord had "no crib for his bed" I had the thought that we could probably give the one I had been using to the baby Jesus. It was a child's charitable thought which never worked out, but I've always loved the lullaby that inspired it.

Here's the traditional first verse, with three other verses I wrote several years ago.

Away in a manger, no crib for his bed,
the little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.
The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay,
the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.

Dear Mary, his Mother, sang sweet lullabies,
as Jesus, awaking, gazed into her eyes.
The most holy Virgin, with loving caress
embraced the world’s Savior with Love’s tenderness.

Good Joseph stood guarding the Mother and Child,
his soul filled with awe and his heart undefiled.
The birth of young Jesus made angels to sing,
but Joseph in silence kept watch o’er his King.

What once was a stable may our hearts become;
may God’s holy fam’ly in us find a home.
With Mary and Joseph and angels above
we worship the Infant, the gift of God’s Love.

Text: V.1, Traditional,
vv. 2-4, Fr. Christopher G. Phillips, 1995

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Illustration by Cicely Mary Barker (1895-1973)

Music; CRADLE SONG, William James Kirkpatrick, 1838-1921)

St. Peter Canisius, Secret Agent!

In the year 1565 the Vatican was looking for a secret agent. It was right after the Council of Trent and the pope wanted to get the decrees of the Council to all the European bishops. That would seem pretty simple to us today, but it was a very dangerous assignment in the sixteenth century. The first one who tried to carry the decrees through territory of hostile anti-Catholics was robbed and the documents were taken. This was a time when some people had rebelled against the Church, and they didn’t want the Church to succeed, so they did everything in their power to stop the decrees and documents from the Pope to reach any of the bishops. What to do? Rome needed someone courageous, but also somebody who wouldn’t be suspected of carrying important documents. They chose Peter Canisius. He was a well-known Jesuit priest who had founded several schools and colleges – in fact, he was such a respected educator, everyone admired him – even those who had left the Church. As he travelled, the reason he gave was that he was the official "visitor" of the various colleges he had founded – and he did visit them, so it was the truth. But among his belongings and books, he had hidden the Decrees from the Council of Trent, and as he would go through a particular area, he was able to distribute these important documents to the bishops.

Why did the Vatican choose St. Peter Canisius for this dangerous and important job? He had worked hard as a priest – and his work included not only founding educational institutions, but he was a very faithful pastor of souls. A terrible plague swept across Europe, and St. Peter Canisius, with no thought for his own safety, went among the sick and the dying, ministering to them and bringing them comfort – whether they were Catholic or not, they received encouragement and comfort from him. People never forgot his bravery and his kindness. He saw people who were ignorant of the Faith, and he knew that they were easily swayed by convincing speakers who were leading them into error, so he compiled a simple but effective catechism, and countless thousands of people were taught the truth and so were able to leave error behind. Because of the success and the need, Peter quickly produced two more versions: a Shorter Catechism for young students which concentrated on helping them choose good over evil by concentrating on a different virtue each day of the week; and a Shortest Catechism for young children which included prayers for morning and evening, for mealtimes, and for other times of the day, to get them used to praying.

This was a time of confusion, and in their frustration, very often priests would speak harshly to people who were weak in their faith. But St. Peter Canisius was known for his gentle and strong way of speaking. He really was a conduit of God’s love, and his quiet and polite speech won many people back to the Catholic faith. Although he worked throughout Europe, much of his work was centered in Germany, and he came to be known as a “second St. Boniface,” who was considered to be the Apostle of the Germans. Even near the end of his life, he continued his work, communicating with people through letters, and always keeping them in his prayers. St. Peter Canisius died on December 21, 1597.

O God, who didst strengthen Saint Peter Canisius, thy Confessor, for the defence of the Catholic faith: mercifully grant that by his example and teaching, the erring may be made wise unto salvation, and the faithful may stand fast in the confession of truth; 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.

A Promise Kept

Thus says the Lord: But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.

- Micah 5:2

We’re accustomed to thinking of Advent as a time of preparation – preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, and preparation for his return on the Last Day, when he will come to be our Judge. But Advent also is a time of fulfillment – a time when all the things that God promised throughout the ages, have actually come to pass. John the Baptist, as the Voice crying in the wilderness had been foretold, and then he came. Mary, the Mother of our Lord, had been foretold as the Virgin who would conceive and bear a Son, and so she did. Detail after detail was foretold in the Scriptures, and we see each one of them fulfilled, reminding us that when God promises, He always makes good on His promises.

The words of Micah tell of a promise made eight centuries before Christ’s birth. It was promised in a place called Judah, at a time which was very dark in the history of the Jews. Assyria had risen up as an overwhelming military and political power, and they had already successfully invaded the Northern Kingdom of Israel. They had destroyed families and had leveled towns, and had taken those who survived off into exile. The people of Judah were now living under this dark and menacing cloud; their homes and possessions were being destroyed; more and more of them were being killed. They thought they were on the brink of destruction.

But just when things were most bleak, God sent a prophet named Micah. He reminded the people of some very difficult things. He reminded them of how, as a nation, they had put their morals aside. He reminded them of how they had become luke-warm in their love for God, and had even begun to worship idols. He made them look at the consequences of these things they were doing – reminding them that their society had become so weak that it was easy for an enemy to overwhelm them. He asked them, “Why are you surprised?”

And yet, Micah didn’t stop with that message. He went on to remind them that God still loved them, and that there was real hope for the future. From Bethlehem would come forth a king, who would be ruler over all of Israel, and in him would be peace. Yes, the people would have to go into exile for a while; and yes, the days would still seem to be dark. But that glimmer of hope was held before their eyes; that tiny flame which would begin burning in the little town of Bethlehem would bring healing to the nation and salvation to the people. It was a promise made by God, and God always keeps His promises.

We need to keep that fact in mind: God always keeps His promises. As we see our own nation setting morality aside; as we witness arrogance in our leaders and selfishness in so many of our people and an increasing sense of the cheapness of human life, we need to remember that God does keep His promises. Although it is possible for a nation, as a nation, to lose God’s blessing, He still loves each person within that nation. And that promise of God’s love for us helps us get the attention away from our problems, so that, rather than concentrating on our disappointments, it can actually refine our faith, and give us hope as we remember what God has done.

No matter what difficulty we face – whether it be the troubles we face as a nation, or the difficulties we might have in our personal lives, God doesn’t forget us. He remembers us, He hears our prayers, and He responds in his perfect timing, just as He answered the long years of prayer by Zechariah and Elizabeth for a child when they were in their old age; and as He blessed the young Virgin Mary for her unwavering trust and obedience, when He showed his great love for us in the fact of the Incarnation, that statement of God’s amazing love, a love so great that He sent His only Son to earth, to be one of us, to fulfill the promise given through the archangel Gabriel, that He would save us from our sins.

No, God doesn’t forget us. He is working out His perfect plan on His own timetable. And this is a message we need to hear and take to heart. Even in the times of darkness or despair; in our times of struggle to have hope — we need to trust that God is working out a new and better future for us, and that His love will never give up on us. Because we are God’s people, we are a people of hope and love. In being touched by God’s love we can love others; in remembering God’s mercy to His children in the past, we can trust that there is hope for us too. Just as Micah promised a coming king of Israel who would “be great to the ends of the earth;” so we, like the people of Judah, need to embrace this King, who is Christ our Lord.

That is what Advent involves: patiently waiting for God, knowing that He always keeps His promises. This is the Advent message of hope and expectation: that God’s love is given to every single one of us. It doesn’t matter how old or young we are. It doesn’t matter what our situation is, God has come to give us hope, and He asks us to live in faith. He asks us to believe in His promises, even though we might not have all the details. Zechariah and Elizabeth didn’t have all the details, and yet they believed. Joseph and Mary certainly didn’t have all the details, and yet they faithfully obeyed God. This wasn’t just blind faith. They believed God because of the evidence of history. God had always kept His promises to His people, and there was no reason for them to think He would stop. And this is the faith God asks of us – not a blind faith, but a faith based on the evidence of what God has already done.

As Elizabeth said to Mary, “Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” There is always a blessing for us when we listen to the promises of God, and actually believe them. During the few days left in Advent, spend them preparing for the great Solemnity which is coming, the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ. And remember that He is the Promised One – the One who keeps His promises – the One foretold by the prophets, the One born of the Virgin Mary, and the One who comes to us today.

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Illustration by Margaret Tarrant (1888-1959)

The Blessed Virgin: Missionary and Evangelist

In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and she exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord."

-Luke 1:39-45

It was shortly after the Annunciation that the Blessed Virgin Mary visited her cousin St. Elizabeth, who in a few months would give birth to St. John Baptist.

It was the Blessed Virgin Mary who in her womb bore the King of heaven and earth, the Creator of the world, the Son of the Eternal Father, the Sun of Justice. She was the first missionary and evangelist, as she carried in her womb the Incarnate Word, taking Him to others. And when the two mothers embraced, it was the close proximity of Jesus which brought about the cleansing of John from original sin in his mother's womb. Hearing herself addressed by the most lofty title of "Mother of the Lord" and realizing what grace her visit had conferred on John, the Blessed Virgin would later break out in a canticle of praise proclaiming: "My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. Because he that is mighty hath magnified me and holy is His name" (Lk. 1:46).

As we approach the Solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, all these things should increase and inspire our love and devotion to Mary, Mother of God. In imitation of her, we are all called to be missionaries and evangelists, carrying the Lord Jesus within us so that He might be shown to others through our own words and deeds.

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Pictured: "The Visitation"

by William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825–1905)

Don't neglect the begats!

In our modern western culture it's important for families to have a sense of heritage. Some may have family traditions, but large numbers of people don’t even know the names of their great-great grandparents, or care where they lived, or what they did. Even those who might dip into genealogy do it out of a curiosity which is often short-lived.

In contrast, genealogies were a deeply integral part of Jewish society at the time of Jesus. Land was inherited based on family lines, and those who could not prove their ancestry in Israel were considered to be outsiders.

Because of this difference, modern readers tend to skip over the genealogies in Scripture. The “begats” may not be fascinating reading, but don’t disregard them. God had reasons for inspiring every part of the Bible—even the genealogies of Christ.

On December 17th, with the beginning of Late Advent, we hear the lineage of our Lord Jesus Christ as it’s recorded in St. Matthew’s Gospel. His genealogy is recorded all the way back to Abraham, and in the Old Testament we have the genealogy from Abraham back to the first man, Adam. This is not an insignificant detail. Indeed, it is a crucial fulfillment of prophecy. Adam’s sin brought judgment and death into the world, but a Savior was promised—the Seed of the woman who would strike the head of the serpent (Genesis 3:15). Jesus Christ is the “Last Adam” (1 Corinthians 15:45), the promised Seed of the woman.

Jesus is the Saviour who was promised throughout history. The genealogies in Matthew and Luke show Him as the descendant of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and eventually David—men to whom these prophecies were made. God promised Abraham that all nations would be blessed through his offspring, a promise which was ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

By reading these genealogies, we see that Jesus was a direct descendent of King David. This is also a fulfillment of many Old Testament promises. The promised Messiah would be the descendant of David (2 Samuel 7:12–14) and would one day rule on David’s throne (Isaiah 9:6–7).

Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah—the descendant of Abraham and David, and He is our Saviour who gave His life to redeem us from our sins.

The Word-Made-Flesh

Before we can be doers of God's Word, we first must be hearers of His Word. Before we can be followers of Jesus, we must be hearers of Jesus. Before we can be fishers of men, we must be fish caught in the net of the Gospel. His Word must have its way with us. 

And this Word is no idle, human word. It is the Word of God come in the flesh. 

When Jesus speaks, things happen. The demons flee. Diseases are healed. The paralyzed walk. The blind see. The deaf hear. The dead live. Sins are forgiven. People follow. And the Word-Made-Flesh does it all.

Late Advent

With the beginning of Late Advent on December 17th, so we begin the great “O" Antiphons, which lead up to the Vigil of the Nativity. Each antiphon highlights a title for the Messiah: O Sapientia (O Wisdom), O Adonai (O Lord), O Radix Jesse (O Root of Jesse), O Clavis David (O Key of David), O Oriens (O Rising Sun), O Rex Gentium (O King of the Nations), and O Emmanuel (O God With Us), and they are taken from the prophecy of Isaiah concerning the coming of the Messiah.

Of course, most of the Catholic Church already shares our patrimony’s gift regarding the O Antiphons in the metrical translation of these antiphons, the universally beloved: “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” That translation is, in large part, the work of the famed Anglican priest, translator and hymnographer, John Mason Neale (1818-1866), to whose scholarly and literary gifts the Anglican Church owes its recovery of the great treasury of pre-Reformation Latin hymnody.

There is, however, another antiphon which is firmly part of our patrimony.  It is our unique eighth O Antiphon, which we hear on the morning of December 24th — a most fitting antiphon indeed to echo throughout the monasteries and churches of the land known then – and now again – as “Our Lady’s Dowry,” the antiphon O Virgo virginum:

O Virgo virginum, quomodo fiet istud? quia nec primam similem visa es, nec habere sequentem. Filiae Jerusalem, quid me admiramini? Divinum est mysterium hoc quod cernitis.

O Virgin of virgins, how shall this be? for neither before thee was any like thee, nor shall there be after. Daughters of Jerusalem, why marvel ye at me? the thing which ye behold, is a divine mystery.

Watching and Waiting

In his first epistle to the Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul wrote, "But as to the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves know well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.”

This is what motivated members of the early Church to spread the Gospel, and gave them their missionary zeal. It wasn't for the sake of survival. It wasn't because they needed more members to balance the budget or fill up empty pews. It was because Christ was near. The Day of His coming was near, always right around the corner. They were driven by that clear-headed realization that each day might well be the Day to end all days, the Day that the Lord who died and rose from the grave would come to judge the living and the dead. They wanted everyone to know this Lord Jesus who was coming.

This is what gave the early Christians hope and meaning as society was crumbling around them. They knew that the Lord whose coming they looked for, and longed for, and prayed for, was the same Lord who had cleansed them in the waters of Baptism, who had reconciled them to the Father with His word of forgiveness, who came to them in the Mystical Sacrifice of His own Body and Blood in the Mass, and who had promised them, "I am coming soon."

Jesus made it quite clear: “You do not know the day or the hour.” The end times call for repentance, for a turning away from sin towards Christ, for fasting and prayer, for sober alertness and readiness, for repairing broken relationships and confessing sins. We are to be like a doorkeeper watching and waiting for the master's return. Like a watchman standing on the walls of the city. Keep watch. Be alert. You do not know when the owner of the house will come back.

Advent is a time for us to remember for whom we are watching and waiting. We are watching and waiting for an old friend. We are watching and waiting for Christ, the One who came in humility through crib and cross to save us; Christ, who hung on a cross because of our sin, and who rose from the dead to give us His victory; Christ, who baptized us into His death and resurrection; Christ, who fills our ears and our hearts with His words that forgive and cleanse us; Christ, who comes to us with His very Body and Blood to unite us to Himself – He is the One for whom we are waiting.

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Illustration by Cicely Mary Barker (1895-1973)

St. John of the Cross

St. John of the Cross was born in Spain in 1542, and he learned some important lessons from his parents - especially the importance of sacrificial love. His father gave up tremendous wealth and social status when he fell in love and married a weaver's daughter, and was disowned by his noble family. After his father died, John’s mother kept the destitute family together as they wandered homeless in search of work. These were the examples of sacrifice that John followed as he came to know that one great love in his own life -- God.

When the family finally found work, the family still lived in poverty. When he was only fourteen, John took a job caring for people in a hospital for those with incurable diseases or who were insane. It was in the midst of this poverty and suffering that John learned to search for beauty and happiness not in the world, but in God.

St. John eventually became a priest and joined the Carmelite order. This was at the time of great Saint Teresa of Avila, and she asked him to help her in her efforts to reform the Carmelites, who had become very worldly. John supported her belief that the order should return to its life of prayer, but many Carmelites felt threatened by this reform, and some members of John's own order kidnapped him. He was locked in a cell which was only six feet by ten feet, where he was frequently beaten. There was only one tiny window high up near the ceiling. Yet in that unbearable dark, cold, and desolate cell, his love and faith continued to grow. He had nothing left but God -- and God brought John his greatest joys in that tiny cell.

After nine months, John escaped. Taking only the mystical poetry he had written in his cell, he climbed out a window using a rope made of strips of blankets. He managed to hide from his pursuers, and from then on his life was devoted to sharing and explaining his experience of God's love.

"What more do you want, o soul! And what else do you search for outside, when within yourself you possess your riches, delights, satisfaction and kingdom -- your beloved whom you desire and seek? Desire him there, adore him there. Do not go in pursuit of him outside yourself. You will only become distracted and you won't find him, or enjoy him more than by seeking him within you."

Saint John of the Cross
Priest, Mystic, Poet, Doctor of the Church

O God, who didst give to blessed St. John of the Cross, thy Confessor and Doctor, grace to show forth a singular love of perfect self-denial and of bearing thy Cross: grant, we beseech thee; that we cleaving steadfastly to his pattern, may attain to everlasting glory; 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.

St. Lucy, Virgin and Martyr

Lucy’s name has as its root the Latin word for light, lux. This makes her commemoration all the more meaningful during this time of Advent, as we increase each week the number of candles we light on the Advent wreath, reminding us that our lives are to be more and more illumined by the light of Christ.

We can be certain that there was a young Christian girl named Lucy who lived at the end of the 3rd century and into the beginning of the 4th century, because devotion to her is widespread from the 4th century on. Lots of the details of her life, however, come from legends and stories which were told from one generation to the next – and although the stories no doubt have some factual basis, many of the details were added over the years.

So what do we know about her? We know that Lucy’s father died when she was very young, because there is no mention of him whatsoever in the stories about her. Lucy’s mother, Eutychia, suffered from a serious sickness for many years, and she was unable to find any doctor who could help her. Young Lucy had heard of the healing power of the prayers of a young girl, St. Agatha, who had been martyred for the faith. The story is that St. Lucy convinced her mother that they should travel to the tomb of St. Agatha, so they could ask for her prayers for Lucy’s mother. They prayed all night, even falling asleep at the tomb. In her sleep, Lucy had a vision of St. Agatha, and at that moment, her mother Eutychia was cured.

Now, it happened that some time before this, Eutychia had arranged a marriage for Lucy with a young man who was a pagan, but Lucy insisted that she wouldn’t marry, and that the money which would have been used for her dowry should be spent on the poor. In fact, Lucy gave away everything she owned, including her property and her jewelry. News of this came to the attention of the young man whom she was supposed to marry, and he became very angry. He went to the local authorities to report that Lucy was a Christian – and this was a time when it was illegal to belong to the Church.

She was condemned to prison, but when the guards came to take her away, they found that it was impossible to lift her. No matter how much they tried to lift her, she seemed to become immoveable. It is said that she was killed when they plunged a dagger into her throat, and the story is that they had gouged out her eyes before her death. She is often pictured in art with two eyes on a plate, and for that reason she is the patroness of those who are blind or who have any disease of the eyes.

She is Lucy – lux – who lived and died in the light of Christ.

Almighty and everlasting God, who dost choose those whom the world deemeth powerless to put the powerful to shame: Grant us so to cherish the memory of thy youthful martyr St. Lucy, that we may share her pure and steadfast faith in thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Gaudete in Domino

Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.

Rejoice in the Lord

Brethren: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let all men know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:4-7

The purple of Advent gives way to rose-coloured vestments on this Third Sunday of the season, called Gaudete because of the day’s introit. As we prepare for the celebration of the birth of our redeemer, and prepare to meet Him as our judge, so it comes as a trumpet before dawn: “Rejoice. Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” And there is a reason why we should rejoice. Because “the Lord is at hand.” We, who have been born by the waters of baptism and through the blood of Christ have every reason to rejoice, because our Lord and Saviour is close by, ready to draw us closer to Him, to give us the place which He has prepared for us.

But St. Paul doesn’t leave it at that. He tells us that even though the Lord is at hand, there are things which are expected of us. “Have no anxiety about anything,” he says. Of course, it is right to think about the future and to do everything that we can to provide for it. God has given us a capacity to work and to plan to that we can do everything possible to make our future secure. But St. Paul reminds us that God wants us, above all, to trust in Him and not to fret and worry ourselves with over-anxiousness about the result of our labour. If we have honestly done all He has told us to do, then we should be at peace in the assurance that He will not allow us to lack anything that we truly need.

And we are told by St. Paul how we can gain an entrance into this peace of God; namely, we should take all our anxieties, our perplexities, our concerns, to God in prayer. And having referred them to Him, to dwell no longer on them. As he says, “In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds…”

St. Paul says that if we want freedom from anxiety and a quiet confidence in God then we must take everything to God in prayer. This means that we really need to fulfill the command to “pray without ceasing.” Obviously we cannot be always on our knees in prayer – but we can live a life of constant prayerfulness. Wherever we are, whomever we are with, whatever we are doing, we can remember that we are in God’s presence. Even at the busiest times and in the most crowded places, we can offer to God our thoughts and words and acts, and so be perpetually in an attitude of prayerfulness. If we would cultivate that attitude, then what peace would be ours! Yet so few seem to know that peace, because so few of us take everything to Him in prayer.

Certainly, at the solemn times of our lives, when great difficulties face us or great fears overpower us, we take our troubles to God. But if in those times of special trial we want the comfort of confidence in our heavenly Father, we really need to take to Him also the little things which make up the greater part of our lives, and so lay up for ourselves a store of confidence which will stand us in good stead in even the most difficult times. We cannot learn to trust God fully in only one moment. It is a life-long thing.

We must not be discouraged if we do not receive the answers we expect. Nowhere does God promise to answer our prayers exactly as we desire. But we can be assured that every prayer is answered. “Ask and ye shall receive,” said the Lord Jesus. We will receive, but we might not receive exactly what we ask, because our Father, in His divine knowledge of us, knows best what we need. Oftentimes, if our prayers were granted exactly as we prayed them, we would have sorrow and hurt brought upon us. An earthly father does not give his child exactly what is asked for if a father knows it would be harmful. Nor does our heavenly Father give us those things that we think would make us happy, but which He knows would, in the end, cause us sorrow. But even if we do not receive exactly what we ask for, we certainly shall receive what is for our good, because God truly is our loving Father.

And we are reminded of another thing: we must live in a spirit of thankfulness. There can be no peace or joy in an unthankful heart. If we would count the blessings and comforts that God has showered upon us so bountifully, then we would be able to look forward to the future and believe that as God has blessed us in the past, so in the future He will never leave us or forsake us.

In Advent how simple is this teaching about knowing the peace of God. It is as simple as God coming to earth, and almost as profound. If we do what God has told us to do in the way of preparation, and then trust Him as our Father; if we will tell Him everything in our hearts, relying on His care, then we will find freedom from the anxieties of this world, and we will know the promises of the world to come. Having honestly done our best, we must then trust Him, not relying on our own efforts, but on God’s love, which is perpetually shown to us in Jesus Christ. In doing that, we will have that “peace which passes all understanding…”

Pope St. Damasus I

Pope St. Damasus is one the many popes whose name is not immediately recognizable to most people, but whose faithful service on the Chair of St. Peter is still reflected in the Church today. 

Damasus had served as a deacon under Pope Liberius, whose pontificate was filled with upheaval from both outside and inside the Church. In fact, when Pope Liberius died in the year 366, there were riots that broke out over the election of his successor. Most people favoured the deacon Damasus, a Roman who was of Spanish descent. Damasus was a very faithful man who upheld the fullness of the Catholic faith, and although there were some who supported another man whom they tried to install as pope, Damasus finally was installed, with the Emperor Valentinian interceding to expel the anti-pope.

A time of peace in the Church came with Pope Damasus, and he was able to concentrate on the growth and strengthening of the Church. He knew the importance of the Holy Scriptures in the life of the Church, and one of his first projects was to gather together a list of the books of the Old and New Testaments, which until this time had been scattered piecemeal throughout the Church. He then asked his longtime friend and secretary, St. Jerome, to translate the Bible into Latin. St. Jerome’s Vulgate translation still serves as a foundation to the study and translation of the Scriptures to this very day.

Damasus had a great devotion to the martyrs who had gone before, and he searched out the tombs of the martyrs which had been blocked up and hidden in the catacombs during previous times of persecution, and he marked their tombs with beautiful slabs of marble. He lighted the passages of the catacombs, and encouraged the Faithful to make pilgrimages to the burial places of the martyrs. Damasus also beautified existing churches, on the principle that the worship of God demands our best, and that places of beauty can point us to heaven.

Throughout his pontificate, Pope Damasus was a strong defender of the orthodox Catholic faith, making it a point to publicly condemn various heresies which had crept into the Church, especially the heresy of Arianism. In fact, the place of Peter and his successors was never more respected as it was during the time of Pope Damasus, and he spent much of his energy in promoting the primacy of the Holy See, even leading the civil Roman government to recognize the special rights of the Church in society.

Pope St. Damasus was able to bring peace and strength to the Church, which had been so fractured under his predecessor, and this holy man died on December 11th in the year 384, after serving the Church as the Supreme Pontiff for eighteen years.

Grant, we pray thee, O Lord: that we may constantly exalt the merits of thy Martyrs, whom Pope Saint Damasus so venerated and loved; 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.