2025 Chair of St. Peter Novena

In 2025 the liturgical celebration of the Solemnity of the Chair of St. Peter
for members of the Personal Ordinariate is transferred to Sunday, 23rd of February.
The Novena Prayers in preparation for the Solemnity begin on Friday, 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 final prayers.]

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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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FINAL 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.

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: Mass at Montecassino, in the Crypt Chapel 

between the tombs of Ss. Benedict and Scholastica.)

"Let down your nets..."

[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." For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; henceforth you will be catching men."

- St. Luke 5:4-11

The disciples were tired. They had been fishing all night and had caught nothing. Now, in the daytime, it was the wrong time to fish, but Jesus told them to let their nets down into the water, so they did. And the catch was so large that the nets were strained to a breaking point.

We know St. Peter as the Rock, the great martyr, the powerful witness to the truth of Christ’s resurrection. But as we see in this passage from the Gospel, he wasn’t always that way. His roots were in the life of a simple fisherman. He was unlettered and ordinary. He knew his own sinfulness when he said, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man.” But when Christ directed him, he listened, and as a result of doing what the Lord told him, he was made a “fisher of men” and the Rock on which Christ founded His Church.

Just as Christ called Simon Peter and the other disciples, so He calls each one of us, even in our weakness, to use the particular gifts He has given us, so that we can leave a mark on the world around. Each one of us can be an instrument of God within our immediate surroundings, within our family, within our circle of friends and acquaintances. With each good example we give, with each prayer we offer, with each act of kindness, we can accomplish great things by following the instructions our Lord gave to St. Peter: “Put out into the deep, and let down your nets for a catch.”

That’s all we have to do. Simply let down our nets. We need to use our gifts where we are. God has already provided the net, in the gifts He has given to each of us. They may seem like small, simple gifts – the gift of taking the time to lend a helping hand to someone; the gift of praying for someone in need; the gift of speaking a kind word to someone who needs some encouragement; the gift of living a life guided by Gospel values. All those things, and more, make up the net God gives us. All we need to do is to let down that net into the world around us, and the words our Lord spoke to Simon Peter will be words spoken to us: "Do not be afraid; henceforth you will be catching men."

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Pictured: "The Miraculous Draught of Fishes"

by Raphael (1483-1520)

Prayerful Language

In one form or another, the traditional Book of Common Prayer has nourished the souls of more than twenty generations of Anglicans. It provides the template for magnificent public worship, yet it can bring the solitary person into the presence of God. It really is beautiful, and I don’t think very many people would disagree. But let’s take a few minutes, and think about why it’s beautiful.

What is it about the soaring phrases and time-proven sentences that make them so memorable and pleasing to the ear? It isn’t accidental that such prayers as the Collect for Purity and the Prayer of Humble Access get into our hearts and minds and stay there. Of course, part of what makes them memorable is that our prayers are saying significant things. But there’s more to it than that. There are definite and objective reasons having to do with the rhythm of the words, the cadence of the phrases. It’s much the same as why we consider a piece of music to be beautiful. Irregular rhythms and too much dissonance are disconcerting. I’m sure this marks me as being pedestrian, but I think music that’s most memorable is music that can be hummed. And it’s the same with our prayers. A prayer which says, “Lighten our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord; and by thy great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night…” is memorable, not only because of what is said, but because of the way in which it is said.

There’s an excellent essay titled “The Prayer Book as Literature,” which was written by Dr. W. K. Lowther Clarke in 1932. It’s included in his larger work, Liturgy and Worship. In this essay he discusses some possible reasons for the beauty of the phrases we use in our worship. In part, he says, “A particular theory has recently been propounded to account for the literary qualities of the sixteenth-century Prayer Book, namely, the survival of the cursus, or flow of the cadence in prose. The beauty of Latin prose depended on the arrangement of long and short syllables, especially at the end of the sentence… The cursus had three main forms: planus, with the accent on the second and fifth syllable from the end; tardus, on the third and sixth; and velox, on the second and seventh.”

When I first read that, it seemed pretty dry. But when I thought about it, I began to realize the important point he was making. Just as music follows certain rules to achieve a beautiful end, so it is with literature. Excellent writing consists of more than stringing words together. It involves a rhythm. It shows a sensitivity to the zenith of a phrase. It allows for a cadence. In the liturgy, when we think of a prayer as being beautiful, it describes not only the theological truth it contains, but also the way in which the thought is expressed. This is why so many contemporary prayers fall flat. The ancient principle of cursus has been put aside; there is little or no thought about the beauty of the language, because of the mistaken notion that ignoring all that would somehow make prayers clearer.

The Book of Divine Worship, which had been liturgy of the original Pastoral Provision, went part of the way, and as I’ve said more than once, its shortcomings reflected the difficult political realities present in the Church forty years ago. But through it, many of our most beautiful Anglican prayers found a place in full communion with the Catholic Church, and now with the liturgy approved for the Ordinariates, it means that our patrimony is in its permanent and best home.

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.

St. Jerome Emiliani, Priest and Confessor

St. Jerome Emiliani was born in the 15th century, and as a young man he became a soldier for the city-state of Venice. During that time he wasn’t terribly religious; in fact, he was fairly selfish, and didn’t think much about other people. He loved the life of a soldier, and was never happier than when he was heading off to do battle against someone else. 

One day, when he was engaged in a minor battle, Jerome was captured and chained in a dungeon. While he was in prison, Jerome had a lot of time to think. He began to think about his life, and he began to think about God, and gradually he learned how to pray. One day he managed to escape from prison. He returned to Venice to his family, and with nothing else to do, he took charge of the education of his nephews. At the same time, he began his own studies for the priesthood.

St. Jerome eventually was ordained, and settled into the life of a parish priest. But soon after his ordination, God began to call St. Jerome into a new ministry – not in a parish, but a ministry which would reach far beyond a single parish. A terrible plague was sweeping across Europe, and there was widespread famine throughout northern Italy where St. Jerome was. He began caring for the sick and feeding the hungry at his own expense. While serving the sick and the poor, he made the decision to devote himself and all his resources to assist others, particularly for the care of abandoned children. He founded three orphanages and a hospital.

In about the year 1532, Jerome and two other priests established a religious congregation dedicated to the care of orphans and the education of youth. Jerome died in 1537 from a disease he caught while tending the sick. He was eventually canonized, and was named the universal patron of orphans and abandoned children.

O God, the Father of mercies, who didst raise up Saint Jerome Emiliani to be a defender and father of the fatherless: vouchsafe, through his merits and intercession; that we may faithfully guard thy spirit of adoption, whereby we are called and are indeed thy children; 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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"St. Jerome Emiliani" by Antonio Caboni, 1844

St.. Paul Miki and the Martyrs of Japan

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 today were rounded up and tortured, trying 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

St. 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)

The Lord In His Temple

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

The Bible: A Treasure From The Lord

The Bible as we have it came to us over many centuries. For the early Church, the Scriptures were what we know as the Old Testament – those writings known to the Jews as “the Law and the Prophets.” Then, after the death and resurrection of Christ, and after the great event of Pentecost, the words of Jesus were written down, along with an account of His earthly ministry. These Gospel accounts were circulated around the Church so that people could hear for themselves what Our Lord had done and what He had taught. As events unfolded during the early years of the Church, so that its history was recorded, and as local churches were founded, there were letters written to these early communities – letters which contained teachings which reflected Christ’s own teaching – and soon some of these Christian writings were understood as being Scripture in the same sense as the Jewish scriptures were. Over the years, the Church discerned that there was a power in some of these written words – power which comes from God Himself – and this power – this “inspiration” – is a guarantee of truth. Through the inspiration of God Himself, He caused His word to be written down, and because of this, the Bible comes to us with certain unique properties, unique powers.

It comes to us with the power of tradition. We know, from our human experience, how words and sayings that are handed down from one generation to another by word of mouth have a tendency to become altered, or added to, or diminished. To protect His word from this, God caused His word to be written down. He entrusted the custody of His written word first to the Jews, and then to the Catholic Church. It was to His own people that He delivered this written word, and so the Bible comes to us with a power which no other book possesses. No other book has been witnessed to as being true, and guarded, and handed on from generation to generation, as this has. Other books may lay claim to truth, but this is the only one that can certainly known to be what it claims to be. God has caused His word to be written for our learning, and He has caused His Holy Catholic Church to be the witness and keeper of it, allowing us to know for certain that we are not reading myths or fables, but rather, we have the living and active word of God.

Also, the Bible comes to us with the power of prophecy. It’s full of the history of the ages, certainly – but not just of past ages. It tells us of the present and the future as well. And we can be certain that it contains all of God’s promises of salvation through Jesus Christ, and all of God’s warnings of the punishment that is due to sin. It tells us of how all the consequences of our actions, whether good or bad – will be fulfilled. This is the great power of prophecy – the “foretelling” of what God will do, and the “forthtelling” of all His truth.

The Bible also comes to us with the power of edification – that is, the power of building us up in all that is holy and pure and just and true. Parts of the Bible may be difficult for some people to understand, but certainly no one – however unlearned they may be – has ever yet studied it prayerfully and humbly, without finding that it did them tremendous good, and built them up in faith and love. Can this be said about any other book? Does any other book adapt itself so readily to our needs and circumstances, no matter what our condition, as does the Bible? In our sorrows, it says, “Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted…” In our loneliness, it reminds us of Christ’s words, when He said, “You are my friends, if you do whatever I command you…” When we seem overwhelmed by sin, we’re told “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow…” When we feel despondent, our spirits are lifted with the promise that “heaviness may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning…” And so it is, in every circumstance and situation.

So as we see, there is great power and wisdom and strength which comes to us through the pages of Scripture. But how should we use it? What’s the best practical approach for us? First of all, we should read a little of it every day. Praying the Daily Office with its lectionary gives an ordered way of reading through the Old and New Testaments. For those who attend daily Mass, they are able to hear portions of God’s word every day in the context of the Holy Sacrifice. Perhaps you might tackle one of the Gospels, or an epistle, reading a chapter at a time. Whatever system you decide to use, decide something. Too many people who profess the Faith, still keep the Bible as a closed book, as though it is some rare treasure to be looked at, and not used. It’s a good thing to read at least a few verses each day, and keep them in our minds throughout the day so that we have at least those holy thoughts to carry us through the day.

Also, to use the Bible properly, we must read it with the definite desire to hear God’s voice speaking to us, and with the definite intention of hearing His voice as He speaks to us through His word. We’ve got to read it in a humble spirit – not approaching the Bible with our minds prejudiced, or coming to it only so that we can find some confirmation for our own theories and practices, but simply saying, “Lord, what do you want me to learn and do?” There is truth on every page. Remember – even the most eloquent sermon is only the voice of man; but even the simplest verse of Scripture is the voice of God.

Also, in order to gain what we should from the reading of Scripture, we must prepare our hearts and minds by prayer. If we just read it like any other book, we’ll gain little instruction, we’ll learn few lessons, we’ll find sparse comfort. But if we ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate our understanding and to direct our hearts, each time we read the Bible we’ll realize more and more that it is, in the words of the Psalmist, “a lantern unto our feet, and a light unto our path.”

There are all sorts of books that claim to have answers to our deepest needs, with the key to our greatest happiness. But those are false promises. The Bible is the best book for guidance; it is the best source of devotion; it is the best guide for spiritual growth. In it, we find the most beautiful prayers and the most solid truths, answering our every need, and hallowed by the use of the saints throughout the ages. Don’t be perplexed because there are some things in the Bible you cannot readily understand. Rather, take care that you put into practice all those things that you do understand.

And above all – when you read the Bible, see Jesus Christ, Perfect Man and True God, within its pages. Come to know the work that He accomplished, and the example that He gives us, and praise Him for what He has done for us, and copy the pattern which His own holy life has set. And remember, that we read of Jesus Christ not only in the New Testament, but also in the Old. The Old Testament is full of the presence of the Incarnate Word. The holy men and women whose lives are recorded there are all foreshadowings of the sanctifying grace that was to come through Christ. The sacrifices of the old covenant are types and pictures of Christ, who is the one truth and who is the perfect sacrifice upon the cross. Israel looks forward to Christ’s Holy Catholic Church, and the striving of others in past ages to know God speaks of our own hunger for Him. Use the Bible, and value it as the great “Book of books,” containing the Word of God – because when we believe its truth, we receive the very light of Christ Himself.

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Painting: "Still Life With Bible"

by Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)

St. John Bosco, Priest and Confessor

St. John Bosco was born near Turin, Italy, in 1815. His father died when John was only two years old, but his mother made sure he received a good education. His early years were financially difficult but at the age of twenty he entered the major seminary, thanks to the financial help received from a benefactor. John Bosco was ordained a priest on June 5, 1846.

At that time the city of Turin was on the threshold of the industrial revolution and as a result there were many challenges and problems, especially for the young men who came there to work. Many of them had little or no education, and since they worked long hours, there were few opportunities to get an education. Gifted as he was as an educator and a leader, Don Bosco formulated a system of education based on "reason, religion and kindness." In spite of the criticism and violent attacks of the anti-clericals, he conducted workshops for the tradesmen and manual laborers, schools of arts and sciences for young workers, and schools of the liberal arts for those preparing for the priesthood. In 1868 there were 800 students involved in this educational system. To ensure the continuation of his work, Don Bosco founded the Society of St. Francis de Sales (Salesians), which was approved in 1869. Also, with the help of Sister Mary Dominic Mazzarello, he founded the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Auxiliatrix.

He also found time to write popular catechetical pamphlets which were distributed throughout Italy, as was his Salesian Bulletin. This great apostle of youth died on January 31, 1888, and was canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1934. Pope John Paul II named him "father and teacher to the young."

O God, who didst raise up Saint John Bosco thy Confessor to be a father and teacher of the young, and through him, with the aid of the Virgin Mary, didst will that new families should flourish in thy Church: grant, we beseech thee; that being kindled by the same fire of charity, we may have the strength to seek for souls, and to serve thee alone; 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 common good...

St. Paul is profound and practical when he writes to the Corinthians, "To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good." (I Cor. 12:7). This is the antidote for the pervasive selfishness we sometimes find, even amongst Christians. In His loving generosity God gives us gifts, and too often we repay Him by grasping them tightly to ourselves. We treat them as misers do their money.

The gifts of wisdom, of knowledge, of faith, these are given so they may be shared. Our work for God is to be of service to others. We are to show kindness even when we feel anything but kindly. We are to exercise charity, even when we would rather not.

It is easy to be selfish, mean-spirited, ill-tempered. But we have been called to a higher way, the Way of Christ Jesus our Lord. The Spirit is manifested in our lives so that we may be conformed not to the world, but to God, who has done all things "for the common good."

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Painting: "Christ Blessing Little Children"

by Benjamin West (1738 - 1820)