St. Joseph the Worker

The commemoration of St. Joseph the Worker falls on the first day of May, the month that is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and was fixed in the calendar by Pope Pius XII in 1955. The pope expressed the hope that this feast would accentuate the dignity of labour and would bring a spiritual dimension to the work we do.

The teaching of the Church reaches back into the Old Testament, when we read in the Book of Genesis that God created man, and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend to it. From that time, God, who is the creator and ruler of the universe, has called men and women in every age to develop and use their talents for the good of others, and as a way of sharing in the creative work of God. 

In every kind of labour we are to remember that we are obeying the command of God to use our talents, and to receive the fruit of our labours. Our work allows us to provide for our own needs, and for the needs of those for whom we are responsible. It also allows us to show proper charity towards those who are in need.

The Church asks us to look to St. Joseph on this day, and follow his example of work, by which he showed his love and responsibility for the Blessed Virgin Mary and for the Child Jesus. St. Joseph shows the dignity of work. Whether it is manual work, or any other kind of work, we are to do it in a spirit of cooperation with God, and as an offering to Him. Any task, well done, is an offering to God. When we work, we should see it as a work done for God, and it is part of what shows that we are created in His image. In creation itself, God worked for six days, and rested the seventh. So in our own lives, we are to keep that balance between using our energy for work, and then out of respect for our minds and bodies, give a day for our spiritual and physical renewal.

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Holy Joseph, Intercessor

Unto thee God’s children sing;

Be our Patron and Protector,

To God’s throne our praises bring.

Faithful Spouse of faithful Virgin,

Lover of God’s purity;

From thy worthy place in heaven,

Pray that we may faithful be.

Guardian of the Word Incarnate,

Silent guide of God’s own Son;

Guard our hearts and lead us onward

To the life that Christ has won.

Humble man in lofty station,

God has poured His grace on thee;

Pray such grace to us be given,

That we live eternally.

Text: Fr. Christopher G. Phillips, 1991

Music: "Stuttgart" adapted by C. F. Witt, 1715

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O God, the Creator of all things, who hast appointed for mankind the law of labour: graciously grant that through the example and patronage of Saint Joseph we may accomplish the work that thou hast commanded, and attain unto the rewards that thou dost promise; 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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Pictured: "Our Saviour Subject To His Parents At Nazareth"

by John Rogers Herbert 1810–1890

Living Art

Each day's visit to my pond is almost like finding another Claude Monet painting!

St. Pius V, the Pope of Lepanto

Pope St. Pius V - Michael Ghislieri - was born into a poor family on 17 January 1504. He spent his childhood working as a shepherd, until he entered the Dominican Order at the age of fourteen. His keen intelligence served well, and eventually he was ordained as a bishop, ultimately occupying the Throne of St. Peter.

St. Pius V lived in times much like our own. The Council of Trent took place during his lifetime, and as is the case with most Councils, there was a time of confusion following. He spent much of his life -- before his time as pope, and then until his death -- working to implement the principles of the Council, and strengthening the witness of the Catholic Church.

A very important event took place on October 7, 1571. It is associated with Our Lady, and also with Pope St. Pius V.

For some time the Muslims had attempted to conquer Europe, not only for political reasons, but also in an attempt to destroy the Church and impose Islam throughout the known world.

On that clear October morning a huge gathering of ships appeared in the Mediterranean Sea, near the Greek port of Lepanto - 280 Turkish ships, and 212 Christian ships. For years the Muslims had been raiding Christian areas around the Mediterranean and had carried off thousands of Christians into slavery. In fact, all of the ships gathered on that morning were powered by rowers – and the Muslim ships had nearly 15,000 Christian slaves in chains, being forced to pull the oars to guide the ships into battle. The Catholic fleet was under the command of Don Juan of Austria, but the Catholic fleet was at a great disadvantage in its power and military ability. This was a battle that would decide the fate of the world – either the Turks would be victorious and the Church destroyed, or the Catholics would be victorious and would put down the Muslim threat.

Pope St. Pius V knew the importance of victory. He called upon all of Europe to pray the rosary, asking for the intercession of Our Lady, that God would grant a Catholic victory. Although it seemed hopeless, the people prayed. Don Juan guided his battleships into the middle of the Turkish fleet; meanwhile, many of the Christian slaves had managed to escape their chains and poured out of the holds of the Muslim ships, attacking the Turks and swinging their chains, throwing the Muslims overboard. The combination of the attack by the Catholic fleet and the uprising of the Christian slaves meant that there was a great victory by the Catholics fleet over the mighty Turkish fleet.

We know today that this victory was decisive. It prevented the Islamic invasion of Europe at that time, and it showed the Hand of God working through Our Lady. At the hour of victory, St. Pope Pius V, who was hundreds of miles away in his Papal residence, is said to have gotten up from a meeting, went over to a window, and through supernatural knowledge exclaimed, "The Christian fleet is victorious!" and he wept tears of thanksgiving to God.

This day has been remembered throughout the Church, first as Our Lady of Victory, and then as Our Lady of the Holy Rosary – remembering the victory God granted, and also remembering the means by which that victory was achieved – that it was an intervention by God through the prayers offered by praying the Rosary... something we might consider in our own generation.

O God, who for the confusion of the enemies of thy Church, and for the restoring of the honour of thy worship, didst appoint thy blessed Saint Pius V to be Chief among thy Pastors: grant that we, being defended by his intercession, may so steadfastly follow after thy commandments, that we may overcome all the devices of our enemies, and rejoice in perpetual peace and security; 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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Painting: "Pope Pius V"

by Scipione Pulzone (1544-1598)

Eucharistic Miracle in Siena

In observing the feast of St. Catherine, I remember the many pilgrimages to Italy we've made over the years, and we have gone frequently to the wonderful city of Siena on our way from Assisi back to Rome.  

Not only is Siena a center of devotion to St. Catherine and St. Bernardine, but there is a Eucharistic miracle there.  

We've often celebrated Mass in the chapel where the miraculous Hosts are reserved, and on more than one occasion I have had the privilege of giving Benediction with these Hosts.  To read an article about this miracle, go here.

St. Catherine of Siena

St. Catherine was born in Siena in the year 1347, and she was the last of 25 children born to her parents. Her father was a wealthy man in the business of dying wool. From her earliest life, Catherine was a different kind of child, spiritually sensitive, and being part of such a large family, she liked to find times when she could be alone with God. It was at the age of six that she had some sort of vision near the Church of San Domenico in Siena. From that moment onward, she followed an even stricter path of devotion, and when she was only seven, she dedicated herself to Christ, taking a private and internal vow that she would never marry, but would live only to serve God.

She wanted very much to dedicate herself to Religious life, and although her parents initially resisted the idea, eventually her father gave in and allowed Catherine to follow whatever she felt God was calling her to do. In 1363, when she was just 15 years old, Catherine became a Dominican Tertiary, and wore the black cloak which designated her as a Dominican sister. She began to increase her charitable work, and spent a great deal of her time in a nearby hospital, caring for the sick.

Throughout this time she became known as someone who gave excellent spiritual guidance, as more and more people came to her, or wrote to her, for spiritual advice. In fact, she became well-known throughout the Church as a devout and gifted spiritual guide, and even as a mystic. It was during a visit to the city of Pisa that she received the stigmata in the presence of a crucifix hanging in the Church of Santa Cristina.

As her spiritual fame grew, she was even asked to travel to different countries to act as a mediator for the papacy, which was at that time in exile at Avignon in France. She was very strong in voicing her opinion to Pope Gregory that he needed to bring the Papal Court back to Rome, and unify the Church. When the terrible situation arose with the false election of a second Pope, leading the Church to the edge of schism, she was instrumental in restoring the true Pope to his rightful place.

In the year 1380, when she was just 33 years old, St. Catherine died. She was eventually proclaimed to be a saint, and along with St. Francis of Assisi, St Catherine of Siena was made patron saint of Italy. Pope Paul VI conferred on her the title of Doctor of the Universal Church, and in 1999 she was proclaimed co-patron saint of Europe by Pope St. John Paul II.

O Merciful God, who gavest to thy servant Saint Catherine of Siena a wondrous love of the Passion of Christ: grant that, through her prayers; we thy people may be united to him in his majesty and rejoice for ever in the revelation of his glory; 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. Catherine of Siena"

by Alessandro Franchi (1838–1914)

Laying a foundation

It was 806 years today that the foundation stones were laid at Salisbury Cathedral.

Work began in 1220 at the east end of the Cathedral, with the Bishop laying the first stones. He was joined by local nobles, including William and Ela Longespée, the Earl and Countess of Salisbury. Records tell us that it was witnessed by a "great crowd of people who shouted and wept for joy."

I spent a few very happy years studying at the Theological College adjacent to the cathedral, and I have treasured memories of worshipping in this hallowed place.

St. Louis de Montfort

The life of St. Louis de Montfort is inextricably bound to his work of promoting genuine devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. In fact, his personal motto was “Totus tuus” (“Completely yours”), the same motto later chosen by Pope St. John Paul II.

St. Louis was born in the Breton village of Montfort, close to Rennes, France, and in fact, came to identify himself by the adoption of his place of birth and baptism, in essence replacing his family name of Grignion.

After being educated by the Jesuits and the Sulpicians, he was ordained as a priest in 1700, and almost immediately he began preaching parish missions throughout western France. His years of ministering to the poor led him to travel and live in virtual poverty, sometimes even causing problems with his superiors, who did not understand the unique call God had given to St. Louis. Through his preaching, thousand of people who had lapsed in the Faith were called back to active life in the Church. In his preaching he recommended frequent, even daily, reception of Holy Communion, which was not the normal practice at that time. In all things he urged the Faithful to imitate the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary by practicing the daily acceptance of God’s divine Will in all things.

St. Louis founded the Missionaries of the Company of Mary for priests and brothers, and the Daughters of Wisdom, who cared especially for the sick. His book True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin has become a classic guide to Marian devotion.

St. Louis died in 1716 in Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre, where a basilica was erected in his honour and which contains his tomb. He was canonized in 1947.

O God, who didst will to direct the steps of thy Priest Saint Louis de Montfort along the way of salvation and of the love of Christ, in the company of the Blessed Virgin: grant us, by his example; that, meditating on the mysteries of thy love, we may strive tirelessly for the building up of thy Church; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

St. Peter Chanel, Priest and Martyr

On April 28, 1841, a band of native warriors entered the hut of a missionary priest, Father Peter Chanel on the island of Futuna in the New Hebrides islands – now called Vanuatu. They clubbed the missionary to death and cut up his body with hatchets. But just two years after this murder, the complete population of the island was Catholic. St. Peter Chanel's death bears witness to the ancient axiom that "the blood of martyrs is the seed of Christians."

What led up to this wonderful conversion of so many people? St. Peter Chanel came there as the fulfillment of a dream he had had as a boy. He was born in 1803 in France. At the age of seven, he was a shepherd boy, but the local parish priest, recognizing something unusual in the boy, convinced his parents to let him study in a little school the priest had started. From there Peter went on to the seminary, and was ordained a priest and assigned to a very difficult, run-down parish. In three short years there was a complete transformation of the people in the parish – whereas there had been very few who practiced the Faith, when he left, nearly everyone had returned to the Sacraments.

In 1831, he felt called by God to enter a missionary society of priests, and his dream of going to mission territory finally happened in 1836. He was sent to the island of Futuna, where he had to suffer great hardships, disappointments, frustration, and almost complete failure, as well as the opposition of the local chieftain. The work seemed hopeless: only a few had been baptized, and the chieftain continued to be suspicious and hostile. Then, when the chief's son asked for baptism, the chief was so angry that he sent warriors to kill the missionary. It would have seemed that was the end. St. Peter Chanel did not live to see any success coming from his hard work, but his violent death brought about the conversion of the island, and the people of Futuna remain Catholic to this day.

O God, who for the spreading of thy Church didst crown Saint Peter Chanel with martyrdom: grant that, in these days of Paschal joy, we may so celebrate the mysteries of Christ’s Death and Resurrection as to bear worthy witness to newness of life; 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.

Jesus, Our True Shepherd

Jesus said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber; but he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 

– St. John 10:1, 2

One of the beautiful images we have of Jesus is as our Shepherd. Scripture says that we are “the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.” He is our crucified and risen Shepherd. He died as a Lamb to save the sheep, and He lives to guide His flock to eternal life.

The Lord Jesus is, in a special way, the incarnation of the twenty-third Psalm. He shepherds us, and we rest in the green pastures of His presence. He anoints our heads with the oil of His Spirit in the quiet waters of Holy Baptism. He prepares the table of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in the presence of our fiercest enemies - sin, death, and the devil - and He feeds us with His own Body and Blood. He restores our souls by forgiving our sins. He guides us in the paths of righteousness by His Word, which is the rod of His Law, the staff of His Gospel. He leads us through the dark valley of death on to eternal life.

Jesus is the shepherd of the sheep, and He says that He is also the gate of the sheep pen, the “door of the sheep.” He uses a picture of how sheep were raised in that part of the world at that time. Sheep were kept in walled pens during the night for protection. The sheep pen had only one gate. Every morning the shepherd would stand at the gate and call out to his sheep. They would perk up at the sound of his voice and they would follow him through the gate out into the pasture. A devoted shepherd would even sleep on the ground across the opening of the sheep pen during the night to protect his flock. The shepherd literally became the “gate” for the sheep, and he would be willing to lay down his life for his sheep.

The opening to the sheep pen distinguished true and good shepherds from thieves and robbers. You could always tell if a person was a real shepherd by the way he got into the sheep pen. True shepherds entered through the gate in broad daylight in full view of the gatekeeper. False shepherds and thieves would sneak over the fence at night, in order to steal what wasn’t theirs. And so Jesus distinguishes true pastors from false ones. Those who preach Jesus Christ crucified and risen for the forgiveness of sins and who guide people through the waters of baptism on into the rich pasture land of the authentic Word of God, and into the Sacraments established by Christ, are true shepherds. But those who preach themselves and who guide people by their own self-invented methods and means are false shepherds.

Jesus warns us that there are plenty of thieves and robbers and false shepherds all around us. They promise life, but instead, they rob us of life. They teach falsely that Holy Baptism is something we do simply as a sign, instead of teaching that it’s something God does, in which He takes away the stain of sin and marks us as His own. They teach falsely that the Mass isn’t the sacrifice of Christ’s Body and Blood, but rather that it’s simply a symbolic meal in which we think fondly of what Jesus did a long time ago. These false shepherds try to turn people inward to their own beliefs, to their own piety, to their own feelings, to their own works, to their own selves, and away from Jesus and the truth which He reveals through His Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.

These are the thieves and robbers that Jesus is talking about. They look for the isolated, scattered, solitary sheep. Sheep who are separated from the flock are easy pickings for the poachers. People who aren’t grounded in the Church, and in what Christ teaches us through His Church, tend to believe in a little bit of everything, and so they wind up believing in nothing at all. Sheep who don't learn the voice of their shepherd, soon will follow any voice that happens to call to them.

Jesus came that we might have life, and have it abundantly, and the greatest freedom we can have in this life is to be sheltered in His sheep pen, the Church, to live under Him in His kingdom, to be under the watchful gaze of the crucified and risen Shepherd and Guardian of our souls.

Jesus our Good Shepherd is the door to eternal life, the only door. His death and resurrection pave the only path that leads to eternal life. One day He will stand at the gate and call each of us again by name, as He has already called us in Baptism, as He continues to call us as members of His Body. On that day we will hear His voice and follow Him through His death and resurrection, and He will raise us up, clothed with His immortality, to eternal life in Him.

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Painting: "The Good Shepherd" 

by William Dyce (1806-1864)

St. Mark, Evangelist

John Mark, later known simply as Mark, was Jewish by birth. He was the son of the woman named Mary in whose home was the Cenacle or "upper room" which served as the meeting place for the first Christians in Jerusalem. He was still a youth at the time of the Saviour's death. In his description of the young man who was present when Jesus was seized and who fled from the leaving behind his "linen cloth," he was probably speaking of himself.

During the years that followed, as Mark grew into adulthood, he witnessed the growth of the infant Church in his mother's Upper Room and came to know very well the traditions and practices of the Church, which we see included in his Gospel.

In the Acts of the Apostles we find Mark accompanying his uncle (or perhaps cousin) Barnabas and Paul on their return journey to Antioch and on their first missionary journey. But Mark wasn’t ready for the hardships of this type of work and therefore left them at Perga in Pamphylia to return home.

As the two apostles were preparing for their second missionary journey, Barnabas wanted to take Mark with him. Paul, however, objected, and so Barnabas and Mark went on a missionary journey to Cyprus. 

Time healed the strained relations between Paul and Mark, and during St. Paul’s first Roman captivity, Mark gave Paul valuable service, which St. Paul wrote about. When he was in chains the second time, Paul requested Mark's presence (2 Tim. 4:11).

A close friendship existed between St. Mark and St. Peter; he was Peter's companion, disciple, and interpreter. According to common patristic opinion, Mark was present at Peter's preaching in Rome and wrote his Gospel under the influence of St. Peter. This explains why incidents which involve Peter are described with great detail. 

Little is known of St. Mark's later life, but there is an account of his martyrdom, when he was tied to a rope and dragged over sharp stones until he was dead. At the time of his martyrdom he was the bishop of Alexandria in Egypt. His relics were transferred from Alexandria to Venice, where a worthy tomb was erected in St. Mark's Cathedral.

O Almighty God, who hast instructed thy holy Church with the heavenly doctrine of thy Evangelist Saint Mark: give us grace; that, being not like children carried away with every blast of vain doctrine, we may be established in the truth of thy holy Gospel; 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: "San Marco"

by Giovanni Antonio de' Sacchis 

"Il Pordenone" (c. 1484-1539)

It was fifty years ago...

Fifty years ago on April 24th, when I was a young man of twenty-six, I was ordained as an Anglican priest in St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Providence, Rhode Island. I had been serving as a Deacon in St. Stephen’s Southmead, in Bristol, England, and made the journey back to America for the occasion.

It was a grand affair. St. Stephen’s in Providence was known as “Smokey Steve’s,” and not without reason. Located in the midst of the Brown University campus, it was (in those days) one of those wonderful Anglo-catholic ghettoes, where those who went to “hear Mass” imagined that the whole world lived by the rubrics of the Anglican Missal and sang from The English Hymnal, a world where the Thirty-nine Articles had more to do with the number of buttons on Father’s cassock than with the detestable enormities of Rome.

April 24th was a perfect spring day that year. Cliché as it sounds, it really did feel like the first day of the rest of my life. Little did I know what a fatal fall was waiting for the Episcopal Church – or maybe I just didn’t want to see it. But I do thank God for that day, all those years ago. It opened the door for my vocation to the Catholic priesthood, a gift that still astonishes me.

St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen

St. Fidelis was born Mark Rey and took the name of "Fidelis" when he joined the Capuchin Order at the age of 35 in 1612. He was born at Sigmaringen, a town in modern-day Germany. He studied law and philosophy at Freiburg. St. Fidelis subsequently taught philosophy at the University of Freiburg, ultimately earning a doctorate in law. During his time as a student he did not drink wine, and wore a hair-shirt. He was known for his modesty, meekness, and chastity.

In 1604, he and three friends travelled through Europe, and during his travels he attended Mass very frequently; in every town where he came, he visited the hospitals and churches, passed several hours on his knees in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, and gave to the poor sometimes the very clothes off his back.

After he returned home, he took up the practice of law, and was known for his great fairness, and his dislike of ruining anyone’s reputation. He didn’t hesitate to offer his legal help to those who couldn’t afford the cost of a lawyer, and his charity earned him the name of "counsellor and advocate for the poor". He became disenchanted with some of the bad practices associated with many lawyers, and he decided to join the Capuchin friars.

When he entered the Franciscan Order of the Capuchins, he was given the religious name of "Fidelis," meaning Faithful. He finished his novitiate and his studies for the priesthood, offering his first Mass on the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi (October 4), in 1612. As soon as St Fidelis finished his course of theology, he was immediately employed in preaching and in hearing confessions. He was named to be Superior of one of the Capuchin Convents, and many people in the area were renewed in their faith, and several Protestant Calvinists were converted. The Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith commissioned Fidelis specifically for work among the Protestants.

The Protestants were very angry at this attempt to convert them. They made threats against Fidelis' life, and he began to prepare himself for martyrdom. It was on April 24, 1622, that St Fidelis made his confession, said Mass, and then went out to preach. During the sermon, leaders of the Protestants called for his death. One of them discharged his musket at him in the Church, but missed him, and the Catholics begged him to leave the place, but he was ready to lay down his life. As he went out and was on the road, a group of about twenty Calvinists started to harass him, calling him a false prophet. One of them beat him down to the ground by a stroke on the head with his sword. Fidelis rose again on his knees, and stretching forth his arms in the form of a cross, and prayed to God for their pardon. Another sword struck him in the head, and he fell to the ground and lay in a pool of his own blood. His attackers continued to stab him, and they hacked off his left leg, saying it was punishment for him coming to preach to them. He was buried by the Catholics the next day, and many who had participated in St Fidelis' martyrdom, were converted, and received into the Catholic Church.

O God, who didst enkindle blessed Fidelis with seraphic ardour of spirit in the propagation of the true Faith, and didst vouchsafe to adorn him with the palm of martyrdom, and with glorious miracles: we beseech thee; that, by his merits and intercession, thou wouldest so confirm us through thy grace in faith and charity; that in thy service we may be worthy to be found faithful, 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.

The Martyr St. George

St. George was born in Cappadocia in what is now Turkey, sometime in the third century. His father died when George was still young and he went with his mother to Palestine, which is where she had come from. Her family there was quite wealthy, and she had a large estate, which fell to George. He was strong and robust, and having embraced the profession of a soldier, was made a tribune in the army of the Emperor Diocletian. He showed himself to be an excellent soldier, very brave, and he received many honours and advancements in his military career.

When Diocletian began persecuting the Christian religion, St. George gave up his commission and posts, and complained to the emperor himself of his severities and bloody edicts. He was immediately cast into prison, and put on trial, questioned and tortured with great cruelty; but nothing could shake his constancy. The next day he was led through the city and beheaded.

So what of the account of St. George slaying the dragon? According to the story, a terrible dragon, which lived in a marshy swamp, had ravaged all the country round a city of Libya, called Selena. It would come near the city looking for something to eat, and when it breathed, it would spread sickness throughout all the people. The people decided to give the monster two sheep every day to satisfy its hunger, but, when they ran out of sheep, they would give the dragon a human victim, whom they would choose by lot. On one occasion the lot fell to the king's little daughter. The king offered all his wealth to purchase a substitute, but the people had said that no substitutes would be allowed, and so the maiden, dressed as a bride, was led to the swamp.

At that very time, St. George happened to ride by, and he asked the young girl what she did, but she warned him to leave her, because his own life was in danger. St. George stayed, however, and when the dragon appeared, St. George, making the sign of the cross, bravely attacked it and stabbed it with his lance, wounding it. Then asking the maiden for her belt, he bound it round the neck of the monster, and the princess was able to lead it without any struggle, back to the town. St. George told the people not to be afraid, but only be baptized, after which he cut off the dragon's head and the townsfolk were all converted. The king would have given George half his kingdom, but the saint replied that he must ride on, bidding the king meanwhile take good care of God's churches, honour the clergy, and have pity on the poor.

This account keeps before us the importance of the witness of St. George, who fought against the Emperor and against all those things that were trying to destroy the Church. The lesson is that good eventually will conquer evil, and all we need to do is put our fear aside, and live in the grace of our baptism.

O God of hosts, who didst so kindle the flame of love in the heart of thy servant George that he bore witness to the risen Lord by his life and by his death: grant us the same power of faith and love; that we, who rejoice in his triumphs, may come to share with him the fulness of the Resurrection; 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.

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My private chapel is placed under the patronage and protection of St. George - a saint who is special to our family. On both the maternal and paternal sides of my family the name of George is quite common. 

Today is the sixth anniversary of the first Mass offered in this Chapel of the Martyr St. George. I offer Mass every day at the altar here, which means that so far there have been some 2,000 Masses celebrated in this lovely little chapel, and we pray there will be many more. I receive almost daily requests for intentions to be included in the Masses here, and it is my privilege to do so.

I had not fully appreciated George as a saint until I became a Catholic, and I find his story, and the legends growing up around him, to be fascinating. I had no idea how ubiquitous his name is in the Holy Land until the first time I visited there, and I was sure that every third or fourth Christian man I met was named George (not really, but it seemed so).

The icon of St. George pictured above is at the altar in the chapel. 

The Rood Screen and Altar

Mass on St. George's Day

An exterior view of the Chapel

Heat and Light

What is it about faith and good works which makes them so inextricably bound together? Together they are like a single flame which gives both heat and light. Where one is present, so the other must be.

The Christian faith, and those good works which accompany it, comprise that single flame which enlightens the world, driving away the shadows of sorrow and death, and shedding the warmth of God's love upon all who encounter it.

St. Anselm of Canterbury

"I do not seek to understand that I may believe, but I believe in order to understand. For this I believe - that unless I believe, I should not understand."

  - St. Anselm of Canterbury, Proslogium, Chapter 1

St. Anselm was uninterested in the Church and in religion generally in his youth, but he eventually became one of the Church's greatest theologians and leaders. He received the title "Father of Scholasticism" for his attempt to analyze and illumine the truths of faith through the aid of reason.

At the age of 15 Anselm experienced a change in attitude towards religion and felt strongly that he wanted to enter a monastery, but was refused acceptance because of his father's opposition. Twelve years later, after once again having lost interest in religion and with years of worldly living behind him, he finally fulfilled his desire to be a monk. He entered the monastery of Bec in Normandy, three years later was elected prior, and 15 years later was unanimously chosen abbot.

Considered an original and independent thinker, Anselm was admired for his patience, gentleness and teaching skill. Under his leadership, the abbey of Bec became a monastic school, influential in philosophical and theological studies. During these years, at the community's request, Anselm began publishing his theological works, comparable to those of St. Augustine. His best-known work is the book Cur Deus Homo ("Why God Became Man").

At 60, and really against his will, Anselm was appointed archbishop of Canterbury in 1093. His appointment was opposed at first by England's King William Rufus, the son of William the Conqueror, but the king eventually accepted the appointment. Rufus persistently refused to cooperate with efforts to reform the Church. Anselm finally went into voluntary exile until Rufus died in 1100. He was then recalled to England by Henry I, who was Rufus's brother and successor. Disagreeing fearlessly with Henry over the king's insistence on investing England's bishops, Anselm spent another three years in exile in Rome.

His care and concern extended to the very poorest people, and he was known for his opposition to the slave trade. In fact, Anselm obtained from the national council at Westminster the passage of a resolution prohibiting the sale of human beings. Anselm, like every true follower of Christ, had to carry his cross, especially in the form of opposition and conflict with those in political control. Though personally a mild and gentle man and a lover of peace, he would not back off from conflict and persecution when principles were at stake.

O Everlasting God, who gavest to thy Bishop Anselm singular gifts as a pastor and teacher: grant that we, like him, may desire thee with our whole heart; and, so desiring, may seek thee and, seeking, may find 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.

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Illustration: "St. Anselm"

from a 12th century manuscript