October 17, 2014

The Feast of Ignatius of Antioch ~ Early Church Father

About St. Ignatius’s life little is known. He was born ca. 35 or 50 and died in 107.[i] It is known to be a fact that he was the Bishop of Antioch after Saint Peter and Saint Evodius, and that Peter himself appointed Ignatius to the see of Antioch (as recorded by the author and theologian Theordoret). And it is known that he was a martyr and died in 107 C.E. during the reign of the Emperor Trajan[ii].

Authorities from the 500s C.E. report that Ignatius served as bishop of Antioch for 40 years. Antioch was one of the most important Christian communities of that era, (Acts 11:26) and Ignatius would have been well known in those Christian communities. Antioch was a major metropolitan area; it was the capital of the Roman province of Syria and the second city of the empire, following Rome. If Ignatius were Antioch’s bishop for 40 years, then he would have been a man of tremendous fame.

Besides his Greek name, Ignatius, he also called himself Theophorus (“God Bearer”), and tradition says he was one of the children Jesus took in His arms and blessed. He based his authority on his being a bishop of the Church, living his life in the imitation of Christ. It is believed that St. Ignatius, along with his friend Polycarp, with great probability were disciples of the Apostle St. John. The Eucharistic spirituality of his letters seems to give this credence.

What we know of his martyrdom comes from letters that are attributed to him. St. Ignatius reports his arrest by the authorities and his travel to Rome:

From Syria even to Rome I fight with wild beasts, by land and sea, by night and by day, being bound amidst ten leopards, (meaning guards), even a company of soldiers, who only grow worse when they are kindly treated. —Ignatius to the Romans, 5.

He was sentenced to die, to be devoured by lions. As he approached execution, Ignatius identified himself more and more with the sacrifice of the altar. He wrote:

“I am writing to all the Churches and I enjoin all, that I am dying willingly for God’s sake, if only you do not prevent it. I beg you, do not do me an untimely kindness. Allow me to be eaten by the beasts, which are my way of reaching to God. I am God’s wheat, and I am to be ground by the teeth of wild beasts, so that I may become the pure bread of Christ.” Ignatius to the Romans, 4.

After Ignatius’ martyrdom in the Flavian Amphitheatre, his remains were honorably carried back to Antioch by his companions, and were first interred outside the city gates, then removed by the Emperor Theodosius II to the Tychaeum, or Temple of Tyche, which was then converted into a church dedicated to Ignatius. In 637 the relics were translated to the Church of St. Clement in Rome.

Along the route to his execution, he wrote six letters to the churches in the region, and one to a fellow bishop, his friend, Polycarp. These letters have been preserved as an example of early Christian theology. Important topics addressed in these letters include ecclesiology, the sacraments, and the role of bishops. The letters of Ignatius have proved to be an important testimony to the development of Christian theology, and affect our ecclesiology to this day. They bear signs of being written in great haste and without a proper plan, such as the use of run-on sentences and an unsystematic succession of thought. Ignatius is the earliest known Christian writer to emphasize loyalty to a single bishop in each city (or diocese) who is assisted by both presbyters possibly elders and deacons. Earlier writings only mention either bishops or presbyters, and give the impression that there was usually more than one bishop per congregation. Ignatius is an indisputable witness to the hierarchical constitution of the church at the beginning of the second century. Also, it is in Ignatius’s writings that we first encounter the word, “priest” among orders of the clergy:

“See that you follow the bishop, even as Jesus Christ follows the Father. Follow the priest as you would follow the apostles. And reverence the deacons as you would reverence the command of God. Let no man do anything connected with the Church without the Bishop.” – Smyrnaeans 6-8.

“Take care to do all things in harmony with God, with the bishop presiding in the place of God, and with the priests in the place of the council of the apostles, and with the deacons, who are most dear to me, entrusted with the business of Jesus Christ, who was with the Father from the beginning and is at last made manifest.” —Letter to the Magnesians 2, 6:1.

Ignatius is known to have taught the deity of Christ,:

“There is one Physician who is possessed both of flesh and spirit; both made and not made; God existing in flesh; true life in death; both of Mary and of God; first possible and then impossible, even Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Ignatius stressed the value of the Eucharist, calling it a “medicine of immortality” (Ignatius to the Ephesians 20:2). He also wrote:

“Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. He who eats this bread will live forever.”

The very strong desire for bloody martyrdom in the arena, which Ignatius expresses rather graphically in places, may seem quite odd and disturbing to the modern reader. An examination of his theology of soteriology (his beliefs about salvation) shows that he regarded salvation as one being free from the powerful fear of death and thus to bravely face martyrdom. He wrote:

“Let fire and the cross; let the crowds of wild beasts; let tearings, breakings, and dislocations of bones; let cutting off of members; let shatterings of the whole body; and let all the dreadful torments of the devil come upon me; only let me attain to Jesus Christ.[iii]

Ignatius is claimed to be the first known Christian writer to argue in favor of Christianity’s replacement of the Sabbath with the Lord’s Day:

“Be not seduced by strange doctrines nor by antiquated fables, which are profitless. For if even unto this day we live after the manner of Judaism, we avow that we have not received grace…. If then those who had walked in ancient practices attained unto newness of hope, no longer observing Sabbaths but fashioning their lives after the Lord’s day, on which our life also arose through Him and through His death which some men deny … how shall we be able to live apart from Him? … It is monstrous to talk of Jesus Christ and to practice Judaism. For Christianity did not believe in Judaism, but Judaism in Christianity.” — Ignatius to the Magnesians 8:1, 9:1-2, 10

He is also responsible for the first known use of the Greek word “katholikos” meaning “universal”, “complete” and “whole” to describe the church, writing:

“Wherever the bishop appears, there let the people be; as wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church. It is not lawful to baptize or give communion without the consent of the bishop. On the other hand, whatever has his approval is pleasing to God. Thus, whatever is done will be safe and valid.” — Letter to the Smyrnaeans 8.

It is from the word katholikos (“according to the whole”) that the word catholic comes. When Ignatius wrote the Letter to the Smyrnaeans in about the year 107 and used the word “catholic,” he used it as if it were a word already in use to describe the Church. This has led many scholars to conclude that the appellation “Catholic Church” with its ecclesial connotation may have been in use as early as the last quarter of the 1st century.

On the Eucharist, Ignatius wrote in his letter to the Smyrnaeans:

Take note of those who hold heterodox opinions on the grace of Jesus Christ which has come to us, and see how contrary their opinions are to the mind of God. . . . They abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer because they do not confess that the Eucharist is the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ, flesh which suffered for our sins and which that Father, in his goodness, raised up again. They who deny the gift of God are perishing in their disputes. — Letter to the Smyrnaeans 6:2–7:1.

In Western and Syriac Christianity Saint Ignatius’s feast is celebrated on 17 October. He is celebrated on 1 February by the Roman Catholics following the General Roman Calendar of 1962.

[i] Brauer, Jerald, (ed.) The Westminster Dictionary of Church History, (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1971).

[ii] Aquilina, Mike, The Mass of the Early Christians, (Huntington, IN: Our Sunday Visitor, Inc., 2007) p. 75.

[iii] Aquilina, Mike, The Fathers of the Church, (Huntington, IN: Our Sunday Visitor, Inc., 1999) p. 68.

October 15, 2014

“God Alone Is Enough” — St. Teresa of Avila ~ The Rev. Dcn. Sr. Dollie Wilkinson, OPI

Saint Teresa of Avila (Saint Theresa of Jesus)
Born in Avila, Spain March 28, 1515; died in Alba de Tormes, October 4 [15], 1582
Foundress of the Discalced Carmelites, 1560-62.
Canonized by Gregory XV, 1622; declared a Doctor of the Church in 1970.

Spanish mystic, writer and reformer of the Carmelite order.

St Terese of Avila was an influential and pivotal figure of her generation.St Teresa (Teresa de Cepeda y Ahumada) was born in Avila, Spain on 28th March 1515. Her parents were both pious Catholics and in some ways inspired their daughter to take up a life of prayer. As a young child Teresa showed signs of a deeply religious nature; she would often retreat into silence for prayer and would enjoy giving alms to the poor. She was very close to her Mother, who provided a warm counterbalance, to the strictness of her father. However in her teens, Teresa’s mother passed away, leaving the young Teresa distraught at the void she felt. The young St Teresa tells of her despair and how she turned instinctively to the Virgin Mary for comfort.

“I threw myself down in despair before an image of the Mother of God. With many tears, I implored the Holy Virgin to become my mother now. Uttered with the simplicity of a child, this prayer was heard. From that hour on, I never prayed to the Virgin in vain.”

During her later teen years Avila lost some of her early piety and religious zeal. She recounted how she became interested in worldly matters and enjoyed the company of a wide circle of friends. She had a natural charm and found it easy to make friends. In return she enjoyed the compliments and friendships of others. However, she was not at peace, considering herself to be a miserable sinner; later she would look back in guilt at her early life. However this sense of being a “miserable sinner” was probably the result of a harsh self-judgment, encouraged by her fathers exacting religious standards. At the age of 16, her father decided to send Teresa to a convent school to be educated.

This re-ignited in Avila an interest in following a spiritual life and after some deliberation resolved to become a nun of the Carmelite Order. At the time the convent rules were not very strict; it was probably more relaxed than living with her father. At the time the convent accepted many people into the order, often for financial reasons. The convent became overcrowded and people were often judged not on the basis of spiritual intensity but on material possessions. In this climate, Teresa struggled to find time for quite reflection; although she did start teaching people on the virtues of mental prayer.

Shortly after becoming a nun, Avila experienced a severe illness (malaria), which left her in great pain for a long period. At one point it was feared that her illness was so severe that she would not be able to recover. However during this period of intense physical pain, she began to increasingly experience divine visions and an inner sense of peace. These inner experiences of joy and peace seemed to transcend the intense physical pain of the body.

When she was a little better she resumed her prayers with renewed vigor. However after telling others of her visions and spiritual experiences, she was dissuaded from persuading them. Certain clergy felt they were just delusions of the devil. As a result, for many years Teresa lost the confidence to pursue her prayers and her spiritual life was almost put on hold. However, when Teresa was 41, she met a Priest who convinced her to go back to her prayers and implore God to come back. Initially, she had some difficulty sitting through prayers. She wryly remarked the end of the hour’s prayer couldn’t come soon enough. However, in the course of time, she became absorbed in deep contemplation in which she felt an ever growing sense of oneness with God. At times she felt overwhelmed with divine love. The experiences were so transforming, she at times felt the illumining grace of God would wash her soul away. She was so filled with divine contemplation it is said at times her body would spontaneously levitate. Teresa, however was not keen on these public displays of “miracles”. When she felt it happening she would ask other nuns to sit on her to prevent her floating away.

Teresa was not a just a quiet, placid saint. She had an endearing, natural quality; her life energy attracted and inspired many who were close. They admired her for both her outer charm and inner serenity. But at the same time her religious ecstasies also caused jealousy and suspicion. Unfortunately she was born into the period of the Spanish inquisition, during this time any deviation from the orthodox religious experience came under the strict observation and scrutiny. On one occasion Teresa complained to God about her mistreatment from so many different people. God replied to her saying “That is how I always treat my friends” with good humour St Teresa replied “That must be why you have so few friends”. St Teresa struggled because there were few who could understand or appreciate her inner ecstasies. However on the one hand she felt these experiences to be more real than ordinary events.

At the age of 43, St Teresa decided she wanted to found a new order recommitting to the values of poverty and simplicity. She wanted to move away from her present convent which made a life of prayer more difficult. Initially her aims were greeted with widespread opposition from within the town of Avila. However, with the support of some priests, the opposition waned and she was allowed to set up her first convent. St Teresa proved to be an influential leader and founder. She guided the nuns not just through strict disciplines, but also through the power of love, and common sense. Her way was not the way of rigid asceticism and self denial. Although she underwent many tribulations herself, to others she stressed the importance of experiencing God’s love.

St Teresa devoted much of the rest of her life to traveling around Spain setting up new convents based along the ancient monastic traditions. Her travels and work were not always greeted with enthusiasm, many resented her reforms and the implied criticism of existing religious orders. She often met with criticism including the papal nuncio who used the rather descriptive phrase “a restless disobedient gadabout who has gone about teaching as though she were a professor” St Teresa also had to frequently contend with difficult living conditions and her frail health. However she never let these obstacles dissuade her from her life’s task. She eventually died on October 4 at the age of 67. In 1566 she wroteCamino de perfeccion (Way of Perfection) in about 1566, to tell the nuns how to reach their goal. In 1580 she wrote what is considered her greatest work; the Castillo interior/ Las moradas(Interior castle/ The mansions) this involved describing the various stages of spiritual evolution leading to full prayer; she wrote Las Fundaciones (Foundations) from 1573 to 1582, so they would remember the early history of their order.

“God alone is enough.”

St. Theresa’s most popularly known writing, is a brief poem, which is known as her “Bookmark”, because it was found in her prayer book after her death in 1582. It has been variously translated into English, and has been very widely circulated.

Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you,
All things are passing away:
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things.
Whoever has God lacks nothing;
God alone suffices.

Teresa lived in an age of exploration as well as political, social and religious upheaval. It was the 16th century, a time of turmoil and reform. She was born before the Protestant Reformation and died almost 20 years after the closing of the Council of Trent.

The gift of God to Teresa in and through which she became holy and left her mark on the Church and the world is threefold: She was a woman; she was a contemplative; she was an active reformer.

As a woman, Teresa stood on her own two feet, even in the man’s world of her time. She was “her own woman,” entering the Carmelites despite strong opposition from her father. She is a person wrapped not so much in silence as in mystery. Beautiful, talented, outgoing, adaptable, affectionate, courageous, enthusiastic, she was totally human. Like Jesus, she was a mystery of paradoxes: wise, yet practical; intelligent, yet much in tune with her experience; a mystic, yet an energetic reformer. A holy woman, a womanly woman.

Teresa was a woman “for God,” a woman of prayer, discipline and compassion. Her heart belonged to God. Her ongoing conversion was an arduous lifelong struggle, involving ongoing purification and suffering. She was misunderstood, misjudged, opposed in her efforts at reform. Yet she struggled on, courageous and faithful; she struggled with her own mediocrity, her illness, her opposition. And in the midst of all this she clung to God in life and in prayer. Her writings on prayer and contemplation are drawn from her experience: powerful, practical and graceful. A woman of prayer; a woman for God.

Teresa was a woman “for others.” Though a contemplative, she spent much of her time and energy seeking to reform herself and the Carmelites, to lead them back to the full observance of the primitive Rule. She founded over a half-dozen new monasteries. She traveled, wrote, fought—always to renew, to reform. In her self, in her prayer, in her life, in her efforts to reform, in all the people she touched, she was a woman for others, a woman who inspired and gave life.

Her writings, especially the “Way of Perfection”and “The Interior Castle”, have helped generations of believers.

In 1970, the Church gave her the title she had long held in the popular mind: Doctor of the Church. She and St. Catherine of Siena were the first women so honored.

October 13, 2014

Blessed Peter of Tiferno

After an uneventful childhood, Peter Capucci applied for admission to the Dominicans. He and the frail, youthful Saint Antoninus were both received into the order on the Vigil of the Feast of the Assumption 1405. Their novice master was Blessed Lawrence of Ripafratta. Peter counted the artist-brothers Fra Angelico and Fra Benedetto as his friends. Peter spent his novitiate at Cortona, remained there when some of his community moved to Fiesole, was ordained, and began his apostolate all in Cortona.

Not much about Peter is truly remarkable when he is viewed in the light of his neighboring luminaries, but he glittered enough to have gained the attention of the Church. He was noted for regularity, patience, and humility–virtues not terribly common in any age. He took upon himself the job of begging for alms as a means of atoning for his noble birth. Of course, just as we might treat the homeless, some treated Peter rudely but that did not disturb him. He quietly persisted in his humble work to ensure that his brothers had food and that there were alms for the poor. We are told that one rich wine merchant refused Peter saying that the barrels in the cellar were all empty. A little later he found to his horror that they were indeed all empty. He immediately sent for the friar, apologized, and begged him to bless the barrels and restore the wine–which Peter did without hesitation.

Other miracles were attributed to Peter, too. A woman’s withered hand was restored. Two unjustly condemned men were miraculously preserved from execution. Once, walking through the cloister, Peter came upon a disreputable man. Peter prophesied that the man would day within a day. The man laughed, but died in the middle of the night after having sent for Peter to give him the sacraments. Peter Capucci became known as “the preacher of death,” because he used to preach with a skull in his hands. He apparently had the ability to read hearts and could expertly point out uncomfortable truths to unwilling listeners.

When Peter died, he was buried in a humble grave. Miracles began to occur there; thus, his fame grew. A prominent man who had been paralyzed for three years, received the use of his limbs at the grave, after he had promised to pay the expenses for an annual celebration in Peter’s honor. In 1597, Peter’s relics were moved to a more suitable place (Benedictines, Dorcy).

Born: at Città di Castello (the ancient Tifernum), in 1390

Died: 1445

Beatified: cultus confirmed by Pius VII in 1816

October 12, 2014

Ready? Set! What?????? ~Br. Michael Marshall, Postulant

Gospel Matt 22:1-14

1 Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests and elders of the people in parables, saying, 2 “The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son.
3 He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come. 4 A second time he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those invited: “Behold, I have prepared my banquet,
my calves and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready; come to the feast.”’ 5 Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business. 6 The rest laid hold of his servants,
mistreated them, and killed them. 7 The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come.
9 Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.’ 10 The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike, and the hall was filled with guests.
11 But when the king came in to meet the guests, he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment. 12 The king said to him, ‘My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?’
But he was reduced to silence. 13 Then the king said to his attendants, ‘Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’ 14 Many are invited, but few are chosen.”

A young man entered college to fulfill his dream of becoming an architect, and initially he succeeded in his studies. He really enjoyed college, and made many friends during the first semester. Even though he was only a freshman, he was invited to many parties. Because of attending parties, the second semester ended up not going so well. He was more into socializing with friends instead of studying, and what studying he did was short of cramming. On the day of a mid-term exam, he scurried out of bed to get to there on time. The syllabus stated if a student was late for an exam, the exam would have to be made up with a percentage of the score deducted from 100% based upon the amount of time late. He barely made it to the exam before the materials were passed out.

He figured he would be able to pass the exam because he had showed up to at least half of the class sessions and took decent notes. For this exam he did not study for the exam thinking he could answer the questions based on what he thought he remembered from his notes and other things from the lectures when attending class. Unfortunately, most of the questions on the exam had to deal with material he missed when not attending class. Only a third of the questions pertained to the material in his notes. He recognized those questions, but had not studied enough to answer every question correctly. Needless to say, he failed the exam, and flunked out of college.

The most important events in life take being prepared for them. The Gospel reading from Matthew speaks to being prepared. The man in the street invited to the wedding feast shows up without a wedding garment, which is required to attend the wedding celebration. The man was not prepared for the wedding feast, therefore put back on the street. The college student did not devote the proper amount of time to studying for his courses, and his lack of preparedness resulted in failing exams and flunking out of college after only one year.

Unlike the person in the street and the college student, it is not always easy to be prepared for situations in life, but we should try to be. Not every situation is like an exam. We might be thrown into a situation which catches us off guard, yet when we have the “know how” we will be able to achieve what is supposed to happen. Let’s take the example of someone driving down the road and a tire goes flat. People generally do not check their tires for leaks every time they get into their car to go somewhere, and even if they did they might run over a nail to cause a tire to go flat. So now a tire has gone flat… The “know how” would be understanding how to remove the tire to put on the spare or temporary tire. Learning how to do that would at least be some preparation because the problem would be addressed easier. If the person did not know how to change the tire out for the spare, they would have to get help from someone else or possibly be stranded. Someone with the knowledge of how to change a tire should recognize the person needs help and change the tire for them.

What are you doing to prepare yourself? Have you studied for your exam? Have you checked your tires? Are you ready, prepared, and able to go out into the world and be a witness for Our Lord? Are you dressed in your wedding garments?

October 12, 2014

Blessed Magdalen dei Panattieri

One hears so much about the detachment necessary for sanctity that it is refreshing to read about someone beatified who unblushingly loved her family, her country, her friends, and all little children.

Magdalen Pannatieri was born at Trino, near Vercelli, in 1443, of deeply religious parents. She was a devout child, who made a vow of virginity while she was quite young. Before she was twenty years old, she took her vows as a Dominican Tertiary, an exceptional circumstance, showing that she was held in high esteem. The Tertiary chapter was made up principally of widows and older woman who centered their apostolate of active charities around the Dominican Church. Magdalen fitted into this work with ease, and she brought to the chapter a spirit of penance that few of her companions could match . The delightful part of it all was that her penances never rendered her dreary; she was a cheerful, resourseful person to have around. People drew as much good from her spirit of joy as from any other feature of her spirtuality.

Magdalen had a special fondness for little children, and what we now call baby-sitting, and used her influence witht he children to bring their parents to a better way of life. Childless women won her sympathy , and several times her prayers brought the blessing of motherhood to such people. She taught catechism to children, and gradually the older folk of her acquaintance began to sit in on her classes. She was quite unaware that she had great powers of description and could make the truths of religion clear to simple people. The Dominican fathers allowed her to use a large room attached to the church for a class room, and the class grew. Not only the parents of the children and the simple folk of the neighborhood, but also a number of priest and religious were attending regularly.

When the reform movement started by Blessed Raymond of Capua got underway, Magdalen Parnatieri promoted it in Trino. Though her influence, Blessed Sebastian Maggio was invited to preach there, and he accomplished great good.

Magdalen was considered the protectress of the city of Trino. Whatever disaster threatened it, the citizens expected her to look out for their interests, and she usually did. In her life there is no mention of a “dark night of the soul” or of grim detachment from all things of earth. Her love of God kept her from attaching herself to any illegitimate pleasures, but she thoroughly enjoyed the lawful ones- she loved her family and her townspeople and was happy in their company. Her favorite brother was a good-for-nothing- he was always in trouble. When his conduct had gone beyond the patience of everyone but Magdalene, she threw herself on her knees in front of her crucifix, and she stayed there until our Lord assured her that He would take a hand with the black sheep: ” I cannot refuse you anything,” He said.

The Dominican fathers received her solitude when they were persecuted by a wealthy man of the town. This person carried his hatred so far that he was finally excommunicated for persecuting the Church. there was of course, a good deal of blood shed before the affair was over, and one of the reprobate’s followers made the mistake of hitting Magdalene and calling her names. Before the irate townspeople could deal out justice to him, God did; the man died a violent death.

God revealed to Magdalen the coming political troubles of Italy: the French invasion of the country. She did not live to see this prophecy accomplished, but she persistently asked God’s mercy for her people. During the violent quarrels and bloodshed of the time, Trino was always spared, though the villages all around were in a shambles. The townsfolk unhesitatingly gave credit to Magdalen.

Born: Trino, diocese of Vercelli, Piedmont, Italy, in 1443

Died: 1503

Beatified: beatified by Leo XIII

October 11, 2014

Blessed James of Ulm

James was born at Ulm, and spent a fortunate childhood. He was thoroughly instructed both in his father’s trade of glass painting and in the practices of piety. He assisted his father in the making of stained glass, which was at the time a fine art in Germany, and he passed a sinless and happy youth in his native city. Wishing to make a pilgrimage to Rome, he asked his father’s blessing on the enterprise and set forth on his long journey, arriving in time to spend Lent in the holy city.

Having run out of funds, James enlisted with the army in Sicily. Here his pious nature received a rude shock from the soldiers with whom he lived. They were given to every manner of vice and resented any effort to change their lives. Disgusted with the corrupt morals and practices around him, James made haste to free himself as soon as his enlisted was up. He went into service with a lawyer, who soon entrusted him with his most important affairs and would gladly have adopted him as his own son. Having worked with this man for several years, James became anxious to return home to see his aging father, so he once more set forth on the road.

In Bologna, while he was praying before the tomb of Saint Dominic, an interior voice made known to him that his vocation was to be a Dominican. He sought no further, but went immediately to the prior to beg admission as a lay-brother in the Order.

James set for himself no extraordinary program of sanctity when he entered the Order, but resolved to keep the rule perfectly. He did this with great success. His humility and obedience were particularly remarkable.

James resumed his father’s trade of making stained-glass windows, and all his working time was devoted to making windows for the churches and convents that desired them. At one time, when he had a particularly large and elaborate window for firing in the furnace, the prior called for him to go out begging. Without a backward glance at his precious window, he went. He was gone all day, and it was only to be expected that his window would be in ashes when he returned, but God rewarded his obedience with a miracle-the window was more beautiful than he would ever hoped.

On another occasion, the prior, who had been telling a visiting bishop of James’ virtue, called him and told him to take a letter to Paris- a journey of some three weeks. James, bowing his head, asked only that he might first go to his cell to get his walking stick. The prior did not send him: he had only wished to try his obedience.

James was silent and recollected at his work, diligent and prayerful, and always ready to leave one kind of work for another when obedience called him, even though he had a craftsman’s regard for finishing for work well. His chief distinction was in keeping the rule perfectly, though he also performed a number of miracles.

Two windows made by Blessed James are still in existence; one in the chapel of the Bentivoglio palace, the other in the cathedral of St. Petronius in Bloogna.

Born: 1407 at Ulm, Swabia (modern Germany)

Died: 1491 of natural causes

Beatified: In 1825 by Pope Leo XII

October 7, 2014

Blessed Matthew Carreri

John Francis Carreri was born in Mantua, in the late fourteenth century. He grew up a silent and prayerful child, a good student and a great reader. These qualities seemed to recommend him to the Preaching Friars, and at an early age, he presented himself at the convent in his home city and received the habit.

Matthews’s career as a preacher began soon after his ordination, when was sent to Lombardy to preach against the heretics. He succeeded admirably in his preaching and converted many to a spiritual way of life. Traveling from convent to convent he preached a revival of fervor and a deeper understanding of the spirit of St. Dominic, and many of the religious of Lombardy-both Dominicans and members of other Orders- were led by him to become more fervent.

At on time, when he was preaching in Vigevano, a troupe of jugglers came into town and set up their act. They were a particularly scandalous set of people, poking ridicule at the religious and the pope. Matthew sent them word to move on, which they ignored. So went after the with his walking-stick, and this proved more effective. They scattered and ran but soon came back , fortified with the presence of the Duke of Milan, who scolded Matthew for being so narrow-minded and humorless. Matthew patiently pointed out to him the bad spots in their humor, and, in spite of the duke’s natural aversion to friars, convinced him that he should keep the jugglers out of town.

At Lucina, there was a lady of noble birth and great talents who was wasting her time in frivolities. Never one to avoid an issue, Matthew aimed a powerful sermon in her direction, and she came to him afterwards in a torrent of tears and begged him to help her. He gave her the habit of the Third Order and outlined a stiff rule of life, which she afterwards faithfully followed. He also met and directed Blessed Stephanie Quinzan who proved to be an apt pupil.

Matthew was given the job of reforming the convents of the friars in Soncino, and in nearby towns, and he worked for many years in Milan. Going up and down the peninsula, he varied his approach but never his message: penance and love of God. So many were the conversions effected that a whole group of follow-up preachers had to be appointed to carry on, as he moved rapidly from place to place. Preaching his way, went through Tuscany, and took ship at Genoa.

The ship was soon captured by a Turkish corsair. The Mohammed captain called on the three Dominicans for an explanation of why they were there. Matthew spoke up so fearlessly and eloquently that the captain released all three of them. Just as they were being hustled off to a rescue boat, the wail of one of the woman passengers stopped them. The lady and her young daughter were not anxious to be taken to Algiers, and Matthew began pleading for them. The captain told him he had better let the affair alone and be satisfied that he has saved his own skin. Matthew thereupon volunteered to go to Algiers, in chains, if the captain would release the two women. Amazed at his courage as well as at his brashness, the captain released all of them and told them to get out of his ship quickly before he changed his mind.

Many miracles are credited to Matthew Carreri. One day, a young father who came to hear Matthew preach, had left his little son at home with the nurse. the baby fell into the fire and was badly burned. The distracted father brought the little one to Matthew, who cured him. the baby was well in a few days, and grew up to be a Franciscan friar. Matthew cured another man of hemorrhage, and worked many cures on the sick and possessed.

One day, , while meditating on the Passion, Matthew asked our Lord tp partake of His sufferings. He received the stigmata, in the form of an arrow that pierced his heart. For the remainder of his life, he suffered great pain from his wound.

Matthew Carreri died, in 1470, in a house composed entirely of religious he had rescued from a life a laxity. His cult was confirmed twelve years after his death, testifying to the great reputation for sanctity he enjoyed among the people of northern Italy.

Born: 1420 at Mantua, Italy

Died: October 5, 1470 of natural causes

Beatified: 1483 (cultus confirmed); December 2, 1625 by Pope Urban VIII (beatification)

October 7, 2014

What? Where? Why? Who? Our Lady of the Rosary ~ The Rev. Deacon Br. Joshua Hatten, OPI

Today the church celebrates an important Marian Feast, Our Lady of the Rosary. Why do celebrate this feast? Why do we bother with the rosary at all… it is just some ancient prayer of the church, right?? Wrong! Very wrong!

The Rosary is not a repetitious, boring, ‘religious’ activity… we can certainly make it feel like that… boring, words repeated by rote without any meaning. But that isn’t the Rosary. That is a waste of time. The rosary, when properly prayed, with intention – and with whatever YOUR intentions may be – is one of the most powerful and mountain moving forms of active prayer and meditation with which we are blessed. Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen once said, “The rosary is the book of the blind, where souls see and there enact the greatest drama of love the world has ever known; it is the book of the simple, which initiates them into mysteries and knowledge more satisfying than the education of other men; it is the book of the aged, whose eyes close upon the shadow of this world, and open on the substance of the next. The power of the rosary is beyond description.”

But the rosary began quite differently than that we know today. The use of “prayer beads” and the repeated recitation of prayers to aid in meditation stem from the earliest days of the Church and has roots in pre-Christian times. Evidence exists from the Middle Ages that strings of beads were used to count Our Fathers and Hail Marys. Actually, these strings of beads became known as “Paternosters,” the Latin for “Our Father.”

The structure of the rosary gradually evolved between the 12th and 15th centuries. Eventually 50 Hail Marys were recited and linked with verses of psalms or other phrases evoking the lives of Jesus and Mary. During this time, this prayer form became known as the rosarium (“rose garden”), actually a common term to designate a collection of similar material, such as an anthology of stories on the same subject or theme. During the 16th century, the structure of the five-decade rosary based on the three sets of mysteries prevailed.

Tradition does hold that St. Dominic (d. 1221) devised the rosary as we know it. Moved by a vision of our Blessed Mother, he preached the use of the rosary in his missionary work among the Albigensians, who had denied the mystery of Christ.

Originally, people prayed 150 Our Fathers representing the 150 Psalms. Then there was a parallel practice of praying 150 Hail Marys. Later, a mystery of Jesus’ life was attached to each Hail Mary.

Church Tradition and, let’s face it, LEGEND, tells us that St. Dominic (d. 1221) devised the rosary as we know it. Moved by a vision of our Blessed Mother, he preached the use of the rosary in his missionary work among the Albigensians, who had denied the mystery of Christ. Whilst that cannot by proved, and in fact may not be true, the development of the rosary as we know it owes much to the Dominican Order. One of St. Dominic’s Dominican contemporaries, Alan de la Roche, was known as “the apostle of the rosary.” He founded the first Confraternity of the Rosary in the 15th century. In the 16th century the rosary was developed to its present form—with the 15 mysteries (joyful, sorrowful and glorious). In 2002, Pope John Paul II added five Mysteries of Light to this devotion.

Let the rosary become YOUR BOOK, as Archbishop Sheen termed it, the book you ‘open’ when it seems like everything is just too much to bear or when you’re filled with such gratitude for love or when or when it is just a humdrum Wednesday. You will be amazed by the power of this beautiful prayer. The book opens when you realize you’re not merely praying the same words on the same beads every time, but when you actually begin to meditate and place yourself in the corresponding mysteries. You become an active participant in the life and times of Our Lord and His Mother.

Anyone who knows six easy prayers can pray a Rosary; you will also need to know twenty Mysteries to meditate upon as you pray. You do not have to be a Catholic.

The Order of Prayers

The Rosary begins with the Apostles Creed, followed by one Our Father, three Hail Marys (traditionally offered for an increase in faith, hope, and charity for those praying the Rosary), a Glory Be, and, if desired, the Fatima Prayers. Next come five mysteries, each consisting of one Our Father, ten Hail Marys, a Glory Be, and, if desired, the Fatima Prayers. Conclude with the Hail Holy Queen. Please say a few extra prayers after the Hail Holy Queen for the Pope.

Rosary Beads

If you do not have Rosary beads, it is perfectly okay to count with your fingers. Counting beads frees your mind to help you meditate.

Prayers for Praying the Rosary

THE APOSTLE’S CREED

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, Our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified; died, and was buried. He descended into Hell; the third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

OUR FATHER

Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

HAIL MARY

Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen.

GLORY BE

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

FATIMA PRAYER (OPTIONAL)

O my Jesus, forgive us of our sins. Save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls into heaven, especially those in most need of thy mercy.

HAIL HOLY QUEEN

Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve: to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!
Leader: Pray for us O Holy Mother of God,
All: That we may be worthy of the promises of Christ.
(Optional)
Leader: Let us pray.
All: O God whose only begotten Son by his life, death, and Resurrection has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life; grant we beseech thee, that meditating on these mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

PRAYER FOR THE HOLY FATHER (FOR PRIVATE DEVOTION)

Leader: Upon this Rock He will build His Church…
All: …and the jaws of death shall not prevail against her.

Leader: O Mother of the Redeemer…
All: …Living Tabernacle of the Eucharist, and Luminous Rose of Heaven, with humble confidence we ask you to bestow upon the Holy Father all the graces and blessings reserved for him by the Holy Trinity from all eternity. Amen.

Leader: Help his friends…
All: …convert his enemies.

Leader: Saint Joseph…
All: …pray for us. Amen.

The Twenty Mysteries

Here is a brief listing and description of all twenty Mysteries.

THE JOYFUL MYSTERIES

The Annunciation:The Archangel Gabriel “announces” to Mary that she shall conceive the Son of God.
The Visitation:Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth, who is pregnant with John the Baptist.
The Nativity:Jesus is born.
The Presentation:Mary and Joseph “present” Jesus in the Temple where they meet Simeon.
The Finding in the Temple:After losing Him, Mary and Joseph find young Jesus teaching the Rabbis in the Temple.

THE LUMINOUS MYSTERIES (THE MYSTERIES OF LIGHT)

The Baptism in the Jordan:The voice of the Father declares Jesus the beloved Son.
The Wedding at Cana:Christ changes water into wine, his first public miracle.
The Proclamation of the Kingdom:Jesus calls to conversion (cf. Mk 1:15) and forgives the sins of all who draw near to him.
The Transfiguration:The glory of the Godhead shines forth from the face of Christ.
The Institution of the Eucharist:Jesus offers the first Mass at the Last Supper with his apostles, establishing the sacramental foundation for all Christian living.

THE SORROWFUL MYSTERIES

The Agony in the Garden:Jesus sweats water and blood while praying the night before his passion.
The Scourging at the Pillar:Pilate has Jesus whipped.
The Crowning with Thorns:Roman soldiers crown Jesus’ head with thorns.
The Carrying of the Cross:Jesus meets His mother and falls three times on the way up Calvary.
The Crucifixion:Jesus is nailed to the cross and dies before His mother and His apostle John.

THE GLORIOUS MYSTERIES

The Resurrection:Jesus rises from the dead.
The Ascension:Jesus leaves the Apostles and bodily “ascends” to heaven.
The Descent of the Holy Spirit:The Apostles receive the Holy Spirit in tongues of fire in the upper room with Mary.
The Assumption:Mary is taken bodily–assumed–into heaven by God at the end of her life here on earth.
The Coronation:Mary is crowned Queen of Heaven and Earth.

Mysteries for Certain Weekdays

Traditionally, many people say the Joyful Mysteries on Monday, the Sorrowful Mysteries on Tuesday, the Glorious Mysteries on Wednesday, and start again with the Joyful Mysteries on Thursday, the Sorrowful Mysteries on Friday. The Glorious Mysteries are then prayed on Saturday and Sunday. Now that the Luminous Mysteries have recently been added, the schedule is:

Monday – Joyful
Tuesday – Sorrowful
Wednesday – Glorious
Thursday – Luminous
Friday – Sorrowful
Saturday – Joyful
Sunday – Glorious

Try to place yourself “into” the scene of the particular mystery as you pray, imagining the sights, smells, sounds, and emotions that Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and other participants experienced during the actual events.

It is also okay to meditate on the meaning of the words of the prayers as you pray them, or even to meditate on the person for whom you are offering the Rosary.

GOD BLESS YOU.

October 5, 2014

Blessed Raymond of Capua

The so called second founder of the Dominican Order. Born at Capua, Italy, in 1330, Raymond delle Vigne entered the Dominicans while attending the University of Bologna and subsequently held several posts, including prior of the Dominican house in Rome and lector in Florence and Siena. While at Siena, he made the acquaintance of St. Catherine of Siena, serving as her spiritual director from 1376 and becoming her closest advisor.

Through the years he was connected with most of Catherine’s important undertakings, including the call for a Crusade against the Turks, the negotiation of peace between the papacy and Florence, and the plea made to Pope Gregory XI to depart Avignon and return to Rome. Raymond also worked to bring aid and comfort to the victims of a plague which struck Siena, and when he fell sick with the disease, Catherine nursed him back to health. Upon the start of the Great Western Schism in 1378, both Raymond and Catherine gave their support to Pope Urban VI against antipope Clement Vll. Raymond traveled to France in an unsuccessful bid to win the support of that kingdom; during the sojourn he was nearly killed by overzealous partisans of Clement VII.

He continued to strive for a peaceful settlement of the crisis in the Church, even after Catherine’s death in 1380, and was elected master general of the Dominicans As head of the order until his death at Nuremberg, he brought reforms to its houses and demanded the strict adherence to the rules laid down by St. Dominic. He also wrote biographies of Catherine of Siena and St. Agnes of Montepulciano.

Born: 1330 at Capua, Italy as Raymond delle Vigne

Died: October 1399 at Nuremberg, Germany of natural causes

Beatified: 1899 by Pope Leo XIII

October 1, 2014

Saint Louis Bertrand

Born at Valencia, Spain, 1 Jan., 1526, his parents were Juan Bertrand and Juana Angela Exarch. Through his father he was related to the illustrious St. Vincent Ferrer, the great thaumaturgus of the Dominican Order. The boyhood of the saint was unattended by any of the prodigies that frequently forecast heroic sanctity. At an early age he conceived the idea of becoming a Friar Preacher, and despite the efforts of his father to dissuade him, was clothed with the Dominican habit in the Convent of St. Dominic, Valencia, 26 Aug., 1544. After the usual probation, in which he distinguished himself above all his associates in the qualities of an ideal religious, he pronounced the vows that irrevocably bound him to the life of perfection. The profound significance of his religious profession served as a stimulus to the increase of virtues that already gave evidence of being cast in heroic mould. In demeanor he was grave and apparently without any sense of humor, yet withal possessed of a gentle and sweet disposition that greatly endeared him to those with whom he came in contact. While he could lay no claim to the great intellectual gifts and ripe scholarship that have distinguished so many of the saints of the Dominican order, he applied himself assiduously to study, and stored his mind with the sacred truths expounded in the pages of the “Summa”. In 1547 he was advanced to the priesthood by the Archbishop of Valencia, St. Thomas of Villanova.

The extraordinary sanctity of the young Dominican’s life, and the remarkable influence he exercised on those about him, singled him out as one peculiarly fitted to lead others along the path of perfection. Consequently, he was appointed to the most responsible office of master of novices, in the convent at Valencia, the duties of which he discharged at different intervals for an aggregate of thirty years. The plague that decimated the inhabitants of Valencia and the vicinity in 1557, afforded the saint an excellent opportunity for the exercise of his charity and zeal. Tirelessly he ministered to the spiritual and physical needs of the afflicted. With the tenderness and devotion of a mother he nursed the sick. The dead he prepared for burial and interred with his own hands. When the plague had subsided, the zeal of the holy novice-master sought to extend the scope of his already large ministry into the apostolate of preaching. Though possessed of none of the natural qualities deemed essential for a successful career in the pulpit, he immediately attracted attention as a preacher of great force and far-reaching influence. The cathedral and most capacious churches were placed at his disposal, but proved wholly inadequate to accommodate the multitude that desired to hear him. Eventually it became necessary for him to resort to the public squares of the city. It was probably the fame of his preaching that brought him to the attention of St. Teresa, who at this time sought his counsel in the matter of reforming her order.

Unknown to his brethren, St. Louis had long cherished the desire to enter the mission fields of the New World. The hope that there he might find the coveted crown of martyrdom contributed not a little to sharpening the edge of his desire. Possessed of the necessary permission he sailed for America in 1562, and landed at Cartagena, where he immediately entered upon the career of a missionary. The work thus begun was certainly fruitful to an extraordinary degree, and bore unmistakably the stamp of Divine approbation. The process of his canonization bears convincing testimony to the wonderful conquest which the saint achieved in this new field of labor. The Bull of canonization asserts that, to facilitate the work of converting the natives to God, the apostle was miraculously endowed with the gift of tongues. From Cartagena, the scene of his first labors, St. Louis was sent to Panama, where in a comparatively short time he converted some 6,000 Indians. His next mission was at Tubera, situated near the sea-coast and midway between the city of Cartagena and the Magdalena River. The success of his efforts at this place is witnessed by the entries of the baptismal registers, in the saint’s own handwriting. These entries show that all the inhabitants of the place were received into the Church by St. Louis. Turon places the number of converts in Tubera at 10,000. What greatly enhances the merit of this wonderful achievement is that all had been adequately instructed in the teachings of the Church before receiving baptism, and continued steadfast in their faith.

From Tubera the Apostle bent his steps in the direction of Cipacoa and Paluato. His success at the former place, the exact location of which it is impossible to determine, was little inferior to that of Tubera. At Paluato the results of his zealous efforts were somewhat disheartening. From this unfruitful soil the saint withdrew to the province of St. Martha, where his former successes were repeated. This harvest yielded 15,000 souls. While laboring at St Martha, a tribe of 1500 Indians came to him from Paluato to implore the grace of baptism, which before they had rejected. The work at St. Martha finished, the tireless missionary undertook the work of converting the warlike Caribs, probably inhabitants of the Leeward Islands. His efforts among these fierce tribesmen seem not to have been attended with any great success. Nevertheless, the apostolate among the Caribs furnished the occasion again to make manifest the Divine protection which constantly overshadowed the ministry of St. Louis. A deadly draught was administered to him by one of the native priests. Through Divine interposition, the virulent poison failed to accomplish its purpose, thus fulfilling the words of St. Mark: “If they shall drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them” (xvi, 18). Teneriffe next became the field of the saint’s apostolic labors. Unfortunately, however, there are no records extant to indicate what was the result of his preaching. At Mompax, thirty-seven leagues south-east of Carthagena, we are told, rather indefinitely, that many thousands were converted to the Faith. Several of the West India islands, notably those of St. Vincent and St. Thomas, were visited by St. Louis in his indefatigable quest for souls.

After an apostolate the marvelous and enduring fruits of which have richly merited for him the title of Apostle of South America, he returned under obedience to his native Spain, which he had left just seven years before. During the eleven remaining years of his life many offices of honor and responsibility were imposed upon him. The numerous duties that attached to them were not permitted to interfere with the exacting regime of his holy life. The ever increasing fame of his sanctity and wisdom won the admiration and confidence of even the officials of the Government, who more than once consulted him in affairs of State. With the heroic patience that characterized his whole life he endured the ordeal of his last sickness.

WILBERFORCE, The Life of St. Louis Bertrand (London, 1882); TOURON, Histoire des Hommes Illustres de l’Ordre de Saint Dominique (Paris, 1747), IV 485-526; ROZE, Les Dominicains in Amérique (Paris, 1878), 290-310; BYRNE, Sketches of illustrious Dominicans (Boston, 1884), 1-95.

Born: January 1, 1526 at Valencia, Spain

Died: October 9, 1581 of natural causes at Valencia, Spain

Beatified: July 16, 1608 by Pope Paul V

Canonized: April 12, 1671 by Pope Clement X

Patronage: Columbia

Representation: surmounted by a serpent; extinguishing a fire; holding a chalice occupied by a serpent; holding a cross