A Life of Hope: St. Francis Xavier ~ Br. Matt Pepple, Postulant

 

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St. Francis Xavier was born in the family castle of Xavier, in Pamplona in the Basque area of Spanish Navarre in 1506. He was sent to the University of Paris in 1525 and obtained his licentiate in 1528. He met with St. Ignatius Loyola and was one of the seven, who in 1534 founded the Society of Jesus. He intended to join Ignatius in Venice and then they would go as missionaries to Palestine,  a trip which did not occur. He was ordained in 1537 and went to Rome in 1538 and 1540 when the Pope formally recognized the Society of Jesus. At that time, he, alongside Father Simon Rodriguez, was ordered to the Far East as the first Jesuit missionaries.

King John the 3rd retained Fr. Simon in Lisbon but Francis, spent six months preaching in Mozambique along with giving some assistance to the sick. He eventually arrived in Goa, India  in 1542 with Fr. Paul of Camerino and Francis Mansihas. He began evangelizing the natives and attempted to reform the Europeans by adopting their customs on his many travels. He converted tens of thousands to Christianity in the subsequent decade.

He visited Paravas in India, Malacca, near New Guinea, Morotai near the Philippines and Japan. In 1551, the East and India was dedicated as a separate province and Ignatius designated Francis as its first provincial. In 1552 he went to China and landed on Sancian; where he died before he could reach the mainland. Working against excessive complications, language problems, he had no proficiency in foreign speaking, insufficient monies, and lack of assistance, often actual confrontation, even from European representatives; he left the mark of his missionary enthusiasm and vigor on areas which adhered to Christianity for centuries. He was beatified in 1622 and declared patron of all foreign missions by Pope Pius X. on Dec. 3.

Our scripture for the week, Romans 15:4-13; St. Paul is speaking to us on what was written in the old days being relevant even today for our instruction. “So that by determination and encouragement of the scriptures that we may have hope.” We need to live more in an attitude of hope and inspiration from the direction of the scriptures. Paul also tells us that our God wants us to live in harmony and peace with our neighbors, as Christ did. And that all of us in this harmony and unison may glorify the God and Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ. We are to be welcoming of our neighbors as Christ has welcomed us. Jesus became a servant to the circumcised on the behalf of the truth of God in order that he might authorize the promises known to the fathers, so that the Gentiles may exalt God for his kindness and compassion. For it is written, “Therefore I will confess you among the Gentiles, and sing praises to your name.” Again, he said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, and let all of the peoples praise Him.” Paul refers to the prophet Isaiah, “The root of Jesse shall come, the one who rises to rule the Gentiles; in him the Gentiles shall hope.” May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may prosper in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

It was this hope that served as an inspiration for St. Francis Xavier. To have been a Missionary at his time, or really at the present time, was a very dangerous time. Things may have appeared very daunting to him, in the tasks that he was set forth. At any time, he and companions could have just given up. Hope, on the other hand, can be a very inspirational tool. God wants us to live and act in a spirit of hope, to be hopeful of the future and instill the hope of Christ in the present. We all have a certain desire for things to happen, for a certain situation to improve and get better, for a loved one who is sick to become healthier again, or for a better job. For as long as we live in hope, we can greet our neighbors, friends and relatives in an attitude of hope. As long as we have hope centered in Christ, there is always a chance for things to change. Jesus wants to be the light in your darkness and to be your hope for better things.

Blessed John of Vercelli

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John Garbella was born early in the 13th century, somewhere near Vercelli. He studied at Paris and was ordained priest before 1229. He taught canon law at the University of Paris. While he was professor there, Jordan of Saxony (who was a friend of Saint Albert the Great) came to Paris, and John saw one after another of his best pupils desert their careers to join the Dominicans. He seems to have considered them quite objectively, without reference to himself, until one day he had an interior voice that spoke to him that it was God’s will for him to join the Dominicans. No one can say that John did not respond with alacrity; he dropped everything and ran down the street. (“Let me go; I am on my way to God!”) Jordan received him happily and gave him the habit.

In 1232, John was sent to Vercelli to establish a convent there. He built this and several other convents in Lombardy as houses of regular observance. While provincial of Lombardy, he also became inquisitor. It was a particularly difficult moment. His brother in religion, Peter of Verona, had just been killed by the heretics in Como. The entire countryside was in a state of war, with roving bands of heretics and robbers. It was the task of the new inquisitor to try to bring order out of this chaos, and what John did was remarkable, considering the situation. In spite of his heavy labors, which included the supervision of 600 friars in 28 different cities (he reached them only by walking), John of Vercelli established the ideals of study and regular observance in all of his houses.

It was the good fortune of John of Vercelli to live in an age that was well peopled by saints. He formed a close friendship with Saint Louis, the king of France. Several of his tasks in the order, particularly the Commission on the Program of Studies, he shared with Saint Albert the Great, Saint Thomas Aquinas, and Peter of Tarentaise (the future Pope Innocent V). In such company one would need to have a superior set of talents; John did.

In 1264 the chapter of the order met at Paris. Blessed Humbert had resigned as master general of the order. John went to the chapter hoping that he could resign as provincial of Lombardy. Instead of escaping one office, he fell heir to a still more difficult one. He was elected master general in 1264 and served in that capacity until 1283. John was then a man in his sixties and was, moreover, handicapped by a crippled leg. However, he accepted the office which would require him to walk, not only all over Lombardy, but all over Europe. It took a brand of courage and obedience that was little short of heroic.

During the generalate of John of Vercelli, the relics of Saint Dominic were transferred to the new tomb that had been prepared for it by Nicholas of Pisa. When the transfer was made, John of Vercelli fixed his seal on the tomb; the seals were still intact on their examination in 1946. During the translation of the relics, according to the account in the Vitae Fratrum, when the body of Saint Dominic was exposed to view, the head was seen to turn towards John of Vercelli. John, embarrassed, moved to another part of the church and gave his place to a cardinal. Whereupon, the head of Saint Dominic was seen by all to turn again in John’s direction.

On the death of Clement IV, John of Vercelli was very nearly elected pope. Being warned of the possibility, he fled in fright. However, his good friend Cardinal Visconti, was elected and took the name Gregory X. He appointed John as legate on several different missions.

He was commissioned by the pope to draw up the Schema for the second ecumenical council of Lyons in 1274–that council to which Saint Thomas Aquinas was hurrying when death found him on the road. At the council John distinguished himself for his assistance by offering to the council the talents of his best men. At the council, he accepted for the Dominican Order the special commission of promoting reverence for the Holy Name of Jesus and fighting blasphemy, which was, in that day as in ours, a prevalent vice. He can thus be considered the founder of the Holy Name Society, even though the Confraternity was not formed until 1432.

Several precious relics were suitably enshrined by John of Vercelli. These included several thorns from the Crown of Our Lord, which had been given him by Saint Louis of France. The cord of Saint Thomas, with which he had been guided by the angels and which he had worn until death, was given into the care of the master general, who gave it to the convent of Vercelli for safe keeping.

John’s career was rapidly reaching its end. In 1279, he presided over the famous chapter of Paris at which the order made the doctrine of Saint Thomas officially its own. The following year he laid the foundations of the Church of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva. One of his last official acts was to provide for a work on the instruction of novices (Benedictines, Dorcy).

Born: 1205 at Mosso Santa Maria, Italy as John Garbella

Died: September 1283 at Montpelier, France of natural causes; buried at the Dominican convent at Montpelier; his tomb was desecrated by Calvinists in 1562, and his body disappeared.

Beatified: 1903 by Pope Pius X (cultus confirmed), 1909 elevated him to the honors of the altar

The Feast of St. Andrew ~Br. Mark G. Dickson-Patrick – Novice

 

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Today the Church celebrates the great feast of St. Andrew the Apostle, the brother of St. Peter. Andrew was a fisherman by trade, working alongside his brother before being called by Jesus to follow after Him. He became one of Jesus’ 12 apostles, and after His death and resurrection went out into various regions to preach the Good News of salvation. He was eventually martyred on an X-shaped cross, tied to the cross until death. As he was led to the cross, an ancient tradition attributes this quote to the Saint:

“Hail, O Cross, inaugurated by the Body of Christ and adorned with his limbs as though they were precious pearls. Before the Lord mounted you, you inspired an earthly fear. Now, instead, endowed with heavenly love, you are accepted as a gift…

O blessed Cross, clothed in the majesty and beauty of the Lord’s limbs!… Take me, carry me far from men, and restore me to my Teacher, so that, through you, the one who redeemed me by you, may receive me. Hail, O Cross; yes, hail indeed!”

Saint Andrew holds a special place for me, as he was the patron of the Roman Catholic College Seminary I attended for 4 years. Countless hours were spent praying before the image of this great saint, who was cradling an image of our seminary in his arms. This saint, who we deemed a brother, we would beg to intercede for the brothers of our house, for ourselves, and for an increase of vocations to the priesthood and to the religious life. Now, every year, I take it upon myself to pray a Novena to my brother, St. Andrew, for the state of the Church and the world.

Our Gospel reading this morning presents us with the moment that Andrew and his brother Peter are called by Jesus for the great work of preaching the Gospel. Fishermen by trade, they were mending their nets by the edge of the sea, when this teacher walks by and says “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” We are told that they immediately left their nets and followed Jesus, not knowing at all what was to come. In a retreat on this topic to seminarians, Bishop Robert Morlino the Roman Catholic Bishop of Madison, WI, once said “When the Lord and Savior of the world comes up to you, looks you in the eye, and says ‘Follow me,’ why in the world would you ever stand still?” Andrew and Peter felt the call of conviction that the Lord laid on their hearts and as we know became two of the great apostles, preaching the Good News of salvation to the death.

There are times, I’d venture, that we often feel the call and conviction that Peter and Andrew felt, the call to preach the Gospel to all who will listen. We picture setting out on a grand crusade, bringing thousands to Christ and to salvation, bringing them home into the arms of God and away from the pain of heresy and death. But then we realize that with our busy lives in an increasingly secular world, we don’t have the time to go on these grand crusades that we have formulated in our mind. Notice what the Lord does with Peter & Andrew, and what He does with us as well. Jesus didn’t say, “Leave your nets, and you’re going to go on huge crusades.” No, he said, “Come follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Jesus took what they knew how to do, and enhanced it, for the work of ministry. So, too, does he do that with us. He takes our abilities, to teach, to pray, to work in the ordinariness of our lives, and enhances them for His uses, to preach the Gospel. That is how we can lead these lives of religious devotion in a secular and busy world.

My friends, there is work to be done. The harvest is plentiful, and the labors are few. Pray for an increase in vocations to the priesthood, diaconate, and religious life, that the Lord may take people in their ordinariness and enhance their gifts to serve His glory, that we may build up the Kingdom of God together. Like Peter & Andrew, heed the conviction that He is placing on your heart.

Amen.

Novena Prayer to St. Andrew

Saint Andrew, strong and powerful, intercede and pray for us.

Andrew, apostle of Christ, help me to rejoice in Jesus and so bring others to Him. May my words and deeds lead others to deeper faith in him. Bold missionary and evangelist, guide me where the Lord would have me preach his gospel. Companion of the Lord Jesus, send us people called to be priests, deacons, & religious. Saint Andrew, in your kindness hear and answer our prayer.

Amen.

Presents and Gifts ~ The Rt. Rev. Michael Beckett, OPI

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What you are is God’s gift to you.

What you become is your gift to God.

We have survived Black Friday and made it through Cyber Monday!!!!!  As always at this time of the year, our thoughts turn to gifts: giving and receiving, what we want to give, what we want to receive, what will please those we love, the shopping, the ordering, the wrapping, the general hustle and bustle of the Christmas season centering around gifts ad infinitum, donating to the people with the red kettles and bells so the less fortunate can have gifts…..

And then there’s the practice of ‘re-gifting,’  passing along that unwanted or unusable gift that we were given, to someone else, so that they will have SOMETHING, and so that they too, can possibly pass that pink and orange and green plaid scarf along, re-gifting it themselves to someone else who won’t use it either….and sometimes by some freak chance that unwanted item comes back to us several years later….and not much too worse for the wear….  And is re-gifting, as amusing (and cheap) as it may seem, necessarily a bad thing?

Why all this focus on gift-giving and gift-receiving at this time of year?  The union of Christmas and gift giving was a gradual one; actually, the full story of the bright packages beneath the tree, like most of our Christmas customs, begins in the days before the birth of Christ.  In ancient Rome, gifts were exchanged during the New Year’s celebrations. At first these gifts were simple, such as a few twigs from a sacred grove and small items of food. Many gifts were in the form of vegetables in honor of the fertility goddess Strenia. During the Northern European Yule, (yep, the yuletide season is a pagan thing) fertility was celebrated with gifts made of wheat products, such as bread and alcohol.

Like many of the old and pagan customs, exchanging gifts was difficult to get rid of even as Christianity spread and gained official status. Early church leaders tried to outlaw the custom, but the people cherished it too much to let it go.  St. John Chrysostom urged no compromise with heathen abominations, but he, too, failed in this tenacity of hanging on to the tradition of gift giving.  Since there was no general agreement about the exact date of the birth of Jesus, it must have seemed helpful to have it supersede the Saturnalia, so the rebirth of the sun became instead the birth of the Son of God, and the church leaders looked for a Christian justification for the practice of all this gift giving. This justification was found in the Magi’s act of bearing gifts to the infant Jesus, and in the concept that Christ was a gift from God to the world, bringing in turn the gift of redemption and everlasting life.

What you are is God’s gift to you.

What you become is your gift to God.

Wikipedia defines a gift as the transfer of something without the expectation of receiving something in return. Although gift-giving might involve an expectation of reciprocity, a gift is meant to be free. By extension the term “gift” can refer to anything that makes the other happier or less sad, especially as a favor, including forgiveness and kindness.

God’s gifts to us are free and clear.  He has given us the gift of His Son, Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.       He has given us the gift of eternal life:  “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23 (NIV);  The gift of salvation:  “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” Ephesians 2:8 (NIV);  And the gifts that are unique to each of us:   “We each of us have our own individual gifts:  But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.” 1Corinthians 7:7 (NIV)

Besides the obvious gift of His Son, and the forgiveness that we receive through Him whom we receive by faith, what other gifts has God given specifically to you?  What talents have you received?  What blessings have been given to you?

We learn about the 7 Gifts of the Spirit in Isaiah 11:2-3:  “2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD— 3 and he will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears;” (NIV)

And more importantly, what are you doing with those gifts?  What are you giving back to God?  What are you “becoming” as you use your gifts and talents?  Which of the gifts that you have been given are you “regifting?”  In other words, when we’ve received a gift from God, do we share that gift with others?  Do we “regift?”  We are told in 1 Peter 4:10, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” (NIV)  Jesus himself addresses this very thing in the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30.  By using our gifts, they multiply and we bring others to know God, and by recognizing what we have been given and using them for God’s glory, we are giving back to God.

What is the most precious thing we can give to God?  The most precious gift we can give is what God wants the most. God wants us to make the fervent attempt to repent, get right with Him, and not lead a double life, trying to follow two contradictory paths, but living our lives according to His will.  God simply wants us to give ourselves to Him.  This is the best gift we can give!   Our gift to Him is how we respond to the gifts He has given us which are the gifts of life and of grace. We can best do this when we are headed in His direction, following His precepts with a grateful, willing heart and mindset, and by striving to be the best that we can be by becoming what it is that He wants us to be.

Barbara Streisand sings in “The Best Gift:”

The best gift
That I ever got
Didn’t really weigh a lot
It didn’t have a ribbon ’round
And it sometimes made a terrible sound
The best of all it seems to me
It wasn’t ‘neath the Christmas tree
And yet, I guess I’d have to say
That it made all the other presents twice as gay
The best gift that I’ve ever known
I’d always wanted most to own
Yet in my dreams of sugar and spice
I never thought it could be so nice
The best gift that I ever get
Was sometimes dry and sometimes wet
Was usually pink but oftentimes red
As it lay so innocently in it’s bed
The best gift of the year to me
The one I hold most dear to me
A gift that simply drove me wild
Was a tiny new born child…

 

As we celebrate the birth of THE tiny newborn Child, God’s greatest and best Gift to us, let us strive to make ourselves the best gift we can give to others, and to God.  Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

Stay Awake!!!!! ~ Br. Mark G. Dickson-Patrick – Novice

 

 

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Today begins the Church’s new liturgical year, as we enter into the holy season of Advent. Advent, which in Latin means “coming,” is a time set aside by the Church for remembrance and anticipation: to remember His coming as a baby in the manger of Bethlehem, to be the Savior of the world, and to look forward with great anticipation to His promised second coming as Lord, ruler, and judge, when He will bring all of His people into Himself. Both of these comings were prophesied: His first coming by the prophets of old and the angel Gabriel to His mother Mary, the second coming by Our Lord Himself. This season reminds us of His coming and helps prepare us to look forward to His coming again in glory.

The Scripture readings that we are presented with on this first day of this holy season exhort us in a very powerful way to stay awake and alert for the second coming of Our Lord. They call us to alert living, and a daily conversion of life, that we may be ready for that time when Our Lord shall come again to His people as He promised. St. Paul, in his letter to the Romans, writes, “It is now the moment for you to wake from sleep…the night is far gone, the day is near…put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires” (Rom. 13:11b-12, 14). Paul urged the church at Rome that Our Lord is coming, and that they should prepare themselves for that great and powerful day. Our Lord Himself, in the Gospel reading today, tells His disciples: “Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming…For the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour” (Matthew 24:42, 44).

We are urged to stay awake, for we do not know the day nor the hour when Our Lord will come.

Stay awake, and daily repent of our sins and daily commit ourselves anew to Christ.

Stay awake, and see Christ in our neighbor, our family, our friend, our enemy, the immigrant, the orphan, the poor, the sick, the widowed, the persecuted.

Stay awake, and live in the life and love of the Holy Spirit.

Stay awake, and give of ourselves in service to one another in love and common humanity.

Stay awake, and preach the Good News of salvation to all the world through our lives.

Stay awake, and be ready, that Our Lord may not catch us off guard when He returns.

On that day when He returns, and He will return, our Lord will ask if we stayed awake, if we were ready for Him. And what will our answer be? I know that I can’t say with confidence that I have been constantly awake. I know that I can sometimes get sleepy, much like the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane, in my effort to stay awake to His presence and to His coming. Maybe you do too? Let us pray with and for one another, and build one another up, that Christ may be built up and glorified. Let us come together as His Church, that we may all be one as He desired, one in prayer, in faith, and in holy anticipation. Let us worship with one another, laugh with one another, weep with one another, and build with one another, recognizing in one another the image of God and the image of His Church. Let us be a beacon of hope, of love, of joy, of acceptance, of holy peace to our often scattered and fragmented world. Let us be an image of Christ to a world that often looks right past Him. Let us prepare together, a world, a kingdom, for Our Lord. Let us stay awake together, that together we might see our salvation as Our Lord comes again.

May this Advent season be one of blessed peace, anticipation, and fruitful joy for you and your family. When Christmas comes, I pray that we are awake and ready to welcome the Christ child in our hearts and into our homes anew, that we might be ready to welcome again Him who comes as Ruler of Heaven of Earth.

 

Blessed James Benefatti

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Blessed James Benefatti, James is known as the Father of the Poor.  He was a Dominican at Mantua, Italy in 1290, and was a  Doctor of theology and a priest. He was also a friend and brother friar of Nicholas Boccasino who later became Pope Benedict XI, and for whom James held several support offices including papal legate.  He was the Bishop of Mantua in 1303, and noted for his devotion to the poor. James rebuilt his cathedral and refurbished churches and was appointed Papal legate for Pope John XXII.  He died 19 November 1332 at Mantua, Italy of natural causes.  His body was found incorrupt when exhumed both in 1480 and 1604.  He was beatified in 1859 by Pope Pius IX.

Saint Catherine of Alexandria

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According to the traditional story, Catherine was the daughter of Costus, a pagan governor of Alexandria, where she was born.  She is said to have announced to her parents that she would only marry someone who surpassed her in beauty, intelligence, wealth, and social status. This has been interpreted as an early foreshadowing of her eventual discovery of Christ. “His beauty was more radiant than the shining of the sun, His wisdom governed all creation, His riches were spread throughout all the world.” Though raised a pagan, she converted to Christianity in her late teens. It is said that she visited her contemporary, the Roman Emperor Maximinus Daia, and attempted to convince him of the moral error in persecuting Christians. She succeeded in converting his wife, the Empress, and many pagan philosophers whom the Emperor sent to dispute with her, all of whom were subsequently martyred. Upon the failure of the Emperor to win Catherine over, he ordered her to be put in prison; and when the people who visited her converted, she was condemned to death on the breaking wheel, an instrument of torture. According to legend, the wheel itself broke when she touched it, so she was beheaded.

According to Christian tradition, angels carried her body to Mount Sinai, where, in the 6th century, the Eastern Emperor Justinian established Saint Catherine’s Monastery, Mount Sinai, the church being built between 548 and 565 in Saint Catherine, Egypt, on the Sinai peninsula. Saint Catherine’s Monastery survives, a famous repository of early Christian art, architecture and illuminated manuscripts that is still open to visiting scholars. The historian Harold T. Davis says that Catherine’s story dates only from the 10th century AD, and that “assiduous research has failed to identify Catherine with any historical personage”; Davis suggests that the invention of Catherine may have been inspired by the story of the martyred pagan philosopher Hypatia of Alexandria. She did certainly form an exemplary counterpart to Hypatia in the medieval mindset; and it has been suggested that she was invented specifically for that purpose. Like Hypatia, she is said to have been highly learned (in philosophy and theology), very beautiful, sexually pure, and to have been brutally murdered for publicly stating her beliefs. The story of Catherine is placed a hundred years before Hypatia’s death, but there are no contemporary sources for her life.

Because of the fabulous character of the account of her martyrdom and the lack of reliable documentation, the Roman Catholic Church in 1969 removed her feast day from the Calendar. But she continued to be commemorated in the Roman Martyrology on November 25. In 2002, her feast was restored to the General Roman Calendar as an optional memorial.

The 1908 Catholic Encyclopedia describes the historical importance of the belief in her as follows:

Ranked with St Margaret and St Barbara as one of the fourteen most helpful saints in heaven, she was unceasingly praised by preachers and sung by poets. It is believed that Jacques-Benigne Bossuet dedicated to her one of his most beautiful panegyrics and that Adam of St. Victor wrote a magnificent poem in her honour: Vox Sonora nostri chori, etc. In many places her feast was celebrated with the utmost solemnity, servile work being suppressed and the devotions being attended by great numbers of people. In several dioceses of France it was observed as a Holy Day of Obligation up to the beginning of the seventeenth century, the splendor of its ceremonial eclipsing that of the feasts of some of the Apostles. Numberless chapels were placed under her patronage and her statue was found in nearly all churches, representing her according to medieval iconography with a wheel, her instrument of torture. Meanwhile, owing to several circumstances in his life, Saint Nicholas of Myra was considered the patron of young bachelors and students, and Saint Catherine became the patroness of young maidens and female students. Looked upon as the holiest and most illustrious of the virgins of Christ after the Blessed Virgin Mary, it was natural that she, of all others, should be worthy to watch over the virgins of the cloister and the young women of the world. The spiked wheel having become emblematic of the saint, wheelwrights and mechanics placed themselves under her patronage. Finally, as according to tradition, she not only remained a virgin by governing her passions and conquered her executioners by wearying their patience, but triumphed in science by closing the mouths of sophists, her intercession was implored by theologians, apologists, pulpit orators, and philosophers. Before studying, writing, or preaching, they besought her to illumine their minds, guide their pens, and impart eloquence to their words.  At the  beginning of the fifteenth century, it was rumored that she had spoken to Joan of Arc and, together with St. Margaret, had been divinely appointed Joan’s adviser.

The Presentation of Mary ~ Br. Michael Marshall, Novice

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As Christian Doctrine teaches us, the Blessed Virgin Mary was without sin, and that is why she was chosen to be the mother of Jesus.  This would be just the beginning of her “ministry.”  Today is the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, so let us get to that subject… Various sources indicate that Mary was presented at the Temple when she was three years old by her parents; and at that event a vow to have her become educated was made.  This presentation just happened to be another step in her ministry as the mother of Jesus, as much as she was not aware of it until later in her life.

Now, let us move forward in the timeline of Mary’s life; the event in which the angel appeared to her explaining that she would bear a son who would be the Messiah, which was the will of God.  This was a huge sacrifice to submit to the will of God; totally giving of herself in the fulfillment of her ministry.  In the Gospel, we read about Jesus noticing people giving their surplus wealth away while a woman was giving two coins.  This woman was living in poverty, therefore giving away everything on which she had to survive.  Mary was like this woman.

How does all of this apply to us?  In this era of rapidly changing technology and demands of being available 24/7 through cell phones and Internet, we often get so wrapped up in all of that to the point that we are not giving adequate time to our spiritual life; not devoting enough time to God.  Some of us participate in leisure activities before taking time to pray, when it ought to be the other way around.  We need to look to Mary as an example of totally giving of ourselves.

Father, just as Mary selflessly gave of her entire self, may we recognize that we need to put you first before other things in our life; even if it means giving up wasteful leisure pleasures.  This we ask through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Christ the King! ~ The Rev. Lady Sherwood, OPI

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Today’s Readings:

Reading 1: 2 SM 5:1-3

R Psalm PS 122:1-2, 3-4, 4-5

Reading 2: COL 1:12=20

Holy Gospel reading:LK 23:35=43 (NIV)

35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”  36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37 and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”  38 There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the jews.  39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”  40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”  42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”  43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

 

In today’s Gospel reading we meet Jesus on the cross paying for the sins of the world, and the two thieves who hung on crosses at either side of him who were there to pay the penalty of their crimes. Jesus was being mocked and sneered at by the rulers and the soldiers in full view of the gathered and watching crowd.

Today we reflect on the Kingship of Christ in relation to the Three Crosses of Calvary, the Cross of Rejection, the Cross of Reception and the Cross of Redemption.

We begin with the cross of Rejection, a cross upon which hangs a man who is dying in sin. On this cross, is a thief who by his actions towards Jesus, represents those who still refuse to repent, even after having experienced the love of God. Even now, hanging from his cross, this man rejects the Divine grace of Christ our Lord and King, and joins in the brutal vocal attack on him. This thief, the soldiers and the vast majority of the watching crowds, failed to recognise Jesus the promised King, who had come down to earth amongst us to be a Shepherd and to serve rather than to be served, and who ultimately would give his life for the price of all of our sins.

Next, we have the cross of Reception which holds a man who is dying to sin. The difference with this thief to the previous one, is that he allows Divine Grace to enable him at the end to see the vast difference between good and evil. Knowing he deserved to suffer, he was moved by the quiet Majesty of our Lord and King, and completely unifies with him, trusting in his power over both life and death, and asking Jesus to remember him when he comes into his Kingdom. Jesus grants his request, telling him, “today, you will be with me in paradise.”

Finally, we come to the cross of Redemption. This cross holds our Lord and King who is dying for sin=for the sins of the world. Jesus defeated the kingdom of darkness and death through the cross of Redemption and has regained for us the chance of eternal salvation and paradise, that was lost by the sin of mankind. Our dear Jesus, suffered death in agony for us and for our salvation, whilst always showing the grace and majesty of what he truly was, is and ever shall be Our Lord and King!!

Let us pray:

Almighty, everlasting God, Who in Thy beloved Son, King of the whole world, hast willed to restore all things anew; grant in Thy Mercy that all the families of nations, rent asunder by the wound of sin, may be subjected to His most gentle rule.  Who with Thee lives and reigns world without end.  Amen.

 

St. Elizabeth of Hungary~The Rev. Dcn Dollie Wilkinson, OPI

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(1207 – November 17, 1231)

“She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.”  Proverbs 31:20

In her short life, Elizabeth manifested such great love for the poor and suffering that she has become the patroness of Catholic charities and of the Secular Franciscan Order. The daughter of the King of Hungary, Elizabeth chose a life of penance and asceticism when a life of leisure and luxury could easily have been hers. This choice endeared her in the hearts of the common people throughout Europe.

She was born in Hungary in 1207, the daughter of Andrew, King of Hungary. From the beginning of her life, she was ridiculed by people who were jealous of her. They noticed that she was always trying to be holy. As she would play games with the other children, she would always contrive little ways to sneak into the chapel and have a visit with Jesus.

Betrothed to Louis of Thuringia at four years of age, Elizabeth married the 21-year-old Louis when she was 14 years old. Later, they had three children Herman, Sophia and Gertrude. Early in their marriage, Louis rebuked Elizabeth because she was always serving people. Although Elizabeth was Queen, she longed to live the life of poverty she heard about through the Franciscans. She constantly gave her jewels and best clothes to the poor. Sometimes she gave everything away and had nothing to wear, but Jesus always provided for her. When she emptied the castle storehouses of grain for the poor, Jesus would miraculously fill them up again. “That’s no work for a Queen,” Louis reprimanded her. Once he demanded to know what she was carrying in her cloak. When he pulled it open, instead of finding provisions for the poor as he expected, out cascaded lovely red and white roses. Louis knew then that she was indeed a holy woman and from that point on he dedicated his life to sharing her ministry.

After only six years of marriage, Louis died of the plague while on a crusade and Elizabeth was devastated. Louis’ greedy brother, Henry, drove Elizabeth and her children out of Wartburg Castle the winter Louis died. She suffered great hardships until she was taken in by her uncle, the Bishop of Bamberg, who wanted her to remarry. Elizabeth refused, having promised Louis that she would not marry again.

Seeing that her children were taken care of by relatives, Elizabeth entered the Order of St. Francis. Master Conrad of Marburg, who was assigned to be her mentor and confessor, was very strict and harsh with her. But, Elizabeth continued her works of charity among the poor, the sick and the homeless. She fished at the river to earn more money to help them. Elizabeth was especially concerned about the orphans and the elderly and built hospitals with her own funds to take care of them. She had so much compassion toward them that she herself tended to their needs, cleaning their homes and spinning yarn for their clothes.

Elizabeth lived with great austerity and worked continually in her hospice and in the homes of the poor. Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, or Thuringia, is the first royal Franciscan tertiary to be canonized. She died at only twenty-four years old, and the world lost of one of the most pious women to ever live. Within four short years, Pope Gregory IX named her a Saint (in May of 1235). She is most remembered for her gentle, charitable nature and complete devotion to God’ s will. Her popularity was immediate, with most of her followers living in the regions in and around Germany and Hungary. Because St. Elizabeth’s dedication to the poor, the sick and the homeless so closely exemplifies the work of Catholic Charities, she was chosen to be its patroness saint.

St. Elizabeth is the patron saint of bakers, countesses, death of children, falsely accused, the homeless, nursing services, tertiaries, widows, and young brides. Her symbols are alms, flowers, bread, the poor, and a pitcher.

Prayer to St. Elizabeth:

O God, by whose gift Saint Elizabeth of Hungary recognized and revered Christ in the poor, grant, through her intercession, that we may serve with unfailing charity the needy and those afflicted. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.