+The Roman Catholic Church is responsible for preserving the Bible through the efforts of Pope St. Damasus I and St. Jerome; and it was the Roman Catholic Church that is responsible for handing it on to all generations, and teaching it, and interpreting it, through the centuries.
+Theodore Roosevelt said that “a thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education.”
+George Washington stated that “it is impossible to rightly govern without God and the Bible. To which Daniel Webster replied: “If we abide by the principles taught in the Bible, our country will go on prospering and to prosper; but if we and our posterity neglect its instructions and authority, no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us and bury all our glory in profound obscurity.”
+The biblical ideal of the brotherhood of man eventually led nations, dominated by Christian teaching and values, to abolish slavery and to lead the way in working to abolish slavery worldwide. The Bible condemns economic injustice and any system that marginalizes or oppresses any people and it establishes the dignity of human life. The image of God and creation from the Bible historically encouraged the development of the sciences, the arts and civilization. Abraham Lincoln once remarked that he believed that “the Bible is the best gift God has ever given to man.”
Saturday, February 26, 2011
How Old is Your Church?
If you are a Lutheran, your religion was founded by Martin Luther, and ex-monk of the Catholic Church, in the year 1517.
If you belong to the Church of England, your religion was founded by King Henry VIII in the year 1534 because the Pope would not garnt him a divorce with the right to remarry.
If you are a Presbyterian, your religion was founded by john Knox in Scotland in the year 1560.
If you are a Protestant Episcopalian, your religion is an offshoot of the Church of England founded by Samuel Seabury in the American colonies in the 17th century.
If you are a Congregationalist, your religion was originated by Robert Brown in Holland in 1582.
If you are a Methodist, your religion was launched by John and Charles Wesley in England in 1744.
If you are a Unitarian, Theophilus Lindley founded your church in London in 1774.
If you are a Mormon (Latter Day Saints), Joseph Smith started your religion in Palmyra, NY in 1829.
If you are a Baptist, you owe the tenets of your religion to John Smyth, who launched it in Amsterdam in 1605.
If you are of the Dutch Reformed church, you recognize Michaelis Jones as founder, because he originated your religion in New York in 1628.
If you worship with the Salvation Army, your sect began with William Booth in London in 1865.
If you are a Christian Scientist, you look to 1879 as the year in which your religion was born and to Mrs. Mary Baker eddy as its founder.
If you belong to one of the religious organizations known as “Church of the Nazarene,” “Pentecostal Gospel,” “Holiness Church,’ “Pilgrim Holiness Church,” “Jehovah’s Witnesses,” your religion is one of the hundreds of new sects founded by men within the past century.
The first record we have of the Church being called “Catholic” goes back to the nartyr-bishop of Antioch, St. Ignatius, who dies around AD 107. In his epistle to the Smyrnaeans, he says, “Where the bishop appears, there let the people be, just as where Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church.” If it is true that some of the Johanine works of the New testament were not completed until AD 110 or AD 120, we can see that even a decade earlier, the Church was called. “Catholic.”
If you belong to the Church of England, your religion was founded by King Henry VIII in the year 1534 because the Pope would not garnt him a divorce with the right to remarry.
If you are a Presbyterian, your religion was founded by john Knox in Scotland in the year 1560.
If you are a Protestant Episcopalian, your religion is an offshoot of the Church of England founded by Samuel Seabury in the American colonies in the 17th century.
If you are a Congregationalist, your religion was originated by Robert Brown in Holland in 1582.
If you are a Methodist, your religion was launched by John and Charles Wesley in England in 1744.
If you are a Unitarian, Theophilus Lindley founded your church in London in 1774.
If you are a Mormon (Latter Day Saints), Joseph Smith started your religion in Palmyra, NY in 1829.
If you are a Baptist, you owe the tenets of your religion to John Smyth, who launched it in Amsterdam in 1605.
If you are of the Dutch Reformed church, you recognize Michaelis Jones as founder, because he originated your religion in New York in 1628.
If you worship with the Salvation Army, your sect began with William Booth in London in 1865.
If you are a Christian Scientist, you look to 1879 as the year in which your religion was born and to Mrs. Mary Baker eddy as its founder.
If you belong to one of the religious organizations known as “Church of the Nazarene,” “Pentecostal Gospel,” “Holiness Church,’ “Pilgrim Holiness Church,” “Jehovah’s Witnesses,” your religion is one of the hundreds of new sects founded by men within the past century.
If you are Catholic, you know that your
religion was founded in the year 33
by Jesus Christ the Son of God,
and it is still the same Church.
The first record we have of the Church being called “Catholic” goes back to the nartyr-bishop of Antioch, St. Ignatius, who dies around AD 107. In his epistle to the Smyrnaeans, he says, “Where the bishop appears, there let the people be, just as where Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church.” If it is true that some of the Johanine works of the New testament were not completed until AD 110 or AD 120, we can see that even a decade earlier, the Church was called. “Catholic.”
Bread on the Water
Homily for the Feast of the Presentation, February 2
by Father Jerry Pokorsky
Children know how to play "bread on the water". Crumbs of bread tossed on the corner of small lake attracts fish. If the fish are fed repeatedly, the crumbs might eventually attract a big fish, suitable for the fly rod. From the point of view of the large fish that are eventually caught, the game of "bread on the water" turns out to be a terrible trick, not a game of charity. After all, they end up in the frying pan.
Sometimes "sacrificial giving" is not always what it appears to be. Occasionally, self-interest motivates external acts of charity. Hence, corporate sponsorship of civic events and the donation of sums of money to charities may only be "bread on the water," that is, forms of advertising or means to secure the goodwill of the community. "Bread on the water" donations may not be wrong at all or even offensive. The donations are often praiseworthy as a mutually beneficial business transaction. But strictly speaking, they are not acts of Christian charity.
The motives of giving and generosity are often mixed and difficult to untangle. A teacher may treat his students with candy, for example. But are the treats primarily acts of kindness or means of manipulating the affection of the children? Motivations are usually clarified and purified when an act of charity is put to the test. When the gift is accepted without an apparent payback, how does the benefactor respond?
Symbolic of their charity, Mary and Joseph present the child Jesus to the Lord in the Temple. As it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord." A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons are sacrificed to express Mary and Joseph's obedience to the law. The prophet Simeon, by the grace of God, recognizes the child as the Messiah. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, he prophesies that the child will be the instrument of Israel's salvation. He adds that the child will be a "sign of contradiction" and promises, ominously, that "a sword [of sorrow] will pierce" the heart of Mary.
When Mary ritually presented her newborn Son in the Temple in Jerusalem, she did so in accordance with the Mosaic law. Aside from the turtle doves, there was no real cost to this symbolic act of obedience and charity. But the presentation of the Lord, certainly prefigured her sacrificial gift at the foot of the Cross. At the foot of the Cross, the sorrowful Mother reveals at once the quiet dignity of her love and the true sacrificial character of her charity. Her ritual offering of her child was accepted by God on Calvary. For Mary, the presentation of the Lord, offered in obedience to the Father, did not have a payback. It was an expression of love, a love that was tested and confirmed by the Cross.
The Cross was Mary's test of charity symbolically expressed during the Presentation of the Lord when Jesus was a child. She passed the test because her love was pure, not "bread on the water." Christian charity is disinterested love, love for the sake of God. Motivated by the love of God and following the example of Mary and her divine Son, Christians must learn to give of themselves without counting the cost or measuring the benefits.
by Father Jerry Pokorsky
Children know how to play "bread on the water". Crumbs of bread tossed on the corner of small lake attracts fish. If the fish are fed repeatedly, the crumbs might eventually attract a big fish, suitable for the fly rod. From the point of view of the large fish that are eventually caught, the game of "bread on the water" turns out to be a terrible trick, not a game of charity. After all, they end up in the frying pan.
Sometimes "sacrificial giving" is not always what it appears to be. Occasionally, self-interest motivates external acts of charity. Hence, corporate sponsorship of civic events and the donation of sums of money to charities may only be "bread on the water," that is, forms of advertising or means to secure the goodwill of the community. "Bread on the water" donations may not be wrong at all or even offensive. The donations are often praiseworthy as a mutually beneficial business transaction. But strictly speaking, they are not acts of Christian charity.
The motives of giving and generosity are often mixed and difficult to untangle. A teacher may treat his students with candy, for example. But are the treats primarily acts of kindness or means of manipulating the affection of the children? Motivations are usually clarified and purified when an act of charity is put to the test. When the gift is accepted without an apparent payback, how does the benefactor respond?
Symbolic of their charity, Mary and Joseph present the child Jesus to the Lord in the Temple. As it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord." A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons are sacrificed to express Mary and Joseph's obedience to the law. The prophet Simeon, by the grace of God, recognizes the child as the Messiah. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, he prophesies that the child will be the instrument of Israel's salvation. He adds that the child will be a "sign of contradiction" and promises, ominously, that "a sword [of sorrow] will pierce" the heart of Mary.
When Mary ritually presented her newborn Son in the Temple in Jerusalem, she did so in accordance with the Mosaic law. Aside from the turtle doves, there was no real cost to this symbolic act of obedience and charity. But the presentation of the Lord, certainly prefigured her sacrificial gift at the foot of the Cross. At the foot of the Cross, the sorrowful Mother reveals at once the quiet dignity of her love and the true sacrificial character of her charity. Her ritual offering of her child was accepted by God on Calvary. For Mary, the presentation of the Lord, offered in obedience to the Father, did not have a payback. It was an expression of love, a love that was tested and confirmed by the Cross.
The Cross was Mary's test of charity symbolically expressed during the Presentation of the Lord when Jesus was a child. She passed the test because her love was pure, not "bread on the water." Christian charity is disinterested love, love for the sake of God. Motivated by the love of God and following the example of Mary and her divine Son, Christians must learn to give of themselves without counting the cost or measuring the benefits.
The Presentation of Our Lord
According to Jewish law, the firstborn male child belonged to God, and the parents had to "buy him back" on the 40th day after his birth, by offering a sacrifice of "a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons" (Luke 2:24) in the temple (thus the "presentation" of the child). On that same day, the mother would be ritually purified (thus the "purification").
St. Mary and St. Joseph kept this law, even though, since St. Mary remained a virgin after the birth of Christ, she would not have had to go through ritual purification. In his gospel, Luke (2:22-39) recounts the story.
Originally, the feast was celebrated on February 14, the 40th day after Epiphany (January 6), because Christmas wasn't yet celebrated as its own feast, and so the Nativity, Epiphany, the Baptism of the Lord (Theophany), and the feast celebrating Christ's first miracle at the wedding in Cana were all celebrated on the same day. By the last quarter of the fourth century, however, the Church at Rome had begun to celebrate the Nativity on December 25, so the Feast of the Presentation was moved to February 2, 40 days later.
When Christ was presented in the temple, "there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel." When St. Mary and St. Joseph brought Christ to the temple, Simeon embraced the Child and prayed the Canticle of Simeon: "Now thou dost dismiss thy servant, O Lord, according to thy word in peace; because my eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples: a light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel" (Luke 2:29-32).
Because of the words of the canticle ("a light to the revelation of the Gentiles"), by the 11th century, the custom had developed in the West of blessing candles on the Feast of the Presentation. The candles were then lit, and a procession took place through the darkened church while the Canticle of Simeon was sung. Because of this, the feast also became known as Candlemas. While the procession and blessing of the candles is not often performed in the United States today, Candlemas is still an important feast in many European countries.
The Prayer of Simeon at the Presentation
Nunc Dimittis
(Canticle of Simeon; Luke 2:29-32):
Lord, now you let your servant go in peace; your word has been fulfilled: my own eyes have seen the salvation which you have prepared in the sight of every people: a light to reveal you to the nations and the glory of your people Israel.
Our Lady of Lourdes
The first apparition occurred February 11, 1858. There were eighteen in all; the last took place July 16, of the same year. Bernadette often fell into an ecstasy during these apparitions, as was witnessed by the hundreds who attended the later visions, though no one except Bernadette ever saw or heard the apparition.
The mysterious vision Bernadette saw in the hollow of the rock Massabielle, where she and friends had gone to gather firewood, was that of a young and beautiful lady. "Lovelier than I have ever seen" said the child. She described the Lady as clothed in white, with a blue ribbon sash and a Rosary hanging from her right arm. Now and then the apparition spoke to Bernadette.
One day, the Lady told the girl to drink of a mysterious fountain within the grotto itself, the existence of which was unknown, and of which there was no sign. But Bernadette scratched at the ground, and a spring immediately bubbled up and soon gushed forth. On another occasion the apparition bade Bernadette go and tell the priests she wished a chapel to be built on the spot and processions to be made to the grotto. At first the clergy were incredulous. The priest said he would not believe it unless the apparition gave Bernadette her name. After another apparition, Bernadette reported that the Lady told her, "I am the Immaculate Conception". Though the girl was unfamiliar with the term, the Pope had declared the doctrine of the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary in 1854.
Four years after Bernadette's visions, in 1862, the bishop of the diocese declared the faithful "justified in believing the reality of the apparition" of Our Lady. A basilica was built upon the rock of Massabielle by M. Peyramale, the parish priest. In 1873 the great "national" French pilgrimages were inaugurated. Three years later the basilica was consecrated and the statue solemnly crowned. In 1883 the foundation stone of another church was laid, as the first was no longer large enough. It was built at the foot of the basilica and was consecrated in 1901 and called the Church of the Rosary. Pope Leo XIII authorized a special office and a Mass, in commemoration of the apparition, and in 1907 Pius X extended the observance of this feast to the entire Church; it is now observed on February 11.
Litany of Our Lady of Lourdes
Lord have mercy; Lord have mercy.
Christ have mercy; Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy; Lord have mercy.
Christ hear us; Christ graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven; Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world; Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit; Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God; Have mercy on us.
Holy Mary; Pray for us.
Holy Mother of God; Pray for us.
Mother of Christ; Pray for us.
Mother of our Savior; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, help of Christians; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, source of love; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, mother of the poor; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, mother of the handicapped; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, mother of orphans; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, mother of all children; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, mother of all nations; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, mother of the Church; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, friend of the lonely; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, comforter of those who mourn; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, shelter of the homeless; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, guide of travelers; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, strength of the weak; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, refuge of sinners; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, comforter of the suffering; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, help of the dying; Pray for us.
Queen of heaven; Pray for us.
Queen of peace; Pray for us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world; Spare us O Lord.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world; Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world; Have mercy on us.
Christ hear us; Christ graciously hear us.
Let us pray:
Grant us, your servants, we pray you, Lord God, to enjoy perpetual health of mind and body. By the glorious intercession of Blessed Mary ever Virgin, may we be delivered from present sorrows, and enjoy everlasting happiness. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Necessity of Baptism
I have some hard things to talk about. These are often just the basics of our Faith but they are often things that are misunderstood or ignored. They are hard because some people, and even some priests, get upset when we talk about them or question them.
What we are going to talk about is salvation, Eternal Life and what we have to do to get there. As I've said, this bothers some people because many people, and even some clergy seem to think there is no Hell and that everyone is going to Heaven automatically.
Well.... not according to Jesus, not according to the Bible, not according to the Roman Catholic Church that Jesus gave us, and not according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church of Pope John Paul II!
So.... Today we will begin by considering Baptism. It is very important to note that Jesus Himself tells us in no uncertain terms that Baptism is necessary for salvation. In the Gospel of St. John 3:5, Jesus says: "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." Now that's pretty clear and very blunt! No wiggle room there!
Then.... making this even more urgent, Jesus commands us to proclaim the Gospel to ALL nations AND to Baptize them. In St. Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus commands us to "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you."
The CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH is very clear in telling us that "Baptism is necessary for Salvation" and that "the Church does not know of any means other than Baptism that assures entry into eternal Beatitude." (Heaven) (#1257 Catechism of the Catholic Church)
What is the bottom line here? First, Jesus, the Bible, and the Church say Baptism is REQUIRED for Eternal Life and Heaven. / Second, to put off or neglect Baptism is taking a serious, dangerous, and foolhardy chance with our Eternal Life. / Third, we are commanded by Jesus to Baptize and to teach others all that Jesus has given to us.
Some people, and as I've said, even some clergy, would put Baptism off and feel uncomfortable sharing the Roman Catholic Church that Jesus Gave us. But.... if we truly love our neighbor, why would we keep the way to Heaven and Eternal Life a secret?!?!
This is something we all have to think about and something about which we must take action before it's too late!
A Chance for Heaven!
In the summer of 1976 I was in Poland and I visited the city of Wadowice. I can remember only three things about the city. I had a bowl of delicious cold rhubarb soup and my guide had steak tartar – a fancy name for raw hamburger and a raw egg. I also remember the beautiful old church across the square from the restaurant.
Today we know that Wadowice is the birthplace of Pope John Paul II and he was baptized in the church across from where I had rhubarb soup.
I remember pictures of him, when he returned to Poland as Pope, kneeling before the font where he had been baptized. He even kissed the font! At first many people wondered about that. . . after all, what is so sacred or important about the Baptismal font?
St. Francis de Sales has the answer: “The Baptismal font should be dearer to us than any object, for here it was we were made children of God!”
Most people think that Baptism is the Sacrament to keep babies out of Limbo… and leave it at that!
Yes, the Bible tells us that we can not get to Heaven unless we are baptized. But Baptism is even more:
First: It forgives sin.
Second: It strengthens us spiritually.
Third: It makes us members of the Church Jesus first founded and it allows us the opportunity to participate fully in His Church.
The last point is more important – you see Baptism makes it possible to receive the other Sacraments of the Church - Sacraments that help us to live this life and enter the next life safely.
We often underestimate the importance of Baptism. But it is the most important of Sacraments. Basically because we can’t get to Heaven without it and we need it to live a Christian life here and now.
A side note – Children should be baptized as soon as possible… as soon as they can be brought to church! To make arrangements just call the rectory.
Another note – In an emergency anyone can baptize. All that need be done is to pray: I baptize you in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen – while pouring a little water over the head of the individual.
As you can see, when the Pope knelt and kissed his Baptismal font he understood perfectly well what we was doing. That font gave him a chance at Eternal life in Heaven!
Gleanings.....February
Ignorance of scripture is ignorance of Christ .
-- St. Jerome
Not 100 in the United States hate the Roman Catholic Church, but millions hate what they mistakenly think the Roman Catholic Church is. -- Bishop Fulton J. Sheen
Those who commit these types of scandals are guility of the spiritual equivalent of murder, but I', here among you to prevent something far worst for you. While those who give scandal are guilty of the spiritual equivalent of murder, those who take scandal- who allow scandals to destroy faith- are guilty of spiritual suicide.
-- St. Francis de Sales
The proof of love is in the works. Where love exists, it works great things. But when it ceases to act, it ceases to exist.
-- Pope St. Gregory the Great
Few souls understand what God would accomplish in them if they were to abandon themselves unreservedly to Him and if they were to allow His grace to mold them accordingly.
-- St. Ignatius Loyola
It is better to say one Our Father fervently and devoutly than a thousand with no devotion and full of distraction.
-- St. Edmund
If there be a true way that leads to the Everlasting Kingdom, it is most certainly that of suffering, patiently endured.
-- St. Colette
At the end of our life, we shall all be judged by charity.
-- St. John of the Cross
What will be the crown of those who, humble within and humiliated without, have imitated the humility of our Savior in all its fullness! - St. Bernadette
"Charity may be a very short word, but with its tremendous meaning of pure love, it sums up man's entire relation to God and to his neighbor." -- St Aelred of Rievaulx
-- St. Jerome
Not 100 in the United States hate the Roman Catholic Church, but millions hate what they mistakenly think the Roman Catholic Church is. -- Bishop Fulton J. Sheen
Those who commit these types of scandals are guility of the spiritual equivalent of murder, but I', here among you to prevent something far worst for you. While those who give scandal are guilty of the spiritual equivalent of murder, those who take scandal- who allow scandals to destroy faith- are guilty of spiritual suicide.
-- St. Francis de Sales
The proof of love is in the works. Where love exists, it works great things. But when it ceases to act, it ceases to exist.
-- Pope St. Gregory the Great
Few souls understand what God would accomplish in them if they were to abandon themselves unreservedly to Him and if they were to allow His grace to mold them accordingly.
-- St. Ignatius Loyola
It is better to say one Our Father fervently and devoutly than a thousand with no devotion and full of distraction.
-- St. Edmund
If there be a true way that leads to the Everlasting Kingdom, it is most certainly that of suffering, patiently endured.
-- St. Colette
At the end of our life, we shall all be judged by charity.
-- St. John of the Cross
What will be the crown of those who, humble within and humiliated without, have imitated the humility of our Savior in all its fullness! - St. Bernadette
"Charity may be a very short word, but with its tremendous meaning of pure love, it sums up man's entire relation to God and to his neighbor." -- St Aelred of Rievaulx
Laughter is a gift from God.
Eddie O’Reilly, the cop, had an emergency call to come help his friend, Tim Flanigan, who was injured in an automobile accident. Eddie got in his car and drove to the spot where Tim lay in a ditch, groaning and moaning. It was a terrible night, with heavy rain, lightning and thunder.
“I ain’t gonna make it, Eddie. Call a rabbi will you? Quick!”
“A rabbi? Are you crazy, Tim? You need a priest, not a rabbi!”
“Do as I say, Eddie. I wouldn’t ask a priest to come out here on a night like this!”
************************************************************
I’ll give till it hurts,” said one parishioner, “but you ought to know I’m terribly sensitive to pain.”
******
Among other things to pray for when going to church
is a place to park.
“I ain’t gonna make it, Eddie. Call a rabbi will you? Quick!”
“A rabbi? Are you crazy, Tim? You need a priest, not a rabbi!”
“Do as I say, Eddie. I wouldn’t ask a priest to come out here on a night like this!”
************************************************************
I’ll give till it hurts,” said one parishioner, “but you ought to know I’m terribly sensitive to pain.”
******
Among other things to pray for when going to church
is a place to park.
Saint Scholastica
Saint Scholastica, twin sister of Saint Benedict of Nursia who founded the Benedictine order, was consecrated to God at a very early age but probably continued to live in her parents' home. It is said that she was as devoted to Jesus as she was to her brother. So, when Benedict established his monastery at Monte Cassino, Scholastica founded a convent in nearby Plombariola, about five miles south of Monte Cassino. The convent is said to have been under the direction of her brother, thus she is regarded as the first Benedictine nun.
The siblings were quite close. The respective rules of their houses proscribed either entering the other's monastery. According to Saint Gregory, they met once a year at a house near Monte Cassino monastery to confer on spiritual matters, and were eventually buried together, probably in the same grave. Saint Gregory says, "so death did not separate the bodies of these two, whose minds had ever been united in the Lord."
Saint Gregory tells the charming story of the last meeting of the two saints on earth. Scholastica and Benedict had spent the day in the "mutual comfort of heavenly talk" and with nightfall approaching, Benedict prepared to leave. Scholastica, having a presentiment that it would be their last opportunity to see each other alive, asked him to spend the evening in conversation. Benedict sternly refused because he did not wish to break his own rule by spending a night away from Monte Cassino. Thereupon, Scholastica cried openly, laid her head upon the table, and prayed that God would intercede for her. As she did so, a sudden storm
arose. The violent rain and hail came in such a torrential downpour that Benedict and his companions were unable to depart.
"May Almighty God forgive you, sister" said Benedict, "for what you have done."
"I asked a favor of you," Scholastica replied simply, "and you refused it. I asked it of God, and He has granted it!"
Just after his return to Monte Cassino, Benedict saw a vision of Scholastica's soul departing her body, ascending to heaven in the form of a dove. She died three days after their last meeting. He placed her body in the tomb he had prepared for himself, and arranged for his own to be placed there after his death. Her relics were alleged by the monk Adrevald to have been translated (July 11) to a rich silver shrine in Saint Peter's Church in Le Mans, France, which may have been when Benedict's were moved to Fleury. In 1562, this shrine was preserved from the Huguenots' plundering.
Some say that we should only petition God for momentously important matters. God's love, however, is so great that we wishes to give us every good thing. He is ever ready to hear our prayers: our prayers of praise and thanksgiving, and our prayers of petition, repentance, and intercession. Nothing is too great or too trivial to share with our Father. The dependent soul learns that everything we are and have is from His bountiful goodness; when we finally learn that lesson we turn to Him with all our hopes and dreams and needs. Saint Scholastica is obviously one of those who learned the lesson of her own helplessness. Her feast day is February 10.
The siblings were quite close. The respective rules of their houses proscribed either entering the other's monastery. According to Saint Gregory, they met once a year at a house near Monte Cassino monastery to confer on spiritual matters, and were eventually buried together, probably in the same grave. Saint Gregory says, "so death did not separate the bodies of these two, whose minds had ever been united in the Lord."
Saint Gregory tells the charming story of the last meeting of the two saints on earth. Scholastica and Benedict had spent the day in the "mutual comfort of heavenly talk" and with nightfall approaching, Benedict prepared to leave. Scholastica, having a presentiment that it would be their last opportunity to see each other alive, asked him to spend the evening in conversation. Benedict sternly refused because he did not wish to break his own rule by spending a night away from Monte Cassino. Thereupon, Scholastica cried openly, laid her head upon the table, and prayed that God would intercede for her. As she did so, a sudden storm
arose. The violent rain and hail came in such a torrential downpour that Benedict and his companions were unable to depart.
"May Almighty God forgive you, sister" said Benedict, "for what you have done."
"I asked a favor of you," Scholastica replied simply, "and you refused it. I asked it of God, and He has granted it!"
Just after his return to Monte Cassino, Benedict saw a vision of Scholastica's soul departing her body, ascending to heaven in the form of a dove. She died three days after their last meeting. He placed her body in the tomb he had prepared for himself, and arranged for his own to be placed there after his death. Her relics were alleged by the monk Adrevald to have been translated (July 11) to a rich silver shrine in Saint Peter's Church in Le Mans, France, which may have been when Benedict's were moved to Fleury. In 1562, this shrine was preserved from the Huguenots' plundering.
Some say that we should only petition God for momentously important matters. God's love, however, is so great that we wishes to give us every good thing. He is ever ready to hear our prayers: our prayers of praise and thanksgiving, and our prayers of petition, repentance, and intercession. Nothing is too great or too trivial to share with our Father. The dependent soul learns that everything we are and have is from His bountiful goodness; when we finally learn that lesson we turn to Him with all our hopes and dreams and needs. Saint Scholastica is obviously one of those who learned the lesson of her own helplessness. Her feast day is February 10.
Devotion of the Month: The Holy Family
In Honor of the Holy Family
O God, Heavenly Father, it was part of Thine eternal decree that Thine only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, should form a holy family with Mary, His blessed mother, and His foster father, Saint Joseph. In Nazareth, home life was sanctified, and a perfect example was given to every Christian family. Grant, we beseech Thee, that we may fully comprehend and faithfully imitate the virtues of the Holy Family so that we may be united with them one day in their heavenly glory. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayer Before the Blessed Sacrament in Honor of the Holy Family
Grant us, O Lord Jesus, faithfully to imitate the examples of Thy Holy Family, so that in the hour of our death, in the company of Thy glorious Virgin Mother and St. Joseph, we may deserve to be received by Thee into eternal tabernacles.
Invocation to the Holy Family
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph most kind,
Bless us now and in death's agony.
O God, Heavenly Father, it was part of Thine eternal decree that Thine only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, should form a holy family with Mary, His blessed mother, and His foster father, Saint Joseph. In Nazareth, home life was sanctified, and a perfect example was given to every Christian family. Grant, we beseech Thee, that we may fully comprehend and faithfully imitate the virtues of the Holy Family so that we may be united with them one day in their heavenly glory. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayer Before the Blessed Sacrament in Honor of the Holy Family
Grant us, O Lord Jesus, faithfully to imitate the examples of Thy Holy Family, so that in the hour of our death, in the company of Thy glorious Virgin Mother and St. Joseph, we may deserve to be received by Thee into eternal tabernacles.
Invocation to the Holy Family
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph most kind,
Bless us now and in death's agony.
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