Vatican Radio) Pope
Benedict XVI has sent a Message of Condolence to the those affected by the
recent accident at the Amuay Refinery in Falcon state, Venezuela. The accident
occurred Saturday. It killed 48 people, injured dozens of others and damaged 200
nearby homes. Firefighters have extinguished the blaze at one of three burning
oil tanks in what is the country's biggest refinery. Conveyed via telegram
addressed to the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Venezuela,
Archbishop Diego Rafael Padrón Sánchez of Cumaná, and signed by the Secretary of
State of the Holy See, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the telegram expresses the
Holy Father’s prayerful spiritual closeness to the victims and their families.
Below, please find the full text of Vatican Radio's translation of the
telegram.
**************************************
POPE BENEDICT XVI, deeply saddened by the news of the serious accident in AMUAY REFINERY, Falcon state, which caused many casualties and much property damage, prays the Lord for the eternal rest of the deceased, while expressing fatherly spiritual closeness to the injured and to all the victims and their families.
The Pope also encourages the whole civil and ecclesial community of Venezuela to a spirit of charity Christian solidarity in giving all necessary assistance to those who have lost their homes or their personal property. With these sentiments, the Holy Father imparts his Apostolic Blessing to those affected and to those who are working to relieve them, as a sign of affection to the beloved people of Venezuela.
SHARED FROM RADIO VATICANA
**************************************
POPE BENEDICT XVI, deeply saddened by the news of the serious accident in AMUAY REFINERY, Falcon state, which caused many casualties and much property damage, prays the Lord for the eternal rest of the deceased, while expressing fatherly spiritual closeness to the injured and to all the victims and their families.
The Pope also encourages the whole civil and ecclesial community of Venezuela to a spirit of charity Christian solidarity in giving all necessary assistance to those who have lost their homes or their personal property. With these sentiments, the Holy Father imparts his Apostolic Blessing to those affected and to those who are working to relieve them, as a sign of affection to the beloved people of Venezuela.
SHARED FROM RADIO VATICANA
TODAY'S MASS ONLINE : TUESDAY AUGUST 28, 2012
| Matthew
23: 23 - 26
| |
| 23 | "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law, justice and mercy and faith; these you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. |
| 24 | You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel! |
| 25 | "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you cleanse the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of extortion and rapacity. |
| 26 | You blind Pharisee! first cleanse the inside of the cup and of the plate, that the outside also may be clean. |
AMERICA : CANADA : RIP DR. MARGARET O'GARA
CCCB REPORT
Dr. Margaret O’Gara, Professor of Theology at the
University of St. Michael ’s College, Toronto
She served as theological advisor for the delegates of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) to the 2001 Synod of Bishops on "The Bishop: The Servant of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the Hope of the World"; participated as a CCCB delegate in a number of consultations, including the 2004 Reformed - Roman Catholic Consultation on Baptism and Eucharist; had been appointed by the Conference as a member of the Canadian Anglican –Catholic Dialogue, 1976 to 1993; and at the time of her death was a member of the Canadian Catholic – Evangelical Dialogue, to which she had been appointed by the CCCB in 2008. In addition to her work with the CCCB, she was also invited on a number of occasions to assist the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity as well as the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Dr. O’Gara worked tirelessly to foster Christian unity through her teaching, research, writing and public lectures. She also served as President of the North American Academy of Ecumenists as well of of the Catholic Theological Society of America.
Visitation will be at Rosar-Morrison Funeral Home,467 Sherbourne Street , Toronto
SHARED FROM CATHOLIC BISHOPS OF CANADA
 |
Dr. Margaret O’Gara, Professor of Theology at the
She served as theological advisor for the delegates of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) to the 2001 Synod of Bishops on "The Bishop: The Servant of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the Hope of the World"; participated as a CCCB delegate in a number of consultations, including the 2004 Reformed - Roman Catholic Consultation on Baptism and Eucharist; had been appointed by the Conference as a member of the Canadian Anglican –Catholic Dialogue, 1976 to 1993; and at the time of her death was a member of the Canadian Catholic – Evangelical Dialogue, to which she had been appointed by the CCCB in 2008. In addition to her work with the CCCB, she was also invited on a number of occasions to assist the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity as well as the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Dr. O’Gara worked tirelessly to foster Christian unity through her teaching, research, writing and public lectures. She also served as President of the North American Academy of Ecumenists as well of of the Catholic Theological Society of America.
Visitation will be at Rosar-Morrison Funeral Home,
SHARED FROM CATHOLIC BISHOPS OF CANADA
ASIA : SYRIA : NUNCIO SAYS SYRIA'S DESCENDING INTO HELL
ASIA NEWS REPORT:
by Paul Dakiki
Archbishop Mario Zenari comments on the Daraya massacre in to AsiaNews, with rebels and government trading accusations of responsibility. The Melkite bishop of Aleppo flees to Lebanon. Many Christians in Syria saved because of their religion. The conflict in Syria is not an "Arab Spring", but far more complex, with "tragic and unimaginable" consequences.
Damascus (AsiaNews) - Each Syrian dawn brings with it a fresh list of deaths (real or imagined) and proclamations of victories (real or imagined). Yesterday the rebels celebrated their downing of a military helicopter in the district of Jobar in Damascus.
The government, for its part, claims to have brought Daraya under control. The rebels accuse the regular troops of having massacred at least 320 people, including women and children. Video footage - unverified - shows bloodied and burned bodies. The government accuses the terrorists of having carries out the massacre. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called for an independent inquiry into the slaughter. And as the Free Syrian Army seeks more support from the West, Assad continues to proclaim war against a "foreign conspiracy" which aims to change the balance of power in the region. Meanwhile, mounting evidence confirms the presence of al Qaeda fighters in Syria, who have carried out "66 operations", half of them in Damascus alone, in the period since June.
In this distressing situation, comes the news that the offices of the Greek-catholic bishop in Aleppo, Msgr. Jean-Clement Jeanbart, were looted. The bishop has fled to Lebanon. On all this, AsiaNews asked the opinion of Msgr. Mario Zenari, Apostolic Nuncio in Damascus.
Your Excellency, what can you tell us of the reports of killings and massacres?
In Syria things are bad, very bad. I used to think of this situation as a tunnel, at the end of which we would eventually see some light. But now I say that Syria is descending into hell and when you go that way, all hope of light can be lost. Of course, history is always in the hands of God and anything can happen and this descent can be slowed down.
My invitation to the Christian communities in Syria and abroad is this: the weapons are causing destruction and casualties. We must use the weapon of prayer. Just yesterday I spoke to a pastor who lives in Aleppo, alongside his faithful. And he said: I suggested to my faithful not to lose time in the evening watching television, but to meet and say the rosary for Syria.
The UN Security Council is divided. Yesterday France criticized Russia and China for their defense of Assad ... The international community seems to be just standing by and watching, while fundamentalists gain ground and the Arab countries of the South make their moves...
The history of this conflict is full of gaffes and contradictions, made both by Syria and the international community. Even the ambassadors here in Damascus are beginning to realize that the analysis made before have all gone up in smoke: it is difficult to define the conflict, and all hypotheses are null and void.
In the beginning, the international community viewed the riots in Syria as another chapter in the Arab Spring, as something akin to what happened in Tunisia, Egypt or Libya. Instead Syria is something unique and they are playing with fire, in a complex conflict, with many delicate components. And there is the fear that the consequences will become even more tragic and unimaginable.
Excellence, are Christians seen as a target in this conflict? Many people wonder about the fate of Christians, but it is difficult to distinguish their fate from the collective fate of all Syrians.
We must not exploit easy sympathies and feelings, or talk about religious conflicts. The Christian community here suffers the same as everyone else. Indeed, I must say that in some cases, here and there, you'll find that some violence - too easily branded as "confessional" - has its roots in family hatreds, past injustices, etc. ....
What about the thousands and thousands of cases in which precisely those who are Christian are saved? I tell people the facts and Christians stopped at checkpoints, by rebels or soldiers, are allowed to pass because they show their identity card on which their religion is registered. And maybe, in this same place these rebels or soldiers have killed other groups. The impression is that the media in the West are exploiting clichés. Caution should be exercised. What is important is that Christians work in Syria, along with other denominations, through our identity, by being committed to non-violence, human rights. The future will be what God wants, but it depends on us to build it.
SHARED FROM ASIA NEWS IT
by Paul Dakiki
Archbishop Mario Zenari comments on the Daraya massacre in to AsiaNews, with rebels and government trading accusations of responsibility. The Melkite bishop of Aleppo flees to Lebanon. Many Christians in Syria saved because of their religion. The conflict in Syria is not an "Arab Spring", but far more complex, with "tragic and unimaginable" consequences.
Damascus (AsiaNews) - Each Syrian dawn brings with it a fresh list of deaths (real or imagined) and proclamations of victories (real or imagined). Yesterday the rebels celebrated their downing of a military helicopter in the district of Jobar in Damascus.
The government, for its part, claims to have brought Daraya under control. The rebels accuse the regular troops of having massacred at least 320 people, including women and children. Video footage - unverified - shows bloodied and burned bodies. The government accuses the terrorists of having carries out the massacre. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called for an independent inquiry into the slaughter. And as the Free Syrian Army seeks more support from the West, Assad continues to proclaim war against a "foreign conspiracy" which aims to change the balance of power in the region. Meanwhile, mounting evidence confirms the presence of al Qaeda fighters in Syria, who have carried out "66 operations", half of them in Damascus alone, in the period since June.
In this distressing situation, comes the news that the offices of the Greek-catholic bishop in Aleppo, Msgr. Jean-Clement Jeanbart, were looted. The bishop has fled to Lebanon. On all this, AsiaNews asked the opinion of Msgr. Mario Zenari, Apostolic Nuncio in Damascus.
Your Excellency, what can you tell us of the reports of killings and massacres?
In Syria things are bad, very bad. I used to think of this situation as a tunnel, at the end of which we would eventually see some light. But now I say that Syria is descending into hell and when you go that way, all hope of light can be lost. Of course, history is always in the hands of God and anything can happen and this descent can be slowed down.
My invitation to the Christian communities in Syria and abroad is this: the weapons are causing destruction and casualties. We must use the weapon of prayer. Just yesterday I spoke to a pastor who lives in Aleppo, alongside his faithful. And he said: I suggested to my faithful not to lose time in the evening watching television, but to meet and say the rosary for Syria.
The UN Security Council is divided. Yesterday France criticized Russia and China for their defense of Assad ... The international community seems to be just standing by and watching, while fundamentalists gain ground and the Arab countries of the South make their moves...
The history of this conflict is full of gaffes and contradictions, made both by Syria and the international community. Even the ambassadors here in Damascus are beginning to realize that the analysis made before have all gone up in smoke: it is difficult to define the conflict, and all hypotheses are null and void.
In the beginning, the international community viewed the riots in Syria as another chapter in the Arab Spring, as something akin to what happened in Tunisia, Egypt or Libya. Instead Syria is something unique and they are playing with fire, in a complex conflict, with many delicate components. And there is the fear that the consequences will become even more tragic and unimaginable.
Excellence, are Christians seen as a target in this conflict? Many people wonder about the fate of Christians, but it is difficult to distinguish their fate from the collective fate of all Syrians.
We must not exploit easy sympathies and feelings, or talk about religious conflicts. The Christian community here suffers the same as everyone else. Indeed, I must say that in some cases, here and there, you'll find that some violence - too easily branded as "confessional" - has its roots in family hatreds, past injustices, etc. ....
What about the thousands and thousands of cases in which precisely those who are Christian are saved? I tell people the facts and Christians stopped at checkpoints, by rebels or soldiers, are allowed to pass because they show their identity card on which their religion is registered. And maybe, in this same place these rebels or soldiers have killed other groups. The impression is that the media in the West are exploiting clichés. Caution should be exercised. What is important is that Christians work in Syria, along with other denominations, through our identity, by being committed to non-violence, human rights. The future will be what God wants, but it depends on us to build it.
SHARED FROM ASIA NEWS IT
AFRICA : KENYA : FOUR CHURCHES ATTACKED
Agenzia Fides report - The second day of clashes in
Mombasa, Kenya, between police and protesters demanding the killing of an
Islamic preacher, Aboud Rogo Mohammed, accused of recruiting young people to be
sent to fight in the ranks of the Shabaab in Somalia.
"Yesterday, August 27, four churches of Christian denominations not Catholic were burned or looted, but if the fighting were to continue, Catholic places of worship may also be affected," says to Fides His Exc. Mgr. Boniface Lele, Archbishop of Mombasa. According to sources of the local press, the four structures assaulted are the Jesus Celebration Centre, the Neno Evangelism Centre, the Ziwani SDA and the Pentecostal Assemblies of God Church.
Aboud Rogo Mohammed was killed on August 27 by unknown persons who shot him while he was in the car with his family. The demonstrators accused the police of killing him in a real extrajudicial execution. "I do not think these incidents, however regrettable, will put the crisis the relations between Muslims and Christians in Kenya," said Mgr. Lele. "The people involved in the riots are in fact a minority." (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 28/08/2012
"Yesterday, August 27, four churches of Christian denominations not Catholic were burned or looted, but if the fighting were to continue, Catholic places of worship may also be affected," says to Fides His Exc. Mgr. Boniface Lele, Archbishop of Mombasa. According to sources of the local press, the four structures assaulted are the Jesus Celebration Centre, the Neno Evangelism Centre, the Ziwani SDA and the Pentecostal Assemblies of God Church.
Aboud Rogo Mohammed was killed on August 27 by unknown persons who shot him while he was in the car with his family. The demonstrators accused the police of killing him in a real extrajudicial execution. "I do not think these incidents, however regrettable, will put the crisis the relations between Muslims and Christians in Kenya," said Mgr. Lele. "The people involved in the riots are in fact a minority." (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 28/08/2012
TODAY'S SAINT: AUG. 28: ST. AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO, DIED 430
St. Augustine
DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH, WESTERN FATHER OF THE CHURCH
Feast Day:
August 28
Born:
November 13, 354, Tagaste, Numidia (now Souk Ahras, Algeria)
Died:
August 28, 430, Hippo Regius, Numidia (now modern-day Annaba, Algeria)
Major Shrine:
San Pietro in Ciel d'Oro, Pavia, Italy
Patron of:
brewers; printers; theologians
Augustine was born at Tagaste on 13 November, 354. Tagaste, now Souk-Ahras, about 60 miles from Bona (ancient Hippo-Regius), was at that time a small free city of proconsular Numidia which had recently been converted from Donatism. His father, Patricius, one of the curiales of the city, was still a pagan. However, the admirable virtues that made Monica the ideal of Christian mothers at length brought her husband the grace of baptism and of a holy death, about the year 371. Augustine received a Christian education. His mother had him signed with the cross and enrolled among the catechumens. Once, when very ill, he asked for baptism, but, all danger being soon passed, he deferred receiving the sacrament, thus yielding to a deplorable custom of the times. "From my tenderest infancy, I had in a manner sucked with my mother's milk that name of my Saviour, Thy Son; I kept it in the recesses of my heart; and all that presented itself to me without that Divine Name, though it might be elegant, well written, and even replete with truth, did not altogether carry me away" (Confessions, I, iv).
Before long he was obliged to confess to Monica that he had formed a sinful liaison with the person who bore him a son (372), "the son of his sin" -- an entanglement from which he only delivered himself at Milan after fifteen years.In 373, Augustine and his friend Honoratus fell into the sect of the Manichæans.
But the religious crisis of this great soul was only to be resolved in Italy, under the influence of Ambrose. In 383 Augustine, at the age of twenty-nine, yielded to the irresistible attraction which Italy had for him At first he turned towards the philosophy of the Academics, with its pessimistic scepticism; then neo-Platonic philosophy inspired him with genuine enthusiasm. At Milan he had scarcely read certain works of Plato and, more especially, of Plotinus, before the hope of finding the truth dawned upon him. Monica, who had joined her son at Milan, prevailed upon him to become betrothed, but his affianced bride was too young, and although Augustine dismissed the mother of Adeodatus, her place was soon filled by another. Thus did he pass through one last period of struggle and anguish. Finally, through the reading of the Holy Scriptures light penetrated his mind. Soon he possessed the certainty that Jesus Christ is the only way to truth and salvation. After that resistance came only from the heart. An interview with Simplicianus, the future successor of St. Ambrose, who told Augustine the story of the conversion of the celebrated neo-Platonic rhetorician, Victorinus (Confessions, VIII, i, ii), prepared the way for the grand stroke of grace which, at the age of thirty-three, smote him to the ground in the garden at Milan (September, 386). A few days later Augustine, being ill, took advantage of the autumn holidays and, resigning his professorship, went with Monica, Adeodatus, and his friends to Cassisiacum, the country estate of Verecundus, there to devote himself to the pursuit of true philosophy which, for him, was now inseparable from Christianity.
It was this Divine grace that Augustine sought in Christian baptism. Towards the beginning of Lent, 387, he went to Milan and, with Adeodatus and Alypius, took his place among the competentes, being baptized by Ambrose on Easter Day, or at least during Eastertide. The Augustine remained several months in Rome, chiefly engaged in refuting Manichæism. He sailed for Africa after the death of the tyrant Maximus (August 388) and after a short sojourn in Carthage, returned to his native Tagaste. Immediately upon arriving there, he wished to carry out his idea of a perfect life, and began by selling all his goods and giving the proceeds to the poor. Then he and his friends withdrew to his estate, which had already been alienated, there to lead a common life in poverty, prayer, and the study of sacred letters.
One day, having been summoned to Hippo by a friend whose soul's salvation was at stake, he was praying in a church when the people suddenly gathered about him, cheered him, and begged Valerius, the bishop, to raise him to the priesthood. In spite of his tears Augustine was obliged to yield to their entreaties, and was ordained in 391. The new priest looked upon his ordination as an additional reason for resuming religious life at Tagaste, and so fully did Valerius approve that he put some church property at Augustine's disposal, thus enabling him to establish a monastery the second that he had founded. Enfeebled by old age, Valerius, Bishop of Hippo, obtained the authorization of Aurelius, Primate of Africa, to associate Augustine with himself as coadjutor. Augustine had to resign himself to consecration at the hands of Megalius, Primate of Numidia. He was then forty two, and was to occupy the See of Hippo for thirty-four years.
of evil have a more zealous defender than this bishop." Nothing is more opposed to the facts. Augustine acknowledges that he had not yet understood how the first good inclination of the will is a gift of God (Retractions, I, xxiii, n, 3); but it should be remembered that he never retracted his leading theories on liberty, never modified his opinion upon what constitutes its essential condition, that is to say, the full power of choosing or of deciding. He was stricken with what he realized to be a fatal illness, and, after three months of admirable patience and fervent prayer, departed from this land of exile on 28 August, 430, in the seventy-sixth year of his age.
(Edited from: http://www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/A/staugustine.asp
DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH, WESTERN FATHER OF THE CHURCH
Feast Day:
Born:
November 13, 354, Tagaste, Numidia (now Souk Ahras, Algeria)
Died:
August 28, 430, Hippo Regius, Numidia (now modern-day Annaba, Algeria)
Major Shrine:
San Pietro in Ciel d'Oro, Pavia, Italy
Patron of:
brewers; printers; theologians
Augustine was born at Tagaste on 13 November, 354. Tagaste, now Souk-Ahras, about 60 miles from Bona (ancient Hippo-Regius), was at that time a small free city of proconsular Numidia which had recently been converted from Donatism. His father, Patricius, one of the curiales of the city, was still a pagan. However, the admirable virtues that made Monica the ideal of Christian mothers at length brought her husband the grace of baptism and of a holy death, about the year 371. Augustine received a Christian education. His mother had him signed with the cross and enrolled among the catechumens. Once, when very ill, he asked for baptism, but, all danger being soon passed, he deferred receiving the sacrament, thus yielding to a deplorable custom of the times. "From my tenderest infancy, I had in a manner sucked with my mother's milk that name of my Saviour, Thy Son; I kept it in the recesses of my heart; and all that presented itself to me without that Divine Name, though it might be elegant, well written, and even replete with truth, did not altogether carry me away" (Confessions, I, iv).
Before long he was obliged to confess to Monica that he had formed a sinful liaison with the person who bore him a son (372), "the son of his sin" -- an entanglement from which he only delivered himself at Milan after fifteen years.In 373, Augustine and his friend Honoratus fell into the sect of the Manichæans.
But the religious crisis of this great soul was only to be resolved in Italy, under the influence of Ambrose. In 383 Augustine, at the age of twenty-nine, yielded to the irresistible attraction which Italy had for him At first he turned towards the philosophy of the Academics, with its pessimistic scepticism; then neo-Platonic philosophy inspired him with genuine enthusiasm. At Milan he had scarcely read certain works of Plato and, more especially, of Plotinus, before the hope of finding the truth dawned upon him. Monica, who had joined her son at Milan, prevailed upon him to become betrothed, but his affianced bride was too young, and although Augustine dismissed the mother of Adeodatus, her place was soon filled by another. Thus did he pass through one last period of struggle and anguish. Finally, through the reading of the Holy Scriptures light penetrated his mind. Soon he possessed the certainty that Jesus Christ is the only way to truth and salvation. After that resistance came only from the heart. An interview with Simplicianus, the future successor of St. Ambrose, who told Augustine the story of the conversion of the celebrated neo-Platonic rhetorician, Victorinus (Confessions, VIII, i, ii), prepared the way for the grand stroke of grace which, at the age of thirty-three, smote him to the ground in the garden at Milan (September, 386). A few days later Augustine, being ill, took advantage of the autumn holidays and, resigning his professorship, went with Monica, Adeodatus, and his friends to Cassisiacum, the country estate of Verecundus, there to devote himself to the pursuit of true philosophy which, for him, was now inseparable from Christianity.
It was this Divine grace that Augustine sought in Christian baptism. Towards the beginning of Lent, 387, he went to Milan and, with Adeodatus and Alypius, took his place among the competentes, being baptized by Ambrose on Easter Day, or at least during Eastertide. The Augustine remained several months in Rome, chiefly engaged in refuting Manichæism. He sailed for Africa after the death of the tyrant Maximus (August 388) and after a short sojourn in Carthage, returned to his native Tagaste. Immediately upon arriving there, he wished to carry out his idea of a perfect life, and began by selling all his goods and giving the proceeds to the poor. Then he and his friends withdrew to his estate, which had already been alienated, there to lead a common life in poverty, prayer, and the study of sacred letters.
One day, having been summoned to Hippo by a friend whose soul's salvation was at stake, he was praying in a church when the people suddenly gathered about him, cheered him, and begged Valerius, the bishop, to raise him to the priesthood. In spite of his tears Augustine was obliged to yield to their entreaties, and was ordained in 391. The new priest looked upon his ordination as an additional reason for resuming religious life at Tagaste, and so fully did Valerius approve that he put some church property at Augustine's disposal, thus enabling him to establish a monastery the second that he had founded. Enfeebled by old age, Valerius, Bishop of Hippo, obtained the authorization of Aurelius, Primate of Africa, to associate Augustine with himself as coadjutor. Augustine had to resign himself to consecration at the hands of Megalius, Primate of Numidia. He was then forty two, and was to occupy the See of Hippo for thirty-four years.
of evil have a more zealous defender than this bishop." Nothing is more opposed to the facts. Augustine acknowledges that he had not yet understood how the first good inclination of the will is a gift of God (Retractions, I, xxiii, n, 3); but it should be remembered that he never retracted his leading theories on liberty, never modified his opinion upon what constitutes its essential condition, that is to say, the full power of choosing or of deciding. He was stricken with what he realized to be a fatal illness, and, after three months of admirable patience and fervent prayer, departed from this land of exile on 28 August, 430, in the seventy-sixth year of his age.
(Edited from: http://www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/A/staugustine.asp
TODAY'S SAINT: ST. MOSES THE BLACK: DIED 405
St. Moses the Black
ABBOT
Information:
Feast Day:
August 28
Born:
330; Ethiopian ancestry
Died: 405, Scetes, Egypt
Major Shrine:
Paromeos Monastery, Scetes, Egypt
Patron of:
Africa
Moses the Black, sometimes called the Ethiopian, was a slave of a government official in Egypt who dismissed him for theft and suspected murder. He became the leader of a gang of bandits who roamed the Nile Valley spreading terror and violence. He was a large, imposing figure. On one occasion, a barking dog prevented Moses from carrying out a robbery, so he swore vengeance on the owner. Weapons in his mouth, Moses swam the river toward the owner's hut. The owner, again alerted, hid, and the frustrated Moses took some of his sheep to slaughter. Attempting to hide from local authorities, he took shelter with some monks in a colony in the desert of Scete, near Alexandria. The dedication of their lives, as well as their peace and contentment, influenced Moses deeply. He soon gave up his old way of life and joined the monastic community at Scete.
Attacked by a group of robbers in his desert cell, Moses fought back, overpowered the intruders, and dragged them to the chapel where the other monks were at prayer. He told the brothers that he didn't think it Christian to hurt the robbers and asked what he should do with them. The overwhelmed robbers repented, were converted, and themselves joined the community.
Moses was zealous in all he did, but became discouraged when he concluded he was not perfect enough. Early one morning, St. Isidore, abbot of the community, took Brother Moses to the roof and together they watched the first rays of dawn come over the horizon. Isidore told Moses, "Only slowly do the rays of the sun drive away the night and usher in a new day, and thus, only slowly does one become a perfect contemplative."
Moses proved to be effective as a prophetic spiritual leader. The abbot ordered the brothers to fast during a particular week. Some brothers came to Moses, and he prepared a meal for them. Neighboring monks reported to the abbot that Moses was breaking the fast. When they came to confront Moses, they changed their minds, saying "You did not keep a human commandment, but it was so that you might keep the divine commandment of hospitality." Some see in this account one of the earliest allusions to the Paschal fast, which developed at this time.
When a brother committed a fault and Moses was invited to a meeting to discuss an appropriate penance, Moses refused to attend. When he was again called to the meeting, Moses took a leaking jug filled with water and carried it on his shoulder. Another version of the story has him carrying a basket filled with sand. When he arrived at the meeting place, the others asked why he was carrying the jug. He replied, "My sins run out behind me and I do not see them, but today I am coming to judge the errors of another." On hearing this, the assembled brothers forgave the erring monk.
Moses became the spiritual leader of a colony of hermits in the desert. At some time, he had been ordained priest. At about age 75, about the year 407, word came that a group of renegades planned to attack the colony. The brothers wanted to defend themselves, but Moses forbade it. He told them to retreat, rather than take up weapons. He and seven others remained behind and greeted the invaders with open arms, but all eight were martyred by the bandits. A modern interpretation honors St. Moses the Black as an apostle of non-violence.
The lives of St. Moses the Black and St. Norbert, contain some interesting parallels. Both lived rather dissolute lives in their younger years. Both had conversion experiences in which they heard and heeded the call of God. Both were leaders in their respective religious communities. Both are known as men of peace, having spent much of their ministry calling people to reconciliation and forgiveness by word and example.
(Edited from: http://www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/M/stmosestheblack.asp
ABBOT
Feast Day:
August 28
Born:
330; Ethiopian ancestry
Died: 405, Scetes, Egypt
Major Shrine:
Paromeos Monastery, Scetes, Egypt
Patron of:
Africa
Moses the Black, sometimes called the Ethiopian, was a slave of a government official in Egypt who dismissed him for theft and suspected murder. He became the leader of a gang of bandits who roamed the Nile Valley spreading terror and violence. He was a large, imposing figure. On one occasion, a barking dog prevented Moses from carrying out a robbery, so he swore vengeance on the owner. Weapons in his mouth, Moses swam the river toward the owner's hut. The owner, again alerted, hid, and the frustrated Moses took some of his sheep to slaughter. Attempting to hide from local authorities, he took shelter with some monks in a colony in the desert of Scete, near Alexandria. The dedication of their lives, as well as their peace and contentment, influenced Moses deeply. He soon gave up his old way of life and joined the monastic community at Scete.
Attacked by a group of robbers in his desert cell, Moses fought back, overpowered the intruders, and dragged them to the chapel where the other monks were at prayer. He told the brothers that he didn't think it Christian to hurt the robbers and asked what he should do with them. The overwhelmed robbers repented, were converted, and themselves joined the community.
Moses was zealous in all he did, but became discouraged when he concluded he was not perfect enough. Early one morning, St. Isidore, abbot of the community, took Brother Moses to the roof and together they watched the first rays of dawn come over the horizon. Isidore told Moses, "Only slowly do the rays of the sun drive away the night and usher in a new day, and thus, only slowly does one become a perfect contemplative."
Moses proved to be effective as a prophetic spiritual leader. The abbot ordered the brothers to fast during a particular week. Some brothers came to Moses, and he prepared a meal for them. Neighboring monks reported to the abbot that Moses was breaking the fast. When they came to confront Moses, they changed their minds, saying "You did not keep a human commandment, but it was so that you might keep the divine commandment of hospitality." Some see in this account one of the earliest allusions to the Paschal fast, which developed at this time.
When a brother committed a fault and Moses was invited to a meeting to discuss an appropriate penance, Moses refused to attend. When he was again called to the meeting, Moses took a leaking jug filled with water and carried it on his shoulder. Another version of the story has him carrying a basket filled with sand. When he arrived at the meeting place, the others asked why he was carrying the jug. He replied, "My sins run out behind me and I do not see them, but today I am coming to judge the errors of another." On hearing this, the assembled brothers forgave the erring monk.
Moses became the spiritual leader of a colony of hermits in the desert. At some time, he had been ordained priest. At about age 75, about the year 407, word came that a group of renegades planned to attack the colony. The brothers wanted to defend themselves, but Moses forbade it. He told them to retreat, rather than take up weapons. He and seven others remained behind and greeted the invaders with open arms, but all eight were martyred by the bandits. A modern interpretation honors St. Moses the Black as an apostle of non-violence.
The lives of St. Moses the Black and St. Norbert, contain some interesting parallels. Both lived rather dissolute lives in their younger years. Both had conversion experiences in which they heard and heeded the call of God. Both were leaders in their respective religious communities. Both are known as men of peace, having spent much of their ministry calling people to reconciliation and forgiveness by word and example.
(Edited from: http://www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/M/stmosestheblack.asp
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