2016
#PopeFrancis "...our every act of Christian love is ephemeral" #Angelus FULL TEXT + Video
#ProLife St Mother Teresa to Hilary Clinton and America "I feel that the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion" FULL Video - Text
#PopeFrancis "Mercy, as the expression of God’s love, is something we need to think about..." FULL TEXT - Homily - Mass Video
Sunday Mass Online : Sun. November 6, 2016 - Readings and Video - 32nd Ord. Time - C
Saint November 6 : St. Leonard : Patron of #Political prisoners, #Prisoners, Women in #labor, and #Horses
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
A few days after the feasts of All Saints and All Souls Day, this Sunday’s Gospel invites us once again to reflect on the mystery of the resurrection of the dead. The Gospel (Lk 20.27-38) presents Jesus confronted with some Sadducees, who did not believe in resurrection, and conceived of the relationship with God as only in the dimension of earthly life. And then, to ridicule the resurrection and put Jesus in difficulty, they present him with a paradoxical and absurd case: a woman who had seven husbands, all brothers to one another, who died one after the other. And so the malicious question addressed to Jesus: ‘Now, at the resurrection, whose wife will that woman be? (v. 33)?
Jesus does not fall into the trap and reaffirms the truth of the resurrection, explaining that the existence after death will be different from that on Earth. He makes it clear to them that you cannot apply the categories of this world to the realities that go beyond and are larger than what we see in this life. For He says: “The children of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age and to the resurrection of the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage”(vv. 34-35). With these words, Jesus intends to explain that in this world, we live in temporary realities, that end; while instead, in the afterlife, after the resurrection, we will not have the death as a horizon and we will live everything, even human bonds, in the dimension of God, in a transfigured way. Even marriage, a sign and instrument of the love of God in this world, [will be] transformed into the light that will shine in the glorious Communion of Saints in heaven.
The “children of heaven and resurrection” are not a privileged few, but they are all men and all women, because the salvation brought by Jesus is for everyone. And the life of resurrection will be similar to that of the angels (cf. v. 36), that is, all immersed in the light of God, completely dedicated to His praise, in an eternity full of joy and peace. But be careful! The resurrection is not only the fact of resurrection after death, but it is a new kind of life that we experience in today already; It is victory over anything that we can already anticipate. The resurrection is the foundation of Christian faith and hope! If there were no reference to heaven and eternal life, Christianity would be reduced to ethics, a philosophy of life. Instead the message of the Christian faith comes from heaven, it is revealed by God and is beyond this world. To believe in the resurrection is essential, so that our every act of Christian love is ephemeral and an end in itself, and becomes a seed destined to bloom in the garden of God, and produces fruits of eternal life.
May the Virgin Mary, Queen of heaven and earth, confirm us in the hope of the resurrection, and help us to make fruitful, through good works, the Word of her Son, sown in our hearts.
[Original text: Italian] [Translation by Deborah Castellano Lubov]
After the Angelus:
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
On the occasion of today’s Jubilee of prisoners, I would like to make an appeal for the improvement of living conditions in prisons around the world, so that it fully respects the human dignity of detainees. In addition, I wish to reiterate the importance of reflecting on the need for criminal justice that is not only punitive, but is open to hope and the prospect of reinserting the offender into society. In a special way, I submit to the consideration of competent civil authorities of each country the opportunity to make, in this Holy Year of Mercy, an act of clemency towards those prisoners who will be considered eligible to benefit from this measure.
Two days ago, the Paris Agreement on the climate of the planet came into force. This breakthrough proves that humanity has the ability to work together for the protection of Creation (Laudato si‘ 13), to put the economy at the service of people and to build peace and justice. Then, tomorrow, in Marrakech, Morocco, a new session of a climate conference, aims to, along with other things, implement this agreement. I hope that awareness of our responsibility for the care of the common home guides this whole process.
Yesterday, in Shkodra, Albania, 38 martyrs were beatified: two bishops, many priests and religious, one seminarian and some lay people, [who were] victims of severe persecution of the atheist regime that dominated a long time in that country in the last century. They preferred to suffer imprisonment, torture and eventually death, in order to remain faithful to Christ and the Church. May their example help us find strength in the Lord who offers support in times of trouble, and inspires attitudes of kindness, forgiveness and peace.
I greet all of you pilgrims who have come from different countries: families, church groups, associations. In particular, I greet the faithful of Sydney and San Sebastián de los Reyes, the Centre Académico Romano Foundation and the Catholic Community in Venezuela in Italy; as well as groups of Adria-Rovigo, Mendrisio, Roccadaspide, Nova Siri, Pomigliano D’Arco and Picerno.
I wish you all a good Sunday. Please do not forget to pray for me. Good lunch and goodbye!
[Original text: Italian] [Translation by Deborah Castellano Lubov]
#ProLife St Mother Teresa to Hilary Clinton and America "I feel that the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion" FULL Video - Text
Here is what she said:
But I feel that the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child, a direct killing of the innocent child, murder by the mother herself.
And if we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another? How do we persuade a woman not to have an abortion? As always, we must persuade her with love and we remind ourselves that love means to be willing to give until it hurts. Jesus gave even His life to love us. So, the mother who is thinking of abortion, should be helped to love, that is, to give until it hurts her plans, or her free time, to respect the life of her child. The father of that child, whoever he is, must also give until it hurts. By abortion, the mother does not learn to love, but kills even her own child to solve her problems. And, by abortion, the father is told that he does not have to take any responsibility at all for the child he has brought into the world. That father is likely to put other women into the same trouble. So abortion just leads to more abortion.
Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love, but to use any violence to get what they want. This is why the greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion.
------------------------------------------------
There was silence and then applause spread throughout the room. However, not everyone applauded. the president and first lady, Clintons were silent.------------------------------------------------
#PopeFrancis "Mercy, as the expression of God’s love, is something we need to think about..." FULL TEXT - Homily - Mass Video
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Sunday celebrated Mass for the Jubilee of Prisoners in St Peter's Basilica, telling those present, "by learning from past mistakes, you can open a new chapter of your lives."
Below is the English translation of the Pope's homily
The message that God’s word wants to bring us today is surely that of hope.
One of the seven brothers condemned to death by King Antiochus Epiphanes speaks of “the hope God gives of being raised again by him” (2 Macc 7:14). These words demonstrate the faith of those martyrs who, despite suffering and torture, were steadfast in looking to the future. Theirs was a faith that, in acknowledging God as the source of their hope, reflected the desire to attain a new life.
In the Gospel, we have heard how Jesus, with a simple yet complete answer, demolishes the banal casuistry that the Sadducees had set before him. His response – “He is not God of the dead, but of the living; for all live to him” (Lk 20:38) – reveals the true face of God, who desires only life for all his children. The hope of being born to a new life, then, is what we must make our own, if we are to be faithful to the teaching of Jesus.
Hope is a gift of God. It is placed deep within each human heart in order to shed light on this life, so often troubled and clouded by so many situations that bring sadness and pain. We need to nourish the roots of our hope so that they can bear fruit; primarily, the certainty of God’s closeness and compassion, despite whatever evil we have done. There is no corner of our heart that cannot be touched by God’s love. Whenever someone makes a mistake, the Father’s mercy is all the more present, awakening repentance, forgiveness and reconciliation.
Today we celebrate the Jubilee of Mercy for you and with you, our brothers and sisters who are imprisoned. Mercy, as the expression of God’s love, is something we need to think about more deeply. Certainly, breaking the law involves paying the price, and losing one’s freedom is the worst part of serving time, because it affects us so deeply. All the same, hope must not falter. Paying for the wrong we have done is one thing, but another thing entirely is the “breath” of hope, which cannot be stifled by anyone or anything. Our heart always yearns for goodness. We are in debt to the mercy that
In his Letter to the Romans, the Apostle Paul speaks of God as “the God of hope” (15:13). Paul almost seems to tell us that God too hopes. While this may seem paradoxical, it is true: God hopes! His mercy gives him no rest. He is like that Father in the parable, who keeps hoping for the return of his son who has fallen by the wayside (Lk 15:11-32). God does not rest until he finds the sheep that was lost (Lk 15:5). So if God hopes, then no one should lose hope. For hope is the strength to keep moving forward. It is the power to press on towards the future and a changed life. It is the incentive to look to tomorrow, so that the love we have known, for all our failings, can show us a new path. In a word, hope is the proof, lying deep in our hearts, of the power of God’s mercy. That mercy invites us to keep looking ahead and to overcome our attachment to evil and sin through faith and abandonment in him.
Dear friends, today is your Jubilee! Today, in God’s sight, may your hope be kindled anew. A Jubilee always brings with it a proclamation of freedom (Lev 25:39-46). It does not depend on me to grant this, but the Church’s duty, one she cannot renounce, is to awaken within you the desire for true freedom. Sometimes, a certain hypocrisy leads to people considering you only as wrongdoers, for whom prison is the sole answer. We don’t think about the possibility that people can change their lives; we put little trust in rehabilitation. But in this way we forget that we are all sinners and often, without being aware of it, we too are prisoners. At times we are locked up within our own prejudices or enslaved to the idols of a false sense of wellbeing. At times we get stuck in our own ideologies or absolutize the laws of the market even as they crush other people. At such times, we imprison ourselves behind the walls of individualism and self-sufficiency, deprived of the truth that sets us free. Pointing the finger against someone who has made mistakes cannot become an alibi for concealing our own contradictions.
We know that in God’s eyes no one can consider himself just (cf. Rom 2:1-11). But no one can live without the certainty of finding forgiveness! The repentant thief, crucified at Jesus’ side, accompanied him into paradise (cf. Lk 23:43). So may none of you allow yourselves to be held captive by the past! True enough, even if we wanted to, we can never rewrite the past. But the history that starts today, and looks to the future, has yet to be written, by the grace of God and your personal responsibility. By learning from past mistakes, you can open a new chapter of your lives. Let us never yield to the temptation of thinking that we cannot be forgiven. Whatever our hearts may accuse us of, small or great, “God is greater than our hearts” (1 Jn 3:20). We need but entrust ourselves to his mercy.
Faith, even when it is as tiny as a grain of mustard seed, can move mountains (cf. Mt 17:20). How many times has the power of faith enabled us to utter the word pardon in humanly impossible situations. People who have suffered violence and abuse, either themselves, or in the person of their loved ones, or their property… there are some wounds that only God’s power, his mercy, can heal. But when violence is met with forgiveness, even the hearts of those who have done wrong can be conquered by the love that triumphs over every form of evil. In this way, among the victims and among those who wronged them, God raises up true witnesses and workers of mercy.
Today we venerate the Blessed Virgin Mary in this statue, which represents her as a Mother who holds Jesus in her arms, together with a broken chain; it is the chain of slavery and imprisonment. May Our Lady look upon each of you with a Mother’s love. May she intercede for you, so that your hearts can experience the power of hope for a new life, one worthy of being lived in complete freedom and in service to your neighbour.
Sunday Mass Online : Sun. November 6, 2016 - Readings and Video - 32nd Ord. Time - C
Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 156
Reading 12 MC 7:1-2, 9-14
It happened that seven brothers with their mother were arrested
and tortured with whips and scourges by the king,
to force them to eat pork in violation of God's law.
One of the brothers, speaking for the others, said:
“What do you expect to achieve by questioning us?
We are ready to die rather than transgress the laws of our ancestors.”
At the point of death he said:
“You accursed fiend, you are depriving us of this present life,
but the King of the world will raise us up to live again forever.
It is for his laws that we are dying.”
After him the third suffered their cruel sport.
He put out his tongue at once when told to do so,
and bravely held out his hands, as he spoke these noble words:
“It was from Heaven that I received these;
for the sake of his laws I disdain them;
from him I hope to receive them again.”
Even the king and his attendants marveled at the young man's courage,
because he regarded his sufferings as nothing.
After he had died,
they tortured and maltreated the fourth brother in the same way.
When he was near death, he said,
“It is my choice to die at the hands of men
with the hope God gives of being raised up by him;
but for you, there will be no resurrection to life.”
and tortured with whips and scourges by the king,
to force them to eat pork in violation of God's law.
One of the brothers, speaking for the others, said:
“What do you expect to achieve by questioning us?
We are ready to die rather than transgress the laws of our ancestors.”
At the point of death he said:
“You accursed fiend, you are depriving us of this present life,
but the King of the world will raise us up to live again forever.
It is for his laws that we are dying.”
After him the third suffered their cruel sport.
He put out his tongue at once when told to do so,
and bravely held out his hands, as he spoke these noble words:
“It was from Heaven that I received these;
for the sake of his laws I disdain them;
from him I hope to receive them again.”
Even the king and his attendants marveled at the young man's courage,
because he regarded his sufferings as nothing.
After he had died,
they tortured and maltreated the fourth brother in the same way.
When he was near death, he said,
“It is my choice to die at the hands of men
with the hope God gives of being raised up by him;
but for you, there will be no resurrection to life.”
Responsorial PsalmPS 17:1, 5-6, 8, 15
R. (15b) Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.
Hear, O LORD, a just suit;
attend to my outcry;
hearken to my prayer from lips without deceit.
R. Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.
My steps have been steadfast in your paths,
my feet have not faltered.
I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;
incline your ear to me; hear my word.
R. Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.
Keep me as the apple of your eye,
hide me in the shadow of your wings.
But I in justice shall behold your face;
on waking I shall be content in your presence.
R. Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.
May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father,
who has loved us and given us everlasting encouragement
and good hope through his grace,
encourage your hearts and strengthen them in every good deed
and word.
Finally, brothers and sisters, pray for us,
so that the word of the Lord may speed forward and be glorified,
as it did among you,
and that we may be delivered from perverse and wicked people,
for not all have faith.
But the Lord is faithful;
he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.
We are confident of you in the Lord that what we instruct you,
you are doing and will continue to do.
May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God
and to the endurance of Christ.
Hear, O LORD, a just suit;
attend to my outcry;
hearken to my prayer from lips without deceit.
R. Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.
My steps have been steadfast in your paths,
my feet have not faltered.
I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;
incline your ear to me; hear my word.
R. Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.
Keep me as the apple of your eye,
hide me in the shadow of your wings.
But I in justice shall behold your face;
on waking I shall be content in your presence.
R. Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.
Reading 22 THES 2:16-3:5
Brothers and sisters:May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father,
who has loved us and given us everlasting encouragement
and good hope through his grace,
encourage your hearts and strengthen them in every good deed
and word.
Finally, brothers and sisters, pray for us,
so that the word of the Lord may speed forward and be glorified,
as it did among you,
and that we may be delivered from perverse and wicked people,
for not all have faith.
But the Lord is faithful;
he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.
We are confident of you in the Lord that what we instruct you,
you are doing and will continue to do.
May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God
and to the endurance of Christ.
AlleluiaREV 1:5A, 6B
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus Christ is the firstborn of the dead;
to him be glory and power, forever and ever.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
came forward and put this question to Jesus, saying,
“Teacher, Moses wrote for us,
If someone's brother dies leaving a wife but no child,
his brother must take the wife
and raise up descendants for his brother.
Now there were seven brothers;
the first married a woman but died childless.
Then the second and the third married her,
and likewise all the seven died childless.
Finally the woman also died.
Now at the resurrection whose wife will that woman be?
For all seven had been married to her.”
Jesus said to them,
“The children of this age marry and remarry;
but those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age
and to the resurrection of the dead
neither marry nor are given in marriage.
They can no longer die,
for they are like angels;
and they are the children of God
because they are the ones who will rise.
That the dead will rise
even Moses made known in the passage about the bush,
when he called out ‘Lord,’
the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob;
and he is not God of the dead, but of the living,
for to him all are alive.”
came forward.
Jesus said to them,
“The children of this age marry and remarry;
but those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age
and to the resurrection of the dead
neither marry nor are given in marriage.
They can no longer die,
for they are like angels;
and they are the children of God
because they are the ones who will rise.
That the dead will rise
even Moses made known in the passage about the bush,
when he called out ‘Lord,’
the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob;
and he is not God of the dead, but of the living,
for to him all are alive.”
Jesus Christ is the firstborn of the dead;
to him be glory and power, forever and ever.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 20:27-38
Some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection,came forward and put this question to Jesus, saying,
“Teacher, Moses wrote for us,
If someone's brother dies leaving a wife but no child,
his brother must take the wife
and raise up descendants for his brother.
Now there were seven brothers;
the first married a woman but died childless.
Then the second and the third married her,
and likewise all the seven died childless.
Finally the woman also died.
Now at the resurrection whose wife will that woman be?
For all seven had been married to her.”
Jesus said to them,
“The children of this age marry and remarry;
but those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age
and to the resurrection of the dead
neither marry nor are given in marriage.
They can no longer die,
for they are like angels;
and they are the children of God
because they are the ones who will rise.
That the dead will rise
even Moses made known in the passage about the bush,
when he called out ‘Lord,’
the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob;
and he is not God of the dead, but of the living,
for to him all are alive.”
OrLK 20:27, 34-38
Some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection,came forward.
Jesus said to them,
“The children of this age marry and remarry;
but those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age
and to the resurrection of the dead
neither marry nor are given in marriage.
They can no longer die,
for they are like angels;
and they are the children of God
because they are the ones who will rise.
That the dead will rise
even Moses made known in the passage about the bush,
when he called out ‘Lord,’
the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob;
and he is not God of the dead, but of the living,
for to him all are alive.”
Saturday, November 5, 2016
Saint November 6 : St. Leonard : Patron of #Political prisoners, #Prisoners, Women in #labor, and #Horses
HERMIT, CONFESSOR
Feast: November 6
Information:
Feast Day:
November 6
Died:
559
Patron of:
political prisoners, imprisoned people, prisoners of war, and captives, women in labor, as well as horses
Today, November 6, we celebrate the feast day of Saint Leonard of Noblac (died 559), patron saint of prisoners and women in labor. Saint Leonard, born of noble parents, served the Lord through serving those in power, eventually withdrawing to hermitude and working countless miracles on behalf of those in need.
Saint Leonard was born to noble and illustrious parents in Gaul (now France), in the castle of Vendome in Orleans. Born into Frankish royalty, he belonged to the court of King Clovis, and his relatives were dignitaries, military commanders, and people of both privilege and society. Leonard was baptized by future Saint Remigius, and the King, himself, stood as sponsor for him. While he was still very young, the kingdom was threatened by an invading army. The Queen, knowing of Leonard’s Christian faith, jokingly suggested to Leonard that he invoke the help of his God to repel an invading repeal the attack. Leonard prayed, the tide of battle turned, and the armies of Gaul were victorious. Saint Remigius used this miracle to convert the King and thousands of followers to Christianity. From an early age, Leonard was destined for the service of the Lord. As he matured, he was so moved by the holy examples of Saint Remigius, Archbishop of Rheims that he renounced the world in order to lead a more perfect life. Looking to Saint Remigius for advice and spiritual guidance, Leonard quickly came to embrace and exemplify the greatest of Christian virtues, and while still a young man, took the tonsure (monk’s haircut) as a symbol to the world of his commitment to serving the Lord. His first calling was in service to prisoners, who he showed great charity, and worked miracles of freedom. Previously, King Clovis, in response to a prayer of Saint Remi, had issued an edict that prisoners in Rheims might be freed whenever his royal highness would pass through that city. Leonard asked the kind monarch to grant him personally the right to liberate prisoners whom he would find worthy of it, any time at all. Based upon his exemplary life, prudence, and good judgment (despite a young age), the king naturally agreed. Leonard earned himself a reputation of goodness, piety, and sancity, and soon all in the kingdom knew of him. He became a person of pilgrimage, with the sick and poor traveling great distances for his healing and charity. To each, he devoted himself, not only taking care of their physical needs, but teaching them the virtues of patience and love, and instructing them in the ways of sound doctrine. The king, so pleased with the reputation the holy man was earning for the court, desired to attach him permanently into his service, but Leonard, ever humble, replied that he preferred to live in humility and obscurity, as Christ had chosen for Himself for so many years. With the king’s permission, Leonard retired to a monastery in Orleans.
Saint Maximin, the abbot of the monastery, saw to it that Leonard was soon ordained a deacon, which office he accepted out of obedience. However, Leonard did not aspire to any additional ecclesiastical dignities. Rather, he desired a life of austerity, sanctification, and preaching—the latter task taking him from the monastery to the pagans of the province of Limoges. On his evangelical journeys, Leonard discovered a nearby mountain, heavily forested, and rich in solitude. There he built a cell from the fallen branches of trees, and remained for some time, taking great pleasure in the provisions of the Lord. Leonard lived on herbs, wild fruits, and spring water, relying solely on the Lord to provide. He spent his days in communion with God, devoting himself to prayer, meditation, and physical mortification.
Somehow, he was still found by those who sought him, and continued to work miracles for the people through his devotion and suffering. For example, from his prayers, the spouse of a nearby king successfully delivered a healthy child following a difficult labor. In deep gratitude, the king bestowed upon Saint Leonard the part of the forest in which he lived, allowing him to do with it as he would. Leonard built a beautiful oratory to the Our Blessed Mother, and was soon joined by two disciples. Together, the three prayed without ceasing, around the clock. With a more prominent building, Saint Leonard was easier to find, and the sick increased in numbers, seeking healing. Similarly, word of Saint Leonard’s charity toward those in prison spread, and following prayers for his intercession, prisoners reported witnessing their chains break before their eyes. These prisoners would then travel in pilgrimage and thanksgiving to Saint Leonard, dragging their heavy chains, and offering them in homage. Soon, a large collection of chains and leg irons could be found at the oratory! Saint Leonard treated each of these freed prisoners with respect and dignity, offering those who wished a tract of land in the forest on which to begin anew. Many remained, transforming their lives into honest work, serving the oratory and the poor of the region, and coming to Christ through the work of Saint Leonard. Eventually, a monastery was constructed, attracting an even greater number of disciples. Even distant relatives—all royals accustomed to living with opulent wealth—heard of his reputation, and giving up all they had, came to live with him and serve the Lord. He was surprised but encouraged their good resolutions, saying: “A fare of dry bread, eaten in the joy of a pure conscience, is of more worth than a house abundantly furnished, where quarrels and divisions prevail.”
Saint Leonard fell ill while traveling, and as the end of his time on earth grew near, he miraculously had himself transported back to the Oratory of Our Lady, where he died. Numerous miracles of healing and freedom continued to occur, and he remains a popular saint of intercession throughout France and Europe. After his death, churches and monasteries were widely dedicated to him throughout Europe, including in France, England, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Bohemia, Poland, and many other countries. Pilgrims continued to travel long distances to his tomb, and over 4,000 miraculous favors have been recorded at his intercession.
In regards to Saint Leonard: “Solitude has always charms to the devout servant of God, because retirement from the world is very serviceable to his conversing with heaven. Solitude and silence settle and compose the thoughts; the mind augments its strength and vigour by rest and collection within itself, and in this state of serenity is most fit to reflect upon itself and its own wants, and to contemplate the mysteries of divine grace and love, the joys of heaven and the grounds of our hope. How shall a Christian who lives in the world practice this retirement? By not loving its spirit and maxims, by being as recollected as may be in the midst of business, and bearing always in mind that salvation is the most important and only affair; by shunning superfluous amusements and idle conversation and visits; and by consecrating every day some time, and a considerable part of Sundays and great festivals, to the exercises of religious retirement, especially devout prayer, self-examination, meditation, and pious reading.” (Taken from Vol. III of "The Lives or the Fathers, Martyrs and Other Principal Saints" by the Rev. Alban Butler.)
O Almighty God, who hast called us to faith in thee, and bast compassed us about with so great a cloud of witnesses; Grant that we, encouraged by the good examples of thy Saints, and especially of thy servant Leonard, may persevere in running the race that is set before us, until at length, through thy mercy, we with them attain to thine eternal joy; through him who is the author and finisher of our faith, thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Shared from 365 Rosaries
Saint Leonard was born to noble and illustrious parents in Gaul (now France), in the castle of Vendome in Orleans. Born into Frankish royalty, he belonged to the court of King Clovis, and his relatives were dignitaries, military commanders, and people of both privilege and society. Leonard was baptized by future Saint Remigius, and the King, himself, stood as sponsor for him. While he was still very young, the kingdom was threatened by an invading army. The Queen, knowing of Leonard’s Christian faith, jokingly suggested to Leonard that he invoke the help of his God to repel an invading repeal the attack. Leonard prayed, the tide of battle turned, and the armies of Gaul were victorious. Saint Remigius used this miracle to convert the King and thousands of followers to Christianity. From an early age, Leonard was destined for the service of the Lord. As he matured, he was so moved by the holy examples of Saint Remigius, Archbishop of Rheims that he renounced the world in order to lead a more perfect life. Looking to Saint Remigius for advice and spiritual guidance, Leonard quickly came to embrace and exemplify the greatest of Christian virtues, and while still a young man, took the tonsure (monk’s haircut) as a symbol to the world of his commitment to serving the Lord. His first calling was in service to prisoners, who he showed great charity, and worked miracles of freedom. Previously, King Clovis, in response to a prayer of Saint Remi, had issued an edict that prisoners in Rheims might be freed whenever his royal highness would pass through that city. Leonard asked the kind monarch to grant him personally the right to liberate prisoners whom he would find worthy of it, any time at all. Based upon his exemplary life, prudence, and good judgment (despite a young age), the king naturally agreed. Leonard earned himself a reputation of goodness, piety, and sancity, and soon all in the kingdom knew of him. He became a person of pilgrimage, with the sick and poor traveling great distances for his healing and charity. To each, he devoted himself, not only taking care of their physical needs, but teaching them the virtues of patience and love, and instructing them in the ways of sound doctrine. The king, so pleased with the reputation the holy man was earning for the court, desired to attach him permanently into his service, but Leonard, ever humble, replied that he preferred to live in humility and obscurity, as Christ had chosen for Himself for so many years. With the king’s permission, Leonard retired to a monastery in Orleans.
Saint Maximin, the abbot of the monastery, saw to it that Leonard was soon ordained a deacon, which office he accepted out of obedience. However, Leonard did not aspire to any additional ecclesiastical dignities. Rather, he desired a life of austerity, sanctification, and preaching—the latter task taking him from the monastery to the pagans of the province of Limoges. On his evangelical journeys, Leonard discovered a nearby mountain, heavily forested, and rich in solitude. There he built a cell from the fallen branches of trees, and remained for some time, taking great pleasure in the provisions of the Lord. Leonard lived on herbs, wild fruits, and spring water, relying solely on the Lord to provide. He spent his days in communion with God, devoting himself to prayer, meditation, and physical mortification.
Somehow, he was still found by those who sought him, and continued to work miracles for the people through his devotion and suffering. For example, from his prayers, the spouse of a nearby king successfully delivered a healthy child following a difficult labor. In deep gratitude, the king bestowed upon Saint Leonard the part of the forest in which he lived, allowing him to do with it as he would. Leonard built a beautiful oratory to the Our Blessed Mother, and was soon joined by two disciples. Together, the three prayed without ceasing, around the clock. With a more prominent building, Saint Leonard was easier to find, and the sick increased in numbers, seeking healing. Similarly, word of Saint Leonard’s charity toward those in prison spread, and following prayers for his intercession, prisoners reported witnessing their chains break before their eyes. These prisoners would then travel in pilgrimage and thanksgiving to Saint Leonard, dragging their heavy chains, and offering them in homage. Soon, a large collection of chains and leg irons could be found at the oratory! Saint Leonard treated each of these freed prisoners with respect and dignity, offering those who wished a tract of land in the forest on which to begin anew. Many remained, transforming their lives into honest work, serving the oratory and the poor of the region, and coming to Christ through the work of Saint Leonard. Eventually, a monastery was constructed, attracting an even greater number of disciples. Even distant relatives—all royals accustomed to living with opulent wealth—heard of his reputation, and giving up all they had, came to live with him and serve the Lord. He was surprised but encouraged their good resolutions, saying: “A fare of dry bread, eaten in the joy of a pure conscience, is of more worth than a house abundantly furnished, where quarrels and divisions prevail.”
Saint Leonard fell ill while traveling, and as the end of his time on earth grew near, he miraculously had himself transported back to the Oratory of Our Lady, where he died. Numerous miracles of healing and freedom continued to occur, and he remains a popular saint of intercession throughout France and Europe. After his death, churches and monasteries were widely dedicated to him throughout Europe, including in France, England, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Bohemia, Poland, and many other countries. Pilgrims continued to travel long distances to his tomb, and over 4,000 miraculous favors have been recorded at his intercession.
In regards to Saint Leonard: “Solitude has always charms to the devout servant of God, because retirement from the world is very serviceable to his conversing with heaven. Solitude and silence settle and compose the thoughts; the mind augments its strength and vigour by rest and collection within itself, and in this state of serenity is most fit to reflect upon itself and its own wants, and to contemplate the mysteries of divine grace and love, the joys of heaven and the grounds of our hope. How shall a Christian who lives in the world practice this retirement? By not loving its spirit and maxims, by being as recollected as may be in the midst of business, and bearing always in mind that salvation is the most important and only affair; by shunning superfluous amusements and idle conversation and visits; and by consecrating every day some time, and a considerable part of Sundays and great festivals, to the exercises of religious retirement, especially devout prayer, self-examination, meditation, and pious reading.” (Taken from Vol. III of "The Lives or the Fathers, Martyrs and Other Principal Saints" by the Rev. Alban Butler.)
O Almighty God, who hast called us to faith in thee, and bast compassed us about with so great a cloud of witnesses; Grant that we, encouraged by the good examples of thy Saints, and especially of thy servant Leonard, may persevere in running the race that is set before us, until at length, through thy mercy, we with them attain to thine eternal joy; through him who is the author and finisher of our faith, thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Shared from 365 Rosaries
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Today's Mass Readings and Video : #1stSaturday November 5, 2016
Saturday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 490
Reading 1PHIL 4:10-19
Brothers and sisters:
I rejoice greatly in the Lord
that now at last you revived your concern for me.
You were, of course, concerned about me but lacked an opportunity.
Not that I say this because of need,
for I have learned, in whatever situation I find myself,
to be self-sufficient.
I know indeed how to live in humble circumstances;
I know also how to live with abundance.
In every circumstance and in all things
I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry,
of living in abundance and of being in need.
I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me.
Still, it was kind of you to share in my distress.
You Philippians indeed know that at the beginning of the Gospel,
when I left Macedonia,
not a single church shared with me
in an account of giving and receiving, except you alone.
For even when I was at Thessalonica
you sent me something for my needs,
not only once but more than once.
It is not that I am eager for the gift;
rather, I am eager for the profit that accrues to your account.
I have received full payment and I abound.
I am very well supplied because of what I received from you
through Epaphroditus,
“a fragrant aroma,” an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.
My God will fully supply whatever you need,
in accord with his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
I rejoice greatly in the Lord
that now at last you revived your concern for me.
You were, of course, concerned about me but lacked an opportunity.
Not that I say this because of need,
for I have learned, in whatever situation I find myself,
to be self-sufficient.
I know indeed how to live in humble circumstances;
I know also how to live with abundance.
In every circumstance and in all things
I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry,
of living in abundance and of being in need.
I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me.
Still, it was kind of you to share in my distress.
You Philippians indeed know that at the beginning of the Gospel,
when I left Macedonia,
not a single church shared with me
in an account of giving and receiving, except you alone.
For even when I was at Thessalonica
you sent me something for my needs,
not only once but more than once.
It is not that I am eager for the gift;
rather, I am eager for the profit that accrues to your account.
I have received full payment and I abound.
I am very well supplied because of what I received from you
through Epaphroditus,
“a fragrant aroma,” an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.
My God will fully supply whatever you need,
in accord with his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
Responsorial PsalmPS 112:1B-2, 5-6, 8A AND 9
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commands.
His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth;
the upright generation shall be blessed.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Well for the man who is gracious and lends,
who conducts his affairs with justice;
He shall never be moved;
the just one shall be in everlasting remembrance.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
His heart is steadfast; he shall not fear.
Lavishly he gives to the poor;
his generosity shall endure forever;
his horn shall be exalted in glory.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commands.
His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth;
the upright generation shall be blessed.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Well for the man who is gracious and lends,
who conducts his affairs with justice;
He shall never be moved;
the just one shall be in everlasting remembrance.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
His heart is steadfast; he shall not fear.
Lavishly he gives to the poor;
his generosity shall endure forever;
his horn shall be exalted in glory.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Alleluia2 COR 8:9
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus Christ became poor although he was rich,
so that by his poverty you might become rich.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
“I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth,
so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
The person who is trustworthy in very small matters
is also trustworthy in great ones;
and the person who is dishonest in very small matters
is also dishonest in great ones.
If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth,
who will trust you with true wealth?
If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another,
who will give you what is yours?
No servant can serve two masters.
He will either hate one and love the other,
or be devoted to one and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and mammon.”
The Pharisees, who loved money,
heard all these things and sneered at him.
And he said to them,
“You justify yourselves in the sight of others,
but God knows your hearts;
for what is of human esteem is an abomination in the sight of God.”
Jesus Christ became poor although he was rich,
so that by his poverty you might become rich.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 16:9-15
Jesus said to his disciples:“I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth,
so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
The person who is trustworthy in very small matters
is also trustworthy in great ones;
and the person who is dishonest in very small matters
is also dishonest in great ones.
If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth,
who will trust you with true wealth?
If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another,
who will give you what is yours?
No servant can serve two masters.
He will either hate one and love the other,
or be devoted to one and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and mammon.”
The Pharisees, who loved money,
heard all these things and sneered at him.
And he said to them,
“You justify yourselves in the sight of others,
but God knows your hearts;
for what is of human esteem is an abomination in the sight of God.”
Saint November 5 : Venerable Solanus Casey : #Franciscan #Capuchin Priest
American Catholic (Image CassiePeaDesigns): Venerable Solanus Casey (1870-1957) Barney Casey became one of Detroit’s best-known priests even though he was not allowed to preach formally or to hear confessions! Barney came from a large family in Oak Grove, Wisconsin. At the age of 21, and after he had worked as a logger, a hospital orderly, a streetcar operator and a prison guard, he entered St. Francis Seminary in Milwaukee—where he found the studies difficult. He left there and, in 1896, joined the Capuchins in Detroit, taking the name Solanus. His studies for the priesthood were again arduous. On July 24, 1904, he was ordained, but because his knowledge of theology was judged to be weak, Father Solanus was not given permission to hear confessions or to preach. A Franciscan Capuchin who knew him well said this annoying restriction "brought forth in him a greatness and a holiness that might never have been realized in any other way."
During his 14 years as porter and sacristan in Yonkers, New York, the people there recognized him as a fine speaker. "For, though he was forbidden to deliver doctrinal sermons," writes his biographer, James Derum, "he could give inspirational talks, or feverinos, as the Capuchins termed them" (18:96). His spiritual fire deeply impressed his listeners. Father Solanus served at parishes in Manhattan and Harlem before returning to Detroit, where he was porter and sacristan for 20 years at St. Bonaventure Monastery.
Every Wednesday afternoon he conducted well-attended services for the sick. A co-worker estimates that on the average day 150 to 200 people came to see Father Solanus in the front office. Most of them came to receive his blessing; 40 to 50 came for consultation. Many people considered him instrumental in cures and other blessings they received. Father Solanus’ sense of God’s providence inspired many of his visitors. "Blessed be God in all his designs" was one of his favorite expressions. The many friends of Father Solanus helped the Capuchins begin a soup kitchen during the Depression. Capuchins are still feeding the hungry there today. In 1946 in failing health, he was transferred to the Capuchin novitiate in Huntington, Indiana, where he lived until 1956 when he was hospitalized in Detroit. He died on July 31, 1957. An estimated 20,000 people passed by his coffin before his burial in St. Bonaventure Church in Detroit. At the funeral Mass, the provincial Father Gerald said: "His was a life of service and love for people like me and you. When he was not himself sick, he nevertheless suffered with and for you that were sick. When he was not physically hungry, he hungered with people like you. He had a divine love for people. He loved people for what he could do for them—and for God, through them." In 1960 a Father Solanus Guild was formed in Detroit to aid Capuchin seminarians. By 1967 the guild had 5,000 members—many of them grateful recipients of his practical advice and his comforting assurance that God would not abandon them in their trials. He was declared Venerable in 1995.
Comment: James Patrick Derum, his biographer, writes that eventually Father Solanus was weary from bearing the burdens of the people who visited him. "Long since, he had come to know the Christ-taught truth that pure love of God and one’s fellowmen as children of God are in the final event all that matter. Living this truth ardently and continuously had made him, spiritually, a free man—free from slavery to passions, from self-seeking, from self-indulgence, from self-pity—free to serve wholly both God and man" (The Porter of St. Bonaventure’s, page 199).
Quote: Father Maurice Casey, a brother of Father Solanus, was once in a sanitarium near Baltimore and was annoyed at the priest-chaplain there. Father Solanus wrote his brother: "God could have established his Church under supervision of angels that have no faults or weaknesses. But who can doubt that as it stands today, consisting of and under the supervision of poor sinners—successors to the ‘poor fishermen of Galilee’ #151; the Church is a more outstanding miracle than any other way?"
Shared from : AmericanCatholic
Free Movie : The Book of Daniel : Stars Robert Miano : Full Movie in English
Saint November 5 : St. Zechariah and St. Elizabeth : #Parents of St. John the #Baptist
Elizabeth, was the cousin of Mary, the Mother of God. Zachary was her husband. Zachary was told by an angel in a vision that they would have a son and should name him John. Even though Elizabeth was past childbearing age. He doubted this message from the angel and was made dumb. After John's birth, Zachary's speech was restored.
Elizabeth is comes from the Hebrew meaning "My God has sworn". Elisabeth was the mother of John the Baptist and the wife of Zacharias/Zachary, according to the Gospel of Luke.
The account of their lives comes from the Gospel of St. Luke Chapter 1:
There was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.6Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord.7But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were getting on in years.8 Once when he was serving as priest before God and his section was on duty,9he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and offer incense.10Now at the time of the incense-offering, the whole assembly of the people was praying outside.11Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.12When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified; and fear overwhelmed him.13But the angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John.14You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth,15for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink; even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit.16He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God.17With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.’18Zechariah said to the angel, ‘How will I know that this is so? For I am an old man, and my wife is getting on in years.’19The angel replied, ‘I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.20But now, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, you will become mute, unable to speak, until the day these things occur.’
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