St. John Bosco

Today is the day we honor St. John Bosco (1815-1888). Maybe he saw things concerning the end times.
Could we be in this prophecy, seeing all that is going on today in the world? And, on a side note: Did you see Pope Francis releasing the doves last year for peace in front of two children, only to have them attacked by a crow and a seagull immediately after their release? Maybe this is a sign for him to ponder. Like in the movie "The Passion', when the crow pecks at the head and eyes of the bad thief. Maybe Il Papa needs to step up teaching the Faith in its entirety. You know, the One Faith that comes to us from the Apostles. Things just keep getting curiouser and curiouser to me.







Don Bosco's Prophecy
of the Two Columns

Most of the prophecies associated with Don Bosco came to him during dreams, but just as in Matthew's Gospel where the process of Joseph being instructed by angels during dreams is described it is clear that Don Bosco's experiences were more than the sort of dreams most of us have when asleep.

Most of his dreams were concerned with the direction both he and his order, the Salesians, were to take in the future, and in particular with the boys who lived at his oratory in Turin. He would often speak to them just before they went to bed, sometimes predicting that one of their number would die within a certain period, but without indicating which.

On 30 May 1862 Don Bosco at his 'Good Night' talk told his boys, and the young clerics he was training, about a dream he had dreamt a few nights previously: he actually described it as a parable or allegory. Strictly speaking a parable is a general story with a deeper meaning, but one in which the points of the story may not all be significant, while in an allegory every detail is important and meaningful. In the case of Don Bosco's dream it is difficult to know just how significant each point is. After some preliminary remarks he went on to describe what he had seen:

"Try to picture yourselves with me on the seashore, or, better still, on an outlying cliff with no other land in sight. The vast expanse of water is covered with a formidable array of ships in battle formation, prows fitted with sharp spear-like beaks capable of breaking through any defense. All are heavily armed with cannons, incendiary bombs, and firearms of all sorts - even books - and are heading toward one stately ship, mightier than them all. As they try to close in, they try to ram it, set it afire, and cripple it as much as possible.

"This stately vessel is shielded by a flotilla escort. Winds and waves are with the enemy. In this midst of this endless sea, two solid columns, a short distance apart, soar high into the sky: one is surmounted by a statue of the Immaculate Virgin at whose feet a large inscription reads: Help of Christians; the other, far loftier and sturdier, supports a [Communion] Host of proportionate size and bears beneath it the inscription Salvation of believers.

"The flagship commander - the Roman Pontiff [the Pope]- seeing the enemy's fury and his auxiliary ships very grave predicament, summons his captains to a conference. However, as they discuss their strategy, a furious storm breaks out and they must return to their ships. When the storm abates, the Pope again summons his captains as the flagship keeps on its course. But the storm rages again. Standing at the helm, the Pope strains every muscle to steer his ship between the two columns from whose summits hang many anchors and strong hooks linked to chains.

"The entire enemy fleet closes in to intercept and sink the flagship at all costs. They bombard it with everything they have: books and pamphlets, incendiary bombs, firearms, cannons. The battle rages ever more furious. Beaked prows ram the flagship again and again, but to no avail, as, unscathed and undaunted, it keeps on its course. At times a formidable ram splinters a gaping hole into its hull, but, immediately, a breeze from the two columns instantly seals the gash.

"Meanwhile, enemy cannons blow up, firearms and beaks fall to pieces, ships crack up and sink to the bottom. In blind fury the enemy takes to hand-to-hand combat, cursing and blaspheming. Suddenly the Pope falls, seriously wounded. He is instantly helped up but, struck down a second time, dies. A shout of victory rises from the enemy and wild rejoicing sweeps their ships. But no sooner is the Pope dead than another takes his place. The captains of the auxiliary ships elected him so quickly that the news of the Pope's death coincides with that of his successor's election. The enemy's self-assurance wanes.

"Breaking through all resistance, the new Pope steers his ship safely between the two columns and moors it to the two columns; first to the one surmounted by the Host, and then to the other, topped by the statue of the Virgin. At this point something unexpected happens. The enemy ships panic and disperse, colliding with and scuttling each other. Some auxiliary ships which had gallantly fought alongside their flagship are the first to tie up at the two columns.

"Many others, which had fearfully kept far away from the fight, stand still, cautiously waiting until the wrecked enemy ships vanish under the waves. Then, they too head for the two columns, tie up at the swinging hooks, and ride safe and tranquil beside their flagship. A great calm now covers the sea."

At this point Don Bosco asked one of the priests present for his views. He replied that he thought that the flagship symbolized the Church headed by the Pope, with the ships representing mankind and the sea as an image of the world. The ships defending the flagship he equated with the laity and the attackers with those trying to destroy the Church, while the two columns represented devotion to Mary and the Eucharist.

He did not mention the death of the Pope and neither did Don Bosco in his reply, in which he agreed with what the priest had said, while adding that the enemy ships symbolized persecutions:

"Very grave trials await the Church. What we have suffered so far is almost nothing compared to what is going to happen. The enemies of the Church are symbolized by the ships which strive their utmost to sink the flagship. Only two things can save us in such a grave hour: devotion to Mary and frequent Communion. Let us do our very best to use these two means and have others use them everywhere."

Not surprisingly this contents of this dream amazed all those listening, and four of those present wrote down what they had heard. Two wrote the next day, 31 May and two some time later, but all four narratives agree substantially. Such small differences as were found can be explained on the basis that it is impossible to get every detail when remembering and writing a spoken narrative.

One point that did cause some argument amongst those who had been present was over whether there had been two popes as commander of the flagship as in the above account, or, as some thought, three. This point was made clearer in 1886 when one of those who had heard the dream recounted in 1862 returned to the Oratory.

At dinner with Don Bosco he began to narrate the dream and was quite certain that two popes had fallen, since he was sure that after the first was struck down the captains of the other ships had said, 'Let's hurry, We can quickly replace him'; on the second occasion he maintained that they had said nothing. Don Bosco seemed to back up this version of events by calling attention to what was being said, and so its probable that we are dealing with three popes in the account.

Those who had written down the dream were convinced that it was a genuine vision and prophecy, although Don Bosco's immediate aim was probably to encourage his boys to pray more fervently for the Church and the Pope, as well as to indicate the importance of devotion to Mary and the Blessed Sacrament.


We may be living part way through Don Bosco's vision, but as in all genuine prophecy before its fulfillment, there is quite a degree of uncertainty and ambiguity, and it would be foolish to attempt to come to definite conclusions at this stage. The important point is the way in which the end of the vision points to what would seem to be the world-wide triumph of the Church, a triumph which will be recognized by all, but one which is only gained after much suffering. One thing for, and that is: Whoever will be steering this ship between the two pillars will have a great love for the Blessed Sacrament and our Blessed Mother. Can't have one without the other.

The emphasis on the role of Mary, Help of Christians, and the Blessed Sacrament, are also significant especially with regard to the message given at Fatima when Mary promised a period of peace for the world following troubled times, paralleled by the 'great calm' of Don Bosco's dream.


After all, he is a recognized Saint of the Church, and, contrary to present-day thinking, the Church does NOT canonize those who are detrimental to the Faith in any way (except of late, anyway). Just sayin'.

John Bosco (1815-1888) cont'd.

More to think about.

St. John Bosco's Prophecy of the Turn of the Millennium



A prophecy attributed to St. John Bosco concerning the turn of the millennium, which is apparently related to his Dream of the Two Pillars. The prophecy seems to be genuine enough, and also appears to be connected to Don Bosco's prophetic dream "March of the 200 Days". The prophecy in question directly refers to the turn of the millennium as a prophetic turning point after a period of chaos in the Church (the Great Apostasy), following an Ecumenical Council in the 20th century (Vatican II?):

"There will be an Ecumenical Council in the next century, after which there will be chaos in the Church. Tranquility will not return until the Pope succeeds in anchoring the boat of Peter between the twin pillars of Eucharistic Devotion and Devotion to Our Lady. This will come about one year before the end of the century."


The above prediction is similar in many respects to the various prophecies of the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and again can be used to bolster the hypothesis that the eschatological Fall of Satan foretold in the Book of Revelation occurred at the turn of the millennium, which coincided with the eschatological astronomical phenomena described at the opening of the sixth seal. This in turn heralds not only the sealing of the saints in heaven, but also the fulfillment of the prophecy of the mark of the Beast on earth, and the moment when Satan transfers his power and authority to the Antichrist.

As we shall see, the above prophecy appears to be directly related to Don Bosco's March of the 200 Days, which can be found in volume X of the Biographical Memoirs pp49-59. The dream of the March of 200 Days is set among a section of the memoirs containing three prophecies, the first of which is connected to St. Dominic Savio's vision of the Pope and the conversion of England:


...there will come a great warrior from the North carrying a banner and on the right hand that supports it is written: "The Irresistible Hand of the Lord." At that very moment there went out to meet him the Venerable Old Man of Lazio, holding aloft a brilliantly glowing torch. The banner then increased in size and turned from black to snow-white. In the middle of the banner, in letters of gold, there was written the name of Him who is able to do all things. The warrior with his men bowed and shook hands with the Venerable Old Man.


This vision of St. John Bosco appears to be related to the prophecies of an Angelic Pope and a Great Monarch, is directly connected to the Two Witnesses of Rev 11 - the two figures symbolised by the two pillars in his prophetic dream. We can see the similarities between the above prophecy and that of St. Dominic Savio below, where like the "Venerable Old Man of Lazio" (who represents the Pope), the pontiff holds aloft a flaming torch to enlighten a nation residing in spiritual darkness:

One morning as I was making my thanksgiving after Communion, a very strong distraction took hold of me. I thought I saw a great plain full of people enveloped in thick fog. They were walking about like people who had lost their way and did not know which way to turn. Someone near me said: ‘This is England’. I was just going to ask some questions, when I saw Pope Pius IX just like I have seen him in pictures. He was robed magnificently and carried in his hand a torch alive with flames. As he walked slowly toward that immense gathering of people, the leaping flames from the torch dispelled the fog, and the people stood in the splendour of the noonday sun. ‘That torch’, said the one beside me, ‘is the Catholic Faith, which is going to light up England.’”


The conversion of England is foretold in many prophecies to inaugurate the beginning of the Second Pentecost - including those of the 1846 version of La Salette, and of St. Malachy. So St. Dominic Savio's vision here is clearly associated with the new springtime envisioned by Bl. John Henry Newman.

The first prophecy of St. John Bosco then continues with the theme of the Second Pentecost:


Things follow too slowly upon each other, but the great Queen of Heaven is at hand; the Lord's power is Hers. Like mist She shall scatter Her enemies. She shall vest the Venerable Old Man with all his former garments. There shall yet come a violent hurricane. Iniquity is at an end, sin shall cease, and before two full moons shall have shone in the month of flowers, the rainbow of peace shall appear on the earth. The great Minister shall see the Bride of his King clothed in glory. Throughout the world a sun so bright shall shine as was never seen since the flames of the Cenacle until today, nor shall it be seen again until the end of time...

Note the mention here of "two full moons" shining "in the month of flowers", as it becomes important later.
The theme of the Second Pentecost is continued in the second prophecy, concerning the 200 day march, which as well as being directly associated with the Dream of Two Pillars, also contains imagery strongly reminiscent of the Third Secret of Fatima:


It was a dark night, and men could no longer find their way back to their own countries. Suddenly a most brilliant light shone in the sky, illuminating their way as at high noon. At that moment from the Vatican came forth, as in procession, a multitude of men and women, young children, monks, nuns, and priests, and at their head was the Pope.
But a furious storm broke out, somewhat dimming that light, as if light and darkness were locked in battle. Meanwhile the long procession reached a small square littered with dead and wounded, many of whom cried for help.
The ranks of the procession thinned considerably. After a two-hundred day march, all realized that they were no longer in Rome. In dismay they swarmed about the Pontiff to protect him and minister to him in his needs.
At that moment two angels appeared, bearing a banner which they presented to the Supreme Pontiff, saying: "Take the banner of Her who battles and routs the most powerful armies on earth. Your enemies have vanished: with tears and sighs your children plead for your return."

One side of the banner bore the inscription: Regina sine labe concepta [Queen conceived without sin], and the other side read: Auxilium Christianorum [Help of Christians].

The Pontiff accepted the banner gladly, but he became distressed to see how few were his followers.
But the two angels went on: "Go now, comfort your children. Write to your brothers scattered throughout the world that men must reform their lives. This cannot be achieved unless the bread of the Divine Word is broken among the peoples. Teach children their catechism and preach detachment from earthly things. The time has come," the two angels concluded, "when the poor will evangelize the world. Priests shall be sought among those who wield the hoe, the spade, and the hammer, as David prophesied: 'God lifted the poor man from the fields to place him on the throne of His people.'"
On hearing this, the Pontiff moved on, and the ranks began to swell. Upon reaching the Holy City, the Pontiff wept at the sight of its desolate citizens, for many of them were no longer. He then entered St. Peter's and intoned the Te Deum, to which a chorus of angels responded, singing: Gloria in excelsis Deo et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis. When the song was over, all darkness vanished and a blazing sun shone. The population had declined greatly in the cities and in the countryside; the land was mangled as if by a hurricane and hailstorm, and people sought each other, deeply moved, and saying: Est Deus in Israel [There is a God in Israel].
From the start of the exile until the intoning of the Te Deum, the sun rose 200 times. All the events described covered a period of 400 days.


The two angels in this vision are highly reminiscent of the two angels described in the Third Secret, which we have previously identified as symbolising the Two Witnesses of Rev 11 (These are, I believe, Elijah and Enoch) - who spearhead the religious renewal towards the end of the world. And like the two pillars in St. John Bosco's dream, the angels bear banners containing Latin inscriptions. The vision of the pope weeping at the sight of the city's "desolate citizens, for many of them were no longer" is also similar to the secrets of Fatima . Compare this with the words of the Third Secret below:


"...before reaching there the Holy Father passed through a big city half in ruins and half trembling with halting step, afflicted with pain and sorrow, he prayed for the souls of the corpses he met on his way..."



(My personal opinion: Maybe this great warrior from the north is Russia, after, of course, the 'correct consecration' of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. She asked that the Pope, with all the Bishops of the world in union with him, on the same day, consecrate Russia to her Immaculate Heart, and thus, obtain the period of peace she mentioned. Think about this for a minute: If this had been done per her wishes, wouldn't the world have been outraged? So far, there has NOT been an outrage. Maybe this country, (Russia), will be the force to eliminate the evil of the world. Through Mary, or course.)


The promised Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is the ultimate fulfillment of the protoevangelium - the moment when the Woman Adorned with the Sun crushes the head of the Serpent (Gen 3:18).


It is this renewed Church that is represented by the Heavenly Jerusalem, which comes down from heaven to meet the Bridegroom.

And I saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
(Rev 21:2)

Just some things to ponder.

Explanation of the Penitential Season

Our Penitential season is upon us. Numbers don't seem to mean anything to the Concilar church, but, as we will see, they mean a great deal.

Septuagesima Overview

Theme:
Babylonian Captivity, Man's Fallen State

Color:
Purple

Mood:
Penance

Symbols:
chains, tears, Jeremias

Length:
Septuagesima Sunday to Shrove Tuesday


The seasons of Septuagesima and Lent are both times of penance: Septuagesima being a time of voluntary fasting in preparation for the obligatory Great Fast of Lent. The theme is the Babylonian exile, the "mortal coil" we must endure as we await the Heavenly Jerusalem. Sobriety and somberness reign liturgically; the Alleluia and Gloria are banished.


The Sundays of Septugesima are named for their distance away from Easter:

The first Sunday of Septuagesima gives its name to the entire season as it is known as "Septuagesima." which means "seventy," and Septuagesima Sunday comes roughly seventy days before Easter. This seventy represents the seventy years of the Babylonian Captivity. It is on this Sunday that the Alleluia is "put away," not to be said again until the Vigil of Easter.


The second Sunday of Septuagesima is known as "Sexagesima, which means "sixty". Sexagesima Sunday comes roughly sixty days before Easter.


The third Sunday of Septuagesima is known as "Quinquagesima," which means "fifty" and which comes roughly fifty days before Easter.


Quadragesima means "forty," and this is the name of the first Sunday of Lent and the Latin name for the entire season of Lent.

Throughout this short Season and that of Lent (next Season) you will notice a deepening sense of penance and somberness, culminating in Passiontide (the last two weeks of Lent), that will suddenly and joyously end at the Vigil of Easter on Holy Saturday when the Alleluia returns and Christ's Body is restored and glorified.

Reading

"The Mystery of Septuagesima"
from Dom Gueranger's "The Liturgical Year"

The season upon which we are now entering is expressive of several profound mysteries. But these mysteries belong not only to the three weeks which are preparatory to Lent: they continue throughout the whole period of time which separates us from the great feast of Easter.

The number seven is the basis of all these mysteries. We have already seen how the holy Church came to introduce the season of Septuagesima into her calendar. Let us now meditate on the doctrine hidden under the symbols of her liturgy. And first, let us listen to St. Augustine, who thus gives is the clue to the whole of our season's mysteries. 'There are two times,' says the holy Doctor: 'one which is now, and is spent in the temptations and tribulations of this life; the other which shall by then, and shall be spent in eternal security and joy. In figure of these, we celebrate two periods: the time before Easter, and the time after Easter. That which is before Easter signifies the sorrow of this present life; that which is after Easter, the blessedness of our future state... Hence it is that we spend the first in fasting and prayer; and in the second we give up our fasting, and give ourselves to praise.'

Jeremias lamenting the destruction of Jerusalem, by Rembrandt


The Church, the interpreter of the sacred Scriptures, often speaks to us of two places, which correspond with these two times of St. Augustine. These two places are Babylon and Jerusalem. Babylon is the image of this world of sin, in the midst whereof the Christian has to spend his years of probation; Jerusalem is the heavenly country, where he is to repose after all his trials. The people of Israel, whose whole history is but one great type of the human race, was banished from Jerusalem and kept in bondage in Babylon.

Now, this captivity, which kept the Israelite exiles from Sion, lasted seventy years; and it is to express this mystery, as Alcuin, Amalarius, Ivo of Chartres, and all the great liturgists tell us, that the Church fixed the number of seventy for the days of expiation. It is true, there are but sixty-three days between Septuagesima and Easter; but the Church, according to the style so continually used in the sacred Scriptures, uses the round number instead of the literal and precise one.

The duration of the world itself, according to the ancient Christian tradition, is divided into seven ages. The human race must pass through the seven ages before the dawning of the day of eternal life. The first age included the time from the creation of Adam to Noah; the second begins with Noah and the renovation of the earth by the deluge, and ends with this the vocation of Abraham; the third opens with this first formation of God's chosen people, and continues as far as Moses, through whom God gave the Law; the fourth consists of the period between Moses and David, in whom the house of Juda received the kingly power; the fifth is formed of the years which passed between David's reign and the captivity of Babylon, inclusively; the sixth dates from the return of the Jews to Jerusalem, and takes us on as far as the birth of our Saviour. Then, finally, comes the seventh age; it starts with the rising of this merciful Redeemer, the Sun of justice, and is to continue till the dread coming of the Judge of the living and the dead. These are the seven great divisions of time; after which, eternity.

In order to console us in the midst of the combats, which so thickly beset our path, the Church, like a beacon shining amidst the darkness of this our earthly abode, shows us another seven, which is to succeed the one we are now preparing to pass through. After the Septuagesima of mourning, we shall have the bright Easter with its seven weeks of gladness, foreshadowing the happiness and bliss of heaven. After having fasted with our Jesus, and suffered with Him, the day will come when we shall rise together with Him, and our hearts shall follow Him to the highest heavens; and then after a brief interval, we shall feel the Holy Ghost descending upon us, with His seven Gifts. The celebration of all these wondrous joys will take us seven weeks, as the great liturgists observe in their interpretation of the rites of the Church. The seven joyous weeks from Easter to Pentecost will not be too long for the future glad mysteries, which, after all, will be but figures of a still gladder future, the future of eternity.

Having heard these sweet whisperings of hope, let us now bravely face the realities brought before us by our dear Mother the Church. We are sojourners upon this earth; we are exiles and captives in Babylon, that city which plots our ruin. If we love our country, if we long to return to it, we must be proof against the lying allurements of this strange land, and refuse the cup she proffers us, and with which she maddens so many of our fellow captives. She invites us to join in her feasts and her songs; but we must un-string our harps, and hang them on the willows that grow on her river's bank, till the signal be given for our return to Jerusalem. She will ask us to sing to her the melodies of our dear Sion: but how shall we, who are so far from home, have heart to 'sing the song of the Lord in a strange land'? No, there must be no sign that we are content to be in bondage, or we shall deserve to be slaves forever.

These are the sentiments wherewith the Church would inspire us during the penitential season which we are now beginning. She wishes us to reflect on the dangers that beset us; dangers which arise from ourselves and from creatures. During the rest of the year she loves to hear us chant the song of heaven, the sweet Alleluia; but now, she bids us close our lips to this word of joy, because we are in Babylon. We are pilgrims absent from our Lord, let us keep our glad hymn for the day of His return. We are sinners, and have but too often held fellowship with the world of God's enemies; let us become purified by repentance, for it is written that 'praise is unseemly in the mouth of a sinner.'

The leading feature, then, of Septuagesima, is the total suspension of the Alleluia, which is not to again be heard upon the earth until the arrival of that Happy Day, when having suffered death with our Jesus, and having been buried together with Him, we shall rise again with Him to a new life.

The sweet hymn of the angels, Gloria in excelsis Deo, which we have sung every Sunday since the birth of our Saviour in Bethlehem, is also taken from us; it is only on the feasts of the saints which may by kept during the week that we shall be allowed to repeat it. The night Office of the Sunday is to lose also, from now till Easter, its magnificent Ambrosian hymn, the Te Deum; and at the end of the holy Sacrifice, the deacon will no longer dismiss the faithful with his solemn Ite, Missa est, but will simply invite them to continue their prayers in silence, and bless the Lord, the God of mercy, who bears with us, notwithstanding all our sins.

After the Gradual of the Mass, instead of the thrice repeated Alleluia, which prepared our hearts to listen to the voice of God in the holy Gospel, we shall hear but a mournful and protracted chant, called, on that account, the Tract.

That the eye, too, may teach us that the season we are entering on is one of mourning, the Church will vest her ministers (both on Sundays and on the days during the week which are not feasts of Saints) in the sombre purple. Until Ash Wednesday, however, she permits the deacon to wear his dalmatic, and the subdeacon his tunic; but from that day forward, they must lay aside these vestments of joy, for Lent will then have begun and our Holy Mother the Church, is supposed to inspire us with the deep spirit of penance, but suppressing everything of that glad pomp, which she loves at other seasons, to bring into the sanctuary of her God.

St. Francis de Sales

The angelical Bishop Francis of Sales has a right to a distinguished position near the Crib of Jesus, on account of the sweetness of his virtues, the childlike simplicity of his heart, and the humility and tenderness of his love. God gave him to the Church at the very time that heresy was holding her out to the world as a worn-out system, that had no influence over men's minds. He raised up this true minister of the Gospel in the very country where the harsh doctrines of Calvin were most in vogue. He is also my patron Saint, as it were, when writing these blogs. He is the patron Saint of journalists.

Saint Francis de Sales was born in 1567 near Annecy, of noble and pious parents, and studied with brilliant success at Paris and Padua. On his return from Italy he gave up the grand career which his father had destined for him in the service of the state, and became a priest.

When the duke of Savoy resolved to restore the shattered Church in the Chablais, Francis offered himself for the work and set out on foot with his Bible and breviary, accompanied by one companion, his cousin Louis of Sales. It was a work of toil, privation and danger. Every door and every heart was closed against him. He was rejected with insult and threatened with death, but nothing could daunt him or resist him indefinitely. And before long the Church blossomed into a second spring. It is said that he converted 72,000 Calvinists.

He was compelled by the Pope to become Coadjutor Bishop of Geneva, and succeeded to that see in 1602. Saint Vincent de Paul said of him, in praise of his gentleness, "How good God must be, since the bishop of Geneva, His minister, is so good!" At times the great meekness with which he received heretics and sinners almost scandalized his friends, and they protested when he received insults in silence. One of them said to him, "Francis of Sales will go to Paradise, of course; but I am not so sure about the Bishop of Geneva: I am almost afraid his gentleness will play him a shrewd turn!" "Ah," said the Saint, "you would have me lose in one instant all the meekness I have been able to acquire by twenty years of efforts? I would rather account to God for too great gentleness than for too great severity. God the Father is the Father of mercy; God the Son is a Lamb; God the Holy Ghost is a Dove; are you wiser than God?" When a hostile visitor said to him one day, "If I were to strike you on the cheek, what would you do?" Saint Francis answered, with his customary humility, "Ah! I know what I should do, but I cannot be sure of what I would do."

"You will catch more flies," Saint Francis used to say, "with a spoonful of honey than with a hundred barrels of vinegar. If there were anything better or more beautiful on earth than gentleness, Jesus Christ would have taught it to us; and yet He has given us only two lessons to learn of Him - meekness and humility of heart."


He writes to another Saint, Jane Francis de Chantal often, and offers her some inspiration concerning the Divine Birth:

"Oh! the sweetness of this night! The Church has been singing these words--honey has dropped from the heavens.
I thought to myself, that the Angels not only come down on our earth to sing their admirable Gloria in excelsis
, but to gaze also on this sweet Babe, this Honey of heaven resting on two beautiful Lilies, for sometimes he is in Mary's arms, and sometimes it is Joseph that caresses him."

Let us try to imitate him.

St. John Chrysostom (344-407)

According to our beloved Abbot, Gueranger:

'...since the disciple is not above his Master, the Pastors and Doctors of the Christian people, if they are faithful in the discharge of their duties, are sure to be hated by the enemies of God; for they cannot spread the Kingdom of Christ without at the same time taking from the power of satan. Hence it is that the Church is filled with the persecutions endured by her Pastors and Doctors, who continued the ministry of zeal and charity begun by Christ upon the earth. These contests have been threefold;....the struggle with paganism; next the rulers of the world who converted, and then wanted more for themselves; and the third sort of battle---...the battle with the world and its vices.' Today's Saint embodied these problems. This 'golden-mouthed' preacher made no other use of his wonderful gift of eloquence than that of urging men to the observance of the virtues taught in the Gospels, and of reproving every vice.

Saint John Chrysostom, born in Antioch in 344, was endowed with a superior genius strengthened by a brilliant education. In order to break with a world which admired and courted him, in 374 he retired for six years to a neighboring mountain, having found Christ through his friendship with Saint Basil. After acquiring the art of Christian silence, he returned to Antioch and there labored as a priest under the direction of its bishop. His eloquence was such that the entire city, up to a hundred thousand listeners, came to hear him, a young man not yet thirty years old. He fled this popularity and adopted the monastic life for fourteen years, until he was taken forcibly to Constantinople, to be consecrated Patriarch of the imperial city in 398.

The effect of his sermons was everywhere marvelous. He converted a large number of pagans and heretics by his eloquence, then in its most brilliant luster, and constantly exhorted his Catholic people to frequent the Holy Sacrifice. In order to remove all excuse for absence he abbreviated the long liturgy then in use. Saint Nilus relates that Saint John Chrysostom, when the priest began the Holy Sacrifice, very often saw "many of the Blessed coming down from heaven in shining garments, eyes intent, and bowed heads, in utter stillness and silence, assisting at the consummation of the tremendous mystery."

Beloved as he was in Constantinople, his denunciations of vice made him numerous enemies. In 403 these procured his banishment; and although he was almost immediately recalled, it was not more than a reprieve. In 404 he was banished to Cucusus in the deserts of the Taurus mountains. His reply to the hostile empress was: "Chrysostom fears only one thing - not exile, prison, poverty or death - but sin."

In 407, at sixty-three years old his strength was waning, but his enemies were impatient and transported him to Pytius on the Euxine, a rough journey of nearly 400 miles. He was assiduously exposed to every hardship - cold, wet clothing, and semi-starvation, but nothing could overcome his cheerfulness and his consideration for others. On the journey his sickness increased, and he was warned that his end was near. Thereupon, exchanging his travel-stained clothes for white garments, he received Viaticum, and with his customary words, "Glory be to God for all things. Amen," passed to Christ. He does not have the title of martyrdom, but possesses all its merit and all its glory. He is the author of the famous words characterizing Saint Paul, object of his admiration and love: "The heart of Paul was the Heart of Christ."

To end with some of his words:

Many are the waves, and threatening are the storms, which surround me; but I fear them not; for I am standing on the Rock: Let the billows mount as they will; they cannot sink the barque of our Lord Jesus Christ. And tell me, what would you have me fear? Death? To me, to live is Christ; and to die is gain. Exile? The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof. Confiscation of my goods? We brought nothing into this world; and certainly we can carry nothing out. No--the evils of this world are contemptible, and its goods deserve but to laughed at. I fear not poverty, I desire not riches; I neither fear to die, nor wish to live, save for your advantage. Your interest alone induces me to speak of thee things, and to ask of you, by the love you bear me, to take courage.'


PRAYER to him (Let's ask for him to pray for the Church in our country also, which is in disrepair):

Recompense the devotion we have for thee, O Chrysostom! by watching over us from heaven; instruct us, convert us, make us earnest Christians. Like thy beloved master, St. Paul, thou didst care for no knowledge save that which would make thee know Christ Jesus: but is it not in Christ Jesus that are hidden all the treasures of knowledge and wisdom? Teach us to know this dear Saviour, who has come down to us with all his infinite perfections; teach us to know his spirit; tell us how we may please and imitate him; ask him to receive the offering of our faithful love. In one thing we resemble thee, great Saint! we are exiles; but alas! we are so tempted to love our exile as tough it were our home. Oh! detach us from this earth and its vanities. May we long to be united with thee, as thou wast united with the holy Martyr Basiliscus, in order that we may be with Jesus.

Faithful Pastor! pray for our pastors; obtain for them thine own spirit, and pray that their flocks may be docile to their teachings. Bless the preachers of God's word, that so they may preach not themselves, but Jesus Christ. Ask our Lord to give them that Christian eloquence which comes from the study of the Sacred Volume, and from prayer; that thus, the faithful may be allured to virtue by the charm of an unearthly language, and may give glory to God. Protect the Roman Pontiff, whose predecessor was thy sole defender; may he ever be the protector of the Bishops of the Church who are persecuted for justice' sake. Pray for thy Church of Constantinople (today Istanbul, Turkey), which has forgotten thy faith and thy virtues. May she be raised from the degradation in which she has been so long enslaved. May Jesus, the Eternal Wisdom, be appeased by thy prayers, and be mindful of his Church of Sancta Sophia, and purify it from profanation, and restore that altar whereon he was offered in sacrifice for so many ages. Show, too, thy love for the Western Church, which has ever revered and loved thee. Hasten the fall of the heresies which have so long laid waste large portions of her inheritance; dispel the dark clouds of incredulity, and obtain for us all, by thy powerful intercession, a lively faith and the fervent practice of every virtue. Amen.

St. Polycarp

Today we honor this Bishop and Martyr, St. Polycarp (70-167), who was a disciple of St. John the Evangelist. He is listed during this, the Christmas season, because of his staunch support for the fact of God coming to us in the form of a person, in the flesh. He wrote an Epistle to the Phillippians, in which he states these words: "Whosoever confesses not that Jesus Christ came in the flesh, is an Antichrist." Because of this, he earns the right to stand near the Crib. St. John mentions him in the Apocalypse, (ii. 8-10). 'Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life.' Following is that Epistle:


THE EPISTLE OF POLYCARP TO THE PHILIPPIANS


Polycarp, and the presbyters with him, to the Church of God sojourning
at Philippi: Mercy to you, and peace from God Almighty, and from the Lord
Jesus Christ, our Saviour, be multiplied.

CHAP. I.--PRAISE OF THE PHILIPPIANS.

I have greatly rejoiced with you in our Lord Jesus Christ, because ye have
followed the example of true love [as displayed by God], and have accompanied,
as became you, those who were bound in chains, the fitting ornaments of saints,
and which are indeed the diadems of the true elect of God and our Lord; and
because the strong root of your faith, spoken of in days long gone by,
endureth even until now, and bringeth forth fruit to our Lord Jesus Christ,
who for our sins suffered even unto death, [but] "whom God raised froth the
dead, having loosed the bands of the grave." "In whom, though now ye see
Him not, ye believe, and believing, rejoice with joy unspeakable and full
of glory; " into which joy many desire to enter, knowing that "by grace
ye are saved, not of works," but by the will of God through Jesus
Christ.

CHAP. II.--AN EXHORTATION TO VIRTUE.

"Wherefore, girding up your loins," "serve the Lord in fear" and truth,
as those who have forsaken the vain, empty talk and error of the multitude,
and "believed in Him who raised up our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead, and
gave Him glory," and a throne at His right hand. To Him all things" in
heaven and on earth are subject. Him every spirit serves. He comes as the
Judge of the living and the dead. His blood will God require of those
who do not believe in Him. But He who raised Him up from the dead will
raise up us also, if we do His will, and walk in His commandments, and
love what He loved, keeping ourselves from all unrighteousness, covetousness,
love of money, evil speaking, false witness; "not rendering evil for evil,
or railing for railing," or blow for blow, or cursing for cursing, but
being mindful of what the Lord said in His teaching: "Judge not, that ye
be not judged; forgive, and it shall be forgiven unto you; be merciful,
that ye may obtain mercy; with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured
to you again; and once more, "Blessed are the poor, and those that are
persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of God."

CHAP. III.--EXPRESSIONS OR PERSONAL UNWORTHINESS.

These things, brethren, I write to you concerning righteousness, not because
I take anything upon myself, but because ye have invited me to do so. For
neither I, nor any other such one, can come up to the wisdom" of the blessed
and glorified Paul. He, when among you, accurately and steadfastly taught
the word of truth in the presence of those who were then alive. And when
absent from you, he wrote you a letter, which, if you carefully study,
you will find to be the means of building you up in that faith which has
been given you, and which, being followed by hope, and preceded by love towards
God, and Christ, and our neighbor, "is the mother of us all." For if
any one be inwardly possessed of these graces, he hath fulfilled the command
of righteousness, since he that hath love is far from all sin.

CHAP. IV.--VARIOUS EXHORTATIONS.

"But the love of money is the root of all evils." Knowing, therefore,
that "as we brought nothing into the world, so we can carry nothing out,"
let us arm ourselves with the armour of righteousness; and let us teach,
first of all, ourselves to walk in the commandments of the Lord. Next, [teach]
your wives [to walk] in the faith given to them, and in love and purity tenderly
loving their own husbands in all truth, and loving all [others] equally in
all chastity; and to train up their children in the knowledge and fear of
God. Teach the widows to be discreet as respects the faith of the Lord, praying
continually for all, being far from all slandering, evil-speaking,
false-witnessing, love of money, and every kind of evil; knowing that they
are the altar s of God, that He clearly perceives all things, and that nothing
is hid from Him, neither reasonings, nor reflections, nor any one of the
secret things of the heart.

CHAP. V.--THE DUTIES OF DEACONS, YOUTHS, AND VIRGINS.

Knowing, then, that "God is not mocked," we ought to walk worthy of His
commandment and glory. In like manner should the deacons be blameless before
the face of His righteousness, as being the servants of God and Christ,
and not of men. They must not be slanderers, double-tongued, or lovers
of money, but temperate in all things, compassionate, industrious, walking
according to the truth of the Lord, who was the servant of all. If we
please Him in this present world, we shall receive also the future world,
according as He has promised to us that He will raise us again from the dead,
and that if we live worthily of Him, "we shall also reign together with
Him," provided only we believe. In like manner, let the young men also
be blameless in all things, being especially careful to preserve purity,
and keeping themselves in, as with a bridle, from every kind of evil. For
it is well that they should be cut off from the lusts that are in the
world, since "every lust warreth against the spirit; " and "neither
fornicators, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, shall
inherit the kingdom of God," nor those who do things inconsistent and
unbecoming. Wherefore, it is needful to abstain from all these things, being
subject to the presbyters and deacons, as unto God and Christ. The virgins
also must walk in a blameless and pure conscience.

CHAP. VI.--THE DUTIES OF PRESBYTERS AND OTHERS.

And let the presbyters be compassionate and merciful to all, bringing back
those that wander, visiting all the sick, and not neglecting the widow, the
orphan, or the poor, but always "providing for that which is becoming in
the sight of God and man ; " abstaining from all wrath, respect of persons,
and unjust judgment; keeping far off from . all covetousness, not quickly
crediting [an evil re port] against any one, not severe in judgment, as knowing
that we are all under a debt of sin. If then we entreat the Lord to forgive
us, we ought also ourselves to forgive; for we are before the eyes of
our Lord and God, and "we must all appear at the judgment-seat of Christ,
and must every one give an account of himself." Let us then serve Him
in fear, and with all reverence, even as He Himself has commanded us, and
as the apostles who preached the Gospel unto us, and the prophets who proclaimed
beforehand the coming of the Lord [have alike taught us]. Let us be zealous
in the pursuit of that which is good, keeping ourselves from causes of offense,
from false brethren, and from those who in hypocrisy bear the name of the
Lord, and draw away vain men into error.

CHAP. VII.--AVOID THE DOCETAE, AND PERSEVERE IN FASTING AND PRAYER.

"For whosoever does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh,
is antichrist;" and whosoever does not confess the testimony of the
cross, is of the devil; and whosoever perverts the oracles of the Lord
to his own lusts, and says that there is neither a resurrection nor a judgment,
he is the first-born of Satan. Wherefore, forsaking the vanity of many,
and their false doctrines, let us return to the word which has been handed
down to us from the beginning; "watching unto prayer," and persevering
in fasting; beseeching in our supplications the all-seeing God "not to lead
us into temptation," as the Lord has said: "The spirit truly is willing,
but the flesh is weak."

CHAP. VIII.--PERSEVERE IN HOPE AND PATIENCE.

Let us then continually persevere in our hope, and the earnest of our
righteousness, which is Jesus Christ, "who bore our sins in His own body
on the tree," "who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth,"
but endured all things for us, that we might live in Him. Let us then
be imitators of His patience; and if we suffer for His name's sake, let
us glorify Him. For He has set us this example s in Himself, and we have
believed that such is the case.

CHAP. IX.--PATIENCE INCULCATED.

I exhort you all, therefore, to yield obedience to the word of righteousness,
and to exercise all patience, such as ye have seen [set] before your eyes,
not only in the case of the blessed Ignatius, and Zosimus, and Rufus, but
also in others among yourselves, and in Paul himself, and the rest of the
apostles. [This do] in the assurance that all these have not run in vain,
but in faith and righteousness, and that they are [now] in their due place
in the presence of the Lord, with whom also they suffered. For they loved
not this present world, but Him who died for us, and for our sakes was raised
again by God from the dead.

CHAP. X.--EXHORTATION TO THE PRACTICE OF VIRTUE.

Stand fast, therefore, in these things, and follow the example of the Lord,
being firm and unchangeable in the faith, loving the brotherhood, and
being attached to one another, joined together in the truth, exhibiting the
meekness of the Lord in your intercourse with one another, and despising
no one. When you can do good, defer it not, because "alms delivers from death.""
Be all of you subject one to another? having your conduct blameless among
the Gentiles," that ye may both receive praise for your good works, and
the Lord may not be blasphemed through you. But woe to him by whom the name
of the Lord is blasphemed! Teach, therefore, sobriety to all, and manifest
it also in your own conduct.

CHAP. XI.--EXPRESSION OF GRIEF ON ACCOUNT OF VALENS.

I am greatly grieved for Valens, who was once a presbyter among you, because
he so little understands the place that was given him [in the Church]. I
exhort you, therefore, that ye abstain from covetousness, and that ye
be chaste and truthful. "Abstain from every form of evil." For if a man
cannot govern himself in such matters, how shall he enjoin them on others
? If a man does not keep himself from covetousness, he shall be defiled
by idolatry, and shall be judged as one of the heathen. But who of us are
ignorant of the judgment of the Lord ? "Do we not know that the saints shall
judge the world ?" as Paul teaches. But I have neither seen nor heard
of any such thing among you, in the midst of whom the blessed Paul laboured,
and who are commended in the beginning of his Epistle. For he boasts
of you in all those Churches which alone then knew the Lord; but we [of Smyrna]
had not yet known Him. I am deeply grieved, therefore, brethren, for him
(Valens) and his wife; to whom may the Lord grant true repentance! And be
ye then moderate in regard to this matter, and "do not count such as
enemies," but call them back as suffering and straying members, that
ye may save your whole body. For by so acting ye shall edify
yourselves.

CHAP. XII.--EXHORTATION TO VARIOUS GRACES.

For I trust that ye are well versed in the Sacred Scriptures, and that nothing
is hid from you; but to me this privilege is not yet granted. It is declared
then in these Scriptures, "Be ye angry, and sin not," and, "Let not the
sun go down upon your wrath." Happy is he who remembers this, which
I believe to be the case with you. But may the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ Himself, who is the Son of God, and our
everlasting High Priest, build you up in faith and truth, and in all meekness,
gentleness, patience, long-suffering, forbearance, and purity; and may He
bestow on you a lot and portion among His saints, and on us with you, and
on all that are under heaven, who shall believe in our Lord Jesus Christ,
and in His Father, who "raised Him from the dead. Pray for all the saints.
Pray also for kings, and potentates, and princes, and for those that persecute
and hate you, and for the enemies of the cross, that your fruit may be
manifest to all, and that ye may be perfect in Him.

CHAP. XIII.--CONCERNING THE TRANSMISSION OF EPISTLES.

Both you and Ignatius wrote to me, that if any one went [from this] into
Syria, he should carry your letter with him; which request I will attend
to if I find a fitting opportunity, either personally, or through some other
acting for me, that your desire may be fulfilled. The Epistles of Ignatius
written by him to us, and all the rest [of his Epistles] which we have
by us, we have sent to you, as you requested. They are subjoined to this
Epistle, and by them ye may be greatly profited; for they treat of faith
and patience, and all things that tend to edification in our Lord. Any
more certain information you may have obtained respecting both Ignatius himself,
and those that were with him, have the goodness to make known to us.

CHAP. XIV.--CONCLUSION.

These things I have written to you by Crescens, whom up to the present
time I have recommended unto you, and do now recommend. For he has acted
blamelessly among us, and I believe also among you. Moreover, ye will hold
his sister in esteem when she comes to you. Be ye safe in the Lord Jesus
Christ. Grace be with you all. Amen.

Saint Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, was a disciple of Saint John. He wrote to the Philippians, exhorting them to mutual love and to hatred of heresy. When the apostate Marcion met Saint Polycarp at Rome, he asked the aged Saint if he knew him. "Yes," Saint Polycarp answered, "I know you for the first-born of Satan." These were the words of a Saint, most loving and most charitable, and specially noted for his compassion to sinners. He abhorred heresy, because he loved God and man so well.

In 167 persecution broke out in Smyrna. When Polycarp heard that his pursuers were at the door, he said, "The Will of God be done;" and meeting them, he begged to be left alone for a little time, which he spent in prayer for the Catholic Church throughout the world. He was brought to Smyrna early on Holy Saturday; and as he entered, a voice was heard from heaven, "Polycarp, be strong." When the proconsul urged him to curse Christ and go free, Polycarp answered, "Eighty-six years I have served Him, and He never did me wrong; how can I blaspheme my King and Saviour?" When he threatened him with fire, Polycarp told him this fire of his lasted but a short time, while the fire prepared for the wicked lasted forever.

At the stake he thanked God aloud for letting him drink of Christ's chalice. The fire was lighted, but it did him no harm; therefore he was stabbed to the heart, and his dead body was burnt. "Then," say the writers of his acts, "we took up the bones, more precious than the richest jewels or gold, and deposited them in a fitting place, at which may God grant us to assemble with joy, to celebrate the birthday of the martyr to his life in heaven!"

The Conversion of St. Paul

Today is the Feast day in memory of the Conversion of St. Paul, the Apostle of the Gentiles. I took his name as my baptismal name when I became Catholic in 1982. Hence, my name was Jon/Paul, too. I thought it was cute back then, since I thought the new pope was good. However, now I look back at all of the bad examples he gave, leading many to believe things which are NOT good for their souls. Anyway, I associated with Paul, in that I did stuff which was not all that good, and, in a way, was persecuting the Church in my own way. This is why I took his name when converting.
And, I was privileged to touch a piece of his tomb a few years ago in St. Louis. Relics from the Vatican were on tour in the U.S.. Touching this rock meant a great lot to me. Probably wasn't supposed to, but it WAS within reach.

'It is on this glorious day of the Conversion of Saul, who is soon to change his name into Paul, that this great work is commenced. It is on this day that there is heard the Almighty voice which breaketh the cedars of Libanus (Ps. xxviii: 5), and can make a persecuting Jew become first a Christian and then an Apostle. This admirable transformation had been prophesied by Jacob, when upon his deathbed he unfolded to each of his sons the future of the tribe of which he was to be the father. Juda was to have the precedence of honor; from his royal race was to be born the Redeemer, the Expected of nations. Benjamin’s turn came; his glory is not be compared with that of his brother, Juda, and yet it was to be very great—for from his tribe is to be born Paul, the Apostle of the Gentile nations.

These are the words of the dying Prophet (Jacob): 'Benjamin, a ravenous wolf, in the morning shall eat the prey, and in the evening shall divide the spoil' (Gen. xlix: 27). Who, says an ancient writer, is he that in the morning of impetuous youth goes like a wolf in pursuit of the sheep of Christ, breathing threats and slaughter against them? Is it not Saul on the road to Damascus, the bearer and doer of the high-priest’s orders, and stained with the blood of St. Stephen, whom he has stoned by the hands of all those over whose garments he kept watch? And he who in the evening, not only does not despoil, but with a charitable and peaceful hand breaks to the hungry the bread of life—is it not Paul, of the tribe of Benjamin, the Apostle of Christ, burning with zeal for his brethren, making himself all to all, and wishing even to be an anathema for their sakes?

Oh the power of our dear Jesus! How wonderful! How irresistible! He wishes that the first worshipers at His Crib should be humble Shepherds—and He invites them by His Angels, whose sweet hymn was enough to lead these simple-hearted men to the Stable, where, in swaddling-clothes, He lies Who is the Hope of Israel. He would have the Gentile Princes, the Magi, do Him homage—and bids a star to arise in the heavens, whose mysterious apparition, joined to the interior speaking of the Holy Ghost, induces these men of desire to come from the East, and lay at the feet of a humble Babe their riches and their hearts. When the time is come for forming the Apostolic College, He approaches the banks of the Sea of Tiberias, and with this single word: Follow Me, He draws after Him such as He wishes to have as His Disciples. In the midst of all the humiliations of His Passion, He has but to look at the unfaithful Peter, and Peter is a penitent. Today, it is from Heaven that He evinces His power: all the mysteries of our Redemption have been accomplished, and He wishes to show mankind that He is the sole Author and Master of the Apostolate, and that His alliance with the Gentiles is now perfect. He speaks; the sound of His reproach bursts like thunder over the head of this hot Pharisee, who is bent on annihilating the Church; He takes this heart of the Jew, and by His grace, turns it into the heart of the Apostle, the Vessel of election, the Paul who is afterwards to say of himself: 'I live now, not I, but Christ liveth in me' (Gal. ii: 20).

The commemoration of this great event was to be a Feast in the Church, and it had a right to be kept as near as might be to the one which celebrates the martyrdom of St. Stephen; for St. Paul is the Protomartyr’s convert. The anniversary of his martyrdom would, of course, have to be solemnized at the summer solstice; where, then, place the Feast of his Conversion if not near Christmas, and thus our own Apostle would be at Jesus’ Crib, and Stephen’s side? Moreover, the Magi could claim him, as being the conqueror of that Gentile world, of which they were the first fruits.

And lastly, it was necessary, in order to give the court of our Infant King its full beauty, that the two Princes of the Church — the Apostle of the Jews, and the Apostle of the Gentiles—should stand close to the mystic Crib; St. Peter with his Keys, and St. Paul with his Sword. Bethlehem thus becomes the perfect figure of the Church, and the riches of this season of the Cycle are abundant beyond measure.'


Anyway, whether he was knocked off a horse is still debated (it means little), he was a Roman citizen with authority, so it makes sense to me that he was on a horse, or at least being driven. I'm going to end with a prayer from the Gallican Missal concerning this day.

'O god, who by a voice from heaven didst strike with terror thine Apostle Paul when raging against the holiness of the Christian religion, and on this the day of his Vocation didst change him both in his heart and his name: so that the Church having once dreaded him as her persecutor, now rejoices in having him as her Teacher in the commandments of God: whom thou didst strike with exterior blindness, that thou mightest give him interior sight: to whom, moreover, when the darkness of his cruelty was removed, thou didst give the knowledge of thy divine law, whereby he might call the Gentiles: and didst thrice deliver him from shipwreck, which he suffered for the Faith, saving this thy devoted servant from the waves of the sea: grant also to us, we beseech thee, who are solemnizing both his conversion and his sins, we may be permitted to see thee in heaven, who didst enlighten Paul here on earth.'

St. Paul, help us convert our hearts

3rd Sunday after Epiphany

This Sunday, the 3rd after the Epiphany, we hear how we are to deal with those who offend us or treat us badly. We're not supposed to seek to get even with them for their actions. You know; 'Love those who hate you'. This is very hard sometimes. We want those people to get their due justice NOW! But, God doesn't see it that way, and we are supposed to be like Him.

EPISTLE (Rom. XII. 16-21.) Brethren, be not wise in your own conceits. To no man rendering evil for evil: providing good things not only in the sight of God, but also in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as is in you, having peace with all men; not revenging yourselves, my dearly beloved but give place unto wrath; for it is written: Revenge is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. But if thy enemy be hungry, give him to eat; if he thirst, give him to drink; for doing this, thou shaft heap coals of fire upon his head. Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil by good.

"Revenge is no sign of courage," says St. Ambrose, "but rather of weakness and cowardice. As it is the sign of a very weak stomach to be unable to digest food, so it is the mark of a very weak mind to be unable to bear a harsh word." The same saint says: "Are you impatient?, you are overcome. Are you patient?, you have overcome."

When we return him good for evil, for seeing our well meaning towards him, the flush of shame should redden his face for the wrongs he has done us. St. Augustine explains these words thus: "By giving food and drink or doing other kindnesses to your enemy, you will heap coals, not of anger, but of love, upon his head, which will inflame him to return love for love." Learn therefore, from the example of Christ and His saints, not to allow yourself to be overcome by evil, but do good to those that hate and persecute you.

In the Gospel, taken from St. Matthew, we see Jesus healing a leper. The leper knows that only God can heal him, and he asks Jesus to do it. God wills the healing, and Jesus says: "I will, be thou made clean." Therefore, He is God! He didn't say: "God wills it", did He? He said: "I will". How much simpler can it get?

Also, we hear the words that we say at every Mass: "Lord, I am not worthy that thou should enter under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant shall be healed." We do a slight variation of this, when, just before our Communion, we ask God to forgive us so that we may receive Him in a worthy state. *Don't get caught up in the words I was told when converting; that when we say these words at Mass, it is our Confession. That is a 'PANTLOAD! We need to physically go to the great Sacrament of Confession.

It always makes me wonder why Jesus tells these people who are healed not to tell anyone. I figure that it's because those around who have known him probably his whole life will notice him without him saying a word. However, if those laws at that time required him to do so, Jesus wants him to fulfill the law. But, we all know that those in charge will not, for the most part, acknowledge that this Jesus actually cured him.

With all of this in our mind, I would like to end with yet another prayer we don't hear anymore. It is the Commemoration of the Blessed Virgin Mary for this Sunday, and we are asking her for her help:

O God, who by the fruitful Virginity of Blessed Mary hast given to mankind the rewards of eternal salvation, grant, we beseech Thee, that we may experience her intercession, by whom we received the Author of life, our Lord Jesus Christ, thy Son.

She is the new 'Ark' of the new covenant, which now supercedes that of the old since the Moment of His death on the Cross.

MARY, QUEEN OF MERCY

On this Saturday, I just want to share with you a couple of things pertaining to our Blessed Mother. We need her help more than ever. All we have to do is ask.

A Chancellor of Paris, John Gerson states: "The Kingdom of God consists in power and mercy; reserving power to Himself, He, in some way, yielded the empire of mercy to His Mother."

St. Thomas Aquinas confirms this in his preface to the Canonical Epistles: "that when the Blessed Virgin conceived the Eternal Word in her womb, and brought Him forth, she obtained half the kingdom of God; so that she is Queen of mercy, as Jesus Christ is King of justice."

I will end with a prayer composed by St. Alphonsus Liguori:

Most holy Virgin Immaculate, my Mother Mary, to thee who art the Mother of my Lord, the Queen of the universe, the advocate, the hope, the refuge of sinners, I who am the most miserable of all sinners, have recourse this day. I venerate thee, great Queen, and I thank thee for the many graces thou hast bestowed upon me even unto this day; in particular for having delivered me from the hell which I have so often deserved by my sins. I love thee, most dear Lady; and for the love I bear thee, I promise to serve thee willingly forever and to do what I can to make thee loved by others also. I place in thee all my hopes for salvation; accept me as thy servant and shelter me under thy mantle, thou who art the Mother of mercy. And, since thou art so powerful with God, deliver me from all temptations, or at least obtain for me the strength to overcome them until death. From thee I implore a true love for Jesus Christ. Through thee I hope to die a holy death. My dear Mother, by the love thou bearest to Almighty God, I pray thee to assist me always, but most of all at the last moment of my life. Forsake me not then, until thou shalt see me safe in heaven, there to bless thee and sing of thy mercies through all eternity. Such is my hope. Amen.

Our Lady of Mercy

National Handwriting Day

This is very interesting. Handwriting is a lost art these days. Most young people don't 'sign' their name on anything. They just print it. The man's name is Jake Weidmann. Very talented.


Adrienne's Corner: National Handwriting Day: is today. January 23rd has been designated National Handwriting Day by the Writing Instrument Manufacturers Association (WIMA)

OUR MISSION

Just some thoughts from Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman (1801-1890).

THE MISSION OF MY LIFE


God has created me to do Him some definite service. He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission. I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next. I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. He has not created me for naught.

I shall do good; I shall do His work. I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of Truth in my own place, while not intending it if I do but keep His commandments.

Therefore, I will trust Him, wherever I am; I can never be thrown away.

If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him; if I am in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him; I I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him.

He does nothing in vain. He knows what He is about. He may take away my friends. He may throw me among strangers. He may make me feel desolate, make my spirits sink, hide my future from me.

Still, He knows what He is about.

January 22nd Anniversary

It is the 42nd anniversary of that horrible/anti-God decision that has killed 60,000,000+ innocents. I am soooo against abortion; mostly because I was adopted a long time ago, and if the parents knew then what would have happened to me with all my medical problems, I would have been aborted then and there. Today I would have been. Thank God they didn't. I had wonderful Parents. Praise God again! Anyway, here is what I want to say concerning this topic:

"I believe in pro-choice. However, mine is a little different. A woman, or any of us for that fact, has freedom of choice. We either choose to do what God expects of us or NOT!"
Me

Is the following what we really want?



Surgical Abortions: Chemical Abortions • Abortifacient Contraceptives


There are many methods of abortion. The procedure used depends largely upon the stage of pregnancy and the size of the unborn child. Dr. J.C. Willke, in his book, Abortion: Questions and Answers (Hayes Publishing Co. Inc, Cincinnati, 1985), has divided the methods of abortion into three main categories: those that invade the uterus and kill the child by instruments which enter the uterus through the cervix; those that kill the preborn child by administration of drugs and then induce labour and the delivery of a dead baby; and, those that invade the uterus by abdominal surgery.

Dilation of the uterus is required in cervical methods of abortion. The usual method of dilation is to insert a series of instruments of increasing size into the cervix. A set of dilators, metallic curved instruments, are used to open the cervix sufficiently to accommodate the instruments of abortion. In contrast with a normal birth, where the dilation occurs slowly over a period of many hours, the forceful stretching by the abortionist to open the cervix takes a matter of seconds. This premature and unnatural stretching of the cervix can result in permanent physical injury to the mother.


Laminaria (dehydrated material, usually seaweed) is sometimes used to reduce damage to the cervix. Inserted into the cervix the day before the scheduled abortion, it absorbs water and swells, gradually pushing open the cervix in the process.

Eight-week pre-born baby
At Eight Weeks

At eight to nine weeks the eyelids have begun forming and hair appears. By the ninth and tenth weeks the preborn child sucks her thumb, turns somersaults, jumps, can squint to close out light, frown, swallow, and move her tongue.

At this early stage of development, suction abortions are performed using a smaller tube, requiring little dilation of the cervix. This is called "menstrual extraction." However, if all the fetal remains are not removed, infection results, requiring full dilation of the cervix and a scraping out of the womb.
Suction Aspiration

Suction Aspiration: This is the most common method of abortion during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. General or local anaesthesia is given to the mother and her cervix is quickly dilated. A suction curette (hollow tube with a knife-edged tip) is inserted into the womb. This instrument is then connected to a vacuum machine by a transparent tube. The vacuum suction, 29 times more powerful than a household vacuum cleaner, tears the fetus and placenta into small pieces which are sucked through the tube into a bottle and discarded.
Dilation and Curettage (D&C)

This method is similar to the suction method with the added insertion of a hook shaped knife (curette) which cuts the baby into pieces. The pieces are scraped out through the cervix and discarded [Note: This abortion method should not be confused with a therapeutic D&C done for reasons other than pregancy.]

12 Weeks
At Twelve Weeks

By the end of the third month all arteries are present, including the coronary vessels of the heart. Blood is circulating through these vessels to all body parts.

The heart beat ranges during this fetal period from 110 to 160 beats per minute. All blood cells are produced by the liver and spleen, a job soon taken over by the bone marrow. White blood cells, important for immunity, are formed in the lymph nodes and thymus.

Vocal chords are complete, and the child can and does sometimes cry (silently). The brain is fully formed, and the child can feel pain. The fetus may even suck his thumb. The eyelids now cover the eyes, and will remain shut until the seventh month to protect the delicate optical nerve fibers.

14 weeks: Muscles lenghten and become organized. The mother will soon start feeling the first flutters of the baby kicking and moving inside.

15 weeks: The fetus has an adult's taste buds and may be able to savor the mother's meals.

16 weeks: Five and a half inches tall and only six ounces in weight, eyebrows, eyelashes and fine hair appear. The child can grasp with his hands, kick, or even somersault.
Eighteen week pre-born baby

At Eighteen Weeks

The fetus is now about 5 inches long. The child blinks, grasps, and moves her mouth. Hair grows on the head and body.

20 weeks: The child can hear and recognize mother's voice. Though still small and fragile, the baby is growing rapidly and could possibly survive if born at this stage. Fingernails and fingerprints appear. Sex organs are visible. Using an ultrasound device, the doctor can tell if the child is a girl or a boy. The one on the left is a baby girl.

Dilation and Evacuation (D&E)

This method is used up to 18 weeks' gestation. Instead of the loop-shaped knife used in D&C abortions, a pair of forceps is inserted into the womb to grasp part of the fetus. The teeth of the forceps twist and tear the bones of the unborn child. This process is repeated until the fetus is totally dismembered and removed. Usually the spine must be snapped and the skull crushed in order to remove them.
Salt Poisoning (Saline Injection):

Saline Injection: Used after 16 weeks (four months) when enough fluid has accumulated. A long needle injects a strong salt solution through the mother's abdomen into the baby's sac. The baby swallows this fluid and is poisoned by it. It also acts as a corrosive, burning off the outer layer of skin. It normally takes somewhat over an hour for the baby to die from this. Within 24 hours, labor will usually set in and the mother will give birth to a dead or dying baby. (There have been many cases of these babies being born alive. They are usually left unattended to die. However, a few have survived and later been adopted.)
Six month pre-born baby
At Six Months

Seen here at six months, the unborn child is covered with a fine, downy hair called lanugo. Its tender skin is protected by a waxy substance called vernix. Some of this substance may still be on the child's skin at birth at which time it will be quickly absorbed. The child practices breathing by inhaling amnionic fluid into developing lungs.


Prostaglandin Chemical Abortion

Prostaglandin Abortion: This form of abortion uses chemicals developed by the Upjohn Pharmaceutical Co. which cause the uterus to contract intensely, pushing out the developing baby. The contractions are more violent than normal, natural contractions, so the unborn baby is frequently killed by them -- some have even been decapitated. Many, however, have also been born alive.

Hysterotomy or Caesarean Section

Used mainly in the last three months of pregnancy, the womb is entered by surgery through the wall of the abdomen. The technique is similar to a Caesarean delivery, except that the umbilical cord is usually cut while the baby is still in the womb, thus cutting off his oxygen supply and causing him to suffocate. Sometimes the baby is removed alive and simply left in a corner to die of neglect or exposure.

Eight month pre-born baby
At 30 Weeks

For several months, the umbilical cord has been the baby's lifeline to the mother. Nourishment is transferred from the mother's blood, through the placenta, and into the umbilical cord to the fetus. If the mother ingests any toxic substances, such as drugs or alcohol, the baby receives these as well.

32 weeks: The fetus sleeps 90-95% of the day, and sometimes experiences REM sleep, an indication of dreaming.
Partial-Birth Abortion


Five steps to a partial birth abortion:

Partial Birth Abortion: Guided by ultrasound, the abortionist grabs the baby's legs with forceps.

The baby's leg is pulled out into the birth canal.

The abortionist delivers the baby's entire body, except for the head.

Partial Birth Abortion (click for larger image)The abortionist jams scissors into the baby's skull. The scissors are then opened to enlarge the skull.

The scissors are removed and a suction catheter is inserted. The child's brains are sucked out, causing the skull to collapse. The dead baby is then removed.

Newborn baby
At 40 Weeks

The baby, now approximately seven and a half pounds, is ready for life outside its mother's womb. At birth the placenta will detach from the side of the uterus and the umbilical cord will cease working as the child takes his first breaths of air. The child's breathing will trigger changes in the structure of the heart and bypass arteries which will force all blood to now travel through the lungs.


REMEMBER, THE CHOICE IS YOURS. WILL YOU DO WHAT GOD EXPECTS OF YOU OR NOT?

May God Almighty have mercy on us for this horrible act by us.

Fetus at 7 weeks


Prayer for the day:

Eternal and glorious God, I praise you for the gift of life. Let me be included with those whose daily living makes your presence real in the world. Amen.

DISRESPECT

Disrespect
I am repeating a post from the past (Sept. 2010), which I feel is still relevant today. And, I am unanimous in this.


I am amazed how far we have come in regard to freely disrespecting others and being able to get away with it. The political ads are so nasty, I don't want to vote for any of them. My choices won't win anyway. The dems always complaining about how they've been smeared, when it is usually them that fire the first volley. A political analyst said that the ads don't have to be true, they just need to put that little bit of doubt in the minds of the voters. It is truly sickening.

One being that won't be mocked and criticized so freely is God. He will take it seriously, today and the day when we croak. What really sickens me is when people come to church, and they're not dressed appropriately, women not being humble enough to cover their heads, or just disrespect for The Presence in the Holy Eucharist. People taking Communion in their grubby little hands. Particles falling onto the floor, which we will either step on or which will be swept up into a dirt-devil. Mother Teresa said when she was alive that "Communion in the hand is the worst sacrilege in the 20th century." I agree. I would bet everything that I have(which isn't much) that the 'other' prayer that the angel gave the children at Fatima pertains to these times, in reparation for the disrespect that God gets at the masses of this day. We all remember the first prayer, "O my God, forgive us our sins and save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls to heaven, especially those who are most in need of Thy mercy." But, does anyone remember to say the 'other' which the angel gave to the children? A lot of people don't. I'm going to add it, and say that it should be said every day at least 3 times, in honor of the Blessed Trinity. Here it is:

O Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, I adore Thee profoundly. I offer Thee the Most Precious Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges, and indifference by which He Himself is offended. Through the infinite merits of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg the conversion of poor sinners.


This prayer has to be for our times, seeing the disrespect that our Lord receives each and every day of the year. This even happens by 'enlightened catholics', who don't even know the Faith as it comes from Jesus and the Apostles.


May God have mercy on our poor souls.

KING DAY

On this day, we go from one King to another, in my opinion:

MLK

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One got us a day off, while the other makes us pay for it.




One man had a dream, the other had dreams of his father (a Solialist). I have a dream, too.

2nd Sunday after Epiphany

This is the 2nd Sunday after Epiphany. Remember at the Epiphany when we had a triple play, as it were? The Magi came and adored their King. God the Father called Jesus His Son when He was baptized by John the Baptist, and Jesus, acting as God, and not just the son of Mary, turned water into wine at Cana. In the next few weeks, we will be told what we need to do to be faithful friends of Jesus, while Jesus Himself will do some things that no mortal man could ever do. I will let our beloved Abbot Gueranger explain it to us.


The third Mystery of the Epiphany shows us the completion of the merciful designs of God upon the world, at the same time that it manifests to us, for the third time, the glory of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The Star has led the soul to faith; the sanctified Waters of the Jordan have conferred purity upon her; the Marriage-Feast unites her to her God. We have been considering, during the Octave of Epiphany, the Bridegroom revealing Himself to His Spouse, the Church; we have heard Him calling Her to come to Him from the heights of Libanus; and now, after having enlightened and purified Her, He invites Her to the heavenly feast, where She is to receive the Wine of His Divine Love.

A Feast is prepared (John 2); it is a Marriage-Feast; and the Mother of Jesus is present, for it is just that, having cooperated in the mystery of the Incarnation of the Word, She should take part in all that Her Son does, and in all the favors He bestows on His elect. But, in the midst of the Feast, the wine fails. Wine is the symbol of Charity or Love, and Charity had failed on the earth; for the Gentiles had never tasted its sweetness; and as to the Synagogue, what had it produced but wild grapes (Is. 5: 2)? The True Vine is our Jesus, and He calls Himself by that name (John 15: 1). He alone could give that wine which gladdens the heart of man (Ps. 103: 15); He alone could give us that chalice which inebriates (Ps. 22: 5), and of which the Royal Psalmist prophesied.

Mary said to Jesus: "They have no wine." It is the office of the Mother of God to tell Him of the wants of men, for She is also their Mother. But Jesus answers Her in words which are seemingly harsh: "Woman, what is it to Me and to Thee? My hour is not yet come." The meaning of these words is that, in this great mystery, He was about to act, not as the Son of Mary, but as the Son of God. Later on, the hour will come when, dying upon the Cross, He will do a work, in the presence of His Mother, and He will do it as Man, that is, according to that human nature which He has received from Her. Mary at once understands the words of Her Son, and She says to the waiters of the Feast, what She is now ever saying to Her children: Do whatsoever He shall say to you.

Now, there were six large water-jars of stone there, and they were empty. The world was then in its Sixth Age, as St. Augustine and other Holy Doctors tell us. During these six ages, the earth had been awaiting its Savior, Who was to instruct and redeem it. Jesus commands these water-jars to be filled with water; and yet water does not suit the Feast of the Spouse. The figures and prophecies of the ancient world were this water, and until the opening of the Seventh Age, when Christ, Who is the Vine, was to be given to the world, no man had contracted an alliance with the Divine Word.

But, when the Emmanuel came, He had but to say, "Now draw out", and the water-jars were seen to be filled with the wine of the New Covenant, the wine which had been kept to the end. When He assumed our human nature—a nature weak and unstable as water—He effected a change in it; He raised it up even to Himself, by making us partakers of the divine nature (2 Pet. 1: 4); He gave us the power to love Him, to be united with Him, to form that one Body, of which He is the Head, that Church of which He is the Spouse, and which He loved from all eternity, and with such tender love, that He came down from Heaven to celebrate His nuptials with Her.

St. Matthew, the Evangelist of the Humanity of Our Lord, has received from the Holy Ghost the commission to announce to us the Mystery of Faith by the star; St. Luke, the Evangelist of Jesus' Priesthood, has been selected, by the same Holy Ghost, to instruct us in the Mystery of the Baptism in the Jordan; but the Mystery of the Marriage-Feast was to be revealed to us by the Evangelist John, the Beloved Disciple. He suggests to the Church the object of this third Mystery of Epiphany, by this expression: This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and He MANIFESTED His glory (John 2: 11). At Bethlehem, the Gold of the Magi expressed the Divinity of the Babe; at the Jordan, the descent of the Holy Ghost and the voice of the Eternal Father proclaimed Jesus (known to the people as a carpenter of Nazareth) to be the Son of God; at Cana, it is Jesus Himself that acts, and He acts as God, for, says St. Augustine, He Who changed the water into wine in the water-jars could be no other than the same Who, every year, works the same miracle in the vine. Hence it was that, from that day, as St. John tells us, His disciples believed in Him, and the Apostolic College began to be formed.

O the wonderful dignity of man! God has vouchsafed, says the Apostle, to show the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which had no claim to, nay, were unworthy of such an honor. Jesus bids the waiters fill them with water and the water of Baptism purifies us; but, not satisfied with this, He fills these vessels, even to the brim, with that heavenly and new Wine, which was not to be drunk save in the kingdom of His Father (Rom. 9; 23). Thus, divine Charity, which dwells in the Sacrament of Love, is communicated to us; and that we might not be unworthy of the espousals with Himself, to which He called us, He raises us up even to Himself. Let us, therefore, prepare our souls for this wonderful union, and, according to the advice of the Apostle, let us labor to present them to our Jesus with such purity as to resemble that chaste Virgin, who was presented to the spotless Lamb (2 Cor. 11: 2).

The Communion Antiphon recalls once more the miracle of the changing of the water into wine. This was only a dim figure of that wondrous transformation which is accomplished on our altars—only a symbol of that divine Sacrament, the food of our souls whereby, in an unspeakable way, is realized our union with God:

The Lord saith: Fill the water-jars with water and carry to the chief steward of the feast. When the chief steward had tasted the water made wine, he said to the bridegroom: Thou hast kept the good wine until now. This beginning of His miracles did Jesus before His disciples.


Our Blessed Mother intercedes, receives what she asks, and tells us to do whatever He tells us to do. Pure and simple as that. We can ask her to intercede for us and she will never let us down.

LORD, THAT WE MAY SEE WHAT YOU WANT US TO SEE